Anyone got any travel planned?

[Nemo2]

I have always wanted to go to Asturias

On your way there, visit León.

I have not been to Portugal.

Drop into Óbidos.......arrive early and you'll have the place virtually to yourself before the crowds arrive.

Don't miss Porto......DW and I both prefer it to Lisboa.

 

[explanade]

I have always wanted to go to Asturias, the northern region of Spain that is not as popular as Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, etc... And that is because of this guitar piece.

Asturias is great but the weather is wet, which is why it's popular for natives from Madrid to go north in the summer.

I was there in mid July, which is suppose to be their driest season. But had only one day of bright sun.

Glorious coast line and the Picos de Europa (which is also part of Cantabria to the east).

Of course Basque country is a big draw in Northern Spain. The rugged coast line was used in Game of Thrones this season, standing in as Dragonstone.

 

[Starsky]

Very exciting! Just booked a March 2019 cruise around Cuba on Seadream.

(I hope US travelers will still be able to go to the island in '19.)

I'm looking for a great Egypt [pyramids] excursion if anyone has a recommendation.

I'll take a 6:30AM tee time...

I just want to say I played there.

 

[DrRoy]

Very exciting! Just booked a March 2019 cruise around Cuba on Seadream.

I'm looking for a great Egypt [pyramids] excursion if anyone has a recommendation.

Imagine my shock to learn that The Pyramids are in Cuba!
.

 

[Nemo2]

Imagine my shock to learn that The Pyramids are in Cuba!
.

Nefertiti's turning in her sepulcher.

 

[97guns]

Leaving for Seattle Saturday, roundtrip out of SFO for $114

 

[audreyh1]

Just returned from a couple of weeks in Europe. One of my bucket list items had been to visit Aachen's cathedral because I've always been fascinated with Charlemagne and the beginnings of the Holy Roman Empire.

It was nice, but I would skip it if I had known. Aachen is a pretty humdrum town, and the main feature (beyond selling Charlemagne to tourists) seemed to be at least one Greek restaurant in every block.

I had planned a full day there, but after three hours I got back on a train and split.

Made it to Aachen this trip without even planning it!

My Dutch sister-in-law's family rented a place on a farm in Germany for extended family to gather, and it was only 40km from Aachen with a direct bus stopping in the village not far from the farm. So DH and I had a great day exploring the area around the Cathedral and the hot springs. Thought the Cathedral and immediate area was great, enjoyed the impressive Treasury and took the English guided Cathedral tour which visited spots inside the Cathedral not otherwise accessible to tourists.

Also visited Monschau Germany with the family and that was really cool in spite if being a busy tourist town.

On the way back family dropped us off at Maastricht in the Netherlands (this simplified group travel logistics) and we spent a lovely day exploring this really nice old city on the Maas (Meuse) with some fabulous medieval buildings.

Other than the week in Germany, the rest of the ~7 weeks was in Amsterdam with a few day trips: The Hague, Delft, Zaanse Scans and Volendam, Zandvoort Beach resort area. In Amsterdam we bought the Museumkaart, visited museums like crazy, rode bicycles just about everywhere right in the heart of all the crazy bicycle traffic (an obstacle course especially in the crowded tourist areas). We experienced Amsterdam apartment life - one was 3 steep flights up to a two story apartment which meant a 4th steep flight up to the bedroom and roof terrace. In other words, we really lived like Amsterdammers for several weeks. People often addressed us in Dutch (in spite of our Tilley hats?) and I understood them! But usually I had to answer in English as my phrase repertoire is still too limited for conversation.

Due to hurricane Harvey our return via Houston was delayed 4 days so we spend a day in Leiden, not too far from Schiphol. Really nice, and we explored the largest windmill yet - seven flights up, I think! We had already visited several windmills.

Did I mention we climbed a LOT of stairs?

 

[GravitySucks]

Taking an antique motor home to Colorado to volunteer as a camp host at a land trust featuring seven hot springs next week.
Envious of all the European travel discussed here. Can't leave the dog for that long.

 

[Lsbcal]

Audrey, I'm impressed that you rode bikes in Amsterdam. They zip along so fast. Just as a pedestrian we had to be careful. So nice that you have family around there.

We were impressed by the Dutch Resistance Museum and Rembrandt's House in addition to the Van Gogh and Rijk. Several harrowing stories of WW2 survival in the Resistance Museum. Then we also went to the Nazi Documentation Center in Munich. Hadn't realized how active the Nazis were in the early 1920’s.

 

[txtig]

DW and I had been planning a 4 to 5 week trip to Key West in our motor home for late September and October. We really enjoy the beach in the fall. The plan was to work our way down there from Texas along the gulf coast, staying at state parks and RV parks close to the beach, and then head back up the Florida Atlantic coast on our return. Time to plan a different trip!

 

[audreyh1]

Audrey, I'm impressed that you rode bikes in Amsterdam. They zip along so fast. Just as a pedestrian we had to be careful. So nice that you have family around there.

It was indeed a wild and crazy experience! Quite the joy/thrill ride at times.

This was our 5th visit to Amsterdam. So we had some clue but stil....

It took us a few days to find OK bikes. I needed a bike for short legs, DH for long legs, and most shops had standard frames. Tall DH had the most trouble which surprised us because Dutch people tend to be tall. We eventually found a couple of cheap used bikes that were pretty crappy, but got us around.

It would not have been worth the hassle except that we were there over 6 weeks. Finding a place to lock your bike in general, especially at night is also a hassle. But using them to get around was great. We managed to resell the cheap bikes after six weeks and it cost us €125 each for use of the bikes which was quite a deal. We rode them almost everywhere in town and used tram/metro only when moving luggage or taking a train to another city or well after dark. It takes about half the time to cross Amsterdam by bicycle versus tram, so that's also a motivation as well as the flexibility.

The dedicated bike paths/lanes which were often segregated from the car traffic, bike traffic lights, separate roundabout lanes and well marked bike crossings makes travel by bike in a busy city quite easy. However, you are generally riding an obstacle course: motorbikes pass you on the narrow bike lanes!!!, you have to dodge pedestrians in the tourist areas, left turns across major roads can be tricky and exciting, merges can be unpredictable and exciting. It takes total concentration especially when the bicycle traffic is heavy. But I have to say it was very fun.

Between the cycling, more stair climbing than I have ever done, and yet still considerable long distance walking some days, this is the most exercise travel I have done since retiring. I'm amazed my knees and feet put up with all of it, but I managed no problem.

 

[exnavynuke]

Aruba was pretty darn good. Far from the best resort I've ever stayed at (stayed at the Holiday Inn "Resort and Casino"), but I wasn't there for the resort so it wasn't that bad, I was there for the water and the diving. Both of those were great

 

[explanade]

Aruba recently?

Not affected by the hurricanes?

 

[exnavynuke]

Aruba recently?

Not affected by the hurricanes?

Got back Thursday night. Too far south for most hurricanes. From the boat on the second dive we could see part of one of the mountains of Venezuela since it's so close.

 

[Meadbh]

Aruba recently?

Not affected by the hurricanes?

Got back Thursday night. Too far south for most hurricanes. From the boat on the second dive we could see part of one of the mountains of Venezuela since it's so close.

Take a look at a map. Aruba is almost on the coast of South America, many miles south of the paths of the current hurricanes.

 

[explanade]

I just figured all the Caribbean would be vulnerable.

Do the south Caribbean and South America escape most hurricanes or just these recent ones?

 

[exnavynuke]

I just figured all the Caribbean would be vulnerable.

Do the south Caribbean and South America escape most hurricanes or just these recent ones?

The last one to hit Aruba was Felix in 2007, and that was a Cat 2. The A-B-C islands are very rarely hit by hurricanes.

 

[97guns]

Leaving for Seattle Saturday, roundtrip out of SFO for $114

Went to Peace Arch Park on the Canada/Washington border, my wife is here on a Thai visa so we couldn't go deep into Canada but she was thrilled just to step foot into the country within the park

Tomorrow checking out pikes market and the first Starbucks, Tuesday we're driving down to Portland for the day

 

[Souschef]

, Tuesday we're driving down to Portland for the day

Check out Vodoo Doughnuts in Portland

 

[ohyes]

Check out Vodoo Doughnuts in Portland

A couple years ago, youngest son sent a photo of Voodoo doughnuts he had purchased in Austin, TX. ohmy.ohmy.ohmy.


DH and I are headed to Chinctoteauge in October (Road Scholar trip). A couple weeks later, we are taking off for Roswell-Santa Fe...this time with two of our adult offspring.

We rarely have two trips booked so closely together. I am excited.

 

[pullmyfinger]

Leaving tomorrow for 2 weeks in Scandinavia.

 

[nhcycling]

Aruba this winter. Throwing flip flops, books and a bathing suit in a backpack. Chillaxing!

 

[explanade]

Aruba this winter. Throwing flip flops, books and a bathing suit in a backpack. Chillaxing!

I don't know about Aruba but is it near St. Maartens?

They said after the hurricane, some people were going through hotel rooms, armed with machetes, to rob the guests.



I would assume with the power out, the local cops were too occupied to deter this kind of crime and the locals saw it as an opportunity?

That's why I'm wary about going to some of these developing countries or places with severe inequality. Not just for safety reasons but it seems like they carve out these oases of first world comfort in the middle of what are really poor countries.

Then there are similar resorts in places like Tunisia, where recently, Islamic militants were killing Westerners who were guests in those places.

There's plenty of places for me to visit and revisit in the G8/G10 countries where you don't have to face stunning inequality, which has to be a powder keg for potential violence against well-heeled guests from affluent nations.

 

[Meadbh]

I don't know about Aruba but is it near St. Maartens?.

The distance between Aruba and Sint Maarten/St. Martin is 962 Km or 599 miles.

 

[exnavynuke]

I don't know about Aruba but is it near St. Maartens?

They said after the hurricane, some people were going through hotel rooms, armed with machetes, to rob the guests.



I would assume with the power out, the local cops were too occupied to deter this kind of crime and the locals saw it as an opportunity?

That's why I'm wary about going to some of these developing countries or places with severe inequality. Not just for safety reasons but it seems like they carve out these oases of first world comfort in the middle of what are really poor countries.

Then there are similar resorts in places like Tunisia, where recently, Islamic militants were killing Westerners who were guests in those places.

There's plenty of places for me to visit and revisit in the G8/G10 countries where you don't have to face stunning inequality, which has to be a powder keg for potential violence against well-heeled guests from affluent nations.

I left Aruba on Thursday. The island has extremely low unemployment and a decent economy. Crime is very low on the island (in fact, some of the lowest rates of crime in the Caribbean from what I've read). Riding the bus and cars through the island I didn't see a bunch of "mcmansions" but I also didn't see the level of poverty that you can clearly see in places like the Dominican Republic etc. I walked around at night without any fear for my safety (though I don't know that I'd do so down in the refinery town alone at night, but I also wouldn't walk around alone at night in College Park in Atlanta...).