TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
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International...TRAVEL!
- Thread starter TravelingGal
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decodelighted
Super_Ideal_Rock
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GREAT IDEA!!!
How many countries have you traveled to?
Wow. Never counted before: England, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, St. Lucia, Antiqua. Seven, I guess!
Which was your favorite?
Italy. More submersion w/the language difference ... Amazing riviera! Then Venice? Please! Museums in Florence! Traveling by train ... Buying cheese & fruit in little cliff towns, hiking to peaks & picnicing!
What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Focaccia pressed sandwiches with various fillings (figs! procuitto!) in Venice. Or maybe Pistachio Gelato ... or Mushroom Risotto. Or a crazy gorgeous fruit tart we bought in Paris.
What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Pretty shell purchased in Portafino, Italy -- oh wait -- maybe my Hogan handbag from Paris.
Is that a "souvenir"?
Oh wait #2 .. I also have a sundress from Mexico I wear ALL SUMMER LONG, for about six summers running ...
How many countries have you traveled to?
Wow. Never counted before: England, France, Italy, Mexico, Canada, St. Lucia, Antiqua. Seven, I guess!
Which was your favorite?
Italy. More submersion w/the language difference ... Amazing riviera! Then Venice? Please! Museums in Florence! Traveling by train ... Buying cheese & fruit in little cliff towns, hiking to peaks & picnicing!
What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Focaccia pressed sandwiches with various fillings (figs! procuitto!) in Venice. Or maybe Pistachio Gelato ... or Mushroom Risotto. Or a crazy gorgeous fruit tart we bought in Paris.
What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Pretty shell purchased in Portafino, Italy -- oh wait -- maybe my Hogan handbag from Paris.
TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
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Oh, I had no idea. I am right near you at the moment...Moorpark hotel. You know where that is? Could have met you for a drink tonight! I got back in my hotel room at about 9ish...coincidently from meeting another lady I know from the Internet (although I don''t have many net friends). I met her from a travel board though.
(Like how I turned that around to make it somehow related to this thread?)
Well, you are definitely welcome to swing by...I bet your newborn would look fantastic under the hotel lights!
(Like how I turned that around to make it somehow related to this thread?)
Well, you are definitely welcome to swing by...I bet your newborn would look fantastic under the hotel lights!
Mara
Super_Ideal_Rock
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hehehe..yep you are pretty close. unfortunately i just logged on before bed and saw your post about being in san jose and eating cookies and i was like DAMN!
i don''t think greg would understand if i told him i had to jet off to meet a PS friend at 11pm at night, haa!
but next time, for sure, when you are in the area, let us BayArea gals know and we can do something!!!
TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
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LOL, he would think you are crazy for sure! That''s totally fine...I am actually VERY grubby...I have been working out on and off for the last hour in my hotel room trying to burn off that stupid cookie I ate. I''ll probably be up here at some point again since I have business up here. It would definitely be nice to meet you at some point.
TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
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OK, I wasn''t going to reply to this thread until tomorrow, but I suppose I should get us back on topic. Please excuse the Mara/TG intermission...
1. How many countries have you traveled to? 16...Canada, Mexico, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Greece. I dream of going to South America next....
2. Which was your favorite? There are sentimental favorites (Croatia), favorites due to people (Ireland), favorites due to food (Italy). But my fiance would kill me if I didn''t say Australia.
Honestly, I can''t choose.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? I treated myself to a romantic dinner...by myself (not very romantic). Cane e gato in Italy was the restaurant. Best prosciutto and melon. Wonderful cheese and an excellent risotto. Loved calamari in greece. But sometimes the best was just a bread and cheese picnic in whatever country...cheese just ROCKS in Europe.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? Um, can I say my fiance?
OK, I am a dork, but I collect lapel pins from the cities I visit. I have a corkboard in my office, and all my city pins frame the board. I have over 100, I think. However I think the best souvenirs from a trip are photos.
BTW Deco...a bag counts! Doesn''t have to be something kitchy like pins. I often collect rings from different places where the rings have a definite flavor...like celtic bands from Ireland etc.
Phew...ok back you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. How many countries have you traveled to? 16...Canada, Mexico, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Greece. I dream of going to South America next....
2. Which was your favorite? There are sentimental favorites (Croatia), favorites due to people (Ireland), favorites due to food (Italy). But my fiance would kill me if I didn''t say Australia.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? I treated myself to a romantic dinner...by myself (not very romantic). Cane e gato in Italy was the restaurant. Best prosciutto and melon. Wonderful cheese and an excellent risotto. Loved calamari in greece. But sometimes the best was just a bread and cheese picnic in whatever country...cheese just ROCKS in Europe.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? Um, can I say my fiance?
BTW Deco...a bag counts! Doesn''t have to be something kitchy like pins. I often collect rings from different places where the rings have a definite flavor...like celtic bands from Ireland etc.
Phew...ok back you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blenheim
Ideal_Rock
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Great idea!
1. How many countries have you traveled to?
15 - Canada, Peru, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Serbia
ETA: Vatican City
2. Which was your favorite?
That's so hard to say. Hungary felt the most like home, and I'm still the most attached to it. Bosnia helped me to get over a lot of my fears.
3. What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels?
Another thing that's really hard to say. Best overall meal was probably one in France or Italy, but both were far enough ago at this point that it's hard to pinpoint one meal. Best dessert was a orange-chocolate gelato in Florence. Best, in a different way, wasn't even a meal. I helped a Hungarian family harvest their grapes in the fall so that they could make wine, and in the process we all ate the most wonderful grapes until we were sick. Most typical, best meal? Cheese, bread, and nutella on a train while rolling through the countryside or while sitting on a hillside.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Friends, handdown. But if you want me to list a real souvenir, it would have to be photographs or a scarf that I got in Prague.
1. How many countries have you traveled to?
15 - Canada, Peru, England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Serbia
ETA: Vatican City
2. Which was your favorite?
That's so hard to say. Hungary felt the most like home, and I'm still the most attached to it. Bosnia helped me to get over a lot of my fears.
3. What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels?
Another thing that's really hard to say. Best overall meal was probably one in France or Italy, but both were far enough ago at this point that it's hard to pinpoint one meal. Best dessert was a orange-chocolate gelato in Florence. Best, in a different way, wasn't even a meal. I helped a Hungarian family harvest their grapes in the fall so that they could make wine, and in the process we all ate the most wonderful grapes until we were sick. Most typical, best meal? Cheese, bread, and nutella on a train while rolling through the countryside or while sitting on a hillside.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Friends, handdown. But if you want me to list a real souvenir, it would have to be photographs or a scarf that I got in Prague.
littlelysser
Brilliant_Rock
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- Dec 8, 2005
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How many countries have you traveled to?
Hmmm. I'm slightly lame here. Canada, Holland, France, Bahamas and Belgium.
Which was your favorite?
Holland. Wonderful, beautiful country. Fantastic shopping. Amazing museums and architecture. Very american friendly. (this is also very convenient as my FI is a Dutch citizen!)
What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels?
We had an Indonesian meal in the Hague that was absolutely to DIE FOR. And a couple wonderful meals in France. But really, I love that in Paris you can just walk down the street and get a crepe filled with delish cheese and ham and gah! (I am now looking at my cottage cheese with total disdain)
What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Never really bought a souvenir, but I have a faboo Gucci wallet that I got at Printemps in Paris. Does that Count???
Hmmm. I'm slightly lame here. Canada, Holland, France, Bahamas and Belgium.
Which was your favorite?
Holland. Wonderful, beautiful country. Fantastic shopping. Amazing museums and architecture. Very american friendly. (this is also very convenient as my FI is a Dutch citizen!)
What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels?
We had an Indonesian meal in the Hague that was absolutely to DIE FOR. And a couple wonderful meals in France. But really, I love that in Paris you can just walk down the street and get a crepe filled with delish cheese and ham and gah! (I am now looking at my cottage cheese with total disdain)
What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Never really bought a souvenir, but I have a faboo Gucci wallet that I got at Printemps in Paris. Does that Count???
ephemery1
Brilliant_Rock
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- Mar 20, 2006
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1. How many countries have you traveled to?
10? Turkey, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Mexico, BVI
2. Which was your favorite?
London... ahhhhh. I lived there for a period of time and fell head-over-heels in love with the city. And Turkey was fun and exotic... very different than my other European travels!
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Grilled lobster in the Caribbean...mmmm.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Maybe my Wagamama''s t-shirt from London? Or masala (evil-eye) pendants from Turkey...
10? Turkey, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Monaco, Mexico, BVI
2. Which was your favorite?
London... ahhhhh. I lived there for a period of time and fell head-over-heels in love with the city. And Turkey was fun and exotic... very different than my other European travels!
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Grilled lobster in the Caribbean...mmmm.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Maybe my Wagamama''s t-shirt from London? Or masala (evil-eye) pendants from Turkey...
hlmr
Ideal_Rock
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- Oct 21, 2004
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1. How many countries have you traveled to? (14) U.S., Mexico, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Belgium, Holland, France, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I’m not much into souvenirs so I would have to say the pictures I took.
2. Which was your favorite? The city of Antwerp was architecturally amazing, Austria for the scenery, Italy for the food and the marriage proposal.
3. What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels? Spinach risotto at Villa Manin in northern Italy. I’ve tried to recreate it to no avail.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I’m not much into souvenirs so I would have to say the pictures I took.
Angela1977
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2006
- Messages
- 224
1. How many countries have you traveled to?
Hmmm, not sure...let''s count. Canada, UK, France, Italy, Vatican City (I say it counts!
), Monaco, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein, and Norway...so 13.
2. Which was your favorite?
That''s tough...really, really tough. Norway I suppose. We were there on June 21, longest day of the year...and we were out waterskiing at about 2am. Lots of parties on "traditional" viking ships, absolutely gorgeous countryside, Oslo is a heck of a nice big city. But Italy is a close second...hmmmm
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Well, it''s kind of odd. The BEST thing I had was this amazing sandwich in Liechtenstein. The sauce on it was amazing, the bread a flat incredibly flavorful kind, the meats (there were many different ones) tasted so fresh, as did the vegetables. It didn''t taste like any sandwich I''ve ever had, so I hate to put it in the "sandwich group" (that also sounds boring...) but it was amazing. I''m hungry now.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Got a bunch. I stole
ashtrays at every bar or club I went to, so those are pretty cool. I got a beautiful necklace at Avingnon (the French Papal city) that I still love to wear. And I splurged and bought myself an amazing diamond pendant in Amsterdam at Coster Diamonds. It was a very unique, and I LOVE it...(this IS Pricescope, right?)
Hmmm, not sure...let''s count. Canada, UK, France, Italy, Vatican City (I say it counts!
2. Which was your favorite?
That''s tough...really, really tough. Norway I suppose. We were there on June 21, longest day of the year...and we were out waterskiing at about 2am. Lots of parties on "traditional" viking ships, absolutely gorgeous countryside, Oslo is a heck of a nice big city. But Italy is a close second...hmmmm
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Well, it''s kind of odd. The BEST thing I had was this amazing sandwich in Liechtenstein. The sauce on it was amazing, the bread a flat incredibly flavorful kind, the meats (there were many different ones) tasted so fresh, as did the vegetables. It didn''t taste like any sandwich I''ve ever had, so I hate to put it in the "sandwich group" (that also sounds boring...) but it was amazing. I''m hungry now.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
Got a bunch. I stole
ammayernyc
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2004
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- 1,268
1. How many countries have you traveled to?
I've never counted! Canada, Mexico, Aruba, Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Maartin, Israel, Austria, Italy, Vatican City (I agree, different country!), Greece, Turkey, United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, various other countries from cruises... so, a solid 15, but probably more. And we're going to Austria and Prague this summer so I can add one more shortly.
2. Which was your favorite?
I really loved Greece because I had wanted to go there for so long. We went to a concert in one of the ancient ruins which was the absolute highlight! But all the others were fantastic too!
3. What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels?
Being a real foodie, this is a problem. The Argentian steak in Aruba was so good. The Greek Salad in Greece was amazing. Pasta with clams in Italy was yummy.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
I'm not really a big shopper during vacations. (Living in New York there is rarely something I can get someplace else that I can't get here). But I would have to say my Murano Glass statue I got in Italy.
I've never counted! Canada, Mexico, Aruba, Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. Maartin, Israel, Austria, Italy, Vatican City (I agree, different country!), Greece, Turkey, United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, various other countries from cruises... so, a solid 15, but probably more. And we're going to Austria and Prague this summer so I can add one more shortly.
2. Which was your favorite?
I really loved Greece because I had wanted to go there for so long. We went to a concert in one of the ancient ruins which was the absolute highlight! But all the others were fantastic too!
3. What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels?
Being a real foodie, this is a problem. The Argentian steak in Aruba was so good. The Greek Salad in Greece was amazing. Pasta with clams in Italy was yummy.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
I'm not really a big shopper during vacations. (Living in New York there is rarely something I can get someplace else that I can't get here). But I would have to say my Murano Glass statue I got in Italy.
Cailet
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2005
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- 419
1. How many countries:
England, Mexico, Canada, St Lucia, Virgin Islands (does that count? technically part of the US), Bahamas, Caymans, Barbados, St Maarten, Antigua
Wish list: Ireland, Italy, Japan (since it was my major in college!), Germany (my mom is 100% german) and Czech Republic (my dad is a mutt but supposedly this is where our last name came from) oh and just about anywhere else in the world. I should change my screen name to WishIwasaTravellingGal!
2. Which was your favorite?
how can you choose? St Lucia and Caymans had AMAZING scuba diving and were overall super gorgeous. Mexico we took a tour through some Mayan ruins/Jungle with a guy who actually is decended from the Mayans and he gave the coolest talks about history/local animals/local people/plants and customs(all the other tour guides kept trying to sneak their groups in with us to hear what he was saying). I went to London in high school with a pretty tightly watched group so we didn''t get to get out and explore too much so I can''t say much about it except the parts we saw were pretty cool.
3.Best thing I ate?
A homemade meal by a family in Antigua - complete with homemade planters punch, tamarinde (sp?) juice and fresh biscuits.
Second place goes to the fried plantains in San Juan!
4. Favorite souvenir?
I would have to say pictures. I''m not a huge shopper (I know GASP!) - well at least I''m not a huge buyer - I like to window shop more than anything. Oh and a couple of shells dive masters gave us (you really aren''t supposed to pick them up but they do anyway)
now I''m hungry and itching to travel!
England, Mexico, Canada, St Lucia, Virgin Islands (does that count? technically part of the US), Bahamas, Caymans, Barbados, St Maarten, Antigua
Wish list: Ireland, Italy, Japan (since it was my major in college!), Germany (my mom is 100% german) and Czech Republic (my dad is a mutt but supposedly this is where our last name came from) oh and just about anywhere else in the world. I should change my screen name to WishIwasaTravellingGal!
2. Which was your favorite?
how can you choose? St Lucia and Caymans had AMAZING scuba diving and were overall super gorgeous. Mexico we took a tour through some Mayan ruins/Jungle with a guy who actually is decended from the Mayans and he gave the coolest talks about history/local animals/local people/plants and customs(all the other tour guides kept trying to sneak their groups in with us to hear what he was saying). I went to London in high school with a pretty tightly watched group so we didn''t get to get out and explore too much so I can''t say much about it except the parts we saw were pretty cool.
3.Best thing I ate?
A homemade meal by a family in Antigua - complete with homemade planters punch, tamarinde (sp?) juice and fresh biscuits.
Second place goes to the fried plantains in San Juan!
4. Favorite souvenir?
I would have to say pictures. I''m not a huge shopper (I know GASP!) - well at least I''m not a huge buyer - I like to window shop more than anything. Oh and a couple of shells dive masters gave us (you really aren''t supposed to pick them up but they do anyway)
now I''m hungry and itching to travel!
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2004
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- 26,545
ChargerGrrl
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2005
- Messages
- 2,865
I''ll play!
1. How many countries have you traveled to? England, Mexico, Italy (& Vatican City), Morocco, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic & Australia
1. How many countries have you traveled to? England, Mexico, Italy (& Vatican City), Morocco, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic & Australia
2. Which was your favorite? LOADED QUESTION!! So hard to choose just one. I''ll pick my favorite 3- Australia, Italy & Spain.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? This question is right up my alley. I LOVE FOOD (funny, as I work for the Food Network- it comes with the territory!) I had Mussels & Frites in Brussels that were divine, manchego cheese in Spain that melted in my mouth, and a Sacher torte in Vienna that made me weak in the knees.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I''m sooo not a nic-nak person. I perfer to buy things that I''ll use day in and out, instead of putting on display or something. My favorite was a red leather wallet that I picked up at a market in Florence, but I retired it about a month ago. So I''d have to say that it''s a Swarovski crystal pendant that I bought in Prague last fall (jewelry- go figure!)
SoonIHope
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2005
- Messages
- 2,152
1. How many countries have you traveled to? Canada, Mexico, France, England, Italy, Austria, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Egypt...so 10 (hehe or 11 with Vatican City!)
2. Which was your favorite? My favorite CITY was Damascus! Yes, it''s a police state, yes we almost got locked away in Syrian prison for all eternity...but it is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL city I have ever seen, and every single person we met was soooo wonderful. Favorite total country has got to be Italy...ahhh Italia! Mmmm and also Mexico City is right up top.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? Anything in Italy (pasta, bread, gelato, mozarella), any local cheese anywhere, or, really, most likely the kinafa (cheesy pastry with orange blossom syrup) at the little bakery near where I was staying in Jordan...mmmm...that and that alone is the reason I gained 15 pounds there.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? Hmmmm, I bought like 4 pairs of cheap shoes in Mexico that I wear all the time and like telling people I got in Mexico.
And the same with a skirt from Italy. But I think my favorite things are random decor items I picked up in the Middle East...some pillowcases, scarves, trinket guarding against the evil eye, etc.
2. Which was your favorite? My favorite CITY was Damascus! Yes, it''s a police state, yes we almost got locked away in Syrian prison for all eternity...but it is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL city I have ever seen, and every single person we met was soooo wonderful. Favorite total country has got to be Italy...ahhh Italia! Mmmm and also Mexico City is right up top.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? Anything in Italy (pasta, bread, gelato, mozarella), any local cheese anywhere, or, really, most likely the kinafa (cheesy pastry with orange blossom syrup) at the little bakery near where I was staying in Jordan...mmmm...that and that alone is the reason I gained 15 pounds there.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? Hmmmm, I bought like 4 pairs of cheap shoes in Mexico that I wear all the time and like telling people I got in Mexico.
bee*
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- May 14, 2006
- Messages
- 12,169
This is a cool thread!
1. How many countries have I visited?
North America, Canada, Mexico, England, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal and Germany. Im heading to Singapore and Australia in November and cannot wait!!
2. Which was my favorite?
I love North America as New York is my favorite city in the world so that wins hands down. Germany is also brilliant and I go to the Oktoberfest in Munich most years. My parents have a house in France so I love it there too.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
I went to a tiny German restaurant in Munich and had the most simple meal of some sausages, saur kraut(or however you spell that!) and veg, but it was just the tastiest thing ever
4. Favorite Souvenir
My tiffany bracelet that my boyfriend got me in New York in January-Ive never been so excited to walk into a shop. I can only imagine what its like if you are going in to get your engagement ring!!
1. How many countries have I visited?
North America, Canada, Mexico, England, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal and Germany. Im heading to Singapore and Australia in November and cannot wait!!
2. Which was my favorite?
I love North America as New York is my favorite city in the world so that wins hands down. Germany is also brilliant and I go to the Oktoberfest in Munich most years. My parents have a house in France so I love it there too.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
I went to a tiny German restaurant in Munich and had the most simple meal of some sausages, saur kraut(or however you spell that!) and veg, but it was just the tastiest thing ever
4. Favorite Souvenir
My tiffany bracelet that my boyfriend got me in New York in January-Ive never been so excited to walk into a shop. I can only imagine what its like if you are going in to get your engagement ring!!
caligal
Shiny_Rock
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2005
- Messages
- 470
What a cool thread Travelinggal!
1. How many countries have you traveled to? Mexico, England, and France... I''m so ready to travel some more! Next on my list is Italy.... I love how PSers have so many of the same passions: jewelry, traveling, our animals! It''s funny, because while we''ve found many others like us, most people don''t love diamonds as much and most folks haven''t left their own country!
1. How many countries have you traveled to? Mexico, England, and France... I''m so ready to travel some more! Next on my list is Italy.... I love how PSers have so many of the same passions: jewelry, traveling, our animals! It''s funny, because while we''ve found many others like us, most people don''t love diamonds as much and most folks haven''t left their own country!
2. Which was your favorite? Hands down England so far. London is such a fabulous city- lived there for 3 months and went back last summer. I love the theatre, history, pubs, and the people.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? This one has to go to a non-international travel: Hawaii. I had the best Kailua pig at a luau- I LOVE Hawaiian food!
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I am also not much of a nick-nacky person, so my fav. souvenirs are always my photos.
sk8rjen
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2006
- Messages
- 1,113
How many countries have you traveled to?
Only Hong Kong and Mexico, although I''ve been all over the U.S.
Which was your favorite
Tough call -- I loved Mexico b/c I was there w/M and everything was really romantic for us. I went to Hong Kong for a skating competition when I was 15 and it was really my first big trip ANYWHERE, so it was really special. It felt like New York, only cleaner with crazier drivers!
What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Steaks and seafood on Mount Victoria in Hong Kong, but I managed to fall asleep in my plate! (First experience with jet lag!)
What is your favorite souvenir?
Ummm, the 3 gold medals I won in Hong Kong are the nicest ones I have, but my 2 promise rings from Mexico from M are best by far! (Another PSer picking sparklies
)
fun thread!
jen
Only Hong Kong and Mexico, although I''ve been all over the U.S.
Which was your favorite
Tough call -- I loved Mexico b/c I was there w/M and everything was really romantic for us. I went to Hong Kong for a skating competition when I was 15 and it was really my first big trip ANYWHERE, so it was really special. It felt like New York, only cleaner with crazier drivers!
What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Steaks and seafood on Mount Victoria in Hong Kong, but I managed to fall asleep in my plate! (First experience with jet lag!)
What is your favorite souvenir?
Ummm, the 3 gold medals I won in Hong Kong are the nicest ones I have, but my 2 promise rings from Mexico from M are best by far! (Another PSer picking sparklies
fun thread!
jen
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2005
- Messages
- 4,165
I'm not a LIW but this is a fun thread....can I play?
1. How many countries have you traveled to? 15, not including my home country of USA. Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Iceland, France, Italy, UK, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Canada.
1. How many countries have you traveled to? 15, not including my home country of USA. Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, South Korea, Iceland, France, Italy, UK, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Canada.
2. Which was your favorite? Impossible to pick just one. Fave Asian country is definitely Thailand...the people are gracious and warm, the history and culture are interesting, and the country's physical beauty is unmatched. Favorite European country is Italy. The food, the views, fun people, architecture, art, history...what's not to love!
3. What was the best thing you've eaten on your travels? Red curry from southerm Thailand. Blazing HOT!!!
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I don't really buy souvenirs, but I have a pair of $2 cotton pajama bottoms from a street vendor in Bangkok that is the best, softest piece of clothing I own!
Logan Sapphire
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Sep 5, 2003
- Messages
- 2,405
1. How many countries have you traveled to?
Kuwait, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, India, Philipines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Tunisia, Bahamas, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Vatican City!
2. Which was your favorite?
Well, I have to say that I LOVE Italy and England, but to be fair, I did a lot of traveling when I was younger, and don''t remember as much as I would like.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
I know it''s very simple, but pizza marinara from Italy.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
My e-ring (got engaged in London)! I really don''t buy souvenirs when I travel.
Kuwait, England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, India, Philipines, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Tunisia, Bahamas, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Vatican City!
2. Which was your favorite?
Well, I have to say that I LOVE Italy and England, but to be fair, I did a lot of traveling when I was younger, and don''t remember as much as I would like.
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
I know it''s very simple, but pizza marinara from Italy.
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
My e-ring (got engaged in London)! I really don''t buy souvenirs when I travel.
sumbride
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2006
- Messages
- 3,867
1. How many countries have you traveled to? 10, in order of visitation... England, Wales, Ireland, France, Belgium, St. Lucia, Bahamas, Canada, Barbados, Mexico
2. Which was your favorite? St. Lucia for the uniqueness, Paris for the experience, Ireland for the people, and England because it was my first stamp in my passport
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? Pork in caramel sauce at a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris, near the Opera. it was AMAZING. Never had a bad meal in Paris... the macaroons at Laduree were incredible. Loved the flying fish and conch fritters in St. Lucia
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I like to buy art when I travel... I have a beautiful watercolor from Paris, a colorful print from St. Lucia, a tapestry table runner from Belgium... and of course, the memories!
2. Which was your favorite? St. Lucia for the uniqueness, Paris for the experience, Ireland for the people, and England because it was my first stamp in my passport
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels? Pork in caramel sauce at a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris, near the Opera. it was AMAZING. Never had a bad meal in Paris... the macaroons at Laduree were incredible. Loved the flying fish and conch fritters in St. Lucia
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels? I like to buy art when I travel... I have a beautiful watercolor from Paris, a colorful print from St. Lucia, a tapestry table runner from Belgium... and of course, the memories!
Mandarine
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2006
- Messages
- 3,786
1. How many countries have you traveled to?
US (since I''m not from here I''ll count that!), Venezuela (home
)...ok...is that cheating? hehehe....other than that: Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Spain, plus two islands: Bahamas, Aruba.....I think that''s about it!.
Wish list: Greece and Italy!
2. Which was your favorite?
Spain...I just love Spain!!!!!!
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Any tapas served in any little place in Spain!...specially Manchego cheese!!!!!!
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
My dog!!!!!! I brought him from Costa Rica the second time I visited!
US (since I''m not from here I''ll count that!), Venezuela (home
Wish list: Greece and Italy!
2. Which was your favorite?
Spain...I just love Spain!!!!!!
3. What was the best thing you''ve eaten on your travels?
Any tapas served in any little place in Spain!...specially Manchego cheese!!!!!!
4. What is your favorite souvenir from your travels?
My dog!!!!!! I brought him from Costa Rica the second time I visited!
TravelingGal
Super_Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2004
- Messages
- 17,193
You guys are killing me with the Manchego cheese. I just LOVE that stuff and usually swat people away from it when they go for a bit so I can eat more more more!
OK, part deux here (or you can add this to the list if you haven''t answered) as I am very curious...
What was your traveling method for the places you have visited??
A) Cruising
B) Slow travel...go to one or two countries at a time...
C) Tour
D) Backpacked
E) Other
And...
What is your traveling style?
A) Go frugal with everything...it''s about what you see
B) I gotta have a nice room...I can skimp on the food and eat bread and cheese for the next 14 days.
B) Cheapo accomodation for me - who spends time in the room! Spend money on food, shopping etc.
C) Wha?? Cheapo accomodation? No way...I got a diamond to protect! It''s posh ALL THE WAY FOR ME BABY...bring on the caviar!
Keep talking travel!!! I am living vicariously through you guys, as we are not traveling this year.
OK, part deux here (or you can add this to the list if you haven''t answered) as I am very curious...
What was your traveling method for the places you have visited??
A) Cruising
B) Slow travel...go to one or two countries at a time...
C) Tour
D) Backpacked
E) Other
And...
What is your traveling style?
A) Go frugal with everything...it''s about what you see
B) I gotta have a nice room...I can skimp on the food and eat bread and cheese for the next 14 days.
B) Cheapo accomodation for me - who spends time in the room! Spend money on food, shopping etc.
C) Wha?? Cheapo accomodation? No way...I got a diamond to protect! It''s posh ALL THE WAY FOR ME BABY...bring on the caviar!
Keep talking travel!!! I am living vicariously through you guys, as we are not traveling this year.
Blenheim
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2006
- Messages
- 3,136
I''m so inconsistent that I think I''ll address more by country.
For England, Italy, Switzerland, my first trip to France, and a couple times in Canada, I was with my family. My father poured over travel books to choose where we were going to go and, with Italy, hired an Italian tutor to come in on Friday afternoons and teach the whole family Italian. (He goes through phases of being very very passionate about certain things, and travel/languages are often up there.) We rented a car and toured both cities and the country side. We hit up many of the typical tourist destinations, but he did enough research to be sure that we could get some more atypical experiences. For example, when he realized that we were going to be in England for the summer solstace, he decided that we needed to go to Stonehenge for dawn. We found a hotel a few miles away the night before, woke up around 2 or 3 am (can''t quite remember at this point), walked the few miles, and got there a bit before dawn. It was packed with druids, hippies, riot police, and was quite the experience. Some people managed to slip past the riot police and started climbing around on the stones (big no no), so I think that they put up more restrictions on how close people could get the next year.
My parents didn''t spend all that money on hotels, since we spent so little time in them. Our whole family loves food, so the big focus was on great food, wine, learning the language beforehand, and also going into museums, palaces, etc. We didn''t get many souvenirs at all. The only one that I can immediately think of is a Venetian mask.
My second trip to France and one of my trips to Canada were both with class trips. In France, we stayed with host families in Toulouse, went to school with them one day, did things with them in the evenings, and spent the days touring the city and nearby cities with our class. Montreal was for a conference so that took up all of our days, but we went out in the evenings. It''s actually kind of sad where our money ended up going there, in retrospect. A lot of us had just turned 18 and were amazed that the drinking age was lower in Montreal than in the US, so you can guess what happened. We also bought a bunch of MC Solaar cds.
When I went to Peru, it was with a church missions trip. We spent a couple days in Lima, living in sleeping bags on the floor of an orphanage. We then traveled by bus to a small city in the desert, where we spent a week clearing land during the day (they eventually were going to build a recreation center) and seeing the city by night. We stayed in a hotel, but not the posh-est hotel. It was a pretty frugal trip, but I did bring back various items (mostly scarves) made out of Alpaca wool for my family and friends.
I studied abroad in Budapest in college, living with a host family who spoke no English. I got there early so that I could take a short, intensive language course which helped a lot for ordering things in a supermarket but it was still incredibly difficult to communicate. I still wish that I had known more Hungarian - my host father had been an economist during the Communist era, and it probably would have been quite interesting to really talk to him. I spent a lot of time attending classes, grocery shopping, meeting friends at various coffee shops to do work, and trying to get out more on weekends - museums, folk festivals, wine festivals, etc. We found a church that was conducted in English and went to some plays that were entirely in Hungarian. We found out that the Operahaz has tickets for about $3 (really high up and hard to see the stage) and went to operas and ballets. When we felt particularly homesick, we would find American movies with subtitles. I think I saw the Incredibles about three times in theater. At one point my friends and I all started feeling bad that we hadn''t seen anything that we were "supposed to" have seen, so we got out our tourist books and headed around the city like tourists. We were very much impeded by all of the pastry and coffee shops. First stop on castle hill? Not the castle, but our fav coffee shop. My now-fiance came to visit me for a little over a week, and I tried to actually show him things while he was in town.
All of the other countries that I listed were weekend train rides. With some of them, we skipped a few classes so that we''d have more time there. Our school was also conviently a couple of blocks away from a major train station. We''d all pack backpacks with the books we needed to do our homework and about one change of clothes -- any more would have been too heavy. Half the time, only one person brought soap/towel/etc, so we''d all have to share. There were four other people I traveled with a lot, and we all became incredibly close. We stayed in hostels, trying to live as frugally as possible. We''d almost invariably have at least a loaf of bread, cheese, and nutella on us, which we made into a couple of meals - it saved money.
We always had vague plans that got completely shifted around when we got where we were going, and nobody cared. In Romania, we were going to go to "Dracula''s Castle", which involved taking a bus to one end of town and then picking up another bus. We accidently took the first bus in the wrong direction, realized it at the end of the line, but guess what? There was a trail head there. So, we climbed up a small mountain and had a picnic on top. (We also managed to get by in Romania without realizing that we were in a different time zone until we tried to catch our train back.) Another time, we arrived in Prague around 6 am to discover that there were practically no vacancies for that evening. Solution? Take a train to Kutna Hora, a town about an hour away that had an ossuary (is that the right word?) decorated with the bones of thousands of people:
We got back to Prague the next morning, and were still able to see everything that we wanted to see and to go to a marionette play.
We went to Poland with a good friend who had grown up there, and met up with some of his childhood friends. With the exception of the day that we took a train to Auschwitz and Berkinau, we just allowed them to decide what to have us do. It involved hiking in the Tatras, going to their favorite bars in Krakow, and going to the large cemetary in the evening to honor the dead for All Saints Day. Since it was a holiday weekend, a lot of their friends were out of town and we were able to sleep in some college dorms.
I actually flew to Berlin with a friend. It was in December, and we were both getting incredibly homesick, and it was actually just what we needed. It felt more like the US than anywhere we had been thusfar, they served drip coffee (thank God!), and they had similar Christmas traditions to back home (since we stole a lot of our Christmas traditions from them). We did walk around the city and try to see a lot of things, but a lot of our time was spent enjoying coffee and the Christmas fairs around the city.
I could keep going on (and on and on), but I don''t want it to get even more excessive and perhaps this is enough for TravelingGal to live vicariously through someone?
For England, Italy, Switzerland, my first trip to France, and a couple times in Canada, I was with my family. My father poured over travel books to choose where we were going to go and, with Italy, hired an Italian tutor to come in on Friday afternoons and teach the whole family Italian. (He goes through phases of being very very passionate about certain things, and travel/languages are often up there.) We rented a car and toured both cities and the country side. We hit up many of the typical tourist destinations, but he did enough research to be sure that we could get some more atypical experiences. For example, when he realized that we were going to be in England for the summer solstace, he decided that we needed to go to Stonehenge for dawn. We found a hotel a few miles away the night before, woke up around 2 or 3 am (can''t quite remember at this point), walked the few miles, and got there a bit before dawn. It was packed with druids, hippies, riot police, and was quite the experience. Some people managed to slip past the riot police and started climbing around on the stones (big no no), so I think that they put up more restrictions on how close people could get the next year.
My parents didn''t spend all that money on hotels, since we spent so little time in them. Our whole family loves food, so the big focus was on great food, wine, learning the language beforehand, and also going into museums, palaces, etc. We didn''t get many souvenirs at all. The only one that I can immediately think of is a Venetian mask.
My second trip to France and one of my trips to Canada were both with class trips. In France, we stayed with host families in Toulouse, went to school with them one day, did things with them in the evenings, and spent the days touring the city and nearby cities with our class. Montreal was for a conference so that took up all of our days, but we went out in the evenings. It''s actually kind of sad where our money ended up going there, in retrospect. A lot of us had just turned 18 and were amazed that the drinking age was lower in Montreal than in the US, so you can guess what happened. We also bought a bunch of MC Solaar cds.
When I went to Peru, it was with a church missions trip. We spent a couple days in Lima, living in sleeping bags on the floor of an orphanage. We then traveled by bus to a small city in the desert, where we spent a week clearing land during the day (they eventually were going to build a recreation center) and seeing the city by night. We stayed in a hotel, but not the posh-est hotel. It was a pretty frugal trip, but I did bring back various items (mostly scarves) made out of Alpaca wool for my family and friends.
I studied abroad in Budapest in college, living with a host family who spoke no English. I got there early so that I could take a short, intensive language course which helped a lot for ordering things in a supermarket but it was still incredibly difficult to communicate. I still wish that I had known more Hungarian - my host father had been an economist during the Communist era, and it probably would have been quite interesting to really talk to him. I spent a lot of time attending classes, grocery shopping, meeting friends at various coffee shops to do work, and trying to get out more on weekends - museums, folk festivals, wine festivals, etc. We found a church that was conducted in English and went to some plays that were entirely in Hungarian. We found out that the Operahaz has tickets for about $3 (really high up and hard to see the stage) and went to operas and ballets. When we felt particularly homesick, we would find American movies with subtitles. I think I saw the Incredibles about three times in theater. At one point my friends and I all started feeling bad that we hadn''t seen anything that we were "supposed to" have seen, so we got out our tourist books and headed around the city like tourists. We were very much impeded by all of the pastry and coffee shops. First stop on castle hill? Not the castle, but our fav coffee shop. My now-fiance came to visit me for a little over a week, and I tried to actually show him things while he was in town.
All of the other countries that I listed were weekend train rides. With some of them, we skipped a few classes so that we''d have more time there. Our school was also conviently a couple of blocks away from a major train station. We''d all pack backpacks with the books we needed to do our homework and about one change of clothes -- any more would have been too heavy. Half the time, only one person brought soap/towel/etc, so we''d all have to share. There were four other people I traveled with a lot, and we all became incredibly close. We stayed in hostels, trying to live as frugally as possible. We''d almost invariably have at least a loaf of bread, cheese, and nutella on us, which we made into a couple of meals - it saved money.
We always had vague plans that got completely shifted around when we got where we were going, and nobody cared. In Romania, we were going to go to "Dracula''s Castle", which involved taking a bus to one end of town and then picking up another bus. We accidently took the first bus in the wrong direction, realized it at the end of the line, but guess what? There was a trail head there. So, we climbed up a small mountain and had a picnic on top. (We also managed to get by in Romania without realizing that we were in a different time zone until we tried to catch our train back.) Another time, we arrived in Prague around 6 am to discover that there were practically no vacancies for that evening. Solution? Take a train to Kutna Hora, a town about an hour away that had an ossuary (is that the right word?) decorated with the bones of thousands of people:
We got back to Prague the next morning, and were still able to see everything that we wanted to see and to go to a marionette play.
We went to Poland with a good friend who had grown up there, and met up with some of his childhood friends. With the exception of the day that we took a train to Auschwitz and Berkinau, we just allowed them to decide what to have us do. It involved hiking in the Tatras, going to their favorite bars in Krakow, and going to the large cemetary in the evening to honor the dead for All Saints Day. Since it was a holiday weekend, a lot of their friends were out of town and we were able to sleep in some college dorms.
I actually flew to Berlin with a friend. It was in December, and we were both getting incredibly homesick, and it was actually just what we needed. It felt more like the US than anywhere we had been thusfar, they served drip coffee (thank God!), and they had similar Christmas traditions to back home (since we stole a lot of our Christmas traditions from them). We did walk around the city and try to see a lot of things, but a lot of our time was spent enjoying coffee and the Christmas fairs around the city.
I could keep going on (and on and on), but I don''t want it to get even more excessive and perhaps this is enough for TravelingGal to live vicariously through someone?
sumbride
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2006
- Messages
- 3,867
I''m as inconsistent as Blenheim, so I''ll use her approach as well...
England & Wales - I was on a bit of a Beatles kick in high school so my mom booked us on an American Express coach tour around England and Wales the summer I turned 17. I got to take my best friend with me and she brought my aunt along. We spent a few days in London, then sort of made a loop around the country and in to Wales for a day/night. It was a great trip, we really got a chance to see a lot without trying to figure it out ourselves... went to Stonehenge and Bath, Stratford, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool... it was great. We stayed in mid-range hotels and our local guide directed us to a lot of unique places to eat, we saw a couple of plays in the West End of London and had dinner in the pub next to the church where Shakespeare got married (saw the church... it was decorated for a wedding!) It was a great first trip out of the country.
Less than a year later, I had another chance to go back to England with a teacher and a few classmates. We stayed in slightly lower-end hotels and ate at pubs mostly. We spent a few days in London and a few days in Stratford, traveled by train, and got a more in-touch view than my previous trip. We actually spent the night in Gatwick before our early flight and one of my classmates was held at gunpoint because they thought he was a member of the IRA. That was interesting.
I went back to London by myself for a week after college and stayed in a cheap hostel near St. Paul''s. I ate at cafes and pubs, walked everywhere, and kept getting mistaken for a Brit and asked for directions, which was funny since I was wearing a purple overcoat... very unusual in England. I really enjoyed that trip because it was by myself and it was the first time everything was completely up to me.
Ireland - My best friend spotted a 2 for 1 deal when Aer Lingus opened service out of BWI, so we flew to Dublin in Feb. about 5 years ago. I found a tourist hostel for $13/night which was fabulous... right near the James Joyce statue, and amazing breakfasts. We did walk in to find a naked Australian man in our room one day but he was nice so we didn''t complain too much when the owner told us it was a co-ed suite (with a glass shower door?). We walked all over Dublin, experienced the 50-year snow... 5 inches shut the country down! We tried to take a coach tour out to an estate but once we got there, after seeing Bono and The Edge''s house, the estate was closed, so the guide took us to an inn for rhubarb crumble and drove us back to Dublin, no charge. We tipped him well and had a lot of fun even though we didn''t get to do what we planned. We spent our evenings in bars, drinking with the locals. I don''t think I paid for a beer the whole time I was in the country... everyone kept buying them for us. We ended up spending an extra night in Limerick when our plane broke down and had guiness chugging contests with some local guys. That was such a fun trip, and VERY cheap.
France & Belgium - My boyfriend''s brother lives in Paris, and kept telling him to bring me over for vacation. We spent the week sleeping in BUNK BEDS at his his brother''s apartment, but it was cheap! We walked the whole city of Paris, stopping at cafes and bars as you''re supposed to, took our Seine boat tour, ran quickly into the Louvre and quickly out again (ugh, too many lines) but spent a whole day at the D''Orsay and the Picasso museum. We shopped and ate all over town, and one day his brother drove us to Brugge, Belgium, for a great evening. We took the canal tour, ate mussels and frites, drank beer, bought chocolate, and drove back to Paris. It helps that he''s a diplomat and can drive 120 mph without penalty. Never made it to Versailles... we felt that would be overdoing it... I''m more of an "experience this area" kind of traveler.
St. Lucia, Bahamas, Barbados, - These trips were all separate, but similar because I went with my parents. They have to travel to the Carribean each year for work (oh darn) so a few times I''ve been invited to meet them there. St. Lucia was actually my present to get over a breakup with my last boyfriend, and what a present it was... um, we stayed at SANDALS. and I was ALONE. The reason we were allowed to do that... it was a new hotel and that''s where the convention was, so I had a room for 1 at a couples'' resort. I had a great time, but occasionally I felt like I was bumming people out as I ate alone, or drank alone... I could feel people staring at me... "did they have a fight? What''s wrong? Why is she alone? Nobody comes to a couples resort alone!" Crazy, eh? But I loved it. Got away from the resort a few times for tours of the countryside and shopping in the markets. I got sun poisoning from falling asleep on the beach, drank way too much (all inclusive) and had an amazing time with my parents, on their tab.
The next year they invited me to Atlantis in the Bahamas. I wanted my (new) boyfriend to come with me but he was nervous about spending a week with my parents, so he didn''t go, but he''s still wishing he had. That was a great trip. Atlantis is a cool resort but very expensive and it was all on my parents'' tab. I went snorkeling a few times but stayed mostly on the resort, chilling in the sun, seeing the fishies, etc. it was great.
This past fall, my parents said "meet us in barbados" and this time my boyfriend said "YES!" and we went down for a week on that gorgeous island. We stayed at a new Hilton, soaked in the sun, went on catamaran cruises, snorkeling, shopping at the pottery, toured the cave, bought lots of rum, danced in the sand to a great kettle drum band, ate more fish than I thought possible, and just really relaxed. It''s amazing that we pulled off a romantic trip while traveling with my parents, but we did! They had a couple of coworkers with them so it wasn''t just us and them. We went to 5 star restaurants and just really lived it up. And we didn''t pay a cent. I teased my mom that we didn''t need to get married now because we''d just had our honeymoon. She kind of frowned and I assured her I was kidding, but I really think that my guy saying yes to that trip was a turning point for us... he was showing how serious he was about me to accept a gift of that magnitude.
Canada - I had a week off between jobs and wanted to travel, so M said "road trip" and we loaded up my Camry and drove to Canada. We traveled up through the 1000 islands region, then over to Quebec and spent 4 days in Montreal. Our hotel was right downtown so we walked and took the metro everywhere. We got that hotel via Priceline... it was really posh, and only $75/night. I remember it was lobster season or something like that, so we walked through the restaurant area and kept getting solicited by the hosts... come here, eat our lobster... no, no, our lobster is better! It was hilarious! And yes, we did finally settle on a place, and we had lobster! We traveled back through Vermont and New York.... We actually drove from Montreal to DC in one day... it was exhausting and I don''t want to do that part of the trip again! Two days is a better idea.
Mexico- Even though I grew up in Texas, I''d never been to Mexico until April. I''d had years of people telling me it was dirty and dangerous and I shouldn''t go. but Finally, I did. I went to the Mayan Riveria with some girlfriends for a week on the beach. It was amazing! Loved it! we spent some time in Playa del Carmen, but stayed mostly on the resort because we were there to relax, not sightsee. I had taken so many classes in Mexican history in college that I was kind of burnt out on it and just wanted to sit by the pool. That was a nice resort, but since there were several of us, it only cost $700 for food/shopping/lodging for a week! Airfare was about $350.
I know this thread was mostly about international travel, but I''ve been all over the US as well and am flying to Boston tomorrow. I''ll get to see Selkie, actually! Then the weekend after I''m going to spend a weeked in the mountains of West Virginia. Then at the end of July I''ll be in San Diego, San Francisco, and Napa. In August, I plan to rest!
England & Wales - I was on a bit of a Beatles kick in high school so my mom booked us on an American Express coach tour around England and Wales the summer I turned 17. I got to take my best friend with me and she brought my aunt along. We spent a few days in London, then sort of made a loop around the country and in to Wales for a day/night. It was a great trip, we really got a chance to see a lot without trying to figure it out ourselves... went to Stonehenge and Bath, Stratford, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool... it was great. We stayed in mid-range hotels and our local guide directed us to a lot of unique places to eat, we saw a couple of plays in the West End of London and had dinner in the pub next to the church where Shakespeare got married (saw the church... it was decorated for a wedding!) It was a great first trip out of the country.
Less than a year later, I had another chance to go back to England with a teacher and a few classmates. We stayed in slightly lower-end hotels and ate at pubs mostly. We spent a few days in London and a few days in Stratford, traveled by train, and got a more in-touch view than my previous trip. We actually spent the night in Gatwick before our early flight and one of my classmates was held at gunpoint because they thought he was a member of the IRA. That was interesting.
I went back to London by myself for a week after college and stayed in a cheap hostel near St. Paul''s. I ate at cafes and pubs, walked everywhere, and kept getting mistaken for a Brit and asked for directions, which was funny since I was wearing a purple overcoat... very unusual in England. I really enjoyed that trip because it was by myself and it was the first time everything was completely up to me.
Ireland - My best friend spotted a 2 for 1 deal when Aer Lingus opened service out of BWI, so we flew to Dublin in Feb. about 5 years ago. I found a tourist hostel for $13/night which was fabulous... right near the James Joyce statue, and amazing breakfasts. We did walk in to find a naked Australian man in our room one day but he was nice so we didn''t complain too much when the owner told us it was a co-ed suite (with a glass shower door?). We walked all over Dublin, experienced the 50-year snow... 5 inches shut the country down! We tried to take a coach tour out to an estate but once we got there, after seeing Bono and The Edge''s house, the estate was closed, so the guide took us to an inn for rhubarb crumble and drove us back to Dublin, no charge. We tipped him well and had a lot of fun even though we didn''t get to do what we planned. We spent our evenings in bars, drinking with the locals. I don''t think I paid for a beer the whole time I was in the country... everyone kept buying them for us. We ended up spending an extra night in Limerick when our plane broke down and had guiness chugging contests with some local guys. That was such a fun trip, and VERY cheap.
France & Belgium - My boyfriend''s brother lives in Paris, and kept telling him to bring me over for vacation. We spent the week sleeping in BUNK BEDS at his his brother''s apartment, but it was cheap! We walked the whole city of Paris, stopping at cafes and bars as you''re supposed to, took our Seine boat tour, ran quickly into the Louvre and quickly out again (ugh, too many lines) but spent a whole day at the D''Orsay and the Picasso museum. We shopped and ate all over town, and one day his brother drove us to Brugge, Belgium, for a great evening. We took the canal tour, ate mussels and frites, drank beer, bought chocolate, and drove back to Paris. It helps that he''s a diplomat and can drive 120 mph without penalty. Never made it to Versailles... we felt that would be overdoing it... I''m more of an "experience this area" kind of traveler.
St. Lucia, Bahamas, Barbados, - These trips were all separate, but similar because I went with my parents. They have to travel to the Carribean each year for work (oh darn) so a few times I''ve been invited to meet them there. St. Lucia was actually my present to get over a breakup with my last boyfriend, and what a present it was... um, we stayed at SANDALS. and I was ALONE. The reason we were allowed to do that... it was a new hotel and that''s where the convention was, so I had a room for 1 at a couples'' resort. I had a great time, but occasionally I felt like I was bumming people out as I ate alone, or drank alone... I could feel people staring at me... "did they have a fight? What''s wrong? Why is she alone? Nobody comes to a couples resort alone!" Crazy, eh? But I loved it. Got away from the resort a few times for tours of the countryside and shopping in the markets. I got sun poisoning from falling asleep on the beach, drank way too much (all inclusive) and had an amazing time with my parents, on their tab.
The next year they invited me to Atlantis in the Bahamas. I wanted my (new) boyfriend to come with me but he was nervous about spending a week with my parents, so he didn''t go, but he''s still wishing he had. That was a great trip. Atlantis is a cool resort but very expensive and it was all on my parents'' tab. I went snorkeling a few times but stayed mostly on the resort, chilling in the sun, seeing the fishies, etc. it was great.
This past fall, my parents said "meet us in barbados" and this time my boyfriend said "YES!" and we went down for a week on that gorgeous island. We stayed at a new Hilton, soaked in the sun, went on catamaran cruises, snorkeling, shopping at the pottery, toured the cave, bought lots of rum, danced in the sand to a great kettle drum band, ate more fish than I thought possible, and just really relaxed. It''s amazing that we pulled off a romantic trip while traveling with my parents, but we did! They had a couple of coworkers with them so it wasn''t just us and them. We went to 5 star restaurants and just really lived it up. And we didn''t pay a cent. I teased my mom that we didn''t need to get married now because we''d just had our honeymoon. She kind of frowned and I assured her I was kidding, but I really think that my guy saying yes to that trip was a turning point for us... he was showing how serious he was about me to accept a gift of that magnitude.
Canada - I had a week off between jobs and wanted to travel, so M said "road trip" and we loaded up my Camry and drove to Canada. We traveled up through the 1000 islands region, then over to Quebec and spent 4 days in Montreal. Our hotel was right downtown so we walked and took the metro everywhere. We got that hotel via Priceline... it was really posh, and only $75/night. I remember it was lobster season or something like that, so we walked through the restaurant area and kept getting solicited by the hosts... come here, eat our lobster... no, no, our lobster is better! It was hilarious! And yes, we did finally settle on a place, and we had lobster! We traveled back through Vermont and New York.... We actually drove from Montreal to DC in one day... it was exhausting and I don''t want to do that part of the trip again! Two days is a better idea.
Mexico- Even though I grew up in Texas, I''d never been to Mexico until April. I''d had years of people telling me it was dirty and dangerous and I shouldn''t go. but Finally, I did. I went to the Mayan Riveria with some girlfriends for a week on the beach. It was amazing! Loved it! we spent some time in Playa del Carmen, but stayed mostly on the resort because we were there to relax, not sightsee. I had taken so many classes in Mexican history in college that I was kind of burnt out on it and just wanted to sit by the pool. That was a nice resort, but since there were several of us, it only cost $700 for food/shopping/lodging for a week! Airfare was about $350.
I know this thread was mostly about international travel, but I''ve been all over the US as well and am flying to Boston tomorrow. I''ll get to see Selkie, actually! Then the weekend after I''m going to spend a weeked in the mountains of West Virginia. Then at the end of July I''ll be in San Diego, San Francisco, and Napa. In August, I plan to rest!
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