Marie Lewis

In article , Keith Anderson
writes
    >There was an interview this morning on BBC Radio 4 with Paul Theroux,
    >who still maintains that solo travel without a time deadline is (in
    >his opinion anyway) the best way t travel.
    >As I've got older, I certainly can't cope with the marathons I used to
    >have when I was younger - all-night travel is out of the question due
    >to a medical condition, and I like to arrive at a destination around 5
    >pm, and spend a few days there if possible.
    >However, I'm with Paul Theroux (and Marie) regarding group travel -
    >having worked in group travel I wouldn't want someone (such as
    >myself!) herding me around, and whilst working as a guide, certainly
    >in mass-market tourism, I met very few punters who I'd want to spend
    >any time with. Not none - just very few. I much prefer to meet people
    >from the country I'm visiting when travelling alone. That's been the
    >fun part of travelling for me.

I so agree with you. There can be no excitement in being so cocooned.

--
Marie Lewis

Brenda

    > -snip-
    >
    > I don't mean this as a challenge to what you say, but I wonder if your
    > feelings about this would have been wildly different if you hadn't
    > previously done the backpacking/trips/ex-pat thing *before* you did the
    > cruises?
    >
    > I made trips from Canada to Europe in the 1970s (in my 20s); then
    > moved here to England (aged 30); spent a lot of years doing exactly
    > what I'd dreamed of doing (constant exposure to London; annual
    > fortnights in European countries; uncounted week-end breaks to
    > France and Belgium); but have gone on fewer trips over the past few
    > years, and lately have been doing more family visits (to Canada and New
    > Zealand).
    >
    > I'm not jaded at all -- I'm far from being "travelled out" -- but my
    > prioritised view of how often I wish to travel, what I want to see, and
    > what I want in the way of convenience, has unquestionably changed.
    >
    > (I'd say it'd be weird if it *hadn't* changed.....people my age (50)
    > who are always trying to re-capture the visceral excitement of their
    > first trip overseas strike me as......sort of sad.)


No, it just makes me appreciate it all the more. Our previous trips
to land Europe in the past 20 years have been 1st Class all the way
(thank goodness for points, again), so I have appreciated the greatest
airlines (Swissair 1st Class) & hotels, (Rafael in Munich, etc.) I'm
not saying cruising is better, I'm just saying more relaxing & less
stressful & I've visited places (Athos Peninsula, Portogine, Ephesus,
Gibralter, Oporto, Santiago de Compostela, etc.) that I never had
before on a land driving or training itinerary.

Icono Clast

Keith Anderson wrote
    > There was an interview this morning on BBC Radio 4 with Paul Theroux,
    > who still maintains that solo travel without a time deadline is (in
    > his opinion anyway) the best way t travel.
    > . . .
    > However, I'm with Paul Theroux (and Marie)

I hate "me, too" posts but here I am apologizing for doing just that
because I think your statement is important enough to receive
supportive confirmation.
__________________________________________________ __________
A San Franciscan in (where else?) San Francisco
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net

Mason Barge

On Sat, 31 May 2003 22:14:54 +0100, Marie Lewis
wrote:

    >In article , Mason Barge
    > writes
    >>>These things are so easy to do.
    >>Not compared to walking to your cabin, which your steward has probably cleaned
    >>up since you left and set out some fresh flowers and/or fruit!
    >I would find that so-o-o boring.
    >>Finding one's hotel can actually be a horrendous (if somewhat fun) ordeal,
    >>especially if you are driving.
    >We don't find it so: one can get on the net and get directions, or
    >telephone to get them.

So you speak, say, Romanian or Portuguese or Polish well enough to take
directions over the telephone? The internet is not really a good option in a
lot of places, as you would have to find a net cafe not to mention a place to
park.

This is just getting argumentative, not at all informative.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln

Cathy Kearns

To be specific, I said it can be tiring. My parents find it overwelming.
My
children (pre-teens) find it annoying after a few weeks of travel. My
husband and I prefer land travel in Europe. We look at it as an adventure.
And are heading there again in a bit to spend a few days in Rome, a week
in a villa on the Amalfi coast, and a week in London. We'll bring the
pancake mix this time. (And I agree. I love meeting the locals.
Especially
in the small towns. There are warm and friendly people the world over.)

"Marie Lewis" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > In article , CupCaked
    > writes
    > >>These things are so easy to do.
    > >
    > >For some, yes, but as Cathy said, it is tiring. Who wants to do this
    > >on a vacation meant to be relaxing?
    > I do not find it tiring. I find it interesting.
    > Besides, if I am going to meet people, I prefer them yo be of the
    > nationality of the country we are visiting.
    > --
    > Marie Lewis

Cupcaked

Magda wrote:

    >On Sat, 31 May 2003 19:34:27 GMT, in rec.travel.europe, [email protected]
    >(CupCaked) arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :
    > ...
    > ... I didn't say that. You did. Your entire response to my post is based
    > ... on a misinterpretation, sorry.
    >I understood that, for you, learning a few foreign words is "tiring", thank you very much.

No, once again you are incorrect. Once again, you didn't read for
comprehension. Please go back and re-read before you respond, or I
will have no other alternative than to ignore your future posts on
this topic.

Karen




__ /7__/7__/7__
\::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.cupcaked.com/reviews
(...and leave off the "potatoes" to e-mail)

Cupcaked

Marie Lewis wrote:

    >In article , Mason Barge
    > writes

    >>I don't mind it, but I certainly wouldn't call
    >>it "easy", especially if you are driving into someplace like Rome or Lisbon in
    >>heavy traffic.

    >WE do not stay in cities: one meets more interesting people in the
    >country.

Marie, you're beginning to sound like Oscar Wilde. Usually, that's
not a criticism, but in this instance, it is.

Mason said it best in his response to you: you're getting
argumentative and tedious. Maybe it's time for you to go visit "the
country" again.

Karen






__ /7__/7__/7__
\::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.cupcaked.com/reviews
(...and leave off the "potatoes" to e-mail)

Marie Lewis

In article , Cathy Kearns
writes
    >To be specific, I said it can be tiring. My parents find it overwelming.
If it is not indiscreet, how old are they? I am 66 and do not find it
tiring in any way. I find it interesting and exciting.
--
Marie Lewis

Marie Lewis

In article , CupCaked
writes
    >Mason said it best in his response to you: you're getting
    >argumentative and tedious. Maybe it's time for you to go visit "the
    >country" again.


Please do not presume to give me advice.
--
Marie Lewis

Ed G.

    >
    > We were on a cruise from May 6-11 visiting Seattle, Victoria,
    > and debarking in Vancouver.
    >

Veterinarians "debark" dogs. Passengers "disembark" a ship.
Heh heh! I'm sorry, but I heard this phrase so many times recently
I had to reply here! No offense intended.... just some humor.



Ed

Icono Clast

"Ed G." wrote:
    > > We were on a cruise from May 6-11 visiting Seattle, Victoria,
    > > and debarking in Vancouver.
    >
    > Veterinarians "debark" dogs. Passengers "disembark" a ship.
    > Heh heh! I'm sorry, but I heard this phrase so many times recently
    > I had to reply here! No offense intended.... just some humor.

No offense taken. I always appreciate valid corrections.

Thank you, Ed.

Last year, Polar posted an invalid correction (see below). It might amuse you.
__________________________________________________ ___________
A San Franciscan in 47.335 mile² San Francisco
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 IClast at SFbay Net


On Wed, 20 Mar 2002 21:02:13 -0500, Soc R Mom
wrote:
    >LOL! You go, guy! Frigemall! (no apostrophe)
    >Icono Clast wrote:
    >> WARNING: This post contains at least fifteen non-possessive
    >> apostrophes.
    >> Polar pedantically wrote:
    >> > This is driving me nuts. No offense to current poster, but why
    >> > is everybody putting an apostrophe (possessive) into a simple
    >> > plural?
    >> The pedantic, Polar, must bet correct!!! Everybody isn't. Read on if
    >> you dare:
    >> You didn't quote enough o'the sentence t'give it the correct context.
    >> Here's enough of it t'know why the apostrophe's there:
    >> "I think her question's been answered . . ." incidentally also
    >> indicating the quantity of questions queried.
    >> You are apparently unaware that not all apostrophes indicate
    >> possessives as the usages above're correct yet none's a possessive.
    >> The problem, Polar, is reading comprehension and mis-placed
    >> pedanticism.
    >> > Is it something no longer being taught in school,
    >> Apparently not in the school(s) you attended.
    >> > or do people not know what a possessive and plural are?
    >> Apparently. And you're among 'em.
    >> Those who've corrected me when they were correct and I wasn't have
    >> been thanked. You've "corrected" me incorrectly. Don't do dat! It
    >> upsets me.

Damn! The one time I gave in to simmering fury and lashed out
(note purple prose), it hadda be hastily read and wrong, wrong,
wrong! Mea minima culpa, y'all..

(nurses misguided pedanticism)
--
Polar

The Reid

Following up to Miguel Cruz

    >> For some, yes, but as Cathy said, it is tiring. Who wants to do this
    >> on a vacation meant to be relaxing?
    >They're FUN, not tiring. If I didn't get to do stuff like that, I'd stay
    >home. The whole point of traveling is to have different experiences from
    >normal.

I'm getting the impression a cruise is a great way to meet other
Americans, can't this be done at home :-)

Best way to "get into" Europe? Walk! (But not starting from US :-))
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Fellwalking, photos, London & the Thames path "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk"
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" (see web for email)

The Reid

Following up to Mason Barge

    >Finding one's hotel can actually be a horrendous (if somewhat fun) ordeal,
    >especially if you are driving. I don't mind it, but I certainly wouldn't call
    >it "easy", especially if you are driving into someplace like Rome or Lisbon in
    >heavy traffic.

The thing is to get a street map sorted out before you start, like I
have always (not) done, thanks again to that Spanish woman who gave us
her map to keep when we were lost in Cordoba.
In Bologna we couldnt work out how to get to the hotel by car at all
and I had to walk to the hotel and get a porter to come and be a guide
    :-)
--
Mike Reid
"Art is the lie that reveals the truth" P.Picasso
Fellwalking, photos, London & the Thames path "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk"
Spain, food and walking "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" (see web for email)

Mason Barge

On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 09:35:14 +0100, The Reid
wrote:

    >Following up to Miguel Cruz
    >>> For some, yes, but as Cathy said, it is tiring. Who wants to do this
    >>> on a vacation meant to be relaxing?
    >>They're FUN, not tiring. If I didn't get to do stuff like that, I'd stay
    >>home. The whole point of traveling is to have different experiences from
    >>normal.
    >I'm getting the impression a cruise is a great way to meet other
    >Americans, can't this be done at home :-)

I get the impression that most of the sniping is from people who have never been
on a real cruise. (And actually I can sympathize -- I had absolutely no
interest in it until I was dragged, kicking and screaming, onto an Alaskan
cruise for my mother's birthday. It was fabulous and I was hooked.)

English-language cruises not originating from a US port have a large number of
people not originating from a US port I just got back from the Baltic and I
would guess over 50% of the passengers were not from the US, although a lot of
these were from the UK and Canada. There were a lot of Mexicans and other
South/Central American countries and I met some Polish, French, and other
nationalities.

Plus you can always take like Costa or Royal Olympic.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln

Mason Barge

On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 09:35:14 +0100, The Reid
wrote:

    >Following up to Mason Barge
    >>Finding one's hotel can actually be a horrendous (if somewhat fun) ordeal,
    >>especially if you are driving. I don't mind it, but I certainly wouldn't call
    >>it "easy", especially if you are driving into someplace like Rome or Lisbon in
    >>heavy traffic.
    >The thing is to get a street map sorted out before you start, like I
    >have always (not) done, thanks again to that Spanish woman who gave us
    >her map to keep when we were lost in Cordoba.

Haha, been there done that. We usually stop and buy a city map when we arrive
in a smaller city -- it's just too hard to get a city map in advance. Not that
a map always helps. I think the most utterly and profoundly lost I've been in
my life was in Rome, map in hand.

Wife: "Oh my God, we're way up here!"

    >In Bologna we couldnt work out how to get to the hotel by car at all
    >and I had to walk to the hotel and get a porter to come and be a guide

Yeah Bologna is tough due to that central area.
--
"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea. If this is tea, please bring me some coffee."
- Abraham Lincoln