Vacation Advisory!

[SonicMan46]

 

Mike - thanks for your Bologna experience - great pics & commentary - I was there on a medical meeting in 1996 and thoroughly enjoyed - the place, history, culture, food, and more!  The 'towers' were impressive esp. their purpose in history - enjoyed! 

As a physician, one of our highlights was a special invite to visit the famous 'medical theatre' of the medical school (pic added above) - can't remember all of the details of who dissected bodies there but the experience was wonderful for all of us MDs! Dave 

[knight66]

I would like to go back and explore the city and the area more thoroughly. I should think there is quite a kernal of fascinating university buildings; but they don't seem to provide public access to them in they way that Oxford does to its historic collages.

Mike

[pjme]

I think that "historic collages" look like this.....


P.

[vandermolen]

'Let the shipwrecks of others be your sea marks' - my advice is make sure that your passport is up to date.  We were supposed to leave for Slovenia last Wednesday.  On Tuesday night my wife noticed that her passport expired in June! So, now we have had to book a separate flight withn BA at much greater expense and lost three days of our holiday. We go on Saturday now and will still have a week away, which is what we usually do - but make sure that you don't find yourself in this situation.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I hope you have a lovely holiday, Jeffrey. And who knows, you might even get The Gothic out of your system... [I have been obsessed by it, these last few days. Tomorrow I want to get back to my writing...]

[vandermolen]

I hope you have a lovely holiday, Jeffrey. And who knows, you might even get The Gothic out of your system... [I have been obsessed by it, these last few days. Tomorrow I want to get back to my writing...]

Thanks so much Johan - yes, I've become completely obsessed with the Gothic too - perhaps that's an indication of the works greatness - like Gericault's 'Raft of the Medusa' (perhaps the 'Gothic Symphony' of 19th century French Romantic painting) people become obsessed with it! You will need a rest from the writing too - so I hope that you give yourself a break in due course.

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

Thanks so much Johan - yes, I've become completely obsessed with the Gothic too - perhaps that's an indication of the works greatness - like Gericault's 'Raft of the Medusa' (perhaps the 'Gothic Symphony' of 19th century French Romantic painting) people become obsessed with it! You will need a rest from the writing too - so I hope that you give yourself a break in due course.

Not possible yet. I am completing Part 1 of the novel. The Gothic will give me energy, I know. Only after I have done that, can I give myself a break... High time!

[Brian]

Going on holiday tomorrow. Where to? Head over to the "Name That Tune" thread and try to decode my hint!

[SonicMan46]

Susan & I just returned from a 4-day stay in the North Carolina Mountains - this time in the most southwestern portion of the state, just below the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains near Cherokee & Bryson City (see map below - we stayed at the Snowbird Mountain Lodge near the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest) - this is a rugged forested & mountainous area of the state in the Nantahala National Forest - view from the lodge outdoor patio below (top right).

Other views of the mountains also below, including an early morning scene of the mist in the valley (hence the name 'Smoky Mountains'); visited a number of areas and took a few of the easier hikes of which numerous are available.   Finally, in the upper loop of the 2-mile walk through the Joyce Kilmer Forest is one of the largest remaining stands of 'virgin' forest in the eastern USA - Susan is standing at the base of a giant tulip poplar - some in this area are estimated to be over 400 yrs old and stand over 200 ft tall - not quite as impressive as the redwoods that we've seen in California over the years but still awe-inspiring!

 

 

 

 

[Mirror Image]

Susan & I just returned from a 4-day stay in the North Carolina Mountains - this time in the most southwestern portion of the state, just below the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains near Cherokee & Bryson City (see map below - we stayed at the Snowbird Mountain Lodge near the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest) - this is a rugged forested & mountainous area of the state in the Nantahala National Forest - view from the lodge outdoor patio below (top right).

Other views of the mountains also below, including an early morning scene of the mist in the valley (hence the name 'Smoky Mountains'); visited a number of areas and took a few of the easier hikes of which numerous are available.   Finally, in the upper loop of the 2-mile walk through the Joyce Kilmer Forest is one of the largest remaining stands of 'virgin' forest in the eastern USA - Susan is standing at the base of a giant tulip poplar - some in this area are estimated to be over 400 yrs old and stand over 200 ft tall - not quite as impressive as the redwoods that we've seen in California over the years but still awe-inspiring!

 

 

 

 

I've been there many times, Dave. I live in NE Georgia and when I was a kid we used to travel up to the mountains a good bit. When I was in Boy Scouts, I believe our patrol hiked all of the Appalachian trails in GA. I haven't been up there in years.

[Sergeant Rock]

Other views of the mountains also below, including an early morning scene of the mist in the valley (hence the name 'Smoky Mountains')

Hey, Dave, I had to show Mrs. Rock that picture. We traveled through the Smokey Mountains once...and there was no "smoke" like I told her there'd be. She was not only disappointed she thought I'd been lying to her 

Sarge

[SonicMan46]

Hey, Dave, I had to show Mrs. Rock that picture. We traveled through the Smokey Mountains once...and there was no "smoke" like I told her there'd be. She was not only disappointed she thought I'd been lying to her 

Hi Sarge - well you guys should have been w/ us those 4 days - plenty of fog esp. in the mornings (those first two pics are basically the same mountains from the lodge - the clear one late in the afternoon, the foggy one the next morning about 8AM) and of course after some rain.  Late in the morning on a warm non-humid days, the fogs or mists disappear - but the early mornings can be quite mysterious driving through these mountain valleys and looking up at the mountains and mists.  So, I'll backup your story - it is REAL!     Dave

[Sergeant Rock]

Hi Sarge - well you guys should have been w/ us those 4 days - plenty of fog esp. in the mornings (those first two pics are basically the same mountains from the lodge - the clear one late in the afternoon, the foggy one the next morning about 8AM) and of course after some rain.  Late in the morning on a warm non-humid days, the fogs or mists disappear - but the early mornings can be quite mysterious driving through these mountain valleys and looking up at the mountains and mists.  So, I'll backup your story - it is REAL!     Dave

Our journey through the Smokies, both coming and going, happened during a trip from Ohio to Savannah GA and back. We hit the mountains both ways in the afternoon--and it was a a dry summer so I'm not surprised the mountains weren't misty. Disappointing nonetheless. I recall my first experience of the mountains when I was a child. They lived up to their name then!

Sarge

[Harpo]

Susan & I just returned from a 4-day stay in the North Carolina Mountains - this time in the most southwestern portion of the state, just below the southern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains near Cherokee & Bryson City (see map below - we stayed at the Snowbird Mountain Lodge near the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest) - this is a rugged forested & mountainous area of the state in the Nantahala National Forest - view from the lodge outdoor patio below (top right).

Other views of the mountains also below, including an early morning scene of the mist in the valley (hence the name 'Smoky Mountains'); visited a number of areas and took a few of the easier hikes of which numerous are available.   Finally, in the upper loop of the 2-mile walk through the Joyce Kilmer Forest is one of the largest remaining stands of 'virgin' forest in the eastern USA - Susan is standing at the base of a giant tulip poplar - some in this area are estimated to be over 400 yrs old and stand over 200 ft tall - not quite as impressive as the redwoods that we've seen in California over the years but still awe-inspiring!

Great photos, great trip. Most breathtaking mountain views in NC. The Lodge was rustic but with many amenities, including private hot tubs  (bet Sonic didn't mention that). The lodge catered to intrepid retirees like ourselves.

[SonicMan46]

Well couple of recent trips for us - in September we spent 4 days on the island of Nantucket near Martha's Vineyard - our first visit to the island and former world famous whaling community (early 1700s to mid-1800s) - great whaling museum there.  Loved the history - took several different island tours; bought some hand-made scrimshaw jewelry for Susan and ate plenty of shellfish (lobsters, oysters, clams, etc.) - think that I posted in the 'eating thread' - will have to take a look!  Currently on another trip (below) and just brought along my iPad2 - just not as convenient to putting posts together w/ pics & links -  (and am using the Apple BT keyboard at the moment and still not the same?).

At the moment, we are on a short trip to Richmond, VA - been there many times (about 4 hr drive from our home) - staying at the Jefferson Hotel - 5* hotel and a favorite of ours (probably our 4th or 5th stay) - main reason for coming was to see the musical Wicked - took in a Saturday matinee - just a wonderful show w/ spectacular scenery (including flying monkeys!) - we also have had a feast here on shellfish - will report on the eating thread when I get back home to my VISTA laptop! 

Edits - typos corrected!

[knight66]

We are just back from Krakow where we had an excellent time. I have yet to post photos to the blog. But I have written up the visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

http://themirrorandthelamp.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html


Mike

[The new erato]

Well couple of recent trips for us - in September we spent 4 days on the island of Nuntucket near Martha's Vineyard - our first visit to the island and former world famous whaling community (early 1700s to mid-1800s) - great whaling museum there.  Loved the history - took several different island tours; bought some hand-made scrimshaw jewelry for Susan and ate plenty of shellfish (lobsters, oysters, clams, etc.) - think that I posted in the 'eating thread' - will have to take a look!  Currently on another trip (below) and just brought along my iPad2 - just not as convenient to putting posts together w/ pics & links -  (and am using the Apple BT keyboard at the moment and still not the same?).

At the moment, we are on a short trip to Richmand, VA - been there many times (about 4 hr drive from our home) - staying at the Jefferson Hotel - 5* hotel and a favorite of ours (probably our 4th or 5th stay) - main reason for coming was to see the musical Wicked - took in a Saturday matinee - just a wonderful show w/ spectacular scenery (including flying monkeys!) - we also have had a feast here on shellfish - will report on the eating thread when I get back home to my VISTA laptop! 

Surely that is Richmond and Nantucket, or what's up (as you otherwise write impressively precisely)?

[SonicMan46]

Surely that is Richmond and Nantucket, or what's up (as you otherwise write impressively precisely)?

Thanks & correct, of course - typing quickly just before bedtime - still not use to the iPad w/ the Apple KB!  Dave

P.S. Typos corrected hopefully!

[Holden]

Yesterday was the last day of the term and I'm on holiday (as we say here in Australia). On top of that I have long service leave so my time is my own, fully paid, for 14 weeks.

Tomorrow I'll get into my trusty Nissan Patrol and head across to Perth. According to Google Maps the this will be a 4400 km drive which I've broken up into 7 pieces. I would like to be able to upload a copy of the map (but can't work out how to do it) so you can see how long the journey actually is. It's about 300 miles short of an east to west transversal of the USA. I'll be traveling the famous Nullarbor Hwy which includes this:



I'll have my tablet with me (running W7) so will be in contact most of the way. At the end of the journey I'm staying with my brother and sister-in-law and will spend about a month there before heading back - maybe right through the centre of the country which is an even longer route (about 5000 kms) - it will depend on the road conditions at the time. This will be a much more leisurely journey.

[SonicMan46]

Holden - good luck on your trip!  Sounds like quite an adventure and looking forward to your commentary and potential pictures?