If you cruise/travel A WHOLE LOT, why?

[calliopecruiser]

On 7/18/2019 at 7:36 PM, clo said:

and I just wonder why.

Why not?  LOL.

I travel because I want to see new stuff, see other ways of doing stuff, and see more beautiful things (that is, both to see more things that are beautiful, not just things that are more beautiful).   I also enjoy photography, and travel provides new ideas and subjects for my art.  

 

Why do I cruise once or twice a year?  That's a different question with a different answer, since my cruises are almost all transoceanic.  I cruise mostly for the calmness that I get when there are a string of sea days, and also because now it's a chance to visit with friends who live around the world - I'd rather meet my Australian friends "mid way" on a cruise than for either of us having to plan a vacation to one place or another. 

 

As much as I like travelling, I don't think I'd like to be away for more than a month at a time.  I"d miss my home, I'd miss cooking some of my own meals, and I'm only semi-retired, so I can't leave work for too long at a time. 

 

[SRF]

On 7/21/2019 at 1:40 PM, clo said:

So far the best meal of our lives was at a wonderful place in Budapest.  I read about it on a food site and made a res.  After I made it the place got a Michelin * (but not expensive).  Hungary is the second, behind France, of foie gras in the world and this place was so great that we had it as a main...and then again as dessert! 🙂

 

EXCUSE ME..... Hungarian pate is MUCH better than French.  So much so, the French banned (at least at one time) the importation of Hungarian pate.

 

One fine meal in Budapest, we were about down, when across the room, was an obviously American whining voice, "But this isn't like they make it a hoommmmmeeeeeee."  I wanted to go over and slap the woman and tell her, if she wants it like they make it at home, STAY HOME.

[SRF]

On 7/21/2019 at 11:34 PM, JRG said:

 

Us too,   and then we re-discover the joy of owning the American Akita.   We have two

 

We had two, staggered in age.  So when one passed, we had the other.  Then a year or so later, we got another one.

 

The trick we found, was to allow the current one to pick the new one.  Makes it MUCH easier to integrate.

 

Most of ours were rescue.

 

 

[clo]

6 hours ago, SRF said:

 

EXCUSE ME..... Hungarian pate is MUCH better than French.  So much so, the French banned (at least at one time) the importation of Hungarian pate.

 

One fine meal in Budapest, we were about down, when across the room, was an obviously American whining voice, "But this isn't like they make it a hoommmmmeeeeeee."  I wanted to go over and slap the woman and tell her, if she wants it like they make it at home, STAY HOME.

Sorry I meant to write that Hungary is the second largest PRODUCER of foie gras behind France.  And we didn't have pate'; we had seared foie gras.  All the difference in the world.

[Harley52]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

Sorry I meant to write that Hungary is the second largest PRODUCER of foie gras behind France.  And we didn't have pate'; we had seared foie gras.  All the difference in the world.

My favourite also,  Lightly score the slices of foie gras on both sides, then season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear in a very hot, dry skillet for about 30 seconds on each side.

[clo]

Just now, Harley52 said:

My favourite also,  Lightly score the slices of foie gras on both sides, then season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear in a very hot, dry skillet for about 30 seconds on each side.

A chef friend also suggested a little sugar for caramelization.  He also suggested grilled peaches and that is lovely.  And, yes, very quickly or you'll have the most expensive little puddle of oil!

[JRG]

On 7/22/2019 at 7:51 AM, clo said:

Love airbnb-esque for that reason.  I remember going to Mercado La Boqueria in Barcelona.

 

 

We were just there three days ago Sunday.     We stumbled into it midway while strolling down Las Rambla.   We fell for the chilled fruit smoothies,  a free sampling of chocolate covered almonds,  and a couple of emplenadas just to keep us going through the show.   Esta la madre de los todos de mercados!   But there is so much much more to it.

 

If you are on a cruise and can get to the Statue of Columbus...then it is an easy walk and it'll be on your left.

 

 

[clo]

24 minutes ago, JRG said:

Esta la madre de los todos de mercados! 

Como se dice "indeed" en espanol?!?!?

 

When we were in Barcelona we had a wonderful apartment.  Maybe 15 minute walk to Sagrada Familia, a block to the subway.  We had amazing food.  And we food shopped at La Boqueria.  I remember a beautiful chicken that we roasted.  I could live in Barcelona.

[SRF]

15 hours ago, clo said:

A chef friend also suggested a little sugar for caramelization.  He also suggested grilled peaches and that is lovely.  And, yes, very quickly or you'll have the most expensive little puddle of oil!

 

I guess you have to do those things to make French pate edible. 😄

 

For Hungarian, just slice and eat on good fresh European bread.  NOTHING more needed.

 

Along with a nice Egri Bikavér. 😄

 

 

[DarrenM]

On 7/22/2019 at 1:41 PM, geoherb said:

DH and I started taking cruises in 1989, not quite one year after we met. We both love taking cruises because they offer both relaxation and a way to see several different places. We can do things together or go our separate ways on a ship. He retired three years ago at 60 and I retired two years ago at 55. We planned for our retirements by timing to pay off our mortgage at the same time. He went back to work part-time on a contract basis (April-August, October-January), which cuts back our timeframe to take cruises together. So I went on my first solo cruises this summer--back-to-back to Alaska. I had a great time.

 

We're going back to England for our second transatlantic cruise in September. This is our third year of taking a cruise out of Southampton. The first time was a British Isles cruise. I'd love to go to England every year if possible. I lived in London right after college and have never lost my love for that city. The longest we've been away from home has been three weeks. DH's mother is turning 93 this fall. As long as she's alive, we won't be taking any vacations that are longer.

I find foreign peoples love of London quite depressing as a British person.

 

I work there. Its dirty,  the people are not that friendly and its busy beyond sensible.

 

The UK has many places that are far more attractive than London.

 

Edinburgh is beautiful beyond belief and history to die for.

 

Liverpool is stunning city with its history of football and the Beatles and the locals are incredibly friendly.

 

Cardiff is now a beautiful place too and has been re-energised massively.

 

Manchester likewise.

 

The lake district is just too stunning to explain.

 

I could go on but you're all probably bored. And will still pick London first anyway.

[DarrenM]

London, the place foreigners think represents what english folk are like. 😁

 

Whilst the rest of Britain despairs at London.

[calliopecruiser]

3 hours ago, DarrenM said:

London, the place foreigners think represents what english folk are like. 

Really?  Not me - I think of London as one of the most international cities in the world.  It's a matrix of where just about every other country must go to or pass through when interacting with the rest of the world, and so (to me) it's a global markets hub (and place for all the people who support those markets), not an English city. 

Interesting to see different expectations.

[geoherb]

I had time to travel some around England when I lived there. I enjoyed the smaller towns as well: Bath, Windsor, Brighton, Oxford, Cambridge, Coventry, etc. Perhaps it's because I lived in London, though, that I feel drawn to go back. I lived in Hornsey and worked in Wood Green and on Pall Mall. I got to see both the touristy areas and the quieter areas. 

 

I find there are friendly people in London as well. 

 

[clo]

8 hours ago, SRF said:

 

I guess you have to do those things to make French pate edible. 😄

 

For Hungarian, just slice and eat on good fresh European bread.  NOTHING more needed.

 

Along with a nice Egri Bikavér. 😄

 

 

Foie gras is duck or goose liver.  Pate' is made from the liver.    Here are pictures of the two.

 

Pate' de foie gras

 

Okay?

[SRF]

On 7/24/2019 at 3:15 AM, DarrenM said:

London, the place foreigners think represents what english folk are like. 😁

 

Whilst the rest of Britain despairs at London.

 

The same thing can be said of New York City or LA. 😄

 

[clo]

30 minutes ago, SRF said:

New York City

One of my fave cities in the world.  And I'd like LA better if the traffic wasn't so awful.

[clo]

On 7/24/2019 at 12:13 AM, DarrenM said:

I find foreign peoples love of London quite depressing as a British person.

 

I agree with you.  My limited experiences in London have made me feel that there are too many non-British.  And I agree with you about England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland.  Need to get back...and NOT on a cruise 🙂

[calliopecruiser]

1 hour ago, clo said:

My limited experiences in London have made me feel that there are too many non-British.

I find this statement interesting, because I can't make that idea work in my brain. 

It requires that you (and/or others) think that there's a perfect, or at least normal, proportion of non-British people for London - whereas I see any city as being a product of the people in it, rather than a limit on the people in it.  If a city has a lot of X people in it (international people, craftspeople, Buddhist people, whatever), then that's normal for that city.

 

Or maybe it's about accepting change rather than lamenting it.

[clo]

4 hours ago, calliopecruiser said:

I find this statement interesting, because I can't make that idea work in my brain. 

It requires that you (and/or others) think that there's a perfect, or at least normal, proportion of non-British people for London - whereas I see any city as being a product of the people in it, rather than a limit on the people in it.  If a city has a lot of X people in it (international people, craftspeople, Buddhist people, whatever), then that's normal for that city.

 

Or maybe it's about accepting change rather than lamenting it.

My comment was aimed at not British who don't speak English or who are ethnically not British.  But there are so many people there from other countries that it didn't seem very English.  I don't see that in NYC or SF.

[ldubs]

On 7/24/2019 at 12:13 AM, DarrenM said:

I find foreign peoples love of London quite depressing as a British person.

 

I work there. Its dirty,  the people are not that friendly and its busy beyond sensible.

 

The UK has many places that are far more attractive than London.

 

Edinburgh is beautiful beyond belief and history to die for.

 

Liverpool is stunning city with its history of football and the Beatles and the locals are incredibly friendly.

 

Cardiff is now a beautiful place too and has been re-energised massively.

 

Manchester likewise.

 

The lake district is just too stunning to explain.

 

I could go on but you're all probably bored. And will still pick London first anyway.

 

So, how would you describe Sheffield?  Is it a place worth visiting or would Mrs Ldubs shoot me if I talked her into going there?   

 

PS:  I couldn't agree with you more about Liverpool.  Edinburgh also has an absolutely incredible skyline.   

[calliopecruiser]

7 hours ago, clo said:

My comment was aimed at not British who don't speak English or who are ethnically not British.

Yes, I know.  That was my point. 

[MicCanberra]

for me St Augustine said it best with.

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

[SRF]

16 hours ago, clo said:

One of my fave cities in the world.  And I'd like LA better if the traffic wasn't so awful.

 

I have NO use for NYC.

 

Why bother when there is London or Hong Kong, or MANY other cities.

 

Funny thing was, I was on a trip with another person from my organization.  We were talking about places we liked.  I said that Hong Kong was my favorite city in the world.  He agreed.  I told him that I described HKG as "everything NYC THINKS it is."

 

He laughed, then asked if he could use that, as he agreed.

 

BTW, he was born and raised in NYC. 😄

 

[SRF]

16 hours ago, clo said:

I agree with you.  My limited experiences in London have made me feel that there are too many non-British.  And I agree with you about England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland.  Need to get back...and NOT on a cruise 🙂

 

But then again, that also gives you such a wide range of AMAZING restaurants.

 

And then there the the theater.

 

Yes, I LOVE Scotland.  But comparing even Edinburgh to London is apples to grapes. 😄

 

[SRF]

9 hours ago, clo said:

My comment was aimed at not British who don't speak English or who are ethnically not British.  But there are so many people there from other countries that it didn't seem very English.  I don't see that in NYC or SF.

 

You have obviously not been around those cities much.

 

Large parts of both are Spanish speaking only.  Smaller portions with many other languages.