Breakfast or lunch conversation

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, ducklite said:

When I say impressed, I'm talking about the fact that they went off the more beaten path as opposed to visiting the same old same old.  There are a few places in Europe where we won't ever drive (the central parts of Rome, Paris, and London top the list) but they are all very well served by mass transit, and having a car is really a liability.

I do understand and agree....but just try to avoid feeling impressed or trying to impress anyone.  DW and I have been very adventurous cruisers/travelers for decades and it is interesting to hear what impresses or horrifies folks.  For example, we seldom to never take cruise line excursions whether we be in Europe, Asia, Africa etc.  Folks will tell us they are "impressed" that we would go off on our own and I find myself thinking, "these folks are very easy to impress."  Others will tell us we are completely crazy to ever go off any cruise ship unless we are part of a Cruise Line Excursion  (these folks do NOT impress us).  

 

Many of my port related posts here on CC have suggested that folks consider renting a car.  We have had folks tell us they are "impressed" that we rent cars in foreign lands (or on a port day) and I just smile and feel a little sad that so many limit their experiences.  I am a staunch believer that the worst prison is the one we create for ourselves with our self-imposed limitations.

 

And I agree with you about driving in Rome....not to mention the ZTLs make this financially risky.  I have driven in Paris a few times, but tend to avoid it because of the parking hassles.  As to London, I am OK driving in London but suspect that everyone else on the road wishes I would not be driving in London :).  I think the most frightening time I ever rented a car was the first time we got a car in London and picked it up in an underground parking garage right below Marble Arch.  When I drove up the ramp it put me right into the circus (the term is apropos for that square) and I was immediately disoriented and had no idea which way to go...as I was struggling to shift gears with my left hand!  I suspect there are some Brits who tell their grandchildren about that day when they somehow survived the crazy driver at Marble Arch.

 

Hank 

[Rala]

4 hours ago, DarrenM said:

The firm I work for is owned by an American and lot of UK firms are taking on those job titles.

 

I am pretty sure that the title of Vice President, in most contexts, is nothing more than a senior manager.....of a department within a business. Sounds a lot grander than it actually is.

 

We now have CEO,CFO,COO,CPO, and god knows what else.

But do you have  C3PO ?   

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, clo said:

It's like the guy in SE Asia who wouldn't eat any of the local food.  They're missing so much but it's their choice.  I honestly believe that it comes down to adventuresome or not.

We hear ya.  I have often mentioned that our winter home is in Puerto Vallarta (where we have lived for about 14 years).  One of the biggest attractions to many who live in PV is the food.  It is truly one of the great food cities with hundreds of eating venues serving all kinds of cuisine in every price range.  And yet, there are a lot of cruisers who visit our city and are afraid to eat or drink anything!  We have seen the same thing in France and Italy where cruisers go off on their excursions (almost like sheep) and do not generally get to enjoy  a real meal!  My goodness, food defines the culture in many parts of the world.  Giving a choice of visiting a museum in Paris (and DW and I love many museums in this city) or enjoying a good meal...we would opt for the meal.  When people take about France or Italy it is usually about the cooking!  And its the same with Mexico.  Go anywhere in the USA and you will find Mexican restaurants (which often do not have real Mexican cuisine). But take those restaurant customers to Mexico and many of them will be afraid to eat!  Go figure.

 

Hank

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Go figure.

We're into food.  And ANY trip anywhere will involve doing research on where to eat.  Could be a great diner or haute cuisine.  And I so agree with you that it's a part of any country's culture.  There was a guy here who in praising some Mexican city commented that he had the best fajitas ever there.  I gently pointed out that actually fajitas are Tex-Mex.  But said that I was glad he enjoyed them 🙂

[ducklite]

6 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We hear ya.  I have often mentioned that our winter home is in Puerto Vallarta (where we have lived for about 14 years).  One of the biggest attractions to many who live in PV is the food.  It is truly one of the great food cities with hundreds of eating venues serving all kinds of cuisine in every price range.  And yet, there are a lot of cruisers who visit our city and are afraid to eat or drink anything!  We have seen the same thing in France and Italy where cruisers go off on their excursions (almost like sheep) and do not generally get to enjoy  a real meal!  My goodness, food defines the culture in many parts of the world.  Giving a choice of visiting a museum in Paris (and DW and I love many museums in this city) or enjoying a good meal...we would opt for the meal.  When people take about France or Italy it is usually about the cooking!  And its the same with Mexico.  Go anywhere in the USA and you will find Mexican restaurants (which often do not have real Mexican cuisine). But take those restaurant customers to Mexico and many of them will be afraid to eat!  Go figure.

 

Hank

In places like Mexico, Morocco, and even French Polynesia you do need to take some basic precautions.  There are places I wouldn't eat, and others I would.  I remember having an amazing meal in a restaurant in Tijuana (that was an *interesting* place) but I chose carefully and ordered bottled water to drink--and told them I wanted the bottle served with the cap still sealed.  A reputable place will have no problem doing that.

[clo]

14 hours ago, Hlitner said:

But I have no idea what either of them did for a living.

I've had a number of those experiences.  Some I became FB friends with and it came out in convo.  But there are two guys we met in SE Asia who I have no idea what they did.  But they clearly have a ton of money as I've never known anyone who travels as much as they do 🙂  A little side story.  Turns out the day we disembark in Buenos Aires is the same day that they'll be embarking ( on a different line) so we're hoping to have lunch.  Especially when you travel, this world gets smaller and smaller.

[clo]

10 minutes ago, ducklite said:

you do need to take some basic precautions. 

We don't.  LOL.

[ducklite]

7 minutes ago, clo said:

We don't.  LOL.

Unfortunately my digestive system isn't as strong as I wish it were.

[Hlitner]

16 minutes ago, clo said:

We don't.  LOL.

Haha.  Actually, in Puerto Vallarta I would eat just about anywhere but DW prefers to avoid street food (some of which is very good).  Her basic theory is that she wants to eat in a place that has tables/chairs and running water.  The street food stands usually put out some plastic chairs so you are eating along the sidewalk with your food in your lap.  We do eat dinner out about 65 nights a year (we live there 70 days and don't eat out the day of our Superbowl party).  Even with 69 restaurant opportunities there are places on our favored list that we miss because of not enough days.   Do folks ever get sick from food?  It has happened to us once in 12 years when we both got food poisoning from some bad fish....and this happened at an excellent higher priced restaurant.  Or course there are the times when one gets "sick" from too much Tequila and that is a more common problem :).  And for what it's worth, we usually eat a lot better in PV then we do on cruise ships.  🙂

 

Hank

[Hlitner]

25 minutes ago, clo said:

I've had a number of those experiences.  Some I became FB friends with and it came out in convo.  But there are two guys we met in SE Asia who I have no idea what they did.  But they clearly have a ton of money as I've never known anyone who travels as much as they do 🙂  A little side story.  Turns out the day we disembark in Buenos Aires is the same day that they'll be embarking ( on a different line) so we're hoping to have lunch.  Especially when you travel, this world gets smaller and smaller.

I must share a tale about Buenos Aires.  We were spending a few days there after a Celebrity cruise and one beautiful day we took a long walk through the San Telmo neighborhood (which is said to be the birthplace of the Tango).  While walking down small side street we saw an interesting looking small café and decided to stop for lunch.  We sat outside next to the street.  A few minutes later an absolutely gorgeous young couple comes walking up the street and stops a few feet from our table.  The man puts down a large boombox which starts playing a Tango and they begin to dance in the street.  It was the most amazing tango performance we have ever seen (far better then what we saw at the professional tango shows in the city) and all for some tips.  There is a lot to like about BA.....especially the excellent beef and decent Malbecs.

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

44 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

...

 

We have seen the same thing in France and Italy where cruisers go off on their excursions (almost like sheep) and do not generally get to enjoy  a real meal!  My goodness, food defines the culture in many parts of the world.  Giving a choice of visiting a museum in Paris (and DW and I love many museums in this city) or enjoying a good meal...we would opt for the meal.  When people take about France or Italy it is usually about the cooking!  ...

This is why trying to “do” Europe on a cruise doesn’t really work.  The few hours you get in Paris, or the very few more in Athens, Florence or Rome, or even the almost-full day in Barcelona or Venice — allows a sprint through one museum, perhaps a slice of pizza, or a croque madame for lunch and maybe an espresso or a glass of ouzo before heading back to the ship —- but little more.

[clo]

14 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Do folks ever get sick from food?

I've likely said this before but - knock wood - the only time I've gotten sick from food was US made peanut butter that was tainted with salmonella.  In Rio.  It hadn't been removed from the shelf in the grocery.

 

So y'all don't cook dinner?  Ever???????????  Wow.  That's probably my only problem with a lot of the travel we do.  After about ten days I'm just dying to cook.  Picking up a new motorhome in an hour 🙂

[clo]

10 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

There is a lot to like about BA.....e

We were there last year pre-Patagonia land and Antarctica cruise and loved it.  Had some beautiful steak.  And wine of course.

 

[clo]

16 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

This is why trying to “do” Europe on a cruise doesn’t really work.  The few hours you get in Paris, or the very few more in Athens, Florence or Rome, or even the almost-full day in Barcelona or Venice — allows a sprint through one museum, perhaps a slice of pizza, or a croque madame for lunch and maybe an espresso or a glass of ouzo before heading back to the ship —- but little more.

I used to describe the ports as "either 8 hours too long or 8 days too short."

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, clo said:

I've likely said this before but - knock wood - the only time I've gotten sick from food was US made peanut butter that was tainted with salmonella.  In Rio.  It hadn't been removed from the shelf in the grocery.

 

So y'all don't cook dinner?  Ever???????????  Wow.  That's probably my only problem with a lot of the travel we do.  After about ten days I'm just dying to cook.  Picking up a new motorhome in an hour 🙂

We live in a condo with a full kitchen (6 burner gas stove, oven, dw, etc).  The first couple of years, DW (who cooks like a chef) would cook dinner about once a week.  But proper cooking meant stocking up on spices and lots of other products which made little sense given the time we were in-country and the number of dinners we wanted to eat-in.  We often dine out with friends and this is a popular activity in PV.  So she finally gave up cooking dinner.  Plus, there are places we can eat that cost us less then $15 for dinner (for two with drinks).  

 

I have suggested to DW that perhaps we should buy a nice RV and spend more time exploring our own country.  But I get "the look" because she says that means she has to cook, clean, shop, change linens, etc.   When we travel we let somebody else do nearly all the work (our PV condo comes with maid service 6 days a week).  I will admit that after about 10 days I miss DW's excellent cooking...but the huge variety of eating venues in PV make it easy to forego home cooking.  We do generally eat breakfast and lunch in....but we know folks who dine out 3 meals a day for months.

 

We once met a lady who lived on a Princess ship for about 10 months a year (the rest of the time she visited grandchildren).  She told us that it was a near perfect life,,,,no cooking, cleaning, etc.  I could not handle that because cruise ships do not routinely change their menus so, to me, the dining would just get old.  In fact, that is part of the reason we like to cruise on many different cruise lines (more variety in food/entertainment).

 

Hank

[clo]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

But I get "the look" because she says that means she has to cook, clean, shop, change linens, etc.  

Ah, but my husband does all those things so well 🙂

[GUT2407]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

DW and I love to share large tables (open sitting) on nearly any cruise line because we find it fun to meet new folks and socialize.  There are many times when it seems like folks use a memorized script at large tables.  "Good evening, my name is Nebercanesa."    Nice to meet you, where are you from?  Have you been on this ship before?  Have you cruised a lot?  and...if on a long HAL (or any other long cruise) "are you retired."  And once a person says yes, they are retired then the next question is often, "what did you do?"

 

As I alluded to earlier, we sometimes have fun with the early conversations (and questions) and it can be a great ice breaker.  I recently said I was a "trash hauler"  A lady without missing a beat (and with a straight face) quickly asked, "Do you know Fred Sanford?"  I almost fell out of my seat laughing and the poor Brits at the table had no clue!  So for the next hour all we talked about at the table were TV shows (including many that had been seen in both the UK and the USA).  And to think that many folks don't like sharing tables because they have no idea what to talk about LOL.

 

Hank

But maybe they follow the script to avoid all the sensitive issues that seem to get people in knots and upset, rather than saying something simple like “I’d rather not disclose (talk about) that topic”

[Hlitner]

8 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

But maybe they follow the script to avoid all the sensitive issues that seem to get people in knots and upset, rather than saying something simple like “I’d rather not disclose (talk about) that topic”

LOL.  We can certainly learn from politicians that it is seldom necessary to directly answer any question :).  Somebody asks about your job?  Just smile and ask them about their job.  If they ask me about President Trump I might answer, "what is the weather forecast for tomorrow!"  But I do draw the line if asked about American Football.  I have very strong opinions and will share them in a heartbeat!  :).  If a European tries to test me by asking about the Premier League I might respond that I know nothing about that sport (as I hum, "You'll Never Walk Alone")

 

Hank

[GUT2407]

The biggest danger people face with me is if they are silly enough to ask about my dog, or give me half an opening to talk about him. It is well know among my colleagues that I only work to pay for our cruise addiction and buy chicken breasts for Max.

[lenquixote66]

19 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I agree all Italians shouldn't be judged by a few bad apples but the word Mafia is not a fictionalized term:

Etymology of Mafia

 

There are people who have the perception that if your surname ends with a vowel you are a member of organized crime.

[lenquixote66]

I have had many jobs in many industries .If I was on a 3 week cruise and asked once a day what kind of work I could give a different response every day and still have jobs I have not discussed.

[GUT2407]

36 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I have had many jobs in many industries .If I was on a 3 week cruise and asked once a day what kind of work I could give a different response every day and still have jobs I have not discussed.

Funny I am similar, I once had a bloke asked me what I did before law, I told him a few things, then added one every morning, morning tea, lunch and afternoon for a week in fact I’m not sure I could list them all now sure I’d forget some...

 

Bagger at a grocery store (while finishing school)

petrol pumping

Bank from junior clerk to assistant accountant

Computer Consultant selling and training

Teacher at College

Photographer wow in so many varieties, weddings, commercial, portrait studios, restaurants (a bit like the ones on ships) babies in shopping centres.

Selling electrical goods, TVs Stereoes Fridges washers etc

Managing a 5 seat hotel

managing a chain of Gas stations

Town Crier for promotional company

Santa clause, both as a photographer and the man in red

Managing a Camera Store, about three times for different companies

Finance Manager for Australian Defence Forces

Lecturer in Law at University

Electronics assembly

Measuring the pitting in water pipes to calculate how long till they need replacing

Computer programmer 

I am sure I have missed some out. And a few of the above I did for multiple companies either at the same time or at various times.

 

then for the last 25 years Barrister.

Edited October 12, 2019 by GUT2407

[GUT2407]

Ohh and I guess I need to add that my dad was truck driver/ general carrier, mainly carting beer and bags of flour, so I guess that was my first job lugging around cartoons of beer and 150lb bags of flour.

[lenquixote66]

2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Funny I am similar, I once had a bloke asked me what I did before law, I told him a few things, then added one every morning, morning tea, lunch and afternoon for a week in fact I’m not sure I could list them all now sure I’d forget some...

 

Bagger at a grocery store (while finishing school)

petrol pumping

Bank from junior clerk to assistant accountant

Computer Consultant selling and training

Teacher at College

Photographer wow in so many varieties, weddings, commercial, portrait studios, restaurants (a bit like the ones on ships) babies in shopping centres.

Selling electrical goods, TVs Stereoes Fridges washers etc

Managing a 5 seat hotel

managing a chain of Gas stations

Town Crier for promotional company

Santa clause, both as a photographer and the man in red

Managing a Camera Store, about three times for different companies

Finance Manager for Australian Defence Forces

I am sure I have missed some out.

 

then for the last 25 years Barrister.

 

Very impressive resume 😀

[GUT2407]

10 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

 

Very impressive resume 😀

Actually pretty unimpressive, while I was headhunted frequently it took me a long time to find something I really enjoy.