Penelope Witherspoon's Travel Thread

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

So, today is my 45th Birthday.  Last year, after I cancelled my Paris trip due to Omicron, I had hoped that I would be spending this birthday in Paris.  Alas, it was not to be. Rather, I am spending it in NYC at the office, and I am still woefully behind on updating my website about my Paris trip and my Egypt trip (and posting that here).  

However, 2023 is shaping up to be a good one travel wise.  I will have at least 4 work trips abroad (That will be excellent for my status) provided that I get my Global Entry renewed (I submitted it back in December...now just waiting for the renewal approval).  Non work trips are in flux, but tentatively, I am thinking Venice in May, Germany/Oktoberfest or Vienna in September (maybe both), and then something over Thanksgiving (Southern Spain perhaps, though that would be a family trip potentially).

 

[The Ace of Aces 5,106]

Happy birthday, @PenelopeWitherspoon! 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

So, still trying to decide vacations.  I’m torn.  Too many places I want to go.

[Mo Horn 8,795]

7 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

So, still trying to decide vacations.  I’m torn.  Too many places I want to go.

When someone talks about a country I always want to say that it's on my bucket list, then I remember that the whole world is on my bucket list. 

[Brisketexan 104,465]

So, still trying to decide vacations.  I’m torn.  Too many places I want to go.

In a couple of months, we’re going to visit the daughter in Sweden, after a visit to Finland and Estonia (maybe a day trip to Latvia?). The nordics and baltics maybe should make your list? Not as high-end an experience as you generally like, maybe. So, there’s that.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

In a couple of months, we’re going to visit the daughter in Sweden, after a visit to Finland and Estonia (maybe a day trip to Latvia?). The nordics and baltics maybe should make your list? Not as high-end an experience as you generally like, maybe. So, there’s that.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about the nordics.  Might play with those as well.  I’ll do some research.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

I just booked Italy from September 15th until October 2nd.  We're flying Emirates business class from JFK to Milan and back.  Holy crap, I'm not going to want to get off the plane.  We'll have complimentary chauffeur service to and from both airports and the treatment from Emirates looks to be extraordinary.  I can only imagine what their first class service is like.

No itinerary yet except for flights.  I was hoping to do the F1 race at Monza but I couldn't make it work.

[The Ace of Aces 5,106]

Bunch of NYC trips, LA in May, a few Texas trips and hopefully London in mid December. Airfare looks insane for that flight. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Ok, so this is what I keep going back and forth on.

1.  Looking like I will be in London for work March 27 (fly out on the 26th) and returning April 6th or 7th, so would need to occupy a weekend. Thinking of:

a.  Cheeky Foody Trip to Copenhagen

b.  Cheeky Foody Trip in England (i.e. think The Trip)

c.  Cheeky Foody Trip to Antwerp

2.  Looking like I will be back in London for work either the third or fourth week of May.  This is the longer vacation I am thinking of.  Torn between:

a.  Madrid and perhaps Toledo 

b.  Barcelona and Cadaques (place looks amazing)

c.  Venice

d.  Vienna and countryside (Austrian Wine!)

3.  Still on track for Germany in September.  Bavaria, though will probably also pop into Salzburg.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Dates for March becoming clearer.  It is between CPH and Antwerp.

Should know May dates next week.  Flights will be for work.  So win win.  Thinking Toledo and Madrid is my May trip with a day trip to Segovia while in Madrid.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

We stayed in the old part of Toledo and enjoyed it.  Bring walking shoes because it's very hilly.

[mchookem 16,095]

On 2/21/2023 at 7:35 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Ok, so this is what I keep going back and forth on.

1.  Looking like I will be in London for work March 27 (fly out on the 26th) and returning April 6th or 7th, so would need to occupy a weekend. Thinking of:

a.  Cheeky Foody Trip to Copenhagen

b.  Cheeky Foody Trip in England (i.e. think The Trip)

c.  Cheeky Foody Trip to Antwerp

2.  Looking like I will be back in London for work either the third or fourth week of May.  This is the longer vacation I am thinking of.  Torn between:

a.  Madrid and perhaps Toledo 

b.  Barcelona and Cadaques (place looks amazing)

c.  Venice

d.  Vienna and countryside (Austrian Wine!)

3.  Still on track for Germany in September.  Bavaria, though will probably also pop into Salzburg.

 

hmmm somebody else i know is planning Germany in September... 🤔

😆

[Ghost of LL 15,348]

On 2/21/2023 at 8:35 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Ok, so this is what I keep going back and forth on.

1.  Looking like I will be in London for work March 27 (fly out on the 26th) and returning April 6th or 7th, so would need to occupy a weekend. Thinking of:

a.  Cheeky Foody Trip to Copenhagen

b.  Cheeky Foody Trip in England (i.e. think The Trip)

c.  Cheeky Foody Trip to Antwerp

2.  Looking like I will be back in London for work either the third or fourth week of May.  This is the longer vacation I am thinking of.  Torn between:

a.  Madrid and perhaps Toledo 

b.  Barcelona and Cadaques (place looks amazing)

c.  Venice

d.  Vienna and countryside (Austrian Wine!)

3.  Still on track for Germany in September.  Bavaria, though will probably also pop into Salzburg.

 

I'm heading to Japan in a couple weeks up front on Singapore Airlines.  I'll report back.

On these choices, I really like the option of just staying in England.  I really haven't done enough exploring of England outside of London and its environs.  Maybe a trip over to Cornwall?

For May, it's really hard for me to argue against Madrid.  That's such a great town.  Although, that is the right time to go to Venice if you ever want to go.  The weather will be great, and it's really just a bit before all the tourists get there.

[royiv 9,131]

Venice is in a severe drought right now so planning a trip for this May might not be the best choice unless they get a ton of rain in the next few months.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Ok, so timing of the trip is now June (looking like heading to London for work the week of the 19th), so debating between Spain and Croatia.  Croatia looks amazing in June.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Toledo and Madrid it is.  Staying in hotels.  For Toledo, it's 4 nights at Eugenia de Montijo, which is built in the palace where Empress Eugenie lived.

For Madrid, it's 6 nights at the new EDITION Madrid.  I have a room with a terrace, though I might upgrade to a suite.  

Because I'm using points for Madrid and tagging this trip to the back of a work trip, total cost is coming in around 1k.  For 10 days.  I'll probably use Avios to cover my internal flights to and from London, so it should drop it even further.  I'm gruntled by this.  My only spending will be activities and shopping.  If I budget 5k for this trip, I think it'd be pretty amazing.

Edited March 6, 2023 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[Reynolds Woodcock 4,656]

On 2/21/2023 at 4:51 PM, VABuckeye said:

I just booked Italy from September 15th until October 2nd.  We're flying Emirates business class from JFK to Milan and back.  Holy crap, I'm not going to want to get off the plane.  We'll have complimentary chauffeur service to and from both airports and the treatment from Emirates looks to be extraordinary.  I can only imagine what their first class service is like.

No itinerary yet except for flights.  I was hoping to do the F1 race at Monza but I couldn't make it work.

Do you know if you are flying on the A380 or the 777? I got ripped up on the A380 business class bar coming back from Lake Como a few years ago. Great flight. 

But the best part of that flight without question is the ability to board directly from the Emirates lounge. It's a shame that isn't more common in the U.S. 

[VABuckeye 2,472]

A380.  We are as excited for the flights as we are for the trip. 

[RollLeft 5,039]

On 3/5/2023 at 12:44 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Toledo and Madrid it is.  Staying in hotels.  For Toledo, it's 4 nights at Eugenia de Montijo, which is built in the palace where Empress Eugenie lived.

For Madrid, it's 6 nights at the new EDITION Madrid.  I have a room with a terrace, though I might upgrade to a suite.  

Because I'm using points for Madrid and tagging this trip to the back of a work trip, total cost is coming in around 1k.  For 10 days.  I'll probably use Avios to cover my internal flights to and from London, so it should drop it even further.  I'm gruntled by this.  My only spending will be activities and shopping.  If I budget 5k for this trip, I think it'd be pretty amazing.

Keep us posted!

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Ok, so staying the weekend after as well (Harvey is going to be not happy that I am gone almost three weeks).  Thinking Stockholm....

Edited March 9, 2023 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[Spankytoes 1,735]

20 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Ok, so staying the weekend after as well (Harvey is going to be not happy that I am gone almost three weeks).  Thinking Stockholm....

Try the Berns hotel. Amazing breakfast and great location

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Ok, all flights booked for next two work trips (it is awesome to get my flights covered because I have to spend some time in London for work!).  

In March/April, I am headed to London for work.  Won't be tons of time to experience things as we are there to really try and wrap up all the annual reporting.  For the first week I am there (March 26-March 31), I have the following planned:

Sunday Roast at Canton Arms on Sunday, March 26

Night out with friends at location undecided on Wednesday, March 29th.  

There is a strike on March 30th, so imagine dinner will be somewhere within walking distance from my office/hotel.  

Friday afternoon, I fly to Antwerp out of LCY.  Flying Luxembourg airlines, and I am in Anterp from late evening on Friday, March 31 to early AM on Monday, April 3.  Antwerp has a lot to see and do, but two of the restaurants I want to go to are already booked up (Bistrot du Nord and The Jane) so I am on the waiting list for both.  While in Antwerp, will try and do a Chocolate crawl and a Frites crawl.  As I am in Belgium, beer will be the poison of choice.  

Once I am back in London, it will be work, work, work until Thursday night when we have reservations at Black Axe Mangal.  Then I fly home Friday night.  Will probably work some on Friday even though it is a holiday.  

Second trip is in June.  Fly into Londo on the 8th of June and immediately hop a flight to Madrid.  Will jump on a train from Madrid to Toledo, and the first 4 nights in Spain will be in Toledo.  Have not even started doing any research yet.  Then will train back to Madrid and spend 6 nights there.  I fly back to London late on Sunday, June 18th, then will be in London the 19th through 23rd for meetings.  Fly to Stockholm Friday night and will be there the weekend, then fly back to NYC on Monday, June 26th.  

My travel theme in 2023 is save a bit of money while tagging stuff on work trips and go to places I have not been.  Antwerp, Toledo, Madrid, and Stockholm all fit that bill.  Will have more work trips in September and late November/early December, so will be keeping to Europe this year.  Still trying to get time to go to Singapore for work, and should I manage that, I might pop to Hong Kong (would try and fly Cathay Pacific as it is one world, and that flight would send me right over to Gold for BA.  Hell, I might even make Titanium for Marriott this year.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Ok, so was slammed with work in London.  Did get to walk around a but and had great dinners at The Guinea Grill London and Kitty Fisher's.

Here are just a few pics.

 

 

I'm in Antwerp now.  It had been raining nonstop!  But this is a cool town.

[After irth 1,243]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Ok, so was slammed with work in London.  Did get to walk around a but and had great dinners at The Guinea Grill London and Kitty Fisher's.

Here are just a few pics.

 

 

I'm in Antwerp now.  It had been raining nonstop!  But this is a cool town.

Fantastic pics.  Much thanks for sharing.  How was Kitty Fisher's?

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

1 hour ago, After irth said:

Fantastic pics.  Much thanks for sharing.  How was Kitty Fisher's?

That last picture was the chateaubriand from Kitty Fisher's.  It was outstanding.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Cambodia and Vietnam are now on the schedule for January 2024.  Just booked the trip.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

I am writing you from Toledo.  I made zero plans in Toledo other than hitting baths and getting massages later today and tomorrow (for 60 Euros for both, compared to NYC prices, that is an absolute steal and I am here for it).  

My flight out of NYC got cancelled thanks to BA operations (not smoke, as JFK was not impacted).  So I finally arrived in Toledo over 24 hours after I had originally planned to.  It was all ok as I got an extra night with Harvey, and had to repack some things anyway (I packed way too much).  

I still have holes in my planning for Madrid, but I am fine with that.  Gives me time to just explore and try different things, which I am 100% ok with.  

I know I am still WAY behind on writing up my France trip from last year (sigh, if only I did not have to have a real job), but I am going to try and do this one somewhat real time.  

Admittedly, when I got to my AirBnB in the center of Toledo, I crashed last night, so I have not been outside other than walking from where my car dropped me to the AirBnB (an interesting two blocks uphill with luggage...lol).  However, from what I can see, this is a gorgeous town with a lot of history, and I am excited to get out and explore it today and tomorrow.

I will say this, being delayed a day might have saved my bacon. I cannot imagine navigating these streets with bags with the Processions of Corpus Christi going on.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Just made it out.  Having a beer in the little Square near my AirBnB (the square I hauled my luggage from coincidentally).

 

 

Edited June 10, 2023 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[The Ace of Aces 5,106]

At first I was like why are you posting about Toledo, Ohio …

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

3 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

At first I was like why are you posting about Toledo, Ohio …

I am proud to have never stepped foot in Ohio.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

So, hit the big highlights of Toledo.  The Cathedral is stunning and also teeming with tours.  The Alcazar is only open on the outside as it is undergoing restoration works.  

Food and wine in Toledo are very cheap and very good.  I didn't go to any big name places, though last night I did go to the of the more famous places in Toledo, which I will follow up with a separate post.  Here are the Cathedral, the Alcazar, and sites around town.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

I didn't eat a ton in Toledo.  Here are shots from the meals I did have.  The last night, I went to Taberna El Botero.  The last photos are from there.

 

[thrillhammer 683]

you are making spain look more attractive than france, and i didnt think that was possible.  

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

7 hours ago, thrillhammer said:

you are making spain look more attractive than france, and i didnt think that was possible.  

Thank you.  Toledo is beautiful.  There is a TON of history there.

So, I've been MIA as I was recovering from a crazy night out on Monday all day yesterday.  I need to sit down and write up my dinner from Monday.  It was outstanding.  

As a result of partying a bit too much, first photos from Madrid.  This is part of the train station.

 

[thrillhammer 683]

keep up the good work.  may have to plan a trip there soon.

[CoachTex 2,615]

I am following as family and I will be heading to Spain in July.  I appreciate any information you can share. 

[Lazarus Bocanegra 303]

On 6/10/2023 at 4:09 AM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I still have holes in my planning for Madrid, but I am fine with that.  Gives me time to just explore and try different things, which I am 100% ok with.  

Casa Paco for stek

El Corte Ingles to buy Fluchos

Museo de las Americas (off the prime museo circuit but well worth it for the plunder and miscegenation) 

Mercado San Miguel 

smoke ducados, eat gelatos, no compra madera

guilty afternoon snack pleasure p'pizza cones by the puerta del sol 

 

[po elvis 2,070]

On 6/14/2023 at 8:11 AM, thrillhammer said:

you are making spain look more attractive than france, and i didnt think that was possible.  

Did December and most of January in Spain and absolutely loved it. Not sure how much of that had to do with spending the previous month around Italians though.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

Spain is awesome.  3 Euros by the glass crisp white Spanish white wine is fucking badass.

Bosch in the Prada…

[VABuckeye 2,472]

Rooftop bars in Madrid are legit.  We also booked an evehing watching Flamenco dancers.  The food was ok but was made up for by the dancing.

[Mo Horn 8,795]

5 hours ago, Lazarus Bocanegra said:

Casa Paco for stek

El Corte Ingles to buy Fluchos

Museo de las Americas (off the prime museo circuit but well worth it for the plunder and miscegenation) 

Mercado San Miguel 

smoke ducados, eat gelatos, no compra madera

guilty afternoon snack pleasure p'pizza cones by the puerta del sol 

 

I'd add churros and chocolate at San Gines

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

32 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

I'd add churros and chocolate at San Gines

That’s around the corner from my hotel.  I’m bar crawling home. Probably my last stop.

[Lazarus Bocanegra 303]

1 hour ago, Mo Horn said:

I'd add churros and chocolate at San Gines

I did not want to denigrate Penelope Witherspoon's e-peen by inferring the greatness was yet unknown

[rage-a-holic 4,299]

Madrid is fucking hot this weekend. Fuck this shit. My girlfriend wants to go exploring, I think I'm gonna drink cheap wine and watch movies with the airbnb a/c cranked up.

From the sunset walk last night:

 

 

[The Ace of Aces 5,106]

19 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

Madrid is fucking hot this weekend. Fuck this shit. My girlfriend wants to go exploring, I think I'm gonna drink cheap wine and watch movies with the airbnb a/c cranked up.

From the sunset walk last night:

 

 

Spain in summer is a really bad idea imo. It’s beyond miserable. Same as anyone in that area - Greece, Italy, France. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

On 6/16/2023 at 9:32 AM, rage-a-holic said:

Madrid is fucking hot this weekend. Fuck this shit. My girlfriend wants to go exploring, I think I'm gonna drink cheap wine and watch movies with the airbnb a/c cranked up.

From the sunset walk last night:

 

 

I wasn’t feeling too hot yesterday. Probably somewhat hungover, but increasingly, with my hangovers comes crippling acid reflux.  I’ve had problems with it off and on for years, but yesterday it was especially uncomfortable given the extreme heat.  Today didn’t feel as hot as yesterday, which is a good thing…but yeah, it’s fucking hot.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

On 6/15/2023 at 9:12 PM, Mo Horn said:

I'd add churros and chocolate at San Gines

 

[Ted Lange 15,991]

Pop a Prilosec in the morning.  I used to go thru like a pack of tums at night, haven’t needed one in years.  Now I just take 2 Prilosec a week.   Godsend. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,074]

14 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

Pop a Prilosec in the morning.  I used to go thru like a pack of tums at night, haven’t needed one in years.  Now I just take 2 Prilosec a week.   Godsend. 

I usually pick Alka Seltzer and that takes care of it.  Of course, with the flight shuffle, I forgot to pack it.  Sigh.  
 

I do have Prilosec at home, and it is a miracle worker.  I hadn’t had it this bad since 2021 in Naples, so I didn’t think about it.  Sigh.  It’s ok.  I’ll be back to Madrid.  Now have stuff to do next time.  

[Anastasis 23,375]

Speaking of proton pump inhibitors, can I get a rec for pizza near jfk in queens/ Jamaica area. Feel like we’re gonna need after arrival.