Penelope Witherspoon's Travel Thread

[Neonmoon 38130]

2 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Tuesday was Manthan.

 

 

I am Jack’s extreme jealousy 

[Chopper 17430]

4 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Wednesday, we went to Kinkally. It's a new place, and it was most excellent.

 

 

What's this? Looks amazing.

[Lou_Sassle 2993]

On 6/20/2018 at 4:19 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Today, I realized why I generally travel alone. Sigh.

Sent from my SM-G955U 

Because you're an insufferable, middle-aged, know it all Karen?

[Chopper 17430]

14 minutes ago, Lou_Sassle said:

Because you're an insufferable, middle-aged, know it all Karen?

wtf is wrong with you?

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

12 hours ago, Chopper said:

What's this? Looks amazing.

It’s Georgian. Khinkali are Georgian dumplings with a unique twisted shape. The food was outstanding. This is one I’ll go back to for sure.

[The Ace of Aces 5374]

12 hours ago, Lou_Sassle said:

Because you're an insufferable, middle-aged, know it all Karen?

Fuck off 

[Brisketexan 106863]

It’s Georgian. Khinkali are Georgian dumplings with a unique twisted shape. The food was outstanding. This is one I’ll go back to for sure.

We ate at a Georgian place in Tallinn, it was f’n outstanding. Those dumplings are next-level.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Thursday, July 4th, I took my team to a dim sum lunch. After the long lunch, we headed to the Black Dog for more drinks, then it was to Brixton for Kurisu Omakase, what had been touted as one of London's best sushi restaurants. They have 8 seats, and it was absolutely outstanding. One of the best sushi experiences I've had in a long time.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

After dinner, we headed to Bar Termini. We had excellent cocktails. This might be one of my favorite bars in London.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Friday, dinner was at Dovetale. 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Saturday, we ended up picking up cakes (Cedric Grolet) and champers (Ruinart from Harrods), and took the train to Oxford.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Dinner was at Arbequina, a highly recommend tapas place in Oxford.  We then walked a bit.

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

And Sunday was race day. It was a sloppy, soggy mess, but it was fun. It was nice to see Hamilton get the W.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Monday, rain persisted.  We tooled around Oxford. We jumped on a hop on/hop off bus. Then we went to Blackwells to see the books. We popped into the King's Arms, visited Christchurch (a lot of the colleges were closed thanks to summary programs), and ended up doing a Thames cruise.  The cruise started and ended the The Folly, so what was where we had dinner.

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Tuesday, we flew home. I had flown First Class on BA for this trip as they gave me the option to upgrade from business for about 600 each way. I was in seat 1A. Fun fact, Kate Hudson was in seat 1K. 

The last time I had flown first on BA from London to NYC was back in April. I was in seat 2K. Lewis Hamilton was in seat 1K. So, some interesting people in the first class cabin from London to NYC.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

I have also decided to blow up all my plans for this year.  The only travel I will be doing is for work (probably two more trips across the pond), and I am going to stay in the UK for one of them (maybe go back to Oxford, hit up Cambridge or go futher in to the British Countryside to get some R&R, but the other, I might just do a weekend in Germany (one of my German colleagues has been after me to come to Hamburg...I do not think that is a bad idea, but I have to do the business case right).

So, now, doing two larger trips in 2025 and 2026.  

For 2025, Spring will be Venice/Imola (for the race)/Emilia Romagna.  Fall (Late October/Early November) will be Marrakech.  I still might have some time to play with, and if things go according to plan at work, will be traveling some to South America.  If so, might add on Buenos Aires, which is a place I have always wanted to go.

For 2026, am thinking a combo of Japan and Paris, each for 2 weeks.  Yes, I know I have been to Paris a lot, but now that I can just wander, it is an even better city. 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Have pivoted a bit on the latter half of 2025 travel, from Morocco to Turkey. Was also contemplating India, but that’s a bigger trip with a lot more planning I think.

[Mo Horn 8937]

22 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Have pivoted a bit on the latter half of 2025 travel, from Morocco to Turkey. Was also contemplating India, but that’s a bigger trip with a lot more planning I think.

I love Turkey. I'd go back to Istanbul in a heartbeat. A great city. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

On 10/20/2024 at 10:38 AM, Mo Horn said:

I love Turkey. I'd go back to Istanbul in a heartbeat. A great city. 

So, if I were to do Turkey, 2 to 2.5 weeks should be enough, yeah?  Generally, when I am doing a big trip, I fly on a Thursday, and come back two weeks later on Sunday.  So it gives me 16 nights.  Was thinking about doing this the first half of October 2025.  

I know I want to spend 3-4 nights in Istanbul and 2-3 nights in Cappadocia. 

Must sees for me include Ephesus and Pamukkale. I also like the idea of hanging out along the coast (Izmir and Bodrum), but there is just a wealth of choices.  

Anyone have any specific recommendations?  

[Mo Horn 8937]

27 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

So, if I were to do Turkey, 2 to 2.5 weeks should be enough, yeah?  Generally, when I am doing a big trip, I fly on a Thursday, and come back two weeks later on Sunday.  So it gives me 16 nights.  Was thinking about doing this the first half of October 2025.  

I know I want to spend 3-4 nights in Istanbul and 2-3 nights in Cappadocia. 

Must sees for me include Ephesus and Pamukkale. I also like the idea of hanging out along the coast (Izmir and Bodrum), but there is just a wealth of choices.  

Anyone have any specific recommendations?  

I visited Istanbul on a cruise. One day was an excursion and one day was on our own. Enough to know I'd love to go back for at least 4 days. There is great energy in the city. We had another stop where we visited Ephesus and loved it, and also wanted to spend more time there. Sadly I don't have any recommendations to give since we didn't spend more time in country. Hopefully others do.  But just those short stays made me want to go back. 

[thrillhammer 686]

On 10/21/2024 at 10:19 AM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

So, if I were to do Turkey, 2 to 2.5 weeks should be enough, yeah?  Generally, when I am doing a big trip, I fly on a Thursday, and come back two weeks later on Sunday.  So it gives me 16 nights.  Was thinking about doing this the first half of October 2025.  

I know I want to spend 3-4 nights in Istanbul and 2-3 nights in Cappadocia. 

Must sees for me include Ephesus and Pamukkale. I also like the idea of hanging out along the coast (Izmir and Bodrum), but there is just a wealth of choices.  

Anyone have any specific recommendations?  

if you were to go to troy you could see this

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

Taking off to London this evening.  

[Iceman 2978]

Any surlists ever have to request to be moved to another seat because of a ‘passenger of size’ sitting next to them?

Had a dude that was at least 4 bills and about 6’4” on our flight this morning. He had an aisle seat and he had 2 buddies with him, so there were no issues. Everything was cool. 
 

I was sitting on aisle seat across from him and he wasn’t bothing me, but (maybe) because I am smaller, everyone was bumping the shit out of me while boarding.  My wife asked what I would have done if I was in the middle seat on his side.  I didn’t know the answer.  Dude was polite and not gross/ nasty-  just fucking huge.  He had this harness that attached the headrest that also had blackout sleep mask on it.  His buddies were wearing his ass out about his giant melon falling over while sleeping.  It was funny.  
 

What is Penelope or any other surly traveler doing if they are in the adjacent middle seat to the huge mofo?

 

[royiv 9751]

44 minutes ago, Iceman said:

Any surlists ever have to request to be moved to another seat because of a ‘passenger of size’ sitting next to them?

Had a dude that was at least 4 bills and about 6’4” on our flight this morning. He had an aisle seat and he had 2 buddies with him, so there were no issues. Everything was cool. 
 

I was sitting on aisle seat across from him and he wasn’t bothing me, but (maybe) because I am smaller, everyone was bumping the shit out of me while boarding.  My wife asked what I would have done if I was in the middle seat on his side.  I didn’t know the answer.  Dude was polite and not gross/ nasty-  just fucking huge.  He had this harness that attached the headrest that also had blackout sleep mask on it.  His buddies were wearing his ass out about his giant melon falling over while sleeping.  It was funny.  
 

What is Penelope or any other surly traveler doing if they are in the adjacent middle seat to the huge mofo?

 

1. Wrong thread.

2. Be less poor and don’t fly in the back of the plane.

[Iceman 2978]

Oh.  Wrong travel travel thread. Cool. 
 

Row 12 is so far back…

Edited November 29 by Iceman

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19280]

5 hours ago, Iceman said:

 

What is Penelope or any other surly traveler doing if they are in the adjacent middle seat to the huge mofo?

 

I have flown domestic 3 times in the last 5 years (I mainly fly international, and I almost always fly business.  I can count 1 flight where I flew premium economy in the last 5 years and it was a day flight to London).  Of those 6 individual flights, half were in First Class/Lay Flats (NYC to LAX and back). The others, I had the aisle in economy plus/extra leg room seats.  But when I used to fly a lot for work, and I could not sit in first class, my status assured me I never had a middle seat.  I always book my seat, and I always pick aisle. If you have to pay, do it. Being comfortable on a 3 hour flight is worth $100.

[royiv 9751]

3 hours ago, Iceman said:

Oh.  Wrong travel travel thread. Cool. 
 

Row 12 is so far back…

This thread doesn’t have poors flying in the back of the plane in case you haven’t noticed.
 

If there’s a middle seat, it’s too far back.