Penelope Witherspoon's Travel Thread

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

I just purchased flights for Memorial Day next year. Flying into Milan and flying home from Venice. Will spend 3 nights in each city.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Ok, so I flew up to New York overnight to catch the Met Costume Institute Exhibit before it went bye bye. 

Landed in EWR and took the train into Penn Station.  Holy hell, why have I ever done anything else?  This is absolutely the best way to get into Manhattan, especially if you checked your bag and had it delivered to your hotel (honestly, best way to go with either EWR or IAH where luggage takes FOREVER).

I had a reservation for lunch at 1:45, so I had some time to kill.  I had slept on the plane and needed coffee stat.  So I headed to Maman at 239 Centre St.  The coffee was absolutely fantastic, and the cafe was cute as a button. Next door is the Marche Maman, which has artisanal products, some of which come from France.  It is small, but a good place to browse.  I also had a glass of waine at Le Botaniste.

 

After, still had some time to waste prior to my lunch reservation, so went to Le Botaniste and had a glass of Rose becase why not.  

So, lunch was at Le Coucou.  Not going to lie, since eating at both Chez La Vieille and Spring last April (Spring has since closed - and I may have to repost all my old trip reports on the new site), I have been a fan of Daniel Rose, and I was most excited to try Le Coucou.  I was able to get a reservation for lunch on Friday (not for dinner, sadly, but probably good for my pocket book), so game on.

The interior of the restaurant is absoutely beautiful, with the bar being the highlight IMO.

At Le Coucou, they have a lunch menu for $54 per person.  That gets you a starter and a main course.  And some of the starters and main courses are extra as they are special.  I went with the Quenelle de brochet "Route de Reims" to start ($15 supplement) and the Ris de veau a la tomate.  To translate, that is the Pike Quenelle, which is basically a creamed fish meringue that is served floating in a champagne butter sauce topped with caviar.  This was absolutely stunning.  Quenelles are something of a favorite of mine, and the texture here was spot on.  The champagne butter sauce was so good that I absolutely used bread to sop the last of it up.  No shame.  With the Quenelles, I went with a wine nerd wine, one which I want to add to my collection. I had the 2012 Domaine Berthet-Bondet Cotes du Jura, savignin-chardonnary.  The wine is nutty and interesting.  Not something I could drink a whole bottle of, but it went amazingly well with the Quenelles.  

Quenelles

Wine

Bread

The main course was the ris de veau a la tomate, which is sweetbreads in an amazing sauce with tomatoes and tarragon.  As with the first dish, the sauce was absolutely amazing, and they actually bring you the pan with the sauce in it, so you can have as much sauce as you like (they sauce the sweetbreads at the table for you, then leave the pan...yes!).  The wine I went with here was Domaine Morey-Coffinet "Les Houilleres" Chassagne Montrachet from 2016.  This is a biodynamic wine, and I really, really enjoyed it.

The sweetbreads and sauce

The wine

Dessert was a cherry tart that was absolutely stunning.

I also had a dessert wine, a chenin blanc, though I do not remember the exact details of the wine.

All in all, a place I would definitely go to again and definitely worth a visit if you are in NYC.

After that, I shopped around the lower east side, then decided to jump in an Uber and head to my hotel so I could actually check in.  Upon checking in, I almost immediately left again.  First, had to make a stop at Goyard for a strap for my handbag.  After that, it was off to the Met for the Costume Institute Exhibit.  This year, it was entitled Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.

The Met to be continued...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

I'll finish New York soon, but I must say, I love Mexico City. Seriously, an amazing city. I'll be back.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

So, the reason I went to NYC was to see the Costume Institute Exhibit before it was over.  This year, the theme was Heavenly Bodies:  Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.  This was very well done.  The exhibit was spread throughout the Met and the Cloisters.  I think the parts in the Cloisters were the most impactful.  

First, here were some of my favorite pieces in the Met.

Within the Met is the actual Costume Institute.  Within that, they had pieces on loan from the Vatican, but no photos were allowed down there.  Admittedly, I was torn seeing that.  Without going all cloak room, I think the church has a place in the world today, but I feel like the current church has lost site of that.  As a result, I was not really all that into seeing the pieces from the Vatican.  Yes, they were interesting from a historical perspective, but I would have rather seen more fashion.

While there, I also went through the Delacroix Exhibit.  FYI, Liberty leading the People did not make the trip from Paris.

To be continued...

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

So, if you have not been to the Cloisters, go!  It is in Fort Tryon Park in Washington Heights.  It is absolutely amazing.  

Here are some of my favorite photos from the Cloisters and the Exhibit.

Afterwards, headed to Queens and went to Taverna Kyclades

Spicy feta dip.

Dolmades

Red Mullett

And of course, roasted lemony potatoes.

Definitely a great restaurant in what seems like a really cool neighborhood.  I want to spend more time in Queens.  

And that wraps up NYC.  Will get onto Mexico City next.  

[ZB'Tejas 593]

Heading to Europe for two weeks in Feb(flying in and out of Paris) Since Winter I'm thinking I skip south of France and instead do Lyon then head to Switzerland to stay in some mountain towns. Any recs?

I'm guessing I'll just take the train around so looks at a multi country pas on EuroRail... does that work pretty well buying in advance and flexible travel?

[thunderlounge 7754]

Depends on what you want. Usually you can get deals on train tickets if you buy early (3 months) and can stick to a schedule. You would come out ahead of the pass. If you want to wing it, or not stick to a specific train and schedule, then a pass is obviously more flexible. 

Buying early you can get 1st for less than a standard ticket purchased at a later time. Well worth it, IMO.

 

[next2naus 436]

Quote

Goyard for a strap for my handbag. 

such overpriced shit, plastic 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

12 hours ago, next2naus said:

such overpriced shit, plastic 

Edited November 9, 2018 by PenelopeWitherspoon

[next2naus 436]

13 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

no, they are. I get that they are styling and in at the moment but the quality is crap, it's a high end reusable shopping bag. They say that the coated Linen of the bag is hand painted, sure, like Tito's Vodka is still hand made. A hand pushed the button on the machine that makes it. 

A lot of high end stuff is shit, look at LV, it's coated canvas and plated brass. thats a lot of coin for coated tote bag. 

 

style, quality and value...you decide which is weighted more. 

[thunderlounge 7754]

I agree with that on some things, certainly. Just have to do your homework and look real hard at what you’re buying. A name won’t make a product worth the money on its own.

Take a prada bag I bought last summer for example. It’s an all Italian leather backpack, and was £2400. But it’s solid, excellent material and craftsmanship, and will last a lifetime+ with a little care now and then. Others I looked at were a bit higher, some even lower, but the material and work wasn’t newr as good. 

Edited November 9, 2018 by thunderlounge

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

2 hours ago, next2naus said:

no, they are. I get that they are styling and in at the moment but the quality is crap, it's a high end reusable shopping bag. They say that the coated Linen of the bag is hand painted, sure, like Tito's Vodka is still hand made. A hand pushed the button on the machine that makes it. 

A lot of high end stuff is shit, look at LV, it's coated canvas and plated brass. thats a lot of coin for coated tote bag. 

 

style, quality and value...you decide which is weighted more. 

 

49 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

I agree with that on some things, certainly. Just have to do your homework and look real hard at what you’re buying. A name won’t make a product worth the money on its own.

Take a prada bag I bought last summer for example. It’s an all Italian leather backpack, and was £2400. But it’s solid, excellent material and craftsmanship, and will last a lifetime+ with a little care now and then. Others I looked at were a bit higher, some even lower, but the material and work wasn’t newr as good. 

next2naus, you are talking about the St. Louis.  I do not own a single St. Louis, which is the entry level Goyard bag that everyone has.  And I agree, IMO those appear cheap.  On the LV side, I have had a Neverfull for 6 years, and it is one of the best purchases I ever made and is an amazing carry on bag.  I also paid significantly less buying it in London vs. buying it in the US.  I much prefer it to the St. Louis, which is thinner than the Neverfull. 

And no, the Goyard goyardine is no longer hand painted, but the bags are still hand assembled, like Delvaux and Hermes.  But all the bags I have bought at Goyard are very high quality and look great (I like the St. Jeanne, which has been discontinued and has both goyardine and leather, and the Bellechasse, which is also goyardine and leather).  Agree with thunderlounge, you have to be discerning.  Some models are better than others.  For example, some Pradas are actually not made in Italy anymore.  They are assembled in India.  You really have to be careful.  

[thunderlounge 7754]

5 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

For example, some Pradas are actually not made in Italy anymore.  They are assembled in India.  You really have to be careful.  

 

Definitely. 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

So, I was in Mexico City last weekend.  I flew in early Friday morning.  On arriving, I dropped my bag off at my AirBnB in Condesa, and headed downtown.  

After wandering around, it was time for lunch.  It was starting to rain, so I ducked into Tacos El Huequito at Ayuntamiento 21.  Started with a Mango Margarita.

The salsas.

Just went with Al Pastor since that is what this place is known for.

As with many places, they have street tacos.  It was really busy when I left!

Mexico City to be continued...

 

[SimonBolivar 10911]

I love those mango margaritas. They seem to popular all over town.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

The big meal of the night was the taco omakase at Pujol.  I am so glad I got a reservation, and I will definitely be back to do the regular tasting menu.  

The taco omakase is 2,998 pesos, whether you drink or not.  They give you a choice of alcohol pairing.  Either Sake and Wine, Beer, or Mexcal.  I went with the sake and wine.

You start with street snacks which is served with an infusion of cornsilk.  The first is tofu made with corn.  The second is a corn puff.  The third is baby corn.

This puff is filled with cheese, but is topped with escamol (the white stuff on top), or as our server called it, "Mexican caviar."  Escamol are the edible larvae and pupae of ants which are found at the roots of both the tequila agave and the mezcal agave plants.  They are actually very, very tasty.  And I knew what they were before I ate them!

The last is Pujol's version of elote, baby corn in a spicy mayonnaise that is then rolled in crushed chicatana ants (i.e. flying ants).  The ants have an amazing taste and really elevate this dish.

Next was a tetala filled with beans and served with uni pico de gallo.  First, the uni pico de gallo, then the dish topped as it should be.

I have neglected talking about the sake and wine courses, but the first sake of the night was a Mexican (!) sake.  It was my favorite sake of the night.  The other three sakes I was served were Japanese, and were good, but this one was the best.

Next, we start with all the tacos.  TBC.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Ok, first taco.  Eggplant taco, hoja santa, hummus, shiso.

Next taco was a cauliflower taco, chile de arbol, almond macha sauce, and chicken chicharrones.

I did order a mezcal cocktail.  I honestly have no idea exactly what this is, but I know that someone down from me had this, it looked amazing, and they said it was amazing, so I ordered one as well.

Next is a scallop tostada with a lemon and sesame oil sauce.  I loved this.  The flavors in this one were absolutely amazing.

After 4 sakes, we finally get into the wine.  This white wine from Mexico was served next.

Next is a seabass taco al pastor.  I loved this course.  It was a great twist on al pastor.  That is a mandarin lime served with the taco (such a great flavor) and with an amazing jalapeno sauce.

The last taco was the softshell crab taco, cucumber, shiso.  This was probably my favorite taco.  It was served with a creamy and spicy avocado sauce.  This was my favorite of all the tacos.  

The final course before dessert was the famous Mole Madre.  The Mole Madre is the darker outside circle.  That mole has been cooking 1,730 days.  The complexity and depth of flavor in that is outstanding.  In the center is a mole nuevo, which brings a completely different flavor to the table.  This is served with two different types of tortillas.  

After the Mole Madre, it was time to head outside for dessert.  TBC.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Ok, now onto dessert.  We had dessert out on the patio arond the fire pit.  Pujol had their ofrenda out there. It should shock no one that the people they chose to remember in their ofrenda were Paul Bocuse, Joel Robuchon, and Anthony Bourdain (all died in 2018).  

Dessert was served with a cinnamon based drink.

The desserts served were an ice cream (cannot remember the flavor) to serve as a palate cleanser, a cream roll, and gooseberries.

Then came churros. These were so good.

And then, to finish off the night, I had a couple of glasses of Sicilian red to cap off the night.  A great ending to a great meal that took about 4 hours.

More Mexico City to come.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Saturday morning, I slept in a bit, then decided to get going.  I also decided that I was going to enjoy my time in Mexico city and relax a bit.  So I decided to have a big lunch, and then skip the rain and lounge in the apartment that evening.  It has been a stressful month or so for me.  

Started out at Cafe Nin.  This is a great little cafe in Roma Norte.  They also had the best corn muffin there that I have ever had.

Then had a little bit more substantial breakfast by having a Croque Madame.

Definitely recommend a stop in here, even if it is just to grab a pastry and a coffee to go.

Here are some sights from around the city while walking around, including the water truck, since water was shut down for repairs while I was there (though my AirBnB had water as they had a private cistern).

Met a new friend while having coffee.  A lot of people have trained their dogs to walk without a leash.  My new friend was one such dog.  His parents were in the little shop, and he and his sister just hung out outside with those of us sitting outside. They were so cute.

This little shop was around the corner and had great homemade traditional Mexican clothing and accessories.

Mexico City TBC

[thunderlounge 7754]

Sun/Mon/Tues: Paris

• Louvre on Monday
• Catacombs on Tuesday

Wed/Thurs: Manchester

• Wed: Show
• Thurs: Christmas Market

Fri: Sheffield

• Show

Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues: London

• Sat: Christmas Market/Winter Wonderland
• Sun: Shopping/Tower/Jugged Hare
• Mon: Central sights/walk around
• Tues: Show

Wed/Thurs: Brussels

• Christmas Market, general wandering, Brew Dog

Fri/Sat: Paris

• Dinner Friday Evening
• Sat: Disney

 

Have a hotel at DL Paris for the whole time from a smash deal through BA Holidays. Works out well, and is a 10min high speed train from CDG. Get into CDG around 10am Sunday, should be to the hotel by noon, then have half a day to mess around. Got tickets to the Louve for Monday, may try the Catacombs on Tuesday. Wednesday it's off to CDG for a flight to Manchester. I'd have preferred to take Eurostar, but needed the tier points on BA. It was also a hair cheaper, even if there is a delay with more security.

Will have Wed afternoon to Friday afternoon in Brussels the following week. That should be great. Staying at the Grand Palace Hilton, so there is a ton of stuff right there in the thick of it to wander around and see.

Finishing off the trip with a wander around Disney Paris that Saturday. Might as well since it's there, and the crowds shouldn't be too terrible with it being cold. Plus it makes an easy way to wind down from the hustle and bustle off the previous days before flying back that Sunday.

 

My only concern is the flight out is through ORD. Normally I wouldn't give a shit as I don't mind O'Hare. But you know, December + Chicago can equal a shitshow. Might luck out this time though, as DFW looks to have some strong storms in the forecast for Saturday. The other downside is it's a shorter flight from ORD vice DFW, so less time for sleep. May have to give the express dining option a go, or just eat in the lounge. I'll see how it goes.

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

27 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

Sun/Mon/Tues: Paris

• Louvre on Monday
• Catacombs on Tuesday

Wed/Thurs: Manchester

• Wed: Show
• Thurs: Christmas Market

Fri: Sheffield

• Show

Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues: London

• Sat: Christmas Market/Winter Wonderland
• Sun: Shopping/Tower/Jugged Hare
• Mon: Central sights/walk around
• Tues: Show

Wed/Thurs: Brussels

• Christmas Market, general wandering, Brew Dog

Fri/Sat: Paris

• Dinner Friday Evening
• Sat: Disney

 

Have a hotel at DL Paris for the whole time from a smash deal through BA Holidays. Works out well, and is a 10min high speed train from CDG. Get into CDG around 10am Sunday, should be to the hotel by noon, then have half a day to mess around. Got tickets to the Louve for Monday, may try the Catacombs on Tuesday. Wednesday it's off to CDG for a flight to Manchester. I'd have preferred to take Eurostar, but needed the tier points on BA. It was also a hair cheaper, even if there is a delay with more security.

Will have Wed afternoon to Friday afternoon in Brussels the following week. That should be great. Staying at the Grand Palace Hilton, so there is a ton of stuff right there in the thick of it to wander around and see.

Finishing off the trip with a wander around Disney Paris that Saturday. Might as well since it's there, and the crowds shouldn't be too terrible with it being cold. Plus it makes an easy way to wind down from the hustle and bustle off the previous days before flying back that Sunday.

 

My only concern is the flight out is through ORD. Normally I wouldn't give a shit as I don't mind O'Hare. But you know, December + Chicago can equal a shitshow. Might luck out this time though, as DFW looks to have some strong storms in the forecast for Saturday. The other downside is it's a shorter flight from ORD vice DFW, so less time for sleep. May have to give the express dining option a go, or just eat in the lounge. I'll see how it goes.

 

I have no idea why you would waste time in Disney Paris at all.  Paris has so many amazing things to do that are uniquely Parisian and French, that I have no idea why you would want to go spend time at a place that is distinctly American.  If you want a down day in Paris, then I recommend just strolling through the streets, hanging at a cafe, hitting a market, etc...

i notice you have no planned restaurants in Paris.  I highly recommend getting reservations. Your concierge can do it, but even in winter, Parisians are still going out, even if there are less tourists about.

 

[MAROON 445]

37 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I have no idea why you would waste time in Disney Paris at all.  Paris has so many amazing things to do that are uniquely Parisian and French, that I have no idea why you would want to go spend time at a place that is distinctly American.  If you want a down day in Paris, then I recommend just strolling through the streets, hanging at a cafe, hitting a market, etc...

i notice you have no planned restaurants in Paris.  I highly recommend getting reservations. Your concierge can do it, but even in winter, Parisians are still going out, even if there are less tourists about.

 

when our kids were younger my wife and her Mom spent a week in Paris.  One day she took the kids to Disney.  Best day ever - we no longer had to spend the time and serious cash to take them to Disney in Orlando.  It was well worth that one day.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

when our kids were younger my wife and her Mom spent a week in Paris.  One day she took the kids to Disney.  Best day ever - we no longer had to spend the time and serious cash to take them to Disney in Orlando.  It was well worth that one day.

For some reason, I don’t think there are kids involved in the trip thunderlounge is referencing. If kids are involved, it might be a different story. And then, if kids are involved, you couldn’t pay me to take kids through the Louvre. What a nightmare.

Then again, I also lived in SoCal for a while and still have family there, so I would never go to Paris to go to Disney when I can go in Cali. FYI, I detest Orlando and the experience there. I have no idea why people are so gung ho on Orlando and Disney to begin with.

[HenryJames 65887]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

• Christmas Market, general wandering, Brew Dog

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Just now, HenryJames said:

I have never even heard of Brew Dog.  The correct answer in Brussels should be Poechenellekelder or Moeder Lambic.  I even think Delirium is too touristy and way too crowded with college aged kids and bros.

[thunderlounge 7754]

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

 

Oh how cute! You really think that’s the only place I’ll drink? Nah. Not even close.

 

I do need the stamp, and their Jet Black is pretty solid. 

[thunderlounge 7754]

5 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I have no idea why you would waste time in Disney Paris at all.  Paris has so many amazing things to do that are uniquely Parisian and French, that I have no idea why you would want to go spend time at a place that is distinctly American.  If you want a down day in Paris, then I recommend just strolling through the streets, hanging at a cafe, hitting a market, etc...

i notice you have no planned restaurants in Paris.  I highly recommend getting reservations. Your concierge can do it, but even in winter, Parisians are still going out, even if there are less tourists about.

 

 

4 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

 

For some reason, I don’t think there are kids involved in the trip thunderlounge is referencing. If kids are involved, it might be a different story. And then, if kids are involved, you couldn’t pay me to take kids through the Louvre. What a nightmare.

Then again, I also lived in SoCal for a while and still have family there, so I would never go to Paris to go to Disney when I can go in Cali. FYI, I detest Orlando and the experience there. I have no idea why people are so gung ho on Orlando and Disney to begin with.

 

 

Working on reservations for Paris this week. Still narrowing down exactly where. That wasn't a fully detailed plan, just a general overall big picture.

I have 2 1/2 days of wandering in Paris, the reason for hitting DL the last day is that by that time an easy day would be cool. Coming back from Brussels Friday night, that leaves just the one day. And by that point I'll have been running solid. Not to mention I was just there in August, although only for a couple days. The biggest things I missed out on the first go around was the Louvre and Notre Dame (stupid mass at 16:30!), so definitely going to get those in. The catacombs were on the list for this trip anyway. So, as I'll already be there at one of the hotels anyway, why not?  I like the mouse, and I've been to both the US parks. This checks another one off the list. Anything in Paris this time is a bonus, and wasn't even in my original plan. Just happened to work out that it was the best overall in/out of the area. So I'll see a little bit, but obviously can't fit every single thing in. But I'm quite fine with that, as it gives me a reason to go back again and stay longer. At that point I'll have seen all the major spots, and can then spend more time on the finer details and enjoying the city for what it is.

So I'm not going to Paris to go to Disney. No need to freak. I may change my mind once there and stick it to the mouse. That's cool. Depends on my mood when I wake up that day.

Take the Louvre for example. I honestly couldn't care less about seeing the little 8x10 after a long wait in line. I'm more interested in the Egyptian, Roman, and Greece displays. That doesn't mean I'll skip over the art wing, but it's not my primary goal to see. Same for the British Museum. I hit the Egyptian and Roman floors, came down and went through the "Americas" rooms. I was pleasantly surprised with the Mexican and Native American stuff, although small in overall display size. Now when I go back this time, I can check out some other pieces.

Overall goal is to hit the major things I haven't been through, or only partially made it through last summer. Then I can cross those off, and move on during the next trip.

 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

So you, an adult, are there either by yourself or with your gfww, and you think EuroDisney is an easy day for one or two adults?

Jlawgif

[VABuckeye 2472]

And people say I travel a lot.  Cheers, Penelope.  You do it right and thanks for the fantastic reviews.

[thunderlounge 7754]

3 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

So you, an adult, are there either by yourself or with your gfww, and you think EuroDisney is an easy day for one or two adults?

Jlawgif

 

Sure. But I'll bow out now and just enjoy doing my thing. Y'all take care, and I'll still enjoy your work from the sidelines.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

 
Sure. But I'll bow out now and just enjoy doing my thing. Y'all take care, and I'll still enjoy your work from the sidelines.

I’m giving you the same amount of shit that I gave my colleague who did the same thing this time last year. Unless you have kids, EuroDisney shouldn’t even be on the radar while in Paris. If you want a day that’s easy, do a tour to Champagne that picks you up at your hotel and drops you off. Or go out to Versailles for the day.

[mycox 582]

Brew Dog is always good for a beer or two. You should check out Cantillon for some rare lambic beers while in Brussels. The place is pretty cool - not your usual beer tour.

[thunderlounge 7754]

 

 

 

Drunk. Laughed very much. Trip good so far. Day trip from Paris Tuesday was close call. Whatever. okthanxbai.

[thunderlounge 7754]

Bird and Lime scooters all over Paris. Haven’t seen any in Manchester, Sheffield, or London. 

They weren’t there in August, so a semi-interesting footnote that those things have popped up all over since. 

[thunderlounge 7754]

Lime scooters in Brussels, but bird is strangely absent. 

Christmas markets have been good. They’ve each been different in setup and style, but as far as merchandise they’ve all had about 85% of the same shit. The remaining 15% being the oddball local artisan stuff. Some good, some kinda meh. 

 

[thunderlounge 7754]

Cha-ching!

So AA is refitting their 788’s with premium economy. They’re taking out the mini-cabin in business to make the room. Overall effect is a loss of those 8 J seats, and a replacement of like 21 PE seats or some shit. 

Well there is 1 plane completed out of 20. It was done in September, and they’ve used it as a test before starting the rest after the first of the year. 

So I get a call this morning from AA, and that frame is set to run my flight tomorrow. Well, shit. They were hunting for volunteers before having to bump. The short of it is that instead of a DFW connection, I’ll go back through ORD, leave an hour later, arrive an hour earlier, and $1200 for the trouble. 

Not bad for saving 2 hours and a better lounge in the process.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

On 12/21/2018 at 7:38 AM, thunderlounge said:

Lime scooters in Brussels, but bird is strangely absent. 

Christmas markets have been good. They’ve each been different in setup and style, but as far as merchandise they’ve all had about 85% of the same shit. The remaining 15% being the oddball local artisan stuff. Some good, some kinda meh. 

 

Christmas market was my favorite thing about our trip to Germany in '14.  The gluhwein, the schnapps, the beer, the different food stands, the merchandise stalls were hit or miss, but the strolling, outdoor bar scene, the lights, colors, the atmosphere were all friggin' magical.  We brought back several of the commemorative gluhwein cups. 

[thunderlounge 7754]

The markets were good, and I enjoyed them quite a lot. 

Gluhwein isn’t quite my thing. One of the spices in it hits me weird. But overall they were great. They’re more about atmosphere than anything, and they certainly all had it going on. 

 

Wandered Paris today. Ended up amongst the “riot” for a few as they marched towards the sur les champs. It was weird and awe-striking at the same time. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

13 minutes ago, thunderlounge said:

The markets were good, and I enjoyed them quite a lot. 

Gluhwein isn’t quite my thing. One of the spices in it hits me weird. But overall they were great. They’re more about atmosphere than anything, and they certainly all had it going on. 

 

Wandered Paris today. Ended up amongst the “riot” for a few as they marched towards the sur les champs. It was weird and awe-striking at the same time. 

Yeah a little gluhwein goes a long way,   I liked the white variety we had in Germany, but that leaves more room for beer.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Onboard 2.0

[thunderlounge 7754]

Yes it does.

Had some good food though. Waffle at the Winter Pret in Brussels...  chocolate, strawberries, and bananas...  damn that was tits. 

 

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

I still have some posts from Mexico City to go, which I plan on completing over the next couple of days.  However, before I do, I am trying to plan out a couple more trips, so that I have a number taken care of for 2019 and part of 2020 (yes, I am a planner).

As many know, I will be in Lisbon and Porto in late March 2019.  Then I will do Milan and Venice in late May 2019.

November 2019 will see me in England, going to the Lumiere Festival in Durham from November 14-17.  That is where I have a conundrum.  I am thinking about staying in the north of England through Thanksgiving, or even meandering into Scotland.  I love English and Scottish History, so that trip would be all about that.  Thinking about including York and Yorkshire, then heading into Scotland and doing Edinburgh/Glasgow/Stirling, and maybe some countryside areas.  Would love to hear what fellow Surly members have done and recommend.  

Then, in either March/April/May 2020, I will be headed to Spain.  Was going to do the Basque region, but realized, I would rather do a round about tour of Spain.  I am skipping Barcelona, as I think that is a whole trip by itself.  As of right now, planning on flying in and out of Madrid. Want to see the Segovia, Granada, Seville, Santiago de Compostela, Bilbao and Getaria.  It is a lot of ground to cover in 2.5 weeks, but I think I can do it.  Would love to get more thoughts about this as well, since this will be my first foray into Spain.

For my other big trip in 2020, I am seriously thinking Egypt with a Petra add on.  I have been wanting to go for ages.  However, if I do go to Egypt, I will go with a tour.  Currently looking at Abercrombie and Kent.  I like their Egypt tours, and while they are pricy, everything but airfare is covered, and the groups are relatively small (max size is 18).  Another possibility is either Thailand or Vietnam.  I have spent so much time in Europe that it is time I branched out into other continents.  

[orange dream 1241]

Make sure to hit up Six Flags over Madrid while you're there.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

1 hour ago, orange dream said:

Make sure to hit up Six Flags over Madrid while you're there.

Lulz.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Ok, Spain is worked out. Fly into Madrid, then immediately head to Zaragoza. Then Getaria, Bilbao, Segovia, Seville, Granada, and finally, Madrid.

Still working out North of Wngland, Southern Scotland for 2019.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

Going to Norway in June now. Friend is running the Midnight Sun Marathon, so I'm going to meet her there.

 

 

 

 

[Brisketexan 104557]

Going to Norway in June now. Friend is running the Midnight Sun Marathon, so I'm going to meet her there.
 
 
 
 

Huh. Lemme know what you’re planning. We’re just starting to work on a plan including Norway and Denmark in late June-early July.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

18 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Huh. Lemme know what you’re planning. We’re just starting to work on a plan including Norway and Denmark in late June-early July.

Will do.  I just decided to go yesterday, so I have not done any planning yet. 

[Brisketexan 104557]

10 minutes ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

Will do.  I just decided to go yesterday, so I have not done any planning yet. 

We're just starting to look around.  Nature/the outdoors is big with us.  Thinking of a VERY tentative itinerary as follows:

Start in London (cheap flight over there), spend a few days there.  My son will join us from Frankfurt when his German exchange ends.

Fly from London to Bergen (while it's a huge cruise ship destination, it also seems to be a solid jumping-off point for checking out fjords and such.  And I have SO been pining for the fjords).

Head to Oslo to spend a couple of days there.

Fly to Copenhagen to spend a few days there.  Probably take a day trip over to Malmo (we had toyed with a longer itinerary through western Sweden, but it just eats up too much time, and it doesn't seem like there's a lot to see in that area).

Fly to Berlin - really, this is to indulge my daughter, who has dear friends there she wants to visit.  We'll just spend about a day and a half in Berlin visiting folks, maybe go back to the Pergamon museum now that the renovations are done and it's fully open.   Then, train to Frankfurt, spend the night at an airport hotel and fly out the next morning (we have to fly out of Frankfurt -- it's part of the cheap ticket per the boy's exchange program).

Germany isn't our challenge, and we'll just be spending a couple of days there.  London is easy, we've got our agenda there.  But Scandinavia is all-new territory for us.

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19093]

I am planning on only going for a week or 10 days.  Will probably fly into Oslo, spend a few days, then I will fly up to Tromsø to meet up with my friends.  Then will probably fly back to London after, and spend a few days seeing people I have not seen in a while.  I know next to nothing about Norway.  

[Brisketexan 104557]

1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

I am planning on only going for a week or 10 days.  Will probably fly into Oslo, spend a few days, then I will fly up to Tromsø to meet up with my friends.  Then will probably fly back to London after, and spend a few days seeing people I have not seen in a while.  I know next to nothing about Norway.  

It's full of fucking Norwegians, from what I've heard.