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The best thing today

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Telynor
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Location: On the Banks of the Hudson

Post by Telynor » Mon August 31st, 2009, 11:28 pm

[quote=""SonjaMarie""]HOLY MACKEREL! You're lucky! How long will you be gone? I'm super jealous but can't imagine what that's going to cost, hopefully you found some super great deal! Bring loads of sunscreen and a hat!

SM[/quote]

Oh I will be -- sunscreen and hat! I tend to be a lobster in the sun. The cost is horrific -- a goodly four figure sum, but this is a trip that falls into the once in a lifetime category, and since the overall cost works into transportation, lodging and food, it's still a terrific deal. And I'm grabbing for it, baby.

5 countries, thirteen days. One big mother of a ship...

Chatterbox
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Location: New York

Post by Chatterbox » Tue September 1st, 2009, 12:39 am

Telynor -- cruise? The itinerary sounds like it. A friend of mine is nudging me to plan a trip to Istanbul. He's never been; I've now been twice, but only once to Ephesus and never to Halicarnassus (Herodotus's hometown) so I may succumb next spring. Besides, last time I was in Turkey was '99 and it was open season on western tourists by the PKK!

Definitely a trip of a lifetime, but a lot to cram into a short time frame...

Me: best thing today is the weather. Cool (in the 70s), crisp, delightful -- an early fall day and I LOVE it.

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Telynor
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Location: On the Banks of the Hudson

Post by Telynor » Tue September 1st, 2009, 12:54 am

[quote=""Chatterbox""]Telynor -- cruise? The itinerary sounds like it. A friend of mine is nudging me to plan a trip to Istanbul. He's never been; I've now been twice, but only once to Ephesus and never to Halicarnassus (Herodotus's hometown) so I may succumb next spring. Besides, last time I was in Turkey was '99 and it was open season on western tourists by the PKK!

Definitely a trip of a lifetime, but a lot to cram into a short time frame...

Me: best thing today is the weather. Cool (in the 70s), crisp, delightful -- an early fall day and I LOVE it.[/quote]

It's a cruise, through Celebrity. Yes, I know it's a short time frame, but for someone like me, it will be the best way to go, what with escorted shore excursions -- and lots of AC! It'll be a kind of hit the highlights tour, but two of the excursions have exactly what I want, Jerusalem and Giza. So I'll be a happy camper, as they say. Any suggestions of course, are most gratefully accepted.

Chatterbox
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Post by Chatterbox » Tue September 1st, 2009, 1:02 am

Has been way too long since I was in Jerusalem or Egypt to offer useful suggestions. (Hint: it was still safe to visit Lebanon...) My most recent trips to the region were in the last few years, but to Syria & Jordan.

Rome: the Spanish steps and the house where Keats died at the top. The Vatican is worth the horrible lines. And if you have any spare time at all, do try to get to the outskirts to see Hadrian's villa and the gardens of the Villa d'Este. Both well worth it, and you can easily sign up for a day or half-day tour. I did it with a stinking cold and still loved it, so I can only imagine how much I would have liked it in my right mind.

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MLE (Emily Cotton)
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Interest in HF: started in childhood with the classics, which, IMHO are HF even if they were contemporary when written.
Favourite HF book: Prince of Foxes, by Samuel Shellabarger
Preferred HF: Currently prefer 1600 and earlier, but I'll read anything that keeps me turning the page.
Location: California Bay Area

Post by MLE (Emily Cotton) » Tue September 1st, 2009, 5:12 am

Have a good time, Telynor. I'm envious.
Every time it looks like we might get to do the Mediterranean (some wonderful deals on Holy Land trips have slid by us untaken) something comes up. Parent's health care, kids education, replace a vehicle, the usual stuff.

Maybe some day...
I'll want to see pictures!

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Madeleine
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Currently reading: "Mania" by L J Ross
Preferred HF: Plantagenets, Victorian, crime, dual time-frame
Location: Essex/London

Post by Madeleine » Tue September 1st, 2009, 10:25 am

Agree that Rome is lovely and Spanish Steps area well worth a visit - however I think Keats' house is at the bottom of the steps? They were renovating it when I was there (about 20 years ago) so it wasn't yet open to the public. Also on the other side of the Steps to the house is a place called Babingtons' Tea Rooms - avoid at all costs! Horrendously expensive tourist trap.

Villa d'Este is lovely, nice to get out of the city for a bit and well worth the side-trip.

Rhodes is also worth a visit, the old town is lovely, lots of cats!
Currently reading "Mania" by L J Ross

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Tue September 1st, 2009, 11:56 am

Wow Telynor! That sounds like an awesome trip! I am a little envious!
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michellemoran
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Post by michellemoran » Tue September 1st, 2009, 1:55 pm

Ohhh... have a WONDERFUL time Telynor!!
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Divia
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Post by Divia » Tue September 1st, 2009, 3:00 pm

Oh! I loved my cruise last year. We went to Key west and Mexico. I'll be frank I am not overly adventures so I dont want to go into the rural parts of a place where I can't speak the language so I really enjoyed the shore excursions. Have fun!

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LoveHistory
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Post by LoveHistory » Tue September 1st, 2009, 7:19 pm

First day of school. I got to take a nap!

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