The Stand Still, Stay Silent Fan-Forum

General => General Discussion Board => Topic started by: Ruby on April 02, 2015, 02:19:00 AM

Title: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ruby on April 02, 2015, 02:19:00 AM
So! Tonight in the comments the Minnions were hot on the topic of travel, and several people expressed interest in having a place on the forums to swap stories and advice. Well, here it is! Feel free to share cool stories, seek advice, or just talk about places you want to go! *coughNordiccountriescough*



I'll kick this off! When I was five, my family decided to move to Guatemala for three months. We stayed with a family in Antigua between February and April, and also sallied forth to Panama and a few other destinations.

One of the perks of traveling during the tourist-off season--I'm pretty sure I was the only little blond girl in all of Antigua. I had a remarkable amount of freedom to rome the city, because everyone knew who I belonged to, so it was almost impossible to get lost.

My parents placed me in the local grade school in an effort to get me to learn spanish. Unfortunately for them, my class was just starting to learn english and the teacher was THRILLED to have a fluent english speaking kid playing and talking with the other students. I pretty much survived the entire trip knowing only the words for "please", "thank you", "lunch", and smiling charmingly at adults. ;)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fen Shen on April 02, 2015, 05:23:59 AM
Ooh, travel stories and travel advice - what a good idea!

Thanks to my parents, I've been around in lots of places in Europe. Later, I was also in Thailand and in Sri Lanka. The latter was my most best holiday month ever - I was travelling on a pretty tight budget, but with a friend whose father comes from Sri Lanka so the people where incredibly welcoming. And the island is just so beautiful and diverse...

Since April is my last free month before I start to work "like an adult", I'm planning two short trips: by ferry to Göteborg and four days in Madrid.
Any recommendations on these cities? Things I shouldn't miss? :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Chizu on April 02, 2015, 05:41:46 AM
Vienna! Tis such a beautiful City, they have one of the most gorgeous and rich libraries, the Gothic churches, the gardens...everything. It is also a very clean place..

You've been to Sri Lanka? Oh I am going there for 6 weeks next summer on a work placement, I am really excited.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sparky Dragon on April 02, 2015, 09:38:00 AM
Ah, a travel thread! I've traveled across the continent of North America both length and width-wise (Alaska to Florida, through Canada)...I've been to the Czech Republic...and I've been to the Frankfurt airport. Also, I've lived in hotels for up to three months at a time. So, if you need American hotel recommendations, I'm your dragon.

But where I REALLY want to go is northern Europe.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: mithrysc on April 02, 2015, 10:26:56 AM
Quote from: Sparky Dragon on April 02, 2015, 09:38:00 AM
But where I REALLY want to go is northern Europe.

^that. Maybe I'm just an obsessed fan, but even before SSSS Ireland and Iceland were both places I'd really love to travel too.

I've been to a lot of places around the United States (my family likes visiting National Parks), and it was even better when we went off-season. Downsides were that some places were closed, but hey, less people and less expensive. Top places include those with forests, mountains, or rocky shores and waves. (I like the ocean, but not beaches wherein you can't see the beach for the people.)

We went to Quebec City once, and that was sort of where my language learning inclination really started because I couldn't understand anything not in English, and there was so much that wasn't that I might know if I knew something other than English. I had a game of trying to figure out what things were from my knowledge of Latin/ English.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Haiz on April 02, 2015, 06:30:15 PM
hellooooooo travel thread
I've been kinda doing a travelogue thingie in the general thread because I'm currently on vacation in Wales, but it seems like maybe I should continue here? I'm gonna do it brace yourselves

WALES ADVENTURES
~*travelogue part 3*~

- we finally found out how Llanelli is pronounced. something like FHLENEHFLIUH, but i forgot it just as i wrote it down anyway. good job haiz

- first thing today was some cathedral. st. david's, i think. there were a lot of buildings and ruins so it's hard to show off with one photo, so here's one with me posing in a windowsill instead:
(https://40.media.tumblr.com/8b974386989fc540aae449780d2b892f/tumblr_nm79xaxIr11r6soqlo4_540.jpg)

- then we were at some farmy place with a trail to the sea, and there were sheep. and LAMBS. TEENY TINY LAMBS. my brother took some photos of them, so we took photos of him doing that
(https://41.media.tumblr.com/6354131fe35ec480a443da598628e617/tumblr_nm79xaxIr11r6soqlo1_540.jpg)

- and lastly, we visited a town called Tenby which was pretty nice
(https://40.media.tumblr.com/3bcd69472b7e1c9369e560537d3afcee/tumblr_nm79xaxIr11r6soqlo2_1280.jpg)

SO YEAH

also, i've kinda been all over europe with a few exceptions? often because we travel between norway and czech, and a lot because my mom has a constant urge to leave norway. So if anyone wanna hear about anything I have quite a few stories ahahahah

I aaalsoooo have a lot of pics and stuff on my blog, with its own dedicated travel tag  (http://unicorngender.tumblr.com/tagged/travel) and everything. /shameless self promotion
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ruby on April 02, 2015, 10:30:55 PM
Quote from: Haiz on April 02, 2015, 06:30:15 PM
hellooooooo travel thread
I've been kinda doing a travelogue thingie in the general thread because I'm currently on vacation in Wales, but it seems like maybe I should continue here? I'm gonna do it brace yourselves

WALES ADVENTURES
~*travelogue part 3*~

- we finally found out how Llanelli is pronounced. something like FHLENEHFLIUH, but i forgot it just as i wrote it down anyway. good job haiz

...

also, i've kinda been all over europe with a few exceptions? often because we travel between norway and czech, and a lot because my mom has a constant urge to leave norway. So if anyone wanna hear about anything I have quite a few stories ahahahah


Oooh! That looks like so much fun! Wales is so colorful (and you are too! Nice pants hehe)

Wales has always been a Place I Want to Travel, almost as much as Welsh is a Language I Want to Hear Spoken. Seriously, the phonetic rules are awesome/ridiculous.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Richard Weir on April 02, 2015, 10:34:17 PM
Nice piccies! Those lambs are sooo cute, especially the one that looks like it's doing a cat impression!

The "LL" in Welsh is tough to pronounce. First off, it's unvoiced. It's produced by starting like an "L", but allowing air to escape past the sides of the tongue -- so instead of pulling your tongue back to make an "L" sound, you have to make your tongue narrower to allow space between it and your side teeth!

BBC Newsreaders have it rewritten as "HL" to make it easier to sound half-way right. So "Llanelli" is sort of pronounced "Hlanehluh".

Irish has a similar sound only it's much sharper, and is often transliterated as "CL".
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Haiz on April 03, 2015, 03:48:56 AM
Quote from: Ruby on April 02, 2015, 10:30:55 PM
Oooh! That looks like so much fun! Wales is so colorful (and you are too! Nice pants hehe)

Wales has always been a Place I Want to Travel, almost as much as Welsh is a Language I Want to Hear Spoken. Seriously, the phonetic rules are awesome/ridiculous.

It is fun and colourful!! I love Walessss
(also thanks. it's kind of my trademark now, if i don't show up in colourful clothes people will think the apocalypse is nigh)

Quote from: Richard Weir on April 02, 2015, 10:34:17 PM
Nice piccies! Those lambs are sooo cute, especially the one that looks like it's doing a cat impression!

The "LL" in Welsh is tough to pronounce. First off, it's unvoiced. It's produced by starting like an "L", but allowing air to escape past the sides of the tongue -- so instead of pulling your tongue back to make an "L" sound, you have to make your tongue narrower to allow space between it and your side teeth!

BBC Newsreaders have it rewritten as "HL" to make it easier to sound half-way right. So "Llanelli" is sort of pronounced "Hlanehluh".

Irish has a similar sound only it's much sharper, and is often transliterated as "CL".
thanks! love the lambs

Yeah, I figured out how to make the LL sound, but a welsh lady pronounced Llanelli even more different than we thought, so now all I have is a fading memory of breathy sounds

I learnt some years ago that the irish gaelic version of my birth name, helen, is Éibhlin, pronounced Evelyn. It's pretty cool
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Laufey on April 03, 2015, 05:29:02 AM
I was curious so I went to google translator to listen to how Llanelli is pronounced and it sounds a bit like the Icelandic double L, although softer. Icelandic one actually sounds almost like a TL - you start out by placing your tongue at the teeth but then blow air by the side of the tongue and the sound forms into an L. No one can entirely agree on which side of the tongue this should be, or should it even be both sides at the same time, of course (my opinion: left side). ;D I remember someone once describing it as a hi-hat sound, which actually sounded hilariously accurate.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fenris on April 03, 2015, 10:34:43 AM
The furthest and longest I've been abroad was two weeks in Cuba (mainly Havana and some time in a town and agricultural area outside of the city). Was a fun trip, although the heat (despite travelling in autumn) was intense, not to mention the humidity. Since it was not quite a holiday, the weekdays tended to include 6-10 hours of meetings and travelling between meetings, although in the weekends I spent time exploring the city and subjecting my skin to UV radiation on the beach. I generally don't like cities much, but parts of Havana are simply stunning, although I did prefer it when I went outside of it. Even got to have some discussions with cuban farmers about all kinds of things. I did pick up some spanish while there, although not much, since Norwegian did me no good, German just a bit more (met a few people who spoke some German) and few people spoke much English (in Havana though, many could speak a bit of English). Some highlights of the trip was getting a tattoo (still my best experience getting a tattoo, guy was pretty fluent in English due to working in Europe, and we listened to cuban hip-hop and discussed all kinds of things. Getting a free meal with the tattoo was nice as well.), going out drinking and dancing with Cubans, Cuban food in general (barring the touristy restaurants with some exceptions), playing chess against a guy who worked at the hotel who told stories of his time serving in the army in Ethiopea and so on.

Beyond that, I've mostly travelled to other Scandinavian countries (mainly Sweden to buy things like meat, tobacco and alcohol fairly often), although other Scandinavian countries are only barely 'foreign' anyway, and some short trips to London. Planning on going to Russia and possibly Germany in summer (and planning on studying in Germany from autumn on).
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fen Shen on April 03, 2015, 03:56:10 PM
Quote from: Fenris
...and planning on studying in Germany from autumn on.
Wow, great! Do you already know which city?  :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Haiz on April 03, 2015, 04:27:41 PM
I have returned from today's adventures, so here is my
WALES TRAVELOGUE part four!!!
today I've been cold, wet, miserable and covered in mud. it has also been the best day of the week so far!

first we went to some castle to see a falconry show, i managed to soak my shoes within the first ten minutes of going outside, and we had to wait about an hour for the show. in light drizzle and muddy terrain. The falconry show was pretty great, even if it was the beginning of the season, and the birds were a tad uncooperative due to also being cold and wet. It ended when the merlin falcon hid in one of the castle towers and didn't come down until after the show.
But I got to hold an owl!
(https://36.media.tumblr.com/94ba5e7b165323a922ac7e2d48ec03a6/tumblr_nm8ytchQsT1r6soqlo3_400.jpg)

we then went to a nearby town called Cardigan for some warmth and Traditional Welsh Broth. It was nice.

theeeeeeeeen we found a dolmen!! it was in the middle of nowhere, almost unmarked, but we found it!
(https://40.media.tumblr.com/ae6b92bb964704f7536d92b4d48d1063/tumblr_nm8ytchQsT1r6soqlo4_1280.jpg)
the weather was also clearing up by then, so the sheep-filled landscape all around us was clad in beautiful light, and one of my fav hobbies is basically to frolick in green grass and run in circles around cool rock formations. So that's what I did.

Speaking of
we saw some really strange shapes in the distance
so we drove closer to inspect
and it was, in fact, huge heaps of rocks.
(https://41.media.tumblr.com/521e20fcda4a7599ab2ea0e59b914c0d/tumblr_nm8ytchQsT1r6soqlo5_1280.jpg)
Now, I think I can call myself Moderately Adventurous. I had the strongest urge to run and climb on this heap of rocks. so that's what I did. I'm actually in this picture, but I'm right by the rocks, so you can't see me. Half my family stayed in the car and mom didn't bring her jacket, so it was just me, running against the wind to explore rocks. It was fantastic. I can't exactly tell you why I had so much fun running around in this weird windy landscape full of rocks, but 10/10 would do again. I saw more rock heaps from that one, but I restrained myself and returned to the cat-tankcar before too long.

so yeah, that was my day. birds and rocks
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fenris on April 03, 2015, 06:22:34 PM
Quote from: Fen Shen on April 03, 2015, 03:56:10 PM
Wow, great! Do you already know which city?  :)
Potsdam, preferably. Otherwise other alternatives are Hildesheim and Cologne.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Gwenno on April 03, 2015, 09:01:00 PM
Haha, I just love how this thread became a series of posts on Wales. We don't usually get a lot of attention when people outside the UK consider holidays, so gotta admit that all of this really warms my heart ^_^ (there was a point where I'd carry a map of Europe with me when travelling so that when people would inevitably go "Wales?", or the worse "isn't that a part of England" I'd be prepared to explain)

Glad you're having a good time there Haiz, and that you're dealing with the rain and muck in good spirits. It rains quite a lot in Wales but I've always liked the rain, and never really understood why it made some people act so soggy! Anyway, it looks like you've been having an amazing time there and I hope that the rest of your holiday is super-duper-mega-awesome as well :D


Quote from: Laufey on April 03, 2015, 05:29:02 AM
I was curious so I went to google translator to listen to how Llanelli is pronounced and it sounds a bit like the Icelandic double L, although softer. Icelandic one actually sounds almost like a TL - you start out by placing your tongue at the teeth but then blow air by the side of the tongue and the sound forms into an L. No one can entirely agree on which side of the tongue this should be, or should it even be both sides at the same time, of course (my opinion: left side). ;D I remember someone once describing it as a hi-hat sound, which actually sounded hilariously accurate.

THIS!!! My brother speaks Welsh and has been learning Icelandic for a while, and he was really impressed with the similar phonetics of the languages. Between everyone in my immediate family we can communicate in maybe 15 languages at an okayish level (somehow we all ended up as huge language nerds :P ), and Icelandic is the only other place where we've heard the "ll" sound. Only it seems you guys have different sub variations of it which confused us for a bit :/

Anyway - interesting travel stories……

JAPAN! I'd decided when I was maybe six that I had to go to Japan, and so when I finished high school I got a job, earned some money and brought a ticket. Excellent plan, but two weeks before my departure date Fukushima kinda happened. Decided to go anyway after some serious thought, and convinced my family I would be far enough away that the radiation wasn't going to kill me. Looking back it was definitely a good decision.

I worked on a program called WOOF Japan, which let people (Japanese and foreigners) work as volunteers on organic farms and family owned establishments. You would stay with a host family and work in exchange for food and board. It was a really good system, and the people I ended up staying with were wonderfully kind and gave me a chance to enjoy Japan in a way that just wouldn't be possible as a regular run of the mill tourist. I chose very rural places for my placements in the hope that there wouldn't be much English spoken and it would force me to learn Japanese quicker :P it kiiiinda worked I guess, but it was very stressful not to be able to have a fluent conversation with anyone for such large periods of time (and the experience also taught me that children are BRUTAL language teachers!). Anyway, I'd recommend the program for anyone who has the time to do it ^_^

Nearing the end of my trip I did a bit of travelling and stayed at a youth hostel where an interesting thing happened. There was a Finnish girl there and it was the first time I'd had an English conversation for around two months so I was very talkative :P (We got thrown out of the common room after quoting over the lord of the rings for around half an hour having never met before), and seeing as we both obviously had excellent taste in movies we started swapping reading suggestions. Kalevala was top of her list and I read it soon as i got a chance. That was the first I'd really thought about Finland, but the thought of going there has been gathering momentum ever since that moment (and finding ARTD just sealed the deal completely).
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Haiz on April 04, 2015, 04:24:38 AM
Quote from: Gwenno on April 03, 2015, 09:01:00 PM
Haha, I just love how this thread became a series of posts on Wales. We don't usually get a lot of attention when people outside the UK consider holidays, so gotta admit that all of this really warms my heart ^_^ (there was a point where I'd carry a map of Europe with me when travelling so that when people would inevitably go "Wales?", or the worse "isn't that a part of England" I'd be prepared to explain)

Glad you're having a good time there Haiz, and that you're dealing with the rain and muck in good spirits. It rains quite a lot in Wales but I've always liked the rain, and never really understood why it made some people act so soggy! Anyway, it looks like you've been having an amazing time there and I hope that the rest of your holiday is super-duper-mega-awesome as well :D
ahahaha the wales spam is my fault for posting pics from each day's adventure. there are some in the general thread from before this thread happened

whenever walisians ask what brings us to wales I'm just plainly answering "the nice weather"

i can deal with being wet and muddy for a while. do you know what they've made us do in school? I've slept over in a snow cave. i've squeezed myself through dark mountain passages. ok i refused to roll around on that kayak but teCHNICALLY

also yo japan that sounds awesome!!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Haiz on April 04, 2015, 06:28:25 PM
heyo it's time for part five of WALES ADVENTURES
not gonna be a very exciting post today, sorry. but the weather was super nice today and the day in general was also very nice

- we went to a castle....... Kidwelly castle i think. it was the castlest of castles. it had wallwalks, dungeons, towers, the works.

(http://40.media.tumblr.com/81d1b34aeed99df42b30dfeb8ee0d5bb/tumblr_nmaxsdxvpy1r6soqlo2_540.jpg)
- we then went on the beach. the tide was super low so we just walked and walked for eternity.
we found several things:
1) lots of shells and crabs
2) a tiny dead shark of all things
3) a pair of boots that were left buried in the sand. a lot of footprints around it

- then we went to some harboury place and there were three small planes practising tricks and loops above us!!

- and yeah yeah i did spark a longwinded conversation in the general thread when I said I'm gonna be eating garbage for a week.......... but i did eat a cup of noodles instead of joining my parents for the super fancy gourmet restaurant so i wasn't exactly lying

- the sunset was!! really glorious!!!

we're leaving tomorrow in the evening. i'm gonna miss wales a lot. i love this unicorn land (technically dragon land but i am a unicorn and i feel like i belong here)

Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Haiz on April 06, 2015, 10:01:33 AM
ok wow, I'm triple posting now, please forgive me

our last day in wales was spent mostly on the road (or in the air, heh), but we stopped at Rhaglan Castle which is. the castliest. I know I said that about Kidwelly but this one had a moat AND a medieval fair at the time, so yeah

(https://40.media.tumblr.com/3dceaf909cf791b19f5e363d05beaed1/tumblr_nme14y6nzt1r6soqlo2_540.jpg)

I miss wales already


ANYWAY, to stop myself from making a FOURTH post in a row, I wanna. show off the possibly strangest place I've ever visited:
(http://41.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_megxtbIKhQ1r6soqlo1_1280.jpg)
(http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_megxtbIKhQ1r6soqlo4_1280.jpg)

the hill of crosses in lithuania, ft. baby haiz (from 2009)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: starfallz on April 06, 2015, 10:22:26 AM
Native of the US, I've been to a few places although there are still many I haven't seen. L.A., San Francisco, Seattle, Grand Canyon, Memphis, Santa Fe, as well as many others.

My first trip outside the country was actually a two-year move to Japan as part of the JET Programme (Japan Exchange Teaching). I lived in Akita prefecture although I visited Tokyo quite a bit, and made some other trips to Kyoto (my favorite place), Kobe, Hiroshima, and Sapporo.

I've made a few trips to Canada, although only Ontario. Lived in Toronto for a month and visited friends in Ottawa, Orillia, and Peterboro.

I went to Australia for a friend's wedding and stayed to travel around for two weeks. Visited Brisbane, Alice Springs and the Red Center, and Sydney. I seem to visit zoos and animal parks when left to my own devices.

The last international trip I had was to Brazil. I spent a month with family in Rio de Janeiro, and traveled a little outside to go to Itaipava and Saquarema. I didn't do all the tourist things due to there being a lot of rain which caused mudslides. I did go up Pão de Acucar, as well as jump off a mountain and hang glide.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Chizu on April 06, 2015, 12:59:03 PM
I have been to a few places all within Europe, so I haven't left the old continent, but it is in my plans to do so. I think my last trip was to Malta in September 2014 still quite hot even though it was Autumn)  and Bulgaria (where I used to live till 2013) in December.

Malta is quite the place, it has everything for everyone. It is beautiful and the water is nice and warm, I finally learned to swim there, so I was able to really enjoy my stay. It is also safe to say that the country has the best ice-cream shop in the existence of the universe! Me and my boyfriend both agreed that the chocolate ice-cream they were selling was out of this world. I really don't know how else to describe the place so I will just share some photos.
(http://s23.postimg.org/nxw8w8tob/DSCF6819.jpg)
(http://s23.postimg.org/tdrxtx457/DSCF6927.jpg)
(http://s23.postimg.org/fg9rom62j/DSCF6947.jpg)
(http://s23.postimg.org/w3sjj030b/DSCF7109.jpg)
(http://postimg.org/image/nmt182ybb/)
(http://s23.postimg.org/4drd4bosb/DSCF7084.jpg) this one is perhaps a personal favourite purely for meme-able reasons...

And some from Bulgaria
(http://s22.postimg.org/emofo4ukh/IMG_2833.jpg) my most evil creation!!!! He feasts on souls!!
(http://s22.postimg.org/3uqv91f41/IMG_2837.jpg)
(http://s22.postimg.org/ef5e5d8zl/IMG_2820.jpg)

I can't wait to see if I will get to go anywhere interesting this summer. I might post some pictures from my current place when it is not Silent Hill misty and you can actually see something...
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sigrid Marie on April 07, 2015, 03:30:16 AM
I don't have time to dig up pictures from any of my travels right now, but I can at least compile a list of the places I've been. So:

I'm pretty sure that's all (but not 110% sure because I'm a bit forgetful). In addition to this there's a ton of places in Norway, which I won't list unless someone is interested
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fen Shen on April 11, 2015, 09:36:03 AM
So, I'm back from my trip to Göteborg and it was pretty great.
I loved the market hall (Saluhallen) and the food that we had there; we climbed up to Skansen Kronan and I had lots of fun ordering and shopping in Swedish. The people were all so nice and obviously appreciated my efforts to speak their language (not like some French snobs I met at Paris airport...).
Unfortunately, the weather wasn't nice, it was very misty and cold (and at home, they had over 20°C, so it was even worse for us). To warm up, a café is always a good place, and the huge cinnamon buns were also great.
(http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii580/Fen_Shen/IMG_8919_zpssmbonxyp.jpg)
The ferry ride was also a nice experience. I love being on a ship, and I got to take some pretty sunset pictures on our way to Göteborg (when the weather wasn't that bad yet).
(http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii580/Fen_Shen/IMG_8858_zps0ipoqqny.jpg)
And this is what geeky me took home: two Swedish books (I so hope I'll read them some day, but my current Swedish level isn't even sufficient for the children's book on the right side, let alone for the Brothers Lionheart...), a dalahästen pin (I'm collecting pins) and a postcard which made me laugh - "Kram" means "stuff" in German. I found out it means "hugs" in Swedish which definetly makes more sense together with the hearts in the background. :D
(http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii580/Fen_Shen/IMG_1034_zpsryjs06d7.jpg)

6th Edit: Photo problems now hopefully all fixed.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: P__ on May 05, 2015, 05:23:24 AM
I'm opening a thread, woo!

This thread shall be for answering such question as "where is a nice place to go hiking around *area*?", "I'm going to *place* what should I visit?", and any travel and/or visiting related questions.
The "travel stories thread" was kinda intended for both stories and tips, but let's have a specific thread for each :) Also, there's still the "minnion meetup" thread for meeting people: this one is more for general information/advice/tips/etc.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: P__ on May 05, 2015, 05:34:03 AM
and I shall reply to myself and inaugurate the thread :P

I didn't see any Turks in the reader map (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=245.0), but maybe someone knows the place?
In the end of June I'm going to Turkey! More specifically, I'll be spending five days in Istambul and three in Izmir. I haven't yet looked much into it or bought a travel guide, but if anyone knows the most best places to go in these cities (or nearby) or where's a reasonably priced and decent place to stay, It'll be appreciated :D

And then, right after that, I'm off to the United States of America, visiting New York City for a week with brother and grandmother. First week of July. I know there's a lot of things to do there, and we probably won't have time for everything. I'll come back to this in a few days, as I'll discuss it with my travelling companions over the weekend; but if you know the places that *must* be visited (including the lesser-known ones), or those that might not be worth the trouble, please tell :)


(edit so as not to triple-post: here's Penelope Bagieu's blog (http://www.penelope-jolicoeur.com/), in French, which contains nice travel-logs with advice to many places around the world)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fen Shen on May 05, 2015, 12:21:22 PM
I liked Istanbul a lot when we visited it in early 2013 (that is, when Taksim place was just a normal place and not yet symbol of anti-gouvernment protests...).
I don't know what you consider as a cheap place to stay - we stayed at a small hotel, so I can't give any advice on hostels or the like.
As for what to do and see, hmm... We visited the big bazar (Kapalı Çarşı), but I liked the Egyptian bazar (Mısır Çarşısı) better - they only sell (good!) spices and sweets and some other food, but it wasn't as crowded and full with tourist stuff. I can also recommend a ferry ride to the Asian side of the city.
There are so many great buildings to visit - Hagia Sofia, the Topkapı palace, many many mosques, Galata tower by night... And the archaeological museum is worth a long visit if you are interested in these things (we spent half a day there). I hope that helps as a first overview, don't hesitate to ask if you are interested in details. :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 12:47:01 PM
I'm looking for bar/pub recommendations in Turku, Finland, especially ones with good local beer (terva snapsi is a big plus)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: snotra on May 05, 2015, 06:08:59 PM
Quote from: P__ on May 05, 2015, 05:34:03 AM
And then, right after that, I'm off to the United States of America, visiting New York City for a week with brother and grandmother. First week of July. I know there's a lot of things to do there, and we probably won't have time for everything. I'll come back to this in a few days, as I'll discuss it with my travelling companions over the weekend; but if you know the places that *must* be visited (including the lesser-known ones), or those that might not be worth the trouble, please tell :)

When visiting New York City, as for Manhattan, take your time, there's interesting stuff around every corner. Also, note that you'll be walking around a film set for the better part of your journey. Either some crew is filming somewhere, or you'll find yourself standing in the place where actor X kissed actor Y goodbye, event A of film B took place and so on. In the ten-odd days I was in Manhattan I went to the Stuart Little boat racing pond, the various romcom settings of central park, the Home Alone 2: lost in New York bits of central park and while on the Staten Island ferry I looked back to the skyline and there was a glaring piece of architecture missing: Stark Tower.
The food is going to kill you regardless. Corn syrup is a special kind of evil made to slowly kill your arteries unless you try to avoid it as much as possible, by mostly frequenting 'healthy' eating venues.
And take along ear plugs. Metro's are noisy.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 06:50:39 PM
Quote from: P__ on May 05, 2015, 05:34:03 AM
And then, right after that, I'm off to the United States of America, visiting New York City for a week with brother and grandmother. First week of July. I know there's a lot of things to do there, and we probably won't have time for everything. I'll come back to this in a few days, as I'll discuss it with my travelling companions over the weekend; but if you know the places that *must* be visited (including the lesser-known ones), or those that might not be worth the trouble, please tell :)

OK.  In the list of places that you MUST see when you're in NYC:  The main room of Grand Central.  It's one of the great train stations in the world and since the renovation a few years back it's spectacular. I'm a New York native and I go there and look.

If the weather is nice, take a ride on the Staten Island ferry and back.  You'll get a great view of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.

Walk in Central Park.

Chinatown!  Especially for late-night food.  Cheap dumplings after you've been drinking are great.

Although I've never had the desire to go there myself, Ground Zero.

Times Square.  Nobody but tourists really goes there, but you're a tourist!

Greenwhich Village and the East Village.  Soho. NoLiTa.  Chelsea.  The Lower East Side.  There are plenty of outdoor markets as well (although Hester Street is the only one I can recall offhand)

The NY subways and buses run 24/7 -- a weekly Metrocard will be worth and can get you most places in the city.


What kind of food do you like?  You can probably get it in NYC and almost certainly 24 hours a day.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Piney on May 05, 2015, 07:18:26 PM
Quote from: P__ on May 05, 2015, 05:34:03 AM
And then, right after that, I'm off to the United States of America, visiting New York City for a week with brother and grandmother. First week of July. I know there's a lot of things to do there, and we probably won't have time for everything. I'll come back to this in a few days, as I'll discuss it with my travelling companions over the weekend; but if you know the places that *must* be visited (including the lesser-known ones), or those that might not be worth the trouble, please tell :)

I can probably help! :) I don't know how much I can since I rarely got out of the building, but I feel compelled to help since I have lived in New York for eight months.

As for must-sees, the first thing that came to my mind was the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center ("Top of the Rock") would also work if you couldn't do the Empire State Building for any reason.

Dunno what I can say about lesser-known places, but I'm personally a real sucker for museums and parks. If you're not going to tour the Statue of Liberty (I'll admit that I haven't), then I'd recommend a trip to Battery Park, or a ride on the Staten Island Ferry (they're right next to each other).
And Central Park, absolutely - I've only been there a few times, but it's a really nice place to go to after spending most of your time on sidewalks surrounded by big buildings, y'know, the "hustle and bustle of the city". I know you will be a tourist, but just a heads up that the area around Central Park, especially near 5th Avenue/the MoMA is really crowded (with tourists) and tourist-oriented. There are always people asking you if you want to take sightseeing tours/carriage rides/etc., and it's really annoying.

If you can make the trip, I definitely recommend Governor's Island - it's just really nice there, and it's completely away from the city.

For museums, definitely the Met, I love the Met. The Museum of Natural History is cool too, but y'know, I'm an art buff.

Umm... urbicande mentioned Ground Zero, but it really... is not that interesting to me unless you're interested in 9/11 or whatever. I had a work-study in a World Trade Center building, so I saw the place regularly - I'm just really "meh" about it. Downtown Manhattan also kind of sucks and it's easy to get lost in.
He also mentioned Chelsea - my school's near there/is there and it's a super nice (and chill) area with a lot of art galleries. Maybe not the best place for tourists, but if you go there, go to the High Line - it's a park that was built on what used to be an elevated railroad :)

I personally hate Times Square but I'm also not a tourist, so... if it's an absolute must-see I can't stop you from going.

Oh, and the Brooklyn Bridge!

Also don't know if this means anything, but I haven't actually experienced the stuff snotra was talking about (the only time I've seen a film crew in NY was on a field trip in high school), and the trains aren't that loud (only a few I've ridden) and bringing ear plugs just sounds like a very touristy thing to do; people might look at you weirdly. But DO bring hand sanitizer.

I'd like to hear where you were already planning to go though!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 08:10:45 PM
Quote from: Piney on May 05, 2015, 07:18:26 PM
Downtown Manhattan also kind of sucks and it's easy to get lost in.

Getting lost in Manhattan is a feature, not a bug
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Piney on May 05, 2015, 08:13:58 PM
Quote from: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 08:10:45 PM
Getting lost in Manhattan is a feature, not a bug

I live where the all streets are numbered, so it's actually very hard in those parts...
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Noodles on May 05, 2015, 08:30:34 PM
Quote from: Piney on May 05, 2015, 08:13:58 PM
I live where the all streets are numbered, so it's actually very hard in those parts...
Me too! we visited Boston over Spring Break and all the streets are like "Wheeeeeee! I can make *curves*! Watch this -- I'll join up to myself!" and also NONE OF THEM ARE NUMBERED, so you don't know how many blocks you are from somewhere.
I love the grid system.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: KicknRun on May 05, 2015, 08:34:22 PM
*Gross laughter

Haiti is the absolute worst for orderly. Port-au-Prince is a maze inside a maze, and really really dense. People will try to sell you water and stuff, and sometimes people will just start randomly wiping down your car and you are honor bound to pay them.

If going to Jacmel, bring industrial strength bug spray. That is all.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: mithrysc on May 05, 2015, 09:44:00 PM
Quote from: Noodly Appendage on May 05, 2015, 08:30:34 PM
Me too! we visited Boston over Spring Break and all the streets are like "Wheeeeeee! I can make *curves*! Watch this -- I'll join up to myself!" and also NONE OF THEM ARE NUMBERED, so you don't know how many blocks you are from somewhere.
I love the grid system.

Yep. When we went there, we were used to the New York City grid and sort of went "oh we missed the street I guess we can get back, just keep turning"--nope. But it's really nice, all the same.

For New York, I second the cheap/ good Chinatown food and the High Line. If you happen to need refreshments after walking on said elevated railroad/park in the summer heat Chelsea Market is also right nearby, with lots of food options. Central Park is also gorgeous, once you get inside past all the people hawking tours/bikes/whatever.

If you're going to the Brooklyn Bridge, the South Street Seaport might be worth checking out, especially if you like 1) history and 2) ships. My knowledge of it is pre-Hurricane Sandy, though.

....aaand, Piney already also recommended the Met it's amazing, so I guess I'll just stop repeating what others have said.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 10:57:18 PM
Quote from: Piney on May 05, 2015, 08:13:58 PM
I live where the all streets are numbered, so it's actually very hard in those parts...

North of Houston, then?  And nowhere near Inwood :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Piney on May 05, 2015, 11:27:53 PM
Quote from: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 10:57:18 PM
North of Houston, then?  And nowhere near Inwood :)

Somewhere between 14th St and 59th St, let's say. ;) So yes, nowhere near Inwood.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: P__ on May 09, 2015, 06:15:12 AM
thanks all for the tips! I'll review them over the weekend  :D

Quote from: Fen Shen on May 05, 2015, 12:21:22 PM
I don't know what you consider as a cheap place to stay
I... don't know either :o it'll be the first time I pay for my own travels so... a small hotel would be nice I guess
(also, I'll edit "cheap" to "affordable", i'm not that short on travel funds^^)


please, Finnish or finnophile (is that a word?) forumites, don't forget Urbicande's request for a good drinking place
Quote from: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 12:47:01 PM
I'm looking for bar/pub recommendations in Turku, Finland, especially ones with good local beer (terva snapsi is a big plus)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Rabbit on May 09, 2015, 07:46:32 AM
Quote from: urbicande on May 05, 2015, 12:47:01 PM
I'm looking for bar/pub recommendations in Turku, Finland, especially ones with good local beer (terva snapsi is a big plus)

I asked a friend who used to live there and she recommends the Koulu (http://www.panimoravintolakoulu.fi/), who have their own brewery. If you're going in summer the river shores will be packed with all sorts of places worth checking out :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 09, 2015, 01:47:23 PM
Quote from: Rabbit on May 09, 2015, 07:46:32 AM
I asked a friend who used to live there and she recommends the Koulu (http://www.panimoravintolakoulu.fi/), who have their own brewery. If you're going in summer the river shores will be packed with all sorts of places worth checking out :)

Very end of June, beginning of July!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Zlatoglazka on May 14, 2015, 06:09:39 PM
Hello!
We're going to go to Lappeenranta this summer. What places would you recommend to visit there?
Some details:
We'll go by car. Most likely, just for one day (NOT any weekend).
"We" = me, my husband and his mother. I'm the only English-speaking person in the family. None of us had ever been in Finland before.
We're interested in sightseeing, not in shopping.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ann Marie on May 26, 2015, 11:16:05 PM
Quote from: Zlatoglazka on May 14, 2015, 06:09:39 PM
Hello!
We're going to go to Lappeenranta this summer. What places would you recommend to visit there?
Some details:
We'll go by car. Most likely, just for one day (NOT any weekend).
"We" = me, my husband and his mother. I'm the only English-speaking person in the family. None of us had ever been in Finland before.
We're interested in sightseeing, not in shopping.

!  When will you be there?  Just reserved a cottage west of Lappeenranta, and will be driving through it every day to Joutseno from July 18-24.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ann Marie on May 26, 2015, 11:18:48 PM
And I have my own question for anyone who travels in and out of Finland by ferry.  I'm renting a car, and went to make reservations from Stockholm to Turku and back, but they want very specific information about the car that I won't have until I pick it up.  Can you just drive up to the ferry and get on, or do I need reservations, and how far in advance would I have to make them?
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: mamioja on June 03, 2015, 04:27:39 PM
Quote from: Zlatoglazka on May 14, 2015, 06:09:39 PM
Hello!
We're going to go to Lappeenranta this summer. What places would you recommend to visit there?
Some details:
We'll go by car. Most likely, just for one day (NOT any weekend).
"We" = me, my husband and his mother. I'm the only English-speaking person in the family. None of us had ever been in Finland before.
We're interested in sightseeing, not in shopping.

Asked about "things to see & do in Lappeenranta" from few persons at work and here is a list we made:

1. Sand sculptures: http://hiekkalinna.lappeenranta.fi/en/ (http://hiekkalinna.lappeenranta.fi/en/)

2. The Saimaa canal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saimaa_Canal (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saimaa_Canal)

3. A Saimaa cruise: (prob more than one tour operators, but here is one for example) http://www.saimaanristeilyt.fi/eng/index.html (http://www.saimaanristeilyt.fi/eng/index.html)

4. The fortress of Lappeenranta: http://www.lappeenranta.fi/en/Our-City/Lappeenranta-Fortress (http://www.lappeenranta.fi/en/Our-City/Lappeenranta-Fortress)
(this is a free park area, I imagine)

5. "Central"- and harbor marketplace; there is performances at the summertime. Marketplaces are usually active in the morning, but there might be evening activities at certain times.
 
6. The thing to eat at marketplace is "Atomi" and "Vety"; filled meat pies: http://www.carloskokki.com/226 (http://www.carloskokki.com/226)

 a link to Lappeenranta official pages: http://www.lappeenranta.fi/en (http://www.lappeenranta.fi/en)

p.s. I didn`t check if the links were newest / updated, just grabbed the first ones I could find. Especially the one for the cruises is only an example Check the current info on things that interests you!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: meshebe on June 06, 2015, 02:47:14 AM
Hello everybody! 

I just wanted to say that I really enjoy hiking and backpacking and live in California, USA!  If anyone is visiting I have a whole list of beautiful things to see out here.  :)  Seems like most of you guys are across the pond though....

Safe Travels!

Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ann Marie on June 06, 2015, 02:55:48 AM
Hello Meshebe!  Whereabouts in CA are you?  A?re you joining us on the 13th in SF?
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: meshebe on June 06, 2015, 03:06:43 AM
I am about an hour north of LA.  I haven't read the Minnions meetup forum yet, but I can say that SF is a bit too far for me to drive (at least on a short notice)!  Glad to know there are some other fans out here around me though :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: P__ on June 30, 2015, 07:48:02 PM
I'm back from Turkey, I'll do a review of what I did in a few days in case someone wants/needs that :) but for now I'm in NYC so I have other stuffs to do
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: P__ on July 01, 2015, 09:54:50 PM
(self reply... I know, I know)
So, what are good/traditional/interesting things to do on 4th of July in NYC? I think we have (a) few visits panned, but nothing beyond that. Any ideas pls?
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on July 06, 2015, 11:59:30 AM
Ohmygod I loved Stockholm and Mariehamn and Turku and Helsinki and I can't wait to go back.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: kjeks on July 07, 2015, 08:38:18 AM
Removed my posts over here and to avoid double posting, we leave it at one so 4th july - 14th july here you are

3rd July
Starting journey now! Okay in about 40 minutes, breakfast first. I am so happy to get going!  8)

(https://i.imgur.com/1zCoLAD.jpg)

7th July
update: met two pretty cool danish ladies who where far more nicer than the danish youths that where afraid I would disturb them if i set up my tent near their booked shelter ( which by lawbwould have allowed me styaing there, but hey no need to spoil everyones weekend) also I met some nice biking folks on ferry today. now onwards to the mountains!

11th July
The most best journey continues. Fenris' parents have been very welcoming to me and shown what norwegian guestright containsall in all. My bike took a break in their barn and the barbecue tasted so nice after a time of just dry bread.
Lastnnight we tried hardly to make a pubtour in göteborg. Not sure were we ended up in the end but we were not able to get to our hostels afterwards. It was a fun night night out, really nice, hoping the meeting with lasse and windy will be as splendid :-)

12th July
I had the most best and long sleep in a very nice hostel. I have decided, that I will stay two nights in Kopenhagen before I leave to Germany. I really need to come back to norway one way or the other with far more time on hand. Also I will have to visit sweden again. Denmark also has its nice sides, but I think that can wait until I own a good bicycle.

With rain over Gothenburg I am not to eager to leave the hostel yet. Details of the meetup I will put in the meetup thread (or maybe windy does ;) ). Fotos will be shown, when I am back of the trip and have selected a few.

addition to copenhagen: drinking with estonians can be really fun. we found a herbal garden and nearly ate up all the garlic there. there was other nice stuff as well but i do not know the english term sadly. copenhagen is pretty cool so far.

13th of July
My first day and second night in kopenhagen say: I totally have to stay another night and i am so looking forward to it. The Estonian has been good company so far and we met some other people I will go visiting stuff with tomorrow, thus staying here longer (and getting a bit poorer...). I will have to return here, absolutely! The free walking tours have been very much entertaining as well as informative. But if it comes to traffic lights the danes indeed stick to protocoll no matter the cost :-) . totally mikkel they are here

15th of July
last night of the tripp, ending where the first night started. visiting another old friend in hamburg was brilliant. having not seen each other for nearly two years, met her new partner who is a splendid person and again people tried to overfeed me XD.

tomorrow morning last 400 km home. with a crying and a laughing eye. feartheviola what you discribe sums up what i felt  in copenhagen mostly :-)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Zlatoglazka on July 12, 2015, 12:35:02 PM
Quote from: Ann Marie on May 26, 2015, 11:16:05 PM
!  When will you be there?  Just reserved a cottage west of Lappeenranta, and will be driving through it every day to Joutseno from July 18-24.
Hello! We have finally got our visas and solved other issues, thus I know the dates. We'll come to Imatra the 14th of July and stay at Vuoksen Lautturi Oy (The Vuoksi Fishing Park) for one or two days and casually visit Lappeenranta (and probably some other places).
Then we probably go to Finland again the next week - by bikes and just two of us. And this time there is a chance to meet you.
UPD: Oh, my husband has broke his arm, thus we're staying at home until he is able to drive again. It's likely all the dates will be shifted for two or three weeks.
Spoiler: show
Just in case: +7(929)100-53-25
Or gmail: lacrimosaspb


mamioja
Thank you for your advice!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: viola on July 13, 2015, 01:10:30 PM
If anyone goes to Japan, a travel tip: There are like no trash cans anywhere, so if you have trash you might have to carry it around with you for a little while. Trash cans for bottles are usually found next to the vending machines, and often times people who run shops have them hidden behind the desks and will throw something out for you if you ask.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: kjeks on July 13, 2015, 05:20:15 PM
maybe a list about norway/sweden/denmark will follow, but i learned from kopenhagen: if there is free walking tour guys, go with them. they are very dedicated and tell you a lot of stuff. I am still stunned and they seem to operate worldwide :-)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: DB (f.k.a. DaveBro) on July 25, 2015, 09:48:42 PM
Are there any Finnish beers similar to the dark, low-hopped, "bread-in-a-glass" Czech varieties?  (That's for preference.)   :)  Also, what are the popular Finnish beers?  (That's for experience.)  8)

Finally, is the duty-free shop the best place to buy Lakka (cloudberry liqueur)?  (That's for taking home, hoarding, and only doling out on special occasions.)  ;D
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on July 26, 2015, 02:07:32 PM
Quote from: kjeks on July 26, 2015, 07:05:16 AM
Aaaah I totally forgot that this existed. Of course I could have put every little story of my trip in here *facepalms* thanks for Auleliel to kinldy remind me about it. Maybe some of the festival picks next week will go in here =) 

Your trip stories still could go here.  Either you could copy-and-paste the content from your earlier posts into a new post here -- or I could move them here.  (PM me if you'd like me to do that, with the links to the posts.)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on July 26, 2015, 02:26:32 PM
Quote from: kjeks on July 26, 2015, 02:10:53 PM
I even could remove them myself o_O *pondersondoingthat*

That's right, I forgot!   :P  The power lies within you too, Kjeks! 
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: kjeks on July 26, 2015, 03:24:16 PM
Quote from: Sunflower on July 26, 2015, 02:26:32 PM
That's right, I forgot!   :P  The power lies within you too, Kjeks!

Uh Sunny this was a bit of a mess around o_O BUT it works*points upwards*

(and removed earlier posts we do not want to mess in here)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on July 27, 2015, 02:39:55 PM
Quote from: ReturnOfDaveBro on July 25, 2015, 09:48:42 PM
Finally, is the duty-free shop the best place to buy Lakka (cloudberry liqueur)?  (That's for taking home, hoarding, and only doling out on special occasions.)  ;D

If you can't get it in duty-free, your only option is the Alko, I think  (I was buying Terva, myself :) )
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: kjeks on July 28, 2015, 04:14:12 AM
Sooo, a week at home is enough, so I set off in direction of Hamburg again.

Final destination: Wacken Open Air (http://www.wacken.com/en/). I did what the marketing guys want me to do: I saw the one Band I really want to see in my life and thus bought a ticket despite having vowed several times that /this/ is the last Festival up there.

After having adjusted the tyres of my motorbike last evening I discovered some minutes ago that I put too much pressure on the chain. GAAAAH. So little kjeks, today without assisting hand, earned a scratch more BUT I fixed the problem on my own. Fixed too my hands are the tale telling stains of oilish-dirt and it seems not all of it wants to be removed in one go. Checking in at a friend's tonight, so the party will only begin tomorrow morning =). Pictures will follow after I am done up there and yay, when I am back chapter break is finally over.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Trinka on July 28, 2015, 04:31:57 AM
My family and I have done quite a bit of traveling, which I will get into at a later date, with maybe a few photos as well (for  nice trip across parts of America and Canada). Just wanted to post something here letting you know I'm heading to LAS VEGAS tomorrow morning, and will post some photos from that excurison! It should be lots of fun, I'm excited to go: its for my mom's 50th birthday, and my sister Alethryia will be joining me.

So yup, get ready for some progress posts.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Trinka on July 28, 2015, 05:13:45 PM
Quote from: meshebe on June 06, 2015, 03:06:43 AM
I am about an hour north of LA.  I haven't read the Minnions meetup forum yet, but I can say that SF is a bit too far for me to drive (at least on a short notice)!  Glad to know there are some other fans out here around me though :)

HOLD THE PHONE

Other Californians?! Why am I only hearing about this now? I missed out on  San Fran meetup?!

NooooOoooOoooOoooOOooo

I live in the OC, you're like a 2 hour drive away, tops!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on July 28, 2015, 05:17:02 PM
Quote from: Trinka on July 28, 2015, 05:13:45 PM
HOLD THE PHONE

Other Californians?! Why am I only hearing about this now? I missed out on  San Fran meetup?!

NooooOoooOoooOoooOOooo

I live in the OC, you're like a 2 hour drive away, tops!

AH HA HA

Clearly you aren't familiar with Bay Area traffic, padawan.  *Santa Cruz* (where RTR is spending the summer) is 2 hours from San Francisco.  Orange County is at least 6 hours... 5 1/2 minimum depending on traffic and bathroom breaks. 

Not that we wouldn't love to see you (and boy, would you fit into the costuming community here in the Bay Area).  It's just a longer drive (and higher gasoline bills) than you might think. 
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Gwenno on July 28, 2015, 06:13:13 PM
So, my brothers and I managed to snap up a holiday in Munich (oh my gosh, we are so excited, well I'm excited, they're probably pretty excited as well, it's going to be so cool >"< ) and I was wondering if anyone has been there/lives around there and would have recommendations and tips for things to do? We're going down to Neuschwanstein castle for a day because my youngest brother loves his castles, and staying there for another because the middle brother wants to go hiking, but that's pretty much all we have planned so far :3 So yeah, any travel advice and tips?
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: DB (f.k.a. DaveBro) on July 28, 2015, 08:22:47 PM
Quote from: Gwenno on July 28, 2015, 06:13:13 PM
>snip!<   So yeah, any travel advice and tips?

Not specifically local, but mass German Volksmarches sounded like an open-air party I always wanted to try.   :)  Also, geocaching (geocaching.com (http://geocaching.com)) is a fun, free, & portable activity that can structure undesirably empty time.  (Some empty time on vacation being highly desirable, of course!  ;) )

I recommend also pasting your query into the Minnion Meetups! thread, and the current comments as well.  Maybe the chatroom, too.  Not everyone reads the forum.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Trinka on July 28, 2015, 08:58:27 PM
Quote from: Sunflower on July 28, 2015, 05:17:02 PM
AH HA HA

Clearly you aren't familiar with Bay Area traffic, padawan.  *Santa Cruz* (where RTR is spending the summer) is 2 hours from San Francisco.  Orange County is at least 6 hours... 5 1/2 minimum depending on traffic and bathroom breaks. 

Not that we wouldn't love to see you (and boy, would you fit into the costuming community here in the Bay Area).  It's just a longer drive (and higher gasoline bills) than you might think.

Oh NOOO, did you think I meant 2 hours from here to San Francisco? Heh heh, no, I've driven there with my family, I know that it's an all day ordeal. I meant 2 hours from here to just north of LA, lol. But hey, if RTR and you are both up in the Bay, maybe I can try to make it up there sometime this summer?
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Gwenno on July 29, 2015, 07:37:22 PM
Quote from: ReturnOfDaveBro on July 28, 2015, 08:22:47 PM
Not specifically local, but mass German Volksmarches sounded like an open-air party I always wanted to try.   :)  Also, geocaching (geocaching.com (http://geocaching.com)) is a fun, free, & portable activity that can structure undesirably empty time.  (Some empty time on vacation being highly desirable, of course!  ;) )

I recommend also pasting your query into the Minnion Meetups! thread, and the current comments as well.  Maybe the chatroom, too.  Not everyone reads the forum.

Ho boy, I had a look at them both and the geocaching looks like exactly the kind of thing I'd love to try out (as in, how on earth did I not know it existed before now?). Maybe we'll give that a go ^_^ as for Volksmarches if there's one on we might give it a try, it's definitely something different although I'm still slightly confused as to exactly what's going on with them (needs more googling methinks :P )
It's getting late now, but maybe I'll ask in the general discussion thread come morning, thanks for the suggestions :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Solovei on July 29, 2015, 11:18:21 PM
Okay so now that a few people here have been/are from to Iceland , I have an embarrassing question... It looks lovely, but... I am not an outdoorsy person, you see. I have never hiked in my life and camping terrifies me. So... is it worth going, knowing all that?

And yes I know there's Reykjavik but it seems silly to go to Iceland and only stay in one city :P
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ana Nymus on July 29, 2015, 11:38:11 PM
Soooo, I just wanted to dispense a tip to anyone traveling to North America and planning to do outdoor activities: watch out for poison ivy. Apparently it doesn't grow in Europe (you lucky ducks) so I thought it might be worth mentioning. Poison ivy rashes stink, and they're a great way to ruin a vacation. Ok, I'll go away now. Sorry if that was totally obvious and didn't need saying.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: viola on July 29, 2015, 11:55:21 PM
Quote from: Solovei on July 29, 2015, 11:18:21 PM
Okay so now that a few people here have been/are from to Iceland , I have an embarrassing question... It looks lovely, but... I am not an outdoorsy person, you see. I have never hiked in my life and camping terrifies me. So... is it worth going, knowing all that?

And yes I know there's Reykjavik but it seems silly to go to Iceland and only stay in one city :P

You don't have to go camping or hiking to enjoy Iceland. I know if you want to go see the geysers they're like right by the road, and the path to them is brick so it's not that hard to walk over to them. Same with Gullfoss. It's like right next to the parking lot. You can walk up a few meters and go stand next to it, but you don't have to. Also you can drive around the entire country and only stop at diners and stuff. They have these little diners in the middle of nowhere where you can get hamburgers and giant burritos. I know I spent a lot of time hanging out with friends, we went to a club which was a lot of fun, and we went to a midnight premiere of a movie. There are lots of museums as well, and you can learn a bit about Icelandic history.

If you do go, so much of the country is geared toward tourism, and I would say while that stuff can be cool, maybe try some different things, get to know the country a little bit. Go grocery shopping, maybe try a traditional meal somewhere, go see a concert, meet new people. You are not limited to touristy things, and definitely not to nature. I'm sure there are interesting things to explore in the other towns as well. You could also try and speak Icelandic. Icelanders get really excited when foreigners speak their language. It's kinda funny to watch. Also go visit Laufey because she knows where the yummy ice cream place is and also this really cute cafe with good tea.

So yes! You can go and enjoy it without hiking or camping!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: DiscoMonster on July 30, 2015, 02:39:06 AM
Quote from: ReturnOfDaveBro on July 25, 2015, 09:48:42 PM
Are there any Finnish beers similar to the dark, low-hopped, "bread-in-a-glass" Czech varieties?  (That's for preference.)   :)  Also, what are the popular Finnish beers?  (That's for experience.)  8)

Finally, is the duty-free shop the best place to buy Lakka (cloudberry liqueur)?  (That's for taking home, hoarding, and only doling out on special occasions.)  ;D

There are lots of dark Finnish beers. I'll give you a run down on them later. Some bars in Turku will let you taste before ordering. Cosmic Comic Cafe was good like that once and Apteekki, Mallas Kukko and Teerenpeli, too. If you're in town at the weekend. Both bars have excellent selections. Lakka you can get at any duty free when leaving Finland or at Alko (the state store). More info later...
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Laufey on July 30, 2015, 04:51:10 AM
Quote from: Solovei on July 29, 2015, 11:18:21 PM
Okay so now that a few people here have been/are from to Iceland , I have an embarrassing question... It looks lovely, but... I am not an outdoorsy person, you see. I have never hiked in my life and camping terrifies me. So... is it worth going, knowing all that?

And yes I know there's Reykjavik but it seems silly to go to Iceland and only stay in one city :P

There's plenty more to see and to do, don't worry! Besides some parts of the nature are within reach, no hiking needed; everything in Golden Circle (Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir), waterfalls in the south and the glacier lagoon, Snæfellsnes and so forth. In many places you can also decide yourself how much sporty stuff you're willing to do - you can see Skógafoss without climbing on top of it (there's an amazing view from up there though) to name one example.

Reykjavík has plenty to offer, especially in the summer when all the summer festivals are on. Music, art, Medieval stuff, museums, swimming halls (they're somewhat unusual here) and so forth, and if you rent a car and drive around the Ring Road 1 I'd also recommend visiting Borgarnes, Stykkishólmur, Akureyri and the Mývatn area, and in the south Hafnarfjörður, Selfoss, Hveragerði and Vík. Plus if you ever get a chance at spending time on an Icelandic summer cottage grab it immediately!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Bobriha on July 30, 2015, 05:15:50 AM
This Sunday I am going to Almaty, mostly for the mountains that surround it but also to meet my friends.
I've been there already two times, both in Autumn.
(https://pp.vk.me/c411626/v411626834/be09/EC7OtXDrkq8.jpg)
(https://pp.vk.me/c411626/v411626834/be41/Mg8jPtkJh8g.jpg)
(https://pp.vk.me/c411626/v411626834/be4a/h-xxmgRRYIY.jpg)
(https://pp.vk.me/c407730/v407730834/4a28/Ix4uZnUuzN0.jpg)
I have no fotos of city itself, though. I may say it's cozy despite huge (at least for me. I am not fan of big cities and big amounts of people) and with a lot of greenery.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Blackfrost on July 30, 2015, 06:33:05 PM
Quote from: Trinka on July 28, 2015, 04:31:57 AM
...I'm heading to LAS VEGAS tomorrow morning...

Oh, cool.  I used to live in 'Vegas (Well, in Henderson, which is right next door to it -- the good side of Henderson, not the "Hender-tucky" side.) from '11 to '13.  Where will you all be staying?

Congrats to your mom on her 50th.  Making 50 may not be so much of an accomplishment as making 70, but it's definitely an accomplishment, nonetheless.

'Vegas can be a great town to visit, (I still have family there,) but to live in, it's a very, very hard, cold, unforgiving place.

Great place to be a tourist, though.  DO watch for the traffic and be careful of all the drunks on the sidewalks.  Have a great time!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Solovei on July 30, 2015, 07:15:22 PM
Quote from: Feartheviolas on July 29, 2015, 11:55:21 PM
Also go visit Laufey because she knows where the yummy ice cream place is and also this really cute cafe with good tea.
You had me at "ice cream", but I cannot resist the words "cute cafe", regardless of where this happens to be located.

Quote from: Laufey on July 30, 2015, 04:51:10 AM
There's plenty more to see and to do, don't worry! Besides some parts of the nature are within reach, no hiking needed; everything in Golden Circle (Gullfoss, Geysir, Þingvellir), waterfalls in the south and the glacier lagoon, Snæfellsnes and so forth. In many places you can also decide yourself how much sporty stuff you're willing to do - you can see Skógafoss without climbing on top of it (there's an amazing view from up there though) to name one example.

Reykjavík has plenty to offer, especially in the summer when all the summer festivals are on. Music, art, Medieval stuff, museums, swimming halls (they're somewhat unusual here) and so forth, and if you rent a car and drive around the Ring Road 1 I'd also recommend visiting Borgarnes, Stykkishólmur, Akureyri and the Mývatn area, and in the south Hafnarfjörður, Selfoss, Hveragerði and Vík. Plus if you ever get a chance at spending time on an Icelandic summer cottage grab it immediately!
Ah, that's good that there's still stuff to do that isn't "lets spend a week in the frozen wastescapes of Iceland, because nature" :) I do enjoy festivals...
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: DB (f.k.a. DaveBro) on July 30, 2015, 09:54:54 PM
Quote from: Ana Nymus on July 29, 2015, 11:38:11 PM
Soooo, I just wanted to dispense a tip to anyone traveling to North America and planning to do outdoor activities: watch out for poison ivy.  >snip!<

Actually a good call, Ana :D .

I wish someone had warned me before our trip to England that stinging nettles burn like bloody hell just from brushing against the plant, and can scare the blue blazes out of a neophyte before it fades in about 10 minutes.  Most embarrassing!   :-[
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fimbulvarg on July 31, 2015, 03:07:20 PM
Quote from: Solovei on July 30, 2015, 07:15:22 PM
Ah, that's good that there's still stuff to do that isn't "lets spend a week in the frozen wastescapes of Iceland, because nature" :) I do enjoy festivals...

Even if you don't go camping in the "wastescapes" I think most people go to Iceland to see the nature. I can't speak for the other people who have expressed a desire to go, but that's definitely the case for me. So even if you don't intend to hike or camp I think a general interest in natural sights is pretty important if you want the trip to be worth the money. Reykjavik and those things are just a bonus.

But there's not many other places in Europe where you can enjoy outdoor hot springs! Or try to walk barefeet across a sandur.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: DB (f.k.a. DaveBro) on August 01, 2015, 04:25:14 PM
Yay!  We're in Helsinki!  ;D And we can haz BED!!!  (TIMMMM--BERRRRR!!!!)  8)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Krisse Kovacs on August 01, 2015, 08:25:21 PM
I was in sweden and probably this is my best experience I have had in Sweden:

Seriously I was in love wit this game and I was 20 (almost 21)

((my nickname was Jako at that time))
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Noodles on August 03, 2015, 01:01:10 PM
Quote from: Ana Nymus on July 29, 2015, 11:38:11 PM
Soooo, I just wanted to dispense a tip to anyone traveling to North America and planning to do outdoor activities: watch out for poison ivy. Apparently it doesn't grow in Europe (you lucky ducks) so I thought it might be worth mentioning. Poison ivy rashes stink, and they're a great way to ruin a vacation. Ok, I'll go away now. Sorry if that was totally obvious and didn't need saying.
Quote from: ReturnOfDaveBro on July 30, 2015, 09:54:54 PM
I wish someone had warned me before our trip to England that stinging nettles burn like bloody hell just from brushing against the plant, and can scare the blue blazes out of a neophyte before it fades in about 10 minutes.  Most embarrassing!   :-[
OK YES these are important. I don't know much about poison ivy, but Westernpoison oak (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron_diversilobum) (which is in the same genus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxicodendron))has dark-green, irregular leaves that turn bright red in fall and come in clumps of three. It's a small shrub/ground-cover kinda thing and usually grows under trees off the beaten path. You only get this species of poison oak on the west coast of North America, but other species are found all over the continent. There're cream thingies that you can buy to make the rash go away, and you should also wash any clothing/skin that touches it with soap to get the irritant off.
Nettles (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urtica_dioica) have light-green, sawtoothed, opposite leaves that are slightly fuzzy (actually the stabby stinger things, don't touch). They also have pale green flowers that kinda look like fluffy strings of beads? there's a picture in the wiki. They grow just about everywhere, and can sting you through clothing (though they're less likely to). The pain'll go away in 10-15 minutes, maybe a little faster if you rub the area to increase circulation. (You can also rub the sting with something rough, like dirt or the underside of fern-fronds, which is slightly more effective than your hand.)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: kjeks on December 28, 2015, 05:40:12 AM
If anyone ever wants to stay in Utrecht but goes there by vehicle of any sorts:

I recommend stayokay hostel in Utrecht Bunik. It was lovely, really, the breakfast was amazing and you could return as late at night as you wanted since the busses seemed to be running eternally.

also Utrecht is very nice, too. Not only the Comic book store and the game store are amazing, it has a nice Manga library to read all the manga you want to read.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ruby on April 25, 2017, 05:42:43 AM
Hello all!

First off, sorry if reviving this thread is awkward... it seemed like the preferable option to starting a new redundant topic.

So! This coming May I am planning my first solo international trip... to ICELAND!!!! (I'm pretty stoked if you can't tell.) I have travelled alone within the US before, and I've also traveled a fair bit outside the country, but this is the first time I'm doing both and I figured it would behoove me to seek guidance from my sage elders (that's you guys.  ;) )

One of the things I'm having trouble with is figuring out an appropriate scale for the trip. I'm going to be there for about nine days, not including the days I fly in and fly out. How much of the island is it feasible, and rewarding, for me to try see in that time? Is it worth it to take a bus or fly to the eastern region for a few days, or should I concentrate my focus in the area around Reykjavik so I don't lose too much of my time transporting around various places?

Speaking of transportation, any opinions on renting a car versus bus transportation? From my research, it seems like the bus system is pretty comprehensive, and I prefer the idea of getting to meet and chat with other people on the bus to driving around by myself the whole time.

Third, any recommendations for things I simply must do while I'm there? In particular, does anyone know of any ways I could get in touch with other hiking groups? I'm excited to get out and explore some of Iceland's natural beauty, but I would feel more comfortable joining up with another group of people than heading out alone in some places. However, I'm also really interested in exploring Iceland's cities and culture, so if you have any non-nature favorite destinations, I'm all ears!

And, of course, if there are any Minnions interested in meeting up I would be delighted to do so!

Thank you if you got to the end of this wordsplurge, and a double thanks if you found the patience in your heart to reply. I love you all!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Róisín on April 25, 2017, 07:23:26 AM
If you rent a car, take notice of the weather, and make sure your rental is insured. Iceland can get windy to the point of picking up rocks and bombarding cars with them. Hiking there is great, but again, all precautions - food, water, a locator beacon if you are going somewhere really remote (I think you can rent one?), cold-weather gear (carried if not worn). Go the first time with somebody local if you can, or with a tour group. The weather can do all manner of weird stuff with little to no warning, rivers can suddenly change their channel or overflow, and you need good quality hiking boots and decent woollen hiking socks.

The bus system used to be pretty good, might be worth asking if the Icelandic Minnions can give you any pointers about its present state. Totally beautiful country, and well worth the effort.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on April 25, 2017, 02:03:36 PM
Quote from: Ruby on April 25, 2017, 05:42:43 AM
Hello all!

First off, sorry if reviving this thread is awkward... it seemed like the preferable option to starting a new redundant topic.

So! This coming May I am planning my first solo international trip... to ICELAND!!!! (I'm pretty stoked if you can't tell.) I have travelled alone within the US before, and I've also traveled a fair bit outside the country, but this is the first time I'm doing both and I figured it would behoove me to seek guidance from my sage elders (that's you guys.  ;) )

One of the things I'm having trouble with is figuring out an appropriate scale for the trip. I'm going to be there for about nine days, not including the days I fly in and fly out. How much of the island is it feasible, and rewarding, for me to try see in that time? Is it worth it to take a bus or fly to the eastern region for a few days, or should I concentrate my focus in the area around Reykjavik so I don't lose too much of my time transporting around various places?

Speaking of transportation, any opinions on renting a car versus bus transportation? From my research, it seems like the bus system is pretty comprehensive, and I prefer the idea of getting to meet and chat with other people on the bus to driving around by myself the whole time.

Third, any recommendations for things I simply must do while I'm there? In particular, does anyone know of any ways I could get in touch with other hiking groups? I'm excited to get out and explore some of Iceland's natural beauty, but I would feel more comfortable joining up with another group of people than heading out alone in some places. However, I'm also really interested in exploring Iceland's cities and culture, so if you have any non-nature favorite destinations, I'm all ears!

And, of course, if there are any Minnions interested in meeting up I would be delighted to do so!

Thank you if you got to the end of this wordsplurge, and a double thanks if you found the patience in your heart to reply. I love you all!

Hi, Ruby.  You were spot-on to revive this thread.  I have no objections to thread "necromancy" if it's on-topic.

I'm sure others will weigh in, but hopefully you saw just a few posts up (dating to summer 2015) that Laufey and Viola can tell you lots about Iceland.  :) 
Quote
https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=431.msg55346#msg55346

My friend's daughter just got back from a week in Iceland through a school trip.  If you like, I can ask her about the issues of packing to visit an Arctic land when you live in temperate California.  (She said the weather was the one thing she didn't like -- everything else was awesome.)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Ruby on April 25, 2017, 03:50:12 PM
Quote from: Sunflower on April 25, 2017, 02:03:36 PM
My friend's daughter just got back from a week in Iceland through a school trip.  If you like, I can ask her about the issues of packing to visit an Arctic land when you live in temperate California.  (She said the weather was the one thing she didn't like -- everything else was awesome.)

Thank you, that would be much appreciated! I'm hoping that since I'm traveling in late May the weather won't be too bad--seasonal weather reports seem to say that the temperature will be around 50 F, which sounds manageable with a good windbreaker and thick socks. :) I would also be interested to hear if your daughter had any favorite destinations from her trip! (Also how cool is it that her school has a program to help their students travel? Neato!)

Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Abprallen on April 25, 2017, 03:59:24 PM
A friend of mine recently visited Iceland! They said that be sure to bring enough money - apparently it was more expensive than they had anticipated. They also recommend going to the hot springs, I think they're called? I'm not sure on what the transport or hiking there is like though, I'm sorry!!


And to hijack the thread (sorry!!) - I'm looking at visiting Sweden this summer. I'll probably be in Stockholm but was wondering if anyone had any advice on where to go/what to see? I've spotted the natural history museum so I'll obviously be spending at least a day there (I love me my natural history) but not sure what else. I'm not really that interested in art galleries.
And transportation and travel advice is also good! Are there any systems in place like there are in Amsterdam with GVB and the trams?
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on April 26, 2017, 12:24:01 AM
Quote from: Abprallen on April 25, 2017, 03:59:24 PM
A friend of mine recently visited Iceland! They said that be sure to bring enough money - apparently it was more expensive than they had anticipated. They also recommend going to the hot springs, I think they're called? I'm not sure on what the transport or hiking there is like though, I'm sorry!!


And to hijack the thread (sorry!!) - I'm looking at visiting Sweden this summer. I'll probably be in Stockholm but was wondering if anyone had any advice on where to go/what to see? I've spotted the natural history museum so I'll obviously be spending at least a day there (I love me my natural history) but not sure what else. I'm not really that interested in art galleries.
And transportation and travel advice is also good! Are there any systems in place like there are in Amsterdam with GVB and the trams?

Any hope of a side trip to Mora, Sweden?  (Capital of Post-Rash Scandinavia (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=121)...)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Abprallen on April 26, 2017, 09:05:33 AM
Quote from: Sunflower on April 26, 2017, 12:24:01 AM
Any hope of a side trip to Mora, Sweden?  (Capital of Post-Rash Scandinavia (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=121)...)
I do want to go...
I'll bring back little wooden horsies for everyone.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Solokov on April 26, 2017, 03:12:46 PM
Californian expat here, I know good places to visit and when regarding the central cost, the north coast, the central and northern Sierras, and the desert regions.


In order starting at the beginning of the year:

January:

Generally you want to plan any trips to the Mojave areas, like Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon, Joshua Tree etc for January because it's kinda right in between the rains. However, make a note that some roads may be washed out because of prior rains and that various land management services have not cleared out anything other than the blacktop. In DV I highly suggest visiting Scotty's Castle, the borax works, ubehebe crater and badwater basin. The Racetrack is neat and all, but it's a long drive along a terrible road. Bring 4wd (not AWD) and patience for the smoothest ride but it can be managed in a 2wd vehicle. Pack for relatively cold weather, as it's january in the desert, temperatures can dip below freezing.

February, March:
Best skiiing and snowboarding time. Plan your trips up to the various ski resorts in california for this time period.

April, May: Now is the time of the spring festivals in the central San Joaquin Valley, small towns, fair food etc.

June, July, August:
Coast or mountains, you don't want to be in the valley right now. Temperatures get up to 115 sometimes. for the Central Coast, I suggest Monterrey, Avila, Cambria and Pismo. North coast I suggest Fort Bragg.

Activities range from surfing, boating, fishing, snorkeling, searching out rare moonstones in the beach, abalone diving and clamming.

For the sierras I suggest: The shasta-trinity national forest, Sierra National forest, Yosemite National Park, Kings Canyon Nat. Park. Activities include, fishing, camping, hiking, climbing and some of the best stargazing. Also various locations will have 4th of july celebrations (though for the best one I suggest a little town in idaho by the name of Crouch.. it's basically a block party where everyone brings a small truckload of fireworks and the private party outstip's the local fireworks show by a good margin. bring ear-pro and eye-pro)

Additionally the California State Fair is in July... however that's in Sacramento, very humid, very hot. Go at your own risk.

September:

Generally something of a slow month, not much really that I've done and wandered about on this month.

October:

Summer fair season is coming to a close, The Big Fresno Fair is one to check out though. Beware, it can still be relatively hot at this time of year.

November: I don't do much during this point in time, too busy with other stuff normally.

December: the only thing I generally try to do during this month, aside from christmas and catching up with family is make a trip to the nation's christmas tree in the general grant grove in the Sequoia Kings National Park.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: JoB on April 26, 2017, 03:16:40 PM
Quote from: Abprallen on April 26, 2017, 09:05:33 AM
I do want to go...
I'll bring back little wooden horsies for everyone.
Dare ya! (https://www.google.de/maps/@61.0031219,14.5365966,3a,15y,278.47h,83.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s57nrYvLX3s3UNpcdTqXqjA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1) >:D
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: heiteru on April 27, 2017, 02:52:10 AM
Quote from: Abprallen on April 25, 2017, 03:59:24 PM
And to hijack the thread (sorry!!) - I'm looking at visiting Sweden this summer. I'll probably be in Stockholm but was wondering if anyone had any advice on where to go/what to see?
My brightest memories from Stockholm are the Vasa museum (I too often watched Pirates of the Caribbean and the Titanic as a child) and Junibacken (THIS MUSEUM IS SUCH COOL OH MY LORD THIS IS SO SUPER). You might also like Fotografiska, I think? At least not far away there is an excellent viewing platform! Also I visited Uppsala - a very calm and pleasant place (at least I thought so)  :)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Róisín on April 27, 2017, 03:04:22 AM
Uppsala had some amazing gardens and parks. The Linnaean Garden, near the University, is well worth a visit.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: heiteru on April 27, 2017, 05:37:53 AM
Quote from: Róisín on April 27, 2017, 03:04:22 AM
Uppsala had some amazing gardens and parks. The Linnaean Garden, near the University, is well worth a visit.
Exactly!

And I also remembered Dalahästen near the Stockholm City Hall, if we already started talking about wooden horses  ;D
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: viola on April 27, 2017, 02:05:40 PM
Found out I'm going to Peru and the Galapagos Islands instead of South Africa, if anyone has any suggestions or advice about those locations, I am interested!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on April 27, 2017, 03:55:01 PM
Quote from: Feartheviolas on April 27, 2017, 02:05:40 PM
Found out I'm going to Peru and the Galapagos Islands instead of South Africa, if anyone has any suggestions or advice about those locations, I am interested!

AWESOME!  Do we need to get you an explorer's pith helmet?   ;)
(And is this related to the summer employment you mentioned elsewhere?)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: yankai on May 09, 2017, 02:21:55 PM
Hi everyone! I just found out I'm going to Norway in july, and I think this is the perfect place to ask, so, which places do you recomend visiting? For now we only have the plane tickets to Oslo (and ten days to explore!). Any advice about anything will be so welcome. Thank you!
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Sunflower on May 09, 2017, 06:41:05 PM
Quote from: yankai on May 09, 2017, 02:21:55 PM
Hi everyone! I just found out I'm going to Norway in july, and I think this is the perfect place to ask, so, which places do you recommend visiting? For now we only have the plane tickets to Oslo (and ten days to explore!). Any advice about anything will be so welcome. Thank you!

I imagine a lot of us would love photos from the fjords around Dalsnes (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=199)...

Map of the Known World in Y90:
http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=66
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: JoB on May 10, 2017, 12:15:44 PM
Quote from: Sunflower on May 09, 2017, 06:41:05 PM
I imagine a lot of us would love photos from the fjords around Dalsnes (http://sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=199)...
To quote a warning straight off Dalsnes' wiki page (http://sssscomic.wikia.com/wiki/Dalsnes):
Quote
Anyway, the SSSS Dalsnes is nowhere near the real world Norwegian Dalsnes (which is 40 km East of Trondheim, much farther North). According to comments posted by the author (http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=70#comment-1277383446), the SSSS Dalsnes is entirely fictional.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fimbulvarg on May 10, 2017, 03:24:08 PM
Quote from: yankai on May 09, 2017, 02:21:55 PM
Hi everyone! I just found out I'm going to Norway in july, and I think this is the perfect place to ask, so, which places do you recomend visiting? For now we only have the plane tickets to Oslo (and ten days to explore!). Any advice about anything will be so welcome. Thank you!

There's hundreds of places to be recommended, literally. It all depends on your interests, budget, mobility and physical shape. In my opinion you should get out of Oslo pretty early.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: yankai on May 10, 2017, 09:20:07 PM
Quote from: Fimbulvarg on May 10, 2017, 03:24:08 PM
There's hundreds of places to be recommended, literally. It all depends on your interests, budget, mobility and physical shape. In my opinion you should get out of Oslo pretty early.

Uhm, yeah, I know I should be more specific. We were thinking (maybe) about traveling to Bergen by train, and then rent a car there. Also we can hike, but not a lot (I think over 20km a day would be too much for us), and I can't imagine us camping. Personaly, I'm more into medieval stuff, but I think the general idea of the trip will be to visit natural attractions. :3
I'm sory I can't express myself correctly, I'm tired and kind of stressed out.  O_o

Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fimbulvarg on May 11, 2017, 09:24:29 AM
Quote from: yankai on May 10, 2017, 09:20:07 PM
Uhm, yeah, I know I should be more specific. We were thinking (maybe) about traveling to Bergen by train, and then rent a car there. Also we can hike, but not a lot (I think over 20km a day would be too much for us), and I can't imagine us camping. Personaly, I'm more into medieval stuff, but I think the general idea of the trip will be to visit natural attractions. :3
I'm sory I can't express myself correctly, I'm tired and kind of stressed out.  O_o

I'd stop over on the way to Bergen at Finse station (aka. planet Hoth from Star Wars) and maybe take a walk on the outskirt of the Hardanger highlands. I'd definitely consider renting bikes and going down Rallarvegen  (http://www.furusethfoto.com/images/syklister-30-7-08.jpg)to Flåm (https://www.visitflam.com/globalassets/sognefjorden-cruise/flam-0910-1286.jpg). From there I'd take the Flåm  (https://www.visitflam.com/globalassets/flamsbana/flamsbana-morten-rakke.jpg)rail back towards Finse or Bergen. There's usually a viking market/festival in Gudvangen, just 20 minutes from Flåm, in July. I believe there are regular buses from Flåm to that place. They're making a kind of viking village there nowadays. There's also a reconstructed stave church in Bergen.

It's a few hours away from Bergen, but Trolltunga  (https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/fetch/c_limit,f_jpg,q_64,w_800/https://media.newmindmedia.com/TellUs/image/%3Ffile%3DF10F507C47CCE2C04A03D90D4D8B74675B4E4D5D.jpg%26dh%3D533%26dw%3D800&.jpg)is a popular hike and it's also fairly close to Jostedalsbreen glacier with skiing or hiking opportunities all year long. It's in the Hardanger  (https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/c_fill,f_auto,h_575,q_64,w_1200/v1/clients/norway/hardangerfjord-hardanger-norway-2-1_59d8215d-6715-4c48-ae08-a669931ae760.jpg)fjords just east of Bergen, known for fruit and coastal villages - apparently it's where Aksel and Sigrun Eide live and where Sigrun comes from. Tourists (Germans and Brits) seem to like to fish there.

I'd also consider heading south for a bit to Rogaland county with Stavanger  (https://www.sailonboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/stavanger-port.jpg)city, Hafrsfjord  (http://www.turer.no/image/sverd_stavanger_H.gif)battlefield prekestolen (https://www.google.no/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjFpKT19OfTAhWJjSwKHVrvBJ4QjBwIBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.trvl-media.com%2Fmedia%2Fcontent%2Fshared%2Fimages%2Ftravelguides%2Fdestination%2F6056649%2FStavanger-155123.jpg&psig=AFQjCNFkRrg-eiQPzoD63EGy5e8i_MEd4w&ust=1494594523071443) and the Jæren  (https://www.google.no/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjFpKT19OfTAhWJjSwKHVrvBJ4QjBwIBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.trvl-media.com%2Fmedia%2Fcontent%2Fshared%2Fimages%2Ftravelguides%2Fdestination%2F6056649%2FStavanger-155123.jpg&psig=AFQjCNFkRrg-eiQPzoD63EGy5e8i_MEd4w&ust=1494594523071443)cultural landscape.

North of Bergen you find the Sognefjord, which is the largest fjord of them all. It's very popular, but I haven't been there much so refer to the official guide (http://en.sognefjord.no/) for that one.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: yankai on May 12, 2017, 09:17:50 PM
Quote from: Fimbulvarg on May 11, 2017, 09:24:29 AM
I'd stop over on the way to Bergen at Finse station (aka. planet Hoth from Star Wars) and maybe take a walk on the outskirt of the Hardanger highlands. I'd definitely consider renting bikes and going down Rallarvegen  (http://www.furusethfoto.com/images/syklister-30-7-08.jpg)to Flåm (https://www.visitflam.com/globalassets/sognefjorden-cruise/flam-0910-1286.jpg). From there I'd take the Flåm  (https://www.visitflam.com/globalassets/flamsbana/flamsbana-morten-rakke.jpg)rail back towards Finse or Bergen. There's usually a viking market/festival in Gudvangen, just 20 minutes from Flåm, in July. I believe there are regular buses from Flåm to that place. They're making a kind of viking village there nowadays. There's also a reconstructed stave church in Bergen.

It's a few hours away from Bergen, but Trolltunga  (https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/fetch/c_limit,f_jpg,q_64,w_800/https://media.newmindmedia.com/TellUs/image/%3Ffile%3DF10F507C47CCE2C04A03D90D4D8B74675B4E4D5D.jpg%26dh%3D533%26dw%3D800&.jpg)is a popular hike and it's also fairly close to Jostedalsbreen glacier with skiing or hiking opportunities all year long. It's in the Hardanger  (https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/c_fill,f_auto,h_575,q_64,w_1200/v1/clients/norway/hardangerfjord-hardanger-norway-2-1_59d8215d-6715-4c48-ae08-a669931ae760.jpg)fjords just east of Bergen, known for fruit and coastal villages - apparently it's where Aksel and Sigrun Eide live and where Sigrun comes from. Tourists (Germans and Brits) seem to like to fish there.

I'd also consider heading south for a bit to Rogaland county with Stavanger  (https://www.sailonboard.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/stavanger-port.jpg)city, Hafrsfjord  (http://www.turer.no/image/sverd_stavanger_H.gif)battlefield prekestolen (https://www.google.no/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjFpKT19OfTAhWJjSwKHVrvBJ4QjBwIBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.trvl-media.com%2Fmedia%2Fcontent%2Fshared%2Fimages%2Ftravelguides%2Fdestination%2F6056649%2FStavanger-155123.jpg&psig=AFQjCNFkRrg-eiQPzoD63EGy5e8i_MEd4w&ust=1494594523071443) and the Jæren  (https://www.google.no/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjFpKT19OfTAhWJjSwKHVrvBJ4QjBwIBA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.trvl-media.com%2Fmedia%2Fcontent%2Fshared%2Fimages%2Ftravelguides%2Fdestination%2F6056649%2FStavanger-155123.jpg&psig=AFQjCNFkRrg-eiQPzoD63EGy5e8i_MEd4w&ust=1494594523071443)cultural landscape.

North of Bergen you find the Sognefjord, which is the largest fjord of them all. It's very popular, but I haven't been there much so refer to the official guide (http://en.sognefjord.no/) for that one.

Thank you Fimbulvarg! I'm sure it's going to be an amazing trip  8)
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Fimbulvarg on October 16, 2017, 07:57:28 AM
Any advice on what to see, do and eat in Helsinki/Helsingfors in an early December weekend?
Title: corncobman's trip to Okinawa, Japan
Post by: corncobman on April 18, 2018, 02:19:01 AM
So someone in the disqus comments (can't remember who exactly) asked me if I was going to share photos of my recent trip to Japan. So I registered an Instagram account for this purpose.
For your viewing pleasure:

www.instagram.com/catburgerlar

More photos to come later, either on Instagram or in this thread.

Title: Re: corncobman's trip to Okinawa, Japan
Post by: Iceea on April 21, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"Original taste" Coca-Cola? Made with cane sugar not corn syrup? That would be a real pleasure.

Yes, yes, more pictures please.
Title: Re: corncobman's trip to Okinawa, Japan
Post by: JoB on April 22, 2018, 08:49:45 AM
Quote from: Iceea on April 21, 2018, 12:11:55 PM
"Original taste" Coca-Cola? Made with cane sugar not corn syrup?
I suspect that the "original" refers to the state of affairs preceding the pick-a-random-"great new taste"-between-1985 (https://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/coke-lore-new-coke)-and-the-near-future (http://fijisun.com.fj/2018/04/21/fiji-among-the-first-in-the-world-to-taste-the-new-coke-no-sugar/). ;)
Title: Re: corncobman's trip to Okinawa, Japan
Post by: corncobman on April 23, 2018, 02:05:59 AM
Yes, but it would be difficult to tell whether or not it's pre-New-Coke-Coke or post-New-Coke-Old-Coke.

I didn't upload pictures of me or my family but if I'm thinking of whether I want to posting them in here or not.
Hmmmm...
Title: Re: corncobman's trip to Okinawa, Japan
Post by: Auxivele on April 24, 2018, 10:12:37 PM
Your pictures give me this huge amount of second-hand excitement.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Cancvas on May 09, 2018, 07:54:56 AM
To big apple and back

Basically experiences could be divided to three things, the good, the bad and the what. I'm not going to sights, becaus everyone can just google those if they like, more on these daily occurences.
 
Good things were surprisingly clean city, despite of the size, and general feeling of safety, we did not encounter aggressive or threatening behaviour at all. Naturally there was quite bit to see and not all could be visited at once. People in general were nicely indifferent, nobody was pushy on sales, and street service vendors (like bike rentals, hop-hop busses etc) took polite "No thanks." with grace. Also, to foreingner inequality seemed to be rather nonexistent to casual observation, everyone being part of same society. Subway was surprisingly good (=excellent) way to move about, especially to one who's not used to public transportation actually to be reasonably working option. Also ease of finding clothes of appropiate size.

Bad things were excessive (unseasonal they said) hot spell on weather, rush hours in trafic and at sights where standing in line was norm and when weather took turned to hot, appearance of homeless. Very little these, comparad to expectation built on education at eighties, based on information from seventies.

There were quite few of these "What?" experiences. Tips? Like... every time?  On this narrow range of 15 to 20%? Ok... and a pro tip from guide, double the tax to be in ballpark. Also size of food protions delivered. Triple size we're used to. Everyone was with this "Sir" ... like in every other sentence or so. Polite but wierd. Subway show bits... breakdance and italian opera, just like that, on moving train. Chronic (unnatural) smile on TV news achors... just wierd, not in good way. A lady asking me about nearest organic veggie restaurant on subway station ... like I would know "Sorry, I'm not a local." Paying with credit card... like it's been decade since I last signed card payment manually, or any other method than pin. Or if there was complication just an casual "try an other" ... like who has more than one credit card? Everyone in US it seems.

Well... that was New York City from point of wied of one finnish person. All in all, it was nice place, not an overbearing or pushy.

-C
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: fija on May 09, 2018, 05:13:51 PM
Oh I have so many strange stories from travelling. My family has never had a trip abroad that didn’t require using health insurance :'D
My advice I guess: ALWAYS pay for (good) insurance. You can’t count on your luck.
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 14, 2018, 12:35:34 PM
Quote from: Cancvas on May 09, 2018, 07:54:56 AM
To big apple and back

Basically experiences could be divided to three things, the good, the bad and the what. I'm not going to sights, becaus everyone can just google those if they like, more on these daily occurences.
 
Good things were surprisingly clean city, despite of the size, and general feeling of safety, we did not encounter aggressive or threatening behaviour at all. Naturally there was quite bit to see and not all could be visited at once. People in general were nicely indifferent, nobody was pushy on sales, and street service vendors (like bike rentals, hop-hop busses etc) took polite "No thanks." with grace. Also, to foreingner inequality seemed to be rather nonexistent to casual observation, everyone being part of same society. Subway was surprisingly good (=excellent) way to move about, especially to one who's not used to public transportation actually to be reasonably working option. Also ease of finding clothes of appropiate size.

Bad things were excessive (unseasonal they said) hot spell on weather, rush hours in trafic and at sights where standing in line was norm and when weather took turned to hot, appearance of homeless. Very little these, comparad to expectation built on education at eighties, based on information from seventies.

There were quite few of these "What?" experiences. Tips? Like... every time?  On this narrow range of 15 to 20%? Ok... and a pro tip from guide, double the tax to be in ballpark. Also size of food protions delivered. Triple size we're used to. Everyone was with this "Sir" ... like in every other sentence or so. Polite but wierd. Subway show bits... breakdance and italian opera, just like that, on moving train. Chronic (unnatural) smile on TV news achors... just wierd, not in good way. A lady asking me about nearest organic veggie restaurant on subway station ... like I would know "Sorry, I'm not a local." Paying with credit card... like it's been decade since I last signed card payment manually, or any other method than pin. Or if there was complication just an casual "try an other" ... like who has more than one credit card? Everyone in US it seems.

Well... that was New York City from point of wied of one finnish person. All in all, it was nice place, not an overbearing or pushy.

-C

We only got chip-and-pin in the US a couple of years ago.  (Interestingly, when I travel in Europe I need to sign for my US card; it won't accept the PIN)

As far as "foreigner inequality" -- NYC is a very international city.  We get everyone coming from all over the world all the time, so we don't really have a "you're from <X> so you're not as good" thing here.

Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: Cancvas on May 15, 2018, 09:27:32 AM
Quote from: urbicande on May 14, 2018, 12:35:34 PM
We only got chip-and-pin in the US a couple of years ago.  (Interestingly, when I travel in Europe I need to sign for my US card; it won't accept the PIN)

As far as "foreigner inequality" -- NYC is a very international city.  We get everyone coming from all over the world all the time, so we don't really have a "you're from <X> so you're not as good" thing here.

Chip card is nice, and I've recently warmed to NFC payment, nice for small transactions and doesn't require PIN (all the time). I was bit surprised as our guide told, that bills are paid by posting cheques in snailmail... where as nowdays here getting paper bill in post cost extra and everything is expected to done in net bank (e-mail bills are dropping off from the use).

Yes, it was comfortable, the internationalness. Still bit 'acclimation' was needed.
-C
Title: Re: Travel Stories and Advice
Post by: urbicande on May 15, 2018, 09:46:03 AM
Quote from: Cancvas on May 15, 2018, 09:27:32 AM
Chip card is nice, and I've recently warmed to NFC payment, nice for small transactions and doesn't require PIN (all the time). I was bit surprised as our guide told, that bills are paid by posting cheques in snailmail... where as nowdays here getting paper bill in post cost extra and everything is expected to done in net bank (e-mail bills are dropping off from the use).

Yes, it was comfortable, the internationalness. Still bit 'acclimation' was needed.
-C

Some bills are paid that way, yes.  I think I write about 3 cheques per year now, all of them for charitable donations. 

What actually boggles me is that I have my car loan set to automatic payment from my bank to the bank holding the loan, and apparently THAT payment is made by my bank writing a physical cheque and mailing it to the other bank.  I only discovered this when a payment was marked as not made, which just boggled me -- how could a bank-to-bank payment not be made? (Apparently the receiving bank, a small one, isn't set up for bank-to-bank transfers.  Unbelievable!).  When I lived in London, OTOH, I never even had paper cheques?  For what? Everything was paid by bank transfer and direct debit!