Off to Europe for Three Weeks

gpo706 · May 24, 2011, 06:55:05 PM

You should have nipped up to Edinburgh to enjoy our "Summer weather" and 86mph gales, if you had braved that I would gifted you a 706 to restore for your bravery!

Phonesrfun · May 24, 2011, 07:19:17 PM

Any Iceland ash coming down there in Edinburgh?

gpo706 · May 24, 2011, 08:00:27 PM

Flights have been cancelled, so not expecting a visitor anytime soon, so the 706 is safe fro the time being.

I had a tent in the back garden but the gales demolished it...

Phonesrfun · May 24, 2011, 09:04:24 PM

We've had cool, rainy, miserable weather in Washington State in the Northwest of the US. However, it sure beats some of the alternatives others in the US are having right now. Seems like many parts of the world are having weird weather too.

HarrySmith · May 24, 2011, 10:04:29 PM

Yes, there has been some bad stuff going on as far as weather lately but not here in South Florida. It has been very boring, Sunny & Hot every day.

AE_Collector · May 28, 2011, 10:38:27 AM

Hi Everyone:

Here's the next installment of my European trip newsletter:

It is Saturday May 28, 2011

We were expecting Turkey to be quite similar to Egypt but we were totally wrong. Apparently it can get to 110F in the summer apparently but it was a pleasant mid 70's sunny day on Wednesday when we were there. Istanbul is a clean city in good repair that is a nice combination of ancient and relatively modern and the people were very friendly. We also visited Kusadasi Turkey where we toured an archaeological site from about 600 BC.

In Athens we took a tour of the city and the Acropolis. We had been there in 1983 and were pleased to see that they are actually doing some restoration work there now. Back in 1983 it seemed like all the parts and pieces from the Parthenon were just lying all over the place with people climbing and sitting on them. The city of Athens in general seemed cleaner and more modern than it did back in 1983.

It rained a bit in the morning but by the time our tour got going it had quit raining and was nice and sunny although not real hot. But later in the afternoon while we were hiking around the acropolis the sky was getting blacker and before long there was lightning and thunder. The rain pretty much held off until we were back on the bus though.

We are on a sea day now heading for Naples Italy on Sunday and then off the ship on Monday. We will either take the train or possibly a tour of Rome from Princess which will get us to a hotel near the airport for the flight home the next morning.

That's it for now.

Terry

AE_Collector · June 02, 2011, 12:11:36 AM

Hi Everyone:

Here's the final installment of my European trip newsletter:

It is Wednesday June 01, 2011

We had a good day at Naples. We had been there 28 years ago on our three month tour of Europe in 1983. We did a tour of Herculaneum which is another city that was buried along with Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. The buried city was first discovered in the early 1700's and it had been very well preserved until then.

The next morning we were back at Civitavecchia near Rome. We got off the ship Monday morning and bought a train ticket to Rome. Once there we stored our suitcases at the train station and bought a day pass on the transit system which allowed us to visit St Peters, Trevi Fountain and the Coliseum. By then we couldn't walk any more so we got a train ticket to Fiumicino which is where the airport is located. We had a hotel booked there for the night and our flight was the next morning.

We had a 2.5 hour flight to Amsterdam where we sat for 2 hours and then a 9 hour flight to Vancouver. Now we just have to recover from the extra long day but I think it is usually easier going west than going east.

No phones found what so ever but then again, I really didn't do much looking. On the flight home we weren't that far away from Edinburgh so I offered the pilot a fiver to put down so I could snag that 706 that GPO offered but oddly he didn't share my enthusiasm. Guess I'll have to put that one on hold for now!

Back to the grind now....well not really, I have several more weeks off of work to goof off and maybe sort out some of the phone stuff that has been piling up around here.

Terry

gpo706 · June 02, 2011, 08:01:34 PM

If it was a low-cost line like Ryanair or Easyjet a tenner would have got them to set down on my main road Terry, then you just knock on the door...

AE_Collector · June 02, 2011, 10:00:47 PM

Quote from: gpo706 on June 02, 2011, 08:01:34 PM
If it was a low-cost line like Ryanair or Easyjet a tenner would have got them to set down on my main road Terry, then you just knock on the door...

My luck you would have been out at a boot sale or something when I knocked on the door. Boy would that have been embarasing getting back onto the plane empty handed and out the tenner!

Terry

Dave F · June 11, 2011, 04:30:03 PM

Hi Terry,

I just now read your original post in this thread, and I wanted to add my condolences to you and your family for the loss of your father.

Dave

AE_Collector · June 13, 2011, 05:34:24 PM

Quote from: Dave F on June 11, 2011, 04:30:03 PM
Hi Terry,

I just now read your original post in this thread, and I wanted to add my condolences to you and your family for the loss of your father.

Dave

Thanks Dave. It has been a hectic few months for us with everything that has been going on. Thanks for the support.

Terry

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Off to Europe for Three Weeks