Holidays & Travels

[Mandalore]

I did a bit of searching on this forum but couldn't find a similar topic. Delete/merge with an old topic if needed!

I spent this week in Poland on a very last minute break (my work are a bit crap at notifying people about summer shutdowns). I stayed at hostels in Katowice and Krakow, with the intention of seeing a few things I'd missed on previous visits. Got up early on the first day and went to Auschwitz, only to find I should've booked online weeks in advance. Apart from that I had a pretty good time though. Visited the Tyskie brewery in Tychy for an interesting 2 hour tour and taster of fresh unpasteurised beer straight from the plant. Had a tour of the salt mine in Wieliczka, it was pretty amazing seeing an entire cathedral carved out of salt hundreds of metres below ground. Lastly I went around the Schindler Factory Museum in Krakow, then chilled out at the annual pierogi festival in the market square.

Anyone else been away recently, or got anything planned?

[bob]

Currently on a 6 week trip of Singapore, Australia, Japan and South Korea! (Last stop subject to the absence of nuclear war)

[Shorty]

Going away with 7 nerdy friends for a week next month! Can't wait. Got our own villa, pool, pool table, ping pong, food, wine, sun and D&D

[Charlie]

I was in Mexico for 2 weeks at the start of June. As per the cliche it feels like a lifetime ago now.

Fortunately, I'm going to Madrid for a lads football weekend on the 25th. Haven't got our tickets for Real Madrid vs Valencia but as soon as the general sale happens we'll grab them. Cannot wait for a bit of sun.

[Mr-Paul]

3 hours ago, Shorty said:

Going away with 7 nerdy friends for a week next month! Can't wait. Got our own villa, pool, pool table, ping pong, food, wine, sun and D&D

Where you going to though? "Away" isn't a country 

I'm off on a big holiday in a month's time. 3 days in Dubai & Abu Dhabi before flying to Brisbane, there for a day before flying up to Cairns for the Barrier Reef and rainforests, back to Brisbane then travelling by coach down to Sydney, stopping off several places on the way. Total of 17 days in Australia.

Never been to Australia, so if anyone has any tips, let me know!

[Shorty]

Sometimes it feels weird telling the whole internet my personal information Last year we went to the South of France, this year it's somewhere a little cheaper but with a few more conveniences nearby.

Had a staycation earlier in the year with a hot tub rental, highly recommend that!

[Mr-Paul]

2 minutes ago, Shorty said:

Sometimes it feels weird telling the whole internet my personal information Last year we went to the South of France, this year it's somewhere a little cheaper but with a few more conveniences nearby.

Had a staycation earlier in the year with a hot tub rental, highly recommend that!

I did think it might be for that reason but I wanted to be nosey  

[Fierce_LiNk]

We go to Belgium quite regularly to see @Eenuh's family. I never really count that as a holiday because...it isn't really. We tend to go to Spain during the summer time. I've always fancied going to Italy. When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with Italian football and used to get up every Saturday morning early to get some cereal and watch Gazzetta Football Italia. I learned about all of these lovely places in Italy thanks to that show and football.

It would be quite cool to go to Japan one day. The problem is that due to work, I'm restricted to only being able to travel at certain times of the year. A.k.a. the most expensive times. Japan is on the list. Maybe some South American places like Argentina, too. 

I've got a teacher friend who goes away every half term to a new destination. It's crazy. I haven't got the energy to do that!

[Zell]

I spent 2 weeks in Bali and Kuala Lumpur back in May, I can safely say it was one of the best holidays I've ever been on. I'm actually going back to Indonesia in September, firstly to Jakarta and then onto Bali again. I'll definitely be looking to explore more of South East Asia in the future.

Also need to start thinking about my next UK excursion. Last summer, myself and a few friends rented an AirBnB with a hot tub in Snowdonia. We were only there for a long weekend but it was a really cheap and easy holiday.

[Ashley]

I do really want to go away but at the moment I don't have the energy or mental facilities to organise anything.  Even somewhere else in this country right now is so draining to think about.

I might take a few days and do some things in London.  

Hopefully I'll go away to Greece again early October, but that depends if my friend goes (as I'd be staying with his parents).  I really wanted to do a mini tour of Italy but may have to be pushed to next year.

[Londragon]

Just got back from my 4 week holiday to the UK.  Letting my son see his father's birthplace, and meet his family,etc.  Did some cool things in London, tourist stuff like Greenwich Observatory, Big Ben, Bus Tour, etc.  Saw one of the boys from N-E forums walking past the Premier Inn near the London Eye, can't remember who but saw your picture on here before, you wear your hair in a top knot, beard, I was having breakfast and there you were walking past outside. 

Then the rest of my vacation was in Wales, Cardiff, Ystrad Mynach, Neath, Swansea, Black Mountains, Brecon, etc.  Jam packed holiday, and my son settled in really well with my family.  So enjoyable, but exhausting.  Won't be doing it again for a long time, so I hope some of my family can visit me for a change.  Thanks UK.

[Fierce_LiNk]

6 hours ago, londragon said:

Just got back from my 4 week holiday to the UK.  Letting my son see his father's birthplace, and meet his family,etc.  Did some cool things in London, tourist stuff like Greenwich Observatory, Big Ben, Bus Tour, etc.  Saw one of the boys from N-E forums walking past the Premier Inn near the London Eye, can't remember who but saw your picture on here before, you wear your hair in a top knot, beard, I was having breakfast and there you were walking past outside. 

Then the rest of my vacation was in Wales, Cardiff, Ystrad Mynach, Neath, Swansea, Black Mountains, Brecon, etc.  Jam packed holiday, and my son settled in really well with my family.  So enjoyable, but exhausting.  Won't be doing it again for a long time, so I hope some of my family can visit me for a change.  Thanks UK.

Ystraaaaad Mynaaaaach. I used to do a lot of supply teaching there. Where did you grow up and where are you living now? I used to live in Newport and spent tons of time in Cardiff before venturing further south.

[Eenuh]

17 hours ago, Ashley said:

 I really wanted to do a mini tour of Italy but may have to be pushed to next year.

A tour of Italy is high on my list of things I want to do!

I did it once when I was 18 with my Latin class, we toured through Italy for 10 days on a coach and had our Latin teachers take us to all the monuments, ruins, museums etc. and they would tell us all the facts you otherwise wouldn't pick up. Loved it.

We went to Venice, Pisa, Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pompeii, Paestum, Siena, and probably lots of other places I'm forgetting.
No idea how we fit it all in though!
But yeah this is something I'd like to do again.

That and going to Disneyworld in Florida!

Edited August 15, 2017 by Eenuh

[Pestneb]

1 hour ago, Fierce_LiNk said:

 Where did you grow up and where are you living now?

I was wondering the same so checked his profile

From his profile: Location: Taiwan

From the end of his post I'm wondering if he's been effectively kicked out thanks to the progressive immigration laws in the UK.  If so, I'm in a similar boat.

[Londragon]

17 minutes ago, Pestneb said:

I was wondering the same so checked his profile

From his profile: Location: Taiwan

From the end of his post I'm wondering if he's been effectively kicked out thanks to the progressive immigration laws in the UK.  If so, I'm in a similar boat.

Haha, not quite.  I left on my own volition.  Family and work.  How did you get moved out of the UK?  Recently?

1 hour ago, Fierce_LiNk said:

Ystraaaaad Mynaaaaach. I used to do a lot of supply teaching there. Where did you grow up and where are you living now? I used to live in Newport and spent tons of time in Cardiff before venturing further south.

I'm originally from Neath, but been all over in my travels.  Ever been to Neath?  Ystrad Mynach is due to one of my brothers moving there for work.  His wife works in teaching also, but started within the last 4 years.  What school were you supplying in?  My other brother lives in Thornhill/Llaes Faen (similar commuter belt for Cardiff area, nice area though).  I don't see them ever moving back to Neath, and I don't blame them.  Haha (I'm not either, Taiwan suits me too well, food, weather, good looking girls, easy laid back way of living).  

[Fierce_LiNk]

36 minutes ago, Pestneb said:

I was wondering the same so checked his profile

From his profile: Location: Taiwan

From the end of his post I'm wondering if he's been effectively kicked out thanks to the progressive immigration laws in the UK.  If so, I'm in a similar boat.

What's your situation, if you don't mind me asking? Are you in France, or have I got that wrong?

 

9 minutes ago, londragon said:

Haha, not quite.  I left on my own volition.  Family and work.  How did you get moved out of the UK?  Recently?

I'm originally from Neath, but been all over in my travels.  Ever been to Neath?  Ystrad Mynach is due to one of my brothers moving there for work.  His wife works in teaching also, but started within the last 4 years.  What school were you supplying in?  My other brother lives in Thornhill/Llaes Faen (similar commuter belt for Cardiff area, nice area though).  I don't see them ever moving back to Neath, and I don't blame them.  Haha (I'm not either, Taiwan suits me too well, food, weather, good looking girls, easy laid back way of living).  

I did supply teaching at Ystrad Mynach Primary School. The one about two streets over from the train station. Seemed like a nice school from what I can remember, but this was over 8 years ago now.

I've never been to Neath, but I know of it. Since moving out of Wales, I've never had the urge to move back. I prefer living in England. Really like the South! 

Had you ever been to Taiwan before moving over permanently? I know very little about the country. 

[Londragon]

I know that school.  My niece will be going to a Welsh speaking school up the hill a little bit from there.  Neath is a hole, so I've never had the urge to go back either.  Spent a lot of time in Southampton and Bournemouth, and loved the South also.  Met my future wife, Taiwanese, in Bournemouth, and we visited Taiwan together a few times before marrying, then falling pregnant and moving permanently.  The only thing I miss is my family, Skype makes it much easier.

Taiwan straddles the Tropic of Cancer, so it's half tropical and half sub-tropical.  Like Adrian Cronauer says, "It's hot and wet", but it's old Dutch name was Formosa "the beautiful Island", and it lives up to its name in spades.  95% of the population are refugees/descendants of the 1959 Chinese Civil War with the Maoists, so are Mandarin speakers.  Taiwan is liberal and democratic.  It's the first Asian country to legalise same sex marriage.  Modernity and tradition live hand in hand.

[bob]

Currently staying in a capsule hotel in Tokyo, and it's been great. Until tonight, when a load of LADS have appeared and are being very loud and arseholey. One loud American dude proclaimed, 'Yeah, they turn the lights off after 10pm to get us to be quiet. We don't have to though.'

I'm tutting silently in my capsule.

[nightwolf]

Ah holidays! It feels like an age since I had one.

 

Much like @Fierce_LiNkI travel to visit my folks in France and don't really class that as a holiday, much like I didn't when they lived in Manchester. 

This year however, I'm off to Dubai! I've been meaning to go for some time and my old housemate always gets good deals on business class flights. Its cost me a small fortune but its worth it.

 

Next year, as its my partners 30th we're hopefully off to Japan, so fingers crossed for that in Sept

[Ashley]

7 hours ago, Eenuh said:

A tour of Italy is high on my list of things I want to do!

I did it once when I was 18 with my Latin class, we toured through Italy for 10 days on a coach and had our Latin teachers take us to all the monuments, ruins, museums etc. and they would tell us all the facts you otherwise wouldn't pick up. Loved it.

We went to Venice, Pisa, Rome, Vatican City, Florence, Pompeii, Paestum, Siena, and probably lots of other places I'm forgetting.
No idea how we fit it all in though!
But yeah this is something I'd like to do again.

That and going to Disneyworld in Florida!

Let's go with Jim so it saves me going to Bournemouth!

[Eenuh]

Decided I actually want to make work of a trip to Italy, possibly for the upcoming Easter break!

Only problem is I have no clue where to start on this.
Has anyone here done a tour of Italy? Did you book it all with a specific company or did you just book everything yourself? Did you travel around by car, coach or public transport?

Also, what places should be on our list to visit? I think a trip of about 10 days would be nice, and I definitely want to go to Rome, Florence and possibly Pompeii. But I'm not sure how much time it would take us to get around. Hmmm...

[Ashley]

1 hour ago, Eenuh said:

Decided I actually want to make work of a trip to Italy, possibly for the upcoming Easter break!

Only problem is I have no clue where to start on this.
Has anyone here done a tour of Italy? Did you book it all with a specific company or did you just book everything yourself? Did you travel around by car, coach or public transport?

Also, what places should be on our list to visit? I think a trip of about 10 days would be nice, and I definitely want to go to Rome, Florence and possibly Pompeii. But I'm not sure how much time it would take us to get around. Hmmm...

I'm no expert but my plan was a mixture of Airbnb and trains.  Some routes are more easily accessible than others (due to the landscape), but you can get between Florence and Rome easily.  This map is the best I can find to show how things connect, but obviously there are smaller local services too:

 

My friend raves about Palermo but requires a boat from the mainland.

I booked my ticket from Modena to Firenze (via Bologna) online when I was there and it was fairly straight forward and the trains were nice.  I think you guys should be fine given you've been to a number of different countries and used different transport yourself.

I think you could do about 4 or 5 places depending on their closeness and how much time you want to stay in places.  From what I recall the Bologna to Firenze journey was about an hour and a half, but you can look at some of the ticket booking sites to get a sense of journey durations.

[bob]

Currently sat in the airport waiting to go to South Korea. Really hoping Donnie doesn't start anything while I'm there.