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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Feb 14, 2024 10:23:18 GMT
Watch your bags on the Belgian trains. I was sat in 1st Class and some bugger nicked my suitcase from under my seat and legged it off the train.
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Post by Big Blue on Feb 14, 2024 22:46:24 GMT
We’re watching a movie. They arrive in Bali. W2.1 looks at the scenery and says “I need to get back to browsing again: I’ve got 63 windows open on my phone of different holidays.”
Going to be a stressful couple of months as she makes up our mind….
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Post by johnc on Feb 15, 2024 11:20:45 GMT
I don't worry about it. When my mind is made up, I will be told!
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Post by johnc on Feb 15, 2024 11:28:20 GMT
We might be heading to San Francisco later in the year. My best friend from my late teens/20's moved to California a long time ago for work and never came back. The last time I saw him was about 15 years ago but we Whatsapp each other every now and then so it's about time we see him again. He has a nice big yacht too and regularly sails out under the Golden Gate Bridge so that would be a definite if we go out. However another reason is that one of Susan's friends has met a guy in San Francisco and the word is that there might be a wedding in August, so we are not planning anything else until we know dates etc. I can contemplate California while we enjoy a rest in the sun in Marbella next week.
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Post by Tim on Feb 15, 2024 11:50:20 GMT
My holiday future appears to be a road trip to Czech and a week 'Up North'. Hopefully we'll get similar weather to last year.
We'll need to keep holidays for moving house at some point as well.
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Post by Martin on Feb 15, 2024 11:54:15 GMT
We’re watching a movie. They arrive in Bali. W2.1 looks at the scenery and says “I need to get back to browsing again: I’ve got 63 windows open on my phone of different holidays.” Going to be a stressful couple of months as she makes up our mind…. Bali is a strong possibility for us in August 2025 as we’ll be back to working around school holidays and most of the Far East isn’t great at that time of year. I haven’t been since 2001 and could combine it with Singapore, which is one of our favourite cities. Flights aren’t cheap though, probably 30% more than Thailand / Malaysia / USA. |
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Post by Boxer6 on Feb 15, 2024 19:01:53 GMT
My holiday future appears to be a road trip to Czech and a week 'Up North'. Hopefully we'll get similar weather to last year. We'll need to keep holidays for moving house at some point as well. Again? Is there a hint of the Traveller about you two?   |
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Post by Tim on Feb 16, 2024 9:03:32 GMT
Nah, we're on the run from creditors I think there's a danger that we've moved so many times that we'll just not settle - a bit like folk who've been in the armed forces for a really long time. Plus there are a lot of irritations with the house we're in now that offset the great view, lack of immediate neigbours and large garden (that I'm not entirely sure what to do with!). We either stay and spend £100k on various improvements (but still retain some of the irritations) or add that £100k to what the house is worth and move to something else. |
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Post by johnc on Feb 16, 2024 10:34:52 GMT
Something like this would be nice: thorntons-property.co.uk/St-Andrews/KY16/1-Smithy-Lane-Balmullo-4-bedroom-BungalowWe also have a friend who may be selling a 4/5 bed new build house (maybe 6 years old) in the same area but it has a few other houses around it. Likely to be on the market May/June time. Even if you don't want the house, the owner is in the category of being about as beautiful as it possible to be! |
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Post by Tim on Feb 16, 2024 11:12:24 GMT
Hmm that is super bland and very reminiscent of our last house as a 1990s build. Something like this sort of appeals www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/135999746#/?channel=RES_BUYExcept that you'll see no mention of a driveway let alone a garage (it has neither), it's 1 minute walk from our last house and the bit where you would park your car (across from the White Chimneys cafe thing) pending discussions with the council about creating a driveway has been a couple of feet under water several times recently! On the last overhead photo you can see 3 cars parked at the bottom centre of the thin yellow line (next to the big copper beech). That's your parking! The boundary wall there is a good 8 feet high. This also appeals a LOT (subject to a bit of redecorating - who wants a fuscia pink ceiling or walls ) www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/144062543#/?channel=RES_BUYExcept a) it's in Kinglassie and probably the most expensive house in the whole village which is counter oo that thought of 'try to buy the cheapest house in an expensive street' idea. b) it overlooks Westfield which is a former opencast mine (I think at one time it was the deepest man-made hole in Europe) that became a waste site and now has some sort of power station plus 3 large wind turbines. c) a new road/track is being put in on the continuation of the track its on which leads me to suspect some more large wind turbines are imminent d) It's got 5 bedrooms which is a tad excessive for 2 people although if we get a 4 bed 2 will be turned into offices for WFH e) The rear garden is a bit small for the size of house plus if you look at it on satellite view its likely there'll be building in the field behind it f) It's in Kinglassie (worth mentioning twice!) |
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Post by johnc on Feb 16, 2024 12:52:19 GMT
Kinglassie is somewhere I have a vague recollection of but it would have been 30 + years ago since I drove through it. It's not exactly a nip into Dundee location but you have the equally salubrious Kircaldy for shopping. Location location location.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Feb 16, 2024 12:54:12 GMT
My holiday future appears to be a road trip to Czech and a week 'Up North'. Hopefully we'll get similar weather to last year. We'll need to keep holidays for moving house at some point as well. Again? Is there a hint of the Traveller about you two? You’re not suggesting his home may have wheels? And a tow hook? |
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Post by Roadrunner on Feb 16, 2024 12:54:50 GMT
Both are nice and about half the price they would be around here...
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Post by Boxer6 on Feb 16, 2024 19:29:40 GMT
Again? Is there a hint of the Traveller about you two? You’re not suggesting his home may have wheels? And a tow hook? Certainly not!! (Probably  ) |
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 26, 2024 11:21:34 GMT
I've been wracking my brains on what to get Lindsey for her 50th. An idea popped into my head this morning and I've booked three nights in Vienna at the end of November to coincide with front row tickets to a display at the Spanish Riding School.
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Post by Martin on Apr 26, 2024 12:12:31 GMT
I've been wracking my brains on what to get Lindsey for her 50th. An idea popped into my head this morning and I've booked three nights in Vienna at the end of November to coincide with front row tickets to a display at the Spanish Riding School. Very nice. We had our 'minimoon' in Vienna, I had no idea what one of those was until it was suggested to me! It was also at the end of November, so enjoyed the Christmas Markets and Ice Skating as well as plenty of strudel. Have you sorted the hotel? To my original list, we've added a long weekend in a cottage in Norfolk next BH and 4 days at Disneyland Paris in July. We've also booked 9 days in the UAE for February Half Term, so getting started on 2025..... |
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Post by LandieMark on Apr 26, 2024 12:49:27 GMT
Yes, part of the package - staying at The Ambassador.
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Post by Big Blue on Apr 26, 2024 17:16:23 GMT
Yes, part of the package - staying at The Ambassador. Nice. Right in the middle. I love Vienna - stopovers at the Marriott are in order for us. Get the CAT train straight from the airport to Wien Mitte then U3 straight to St Stephen’s for the full Teutonic Green-transport experience. |
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Post by PG on May 1, 2024 5:42:35 GMT
We liked Vienna when we visited some years ago. Spanish Riding School definitely worth the trip.
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Post by LandieMark on May 28, 2024 7:16:14 GMT
Just back from a week in Santorini. We stayed in Pyrgos which used to be the capital village many years ago. Overall impressions are that it is a lovely island being destroyed by the hoards of mainly US tourists from the half a dozen cruise ships that dock daily in the port and then go on buses to Oia (the little village that is the epitome of Santorini that everyone sees on Instagram). Pyrgos was similar in architecure, but more low key thankfully. We visited Oia but didn't stay long. I counted maybe 30 full size buses in the car park - that's minimum 1500 people which is ridiculous. That doesn't include the cars, quad bikes and mini buses. Overall a relaxing holiday though, which was the point. Pyrgos  |
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Post by Roadrunner on May 28, 2024 10:10:22 GMT
I have always wanted to visit Santorini, but loathe commercial touristy places, so will take your advice and head for Pyrgos if I go there.
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Post by Roadrunner on May 28, 2024 10:14:08 GMT
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Post by Big Blue on May 28, 2024 14:19:44 GMT
W2.1 is off for a short break to Santorini with three girlie friends and one of them is getting married (again). They've rented some villa with a pool and the level of dieting in our house is unsustainable (two of the other three are mental fitness freaks ike only Slavs can be!).
W2.1 would love that Kerry trip.
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Post by Roadrunner on May 28, 2024 15:18:04 GMT
As a dose of icing on the cake, we met up with some friends from Lincolnshire who just so happened to be in that corner of Ireland at the same time. They are doing a road trip along the 'Wild Atlantic Way' which is a scenic route up the coast. While the womenfolk chatted girlie stuff, Mark and I had a good look around his recent acquisition, in the shape of a 718 Boxter. An ex-demo / showroom car, it is fully loaded with all the necessary extras, such as Sport Chrono, sports exhaust, full extended leather, with Porsche embossed headrests, Bose sound etc. Smurf blue, with black interior it is probably the perfect couple's roadtrip car.
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Post by LandieMark on May 28, 2024 15:34:55 GMT
I fancy doing Ireland with the 'van at some point.
Due to the Whippet aging and not doing very well in kennels, we have decided to limit foreign holidays for the next few years. I find air travel pretty unbearable since Easyjet pulled out of Newcastle as well. Jet2 have the monopoly on the holiday destinations and it is a race to the bottom in terms of service and comfort.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 28, 2024 20:08:39 GMT
We’re off to Crete in a fortnight via Jet2 out of Newcastle. We find their service excellent, both at Newcastle and on the island. The staff are always very helpful and you never have to queue long, with plenty of desks open. A step above EasyJet and Ryanair.
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Post by LandieMark on May 28, 2024 20:27:50 GMT
Sadly can't agree. We had some incredibly rude cabin crew last year - my wife was told she would have to wait for cabin service to finish before they would let her use the toilet - I've never come across that before - they will usually let you stand out of the isle and let you past the trolley and I can't get away with the seats for more than a couple of hours - plastic pieces of crap.
Arrived Newcastle 2am this morning to be waiting 30 minutes for buses to disembark. All normal announcements played at normal volume and all their advertising guff played full volume without consideration to the time of night throughout the flight. Lights on and off in the cabin like a disco didn't make for a comfortable or relaxing flight. Wife tried to hand an empty bottle for disposal at the end and was told to dispose of it herself. Should have just left it on the seat.
Boeing 737s are horrible, noisy things to fly on compared to the equivalent Airbus. After Vienna in November I won't be using them again.
Check in was via the automatic machine - weren't allowed a human and they blocked off access to passport control other than the machines (this was Jet2 uniformed staff). After queuing an age I had to queue again for a human as the machine wouldn't read my passport. Total shambles.
I realise that I do sound like ChrisM a little bit here. 😉
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on May 28, 2024 21:04:29 GMT
I’ll be honest, they looked after us brilliantly in March when 12 of us went golfing in Turkey - from check in and through the flight.
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Post by LandieMark on May 28, 2024 21:14:53 GMT
That's fair enough. I had no issue with the Greek airport side - that was a slick operation and the transfer and hotel was great. I just feel that the flight side of things used to be a lot better than it is now. I started using them when the only base was Leeds.
I was impressed with the departure hall in Newcastle now. The posh cafe/bar was a step up from queuing at 'spoons or whatever franchise runs the normal pub - certainly better than booking a lounge.
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Post by Martin on May 29, 2024 7:41:35 GMT
European short haul isn’t great with any airline.
We flew with Jet2 just over 10 years ago and it was fine, helped by them using another carrier with a long haul aircraft so a bit more legroom. The worst part by far was the transfer, it wasn’t all that long, but waiting for people who were getting a drink / having a cigarette / chatting while other buses were heading off when it was already quite late didn’t get the holiday off to a relaxing start.
We’re flying with BA on Saturday and I’m not looking forward to it, feels like a means to an end rather than part of the holiday. BA short haul isn’t great, but I didn’t want to fly from Gatwick and wanted civilised flight times (both departures are around mid-day) so it was the only option for this trip.
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