The Travel Thread

Exciting adventures IRL.
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Achtung Englander
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Achtung Englander » Fri Nov 15, 2019 10:24 pm

So I just completed a week holiday in Florence and it is everything people say it is. This place is amazing. If you live art and great food, than this is the place for you. Coming close to Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Da Vinci and the Medici art collection in all of its glory, this is probably one of the best breaks I have ever had. The queues are short because its off season and the fact you get close to so much beautiful art is simply amazing.

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by elgaucho » Sat Nov 16, 2019 8:34 am

Nice! I've always heard good things but I never think of it when planning trips!
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Medicine Man » Sat Nov 16, 2019 4:17 pm

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Stormbringer » Sat Nov 16, 2019 6:05 pm

I went there once in October 2005 and once again in August 2016. I preferred the 2005 trip as it was cooler and there were no queues. This is definitely the time of year to visit. It is my favourite city in Italy due to how small it is and also pedestrian friendly.
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Achtung Englander » Sat Nov 16, 2019 8:50 pm

Personally I found the city to be more captivating than Venice (before it became flooded !). No American fast food joints, amazing restaurants, lovely people and some of the most amazing art I have ever seen. It is the best city I have ever visited. It is like living in art.

I am definitely up for replaying Assassin Creed 2

Caravaggio Medusa & Da Vinci's Annunciation just blew me away. The Medusa is on a shield and it is so powerful. The colours are just sublime. I have never seen anything like it. And the Annunciation was painted by Da Vinci when we just 20 years old. Beyond comprehension. Pictures cannot do them justice.
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elgaucho
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by elgaucho » Sun Nov 17, 2019 6:07 am

Yeah... Venice is beautiful, if only you could see over the thronging crowds and the vast commercialisation....

When I went a couple of years back it was fairly flooded too, with everyone walking on gangplanks to get from a to b. Florence sounds like where I should have gone!
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Snowy » Mon Nov 18, 2019 8:15 am

My wife and I love Italy, we have been there many times. Rome and Vatican City are both amazing, but my favourite place I think is Lake Garda. We have stayed there a couple of times, basing ourselves out of Riva Del Garda at the North end of the lake. The lake is massive, and you can get a water-taxi (actually a reasonably sized boat, enough for a good 100+ people) to travel around the towns all round the lake.

There are some beautiful little towns, Limone in particular was a favourite for us, we found a little bar with the terrace sat under a mass of lemon trees. Sitting in the green-hued light drinking a beer and watching the world go by is just idyllic.

The history buff in me was also well served, with the Castello Scaligero di Lazise giving a great view over the lake and the Rocca di Riva fortress nestled on the slopes of the Dolomite mountains above Riva itself (a tough walk up to it but well worth it).
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by arqueturus » Mon Nov 18, 2019 2:07 pm

Italy is just the best place.

I've been to Rimoni, San Marino, Genoa, Sardinia and Venice (unflooded) and of the all only Venice disapointed but still managed to be fantastic off the beaten track. I like the lifestyle so much that we'd both like to move there.

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Achtung Englander
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Achtung Englander » Mon Nov 18, 2019 3:04 pm

yeah Italy has really gone up in my appreciation of what makes for a good life
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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Rossell » Tue Feb 25, 2020 9:37 pm

So I was planning on going to Copenhagen end of march. However with the coronavirus bearing down and the fact I'm asthmatic making me more likely to cork it if I catch it, I'm thinking of cancelling.

Likely going to lose £120 in total because of the flight but I suppose that's better than a kick in the lungs. What do you guys think?

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Mantis » Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:22 pm

I get the feeling that this whole virus debacle is already far under-reported from what we've been led to believe. By the end of March I imagine it'll be all over the world on a pretty large scale.

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Strudel » Wed Feb 26, 2020 2:27 pm

Under-reported? I'm not sure what local paper you've been reading but it's a major story every day on the Guardian home page. If anything, it's being over-reported. It's just a new flu strain, the only reason it's getting so much attention is because of the unknown mortality rate but it's unlikely to end up being much higher than standard seasonal strains.

I'm off to Greece next week, where they've just had their first confirmed case. I'm not worried about catching it; I just hope it doesn't mess up the travel or what we can see when we're there.

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Mantis » Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:05 pm

I mean the number of confirmed cases are under-reported, not that it isn't in the news enough.

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Sly Boots » Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:09 pm

I've seen it said the Chinese cases are likely much much higher than reported due to the number of people self-quarantining and going unrecorded.

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Re: The Travel Thread

Post by Achtung Englander » Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:21 pm

I booked a family holiday to Portugal this summer. At this rate I might need to cancel it !
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