Take a Vacation

[wuapinmon]

Looks awesome, Wuap. My family and I were in Croatia for three months last year () and we spent a week each in Bosnia and Montenegro. You are probably doing a side trip to Mostar, Bosnia and Kotor, Montenegro. My advice: skip the Mostar trip and spend more time in Montenegro. Kotor is the most stunning place I've ever seen; the old town is amazing (but touristy), but there are dozens of other towns on the bay that have a nice place to eat seafood and spend the day. Mostar, on the other hand, has a famous bridge and that is pretty much it; and that bridge is a replacement of the original bridge which was destroyed in the Croat-Serb-Bosniak cluster F of a few decades ago.

TL;DR: more croatia/montenegro, less mostar.

Also, too much UK time for my taste, but to each their own.

Good to know, and thanks for the recommendation. Now, the UK is dope and I love it. I could spend 2-3 just in the British Museum. But, I'm a bird watcher, don't forget, so I could spend a lifetime just go around birding in this marsh, that forest, aquel moor. But, mostly, we're meeting a former student there, I've got about 10 people I know who live in London, and they all want to see me/us, so, there's some service time in there too.

I personally would vote for England. When I retire I want to spend a couple of months just wandering around the place - so much history . Of course I want to do the same thing for the rest of Europe also. I really want to go back and see where I went to High School (It's no longer there) and lived in Germany (Bamberg, Ansbach, Herzogenaurch - the home of Adidas).

When I retire, Mickelle and I are going to spend a month each in the following cities:

1. Florianapolis, Brazil
2. Viña del Mar, Chile
3. Cuenca, Ecuador
4. Bogotá, Colombia
5. Mérida, México
6. Bermuda
7. Halifax, NS, Canada
8. Stanhope, PEI, Canada
9. Bergen, Norway
10. Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
11. Gijón, Spain
12. O Porto, Portugal
13. Granada, Spain
14. Marrakech, Morocco
15. Libreville, Gabon
16. Windhoek, Namibia
17. Doha, Qatar
18. Tel Aviv, Israel
19. Singapore
20. Thimphu, Bhutan
21. Sapporo, Japan
22. Busan, South Korea
23. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
24. Kerikeri, NZ
25. Perth, Australia
26. Cairns, Australia
27. Pago Pago, American Samoa
28. Hilo, Hawaii
29. Nanaimo, BC, Canada
30. Santa Fe, New Mexico

[wuapinmon]

With all those languages I can't imagine why anyone would be concerned travelling with you. I have been to a fair few places and always managed to get through with English, mission French and some cultural humility and patience.

Once, at a St. Hubert's restaurant near St. Louis du Ha! Ha!, Quebec, I couldn't understand the waitress and she didn't speak English. I was struggling to think of some words to tell her we didn't want a booth, in French, and she was impatient and huffed and went and got someone who spoke English. Because of that one time, my wife frets if we go somewhere they don't speak Spanish or Portuguese.

[beefytee]

Good to know, and thanks for the recommendation. Now, the UK is dope and I love it. I could spend 2-3 just in the British Museum. But, I'm a bird watcher, don't forget, so I could spend a lifetime just go around birding in this marsh, that forest, aquel moor. But, mostly, we're meeting a former student there, I've got about 10 people I know who live in London, and they all want to see me/us, so, there's some service time in there too.



When I retire, Mickelle and I are going to spend a month each in the following cities:

1. Florianapolis, Brazil
2. Viña del Mar, Chile
3. Cuenca, Ecuador
4. Bogotá, Colombia
5. Mérida, México
6. Bermuda
7. Halifax, NS, Canada
8. Stanhope, PEI, Canada
9. Bergen, Norway
10. Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
11. Gijón, Spain
12. O Porto, Portugal
13. Granada, Spain
14. Marrakech, Morocco
15. Libreville, Gabon
16. Windhoek, Namibia
17. Doha, Qatar
18. Tel Aviv, Israel
19. Singapore
20. Thimphu, Bhutan
21. Sapporo, Japan
22. Busan, South Korea
23. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
24. Kerikeri, NZ
25. Perth, Australia
26. Cairns, Australia
27. Pago Pago, American Samoa
28. Hilo, Hawaii
29. Nanaimo, BC, Canada
30. Santa Fe, New Mexico

PEI and Nova Scotia are pretty close. What are your plans that they would require separate months?

For the record, I've been to 2 places on your list. Busan and Nanaimo. They are great places.

I really should have made it out to Halifax when my brother lived there and my parents were on a mission there. My brother is now in the process of moving to Qatar, and I don't know that I will regret not visiting him there.

[Northwestcoug]

Once, at a St. Hubert's restaurant near St. Louis du Ha! Ha!, Quebec, I couldn't understand the waitress and she didn't speak English. I was struggling to think of some words to tell her we didn't want a booth, in French, and she was impatient and huffed and went and got someone who spoke English. Because of that one time, my wife frets if we go somewhere they don't speak Spanish or Portuguese.

You might have forgotten the cardinal rule when speaking English in non-Montreal Quebec: "Je suis Americain"! That usually softens the pure laine francophones up a bit

[creekster]

Good to know, and thanks for the recommendation. Now, the UK is dope and I love it. I could spend 2-3 just in the British Museum. But, I'm a bird watcher, don't forget, so I could spend a lifetime just go around birding in this marsh, that forest, aquel moor. But, mostly, we're meeting a former student there, I've got about 10 people I know who live in London, and they all want to see me/us, so, there's some service time in there too.



When I retire, Mickelle and I are going to spend a month each in the following cities:


24. Kerikeri, NZ

Having spent a fair amount of time in numerous spots in NZ, including Kerikeri, I am curious why this particular NZ spot is on your list?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Interesting list.

I would also like to do long visits like that in retirement. Sounds really fun.

[Northwestcoug]

We've been musing about long vacations after retirement also. We were planning on this when we got our latest puppy, reasoning she would be gone before we retire and free us up for long trips. We'll see if our resolve lasts.

For now, I'd like to do England, Hawaii, and B.C. as long trips to start.

[Bo Diddley]

I'd love to do 2 months in a location, but Mrs. Diddley gets homesick after 2 weeks.

[chrisrenrut]

Good to know, and thanks for the recommendation. Now, the UK is dope and I love it. I could spend 2-3 just in the British Museum. But, I'm a bird watcher, don't forget, so I could spend a lifetime just go around birding in this marsh, that forest, aquel moor. But, mostly, we're meeting a former student there, I've got about 10 people I know who live in London, and they all want to see me/us, so, there's some service time in there too.



When I retire, Mickelle and I are going to spend a month each in the following cities:

1. Florianapolis, Brazil
2. Viña del Mar, Chile
3. Cuenca, Ecuador
4. Bogotá, Colombia
5. Mérida, México
6. Bermuda
7. Halifax, NS, Canada
8. Stanhope, PEI, Canada
9. Bergen, Norway
10. Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
11. Gijón, Spain
12. O Porto, Portugal
13. Granada, Spain
14. Marrakech, Morocco
15. Libreville, Gabon
16. Windhoek, Namibia
17. Doha, Qatar
18. Tel Aviv, Israel
19. Singapore
20. Thimphu, Bhutan
21. Sapporo, Japan
22. Busan, South Korea
23. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
24. Kerikeri, NZ
25. Perth, Australia
26. Cairns, Australia
27. Pago Pago, American Samoa
28. Hilo, Hawaii
29. Nanaimo, BC, Canada
30. Santa Fe, New Mexico

I would move Nanaimo up on the list, and also move location about 40 km north to Parksville. Much smaller and nicer. Easy access to the route to the west coast and northern island communities.

Fun fact, when I was in Parksville in the early 90’s on my culturally encouraged volunteer service opportunity, nearly 10% of the Parksville/Qualicum population were Jehovahs Witnesses. It made knocking on doors in that area an interesting, but an even-less-than-normal unfruitful activity.

[hostile]

I would move Nanaimo up on the list, and also move location about 40 km north to Parksville. Much smaller and nicer. Easy access to the route to the west coast and northern island communities.

Fun fact, when I was in Parksville in the early 90’s on my culturally encouraged volunteer service opportunity, newly 10% of the Parksville/Qualicum population were Jehovahs Witnesses. It made knocking on doors in that area an interesting but even-less-than-normal unfruitful activity.

I met Detlef Schrempf on the sea plane dock in Nanaimo

[wuapinmon]

PEI and Nova Scotia are pretty close. What are your plans that they would require separate months?

For the record, I've been to 2 places on your list. Busan and Nanaimo. They are great places.

I really should have made it out to Halifax when my brother lived there and my parents were on a mission there. My brother is now in the process of moving to Qatar, and I don't know that I will regret not visiting him there.

I love Canada. PEI is the most gorgeous place in North America that I've been. And, Halifax, well, birds.

You might have forgotten the cardinal rule when speaking English in non-Montreal Quebec: "Je suis Americain"! That usually softens the pure laine francophones up a bit

I tried that, if I remember correctly. I think I may have misprounounced putain.

Having spent a fair amount of time in numerous spots in NZ, including Kerikeri, I am curious why this particular NZ spot is on your list?

Birds. The variety of habitat in that area allows for viewing shorebirds, passerines, and other native birds that you can't see as easily, all in once place, as there.

Interesting list.

I would also like to do long visits like that in retirement. Sounds really fun.

Yeah. I expect it'll cost about 10% of our net worth. After that, we can buy and RV and go places in North America if we want to, slowly sliding into old age.

We've been musing about long vacations after retirement also. We were planning on this when we got our latest puppy, reasoning she would be gone before we retire and free us up for long trips. We'll see if our resolve lasts.

For now, I'd like to do England, Hawaii, and B.C. as long trips to start.

Hawaii is an amazing place. I didn't care for Honolulu, and it was 30 years ago that I was there. But, the big island was really neat, and the parts of Oahu we went where there weren't as many people seemed interesting. Plus, I hear they have birds there, so, I'm in.

I would move Nanaimo up on the list, and also move location about 40 km north to Parksville. Much smaller and nicer. Easy access to the route to the west coast and northern island communities.

Fun fact, when I was in Parksville in the early 90’s on my culturally encouraged volunteer service opportunity, nearly 10% of the Parksville/Qualicum population were Jehovahs Witnesses. It made knocking on doors in that area an interesting, but an even-less-than-normal unfruitful activity.

The list isn't in order, as it were, but more of how I went around the map. I have been to Parksville, but we didn't spend much time there. My grandpa wanted to go back to this restaurant he had eaten at in the 60's (the day we landed on the moon, actually). It wasn't there anymore.

I met Detlef Schrempf on the sea plane dock in Nanaimo

Was he there with Entertainment 720?

[Commando]

Having spent a fair amount of time in numerous spots in NZ, including Kerikeri, I am curious why this particular NZ spot is on your list?

I did an internship for several weeks in Hamilton and several in New Plymouth-- wow I wish I had a trust fund or some kind of skill that was marketable outside the U.S.

[hostile]

I love Canada. PEI is the most gorgeous place in North America that I've been.

And the potatoes are the best!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=HtySGSuKZe8

Was he there with Entertainment 720?

No. Just heading out for some fishing

[clackamascoug]

Good to know, and thanks for the recommendation. Now, the UK is dope and I love it. I could spend 2-3 just in the British Museum. But, I'm a bird watcher, don't forget, so I could spend a lifetime just go around birding in this marsh, that forest, aquel moor. But, mostly, we're meeting a former student there, I've got about 10 people I know who live in London, and they all want to see me/us, so, there's some service time in there too.



When I retire, Mickelle and I are going to spend a month each in the following cities:

1. Florianapolis, Brazil
2. Viña del Mar, Chile
3. Cuenca, Ecuador
4. Bogotá, Colombia
5. Mérida, México
6. Bermuda
7. Halifax, NS, Canada
8. Stanhope, PEI, Canada
9. Bergen, Norway
10. Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
11. Gijón, Spain
12. O Porto, Portugal
13. Granada, Spain
14. Marrakech, Morocco
15. Libreville, Gabon
16. Windhoek, Namibia
17. Doha, Qatar
18. Tel Aviv, Israel
19. Singapore
20. Thimphu, Bhutan
21. Sapporo, Japan
22. Busan, South Korea
23. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
24. Kerikeri, NZ
25. Perth, Australia
26. Cairns, Australia
27. Pago Pago, American Samoa
28. Hilo, Hawaii
29. Nanaimo, BC, Canada
30. Santa Fe, New Mexico

I don't see Portland on your list. Portland is #1 when it comes to being #1 on lists.

usurp this ,|,

[wuapinmon]

I don't see Portland on your list. Portland is #1 when it comes to being #1 on lists.

usurp this ,|,

I've been to Portland. It's like Seattle without anything cool to do.