The New Travel Thread: Now with write ups in the OP

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by Jax Teller, Apr 8, 2015.

  1. skeezy

    skeezy what is this? meowschwitz?
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    That’s one
    Of my issues. I’m a 52L
     
  2. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    One of my old neighbors is Dutch. I can hook you up with a phone call if you’d like
     
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  3. WhiskeyDelta

    WhiskeyDelta Well-Known Member
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    Brussels has a pretty cool miniature village type thing that has a miniature of every EU country. They built it before Brexit so they painted big "EXITING THE EU" and "ENTERING THE EU" border lines for when you go into/out of the UK section. It's right next to Atomium building (pictured below) which I've heard isn't really worth going into.

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    It's a bit of a sarcastic show but I like watching the Travelman (hosted by either Richard Ayuwadi or Joe Lycett depending on the year) of whatever city I'm going to.
     
  4. COVIDiskilingme79

    COVIDiskilingme79 Well-Known Member
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    My all time favorite. The episode where they accidentally broke the guys snow globe was just the most cringe inducing hilarity I've ever seen on tv.
     
  5. WhiskeyDelta

    WhiskeyDelta Well-Known Member
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    I love Joe Lycett (especially his stand-up, Twitter nonsense, and Late Night Lycett) but he just doesn't bring the "I desperately don't want to be here" energy that Richard brings and apparently that I crave.
     
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  6. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    I spent three days in Bruges and would go back in a heartbeat
     
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  7. WhiskeyDelta

    WhiskeyDelta Well-Known Member
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    Not sure if In Bruges reference.

    It is a lovely city though. I'm always amazed at the polyglotism of even store checkout staff in continental Europe. I was at a chocolate place and the person at the register was swapping between French, Dutch, German, Spanish, and English without skipping a beat.
     
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  8. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Good movie but not a reference

    We were at a Carrefour near the main square and a group of Russians in town for the Euro soccer match with England in Lens was clearing the store out of liquor. Five young hooligans had their arms full of assorted alcohol, and the sixth, sporting a two inch stitched gash on his cheekbone, had an armful of chocolates. They were surprisingly polite

    We found in Slovenia this summer that English was the common tongue. Interesting listening to Europeans speak to each other in a language that wasn't their own
     
  9. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    Brugge is nicer than Gent but when you consider crowds I preferred Gent to Brugge
     
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  10. spagett

    spagett Got ya, spooked ya
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    Big fan of less visited decent sized cities in Europe

    Timing is a big part of that, but it's so much more enjoyable
     
  11. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    Anyone ever been to Sapporo Japan or Busan South Korea and have any recs?
     
  12. Handcuffed

    Handcuffed I live inside my own heart, Matt Damon
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    i will search this thread later but i'm likely heading to tokyo in late may.

    anyone ever hired Mt Fuji in the offseason? everything i've preliminarily read says that it's super dangerous and no joke but i'm wondering if late spring is decent.
     
  13. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    Classic American attitude abroad thinking you can just pluck a mountain from Japan for your company because it’s the offseason :awesomeface:
     
  14. Fran Tarkenton

    Fran Tarkenton Old Enough to not know whats Chappell Roan
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    ?
     
  15. devine

    devine hi, i am user devine
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  16. GoodForAnother

    GoodForAnother sodomize intolerance
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    I'm more of a classic rick (pleated baggy slacks)
     
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  17. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Just finished an absolute bender of a weekend in London with a high school friend that is a full-time musician here and three British girls I met whilst being a dirty hippie in Mexico. So much damn fun.

    Now off to San Sebastian.
     
  18. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    America really needs to adopt the late-night kebab shops that stay open until 4. Such an elite drunk meal.
     
  19. Jimmy the Saint

    Jimmy the Saint The future is a benevolent black hole
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    Getting meat and chips on the way home is just a fantastic way to end the night.
     
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  20. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Oooohhh San Sebastian is a fucking vibe. About to spam the hell outta this thread.

    Just rented a 7'8" and a wetsuit for the week for 160 euros. Where Eagles Dare Weedlord420

    IMG_4788.jpeg
     
  21. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    I'd love to do Basque country or southern France on the bay. Both look great
     
  22. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Man I haven't been this blown away by food since my first trip to CDMX. Or Bangkok. Or maybe Oaxaca.

    Comparison is dumb, but half the spots are closed on Sunday and it was divine. Food tour tomorrow, going to need to surf for 2-3 hours/day just to keep my appetite going.

    I may eat 1,000 gildas this week -- anchovies, chillies, and olives on a toothpick. Salty and spicy. Wow.

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    World famous cheesecake from La Vina
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    [​IMG]
     
  23. AptosDuck

    AptosDuck Pedantic Hausfrau
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    Anybody done Gibraltar/Tangier? Doesn't look like the Spanish like Gibraltar so they don't make it easy to get there. We want to ferry across the Strait to Tangier for an overnight stay, wondering how easy/difficult the crossing is

    (pulled the trigger on plane flights to/from Seville next March/April, already booked Seville and looking at Granada and Cordoba)
     
  24. Hatfield

    Hatfield Charlie don’t surf
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    It's on our honeymoon shortlist
     
  25. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    It's pretty incredible, but colder than I expected. Not a dealbreaker at all, but also not a warm beach destination by any means. Mid-to-low 50s in the evening.

    Maybe it is in the summer, though.
     
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  26. Simon Templar

    Simon Templar Well-Known Member
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    Longitude wise it’s equivalent to Toronto so probably not super surprising
     
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  27. WC

    WC Bad Company, ‘til the day I die.
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    Just got home from 11 days bouncing around Bavaria and have to say it was a sick trip. German’s were almost to a person, incredibly nice and accommodating. Wife and I took my in laws so we had to tailor the trip a bit, but man, stunning country down there.

    We did:

    Berchtesgaden/Salzburg
    Garmisch-Partinkirken
    Rothenburg ob der taber
    Munich

    Driving was super easy, low crowds given it was post Oktoberfest, and great great beer. Highly recommend if anybody wants an Alps type trip on that side of the mountains.
     
  28. Pasta88

    Pasta88 Canes, Bruins, Raps, Jays and Sunderland.
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    I mean it is the last week of October.

    It’s definitely a warm beach destination in the summer, though less warm and rainier (iirc) than Barcelona/Southern Spain
     
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  29. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I did go surfing today, and while you need a wetsuit, not nearly as cold as PNW waters.

    Just finished answering emails and about to go on a 3-hour pintxo + wine tour.
     
  30. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Tonight's menu
    Bar Sport - one of the more famous spots, absolutely packed. Very good
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    Goiz-Argi. Famous for the gambas, shrimp w a pickled relish
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    Ganbarra. Bourdain's favorite spot and probably the best I've had so far. Not quite a pintxo spot, not quite a restaurant, but so good.

    Doesn't look like much, but their signature dish is mushrooms over foie gras and a raw egg yolk. Might have been the best mushrooms I've ever had
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    Shrimp - monkfish - potato w an awesome cream sauce
    Screenshot 2024-10-29 141150.jpg
    Wandering around San Sebastian and just bopping into pintxo spots is 10/10. Only thing I can compare it to would be wandering around Bangkok's Chinatown and eating what looks good. Just an absolutely elite food destination, living up to the hype.
     
  31. Jorts

    Jorts "Ask about my Mortgage Services"
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    Welp - booking next trip... to Spain
     
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  32. Where Eagles Dare

    Where Eagles Dare The Specialist Show On Earth
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    Just rewound the cams for La Zurriola and looked like some fun waves today
     
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  33. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I'm staying in Gros, just 2 blocks from Playa Zurriola, surfed there twice so far. Was in the water for 2 hours today, waves were churning. 3-5 ft, slow, easy rollers. Super fun.

    Haven't surfed in like 6 months, shoulders and triceps are sore AF.
     
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  34. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    Can't decide if I want to keep my fancy dinner reservations or just spend my last night eating pintxos in Bilbao.

    It's 300 euros, plus more with a wine pairing, but would also be the first 3* Michelin restaurant I've had. Decisions decisions.
     
  35. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    What restaurant
     
  36. Capstone 88

    Capstone 88 Going hard in the paint
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    Montreal this weekend for a weekend trip. London in 2 weeks. I’ll take any random Montreal must do’s, but it’s a short trip.

    London I’m staying in Kensington not too far from Hyde Park near Notting Hill. So far I’ve got:

    Museums:
    Churchill War Rooms and Imperial War Museum

    Food:
    Dishoom
    Brigadiers
    The Barbary

    Welcome any other food ideas, museum/cultural stuff, and good places for a drink
     
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  37. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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  38. Nole0515

    Nole0515 Well-Known Member
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    Chicago Bears

    Might want to double check if reservations are cancelable. You might get charged for canceling
     
  39. PJP3

    PJP3 Well-Known Member
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    We did Arzak and had others booked and cancelled them because we enjoyed pinxto hopping more. Only one I would personally go out of my way to go to would be asador etxebarri
     
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  40. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I have until tonight, so like a few more hours lol
     
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  41. Nug

    Nug MexicanNug
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    I remember you said that, which has me second guessing myself
     
  42. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    i've done a million tasting menus and do enjoy them a lot

    but in San Sebastian if I wasn't hitting arzak i'd just stick to the casual stuff. it's similar to Paris for me in that the 1-2 Michelin joints or Bib gourmand are more my speed 99% of the time. only done one Michelin tasting menu in Paris and it was this last trip, it was genuinely one of the best meals of my life so now i'm convincing myself the other direction. Verjus fwiw.
     
  43. Lyrtch

    Lyrtch My second favorite meat is hamburger
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    my favorite travel activity is just walking eating/drinking sitting outside and people watching
     
  44. Keef

    Keef Liked by Pierre Gasly
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    Check and see if the Portobello Road market will be set up when you are there. It's usually on Saturdays, lots of things to look at and the street food is great too
     
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  45. Capstone 88

    Capstone 88 Going hard in the paint
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    Definitely up my alley. Appreciate this.
     
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  46. Keef

    Keef Liked by Pierre Gasly
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    We did it in late April and it was fun, my wife also loves looking at antiques and random odd stuff.
     
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  47. WhiskeyDelta

    WhiskeyDelta Well-Known Member
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    Greenwich Observatory is really cool, also in Greenwich is the Eltham Palace, which is half 1930s art deco mansion and half 13th century great hall.

    HMS Belfast is right in the city center, 5 min from Borough Market which is amazing for lunch (although it will be crowded).

    Camden Market also has good food options, lots of little shops with neat but hilariously overpriced stuff, record stores, good gig venues, excellent tea shop

    -----

    Best way to get around is the tube - if you have contactless cards that's the easiest way to do it and Transport for London will cap your cost if you use the same card (it's £10 for Zones 1-3/day or £50/week, a bit less if you stay in Zones 1 & 2). The cap also applies to busses. TfL app is ok but I tend to use Google Maps public transport. Don't be a dick and run for the train because they run every 3 minutes and people will judge you.
     
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  48. Hatfield

    Hatfield Charlie don’t surf
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    I just liked hitting the local pubs while we were walking around, but Churchill Arms is in Kensington and is very "instagrammable" (if you're going w/ BFF). My favorite restaurant was St. John, one of Bourdain's fav spots, but its definitely unique and you need to be adventurous for the menu.

    Obviously hit a Sunday roast spot if you're there on a Sunday.

    Museum-wise I loved the British museum and they have some wild shit, but it gets crowded. Tate Modern and the National Gallery are world class art museums too if you care about that.

    Also hit a #Fulham game if you have time, fantastic venue and a cool area to bop around pre/post game
     
  49. construxboy

    construxboy xenForo is the new TMB
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    Welp....just booking our next trip......to Portugal. :feelsbadman:
     
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  50. BellottiBold

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    This is why (we) <3 Paris so much
     
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