Running thread for travel ideas suggestions

[Nitwit]

We’ve just decided to do a bucket list trip for my 75th birthday right after Thanksgiving this year. I’m going to fly to Montreal and stay in the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Gold Club accommodations and get tickets to see the Habs play the Detroit Red Wings on December 2nd. After a 3 night stay we’ll take a train to Quebec City and stay in the Chateau Frontenac for 3 nights also upgrading to the gold club accommodations. Then we’ll fly home from there. I’ve never done Canada in the winter time before…I’m hoping to eat in some great restaurants and be pampered for a few days, and do a bit of sight seeing, museums, and shopping. Any suggestions (dress warm I know) ? Thanks.

 

[WVilleLion]

It’s spectacular. New York State has spent a lot of money on Niagara Falls State Park. It’s very nice. The Canadian side is very nice and offers great views of both Falls. Niagara Falls, Canada is much nicer of a town than Niagara Falls, NY.

I would do the falls on Canadian side and then roll up to Niagara on the Lake rather than staying in Niagara Falls. The one exception would be if you get a room overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. That is pretty cool. Some nights they have fireworks over the falls as well.

 

[LionJim]

Answering my own question.

The 8 Best Vermouth Bars In Madrid

Discover the best places to sample Madrid's favourite drink vermouth in the Spanish capital

theculturetrip.com

 

[PSU Mike]

Sundowner's. Stay within walking distance.

You can thank me later.

Be sure to visit Basel one of these days.

Kunstmuseum Basel - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Are these two the same place?

 

[Connorpozlee]

My wife and I are hoping to go to Ireland next summer for our 25th anniversary. We’re thinking of just doing a group tour because we’ve never been there before. Good idea?

 

[Bones80]

My wife and I are hoping to go to Ireland next summer for our 25th anniversary. We’re thinking of just doing a group tour because we’ve never been there before. Good idea?

Ireland-definitely. Can’t recommend it enough. I’m not a group tour person. Prefer the flexibility of going where I want when I want. Rent a car and go see what you want without the crowd. Plenty of travel guides available to determine what you want to see before you go. I’m more a fan of the west of Ireland than the east.

 

[TiogaLion]

My wife and I are hoping to go to Ireland next summer for our 25th anniversary. We’re thinking of just doing a group tour because we’ve never been there before. Good idea?

That depends. How adventurous are you? Does it have to be summer? If you go late April/May or mid-September to early October you'll be able to plan your next days itinerary the night before since very few things will be sold out.

If you want to go it alone report back with the planned length of your stay and I'll give you a sample itinerary.

 

[LionJim]

@Connorpozlee I’ll speak from my own experience. We went to Ireland on a Gate 1 tour last September. I suspect this is a universal convenience offered by tour companies: we arranged to arrive in Dublin a couple of days prior to the actual start of our tour. We were able to arrange this through Gate 1, easy peasy, no need to change hotels. We’re going to Spain and Portugal on a Gate 1 tour soon and we arranged to get three extra days in Madrid (first city of the tour) and two extra days in Barcelona (last city). Frankly, if we hadn’t arranged for these extra days then the tour wouldn’t be worth it.

About Ireland, a lot depends on what your interests are. As you know, I worship the Irish poet Yeats and the tour was going to go to Sligo, to his grave. We got Covid in Cork and had to scrap that but Gate 1 did a great job towards saving our trip, we Ubered to Westpoint and we were able to stop at Yeats Tower, a definite bucket list checkoff for me, much preferable to his grave. We were also able to go to Broom Bridge in Dublin, a math thing, look it up, the James Joyce House, Kilmainham Jail, and the Hugh Lane Gallery, where we saw an insanely awesome portrait of a 21-year-old Yeats painted by his father, wow, what a work of art.

Buy travel insurance. We ended up being reimbursed for all our extra expenses. We got our insurance through Gate 1. These tour companies are used to Covid emergencies and Gate 1 really came through for us.

Yes, the Guinness is better in Dublin. Drink Beamish in Cork.

 

[Nitt1300]

 

[LionJim]

@Connorpozlee I’ll speak from my own experience. We went to Ireland on a Gate 1 tour last September. I suspect this is a universal convenience offered by tour companies: we arranged to arrive in Dublin a couple of days prior to the actual start of our tour. We were able to arrange this through Gate 1, easy peasy, no need to change hotels. We’re going to Spain and Portugal on a Gate 1 tour soon and we arranged to get three extra days in Madrid (first city of the tour) and two extra days in Barcelona (last city). Frankly, if we hadn’t arranged for these extra days then the tour wouldn’t be worth it.

About Ireland, a lot depends on what your interests are. As you know, I worship the Irish poet Yeats and the tour was going to go to Sligo, to his grave. We got Covid in Cork and had to scrap that but Gate 1 did a great job towards saving our trip, we Ubered to Westpoint and we were able to stop at Yeats Tower, a definite bucket list checkoff for me, much preferable to his grave. We were also able to go to Broom Bridge in Dublin, a math thing, look it up, the James Joyce House, Kilmainham Jail, and the Hugh Lane Gallery, where we saw an insanely awesome portrait of a 21-year-old Yeats painted by his father, wow, what a work of art.

Buy travel insurance. We ended up being reimbursed for all our extra expenses. We got our insurance through Gate 1. These tour companies are used to Covid emergencies and Gate 1 really came through for us.

Yes, the Guinness is better in Dublin. Drink Beamish in Cork.

In some sense, modern algebra came into being here.

Broom Bridge - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I'm looking into Costa Rica for March spring break timeframe. Looks like La Fortuna (Arenal) and Monteverde are great spots with lots to do.

Hiking is one of the key goals. Has anyone gone up to Tenorio Volcano national Park?
Any recommendations on places to stay in La Fortuna?

 

[CDLionFL]

Highly recommend this side trip from Barcelona. https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/tour/montserrat-spain.html Spectacular views and relatively close.

Excellent call. Just finished the tour. Perfect weather day for views too. Now to figure out how to watch the game this evening.

 

[LionJim]

I’m back, three weeks to the day we left! Madrid Salamanca Porto Lisbon Seville Granada Valencia Barcelona.

I’m just going to list a few things here and there, instead of making one exhaustive post.

Trust the tapas and you won’t go wrong. Right now I’m sitting here regretting our ordering paella our last dinner in Iberia, with another couple. The paella was fine, but while waiting the required 25 minutes for it to cook we had the most amazing tapas, just a priceless experience. I’m almost crying about ordering the paella instead of sticking to the tapas.

 

[LionJim]

I’m back, three weeks to the day we left! Madrid Salamanca Porto Lisbon Seville Granada Valencia Barcelona.

I’m just going to list a few things here and there, instead of making one exhaustive post.

Trust the tapas and you won’t go wrong. Right now I’m sitting here regretting our ordering paella our last dinner in Iberia, with another couple. The paella was fine, but while waiting the required 25 minutes for it to cook we had the most amazing tapas, just a priceless experience. I’m almost crying about ordering the paella instead of sticking to the tapas.

Also, if the waitress suggests ordering the anchovies, order the anchovies, even if you’ve previously never had a good experience with them. Damn, what a bite.

 

[bbrown]

Also, if the waitress suggests ordering the anchovies, order the anchovies, even if you’ve previously never had a good experience with them. Damn, what a bite.

Anchovies are sadly under appreciated and overly vilified.
I think most people that don't like them never actually had them.

 

[LionJim]

Although the Picasso Museum in Barcelona was a bit of a letdown, that was partly because we had already gone to Casa Mila and La Sagrada Familia that same day, and were worn out. Still, it was clear that had Picasso been born fifty years before he was he would have remained a great great painter, I’m guessing an equal of Sargent, my favorite American painter.

We managed our three visits to the Prado wisely. We had tried to see too much of the Art Institute when we visited Chicago this summer and vowed to do better. Rick Steves farmed out his Prado walk to someone who wrote up a Greatest Hits of twelve or so rooms (I’d check the book but I tore out the relevant pages to bring with us), it worked perfectly, and we did this walk each time we were there, including as part of our tour. The Garden of Earthly Delights completely blew us away. Also found some frescos from a Spanish church from 1125, it was a humbling and overwhelming experience. I should say that neither my wife nor I had previously visited Iberia.

We saw the El Greco in Toledo, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz, what a priceless privilege to see this masterpiece.

The Burial of the Count of Orgaz - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org