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Old May 13th, 2004, 01:11 AM
BTC/TAK on ACK
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Default Recommendations - the perfect climate?

I love THE CITY, Mila. And I feel so lucky to have grown up there.

I'm trusting you to keep this just between us, Howie. I grew up on LI ... [I
can't even bring myself to actually spell it out!] But my grandmother lived
in Hell's Kitchen [I just can't accept its being renamed "Clinton"], so I
spent every possible moment, practically every weekend of my youth, visiting
her... though, terrific as she was, not much time actually hanging out in
her apartment.

I, too, love THE CITY... I always have a hard time warming up to anyone who
doesn't.

Mila


"Howie" wrote in message
...
My mom lives on Ocean Ave, off Kings Hwy.

I love THE CITY, Mila. And I feel so lucky to have grown up there.

Howie



BTC/TAK on ACK wrote:

Growing up in Brooklyn...



No kidding? Where? I spent my college years in the always easy to get a

cab
to Fort Greene, then near B'klyn College, and finally in Park Slope

until I
left NY.


ridiculous, to the exasperating, to the sublime... Actually my best taxi


experiences... were staying in Manhattan

Actually, aside from London where I've always had great taxi luck, I've
generally enjoyed the cabbies in NY the best... the ones who speak some
English at least. Remember when practically every cab driver in NY was

an
"alter kocker mentsh", usually from Midwood?

Mila


"Howie" wrote in message
...


BTC/TAK on ACK wrote:


...My experience was colored by a very difficult time getting a cab at


the

pier to take me up to the castle, and an impossible time getting a cab


to

take me anywhere from the castle... Apparently there is no enforcement


of

laws in Lisbon that require a cab to take you where you want to go.

Cab drivers certainly can be a bit "crazy-making", can't they? I don't


know

much [oh, let's be honest here, I know nothing] about Lisbon's taxi


laws.

They [drivers] undoubtedly pay no attention to them anyhow... kind of


like

NYC cabbies. Trying to get a Manhattan cabbie to take you into Brooklyn


can

be maddening.

Growing up in Brooklyn, I have had this delight on a number of

occasions.

(I do, by the way [and it's way too complicated a story to get

into here] have reason to know that certain "contracts" [presumably,


even

verbal ones] there are only considered binding if in Portuguese.}

I do recall the most annoying place, for me, to get a cab being around


the

train station... and, on the off-chance one is successful, a direct


route to

one's destination is unlikely.

My experiences with cab drivers at many ports have frequently been less


than

satisfactory. Let's face it, they know you're at their mercy, and that


there

are other, probably more gullible, potential fares lining up right


behind

you.

Mila

It's varied all over the place for me, from the ridiculous, to the
exasperating, to the sublime. Actually my best taxi experiences
occurred two weeks ago, when we were staying in Manhattan.

Howie



"Howie" wrote in message
...


Of course you know much more about Portugal than I do, Nina. And I
would harly use my one day visit to Lisbon as a basis for making broad
generalizations. My experience was colored by a very difficult time
getting a cab at the pier to take me up to the castle, and an

impossible
time getting a cab to take me anywhere from the castle. All of the
drivers were only interested in taking folks on a full day tour.
Apparently there is no enforcement of laws in Lisbon that require a

cab
to take you where you want to go.

Howie

BTC/TAK on ACK wrote:


the... Azores... seemed young, friendly, and hip.
My personal experience with folks in Lisbon, was not at all

pleasant...


I agree with your take on the Azores... but I notice you specify

"young". I


was, in fact, a bit surprised by how "hip" the young folk seem

[are?].

But,


on getting just the tiniest bit into "local" territory [even just as


far

as


that fantastic produce market, or shops not geared to tourists] the
not-so-young folks seem more "formal".

I've had really wonderful times in Lisbon, but I can imagine it

feeling

less


than "welcoming". I have the advantage of speaking practically no
Portuguese... and slaughtering the pronunciation of the little I dare

try. I


think the fact that, by Portuguese standards, Lisbon is a big city,

it

has


some of that "big city attitude". I found enjoying their goofing on

my
dreadful attempts at using their language was a great ice-breaker...


and

usually resulted in their speaking back to me in more than fair


English.

In


fact, I was totally taken back recently, when visiting after not

having

been


to Lisbon in several years. I used to go to the same coffee shop

every
morning during a month long visit a while back. The owner used to

take
particular pleasure in making me order in Portuguese, then teasing me

[in


fine English] in how silly I sounded. I went by for a coffee during

my

last


visit, and she [still there!] remarked that she wasn't surprised I


still

hadn't learned a think about the language. I was very touched to be
remembered after such a long time. I also had the dubious pleasure of

having


to use a city clinic [having developed pneumonia] during a visit

there.

I


was very impressed by how kind and helpful everyone was... even to

finding


an English speaking doctor to see me. I have a hard time imagining

that
happening in any major city here.

It also is a good idea to remember that they are, as a group, very


"well

informed" people [notice that you rarely see anyone sitting alone in

a

cafe


without their nose stuck in a newspaper], have strong opinions, and,

like


most Europeans, know waaaay more about our politics than we know

about
theirs. I usually played "dumb" [not all that much of a stretch, I

guess],


and never left a conversation without having learned something.

I hope you'll give Lisbon another try... I've found myself most

welcome
there, by the way, in the kinds of places the fewest number of

tourists
venture.

Mila


"Howie" wrote in message
...



BTC/TAK on ACK wrote:




...my dentist told me... the people on Madeira... were very cold.


I'd be more inclined to say or "formal", which can, of course, seem

"cold",



but is an essentially different mind-set. My experience in

Portuguese
influenced cultures has been the "reserved" style of the locals,

and

their



use of "old-fashioned manners" [especially in public] can be


charming.

It



takes a little time to get used to... especially for those of us

used

to


the



more "gregarious" American style.

Mila

Yes, on Madiera, the locals did seem rather "old-fashioned", but

that
was not the case in that Azores, which seemed young, friendly, and


hip.

My personal experience with folks in Lisbon, was not at all

pleasant,
but there is really no way to generalize from one brief visit to a

big

city.



Howie





"strawberry icecream" wrote in message
.. .




Howie wrote in
:





strawberry icecream wrote:

the best areas seem to be Magnetic island off western


australia..and

Madeira island off Portugal.

Been to Madeira. It is really lovely, but kind of dull.

Howie, I am glad that you said that...my dentist told me, a few


weeks

ago, that he didn't like the people on Madeira.

He has been all over the world....but said that the folks on

Madeira
were very cold.








But I always loved the idea of southern CA.

Weather is near perfect, but earthquakes and high prices are real
downside.

very true.

The west coast is so expensive compared to the east coast of the


usa.

Funny enough, any tv travel program here in the UK, or magazine,

ALWAYS


focuses on Florida.

And so many folks here are taken in.

Whewwww.....I would hate to be living in that heat and humidity.