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#21
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what got you interested in travel?
On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:58:58 +0100, mikeos wrote:
Belgian beer largely! Finally, someone with a laudable cause! I suppose I could have cited Scotch whisky distilleries, too. -- Larry |
#22
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vogtgamble is only interested about US chatting topics
"EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)" a écrit dans le message de ... hackamore wrote: Hi, so how did you get the bug? In November, 1997, I had the phenomenal good fortune to receive free tickets to a concert on the Los Angeles Philharmonic's "Celebrity Series". The artist for the evening was José van Dam, a Belgian bass-baritone of whom I had never heard. When a greying, balding, middle-aged man walked on stage (wearing, instead of formal attire, a charcoal grey blazer with trousers which did not quite match and needed pressing) my initial reaction was "He can't be very good if he's been around that long and I never heard of him". Then he opened his mouth for the first song, and I instantly became an ardent fan. I had heard a fair number of fine opera singers, "live", but never before one who combined to such a degree superb vocal technique, keen musical intelligence, and a voice of exceptional beauty! How I had missed becoming aware of him (he made his Paris Opera debut in 1970, and sang Leporello in the Losey film of "Don Giovanni") I cannot explain, but that L.A. Phil recital was certainly an epiphany for me! My first trip away from home was only to Boston for his appearance with the Boston Symphony the following year, but that was just the beginning of my adventures. Although he still makes more-or-less annual concert appearances on the East Coast (combined with teaching a few master-classes at Juilliard or other venues), he seldom sings opera in the U.S. anymore. Despite our chauvinistic assumptions, the Met is NOT the foremost opera house in the world, and a European career offers the advantage of being able to have a brilliant career without sacrificing a home-life (which he apparently opted to do, once established as an international artist). Having already obtained all available videos of him singing opera (most of them "pirates" of European TV broadcasts), I realized the only way to hear him "live" was to travel to Europe. Although my operatic travels (once begun) were not limited to performances by M. van Dam, (I've spent a few Christmases in Vienna - my favorite city in all the world) I have been several times to Brussels and Paris and once to Zurich, just to hear him in opera (although there have been a few concerts, as well.) Sadly, retirement on a fixed income, along with the ongoing annoyances of travel "security" restrictions and increasing age-related limitations on mobility have pretty much put an end to my travels. (I even missed his performances in the U.S. this year.) Nevertheless, I DID manage to see some of the rest of the world, and can appreciate the fact that ours is NOT the greatest country in the world. (Although the skid of the U.S.Dollar against the Euro has made me glad my impulse to retire to Vienna died without being realized, since my limited income is all in U.S. funds.) |
#23
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what got you interested in travel?
"hackamore" wrote in message news Hi, how did you get "The Travel Bug"? I don't recall not having it According to Friends Reunited, I've visited 14% of the countries in the world so far. Colin Bignell |
#24
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what got you interested in travel?
According to Friends Reunited, I've visited 14% of the countries in the world so far. But have you _seen_ and _experienced_ anything? According to many (and I used to be among them), traveling is all about _traveling_. Make many miles, get to many places, and you're a traveler. You can impress people and yourself by claiming to have been to many countries, to all continents, and into Space for that matter. Don't get me wrong: perhaps you have indeed seen and experienced a lot, you have learned from other cultures and mabe even taught them a thing or two in the progress. That's great! However, others have been to an equal number of countries, and must admit that all they have seen are airplanes, hotels and conference rooms. Nowadays, I distinguish between 'travelers' and 'explorers'. The travelers are the ones that cover thousands and thousands of miles around the world. The explorers constantly see and experience new things, that our Earth offers, and meet people with different backgrounds. Explorers can be travelers, but need not be. In the past two years, I decided to explore (not necessarily to travel), starting from my home location. And my wife and I are thrilled. With just a few exeptions (Holidays on Malta and recently the Harz Region), we haven't traveled any further than a 100 miles roundtrip on Saturdays and/or Sundays. And each weekend, while geocaching, we discover new highlights in Holland and Germany (we live near the border). Highlights, often little things, that even most locals don't know. A hidden waterfall, a historic lost place, or a single spot with a fantastic view. We consider ourselves 'explorers', certainly not travelers. We're not keen on traveling. -- Erick |
#25
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what got you interested in travel?
On 10 June, 14:48, Erick T. Barkhuis -o-m
wrote: Tim C.: On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:08:06 +0100, Mike wrote in post : : On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:45:38 +0200, Erick T. Barkhuis -o-m wrote: geocaching I hadn't heard of that, bit like Dartmoor letterboxing Yes, very much so. It's fun. You can do it with any GPS equipment where you can input a gps co-ordinate. A Garmin Etrex H for about 75 euros will already do perfectly. More expensive ones, with topographic maps, are available, sometimes handy, but certainly not necessary. You have to work out the clues a start point which gives you the next co-ordinate, where you can find the next clue... and so on. Sometimes only one step, sometimes more. Exactly right. Of course, geocaching.com introduces the lot nicely, but also, Wikipedia has a proper explanation. Come to Holland or North-Western Germany, and I'll be happy to take you along to do a few caches. My wife and I have seen at least 100 interesting spots within a 30 miles radius from home, that we would probably never have seen or noticed without geocaching. Things that you will visit are - hidden monument in a small town, right behind the mayor's office - that white, tiny beach in the middle of a forest - the most beautiful jogging track at the side of a city park - a 1,500 year old tomb stone under a covered bridge - etc, etc. (Unfortunately, there are also caches hidden at almost random places that aren't interesting at all, like a phone booth or a deserted former bus stop). -- Erick Similarly from Surrey, UK. My son letterboxed on Dartmoor, graduated to this and introduced me. We're only up to 50 caches found but have barely moved more than a few miles from our home as yet. The xxxxxxxxs are all over! We particularly like the cache trails - maybe 20 caches that take you on a circular - around Windsor Great Park for instance. These tend to be very direct clues - maybe simply the co-ordinates. Other puzzle clues can take weeks to solved for just one find! Adds impetus and interest to get one out on great country walks that might otherwise just not happen. There's also a social side if wanted - local cachers meet up at pubs or whatever, maybe arranged around a specially laid cache hunt for the day. And, of course, one is free to start laying one's own caches! Great new hobby for us, certainly. Surreyman |
#26
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what got you interested in travel?
On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:43:54 +0200, "Tim C."
wrote: You can do it with any GPS equipment where you can input a gps co-ordinate. I only have a speed camera GPS, hang on SWMBOs phone has sat nav. Do you do this locally, or whizz about? -- Mike |
#27
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what got you interested in travel?
On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:48:59 +0200, Erick T. Barkhuis
-o-m wrote: Come to Holland or North-Western Germany, and I'll be happy to take you along to do a few caches. My wife and I have seen at least 100 interesting spots within a 30 miles radius from home, that we would probably never have seen or noticed without geocaching. Things that you will visit are - hidden monument in a small town, right behind the mayor's office - that white, tiny beach in the middle of a forest - the most beautiful jogging track at the side of a city park - a 1,500 year old tomb stone under a covered bridge - etc, etc. right, people try and place them in nice places. -- Mike |
#28
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what got you interested in travel?
On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:48:26 -0700 (PDT), Surreyman
wrote: And, of course, one is free to start laying one's own caches! one going round in circles in the park outside my back door :-) -- Mike |
#29
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what got you interested in travel?
On 11 June, 08:12, "nightjar" cpb@insert my surname here.me.uk
wrote: "hackamore" wrote in message news Hi, how did you get "The Travel Bug"? I don't recall not having it According to Friends Reunited, I've visited 14% of the countries in the world so far. Colin Bignell He he, I had 18% at the last count! :-)) Surreyman |
#30
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what got you interested in travel?
On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:41:49 +0200, Erick T. Barkhuis
-o-m wrote: However, others have been to an equal number of countries, and must admit that all they have seen are airplanes, hotels and conference rooms. I know somebody like that. Nowadays, I distinguish between 'travelers' and 'explorers'. The travelers are the ones that cover thousands and thousands of miles around the world. The explorers constantly see and experience new things, that our Earth offers, and meet people with different backgrounds. Explorers can be travelers, but need not be. I have said this before, but I call myself an intensive traveler, in other words go to the same area a lot till you get to grips with it. To state the obvious, going to Spain isn't getting a tan or seeing pictures in the prado, its getting into eating at midnight and getting the faintest inkling what bullfighting is about. In the past two years, I decided to explore (not necessarily to travel), starting from my home location. And my wife and I are thrilled. With just a few exeptions (Holidays on Malta and recently the Harz Region), we haven't traveled any further than a 100 miles roundtrip on Saturdays and/or Sundays. And each weekend, while geocaching, we discover new highlights in Holland and Germany (we live near the border). Highlights, often little things, that even most locals don't know. A hidden waterfall, a historic lost place, or a single spot with a fantastic view. I intend to explore Dungeness next, I've done the Thames in some detail We consider ourselves 'explorers', certainly not travelers. We're not keen on traveling. I agree, I hate sitting on planes BUT I love driving or being on a boat, (not a cruise). Then there's the wildlife, I like to learn the local wildlife and then maybe photograph it, which would take a lifetime for one country. -- Mike |
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