I have friends coming in the third week of April and the third week of May.
I have a trip to Montenegro, with a friend, booked for 11 - 18 June. I am really looking forward to that … sort of.
I will need to get back to D.C. for maybe 3 days to see family around 4 July. I checked flight prices today, not bad. I might, just might (probably not) run down to Longview and see Bubba, Billy Bob and Sue Ann if I can find a cheap flight to Shreveport.
August a friend wants to go to Asia. I have no desire to go to Asia, but its Asia or the sofa so …. Probably going. Funny how that works.
My son wants me to meet up with him, the wife and the rugrats in Portugal the first of September. That sounds like fun,
Okay, so I have the last week of April and the first week or two of May free to just get out on my own and decompress with no obligations to anyone but me. But thanks to all the other plans funding is tight. Still, time to see something new, even if it’s just a weekend. So, I decided on Chișinău. It's been on my radar for years and it meets all the requirements for cost and convenience and wine. It was decided, then just for grains I checked a few more possibilities. Never do that. Always run with your first gut feeling and never look back ... or you end up doing a post like this.
I checked out Wizzair and Ryanair for cheap flights with two-day breaks between there and back; and I looked more to the east where things are more affordable .... and often a heck of a lot more interesting.
Here are the most promising possibilities. Your suggestions, comments, recommendations please. The trip will be carryon only and the prices reflect that. My hotel budget is $125 a night which might not be possible in some of the location given my standards. The most expensive airfare plus the hotels works out to about $600. Then maybe another $100 for ground transfers and another $100 for I dont know what and my budget is maybe $800 tops.
Wizzair
- Chișinău: Never been (almost) great wine country apparently. So, a food and wine tour mostly. I found one company that is still running tours to Odesa. Gwad, I would love that. Sat – Tues (3 nights) $190 RT 18:05 arrival 14:25 Departure
- Yerevan: Some interesting in the city, but I get the feeling that the country is better and with only 2 full days ???? Thurs – Sun $190 RT 11:00 arrival 17:30 departure
Larnaca: Well, a beach holiday. Plenty warm. Some pretty interesting cultural cityscapes but a lot of new too. Thurs – Sun $220 RT 12:25 arrival 19:10 departureTallinn: Becoming popular. More refined than most of the list.
Thurs – Sun $110 RT 16:30 arrival 21:30 departure- Skopje: I have looked at this in the past, not sure what there is to see or do. Especially on a two-day trip with no fly rod. Friday – Mon $150 RT 15:20 arrival 11:25 departure
- Krakow: Two days probably not enough, but nice that they have brought back the direct flight. Sun – Wed $110 RT 13:50 arrival – 08:50 departure
Bucharest: I said no repeats on this, but I always manage to enjoy my time in Bucharest. Maybe the theater this time, if I can convince someone I know Bucharest to go along. It’s been nearly 15 years since the last and I sort of remember enjoying it. Thurs – Sun $110 RT 22:20 arrival – 23:10 departure
Ryanair
Paphos: Another beach holiday with some interesting cultural cityscape. Friday – Monday $150 RT 19:35 arrival – 20:000 departureTirana: Another repeat but I have a friend who owns a hotel near the beach in Sarandë, so housing is free. Beach and seafood holiday. But not real excited about the town itself. Sun – Wed $60 07:25 arrival – 22:20 departure
