SF East Bay Travel Talk - Aug 9 (online, everyone welcome)

TRAVEL TOPICs for Aug 9

Destination topic 1: Greece/Albania/N Macedonia trip with CWsocial
Destination topic 2: Asia trip report with Andrea

FUTURE ONLINE MEETINGS: 2nd Saturdays, except as noted

(September - no meeting)

October 11, 2025 11am - 1pm PT
Destination topic 1: open to volunteers to share their trip!
Destination topic 2: open to volunteers to share their trip!

November 8, 2025 11am - 1pm PT
Destination topic 1: Romania with TexasTravelMom and Mardee and CWsocial

(December - no online meeting)

January 10, 2026 11am - 1pm PT
Destination topic 1: open
Destination topic 2: open

UPCOMING TRIP REPORTS

Jean and Barbara N, I no longer have my notes on whether you had each confirmed to share your trips in October. Please let me know!

Please let me know if anyone else has Trip Reports they would like to share for an upcoming meeting!

Hi, thanks that looks great! I'm hopeful to make it.

Andrea's chat - Where in Asia??

I'm hoping this will be my lucky break and nothing last minute will foil my plans to attend....may the fates cooperate!

Yes! Count me in! Thanks so much!

I hope to attend. Interested to hear about Albania!

I had to cancel my trip. And I will probably be out of town on the October date.

Hi CWsocial, I saw your comment. I will plan to share about Italy in October. By then I will have completed my other trip to Italy and can share some of the itinerary & info from one of these:

May: Trani, Matera, Alberobello, Bari/Giovinazxo, Ostuni, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare, Tivoli & Rome

OR:
September: Stresa, Pavia, Torino, Asti (attending their Palio!), Piacenza, Modena, Ferrara. Venice, Verona, Bergamo, Milan.

When are we going to get a trip report for Azerbaijan?

I’m able to be there. Thanks!

I’m able to make it, looking forward to all travel talk.

I please add me. Thanks.

When are we going to get a trip report for Azerbaijan?

Oh wow - I guess I missed it! Who went to Azerbaijan?

I was just taking a shot in the dark, hoping that someone would speak up.

I was getting travel office spam from Yerevan for a while and often wondered what it was like in the next country over, but have not found the Azerbaijani equivalent.

I hate to miss it, but we will be out of town. Bummer.

I was just taking a shot in the dark, hoping that someone would speak up.

avi….. and you got my hopes up!

I hate to miss this one.

Looking forward to it, please count me in!

I'm in! Thanks!

I hope so

We may be able to join. Please send a link and I’ll put it on our calendar.

I'd like to attend. Thanks!

Please add me for Aug 9. Thanks.

Please save a square for me!
And thanks!

I’d like to attend but I have a possible schedule conflict. I’ll update a few days before the 9th if I can’t attend.

Sorry to miss everyone, but I’ll be at our annual family gathering on Cape Cod.

Hi, I just realized this morning that I messed up and am double-booked. I have a group of ladies from my community coming over to my home on Oct. 11. I will be teaching them how to make several types of homemade pasta. I will be gone during your November & December dates, also. I sincerely apologize!

Jean, thank you for letting us know! Greatly appreciated. Enjoy your pasta class and please join again any time your schedule allows.

Valerie, no worries. We do not have a space limitation, so join us if you can!

Barbara N, travels are our favorite reason for not joining. Homemade pasta classes that you picked up during your travels to Italy are a close second!

Have fun and see you again soon!

Who has a trip they'd like to share in October?

Reminder of the meeting this weekend! I will send out links soon.

And please let me know if you have a trip to share for one of the upcoming meeting openings!

Hi, if you’re wanting topics for January, I could present one of these. There’s a good chance I will head back to Spain in February.

Italy - Puglia (from May 2024 & 2025 trips)

Italy- some lesser-known northern cities (from September 2025)

Christmas Markets - Austria, Germany, France (from December 2025)

Jean, I think we are due for some time in Italy!

I'd love some Puglia chat. I've never been to that part of Italy, although my neighbours go every couple of years to family; I'd love our perspective. Looking forward to some of that!

I'd listen to Jean talk about anywhere in Italy, any time! (Though I admit my Christmas-loving self wouldn't complain about Christmas markets either!)

I vote for some Italy in January, as well!

I hate to miss August and October, but the dates fall just barely wrong for me. Sigh.

I have sent the meeting link to everyone, above, who has said they can join. If you haven't received it, please message me!

Hello,

We would like to join the conversation this Saturday. Thank you!

If anyone else would like to join, we always have room!

I will check this thread until 10am PT tomorrow for anyone else who can make it.

Last call!!

ringin' the BELL

see U soon

As promised, here are the links:

CBC's report on Singapore's green buildings:
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6614232

My trip report:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/asia-live-trip-report

Hope I inspired some of you!

EDIT TO ADD - the red building in the video is the hotel we stayed in - Hotel Oasia Downtown.

really enjoyed your presentation Andrea.

Liked CWsocial's too.

Incredible how many have been so far so many times.

If I can't drive we don't go, but great to live through others' adventures

So sorry I had to miss the presentations. They sounded great but I'm enjoying the annual family reunion on Cape Cod.

If I can't drive we don't go, but great to live through others' adventures

Nigel, if I could reach the places you can by driving I'd probably never fly anywhere again!

Great travel presentations today. I love seeing other people’s pictures and hearing about their adventures - and Andrea and Catherine you did not disappoint! I’m sorry that 2026 is already fully booked since your countries look so inviting.
Is it too early to think about 2027? lol.

Thank you both so much. I really enjoyed my first travel meeting. I found both presentations informative and interesting. It was also nice to "revisit" Albania, which I really enjoyed on my short visit. Unfortunately(?) for me, you have now extended my travel list! Singapore and Vietnam anyone?

Thanks for the wonderful presentations, Andrea and CW!!! I loved seeing the photos and hearing about your travels, and it's definitely given me something to think about when it comes to future destinations. I especially loved hearing about Albania as that is very high on my list now. Great information on every place, though, and I think Asia will be getting a place in my queue as well. :-)

I had such a fun at my first travel talk! We have a lot of travel catching-up to do, and so there's so many places -- Asia; North Macedonia! -- that we may never get to, but I love getting to experience them vicariously. I'll admit, like Mardee, the Albania portion especially captured my heart, surprisingly so! <3 I'm already looking forward to joining all you lovely people again at upcoming talks!

Thanks for the interesting presentations, Catherine and Andrea!

Great travel presentations! Thanks SO much, Andrea and Catherine you both did an amazing job. I'm so glad I found this group, it makes travel come alive, even to all those places in SE Asia that I've visited before... great to gain another perspective!