(Virtual) East Bay (SF area) Travel Group Meeting - Sat, January 9, 2021

Do you think Hampton Court - house and gardens - is too museum-y to count as a chateau?

In any case, there are aspects of the Why We Travel episode that I'd love to discuss ...

Best regards -

Do you think Hampton Court - house and gardens - is too museum-y to count as a chateau?
I think this was your topic suggestion, avirosemail, so if you say it's ok, then it's ok!!

In any case, there are aspects of the Why We Travel episode that I'd love to discuss ...
Excellent, looking forward to hearing!

Maybe we should emulate Rick and enjoy a plate of munchies and a beverage while we all talk about why we travel. See you all then!
Lauri and Ed

I think that's a great idea. Although at 11am, perhaps I'll plan for coffee rather than beer or wine!

I would love to join you this time. Lauri, I like your idea to emulate Rick.

We plan to attend. Good ideac CW. Why We Travel was a great show and should lead to an interesting discussion!

Note that 11 a.m. is 8 p.m. in Paris (yes, I have the clock on my phone set to show both) ... time for Heidi cocoa!

I would love to attend. I am still hopeful about being in Dresden Fall 2021. :)

Count me in too, looking forward to the virtual travels and the Why We Travel chat, great idea, thank you!

I've sent the meeting link to Laura B, Andrea, Carol, Travelmom and mln. I got "application errors" for each and every one and had to try multiple times to convince the messages to go, so please make sure you've received them.

Laura B, I love that you show dual time on your phone. You're right, it'll be 8pm in Europe!!

I plan to be there. See you soon,

I got mine, thanks!

Count me in. Great idea, Catherine, to discuss Rick's latest episode on "Why We Travel."

Christine and Barbara N, glad you'll both make it! I've sent each of you the meeting link.

Please include me. Thank you.

Catharine, I have mine! Thanks!

I got mine. Thanks for including me.

Lynn, I've just sent you the meeting link. See you on the 9th!

I've added the link for my 2019 Dresden trip report here and in the meeting announcement at the top.

Hi Catherine,

Please count me in too! 😉

Happy & healthy new year to everyone!

I thought that I had a conflict, but, happily, I don't.
So please include me too.

Priscilla and SharYn, I've sent you each a private message with the link. See you soon!

Got it -- thanks!

I'd like to join in if I may. Thanks, Barbara

Hi Barbara, I've just sent you a message with the meeting link. So glad you'll be joining us!

Count me in. I look forward to reliving my memories of Luxembourg and Dresden.

I'd love to visit the meeting. Despite it being at 7pm for me I will have been in a Zoom class for 4 hours ending at 7pm. Despite that, if it isn't too rude to be fashionably late (have to get dinner) I'd really like to be there for the Luxembourg bit at least. One of my favourite cities and one of my favourite countries.

I don't want to bend the rules though....

Nigel and Anne, I've sent each of you a message with the zoom link.

Nigel, you're very brave to attend 5-6 online hours in a row! Please join us fashionably late and we will talk about "Why We Travel" for a bit at the outset, which hopefully will allow you to join in time for our visit to Luxembourg.

What a fun meeting -- well organized by CWsocial and enjoyable comments by everyone,
plus valuable showcases of Dresden and Luxembourg - glad I got to be there :-0

I had a great time! Thanks for hosting, CWSocial. I learned a lot.

Agree with Avi - a really enjoyable meeting. Everyone's comments were interesting and it seems we all expressed the same sentiments though in different ways. Catherine: Enjoyed Dresden - it's still nice to see presentations of places we have been because everyone travels differently so we can get a different perspective. And great pictures! Thanks! Mellani - Loved Luxembourg! Don't think we would have considered going there before but the scenery was beautiful and we now have another country to add to our list. Thanks!

I just have to concur - another great meeting. :) I really enjoyed all the different elements! Looking forward to February.

Carol, glad to hear! I had hoped to convey what a lovely place it is.

CWsocial, adding my gratitude to you for organizing these meetings, it was wonderful as always and I enjoyed visiting Dresden!

Thank you mln for sparking my interest in Luxembourg. I particularly like how you used your time there as a way to relax upon arrival. I am inclined to adopt that approach.

And thank you to Nigel for your thematically appropriate and historical contribution to my Dresden presentation. What a wonderful example is set by the twinning of Coventry and Dresden. And what a beautiful "visible symbol" of reconciliation is the gold cross that adorns the cathedral.

Your telling of that story inspired me to read more and I found this further article which adds:

"In turn, the most visible symbol of the Frauenkirche is the two-tonne gold cross that now crowns the cathedral. It was created by the British goldsmith Adam Smith, whose father, Frank Smith, flew one of the RAF bombers that destroyed Dresden. Smith told how his father remained convinced until his death that the bombing of Dresden, in the last months of the war, was inhuman and immoral. "Although my father never spoke to me about the bombing, I knew from my mother that it made him another man," he said. 'This was a chance to put something right.' "

My opportunity to see the Frauenkirche of Dresden, and learn about that history firsthand, is an example of why I travel. Thank you to everyone who shared your thoughts on why you travel.

See you next month in some combination of Croatia and/or Slovenia. Please let me know if you'd like to share your travels to either country, along with myself and Carol.

Thanks for including me. I enjoyed the discussions.

So glad you could join us, Andrea!