(Virtual) East Bay (SF area) Travel Group Meeting - Sat, July 23, 2022

Please let me know if you have travels to share and any topics you'd like to discuss.

I have enjoyed making a deck of my Turkey trip. It's waaaaaay too long for any single meeting, but I can pick a topic or town to share. Feel free to make requests, or I'll pick 1 or 2: the ancient sites (Ephesus, Aspendos, Aphrodisias); carpet and ceramic visits, the great and small Mosques, fun things like the balloon ride or boat rides (Bosphorus and Antalya); the fairy chimneys and cave lodgings in Capadoccia, food and drink and desserts!! Lots to choose from!

Who else would like to share their travels and plans?

Please also let me know if you would like to join an in-person meeting, probably at the outdoor eating space at the Veranda shopping center in Concord.

August 9, 2022 @ 11am PT

I have chosen this location because I can get a larger space at one of the outdoor picnic tables. And there are several places to get food and drink in the outdoor food court, including "Crêpe la Fontaine", which has coffee, sweet and savory crepes, and sandwiches. A french flavor in Concord!

I'm hopefully available both this Saturday for the zoom and the in-person in August (unless this newest variant is too prevalent...)
Thanks as always for hosting.

I'd love to join an in-person meeting ... ... but I can't..

I'm in please, CWsocial

We plan to attend the zoom meeting. If any one is interested I can share some pictures from our recent France trip. We also have plans we can share.

The in person meeting, wow! It's been so long!

Glad you can all make it to the July meeting!

Nigel, I'm very sorry that we will miss you in August. But then one never knows - between heat and viruses and smoke from fires, we've all got fingers crossed!

Carol - yes please on the photos and the plans!

It looks like I can join you on the 23rd from Stornaway, as long as my WiFi turns out to be good. And maybe Sept 10 from Warsaw. Isn’t online great? 😂

I’d like to join. Thanks.

Alas, I will meet miss this. I will be on safari in Africa and then a trek to see Mountain Gorillas. I can report on my trip in a future meeting.

diveloonie, we will miss you! We haven't seen any trip photos with Mountain Gorillas, so we will very much look forward to that!

I will definitely join the zoom this month and also hope to attend the August meeting. Thanks for organizing!

I’d love to join the Zoom meeting. My first instinct was to say yes to the in person meeting, but we will be less than 2 weeks from departing on a 10 week trip and we will be keeping to ourselves to protect from being exposed to illness.

I’d like to join!!!

I'll be there on the 23rd. Not sure yet about the in person meeting.

It will be fun to see all of you and hear your travel updates!

Andrea, I completely understand your caution before your trip; I did the same before my Turkey tours.

TexasTravelMom, I had to look up Stornaway on a map :-)

It seems that we have enough interest for the August in-person meeting to give it a try ..... fingers crossed!! I will publish an announcement in advance, as I do, to confirm. Please watch for that early in August.

I’d love to join the meeting, thank you for hosting!

Just to confirm, the in person meeting will be outside, right?

Yes, outside. I'll either get one of 2 picnic tables or there are several large round tables, depending on how many people will attend. I think both have sun umbrellas. They're all near the outdoor fountain at the Veranda.

You have to go inside to order food at the cafe and to pick it up when it's ready, but you can (well, must really) bring it to the outdoor tables to eat.

Count me in for the July zoom, CW. I will have nothing to share but my enthusiasm for everyone else's travel stories cuz I'm still not traveling. Since you asked, I'd love to see and hear anything you have on Turkish carpets and ceramics!

I wonder if my reply way up-thread was vague. Please count me in this weekend... We ran away to an airconditioned hotel because of the record temps this week but we will be back in cool weather this weekend (we hope) and able to join...

I knew what you meant, Nigel. I'd have sent you the link anyway.

Glad you found some AC. It'll be 101 F/ 38 C today in Colorado. Good thing I'm flying home tomorrow where it'll only be 91 F / 33 C.

I've sent the link to everyone who responded upthread.

At least I think I did.... from my phone...while standing at the front door of the brainiac computer repair place to get my keyboard fixed before I fly home tomorrow.

With luck, I'll have use of the letters r and numbers 4 and 5 again. For today, I'm on my phone, so my messages were.... succinct.

Turkish carpets and ceramics it shall be!! There's a nice story of government support behind those and ballooning in Turkey.

We still have room if anyone, anywhere, would like to join. I will check this thread up until about 30 minutes before the meeting.

See you all on Saturday!

I’d like to join, thank you!

PS they fix computer keyboards? Woohoo! I have several with non working keys. Good to know there’s a solution much better than adding yet another electronic to who knows what outcome (even if it’s delegated for recycling).

Hi mln, I just sent a message with the link.

Oh, the Micro Center fixes everything. They're the geekiest computer place ever - you can buy parts to build your own computer, or give them the specs and they'll build it. I showed the guy my laptop and he knew exactly what the problem was: "just fixed one with the same problem a while back!"

Sadly - for you - they are in Denver, a 15 minute drive from my parents. There's one in Tustin, CA, if you are ever back in Los Angeles.

good excuse for a week in the Rockies!

Please add me too. Thanks.

Just sent you the link, Lynn.

See you all online tomorrow!

I think we should add another topic for tomorrow --

how do you beat the heat?

My own answer is to stick near San Francisco Bay -- I've been using two blankets this past week.

My answer: reschedule my Portugal trip to October!

Thanks CWsocial! Maybe there’s places closer by that do it too, I’ll have to look. Although it is a good excuse to visit the Rockies as Nigel suggests 🤔 💭🏔 ⛷.

My answer? Scotland. 🤣

Looking forward to hearing about how nice and cool it is in Scotland!!

Another topic on my mind is "how do you know when you've found your place?" That place to which you simply must return.

I'm curious to hear ideas from fellow travelers - those who have found their place; those who haven't; and those for whom it isn't even a quest.

I really enjoyed today's slideshows and discussion, and the answers to the impromptu question prompts --
sorry I had to miss the ending! Thanks to CWsocial for bringing us together!

Avi, thank you for hosting!

I enjoyed today's discussions as well. I'm really intrigued by this discussion of "finding your place" so don't be surprised if we circle back to that one - in person or online.

The photos I'm finding of Pont Aven are beyond beautiful! I may have to plan a trip just to go there. Until then, perhaps a drive to the north shore of Lake Tahoe to remind myself of what's nearby.

As soon as I get the link from Katya, I will send it via pm. I'm thinking I may get it tomorrow morning for her, so please watch for it very late tonight or first thing tomorrow.

I had a wonderful time last night - thanks to all and especially Avirosemail and CWsocial for bringing us all together.

Carpets, underground ceramics (how do you pour wine from a pot with a hole in the middle??), ad hoc pics, good fun!

Great social action with the trip to Ukraine too, I hope all involved gain from it.

So sad to miss the in-person meeting next month, but with BART and the heat in August I think I have to skip it... ;(

Thanks, Avi and Catherine for hosting. Sounding like a broken record but this was another interesting meeting. It's great to hear the variety of experiences and without our meetings this would not be possible.

Catherine, thank you so much for setting up the virtual tour of Kyiv. It’s such a beautiful city and the photos and stories were very interesting. I hope to go to Ukraine once it’s safe to travel there.