(Virtual) San Francisco East Bay Travel Group Meeting - Sept 10, 2022 plus Aug 22 (special interest)

For the regular group meeting, I will share a few slides (10 min max) on Ephesus in Turkey, including the surprising artistic connection with Nike!

Topics I would be interested in hearing from others about include:
Itinerary planning - how much of your time do you pre-book?

CWSocial, count me in for Aug. 22 from home and for Sept. 10 from Warsaw! How much do I plan ahead? Enough to know where I will be so I can join this group! Lol.

I am perfectly happy to just sit and listen and see your wonderful Turkey photos, but if you want some pics from my Scotland/England trip I can do that.

How much do I plan ahead? Enough to know where I will be so I can join this group! Lol.
Perfect answer! Apparently my answer is "not enough" because I was having a hard time figuring out when to schedule December meetings because I'm toying with booking a trip.

if you want some pics from my Scotland/England trip I can do that.
Oh, yes please!!

Wait, TexasTravelMom - would that mean you have to bring some electronics that you otherwise would not bring to Warsaw? I don't want you to have to do that!

I would actually probably send them to you….. but I do travel with iPad and phone. :) But zoom works fine on my iPad - it’s just smaller.

OK, happy to do it whichever way you prefer. And especially if you want to send photos before you leave, I'm happy to follow instructions for "next photo" while you narrate.

I would love to join also.

Please count me in for the Sept. 10 meeting. It’ll be fun to see photos of Turkey, Scotland and England.

Count me in for September 10th. Just got back from safari in Tanzania and trekking to Mountain Gorilla’s in Uganda. Happy to listen or share. I may even have my photobook completed by then😜

I’d like to do the Aug. 22 virtual tour too. I do have to work that day and the tour will be at 2:00 pm here but it’ll likely be a quieter work day. So I should have more flexibility with the timing of my “lunch” break. How long is the tour?

Can’t make either one. I’ll be in Portugal for the September date.

Valerie and Barbara, so glad you'll be joining!
diveloonie - yes, definitely pictures, please! Even if the photobook isn't finished, we'd love to see some preliminaries.
Diane, sorry that we will miss you, but travels are our favorite reason for a hall pass!!

Valerie - the earlier Kyiv tour lasted a bit over an hour; I think it just really depends on how much content she brings and how many questions we ask or discussions we start. Of course, you're always welcome to stay as long as you can and leave when you need to.

When Will CW Send the Meeting Links?

Ukrainian Folk and Traditions Tour: I expect Katya will send the link during her Monday, overnight Sunday into Monday for most of us. So please check for that link early Monday morning.

September 10 regular meeting: please watch for a pm with that meeting link in the week prior to the meeting.

Please in clubs me for September 10, just want to clarify. Thank you. So happy to join, I love looking at people’s travel photos.

Barbara, me too, I get so much inspiration! You're "in" for Sept 10th.

September please!

Good luck on Monday...

It is ok to show a few more Turkey pics - I'm sure I'm not the only one hanging on every picture - love it!

I could pop in a tiny handful of Isle Of Wight - just returned from 3 nights away

Oh yes, please, Nigel. I've never seen photos of Isle of Wight and would love to.

I also wonder whether a discussion of "getting back out there" might be useful, without being pushy. For instance, I am booking everything as "refundable." Even things like trains, which I would have previously bought as non-refundable. For how long will I keep spending extra money "in case I don't actually go?" Is this my new normal? Are others paying extra for fully refundable everything?

AGENDA

Places we will visit
Isle Of Wight with Nigel
Scotland/England with TexasTravelMom
Safari in Tanzania and trekking to Mountain Gorilla’s in Uganda with diveloonie
Ephesus in Turkey with CWsocial (and maybe something else from Turkey, but only if we have time, which we probably won't)

Let's Talk About: the new normal of Itinerary planning?
How much of your time do you pre-book?
How far ahead are you pre-booking all this stuff that now has to be / can be booked online?
Why am I paying extra for fully refundable everything? train tickets, airfare, etc.

Previews for upcoming meetings
Portugal with Diane and CWsocial
Poland with Carol, Tony and TexasTravelMom

....and more, I'm sure!

Please include me on Sept 10. Looking forward to listening and learning!
Also down for Monday's special tour.

For the Ukraine Folk and Traditions tour today, I should be getting the link this morning, very near the meeting time, and will distribute it via private messages.

Catherine, thanks for organizing today's special zoom with Katya. Loved the info on traditional houses and the symbolic colors and designs of clothing. And those eggs--wow!

bugslife, as I was looking at the eggs, I remembered my oldest daughter made one in school one year! That has been ages ago and I did know how elaborate the process is - but it made me want to jump up and go bring it for everyone to see! (But it was going to take too long…..) I enjoyed all the interesting info and I plan to get to that open air museum at some point in the future! Thanks, CW!

Today's meeting was just what I was hoping for - lots of colorful arts and traditions! I have an entirely new appreciation for some of the decorated eggs I've seen. I also loved the colorful costumes and seeing the different patterns from each of the regions.

We hope to make the September 10 meeting, depending on how ready we are for our upcoming trip.

CW, thanks so much for organizing today’s tour. It was fascinating. The embroidery, the different regional variations in clothing, the traditional houses, the Christmas decorations, and best of all - those eggs! I would love to go to that museum some day.

Will be back October 2!! After Portugal we go to Spain. See you in November.

Please add me to the Sept 10 list. Thank you,

I would like to join on 9/10. Thank you!
Rebecca

September 10th please!
And thanks as always.

It will be terrific to see everyone! I haven't started sending the links yet for Sept 10th but will do so about one week before the meeting.

Plenty of room still for anyone who would like to join!

For those who have joined one of the virtual Ukraine tours with Katya, she has a TripAdvisor page and would welcome your positive review of her virtual Kyiv History and Ukrainian Folk and Traditions tour.

Please add me for September 10!

Oh great idea, CW! On it in the morning!

Hi, please add me for Sep 10, thank you!

Hi, CW, I’ve submitted a review for Katya’s Ukrainian Folk Traditions tour.

Terrific, Valerie, I'm sure she will appreciate it!

Please include me, too!
Christine

I just sent the meeting link to everyone who responded above. If I missed you, please let me know. It happens!

How fun, we've got people traveling, about to leave, packing (me,) and ready to show us pictures of recent trips!

Plenty of room for anyone else who would like to join, from anywhere!

Looking forward to seeing photos of such a variety of places in addition to the usual topic discussions.

A 3 continent meeting. Our first, I think!

I'd love to attend the 10 September meeting, if there are still spaces available.
I just returned from 3 weeks in England (RSE tour), Scotland (Orkneys), and France.
Thanks either way!
MC

ReedManTx there is space available and we'd love to have you! I just sent you a private message with instructions for attending the meetings and the link for Sept 10th.

Too funny that I had your "RSE Best of England trip report" open in a browser when your post came in. Of course, you had me at "Turkish Dinner," but who can complain when the headline of each section has a different cuisine: Thai dinner, Turkish dinner, Welsh dinner. Your travels sound delicious.

Welcome and see you online on Saturday!

I'd like to join this coming Saturday if there's still room.
Thanks, Chani

Hi Chani, there's plenty of room and we'd love to have you!

I just sent you the link via private message along with instructions. See you Saturday!

Thanks. Looking forward to it.

There is still space if anyone would like to join. I will check one last time tomorrow morning, about 30 minutes before the start of the meeting.

Looking forward to seeing everyone online tomorrow!

Note that there have been several small updates to Zoom in the past month so if you have a chance to check for updates and install them before the meeting on Saturday, do so.

RS likes to use the phrase "stoke your travel dreams" -- well today's meeting was a multi-alarm blaze to our travel dreams!

Excellent analogy, avirosemail. If there were any danger of my travel fire starting to flicker, today certainly fanned the flames!

Agree! We've been to Turkey but now I want to go to the Isle of Skye and on a safari. Will it ever end?

Yes! I want to visit all three of those places — and more!

No, it never ends. The world is a big place and we want to see it all! LOL! But if you go to Skye, put Lewis on your plan as well! Can’t wait for gorilla trekking…..

Enjoyed the Isle Of Skye pictures TexasTravelMom, since I have been there it was fun to re-live it! Next time we go to Scotland, I want to do the Orkney's and Harris and Lewis.
No meeting in October, correct?

No meeting in October, correct?
Correct, as I'll be traveling.

Sorry to miss but we had fun in Lisbon today getting a bit turned around in the maze like streets. Google maps helped us as our map didn’t have all the street names. Are you going to Portugal in October? Our tour starts tomorrow.

Yes, I'll be in Portugal for much of October.

Have a wonderful tour, it looks like a great one and I can't wait to hear about it!

No meeting in October, correct?

Correct, as I'll be traveling.

Oh MAN!!! No gorillas before November!?!?!?

I voted the wrong way last night!

That hadn't occurred to me either, Nigel. Something to look forward to though!

Nigel, November could be my first night in Oxford! I will have to plan trains (hopefully) accordingly, so I can make the meeting!

Where in the world are you all?

I'm at Oakland airport relaxing outside the terminal, way too early for my flight to Denver. But good thing because there's an A's game today and the trains toward the airport are going to get crowded!

CWsocial you posed this about 24 hours ago so I guess you're not still in the airport.

Where am I? I'm way late in reading the Forums because we are in an absolute peach of a property - a Dorint - the Dorint Frankfurt Oberursel, high in the Taunus mountains with ever so clear and clean air, bird song, waterbirds too. Next time I'm coming here for 2 weeks. Got a fab last minute deal.

Our 44th anniversary of meeting was last week so we are just chilling. Today we visited the European Bahá'í House of Worship near here, had loads of fun at the Kronberg Apple Fest where we had the best apple waffles with powdered sugar from a powdered sugar mill. There were many booths set up selling everything waffle related including moments old apple juice which was coming out of a press being fed apples by all the neighbourhood kiddoes (even what looked like an under a year in mom's arms) and live music.

The particular booth we patronized was being run by school girls raising money for their school dance group trip to a competition next year. It was funny. Three girls (maybe 16 or 17) in a row with an electric home waffle maker at the right end. Left to right, girl 1, 2, 3. Girl 1 takes the 2€ per waffle, Girl 3 pours batter into the waffle maker. Her job is to pour, peek, peek, peek, lift off waffle. Girl 2 stands holding a green paper napkin. When waffle done, Girl 3 passes the waffle to Girl 2 , who pivots 45 degrees to her right where Girl 1 (not only takes money but also operates the powdered sugar mill) powders the waffle, and then girl 2 straightens up and hands over the finished - most exceptionally tasty - waffle to the customer.

Repeat,

Yesterday we were at the Apple Wein Fest in Oberursal. Saw a wedding party come out of the ancient Rathaus (built 1444, rebuilt 1570) which was our third in two days.

We saw two wedding parties at opposite ends of the municipal building in G(h)ent as we visited the best chocolate makers in Gent and therefor the world - van Hoorebeke, which I have spoken of before https://www.chocolatesvanhoorebeke.be/ which are just down from the Sint Baafs Cathedral, home of the Mystic Lamb.

So two weddings in Gent and one in Oberursal. Not done, we also went to the lovely town of Bad Homberg which has a most incredible and vast park in the centre of town. Wedding party at the Siamese Temple and another near the Casino (who'd gamble on such a thing?).

So 5 in two days.

Home soon, by the end of the month.

What about everybody else?

Planning a three-night getaway to Murphys, Arnold, Calaveras Big Trees State Park in the CA Sierra/Sierra foothills for early October. Similar to the trip I reported on last year. Hiking and a little wine-tasting are planned. We went to our first indoor theater performance since before the pandemic in Berkeley last week--vaccination and masking required by theater.

Edited to add: I'm really looking forward to November 12. And Nigel, one of these days I'd love to hear more about your enthusiasm for travel in Germany.

All this sounds divine. :) I am on week four of Poland and in love with Krakow. Tonight I was at a klezmer concert at my hotel, tomorrow is spa day in honor of my birthday this week, and Wed. night is a classical concert at one of the churches. Not to mention all the wonderful places in the city to visit. Here till Friday, then Hungary!!

Nigel, you find the best hidden gems!

Divine is right! I would like to join each of you on your trips!!

Nigel, in my mind I was watching and waiting while Girls #1, 2 and 3 prepared my apple waffle with powdered sugar. How perfectly perfect for autumn!!

Barbara, I just love the little town of Murphys. And my picture sitting next to the human-sized frog on the bench. I agree, I'd love to hear from Nigel about Germany.

Oh yes, TexasTravelMom, Krakow would be a wonderful place to be for a birthday! Many pleasant memories relaxing on the main square with a warm drink (in October. )

Happy Birthday to you!!

We're in Denver enjoying a fall hiatus before heading to Portugal on Saturday. Mom and I made cranberry scones this morning. Farrah is happy to be back at her second home.

Happy Birthday, TexasTravelMom

and many more

Thanks, Nigel! 😊

Adding my birthday wishes, TexasTravelMom.

Thank,you, Barbara - it was a fun day!

And I second avi but moved over here (I figured we had already hijacked this thread completely - lol):

happy 44th anniversary this week to the nigels!

Happy 44th meeting anniversary to the Nigels!