The Holiday Thread

[Carnivore Chris]

On 07/10/2021 at 07:47, Stan said:

Milan booked for end of June next year .

San Siro is one of the stadiums I've always wanted to visit. 

Will also be doing a day trip to Lake Como too. 

I'm off to Málaga in 9 days .

I was thinking the Canaries but it's risky due to the volcano in La Palma, it may end up affecting flights to all the islands due to the ash. But it should still be warm in Andalucía. 20-25 degrees or so I'm guessing.

Italy is on my list though, as I've never been to Italy. 

 

Edited October 8, 2021 by Carnivore Chris

[nudge]

5 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said:

I'm off to Málaga in 9 days .

I was thinking the Canaries but it's risky due to the volcano in La Palma, it may end up affecting flights to all the islands due to the ash. But it should still be warm in Andalucía. 20-25 degrees or so I'm guessing.

Italy is on my list though, as I've never been to Italy. 

 

Have fun in Malaga, Chris!

As for the La Palma volcano, the ash is already affecting flights in Tenerife, a few had to be diverted from North to South Airport today already

[Stan]

2 hours ago, Carnivore Chris said:

I'm off to Málaga in 9 days .

I was thinking the Canaries but it's risky due to the volcano in La Palma, it may end up affecting flights to all the islands due to the ash. But it should still be warm in Andalucía. 20-25 degrees or so I'm guessing.

Italy is on my list though, as I've never been to Italy. 

 

Malaga is lovely. Went there for a day trip when I went to Fuengirola/Mijas. 

In fact a lot of that southern Spain region is so nice to be in. Been to Torremolinos, Marbella, Puerto Banus in addition to the 2 above. Love visiting there.

Also never been to Italy - we were thinking of going somewhere in June for ages so started looking at flights. Looked around loads of places in Europe - Florence, Rome, Paris, Lisbon, Barcelona, Bilbao, Nice, Porto, Prague, Dubrovnik but all flights were coming out very expensive. Then searched Milan and flights were only £80pp return!! Couldn't believe it was so cheap considering how popular it is.

2 hours ago, nudge said:

Have fun in Malaga, Chris!

As for the La Palma volcano, the ash is already affecting flights in Tenerife, a few had to be diverted from North to South Airport today already

My brother and his family were lucky - they flew out to Lanzarote and thankfully I don't think the ash affected them as the wind was blowing the ash the other way. Same for the return flight, don't think it reached that island but it was heading towards Spain apparently at some point...

[Devil]

Tui have cancelled all flights up until the 18th October to Egypt, I fly out on the 19th October.

So I'm currently half expecting it to cancel but also thinking it will happen as it falls within the School holidays so flights will be busier.

 

[Carnivore Chris]

On 08/10/2021 at 15:50, Stan said:

Malaga is lovely. Went there for a day trip when I went to Fuengirola/Mijas. 

In fact a lot of that southern Spain region is so nice to be in. Been to Torremolinos, Marbella, Puerto Banus in addition to the 2 above. Love visiting there.

Also never been to Italy - we were thinking of going somewhere in June for ages so started looking at flights. Looked around loads of places in Europe - Florence, Rome, Paris, Lisbon, Barcelona, Bilbao, Nice, Porto, Prague, Dubrovnik but all flights were coming out very expensive. Then searched Milan and flights were only £80pp return!! Couldn't believe it was so cheap considering how popular it is.

My brother and his family were lucky - they flew out to Lanzarote and thankfully I don't think the ash affected them as the wind was blowing the ash the other way. Same for the return flight, don't think it reached that island but it was heading towards Spain apparently at some point...

Yeah I've been before. I went in 2011 with a lass I was seeing at the time but it would be nice to explore the city properly rather than just spend most of your time at a bench or in restaurants and bars and i'll probably visit Torremolinos and Benalmadena while there as I've never been to either and they are only down the road. It should also still be decent weather there.

You should have booked it for a few weeks time mate instead of next year, you must be itching to go somewhere now!

On 08/10/2021 at 13:29, nudge said:

Have fun in Malaga, Chris!

As for the La Palma volcano, the ash is already affecting flights in Tenerife, a few had to be diverted from North to South Airport today already

Yeah, the ash is always problematic when it comes to flying, just like the one in Iceland those years ago.

You should come and join me the week after Inga 

[Stan]

15 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said:

You should have booked it for a few weeks time mate instead of next year, you must be itching to go somewhere now!

Nah were on honeymoon in January so saving up for that and that's our big main holiday! Plus missus can't get too much time off work right now. 

3 months time we'll be sunning it up in Barbados sipping on some quality rum and coke next to the beach 

[nudge]

34 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said:

Yeah, the ash is always problematic when it comes to flying, just like the one in Iceland those years ago.

You should come and join me the week after Inga 

Don't even remind me that Iceland volcano, my flight got cancelled twice and then the third time it was diverted to another airport 400km away, so we had to spend over 4 hours in the bus and then run through the other airport in order to make it 

Nah, I will pass this time, I'm glad to finally have a break from travelling Spent a shitload of money on hotels, flights and taxis this year already, and am honestly a bit tired from it all  

[Carnivore Chris]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:42, Stan said:

Nah were on honeymoon in January so saving up for that and that's our big main holiday! Plus missus can't get too much time off work right now. 

3 months time we'll be sunning it up in Barbados sipping on some quality rum and coke next to the beach 

Barbados would be great. Are we all invited? Hopefully there are no more COVID set backs now and everything goes as planned.

 

[Carnivore Chris]

On 10/10/2021 at 11:05, nudge said:

Don't even remind me that Iceland volcano, my flight got cancelled twice and then the third time it was diverted to another airport 400km away, so we had to spend over 4 hours in the bus and then run through the other airport in order to make it 

Nah, I will pass this time, I'm glad to finally have a break from travelling Spent a shitload of money on hotels, flights and taxis this year already, and am honestly a bit tired from it all  

Are you still in Crete or back home now? I wouldn't have minded Crete myself thinking of it. It looks nice.

 

[nudge]

1 minute ago, Carnivore Chris said:

Are you still in Crete or back home now? I wouldn't have minded Crete myself thinking of it. It looks nice.

 

Crete. What I consider "home" still has its borders closed. There are some signs of improvement though, so hopefully I'll be able to go back early next year at the latest...

[Stan]

56 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said:

Barbados would be great. Are we all invited? Hopefully there are no more COVID set backs now and everything goes as planned.

 

Yeah they're in the post... 

[Carnivore Chris]

22 hours ago, nudge said:

Crete. What I consider "home" still has its borders closed. There are some signs of improvement though, so hopefully I'll be able to go back early next year at the latest...

You've travelled so much that you've probably forgotten where "home" is 

Crete looks amazing to honest and I could see me loving it there. I've been to another Greek island(Aegina) and also Athens in terms of main land Greece, although I was quite young at the time. 

 

21 hours ago, Stan said:

Yeah they're in the post... 

I definitely need to get to the Carribbean part of Latin America when everything is truly back to "normal".

[Carnivore Chris]

It's lovely weather here, perfect temperatures. It was around 24-25 today, just right, not too hot but still shorts and t shirt weather. Its going to reach 27 on Thurs they say.

[nudge]

1 minute ago, Carnivore Chris said:

It's lovely weather here, perfect temperatures. It was around 24-25 today, just right, not too hot but still shorts and t shirt weather. Its going to reach 27 on Thurs they say.

Sounds good... How long will you be staying there?

[Carnivore Chris]

6 minutes ago, nudge said:

Sounds good... How long will you be staying there?

Only until Friday, 5 days in total(I got here yesterday afternoon) but I wish I made it 3 weeks or so now and did a bit of travelling through Andalucía but the potential changes in restrictions is what puts me off booking for any longer.

I also forgot how amazing it is when landing in Málaga and flying over the mountainous region as you approach. Some of those lakes up there are picture-esque!

I'm going to pop down to Benalmádena tomorrow as I know someone who is staying out there. 

I actually came down with a cold on Wed, but fortunately I got rid of it and never devolved a cough or chest infection. I was going to kill the cunt who passed me it at work .

How is Crete?

Edited October 18, 2021 by Carnivore Chris

[nudge]

12 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said:

Only until Friday, 5 days in total(I got here yesterday afternoon) but I wish I made it 3 weeks or so now and do a bit of travelling through Andalucía but the potential changes in restrictions is what puts me off booking for any longer.

I also forgot how amazing it is when landing in Málaga and flying over the mountainous region as approach. Some of those lakes up there are picture-esque!

I'm going to pop down to Benalmádena tomorrow as I know someone who is staying out there. 

I actually came down with a cold on Wed, but fortunately I got rid of it and never devolved a cough or chest infection. I was going to kill the cunt who passed me it at work .

How is Crete?

Still, 5 days is better than nothing! It's your first proper trip since Covid started, right? Bet it felt like a breath of fresh air  Make sure to post some pics when you return!

Crete is fine, still relatively warm (23-25 during the day), had some thunderstorms and a few earthquakes a while ago, but all good overall  Finally found a rental car for a normal price (others wanted 900€/month ), so will do a lot more exploring as well. So far, I only really explored the capital city, the Minoan Palace of Knossos, a few villages on the South coast, and did parasailing. Few tourists now as well, so it's perfect. I want to hike a few gorges, and visit as many small mountain villages as possible. 

[Devil]

had the right hump this morning.

 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Devil

[Devil]

Well that was an interesting break, did some amazing snorkeling at Paradise beach and a coral island in the middle of the ocean. 

Then 3 days into the holiday I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach by a horse but being a father who didn't want to spoil his kids holiday I soldiered on through even though I was near collapse from dehydration and diarrhea.

Only ended having to go into one of their private clinics after three days of  hell. The doctor walked in looking like he'd just ended his shift as a night porter and possibly only left school a few weeks earlier. Not to mention the room looked about as hygienic as construction site cabin.

So I quietly refused the drip they suggested was the best medical solution through fear of catching something far worse.

I'm now home still sick and waiting for my appointment with my GP tomorrow who is that concerned about me he suggested if I get any more pains this evening I go straight to A&E. 

So all in all it was a bit of a disaster and it has put me off travelling to Egypt ever again.

[Devil]

The one bonus of it, usually when I return from a holiday I'm looking to lose the few pounds I've gained from excessive eating and drinking......

Instead I'm down about half a stone.

[nudge]

3 minutes ago, Devil said:

Well that was an interesting break, did some amazing snorkeling at Paradise beach and a coral island in the middle of the ocean. 

Then 3 days into the holiday I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach by a horse but being a father who didn't want to spoil his kids holiday I soldiered on through even though I was near collapse from dehydration and diarrhea.

Only ended having to go into one of their private clinics after three days of  hell. The doctor walked in looking like he'd just ended his shift as a night porter and possibly only left school a few weeks earlier. Not to mention the room looked about as hygienic as construction site cabin.

So I quietly refused the drip they suggested was the best medical solution through fear of catching something far worse.

I'm now home still sick and waiting for my appointment with my GP tomorrow who is that concerned about me he suggested if I get any more pains this evening I go straight to A&E. 

So all in all it was a bit of a disaster and it has put me off travelling to Egypt ever again.

This sounds horrific. A bad food poisoning, you reckon? 

[Devil]

4 minutes ago, nudge said:

This sounds horrific. A bad food poisoning, you reckon? 

I'd say so. Easily the worst I've ever had.

Sad thing was the hotel manager was informed my wife had spoke to guest relations about it and requested to meet me personally. Only tried to strong arm me into signing a form that stated I was satisfied with the facilities and that it couldn't have been from the hotels food. I refused obviously and he showed how uncaring he was for the situation.

He need not worry though because unless I accepted treatment from the medic I stand zero chance of getting any sort of compensation.

 

[nudge]

2 minutes ago, Devil said:

I'd say so. Easily the worst I've ever had.

Sad thing was the hotel manager was informed my wife had spoke to guest relations about it and requested to meet me personally. Only tried to strong arm me into signing a form that stated I was satisfied with the facilities and that it couldn't have been from the hotels food. I refused obviously and he showed how uncaring he was for the situation.

He need not worry though because unless I accepted treatment from the medic I stand zero chance of getting any sort of compensation.

 

Make sure to drink a lot of fluids... A drip would have been good, but I can understand why you were reluctant to get it  

My father had a bad food poisoning in SE Asia a few years ago; fever of 40 degrees, vomitting, diarrhea, was even getting a bit delirious at times. Brought him to the local private clinic, they wanted an 8 drip course, we settled with 2 and a presription of antibiotics He was up and running again within two days. These things can sadly happen, especially when you're abroad and have little to none previous exposure to local bacteria.

Hope you get better soon!

[Carnivore Chris]

On 18/10/2021 at 18:42, nudge said:

Still, 5 days is better than nothing! It's your first proper trip since Covid started, right? Bet it felt like a breath of fresh air  Make sure to post some pics when you return!

Crete is fine, still relatively warm (23-25 during the day), had some thunderstorms and a few earthquakes a while ago, but all good overall  Finally found a rental car for a normal price (others wanted 900€/month ), so will do a lot more exploring as well. So far, I only really explored the capital city, the Minoan Palace of Knossos, a few villages on the South coast, and did parasailing. Few tourists now as well, so it's perfect. I want to hike a few gorges, and visit as many small mountain villages as possible. 

 

I'm actually going back to the Costa Del sol(further down the coast) in march for 8 days(everything is booked) so I'm hoping to go up into the hills in a cable car. Like you, I want to visit some mountain villages. 

Well, it was technically my third trip during the pandemic, as I went to Barcelona last March, just as it was starting, Amsterdam in August between the lockdowns and Málaga the week before last, so I haven't done too badly.

I'll post some pictures when I can be arsed. It's beautiful down there though and I was pleasantly surprised with Benlmàdena(which I visited for the day), as it has much more character than I thought it would considering how it's effectively a tourist spot. I suppose it depends on the time of year. It's better going to Spain in Spring or Autumn. You go to the beach and it was at like 10% capacity despite reaching 28 or so degrees. 

I was also watching the sea one late afternoon and saw Orcas jumping! They weren't too far out either. I thought I was seeing things at first, then others started looking and pointing and then it dawned on me what they were.

 

Edited November 1, 2021 by Carnivore Chris

[Devil]

I wonder if it was my hotel.......

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10153583/amp/Egypt-arrests-three-workers-Red-Sea-hotel-50-tourists-hospitalised-food-poisoning.html

 

Would explain why I felt like I was dying whilst I was there.

[nudge]

13 minutes ago, Devil said:

I wonder if it was my hotel.......

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10153583/amp/Egypt-arrests-three-workers-Red-Sea-hotel-50-tourists-hospitalised-food-poisoning.html

 

Would explain why I felt like I was dying whilst I was there.

Serves you right for eating at the hotel, tbh  

Nah, but in all seriousness, that sounds bad. A random food poisoning is one thing, sending 50 guests to a hospital is completely unacceptable. The Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahrm reported that it was a five-star AMC Royal hotel. Is it the one you were staying at???