The Holiday Thread

[Carnivore Chris]

On 28/07/2022 at 19:46, Viva la FCB said:

I have not yet. My logic maybe flawed I just dont have alot of interest going there mostly because I just love the Caribbean side too much; the water and beaches are just gorgeous. Ive been to the Mayan Riviera area I think 3 times and the California Baha peninsula once (Vallejo) 

I've finally persuaded a mate of mine to come to Spain with me in Sept, he booked it last night to join me after recently getting his passport, going to Turkey and Lanzarote and now wanting to visit more spots. Anyway, to the point; he wants to go Mexico(to where you head to), and so do I of course, so we are going to book it for later next year. It'd be better going with someone. Europe and Canada on my own is nothing, but Latin America is a bit, well, different.

 I also want to go to Canada still, so I'll have to see on the money situation as flights across the Atlantic are expensive, it's not like the £100 flights in Europe. But I would love to have finally been to both by the end of next year and shut up talking about it .

On 28/07/2022 at 21:19, Spike said:

For me, it is stepping one foot outside the designated gringo zone and getting kidnapped. Also applies to Mexiamericans.

You never know, you might suffer from "el síndrome de Estocolmo" and take a liking to them.

 

[N U F C]

Cyprus in October for me.

Go every year with a couple of mates, weather is hot but not too hot which I like. Anything over about 30 degrees and I’m struggling

[Tommy]

5 hours ago, N U F C said:

Cyprus in October for me.

Go every year with a couple of mates, weather is hot but not too hot which I like. Anything over about 30 degrees and I’m struggling

Enjoy! Cyprus was more than once one of those countries I almost ended up in when I was deciding where to go. Let us know how you like it! Maybe I'll end up there eventually after all. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

@SirBalon - I need your Napoli expertise mate!

Got any good food recommendations? I'm not going to be there for very long, and part of the time I'm there... I'm actually going to be fucking off to see Pompei because I've always wanted to do that. But also if you've got any recommendations for how to spend the rest of the time in the city... I'd love that too.

My hotel's not in the greatest location for touristy shite - but it's so close to Napoli Centrale (it might even be connected? I'm not 100% sure though )... which is probably handy for me as I'll be taking the train to and from the city.

Decided to cut my Puglia exploration a bit short because I've always wanted to experience Naples for more than the few hours I'd spent already... and I've always wanted to see Pompei - so I'm pretty pleased to have this little bit of my upcoming trip in that area.

[SirBalon]

7 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

@SirBalon - I need your Napoli expertise mate!

Got any good food recommendations? I'm not going to be there for very long, and part of the time I'm there... I'm actually going to be fucking off to see Pompei because I've always wanted to do that. But also if you've got any recommendations for how to spend the rest of the time in the city... I'd love that too.

My hotel's not in the greatest location for touristy shite - but it's so close to Napoli Centrale (it might even be connected? I'm not 100% sure though )... which is probably handy for me as I'll be taking the train to and from the city.

Decided to cut my Puglia exploration a bit short because I've always wanted to experience Naples for more than the few hours I'd spent already... and I've always wanted to see Pompei - so I'm pretty pleased to have this little bit of my upcoming trip in that area.

Too many things to see in Bella Napoli mate. 

If you want to capture the genuine Napoli... the Naples of the movies, you need to start in the Quartieri Spagnoli. That’s in the centre with the old alleyways and the typical Neapolitan shouting at each other with the typical “Oooooo..”

Take the metropolitano to the Toledo station (which is a sight to behold in itself) and walk from there down the Via Roma.

https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartieri_Spagnoli

From there you continue walking downwards until you’ll come to a square where to the left hand side you’ll see La Mergellina which is the beautiful walk along the Neapolitan coast where again so many movies have been made.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mergellina

If you go to the top of the city, there is a park called Capodimonte. It’s a great walk inside and if you go towards the museum they have there (don’t go inside it, it’s boring), you’ll see a fountain. By that fountain, you can see the whole of Napoli. The sight is breathtaking!

https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parco_di_Capodimonte

Then there’s the trendy part of the city at the top called Il Vomero. This is where wealthy young people live and there’s all sorts of trendy stuff and cafes there. A bit like Barcelona’s La Rambla. Infact a lot of the architecture of that area is like Barcelona for historic reasons.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vomero

I could go on mate. There are some amazing places to visit particularly religious artefacts and art to see like the Shrouded Christ which is a unique sculpture that took decades to make back in the day. To see it is to stand in awe. There’s also the ancient tunnels under the city started by the Greeks and finished by the Spaniards (because Neapolis, Parthenope was always special to Europeans for all sorts of reasons) are incredible if you have time mate. It’s too complexed to go into what’s down there.

Pompeii is amazing and close by the even more ancient Herculaneum is mind blowing. Although they’ve opened new areas to the public at the Pompeii site, so it’s a must see.

As for food... Man! Pizza Napoletana is obvious. Then the fish there is great although keep away from the tourist areas to eat. It’s shit and expensive. For Pizza, visit Da Michele or Sorbillo. They’re the two most young Neapolitans use and they’re really good.

http://www.damichele.net/

https://www.sorbillo.it/

My favourite dishes are Parmigiana or the obvious, Lasagna. But there are hundreds of traditional Neapolitan dishes and whichever one you choose, you won’t go wrong.

Puglia is absolutely beautiful though! And the wine there... WOW! Beats the crap out of the over commercialised Chianti. Puglia red wine is my favourite Italian wine. The “Negroamaro” style of making wine is unique as they use 20% sun dried grapes (raisins) giving it a distinctive dark red. Where am I going with this

Along the Neapolitan coast (commonly known as the Amalfi Coast) is also great to drive down. From the port of Naples you can also get the fast boat to the islands of Capri, Ischia and Procida... Procida is my favourite for the simple fact that there are less tourists there and it’s where the movie, Il Postino was made. A great restaurant run by an old couple at the small fishermen port at the back of the island is the place to go. They make everything themselves from the wine to the pasta. You get treated like a king by that family and the amount they give you is perverse lol. The restaurant is called Gorgonia although La Locanda is amazing too.

The boat trip is literally 20 minutes so you can go and returns the city in a couple of hours including eating of course.

 

[Dr. Gonzo]

Cheers @SirBalon - Da Michele is probably the first place we're going to after the train station/hotel! Knew you'd be a great person to ask!

[SirBalon]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Cheers @SirBalon - Da Michele is probably the first place we're going to after the train station/hotel! Knew you'd be a great person to ask!

No prob mate. Glad to have been of help.

[Lucas]

Going to Croatia in a few weeks for 10 days, never been but my missus really sold it to me so we're both looking forward to the break now. Been a good while since our last holiday away to Cyprus so we're busting for it now.

Looks a beautiful place so hopefully it meets expectations.

[Tommy]

8 minutes ago, Lucas said:

Going to Croatia in a few weeks for 10 days, never been but my missus really sold it to me so we're both looking forward to the break now. Been a good while since our last holiday away to Cyprus so we're busting for it now.

Looks a beautiful place so hopefully it meets expectations.

Where in Croatia? I've been to Croatia 8 times. 7 times as a kid, and then in 2019 again for the first time since 1997. One of the most beautiful places I've been to so far. Many spots have become VERY touristy though, especially Dubrovnik ever since they shot Game of Thrones there. Very expensive too. 

[Lucas]

5 hours ago, Tommy said:

Where in Croatia? I've been to Croatia 8 times. 7 times as a kid, and then in 2019 again for the first time since 1997. One of the most beautiful places I've been to so far. Many spots have become VERY touristy though, especially Dubrovnik ever since they shot Game of Thrones there. Very expensive too. 

We are staying in Makarska, essentially that is our base for relaxtion, chill etc.

From there, it seems quite handy to get to islands like Hvar and Brac on a boat trip, whilst we plan to get a hire car and go to Plitvice Lakes, maybe Krka as well, and we want to go see Split as it's closer to where we are. The old town looks amazing.

Dubrovnik we are weighing up for a day excursion but not decided yet. We know its a little bit 'Santorini' but we are tempted to go to say we've been.

Would you have any tips or further recomendations we might have missed?

Edited August 18, 2022 by Lucas

[Tommy]

7 minutes ago, Lucas said:

We are staying in Makarska, essentially that is our base for relaxtion, chill etc.

From there, it seems quite handy to get to islands like Hvar and Brac on a boat trip, whilst we plan to get a hire car and go to Plitvice Lakes, maybe Krka as well, and we want to go see Split as it's closer to where we are. The old town looks amazing.

Dubrovnik we are weighing up for a day excursion but not decided yet. We know its a little bit 'Santorini' but we are tempted to go to say we've been.

Would you have any tips or further recomendations we might have missed?

Ooooh nice. I was always staying in a small town called Tucepi that is not far away from Makarska. Next time I go to Croatia, I'll probably stay in Makarska as well. Lovely little town, but not too little. Nice promenade, good restaurants and bars. And as you said, a good place to reach other destinations. Dubrovnik is definitely worth seeing, but when I was there in 2019, it was soooo packed, and very expensive compared to other Croatian cities. 

I've been to Hvar, Brac and to Krka as well. Can't go wrong with that! 

I'd add Mostar to the list. It's in Bosnia & Herzegovina, but easy to reach if you have a rental car or probably easily bookable for an excursion. Lovely little town with a lot of history. Well, most of it had to be rebuilt as it was destroyed in the Balkan Wars, but they stayed very true to the original. 

And other than that, I'd also say Zadar, Split and Sibenik are worth a visit.  

And for something "nearby" to have a stroll on the beach or see a lovely little town I'd also recommend Baska Voda. Only drove through there when the bus took me back to the hotel, but it looked very nice. 

[Lucas]

2 hours ago, Tommy said:

Ooooh nice. I was always staying in a small town called Tucepi that is not far away from Makarska. Next time I go to Croatia, I'll probably stay in Makarska as well. Lovely little town, but not too little. Nice promenade, good restaurants and bars. And as you said, a good place to reach other destinations. Dubrovnik is definitely worth seeing, but when I was there in 2019, it was soooo packed, and very expensive compared to other Croatian cities. 

I've been to Hvar, Brac and to Krka as well. Can't go wrong with that! 

I'd add Mostar to the list. It's in Bosnia & Herzegovina, but easy to reach if you have a rental car or probably easily bookable for an excursion. Lovely little town with a lot of history. Well, most of it had to be rebuilt as it was destroyed in the Balkan Wars, but they stayed very true to the original. 

And other than that, I'd also say Zadar, Split and Sibenik are worth a visit.  

And for something "nearby" to have a stroll on the beach or see a lovely little town I'd also recommend Baska Voda. Only drove through there when the bus took me back to the hotel, but it looked very nice. 

That's really helpful info mate, ta very much, appreciated. Baska Voda looks a lovely little gem actually, just 10mins from our apartments. I'd be tempted to hire bikes and ride round there.

All suggestions have been put forward to she who must be obeyed and are on the list. I'm really looking forward to it now I must admit.

I reckon at this rate, I might get one and a half days for chilling by the pool

[Stan]

Looking at going to Lisbon or Geneva for a short city-break end of April/early May.

What would the fine folk of TF365 recommend?

 

I've been to Lisbon before about 10 years ago but didn't get to experience it properly as it was only a stag do back then .

 

[Rucksackfranzose]

27 minutes ago, Stan said:

Looking at going to Lisbon or Geneva for a short city-break end of April/early May.

What would the fine folk of TF365 recommend?

 

I've been to Lisbon before about 10 years ago but didn't get to experience it properly as it was only a stag do back then .

 

Never been to Lisbon, can't comment on it. Geneva, though is beautiful but expensive even by Swiss standards.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Rucksackfranzose

[Dr. Gonzo]

Landed in Rome, promptly got my wallet taken off me, want to go home lol

[nudge+]

6 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Landed in Rome, promptly got my wallet taken off me, want to go home lol

Ouch. Back pocket?

[Dr. Gonzo]

31 minutes ago, nudge said:

Ouch. Back pocket?

Nope front pocket, impressive skill from the pickpocket. All in all, I’ve closed all the cards & had no cash with me… so I’ve really just lost drivers license (which is a pain) and the wallet itself.

But it’s still seriously fucking annoying and a shit way to start a trip.

[Mel81x+]

1 hour ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

Landed in Rome, promptly got my wallet taken off me, want to go home lol

That's shit but the good news is that you can get most of it back minus the drivers license which is a trip to the DMV. Try not to think too much about it and enjoy the rest of the trip.

[Carnivore Chris]

On 03/08/2022 at 19:43, SirBalon said:

No prob mate. Glad to have been of help.

You lead him into getting mugged, I always knew there was something fishy about you .

On 02/09/2022 at 05:45, Dr. Gonzo said:

Nope front pocket, impressive skill from the pickpocket. All in all, I’ve closed all the cards & had no cash with me… so I’ve really just lost drivers license (which is a pain) and the wallet itself.

But it’s still seriously fucking annoying and a shit way to start a trip.

I always wear a travel belt under my t shirt(which you can't even feel) to put money in while abroad(especially in bigger cities and I especially would in Barcelona/Roma, etc) and don't carry a wallet. 

Mobile would be worse. No Google map, no WhatsApp, no Internet banking...

 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Carnivore Chris

[Carnivore Chris]

On 02/09/2022 at 05:02, nudge said:

Ouch. Back pocket?

That's the worst place to keep a wallet to be honest.

One thing I don't get is why women always put their mobile in their back pocket? 

 

Anyway, I have a 10 day trip in 2 weeks on Tues, but I'm thinking of cancelling it and going to Barcelona in early november instead. I was thinking of going when Barcelona play Bayern, but that's literally the only week I can't, so the week after looks more likely. It'd be nice to get to a game and also visit the likes of Tarragona and Gerona. I also have some mates(or "associates") there, like in the Málaga region.

It hasnt worked out with that woman I was meeting in Málaga and since I've been in the region during my last 4 trips now, there is no point. There are things still to explore down there but I can easily go again. 

[nudge+]

3 minutes ago, Carnivore Chris said:

That's the worst place to keep a wallet to be honest.

One thing I don't get is why women always put their mobile in their back pocket? 

 

Anyway, I have a 10 day trip in 2 weeks on Tues, but I'm thinking of cancelling it and going to Barcelona in early november instead. I was thinking of going when Barcelona play Bayern, but that's literally the only week I can't, so the week after looks more likely. It'd be nice to get to a game and also visit the likes of Tarragona and Gerona. I also have some mates(or "associates") there, like in the Málaga region.

It hasnt worked out with that woman I was meeting in Málaga and since I've been in the region during my last 4 trips now, there is no point. There are things still to explore down there but I can easily go again. 

I never carry anything in back pocket in public, that's just asking for trouble  But to answer your question, it's probably because the front pockets in women jeans/trousers are not wide and deep enough for the size of modern smartphones... So if you don't have a bag and if your hands are full, back pocket is sadly the only option sometimes  

You should go to Fuerteventura, Chris  

[Dr. Gonzo]

Heading back home, was a good trip for the most part. Liked Rome, a bit pissed off about my wallet for a day or two, but the good food fixed that up. Bari and Puglia were incredible.

Naples… ehhh the Veiled Christ and pizza was great… but honestly that’s about all I liked. Couldn’t wait to get the fuck out. Florence was incredible.

Can’t wait to go fucking home and sleep in my own bed again though.

[Azeem]

Elite women keep their valuables in their cleavage.

[Carnivore Chris]

20 hours ago, nudge said:

I never carry anything in back pocket in public, that's just asking for trouble  But to answer your question, it's probably because the front pockets in women jeans/trousers are not wide and deep enough for the size of modern smartphones... So if you don't have a bag and if your hands are full, back pocket is sadly the only option sometimes  

You should go to Fuerteventura, Chris  

The only thing I keep in my back pocket is a lighter haha.

Maybe some winter sun in Feb or so? That's if there aren't any saharan sandstorms again 

[Carnivore Chris]

On 10/09/2022 at 11:47, nudge said:

 

You should go to Fuerteventura, Chris  

I've got the option of changing my original Málaga flight to another destination, so, instead of Barcelona, in early November I'm going to go to....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tenerife.

I might as well, as it'll still be warm then. Probably highs of 24 and I can change my flight to there instead of cancelling and booking other flights. The air b&bs on offer also look too tempting. 

Edited September 16, 2022 by Carnivore Chris