OT Vacation Plans?

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Thanks for going to Italy on my 40th, FAMS!

 

[Hoopguru]

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Im finally getting around t0 going through my photos from my Italy trip in April. Im experimenting with some filters and cropped things to make them pop a little better. I usually like to print off some of my best trip photos onto canvas prints or mixtiles for house decorations. Anyway, thought you all might enjoy these also. These are all from Florence and the surrounding region, Siena, San Gimignano, and Bologna.

wow....appreciate you sharing spectacular pics of Italy. Ive never been.

 

[donkiez]

And here is the second half to that trip. Naples, Pompeii and Amalfi. Most of the shots with the mountain in the background are of Mt Vesuvius. We did Pompeii and Amalfi on a single day trip, spent most of the rest of the time hanging out in Naples which is a crazy but fun city. Naples is dirt cheap and Amalfi is stupid expensive, a day trip was plenty for us. Interesting fact on the diversity of Italy. there are over 30 dialects in the Italian language, Florentine is the official dialect and the difference in the rest are so stark that people from Naples and people from Venice could not understand eachother in their native dialects (according to our tour guide). Kind of crazy because you usually just think of Italy as Italy but the difference in regions are pretty dramatic when you are there.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Did you go to the famous sandwhich spot in Florence?

subway?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

subway?

I went to one in Barcelona. The quality was so much better than the US lol

 

[Shaboid]

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Im finally getting around t0 going through my photos from my Italy trip in April. Im experimenting with some filters and cropped things to make them pop a little better. I usually like to print off some of my best trip photos onto canvas prints or mixtiles for house decorations. Anyway, thought you all might enjoy these also. These are all from Florence and the surrounding region, Siena, San Gimignano, and Bologna.

Fantastic pictures!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

How was Pizerria de Michele?

I FIND IT SUS THAT ITS THE FIRST PIZZA PLACE EVER AND THE BEST IN THE WORLD

 

[donkiez]

How was Pizerria de Michele?

I FIND IT SUS THAT ITS THE FIRST PIZZA PLACE EVER AND THE BEST IN THE WORLD

It was awesome actually. Loved it, but there was comparable pizza literally EVERYWHERE. They really grab on to the origin of pizza thing and run with it. I'd say de Michele was the best we had tho, but our hotel concierge kept urging us to try one that he thought was better, it's apparently super famous also(can't remember the name) but we never made it. That trip inspired me to get an ooni pizza oven when I got back and I haven't ordered pizza since.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

It was awesome actually. Loved it, but there was comparable pizza literally EVERYWHERE. They really grab on to the origin of pizza thing and run with it. I'd say de Michele was the best we had tho, but our hotel concierge kept urging us to try one that he thought was better, it's apparently super famous also(can't remember the name) but we never made it. That trip inspired me to get an ooni pizza oven when I got back and I haven't ordered pizza since.

There's a Pizzeria Michele in LA. Never been tho.

I like Neopolitan style pizza, its my preferred version.

 

[donkiez]

There's a Pizzeria Michele in LA. Never been tho.

I like Neopolitan style pizza, its my preferred version.

In LA? Lol I guess that's not surprising. I bet it's really similar, making good neopolitan pizza is pretty simple, most of it is just using quality ingredients. The hardest part of cooking it is getting it off the peel in one piece.

 

[tlongII]

So my Oct vacay I was planning is probably on hold. Wife's Mother In Law got covid while on a cruise and ended up in the hospital in canada. Almost lost her, but hopefully she pulls through. Wife was there for the past week.

Not sure how much insurance is gonna cover on this. Wife spent a lot going there last minute.

Isn't your wife's Mother In Law your mom?

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Isn't your wife's Mother In Law your mom?

Oh yeah, my MIL I guess.

 

[tlongII]

Oh yeah, my MIL I guess.

I hope she recovers completely!

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I hope she recovers completely!

Yeah, the medical staff didn't think she'd make it for my wife to fly down there (she booked the ticket 3 hours before her flight). She was on 100% oxygen and has a bunch of underlying conditions.

Wife said the healhcare in Canada was really good. It was out in Ottowa. The one way flight there was like $1k

 

[ABM]

Just rolled into Colorado for a wedding. Sure is purty here.....

 

[Lanny]

Possible trip to Santa Barbara in the fall to visit favorite cousin and his husband and their cats.

Cats, yes the cats. They are quite delicious on a BBQ spit.

 

[donkiez]

Looks like Japan will open visa free tourist travel October 11th.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Was in Seattle last weekend.

Sadly these are a victim of COVID

Always a staple for me at pike market

 

[Lanny]

You shut your mouth

I would but then how would I get another delicious bite in my mouth?
By the way cats taste just like chicken.
Also to those who are offended by my talk,I say that when I was young I was afraid to offend anyone. As I got a little older I had my one incident in life where I was told to leave the classroom and think about my truly minor transgressin. There was another kid sent out there with me. The other kid taught me the beginnings of irreverence. That was when I began to come out of my shell. That lesson got reinforced seven years later in the army. So, I'm not really serious, just irreverent because I never want to return to that shell.

 

[ABM]

Hiked up to Ptarmigan Lake near Buena Vista, CO. 6 miles total with an elevation increase of 1100 ft along the way. Hiking at 12,000+ ft in the Rockies at my age was no easy task! Took around 4 hours round trip. Took the hike with my brother-in-law. A very fun day all the way around.

 

[ABM]

Looks like a fun trip! Did you two do any sword fighting while you were out there?

No, but we ended up in the hot springs.....

 

[Phatguysrule]

Did you two ever get back to back and only use the right hand out there so you didn't bump elbows?

I've found if you're going to go through all that trouble you might as well just go full on Double Dutch Rudder...

 

[donkiez]

I got through my pictures from Iceland in July of 2021. We got there a few days after they reopened for a few months and it was like we had the whole country to ourselves. There were other people but not overcrowded at all, and the locals were so happy to have business back that it was just awesome all around. Its a really fun place, they are into folklore and magical creatures big time, fairies, pixies, trolls, changelings, giants and more are all pretty interwoven into local lore. Its also the land of fire and ice with volcanos, glaciers rivers you can drink out of and more waterfalls than Oregon. We stayed in Reykjavík and took day trips from there.

 

[Shaboid]

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I got through my pictures from Iceland in July of 2021. We got there a few days after they reopened for a few months and it was like we had the whole country to ourselves. There were other people but not overcrowded at all, and the locals were so happy to have business back that it was just awesome all around. Its a really fun place, they are into folklore and magical creatures big time, fairies, pixies, trolls, changelings, giants and more are all pretty interwoven into local lore. Its also the land of fire and ice with volcanos, glaciers rivers you can drink out of and more waterfalls than Oregon. We stayed in Reykjavík and took day trips from there.

Iceland was my favorite vacation ever. Great pics, gave me flashbacks!

 

[donkiez]

Does anyone use any hotel credit cards? We are looking at spending a lot on IHG resorts in Tahiti and Im considering picking up their card for it. With the bonus and money spent I could be looking at around 500,000 points if my calculations are right. That sounds like a lot but Ive always felt like hotel points are really undervalued. My other option is to just keep it on my United or Alaska card and collect double air miles on what I spend.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Does anyone use any hotel credit cards? We are looking at spending a lot on IHG resorts in Tahiti and Im considering picking up their card for it. With the bonus and money spent I could be looking at around 500,000 points if my calculations are right. That sounds like a lot but Ive always felt like hotel points are really undervalued. My other option is to just keep it on my United or Alaska card and collect double air miles on what I spend.

IHG point redemption is shit. If you are getting the points just get the card then cancel it when your done using them. Maybe you'll get status though.

World of Hyatt has the best redemption, that's what I used for my honeymoon but I transferred on Chase Ultimate Rewards.

 

[Lanny]

Does anyone use any hotel credit cards? We are looking at spending a lot on IHG resorts in Tahiti and Im considering picking up their card for it. With the bonus and money spent I could be looking at around 500,000 points if my calculations are right. That sounds like a lot but Ive always felt like hotel points are really undervalued. My other option is to just keep it on my United or Alaska card and collect double air miles on what I spend.

Good luck. Why the hell should I help you out when you are going to one of the destinations on my bucket list? You bastard

 

[donkiez]

IHG point redemption is shit. If you are getting the points just get the card then cancel it when your done using them. Maybe you'll get status though.

World of Hyatt has the best redemption, that's what I used for my honeymoon but I transferred on Chase Ultimate Rewards.

I'm not impressed with any hotel card really.... Another option could be a total rewards card. What do you think of that ultimate rewards? How is the hotel and airline redemptions and who do they partner with?

 

[donkiez]

Good luck. Why the hell should I help you out when you are going to one of the destinations on my bucket list? You bastard

Ha! If not for me then you could do it for my wife! We are getting married in Bora Bora, so this trip is instead of a wedding back home.

 

[Lanny]

Ha! If not for me then you could do it for my wife! We are getting married in Bora Bora, so this trip is instead of a wedding back home.

Shit, you must know that I have a soft spot for people getting married.