Tagged With "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"
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Re: December 3, 2019: Palamidi Fortress, Greece
I love picking fresh fruit in Greece. Straight from the Tree. One of the highlites of any Holiday. Maybe it's just me - but the taste of a Lemon just off the tree is amazing. So many Greek Fruits I didn't know the name of. You dont get them in supermarkets.
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Re: Canadian snowbirds: Don't clip our wings!
I believe one may have a right but still be thought presumptuous for taking advantage of, I suspect, unintended benefits. I think there are more equitable ways of spending taxpayer money. Maybe rather than re-include Ontarians(?) they might cut off everyone else. If it means fewer Canadians in the Caribbean as a result, so be it. I don't think beach is a right either.
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Re: The Rubin Museum: Home to Himalayan Art in NYC
Thanks. I shoot with a Canon Rebel T3 (at least for another couple of weeks). I have been work on my photography, I am glad that you think it is paying off.
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Re: January 20, 2020: Newport Beach, California
Always a puzzle, Garry, when looking at restaurant reviews, because not everyone values the same thing, and not everyone is health-conscious, even if they say so! And it's not just portion size, either: even in more sensible portions there can be a lot of unhealthy extra calories, food that isn't fresh, etc. And with the arrival of plant-based 'meat,' I find myself amazed at how many people who rail against processed food are pleased to eat this incredibly-processed 'food' because it is...
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Re: Norwegian bank is out of cash, on purpose
I'm not surprised that this is happening in Scandinavia, of all places. Many years ago I had friends in Denmark and Erik was an electrician. There wasn't enough work for all the electricians so they rotated the work and he worked for 6 months, then had 6 months off, paid. Sounds good? However, during the 6 months he was off he wasn't allowed to do any electrical work at all, including on his own house. I (and he) found the rule regarding his own house absurd. I see it related to the banking...
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Re: Limone, Lake Garda, Italy
In Spain they take the largest, roundest fruits. Cut off the top and scoop out the inside. Fill with Lemon flavour Ice Cream and put the top back on. Wrap in food wrap. Freeze them. Buy them in the store next to the Ice Lollies. No drip Ice Cream !!
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Re: South America, part 3 - Nesting Leatherback Sea Turtles
Fascinating! I was just visiting Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia today and discovered that leatherbacks like to spend their summers off the coast feasting on jellyfish. Amazing what long journeys they make to lay their eggs.
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Re: Sept 1, 2016: Wild Roses on the River Side.
WILD ROSES Wild Fruit - before the birds eat them ! I've been told by other walkers that further along you can only smell wild Jasmine. On the waters edge - where these grow - can best be described as a cool climate. With the onshore breeze off the river it rarely passes above 21c / 70f. So about the same climate as your Mountain rose. The smell really takes you by surprise - like walking into a small room holding a large "Women's Institute"meeting ! Perfume overload !
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Re: Oct. 31, 2018: Dia de los Muertos, Cozumel, Mexico
Currently in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. Today was full of action all around town but especially in the zocalo with students dressing up the square and themselves. Tomorrow I’m off to a couple of villages and we’ll see what a Zapatista Dia de los Muertos looks like.
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Re: EU moves to ban single-use plastics
Just another example of the European Parliament wasting my taxes on a Worldwide problem. The 25% of plastic waste is a good clue to the origin of the problem. Shipping. Cruise ships, cargo ships and container carriers have a choice to make. Pay to have the trash removed in port. Or dump it at sea while they are still off the Radar.
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Re: October 5, 2018: Sweets Shop, Delhi
Fresh cooked food doesn't often cause problems but you're right to be cautious, India has an impressive rage of bugs. I recall seeing 2 young neurotics scraping black specks off toast (what about the knife, the plate etc) - they'd eaten toast and Lomotil for 3 weeks (not advised). My own strategy was to chomp up 2 cloves of garlic and wash them down with yoghurt. Lyall Watson, writer, had a parasitologist friend supply him with a beef tapeworm (easily dispensed with); he then ate and drank...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb. 25, 2014: Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand
I was surprised to see that Buddhist bibles are placed in the bedside draw. Just like a Gideon's bible. Really is an amazing read ! Full of proverbs like : "A man who commits adultery likes licking jam off a sharp knife !"
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Re: On Safari in Africa -- wildlife gallery
I love the elephants and the Odd Couple on the far right going off to who-knows-where.
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Re: Where Gumbo Was #14: A Sewer Journey
It's true that it's an acquired taste (and Mrs. Gumbo has sworn off any more visits of this sort) but it's really more about the history of how we've learned to live than it is about sewers in and of themselves...
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Re: Where We Went: London, Paris, Toronto
That's a great point! I never like "best" lists, anyway...and like to stray into any place that looks good and take a chance on whether it's "Zagat-quality." The cost of living is interesting, too, especially for travelers on tight budgets; my experience in Portugal last summer (see BLOG here on TravelGumbo) has sent a couple of younger colleagues off to plan Portugal trips instead of more expensive parts of Europe.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 11, 2014: Please Close the Gate.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is the richest woman in the World. She has a fortune of 33 Trillion Dollars (including assets) When she is resident in Windsor Castle she has 24 hour security as you'd expect. She doesn't annoy the Staff who work through the night by going around the Castle turning off the lights !! I've heard a few Drongo's down under calling her Maj but don't use that name in the UK as you'll offend people.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
I would agree that presentism is a real danger for historians...but without wanting to veer this discussion too far off course, you'll note that I cited two of his close colleagues and acquaintances in Virginia alone, not to mention Lafayette and many others IN HIS TIME AND ACQUAINTANCE who had already concluded that it was time, and many others were acting on it. It was an active debate in his time and place, he was aware of it, and sadly...he took the wrong side.
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Re: Where Gumbo Was, #6: The Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An, Vietnam
A great Where in the World is Gumbo Pic this week by Port Moresby . I couldn't believe anyone would get it. Hats off to Club2013 for nailing it!
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Re: Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Kennedy Space Center
Thanks for the comments, guys! The entire shuttle is actually much longer than I'd thought, maybe 180 ft. What was surprising is how small the living/pilot compartment is where the astronauts spent so much time. It's that space in front of the opened cargo door. The US space program is just a former shadow of itself with the retirement of the Shuttle program and nothing ready to take its place. But I was pleased to hear that NASA is working on the Orion project. It is a rocket based space...
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Re: Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Kennedy Space Center
Last launch I watched was from the East Coast of Florida - maybe near Cocoa Beach. The Sky was complete darkness, just a few stars and the moon. We were listening to the launch radio station from about T minus 15 minutes - as NASA described the last minute checks. A few seconds before launch time you could see the ground at Cape Canaveral illuminated like a bright white flare. The steam from the launch pad turned into a white cloud and on "Zero" the rocket was moving slowly into the air. For...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 21.0
Well, I didn't expect anyone to twig it quite that fast, and it's not just because of a polar route. Although we usually don't think of Hawaii extending north of Kauai, in fact the state includes the entire Hawaiian Ridge/Emperor Seamount chain, running up to the Aleutian trench, just off Alaska's Aleutian islands. Mostly underwater, mostly administered by Federal agencies as a preservation/conservation area. Kure Atoll and Green Island is the northernmost habitable place in Hawaii, and it's...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 2, 2014
And I forgot to mention - the complete "All Inclusive" deal costs around $1000 US. Flights from the UK - hotel - boats - entertainment - mini bar stocked daily - 24hr food and drink. For 2 weeks. How do the US companies come up with $3900 for 1 week. I smell a rip off. It does look good for December DrF. Its still too hot in the afternoon though ! To have that same view you would have to "Take my blanket from my cold dead hands" I wont even share with Mrs F !! Next door is nearly as good...
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Re: Newgrange; Ireland’s ancient Passage Tomb
On my first visit to Anna Maria I was amazed that the Pelicans would sit next to you on the pier by Allemande Villas. Like a pet dog. They would try and steal your bait as you were fishing. But like a good dog they responded to a "Hey you!" and sat watching you. When I caught my first fish I pulled and fought with the monster! As I lifted my prize from the water my new Pelican friend flexed his wings. He glided off the Pier and with great precision removed my catch from the hook! He passed...
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Re: Staying In Touch on the Road: Part 1
In the Duel of the Devices, I'm going to declare the RAVPower unit the winner. Both of these devices are essentially external batteries, something that's becoming more popular as more phones come with non-removable batteries. There are two critical differences, however: capacity and output. The PowerStick has a capacity of 750mAh (about half the power held by an average cellphone battery) and a maximum output current of 700mA (phone chargers usually supply 1000mA). The RAVpower device has a...
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus
I've never flown an A380, Mac. They still haven't caught on in North America, where Boeing clearly dominates the market. One thing that I've wonder about is with all those people to board (somewhere over 500), is the process of getting on and off the plane very slow or have they figured out how to make this move along with reasonable efficiency?
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Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Well, it's worth noting that Hawaiian has still not gotten Ohana off the ground, literally. They're citing FAA's cutbacks due to sequestration and then the shutdown as the reason. Island Air used to be a Hawaiian affiliate, flying Dash-8s and ATR-42s into small airports and feeding passengers into Hawaiian. Ohana was/is their plan to stay in that market with ATR42s. Island is unhappy with its ATRs (both the 42 and the larger 72), but doesn't seem to be able to solve any of its problems. I...
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Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other. (Part 5) The Elephants of Pinnawala
Lots to consider. I can't go through Thailand without hanging out a few weeks so the 2 ticket plan may suit me better. I see Cathay Pacific also flies to Colombo, connecting in HKG. Will have to do more research to see if any of the low fare Asian airlines can facilitate a plan. What season is your favorite there? Is there an off-season when there are bargains to be had?
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec. 17, 2013: Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
Montreal is multilingual, although most natives speak French as their primary language. You can easily get by here with only English and it's a great city to visit. That's not true in the smaller villages of rural Quebec where you might find it difficult to find someone who doesn't speak French. Canadian French split off from continental French 400 years ago, and the two versions of the language have diverged somewhat over the years. I don't speak much French so I really can't give you many...
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Re: Family Takes Year Off to Travel the World
They did not take a year "off"; they took a year "on" to live life. What lucky kids ! What lucky parents ! Bully on this family for making that "luck" happen.
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
I agree it's a spectacular sight not to be missed and that there's more to Greenland that just the ice sheet. 2014 will see me on my 7th month-long visit in the last 9 years. I will again hike alone from Sisimiut on the west coast to a location north east of Kangerlussuaq (something like 110 - 120 miles) and then join colleagues doing wild goose research. By all means aim to set foot on the ground there and enjoy camping in the remote arctic landscape - being alone out there is a unique...
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Re: Airport traffic up worldwide!
I've noticed more shops and selection in airports in recent years. Overall, there has been a trend toward "normalcy"; airport offerings and prices have become more in line with the world off airport.
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
Dark is not the end of the show. I have seen streaking meteors flash in view. There have been times when I could see a part of the Milky Way or had a view of the Big Dipper. Over the ocean, I have seen flotillas of fishing boats off of places like Newfoundland. Even at night, you can see the lights of the boats bobbing. Once, I even saw a pod of whales in the channel off of Molokai. I peek every chance that I get. You never know what you will see.
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Re: World's most dangerous airport? Would you land here? Lukla, Nepal
Your pictures remind me very much of the Shimla Airport, same end of runway in space, same commitment required by pilot and passengers alike. The plane was tiny, I sat immediately behind the pilot, a Sikh with headphones perched atop his turban rather than over his ears, unique in my experience. The view was a bit too immediate for my liking but we made it off just fine and bounced in the heat all the way to Delhi. Thanks for the memory, DrF.
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Re: Happy Thanksgiving, from all of us at TravelGumbo!
I really enjoy Thanksgiving Day when I'm staying with my American family over there. Some of the food you have that I've never seen in England ! You wouldn't think our cultures could be that far apart ! Ambrosia with Turkey ? Pumpkin Pie ? Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches ? And I'd love a piece of that beautiful Apple Pie - but why the Cinnamon disguise ? Hope you all have a wonderful day folks ! Me ? - I'm off to work as normal !
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Re: Airbus Survey: 41% Willing to Pay for More Space
Well, so far I've gotten by in what they give me, but I'm old enough to know the difference and might wanna change up someday. And I'd sure rather pay for real estate than baggage space or airline food. Give me one bag free, no soda or peanuts, no movie, no blanket and especially no airline magazine...and hey, I'll spend $50 or so to spread out a couple or three inches! Ever stop to think about those magazines? They're printed on heavy stock, a real weight-bomb, you only read them if you...
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Re: Arches National Park — One of America’s Finest
There's a ton of stuff to do around Moab, Travel Luver. There's also scenic Canyonlands National Park nearby, well worth exploring. Off-road biking (bicycle, not motorcycle) is extremely popular. Hiking in the cooler seasons. Whitewater rafting is excellent in the summer. And you're less than a day's drive from your next Utah destination, such as Bryce, Zion, or Monument Valley. One of my favorite spots in the US!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec. 4, 2013: Patterns from the Air
Hi Louie Louie, It has happened to me once, but usually it's not an issue. I have a small pocket camera I keep at hand when flying. When I see something that interests me, I pull it out and take a photo. (remember to turn the flash off, it won't help and will cause a big bright spot on the window) So long as you don't send or receive a signal, it isn't a problem. With the softening of TSA inflight electronic requirements, this should be even less of an issue in the future.
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Re: Cuba - a step back in time !
I recall as a boy my dad's best friend had a Pontiac like this. It was a beautiful car and the pride of his life. It ended up being totaled in a car crash (he survived), but I still remember his pride in showing off the polished beauty! His was two tone brown, I think.
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province
No, Rob. Sorry, I don't remember. I read a lot of publications, online and off, and the original picture got lost in the dust of enthusiasm to research logistics. I don't think there's any lack of enthusiasm in the world but that obscure places are getting less obscure every day. What I do think is lacking is imagination. We tend to read about places people have enjoyed, as here on TravelGumbo and follow, rather than setting out for parts unknown. I believe if a place is hard to get to it...
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Re: United's Award Chart: Premium Award Cost Goes UP
Not sure I agree with the "burn 'em" philosophy. At the premium class end, there's certainly been a lot of creep, but not so much in coach, which is more price-sensitive, even for awards. True, summer awards to Europe have generally gone from 50K to 60K, but on the other hand, off-season at American went DOWN to 40K--and with the flexibility of taking one-way awards and combining them in interesting ways...it's actually a better situation. Also, there are some card-linked sales on flight...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Mar. 20, 2014: Spring - at last!
It beats the locks on a bridge that they have to cut off,that's for sure. I've seen people plant long living trees and always thought that was a nice idea too
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day: Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, England
As you may know, DrF, a number of houses in the UK are known as much or more for their gardens as for the houses. Not so in this case, although what they have sets the house off perfectly. The rest is more natural landscape as you can see in the bottom picture. I love the fact that the house is the star, as it should be in this case, and the gardens are a compliment.
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Re: British Parents Prosecuted For Taking Vacation During School Time
Often we find that the problem is greatest for the working parents with the fewest resources: those working in low-wage service industries whose cycles don't match those of schools. For instance, hospital workers have time off spaced through the year--no slow season, sadly--and workers in tourism-based industries are often most in demand at the very same time that their children are off! I think the solution goes in two directions: First for parents to consider all other alternatives first,...
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Re: AAA Premier a Good Idea for Budget Travelers
That's an excellent point, Travel Rob. The Premier AAA card is the way to go. But I believe it is only offered to long-time valued members of AAA. You can't walk in off the street and ask to be a Premier Member, at least that's my impression. They will offer it to you. But you should ask for it if you've been a AAA member for quite a while for all the reasons Rob outlines.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#178)
Time for some more clues. Besides the water on the hill, our also has an interior attraction. There are two entrances to this interior attraction. The first photo is of the historic entrance, which is now fenced off -- from this opening you descended by rope. The second photo is of the newer entrance to our destination allowing you to walk in. I hope this helps....
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Re: New Orleans—Museum Highlights Young Voices of Resilience
Thanks for, in a way, welcoming me back. My last visit was a grim one, working as a volunteer preparing flooded houses for rebuilding (or demolition) a year after Katrina. In many ways, I've put off coming back, in part in anger at how little was done and how long it took, and in part a fear of finding something like New-Orleansland. While I know nothing can ever be the same...and many things shouldn't be...I see, both through the report and through the children, reason to return!
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Re: Oct. 17, 2017: A Stroll in Historic Passau
Visited there one time to follow in my WWII veteran father's footsteps. Gorgeous city. Overcast and rainy when I was there, but Marilyn is showing some bright colorful images that really show off this Bavarian city. Thanks.
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Re: Airline fees hit new $7 billion record
I can get 2 weeks in an all inclusive Hotel in the Caribbean including flights for less than my Trans Atlantic flight UK - NY. Of course the US Traveler is getting ripped-off. The rest of the world is enjoying the benefits of cheap-fuel flights. The sooner Ryanair make inroads into the US the better. Maybe Mr O'Leary is guilty of copying the ideas mentioned above for adding on fees !
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Re: November 26, 2017: Ranakpur: The Most Delicate Jain Temple
You are absolutely right. Not only is Ranakpur a convenient stopping-off point between Jodhpur and Udaipur, it is also one of Rajasthan's gems. We spent several hours there last year exploring both the main temple and the adjoining one. There were a few other tourists there, but it seems that most tours bypass the site completely.