Tagged With "Oxford, England"
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Re: Maybe Canada was right on closing parks
Police add black dye to a clear Blue Lake in Buxton England to deter visitors. This is why we dont give guns to our Local Police. If you went into that Lake the cold would kill you anyway.
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Agree with PHeymont. Plan your trips around the leaf watching. Lots of pretty small towns around New England, although many will be pretty booked. I'd leave at least 3-4 days for Boston. Lots to see and do there, including many items relating to the rebellious Yankees throwing off the ties with old King George. And great museums and restaurants and such. We can get into more details if you'd like, but you'll definitely want a good guide book. Many people find a day in Salem (famous for its...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Glad you're traveling again, Mac. Boston is my home town, and October is THE BEST MONTH. Where are you staying in the city? I'd walk the Freedom Trail if you're feeling up to it. Go down to the waterfront. Boston Common and Charles Street are fun places to hang out. Newbury Street is fancy shopping and also has a few fun bistros and coffee shops. The Science Museum is excellent. Plenty of seafood to be had. New England clam chowder is great if you have sweater-weather. Go whale-watching...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Regarding hotels, Mac, I think I'd spend a few days in Boston to begin with, presuming that's where you are flying into. This will let you get over your jet lag and also give you a chance to see the state of the colors and plot out where you want to go. I would NOT go without having at least a night's reservation booked ahead because you'll waste too much time looking for a place to stay and will end up paying rack rate. Things will be busy and pretty filled up in the small towns of New...
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Re: Boston in the fall - suggestions please!
Thank you all! Our plans are now well underway for both the Fall in New England... and Cuba! Gracias amigos!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 14, 2015: YanGuan -- a scenic little town to watch Qiantang’s Tidal Bore （钱塘江潮）in China
I have heard of the Qiantang Tidal Bore, which is the biggest in the World. The largest in Europe is that on the River Severn in South West England, which is highest near the equinoxes - a website details times and height predictions. I attach some pictures from a few years ago taken near a pub, conveniently located near a good viewing site. The bore is particularly popular with surfers, and I believe the world record for longest wave ride was recorded there.
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Re: Gorge of the River Allen, Northumberland
Great photographs. Looks like a very beautiful place to go for a long walk. Thanks for a look at a part of England most don't see.
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Re: Bamburgh Castle, England
Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland looks amazing. I often visit northeast England to see friends; I will certainly try to visit the castle the next time I make the trip!
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Re: Local Flavor: Pearl Brewery Farmers Market, San Antonio
I'm so tempted to buy the wonderful foods I see in street markets. But being a tourist with nowhere to store and cook I regret I must pass. Much of the fruit and veg I have never seen before and I'm eager to try. Which is true I suppose for most folks in England. If we don't recognise a sweet potato - then we don't buy it. I do miss the vanilla flavoured Apples ( Custard Apples ) I had in Australia.
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Re: September 3, 2016: Rainbow(s) over the Kootenay Rockies
An ever changing canvas of art. Sometimes you just have to stop - and take in the beauty of nature. As the sun was setting last week - the sky turned a shade of purple. And the cars that were white - had a UV look to them. Spooky - never seen it before. Probably pollution in the distance. Taken by a friend: Pier Head, Liverpool, England 29 Aug '16
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Re: George Orwell Sights
Eric Arthur Blair, Orwell's real name, is buried in a little churchyard in Oxfordshire, England (photo #18 in the Telegraph slide show). I've visited him there, a pilgrimage of sorts, and recommend it to anyone who's interested in the author. A peaceful and quintessentially English churchyard.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? # 8.8
Or California. The plants in the foreground are interesting too. The tall shrubs/short trees are similar to joshua trees, a desert plant, while the white flowers are, I believe, hydrangeas, which do best in a moist climate. Altogether, with the conservatory, I'm reminded of England, maybe Cornwall, which is referred to as having a sub-tropical climate. Which, of course, means it could indeed be Australia.
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Re: "Mind Your Manners!" VisitBritain Warns Hoteliers
CICAK. No one gets upset over a few words here. Unlike my family in the US who think that an exchange of views is the start of WW3. I enjoy exchanging opinions and alternate ideas. As do most people here in the UK. Constructive criticism is a wonderful thing ! DrFunblefinger likes to throw me some "bait" occasionally - but he knows I wont bite the hook. PHeymont likes to rock my boat too. But it's just "light hearted teasing" and we've all been friends for many years ! Some of the...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo #5.5
Worker Bee - This does look a lot like the medieval lanes of Rhodes. Except - Those southern European spots do not usually have tidy postboxes and glossy wooden doors. The lane is well kept and recently repaired. I agree that it is a proper residential area. While the overall feel is something Spanish or Italian, because of the postbox and tidiness, I am thinking Kilkenny, Lyon, Quimper or even Brighton. The stone ( is that stone ?) used in that recent doorway lintel is similar to the...
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Re: The "Eiffel Tour" Only Starts with the Tour Eiffel
I'm personally acquainted with one of Brunel's railway bridges, the Gatehampton Bridge over the Thames in Berkshire, England. I was advised by my Thames Path guidebook that I was approaching it. There was a strategically placed bench in a meadow where I sat, had a snack and looked at it from a distance for a bit before walking under it. Not at all knowledgeable, or even much interested, in bridges I tried to get at least a glimpse of what the guide meant when it said "one of Brunel's Great...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Wow! This has been very helpful, especially the tip about the Youth Hostels. I'm definitely going to look into that. I think staying at a hostel can help me stay within my budget. I'd really like to go to the UK if at all possible. I know there are cheaper places, but there's only one England and I've always wanted to see it. I think I'd like to spend maybe a week in London then head into the country, maybe doing a circuit to include parts of Wales and Scotland. I need to do some thinking...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Starting to get things planned now Hank ! You have the choice of flying into Edinburgh in Scotland. Manchester in the North of England. Or Gatwick / Heathrow which both serve the London area in the South of England. You can get a Train to Paris to end your tour with a few days of Culture in a foreign language ! Fly back to the US from Paris will save you hundreds of Dollars because you wont pay the UK "Departure Tax" but not vital ! Liverpool is less than an hour on the Train from...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Wow, this is turning into a real education!! I checked with my uncle and yes, I can fly Chicago to Manchester and return from either London or Paris to Chicago. The ticket is free to him and he said he would cover any fees as a "graduation gift to me" (he's a pretty cool dude!), but I don't want to burden him with a heavy departure fee, so maybe Paris would be the way to go. I'd like to leave about Friday, May 9th and return 4 weeks later, June 6th. A few days later and returning a few days...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
That's helpful too, Rob. So with your guys advice, I'm thinking of the following plan, which still has holes I need to fill. I actually like the idea of Paris more than Scotland for this trip, plus I worry about the cost of travel to Scotland back so unless I can get a really cheap plane ticket or train ticket to Edinburgh, I think I'll drop that and focus on eastern UK and then on to Paris. So this is where I'm at now: 1) Arrive in Manchester. Maybe ??2 days 2) Travel Liverpool. 3 days 3)...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hank, While you're in London you can get a Coach (Bus) Tour that will show you Stonehenge and Bath and The Cotswold Villages - very pretty and very old. Leeds Castle (not in Leeds, close to London). Stonehenge is not an overnight stop - remember what I said about distances in the UK being smaller? If you need to fill a gap take the Train (or Bus) to York. Very old - lots of History and a Museum that will take you back 150 years walking the streets of Victorian England. Go into Old Shops and...
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
I told Pauline Frommer that I was disappointed with the Frommers' England Guide. She said I'd be Happy with the new Frommers' London (not England) so I wait with baited breath for a read of the new issue.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
A review for London ? Haven't been there for 40 years Paul. Really don't like big Cities and the "too busy to care attitude of people who live there" It's just my personal opinion. On the Tube Train into London people don't make eye-contact or talk to strangers. Here in Liverpool you'll be in conversation with 3 or 4 strangers and share a few laughs on the journey ! Someone falls on the street here ( and most of Northern England ) and folks rush to help. London they step over you. Rant over...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Everyone's been very helpful! I can't tell you what a great welcoming and helpful group of people you are. My uncle is an employee of Delta, so he has some kind of free ticket that requires me to fly on Delta only (no partners). I will have him check into the dates. I like the idea of flying up to Manchester, slowly working my way to London then returning from Paris. I think going to Amsterdam is more than I can bite off now, plus I want to spend the time seeing stuff, not traveling all the...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi everyone! I'm back. Just arrived at my parents home for Thanksgiving. Not had a lot of time to work on this trip since I last visited TravelGumbo, but some progress to report. I have a firm ticket reservation for Manchester, returning from Paris, though a few days off the dates we talked about. But 29 days in Europe! Whooppeee!! I have a guidebook from the Library which I'm going to go through this long weekend (one by Fodors). I think this will help. Anyone know of a good pocket size...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
England is only as big as Florida ! I haven't seen a Guide book that sub-divides us! Wales is full of Castles, Mountains and Lakes. Tourists often divide England between the North and South. The North is often cooler and wetter than further South. But your Dollar will go twice as far up here in the North! And we're much friendlier. Have a look at places you'd like to visit. York (the old one) will keep you busy for 2 days. Train or Bus from Liverpool. Or a day or two in Europe from Liverpool...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #36
Looks a bit like a Tudor cottage stuck on top of an obelisk. Let me start the guessing with the idea that despite the decor, it's not all that old (since when Tudor-era builders used those wooden crosspieces they were structural, not decorative.) But if I'm right about when, it completely unmoors this from the idea of 15th-century England, and it could be absolutely anywhere!
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Re: Capital of Culture Series: Liverpool
No, not thinking of mills and chimneys, necessarily--note my very pre-Industrial Revolution examples--but certainly industrial, and by the nature of sizable cities with people living in close quarters and with the side-products of their industry, an argument can be made for dirty. It's not a slam...it's just the condition of cities that are alive. Here's a quotation, by the way, from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health: The industrial revolution in England had by the beginning...
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Re: Capital of Culture Series: Liverpool
Now there's another word with mixed definitions ! In Britain you would say "I like GarryRF's spirit" You may want to check out what your version means in England ! Like when I attend a party in America and I get "Pissed" (Drunk) And someone says "Why - who upset you to make you pissed?"
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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: Films that affected your Travel destinations
I really enjoyed the Harry Potter movies! Gave me a real sense of England, and of course all that magical stuff was great! Hope to visit England some day.
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Re: Films that affected your Travel destinations
Originally Posted by Travel Luver: I really enjoyed the Harry Potter movies! Gave me a real sense of England, and of course all that magical stuff was great! Hope to visit England some day. We'd love you to come and visit England but I hope you wont be a bit disappointed when you don't see any Nimbus 2000s crossing the sky. But we have some wonderful Castles and Steam Trains.
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Re: Films that affected your Travel destinations
That's very nice of you to say, Garry. I do want to go to England and no, I won't be disappointed if the trains are just steam trains. This year I'm hoping to go to Portugal, but maybe next year England? I hope I can ask you some questions when I'm ready to go.
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Re: Films that affected your Travel destinations
Originally Posted by Travel Luver: That's very nice of you to say, Garry. I do want to go to England and no, I won't be disappointed if the trains are just steam trains. This year I'm hoping to go to Portugal, but maybe next year England? I hope I can ask you some questions when I'm ready to go.
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Re: Films that affected your Travel destinations
Originally Posted by GarryRF: Originally Posted by Travel Luver: That's very nice of you to say, Garry. I do want to go to England and no, I won't be disappointed if the trains are just steam trains. This year I'm hoping to go to Portugal, but maybe next year England? I hope I can ask you some questions when I'm ready to go. Anytime!
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Re: Hi Everybody! I'm new here.
Hi Ted. Its always good to hear that my Blogs are of interest ! I'm in England and there's a few others scattered around the World too ! Never heard SoCal before - so I'll guess. "It never rains in SoCal" - just when I'm there. Pleased to meet you.
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Re: July 29, 2016: Still Life with Remnants
This is from summer of 2013. The disappearance of public smoking in Europe is slow and uneven; when the picture was taken, it was still allowed on the open terrace of the cafe. This summer, in England, I was surprised to note how much it persists there.
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Re: Last light. Embleton Bay Northumberland. Half an hour after sunset
One of the amazing features of the North of England is how long the day is. I love waking at 4am with the sun shining on my bed. And sitting in the garden until the sky goes a dark blue for the 3 hours of night. The Twilight Zone maybe. No mosquitoes and a glass of Prosecco. Fine end to the day.
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Re: Whitcombe Church, Dorchester.
It's a great church, Mac, thanks for sharing this visit. Always makes me wonder just how many are there in the England and beyond that the European continent? I'd like to see them all.
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
Amazing the way these calculations work out. We're going to England next spring, using American Airlines points. The flight selection offered us flights on British Airways and American. The AA flights cost the points plus government fees. The BA flights cost the points plus the government fees, plus enough surcharges to make a $1000+ difference. If I only had the BA flights, I'd certainly rather find a low-cost carrier! It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming year as Aer...
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Re: Banksy Opens up a Bemusement Park in England
I think Banksy has read the instructions "retire to a safe distance before igniting fuse" To England where the Courts know the difference between "Satire" and "Plagiarism"
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Re: Air Miles vs Low Fare Airline
The AA-BA mashup is tricky, yes, but not as devious as it may seem. Between New York and Paris, for instance, AA has only two non-stops a day; BA has a half-dozen (or more, including Open Skies). And, BA has many seats LON-PAR, so availability is greater. A similar situation exists on this side of the ocean, where BA feeds many AA domestic flights. It's sometimes possible to get around better if you don't mind one stop...we've used AA to Madrid paired with Iberia to Paris (Iberia's charges...
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Re: Airbus opens new Factory in the USA
On my frequent visits to Philadelphia from England I always fly with US Airways. Not an exciting experience - just a reliable journey with convenient times. But my last round trip was an amazing transformation. AMERICAN AIRLINES and US Airways have merged and the staff were amazing. The plane was a new Airbus 330 both times. The legroom was more than enough. I usually purchase extra legroom and this time I'm glad I didn't. The food was good and served hot. Free cans of Cola and orange etc.
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Re: Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, England
Your photos are magnificent!! What an amazing place! I need to head to northern England someday and visit all these great ruins. Thanks for sharing this, Paul!
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Re: Frommers Color Complete Guides: A New Debut
Hi Rob - Have you read the new Frommers England yet? I hope its a vast improvement over the Wileys version. Is the new range of Travel Guides moving away from Arthur Frommers "Budget" format?
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Re: Frommers Color Complete Guides: A New Debut
PortMoresby and Vivie- Thanks for the kind words. I am really excited that these books are out and really good. Garry, I haven't read Frommers England yet .I read the new France and Spain Guides and I liked them so I'm hopeful about England. Frommers is incuding different price ranges now and from what I've seen ,it's a lot more budget choices too
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Re: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Canada. Where Gumbo Was #36
Close but no cigar on Central Park's designer (who also did my backyard, Brooklyn's Prospect Park). Birkenhead was the work of Joseph Paxton, while the other two were done by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Olmsted visited Birkenhead in 1850, three years after it opened, and while he was already thinking about Central Park, which opened in 1858. In his book "Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England, Olmsted wrote about Birkenhead: "five minutes of admiration, and a few more...
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Re: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Canada. Where Gumbo Was #36
In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted won a design competition to improve and expand Central Park with a plan he entitled the Greensward Plan . 8 years AFTER Olmsted visited the Peoples Garden - Birkenhead Park England. He said "that in democratic America there was nothing to be thought of as comparable with this People’s Garden" So he took the plans back to New York. Entered the Central Park competition 8 years later. And won using Paxton plans from the Peoples Garden in England as a guide.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo (#38)
Well, I suspect it is England, given the overflowing litter bin and no parking yellow lines (oh joy!). It looks probably to be a minor town station from the Victorian era. And now I'm clutching at straws!!
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo (#38)
I'm tempted to suspect that it is in the north of England, perhaps near York. The trouble is that so much of the country outside the major cities would have been poor. The clue must be in "selling it's goods" which suggests that they had a manufacturing or production base already established. Or was that perhaps farming produce.... I do like the filigree cast iron roof supports - very "of the period". Oooh, this is a tough one.