OT: My summer vacation

[Skeets]

Thanks for the pictures Nan, the wife (who is German) and I went in 78. She was very emotional when we went to the American cemetery. Unfortunately all of the photos that we took were lost in one of our moves back to the states along with some Hummel's and my silver pocket watch.

Took the kids and grandkids to the World Trade Center. Inside the museum there were tourists from all over. Everyone was emotional. And respectful? As crowded as it was you could hear a pin drop.

 

[HuskyNan]

More Normandy. There are American, British, and Canadian flags flying on homes there, some new for this year’s memorial but most have been there for ages. Individual soldiers are remembered. This from Arromanches-les-Bains, where remnants of the Mulberries are still visible

It was suitably gloomy and grey near the beaches although the rest of Normandy had beautiful weather

 

[maple]

Hi Nan! Thank you for the pictures and the comments. It looks like a lovely vacation!

The only exciting place I went this summer was a wedding in Scotland in May. Made a vacation trip out of it with my partner.

This is me with the brides (I’m in the middle) at Stirling Castle:

And here’s one of the many scenic photos I took while we stayed in Edinburgh:

We also had a long layover in Dublin on the trip to Edinburgh so we did a small day trip through there. I saw the Bram Stoker house and the Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (author of Carmilla) house. Both writers of some of the most famous vampire works. No wonder these two were friends; they only lived a block apart!

 

[HuskyNan]

Remnants of Mulberries in the English Channel

 

[Ozimoto]

Looks like it was a great trip, Nan. Our travels this year were limited to our yearly trip to the Outer Banks. We have been going there each summer with two other families for 25+ years at this point. The excitement this trip was watching a waterspout form just off the beach about 75 yards from our beach house.

Last year we did a two week trip to Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia - Herzegovina, including Mostar where you can still see evidence of the wars from the 1990's when Yugoslavia broke apart. Beautiful area that is still experiencing the effects of those wars of independence. The travel budget is being replenished in anticipation of our next trip, if we can ever decide where to go. So many choices...

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[UcMiami]

Lovely pictures Nan, bringing up lots of memories!
I lived in London in one of the wharf conversions at the end of tower bridge across from the Tower, and traveled around Europe quite a bit - so easy to cross the channel for a weekend!

What I love most about European cities is just walking around - there is so much history around each corner and so many little things to discover that never make it into guidebooks, but are unique and wonderful.

 

[The deacon]

Looks like it was a great trip, Nan. Our travels this year were limited to our yearly trip to the Outer Banks. We have been going there each summer with two other families for 25+ years at this point. The excitement this trip was watching a waterspout form just off the beach about 75 yards from our beach house.

Last year we did a two week trip to Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia - Herzegovina, including Mostar where you can still see evidence of the wars from the 1990's when Yugoslavia broke apart. Beautiful area that is still experiencing the effects of those wars of independence. The travel budget is being replenished in anticipation of our next trip, if we can ever decide where to go. So many choices...

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I envy you that trip to the old Yugoslavia, Ozimoto.

I was in Italy partway through an eight-week backpacking trip in the fall of '91, awaiting the ferry from Bari across the Adriatic... my heart was set on seeing the iconic city of Dubrovnik, then heading down to experience Greece.

However, the civil war broke out the very day I was in Bari, and borders were shut off and ferry service was cancelled. I never got there but, seeing things from a positive standpoint, at least I wasn't trapped in Croatia as violence escalated.

By the way, I'm thoroughly enjoying all of everyone's posts. My days of travel are likely over, but it's fun to vicariously share in all you folks are doing... thanks for starting this thread, Nan!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Been a long time since I was in Europe. That stroke 13 years ago really impaired my walking and Europe is all about walking. Been limiting myself to national parks in the West. Even the Grand Canyon is oriented to drive and look, which is my forte' now.

 

[Boreifs]

Vienna from the Belvedere Palace

 

[Puppy Love]

West coast this year. San Francisco up through Oregon, plus Rainier and Mt. Hood. Oregon coast is unforgettable.

 

[Steelerone]

Anywho, I got home just in time for Hurricane Helene. The west coast and so called Big Bend area of Florida were hit hard but Orlando got next to nothing with just some stiff breezes and off and on rain. A typical Florida tropical downpour, quite common here, has more rain than Helene gave central Florida.

Only a month and a bit until basketball season. I can't wait.

Where did you guys go this summer?

Nan, so happy you got to experience a vacation of a lifetime, Just the trip to Omaha Beach, with all of it's historical memories, would have been worthwhile but with all the rest just so happy you have some memories of events that truly changed the world.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I just got back from Paris and Normandy. Now, I know why the crowds were so huge--the entire Boneyard was there!

This was my third trip to Paris, but first time to Normandy. We stayed in Bayeux, where we saw the 900-year old tapestry, cathedral, and battle museum. Our D-Day trip included Omaha Beach, Point du Hoc, and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. The beaches were eerily calm, unlike June 6, 1944. We also went to the amazing Mont Saint Michel. The last day, we toured Honfleur (Scandinavian name that seems French) in the rain, where the Seine flows into the English Channel.

 

[MSGRET]

The Palace of Versailles. It's undoubtably beautiful but they let waaaay too many people in at the same time. The palace is a series of small rooms and you end up shuffling along like a chain gang through hot, stuffy rooms. We couldn't wait to get out of the palace, to be honest. The grounds around the palace are exquisite. People that have difficulty walking would not find a visit to Versailles enjoyable, though.

One of many small rooms with paintings. A lot, if not most, of the smaller rooms are just like this but in varying colors.

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The Hall of Mirrors, which is quite beautiful, but way too crowded to enjoy.

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Nan, I have to ask, is that you in the green shirt and jeans?

 

[luvgiraf]

Totally different vacation for me - explored the world's largest cave, Hang Son Doong, in central Vietnam. Truly the most amazing place I have ever seen, don't think my knees will ever recover! Descent into the cave:

 

[luvgiraf]

More Son Doong photos: swimming and posing in the "James Bond Hole"

 

[luvgiraf]

Son Doong - a feature known as the "Wedding Cake" and exiting via the "Great Wall of Vietnam"

 

[Monte]

If you like history, you have to love Europe. I visited there 3 summers in a row in the 1960's.

Too old to travel now.

 

[MSGRET]

If you like history, you have to love Europe. I visited there 3 summers in a row in the 1960's.

Too old to travel now.

I was stationed in Germany and the Netherlands for 15 of my 24 years in the Army, with an additional year in Korea. Have a piece of the Berlin wall, sand from Normandy, participated in the Memorial Day services at both American Cemetery's in Belgium, Ardennes and Henri-Chapelle and at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten. We have traveled to England, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, France, Spain, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. My wife and I haven't been back to Europe since 2009 and had planned to go back but COVID prevented that. Just like you we don't like to travel overseas anymore because of age, but we enjoy traveling by car here in the States.

 

[HuskyNan]

Nan, I have to ask, is that you in the green shirt and jeans?

No, I took all of these pictures. I'll send you one via DM

 

[huskeynut]

First time we have had a chance to vacation in a long time. My wife retired from being a church organist/ choir director after 40+ years.

So we went with our travel club in early September to the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower ( Close Encounters fo the First Kind) and other spots. We had an absolute blast. We were based in Rapid City, South Dakota. Two other events were a visit to Deadwood and a Buffalo Safari.

Next year we will be traveling a lot. July we are traveling to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise for our 50th anniversary. August we will be in CT visiting two of our sons and there families - 2 grandsons each. Then in September we are planning to fly to Japan. Our youngest son is in the Navy and stationed on Okinawa.

 

[MSGRET]

First time we have had a chance to vacation in a long time. My wife retired from being a church organist/ choir director after 40+ years.

So we went with our travel club in early September to the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower ( Close Encounters fo the First Kind) and other spots. We had an absolute blast. We were based in Rapid City, South Dakota. Two other events were a visit to Deadwood and a Buffalo Safari.

Next year we will be traveling a lot. July we are traveling to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise for our 50th anniversary. August we will be in CT visiting two of our sons and there families - 2 grandsons each. Then in September we are planning to fly to Japan. Our youngest son is in the Navy and stationed on Okinawa.


View attachment 103892

Back in 2012 my wife and I attended my graduating class of 72 40th reunion in Indiana. On the way back we stopped at Mount Rushmore, unfortunately it happened to be the same week of the Sturgis motorcycle rally so we didn't stay that long.

 

[Martin]

Although I grew up in CT i never traveled north. Now I live in the midwest and visited family in CT recently and at last got up North to New Hampshire. Wolfsboro area. Wouldn’t mind retiring there but it probably gets too cold and snowy for me. Thanks for the pictures. The Louvre probably requires a couple days to really take in all it offers. I could sit and sit looking at the paintings letting my mind go on a trip to a different time.

 

[Longtime fan]

Normandy. I was horrified to see souvenir stores selling "D-Day" t-shirts like it was some kind of rock concert. Fortunately, they were the exception and not the rule as most of the area near the beaches is somber and respectful. For the first picture of Omaha Beach, I stood near the water and took the picture toward the hills our troops needed to scale. Note how broad the beach is and how difficult it must have been to storm across such an open area.

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Loved your photos, Nan. Thanks for sharing. We went to the normandy beaches in 2004. I had a distant uncle who died on that beach, and another in North Africa. And you are right, the French in that region are still appreciative.

 

[Dove]

People in Canada find me obnoxious.