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Post by 1jhwks on Jul 9, 2015 23:39:11 GMT
Boop: I took the Vienna,Prague,Budapest Trafalgar tour a few years ago and it was lovely . The optional dinner from Budapest was in the village of St. Andrew and the charm of this village at that time was the many hand-craft stalls lining the main street. I don't know if these shops will be open during the holidays but they were well worth shopping at. Vienna is a marvelous city and like London it has so much to see . We were let off to explore Prauge on our own and unfortunately got lost and finally had to get directions after 3 hrs of wandering around . We had a city map but it was very small and the street signs were up so high you couldn't read them . Budapest has a lovely Jewish synagogue which is worth visiting if you have the time. All in all you will certainly enjoy these three wonderful cities. Purvis Apparently, one of our two included dinners (if the welcoming dinner turns out to actually be a dinner instead of one appetizer) is dinner on Dec. 25th "dinner of authentic cuisine at a family run restaurant and winery". There's always the wine, I suppose, if I'm not too keen on the authenticity! It sounds like it should be good though, and after all, it will be our Christmas dinner...........please, NO goose or duck! Also the itinerary states for this same day...."enjoy free time shopping for Hungarian embroidery and fine porcelain", but that won't be happening, I guess. And on this same day we also have a walking tour of old Buda which includes the Synagogue, St. Matthias Church as well as the Fishermen's Bastion. I'm still crossing my fingers hoping for at least a souvenir shop along the way on this day! I was in Prague for a week in 2012 and I'm adding on 3 extra days there before the tour starts so I'm pretty comfortable with getting around the city. I just may get so tired of shopping there it won't matter much by the time I get to Budapest!! Miss Boop tired of shopping???
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Post by Boop on Jul 10, 2015 0:11:52 GMT
Apparently, one of our two included dinners (if the welcoming dinner turns out to actually be a dinner instead of one appetizer) is dinner on Dec. 25th "dinner of authentic cuisine at a family run restaurant and winery". There's always the wine, I suppose, if I'm not too keen on the authenticity! It sounds like it should be good though, and after all, it will be our Christmas dinner...........please, NO goose or duck! Also the itinerary states for this same day...."enjoy free time shopping for Hungarian embroidery and fine porcelain", but that won't be happening, I guess. And on this same day we also have a walking tour of old Buda which includes the Synagogue, St. Matthias Church as well as the Fishermen's Bastion. I'm still crossing my fingers hoping for at least a souvenir shop along the way on this day! I was in Prague for a week in 2012 and I'm adding on 3 extra days there before the tour starts so I'm pretty comfortable with getting around the city. I just may get so tired of shopping there it won't matter much by the time I get to Budapest!! Miss Boop tired of shopping??? LOL........never 1jhwks!! I'm just trying a little reverse psychology....
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Post by chech on Jul 10, 2015 1:27:57 GMT
Kinda like saying you'll leaving packing until the night before you leave! LOL Oh wait....guess I should get started...
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Post by tiffany on Jul 10, 2015 11:53:09 GMT
Boop: I took the Vienna,Prague,Budapest Trafalgar tour a few years ago and it was lovely . The optional dinner from Budapest was in the village of St. Andrew and the charm of this village at that time was the many hand-craft stalls lining the main street. I don't know if these shops will be open during the holidays but they were well worth shopping at. Vienna is a marvelous city and like London it has so much to see . We were let off to explore Prauge on our own and unfortunately got lost and finally had to get directions after 3 hrs of wandering around . We had a city map but it was very small and the street signs were up so high you couldn't read them . Budapest has a lovely Jewish synagogue which is worth visiting if you have the time. All in all you will certainly enjoy these three wonderful cities. Purvis Apparently, one of our two included dinners (if the welcoming dinner turns out to actually be a dinner instead of one appetizer) is dinner on Dec. 25th "dinner of authentic cuisine at a family run restaurant and winery". There's always the wine, I suppose, if I'm not too keen on the authenticity! It sounds like it should be good though, and after all, it will be our Christmas dinner...........please, NO goose or duck! Also the itinerary states for this same day...."enjoy free time shopping for Hungarian embroidery and fine porcelain", but that won't be happening, I guess. And on this same day we also have a walking tour of old Buda which includes the Synagogue, St. Matthias Church as well as the Fishermen's Bastion. I'm still crossing my fingers hoping for at least a souvenir shop along the way on this day! I was in Prague for a week in 2012 and I'm adding on 3 extra days there before the tour starts so I'm pretty comfortable with getting around the city. I just may get so tired of shopping there it won't matter much by the time I get to Budapest!! I’m sure your Christmas dinner will be great, however, if you don’t like goose or duck (I’m not a fan myself) let your travel director know ahead of time. He/She should be able to get your some turkey/chicken or beef. According to the website below, a traditional Hungarian Christmas dinner usually consists of carp fish soup, fried fish, turkey, stuffed cabbage and beigli (a traditional winter pastry stuffed with poppy seeds or chestnuts filling), and it’s severed on Dec 24. You may get something similar on Dec 25. www.budapest-discovery-guide.com/hungarian-christmas-traditions.htmlRead more: travel-forum.freeforums.net/thread/376/countdown-2015?page=14#ixzz3fUMDl6GO
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Post by Boop on Jul 10, 2015 16:25:33 GMT
Thanks for that link on Christmas in Budapest tiffany! Very interesting to see how Budapestians celebrate Christmas, but I'll pass on the carp soup and fried fish..lolol! The 2nd link only brought me back to the countdown thread........ It is pretty obvious I will have very little shopping chances here I've already filled in my pre tour advising of my dislike of eating all things from the sea!
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Post by californian on Jul 10, 2015 16:46:07 GMT
Boop, what a wonderful tour you have ahead of you! Before going on the Highlights of Eastern Europe, someone recommended me the book Csardas, by Diane Pearson, i have read it several times since then, it's fiction but a very real history of the life in Hungary, from the Hapsburg Empire before WWI until after WWII and communism. I keep recommending it to everyone, so it's your turn now! A couple of dollars in Amazon. I look forward to your tale, I'm planning to go on a tour starting in Budapest next year.
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Post by tiffany on Jul 10, 2015 17:29:48 GMT
Boop, what a wonderful tour you have ahead of you! Before going on the Highlights of Eastern Europe, someone recommended me the book Csardas, by Diane Pearson, i have read it several times since then, it's fiction but a very real history of the life in Hungary, from the Hapsburg Empire before WWI until after WWII and communism. I keep recommending it to everyone, so it's your turn now! A couple of dollars in Amazon. I look forward to your tale, I'm planning to go on a tour starting in Budapest next year. Good to know, as I’m going on the Eastern Europe tour in Oct 2016. I have a few books I want to get through in the next few months, but I’ll look into downloading this one when I get back from Greece.
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Post by Boop on Jul 10, 2015 19:26:47 GMT
I'm not a huge history buff cali, and I have all these books lined up to read so I can reach my goal of 100 books this year, but I will keep your recommendation in mind!
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Post by pjm866 on Jul 21, 2015 5:36:59 GMT
Myself (3rd Trafalgar Tour) and my partner are doing European Magic London to Rome leaving May 11 2016 .... previous tours include Bohemia highlights ( sept 19 2015) and Spain Morocco and Portugal (may 2013) ... cannot wait, and any information on the European Magic tour be appreciated.
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Post by plane2catch on Jul 24, 2015 11:16:59 GMT
Two days until I leave on TTs Best of Britain. Time to kick in gear and pack my suit case today! Getting excited to see some new sights! Hoping for a good fun group of travel mates with not too many complainers in the bunch. Don't think the coach will have much more than 30 as the trip was advertised as a red hot deal and the last time I checked they told me they thought 30 had signed up. Hope I'm not the only single but I usually mix well with the others. Bon Voyage!!
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Post by tiffany on Jul 24, 2015 11:33:49 GMT
Two days until I leave on TTs Best of Britain. Time to kick in gear and pack my suit case today! Getting excited to see some new sights! Hoping for a good fun group of travel mates with not too many complainers in the bunch. Don't think the coach will have much more than 30 as the trip was advertised as a red hot deal and the last time I checked they told me they thought 30 had signed up. Hope I'm not the only single but I usually mix well with the others. Bon Voyage!! Have fun! I look forward to hearing about your trip when you get back.
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Post by purvis on Jul 24, 2015 15:45:48 GMT
plane2catch: I enjoyed this particular tour very much hope you do also. Have a great tour and let us know how it went when you return. Purvis
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Post by kiwigrandma on Jul 25, 2015 7:54:57 GMT
Two days until I leave on TTs Best of Britain. Time to kick in gear and pack my suit case today! Getting excited to see some new sights! Hoping for a good fun group of travel mates with not too many complainers in the bunch. Don't think the coach will have much more than 30 as the trip was advertised as a red hot deal and the last time I checked they told me they thought 30 had signed up. Hope I'm not the only single but I usually mix well with the others. Bon Voyage!! Hope you have fun. Look forward to reading about it.
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Post by tiffany on Jul 29, 2015 11:36:16 GMT
I just realized it’s less than two months before leaving for London and then Greece. A women I met on a past tour emailed me the other day to tell me that her friends just got back from Greece, and that they felt perfectly safe. There were some protests, but nothing that affected them. Greece needs tourists right now, so they are treating them well. I’ve been wanting to go to Greece for years, so I can’t’ wait to finally get there!
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Post by bet on Jul 30, 2015 10:25:44 GMT
Lucky you Tiffany, it looks a great tour especially the cruise portion. I still hope to get there next year if not the year after. Im keen to hear all about it when you get back.
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Post by tiffany on Jul 30, 2015 11:37:25 GMT
Lucky you Tiffany, it looks a great tour especially the cruise portion. I still hope to get there next year if not the year after. Im keen to hear all about it when you get back. Thanks Bet. I'm looking forward to it. I'll tell you all about it when I get back.
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Post by chech on Jul 30, 2015 12:09:27 GMT
A friend of mine has just spent two months in Greece with no issues at all. The most she saw were line-ups at some banks. All quiet now and she comes home to 8 degrees next week. LOL
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Post by chech on Jul 30, 2015 12:11:26 GMT
I had to readjust my winter plans due to appointments....so now, it's still 67 days to Australia. And now 157 days to Cuba.
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Post by tiffany on Aug 5, 2015 11:52:02 GMT
Chech, are you doing a tour of Cuba or going to an all-inclusive resort? I’ve been to Cuba twice, once to Varadero and once to Holguin. I stayed at an all-inclusive resort both times, but did a lot of day trips, some adventure oriented and some sightseeing. Cuba has beautiful beaches, but if you’re staying at a resort, be prepared for slow service. They work on “Cuba Time” and even with tipping, things get done when they get done. Also, the food is not the best. I’m sure a tour of the country would be interesting though. I’ve always regretted not making it to Havana while in Varadero.
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Post by chech on Aug 5, 2015 14:09:02 GMT
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Post by tiffany on Aug 5, 2015 16:55:38 GMT
Both tours look good, especially the Costa Rica tour. I still hope to get there someday.
I think you’ll enjoy a tour of Cuba more than staying at a resort. I get the impression that you are not the type to just lie around the beach all day.
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Post by chech on Aug 5, 2015 17:58:43 GMT
LOL...nope...I'm not a beach person at all. Maybe for a couple hours, but after that, I want to be doing something.
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Post by Boop on Aug 5, 2015 21:19:10 GMT
LOL...nope...I'm not a beach person at all. Maybe for a couple hours, but after that, I want to be doing something. Like grabbing a coke somewhere and researching all the McDonalds locations?
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Post by purvis on Aug 5, 2015 22:24:13 GMT
Boop: Have been to Cuba twice along with my eldest son's boys baseball team as guests of the Cuban government . We stayed at a large hotel complex and did day trips out to play ball with Cuban children's teams. As far as I can remember on our trips out of the hotel compound I didn't see any McD's. Sorry Chech. Like you I do enjoy the odd meal from McD's when travelling to a foreign country. The food isn't the greatest but the Cubans do the best they can and are some of the most likeable people I have ever met on all my trips. With your wide knowledge of people from other countries you will find the locals accommodating considering the widespread poverty of the country. Have a wonderful trip. Purvis
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Post by chech on Aug 5, 2015 22:38:11 GMT
My package for the trip encourages that we bring donations of anything. We'll be visiting a senior's centre and other locations where we can interact with the locals and the TD distributes the donations as we travel. No worries about McDs in Cuba. All meals are included.
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Post by Boop on Aug 5, 2015 22:57:18 GMT
My package for the trip encourages that we bring donations of anything. We'll be visiting a senior's centre and other locations where we can interact with the locals and the TD distributes the donations as we travel. No worries about McDs in Cuba. All meals are included. phew.........
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Post by purvis on Aug 6, 2015 4:05:55 GMT
On all 3 of my son's trips to Cuba with his minor baseball team the team took an estimated $8,000.00 of sports equipment to give to the Cuban players on each trip. Those of us who accompanied the team were asked to bring gifts for the hotel staff and candy for the children and Cuban players who attended the games. . The old folk love hand lotion , bed socks and candy. For the room maids we took school supplies for their children and nylons, candy etc for themselves. These folk are appreciative of anything you can take them and it really doesn't have to be costly. Many of my travelling companions left their jeans for the staff as things like that were beyond their ability to buy. I found that most of us left little gifts on our bed pillows for the maids each morning as it was not always the same maid who made up the room each day. Purvis
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Post by tiffany on Aug 6, 2015 11:44:21 GMT
I usually bring things like to bring stuff like soap, shampoo , conditioner, nail polish, magazines, books, etc. Cubans are appreciative off almost anything you give them.
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Post by chech on Aug 6, 2015 11:53:59 GMT
Excellent suggestions! Never thought of the hand lotion or nail polish. I might just take a second piece of luggage and fill it and donate the second bag as well. (I'm entitle to two bags for free, so no issue with that). Time to start making notes.
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Post by tiffany on Aug 6, 2015 19:47:02 GMT
If you have room, you can also bring some old clothes that don’t fit you anymore, or that you don’t want. I’ve left old clothes behind for the cleaning staff.
If you go to a dollar store, you can get a bunch of hair/nail/makeup products for cheap and bring them with you. They can’t always get this type of stuff, so they love it when tourists leave it for them.
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