Experiences travelling abroad

The Velvet Curtain said:
so you choose your meat, cook it yourself and then fill up at the salad/ veg bar, very enjoyable.
Click to expand...
We lived near a place like that in Minnesota, and the closest winery to us now does the same thing on occasion, but I've still not quite worked out how I'm expected to hand over a good bit of my money, then cook my own food. :)
 
TastyReuben said:
We lived near a place like that in Minnesota, and the closest winery to us now does the same thing on occasion, but I've still not quite worked out how I'm expected to hand over a good bit of my money, then cook my own food. :)
Click to expand...
At the place we went you could hand your meat go the kitchen and they would prep it too, but for us it was a fun novelty to cook it ourselves - made better of course because someone else had put the work into stoking the grill
 
I tried a place in Norfolk, VA, called "Grate Steak" where you had the option to grill your own picked out steak. I kind of like the idea as I don't like anyone seasoning and cooking my steak for me, beside someone else was paying. One of the reasons I don't order steak out, I can do a much better job at home on my Egg or grill and I prefer using the reverse sear method.
 
Yorky said:
In Damascas one time during Ramadam. I was sat in a restaurant with our Muslim colleagues awaiting the call so that we could eat. The call came and almost everyone in the restaurant (it was full) lit a cigarette. Within seconds it was virtually impossible to see.
Click to expand...

You reminded me, I was In the airport in Seoul flying to Pusan for business. I used to smoke in the early 90s. They had a glass enclosure of about 20 X 20 feet. By the time I lit up I couldn't see out the glass. Chain smoking Asians and me,lol.

Russ
 
Yorky said:
I arrived late with a colleague to a hotel in Dussledorf. The restaurant appeared to be closed but in one room there was a selection of food arranged for self service and many people were eating. We went in, picked up plates and helped ourselves to food expecting it would be one price per head. After a few minutes I called a waiter and asked for a couple of beers. He came back with another guy who explained that we were in a private party and whilst he had no objection to us eating the food, he drew the line at giving us beer!
Click to expand...

That's really funny.

Russ
 
Duck59 said:
One of my VSO colleagues in Eritrea came up with a classic one evening. He asked, or at least thought he asked, for the bill. Unfortunately, his Tigrigna malfunctioned and what he in fact requested of the waiter was a light bulb.

Sadly for the rest of us, the waiter realised what he meant. I was rather looking forward to him coming back with a light bulb on a tray and placing it solemnly on the table.
Click to expand...

When in my teens I went to our local shop to buy cigarettes, I smoked benson and hedges at the time. I used to order, a packet of b and h please. This one time I said packet of b and h please, the Asian went out the back and handed me a packet of band aids,pmsl. Lost in translation. ( band aids = sticking plaster)

Russ
 
It's always a bit odd trying to converse with someone when neither of you speak each other's language. I recall a somewhat bizarre evening I spent in the company of an Italian chap in Eritrea. He, incidentally, bore a distinct resemblance to Toto Schilaci, the former Italian footballer (for those who remember the 1990 World Cup in particular). Like that fine player, he hailed from Sicily.

Now, my Italian isn't up to much other than words for food and drink. His English was equally sparse. We discovered that both of us spoke a little bit of French, so we somehow managed to converse in poor French for quite some time. We couldn't have done too badly because we put away a fair amount of beer in the process...
 
The first time I set foot in London was over 20 years ago.
After a long walk I stopped in a pub because I needed an espresso coffee and I asked nonchalantly 'an express' and the waiter with as much nonchalance asked me 'where to?'

My face became multicoloured... but then we both burst into laughter.

Anyway, Brighton was very pretty :laugh:
 
As I read all of your post i thought to myself "They are all so worldly and well traveled. I feel like a hick." Then I had another thought. The U.S. is a very large country, Many European countries are no larger than our states. Our topography ranges from coastlines East, West and South. All are different. Swamps, marshes, plains, deserts, mountains -both young and old, rain forest, volcanoes, canyons, caverns, petrified forest. The list goes on. That is only the continental U.S. Can't forget Alaska and Hawaii. Our demographics are as diverse as our topography. Every race and ethnicity is represented in the U.S.
Our problem is that we are a young nation. Archaeologists disagree over the arrival of the first humans in North America. I have read anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. That is nothing compared to Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. IDK about Australia. As a nation we are mere children. I think that when many of my fellow citizens travel to other countries they do so with the arrogance of youth.
My foreign travel is limited to 3 weeks in the U.K. and 3 weeks in Spain. The one thing that struck me was a feeling of antiquity, age, history that can not be found in the U.S.
I would love to travel over seas again before I die. I would really like to share that with George. He has never traveled out of the U.S. except for the border towns of Mexico.
He has never been to NYC, Washington State, Oregon or Boston. I want him to see those places. I have only been to southern Georgia. I would love to explore Georgia and the Carolina's with him. George has been to Alaska on a business trip. The North Slope. A trip to Alaska is a dream.
I loved my experiences in Europe. I would do that again in a heart beat. I have realized that I have so much to explore and learn about in my own back yard. I think our vacations will be Stay Nation.
 
With a passing reference to the awfulness in America and reflecting on ElizabethB's post above. I have been lucky to be able to travel right round the World and the one thing I have certainly seen is that the further you travel the more difficult it is to hold racist or xenophobic views*. I have seen some wonderful sights, but I have also been made welcome by people of many cultures and religions, and the memories that stick most with me are the times I laughed with strangers in another country.

*Edit for clarity: I never held bigoted views, but did grow up with the casual racism that was the accepted norm for my farther's generation.
 
I've mostly just been to Mexico and Canada. A lot. And love those countries much, but I especially have a strong adoration for Mexican food.

The furthest away I have ever been was Okinawa, where I lived from 1967 to 1970 when my father was flying missions in Vietnam (I was 5 when we moved there). I have a strong affinity for Asian food, as I spent a lot of time with the housekeepers in the kitchen and ate whatever they put in front of me. Apparently I ate foods that the rest of my family wouldn't touch, LOL. I don't really remember that much, but I am still the only one out of my family of 8 who will eat sushi.
 
Don't feel bad, ElizabethB. We've mainly been around a lot of (what used to be called) Western Europe, and the UK. I haven't seen a whole lot of the US, and don't particularly care to, because I travel more to experience the culture than I do to see a particular sight.

Never been to Asia, never been to the Middle East, never been to South America or Central America. My folks have never been out of the country, and out of five other siblings, only one has (military), and I'm the only one who travels. Three of my siblings have never flown. Travel to them is packing up the truck and the camper and going to a state park somewhere.
 
MypinchofItaly said:
The first time I set foot in London was over 20 years ago.
After a long walk I stopped in a pub because I needed an espresso coffee and I asked nonchalantly 'an express' and the waiter with as much nonchalance asked me 'where to?'

My face became multicoloured... but then we both burst into laughter.

Anyway, Brighton was very pretty :laugh:
Click to expand...

We spent a week in Brighton, dinner and drinks every night in an Italian restaurant. I was in heaven.

Russ
 
ElizabethB said:
As I read all of your post i thought to myself "They are all so worldly and well traveled. I feel like a hick." Then I had another thought. The U.S. is a very large country, Many European countries are no larger than our states. Our topography ranges from coastlines East, West and South. All are different. Swamps, marshes, plains, deserts, mountains -both young and old, rain forest, volcanoes, canyons, caverns, petrified forest. The list goes on. That is only the continental U.S. Can't forget Alaska and Hawaii. Our demographics are as diverse as our topography. Every race and ethnicity is represented in the U.S.
Our problem is that we are a young nation. Archaeologists disagree over the arrival of the first humans in North America. I have read anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. That is nothing compared to Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. IDK about Australia. As a nation we are mere children. I think that when many of my fellow citizens travel to other countries they do so with the arrogance of youth.
My foreign travel is limited to 3 weeks in the U.K. and 3 weeks in Spain. The one thing that struck me was a feeling of antiquity, age, history that can not be found in the U.S.
I would love to travel over seas again before I die. I would really like to share that with George. He has never traveled out of the U.S. except for the border towns of Mexico.
He has never been to NYC, Washington State, Oregon or Boston. I want him to see those places. I have only been to southern Georgia. I would love to explore Georgia and the Carolina's with him. George has been to Alaska on a business trip. The North Slope. A trip to Alaska is a dream.
I loved my experiences in Europe. I would do that again in a heart beat. I have realized that I have so much to explore and learn about in my own back yard. I think our vacations will be Stay Nation.
Click to expand...

If you ever get a chance, visit bath in the uk, it's amazing looking at the set up,they had hundreds of years ago, absolutely amazing. The cathedral is amazing as well.

Russ
 
JASOH1 said:
I've mostly just been to Mexico and Canada. A lot. And love those countries much, but I especially have a strong adoration for Mexican food.

The furthest away I have ever been was Okinawa, where I lived from 1967 to 1970 when my father was flying missions in Vietnam (I was 5 when we moved there). I have a strong affinity for Asian food, as I spent a lot of time with the housekeepers in the kitchen and ate whatever they put in front of me. Apparently I ate foods that the rest of my family wouldn't touch, LOL. I don't really remember that much, but I am still the only one out of my family of 8 who will eat sushi.
Click to expand...
Mr 7 here's fave food is sushi. Lots of it.

Russ
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom