We just got back from Paris, Brussels, London and Edinburgh... ask me anything!

Great trip! Photos to follow. Thanks to everyone who helped get me on the airplane in a couple of former threads on jet lag and places to see.

Happy Sunday -- good to be back on the DU.

Overwhelmed with house stuff, laundry, email, snail mail -- it's amazing how much can accumulate in 27 days.

Radio Lady safely back in Oregon

waaaahhhhhhhh.

Welcome back. We expect lots and lots of pics!

The transfer from London to Edinburgh was particularly fun.

It occured on Sunday of their Bank Holiday weekend (our Memorial Day weekend). Supposed to be a four hour rail ride -- turned into London to Luton, England by rail, then offloaded and BUSSED in the pouring rain to Peterborough, then on to the Great North East Railroad to Edinburgh. Why? Because most of the railroad repairs are performed on the weekends in Britain (that Sunday of a holiday weekend was no exception and they worked Monday as well).

Fun and games when you travel, right?

Thanks for the welcome!

but look at the lovely little story it left you with. You can look back now and laugh.
Sounds like a dream of a trip. Did you enjoy Brussels? That city intrigues me - along with Prague.
Someday I hope to visit.

The parks are beautiful. We enjoyed the walking and the ambience. The temperatures were excellent for me (under 70 degrees and delightful). We stayed at the Marriott Renaissance hotel and it couldn't have been better.

Brussels is completely underrated. Everyone we talked to said that we should only stay there for a couple of days and we'd be bored. But we like cities and this one was extraordinary. More later, and photos, too.

Glad to hear that you did enjoy Brussels! Thanks for the info.


edited for typo.

Also, did you eat any Brussels sprouts while in Brussels?

Isn't that the wildest story? I just got the update from Sanjay Gupta on CNN Headline News.

No, we didn't eat any Brussels sprouts... but I did dance with a couple of young kids who might qualify as "sprouts" -- during a holiday concert which took place in one of their beautiful parks (Parc de Bruxelles located at the Place des Palais). Those two little girls really had talent! And this Grandma's ever the show-off!

I love discovering new tasty foods.

any extraordinary or unusual foods in any of the countries. We tried to "eat on the cheap" everywhere. Our favorite places served healthy foods to go. We had some great Italian food on Rue du Luxembourg, just above the Place du Luxembourg.

Until we get our photos organized, some of this trip is still a little blurry. Sorry...

Sounds like you have a lot of higher-priority stuff
to deal with before you get around to posting trip
photos.

I suspect I'll still be here when you get around to it!

I'm just playing with myself (and you guys) at the DU.

Thanks again for your patience.

i spent a few days there several summers ago and fell in love with it. and the train ride there from london was absolutely gorgeous.

sounds like you had a fabulous trip!

Edinburgh is just amazing, with quaint places all over. We walked many other streets and my husband did night photography while I relaxed at the hotel. This time, I was a little bit travel fatigued so I spent time just relaxing at the pool in the Caledonian Hilton, just the most gorgeous hotel, with an excellent health club.

We checked out the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, on Queen's Street, which was very interesting. On the Bank Holiday Monday, there were a couple of school groups going through with guides, and we eavesdropped on a lot of the history, completely unknown to this American because of a lack of exposure to general UK background.

We've never been there in August for the big arts festival. It would be too crowded and could be too hot. Also, there are more than 3,000 activities going on at one time. As one Scotsman put it, "You can only go to a few events during that time! And all the pubs are completely full!"

Hope you get to go back sometime soon!

I'm glad you had a great trip.

can't wait to see the photos.

:hi:

already has them downloaded to his computer. He'll probably work on Paris or Brussels first.

It sounds like quite a trip!!

Glad you're back, though.

We didn't go anywhere special until we were in our forties. Had to do with the fact that there was no jet travel when I grew up and flights were reserved for the very wealthy and well connected. Or you had to be in the military, I guess.

But we married in our 30s and raised the five kids we had already created in earlier marriages. It was a big deal to go from Boston to Cape Cod "on vacation." That's all changed now that the kids are married with kids of their own.

I hope you do get the chance to go to any or all of these four places in your lifetime.

Warm regards,

Radio Lady in Oregon

I'll be too old to travel by the time my kids get old enough! (26, 13, 8) and I'm nearly twice the age of my oldest. She'll probably be having my grandkids in a few years, too.

We hope to keep going until we can't anymore... who knows when that will be? Luckily, we have the vacation club now which holds the line on hotel expenses (we purchased in 2001 and 2006), and our health is holding out.

Right now, I feel like the "frail elderly" but that's just jet lag, I hope. But I should recover in about 48 hours.

We loved that place. Did you hear the legend of Greyfriars Bobby?

Well... I did rent a porn film in the room and did what we could do at these ages. Romance included sweet little gifts for me on Mother's Day (he never made me a mother, thank goodness, since we had five kids already when we married in 1973), and also on my birthday. This is my third husband and we've been married almost thirty-five years! I turned 68 in Scotland on May 31; my husband will be 73 on June 23.

Yes, I know about Greyfriar's Bobby -- my husband actually bought me the fridge magnet this visit! I'll be looking at that steadfast and true little dog every time I go to get cold food!

Thanks for your comments.

I also like Brussels very much, back in ancient history when I saw it.

Apparently, it was Assumption Day and he was fully clothed in a little hat and what appeared to be formal wear. All we could see was the "piss" -- and it seems he owns hundreds of little outfits because he has received them as gifts.

I think it's a right wing plot to get him dressed most of the 365 days of the year. After all, he's naked as a jay-bird, right?

Only the chocolate stores had this view (in chocolate), which was kind of disappointing, unless you want to eat him.

This is the only city on your list that I have visited.

I was amazed that the French were not hostile to me and my husband. We met many nice people there and lots of people spoke English. I would love to live there as it is so beautiful. Of course, I would want to be fluent in French first. Oh and get super skinny so I can blend in.

wanted to practice their English. Everyone was very kind and helpful, and when you learn to ask for the check "L'addition, s'il vous plait!" and the toilets (forget about bathroom or restroom), you're practically there!

since I was in Scotland on THE DAY. But red is my favorite color.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=6562400

I PMed NewYawker99 recently and asked her how she keeps up with all of it! She said the information in a small book -- as opposed to a computer program. That's pretty amazing!

Warm regards,

Radio Lady

Her name is Roni :)

Thanks for pointing that out.

Warm regards,

Radio Lady Ellen

I went for one of the Greek resturants right off the main square instead