What You've Done Today - Always You Must Meddle, Looking For Trouble Where None Exists.

[Gromnir]

6 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

 

Any suggestions? 

san sebastián. am not a resort town person our self, but for a week duration trip is worth considering. am recommending not so much for the beaches n' whatnot but rather for the food-- is our second favorite euro city for food, and #1 is in eastern europe, so...

HA! Good Fun!

ps is in basque country, so you can hit the other basque highlights as well.

Edited January 29, 2022 by Gromnir

[Gorth]

2 hours ago, majestic said:

Avoid the German occupied territory of Mallorca and you should be good.

Just popped in to make that joke, perhaps @213374U can provide some more on-hands insight.

It may be different now, but last time I was there, it was the English “packaged tour” tourists you had to kick your way through. Easily recognisable too. The day they arrive, they’ll be pasty white. The first night, they’ll drink themselves senseless and the second day they’ll sleep it off on the beach. Usually turning red and outright blackish purple in the sun because of their firm belief, that a sufficiently high alcohol content in their blood makes them immune to UV rays. At least they acted that way. You didn’t really see them again until they catch the bus back to the airport, then all wrapped up in alufoil like bandages and boxes of painkillers in their hands…

[BruceVC]

17 hours ago, Gorth said:

It may be different now, but last time I was there, it was the English “packaged tour” tourists you had to kick your way through. Easily recognisable too. The day they arrive, they’ll be pasty white. The first night, they’ll drink themselves senseless and the second day they’ll sleep it off on the beach. Usually turning red and outright blackish purple in the sun because of their firm belief, that a sufficiently high alcohol content in their blood makes them immune to UV rays. At least they acted that way. You didn’t really see them again until they catch the bus back to the airport, then all wrapped up in alufoil like bandages and boxes of painkillers in their hands…

But you forgetting the  important role the English tourists and holidaymakers  contribute towards the economies of all the countries they visit....this was missed  and noticed during the pandemic and lockdowns throughout the world when suddenly less UK tourism meant noticeably less  GDP in many countries including SA . So we must never forget how much we love English  tourists

[Gromnir]

@Guard Dog

as an aside, europe is nice enough, but with spring not far off am gonna recommend the american southwest, in particular a few places in arizona.  @ShadySands is gonna be offering better insights regarding arizona than we may provide, but is few places on the planet more stunning than arizona deserts in the spring. 

admitted, our last couple trips to europe kinda turned us off to a return 'but that was a few years ago when many places in europe were struggling to come to grips with the recent influx o' immigrant populations. maybe the situation has improved, but for somebody who looks like Gromnir, we found european welcomes far less friendly than when we had visited back during our post university days. were disconcerting.

regardless, if you ain't been to the american southwest in spring, and you is looking to travel, our suggestion after a bit o' reflection would be to ask shady for arizona recommendations. 

HA! Good Fun!

[melkathi]

Yeah, racism is a thing. At least in Greece which has been a bit of a backwater. It occurred to me when I returned on holiday while studying in England, that at the time (late nineties) in Thessaloniki I had never encountered a non-caucasian.

[BruceVC]

1 hour ago, Gromnir said:

@Guard Dog

as an aside, europe is nice enough, but with spring not far off am gonna recommend the american southwest, in particular a few places in arizona.  @ShadySands is gonna be offering better insights regarding arizona than we may provide, but is few places on the planet more stunning than arizona deserts in the spring. 

admitted, our last couple trips to europe kinda turned us off to a return 'but that was a few years ago when many places in europe were struggling to come to grips with the recent influx o' immigrant populations. maybe the situation has improved, but for somebody who looks like Gromnir, we found european welcomes far less friendly than when we had visited back during our post university days. were disconcerting.

regardless, if you ain't been to the american southwest in spring, and you is looking to travel, our suggestion after a bit o' reflection would be to ask shady for arizona recommendations. 

HA! Good Fun!

Yes many people have an issue with illegal immigrants who arrive in a country without papers , thats not racism and thats not going to go away

But its basically over now anyway  in the EU and their is no reason you cant go on holiday to the EU and have a great time. My family is planning trips to the UK from May or so 

[ShadySands]

I can give you some unsolicited AZ recommendations. There are the normal things that get recommended like Grand Canyon and Sedona that are easy to recommend. Some other stuff I can easily recommend is the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest, Montezuma Castle, and Meteor Crater. Some less known places like Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, and even Biosphere 2 if you want to do some BioDome LARPing. I think you like Westerns and I'm not sure if it's still open but Old Tucson is a place you might be interested in. You can also visit some old western towns and also Picacho Peak which is the spot of one of the westernmost Civil War "battles" and I think they do reenactments sometime in the spring.

The last time I was in Europe I was repeatedly told that Americans weren't considered the worst tourists thanks to the French, Chinese, and Brits. People tended to think we were Canadian for some reason, I don think I said sorry and eh even once. Of course they could have just been blowing smoke or passing off their own personal biases as the general consensus.

Edited January 30, 2022 by ShadySands

[melkathi]

Brits are (seen as) the worst. Predominantly due to the Thomas Cook groups that aren't just loud, but get so drunk and act in such ways, it is impossible not to judge them. It is so bad, they get that rep even in destinations where these groups never appear (for example Athens). On top of that they are the most likely to cause problems while they are sober: try to blackmail or con hotels or restaurants into giving them freebies. The UK is the only country where the government would send out email alerts to hotels in popular tourist destinations with warnings of what cons were popular the previous season.

Chinese aren't liked mostly for the fact that on average nobody makes money of them; they usually have all travel planned out through whatever agency/site they use in China and don't stray into anything outside that package. They don't eat at local restaurants, they don't use taxis, having a Chinese private driver instead, they don't use random hotels. They even bring their own instant meals in their suitcases.

Russians are still not used to traveling to the west freely, so can be awkward. They aren't sure if they should be entitled to something or not, so can come over as super-entitled and immediately re-adjust their attitude to super-apologetic. Unless of course they are filthy rich. But the filthy rich are a group that transcends nationality (see UAE below).

UAE/Qatar etc are also two opposites packed into the same person. You'll only ever encounter really wealthy tourists, who are also well educated. Their vacation is also an escape from strict social norms, so they are happy to see you and be worldly. At the same time they grew up with servants on hand at any moment, so they are not used to not being waited on. For hotels that means the messiest rooms you'll ever step in. But often they are also to some extent aware that they do things "wrong" so try to make amends for that in being super-sweet and great tippers. I even had guests offer to tell a woman I was interested in how awesome I was and that they traveled all this way just to let her know she really should go out with me.

US Americans are usually not as bad as people fear. I think they are well aware of the image of the entitled US American who in action movies walks up to the terrorist hostage taker and demands to be let go because they are American - and obviously end up the only dead hostage. Or the line "If it weren't for us you'd all be speaking German now," which can embarrassingly lead to the other person continuing the argument in German. On top of that, Europe, with the many countries so close to one another, seems to inspire a bit of awe in people from the huge countries, as it is far easier for people to have "abroad" experience. That said, US Americans are the second most likely group to try and con businesses out of money, including disputing credit card charges at hotels, and walking out of cafes and restaurants without paying. Still, in no way at a large scale as Brits.

German men can be truly entitled. They are the same way at home as well, but abroad, especially in a poorer country, they can really let loose their entitlement. They also put a high emphasis on the educational aspect of a trip though, so instead of an entitled git you may encounter a walking encyclopedia or a sponge who will soak up every tale the locals tell them with genuine interest.

Israelis depend on their age. Middle aged or older couples are great, as are families with adult children. Families with young children can be difficult, as the children seem to have a high risk of being spoiled, jumping up and down on furniture etc. Mind you, most parents seem to no longer feel compelled to be on the clock as parents during vacations. Teenagers and young adults can be hell, if they are male. Complete disregard for rules like "no smoking" etc, grinning at you while breaking them. They are the most likely to party like there was no tomorrow. I am still finding glitter all over the place two years later.

 

If I had a choice, I'd probably work with Australian families exclusively, with Orthodox Jews over the weekends. The former are super friendly, while the later are so happy they find a property where the owner/staff understand their no-electricity on Shabbat requirements and are willing to work something out (I cover motion sensors with hats for example which is all that is necessary).

Edited January 30, 2022 by melkathi

[Gfted1]

Ive never met an Australian that I didnt like. And theyre super fun to party with.

[Malcador]

24 minutes ago, Gfted1 said:

Ive never met an Australian that I didnt like. And theyre super fun to party with.

It's fun when they can't help but drop F and C bombs on work calls too

[ComradeYellow]

Bogans.  'Nuff said.

[Malcador]

1 hour ago, ComradeYellow said:

Bogans.  'Nuff said.

I doubt bogans can afford to leave Australia.

[ComradeYellow]

11 minutes ago, Malcador said:

I doubt bogans can afford to leave Australia.

I did read somewhere though that Americans like to see Australia as an idealized version of themselves, because it's so far away and they've never been there and it's also a fellow 'white' country.

Liberals see it as some kind of anti-gun hipster latte paradise whilst conservatives see it as some rough and tumble 'F' and 'C' bomb haven with tough guys who are ultra realists.

Reality is far more nuanced of course and it's simply a great place for young people to visit and have fun but a real bad place to retire to.  the real "'Nuff said".

[Guard Dog]

7 hours ago, Gromnir said:

@Guard Dog

as an aside, europe is nice enough, but with spring not far off am gonna recommend the american southwest, in particular a few places in arizona.  @ShadySands is gonna be offering better insights regarding arizona than we may provide, but is few places on the planet more stunning than arizona deserts in the spring. 

admitted, our last couple trips to europe kinda turned us off to a return 'but that was a few years ago when many places in europe were struggling to come to grips with the recent influx o' immigrant populations. maybe the situation has improved, but for somebody who looks like Gromnir, we found european welcomes far less friendly than when we had visited back during our post university days. were disconcerting.

regardless, if you ain't been to the american southwest in spring, and you is looking to travel, our suggestion after a bit o' reflection would be to ask shady for arizona recommendations. 

HA! Good Fun!

You are right about that one. The Grand Canyon & Vermillion Cliffs are definitely on my to do list. But I have been to Tucson, Saguaro National Park (which is amazing) and Kitts Peak. New Mexico is a state I'd love to visit more. All I have seen of it was along I-10. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Guard Dog

[Guard Dog]

2 hours ago, melkathi said:

 Or the line "If it weren't for us you'd all be speaking German now," which can embarrassingly lead to the other person continuing the argument in German. 

 

Oh my God now THAT is funny! 

[Malcador]

44 minutes ago, ComradeYellow said:

I did read somewhere though that Americans like to see Australia as an idealized version of themselves, because it's so far away and they've never been there and it's also a fellow 'white' country.

Liberals see it as some kind of anti-gun hipster latte paradise whilst conservatives see it as some rough and tumble 'F' and 'C' bomb haven with tough guys who are ultra realists.

Reality is far more nuanced of course and it's simply a great place for young people to visit and have fun but a real bad place to retire to.  the real "'Nuff said".

I see it as a giant island full of ****.

[LadyCrimson]

[Hurlshort]

Started my taxes.

[LadyCrimson]

Gas/electric bill: "$450?! I know it's winter but still" ... electric, $129. Gas ... the rest. Gas used to be the cheap thing, here (even in winter).

Worked on figuring out/putting together the few things I want to take up with me this weekend for the start of our trial living in the other house. Think I'll just take the PS4 (Netflix), smaller 4k LED TV, tablet. No PC's or OLED yet. If the first week goes well, we'll come back and get a bit more stuff. I refuse to undo/move all that hardware or desks etc. until we know a bit more of hubby's state. 

[Azdeus]

6 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

Gas/electric bill: "$450?! I know it's winter but still" ... electric, $129. Gas ... the rest. Gas used to be the cheap thing, here (even in winter).

Worked on figuring out/putting together the few things I want to take up with me this weekend for the start of our trial living in the other house. Think I'll just take the PS4 (Netflix), smaller 4k LED TV, tablet. No PC's or OLED yet. If the first week goes well, we'll come back and get a bit more stuff. I refuse to undo/move all that hardware or desks etc. until we know a bit more of hubby's state. 

I filled up my tank with petrol today, 145$. Three more to go this month, for more than a quarter of my paycheck.

I'm getting murderous thoughts towards the hippies in government. The Nazi-party suggested lowering taxes on fuel, and if they go through with it, **** it, I'd vote for them.

[Gfted1]

6 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

Gas used to be the cheap thing, here (even in winter).

You know, my wife was just voicing her displeasure over the gas bill and I looked over her shoulder...gas increased in price from .21 in Jan 2021 to .63 in Jan 2022. Im gonna need some UBI or Ill never financially recover from this.

21 minutes ago, Azdeus said:

I filled up my tank with petrol today, 145$. Three more to go this month, for more than a quarter of my paycheck.

WTH! How many gallons is that?

[Azdeus]

7 minutes ago, Gfted1 said:

WTH! How many gallons is that?

About 66 Litres, a full full tank is 75L or 17,4354 and 19.8129 gallons if you wish

Edited February 1, 2022 by Azdeus

[majestic]

Luckily I'm completely free of caring for the type of car I drive, so the only thing that matters is that the maintenance is cheap and it's fuel efficient. I get by with one 45l tank fill per month.

I don't need a penile extension with four wheels. *scnr*

[Azdeus]

17 minutes ago, majestic said:

Luckily I'm completely free of caring for the type of car I drive, so the only thing that matters is that the maintenance is cheap and it's fuel efficient. I get by with one 45l tank fill per month.

I don't need a penile extension with four wheels. *scnr*

I needed space in the car for 4 other adults to comfortably transit to work, I need towing ability and capacity and I need to be able to do maintenance myself, because a: I never trust a workshop mechanic and b: the charge too much for what they do, and they do it badly. The mileage is okay, and the tuning and such is just a bonus and actually increases efficiency. It also makes me safer in traffic to be able to match the traffic speed when merging with the highway traffic

[Gfted1]

19 minutes ago, Azdeus said:

About 66 Litres, a full full tank is 75L or 17,4354 and 19.8129 gallons if you wish

Roughly $7.25 / gallon! There would be rioting in the streets if that was the price here.  Right now, the 89 octane costs $3.80 / gallon.