The adventure begins !

[The emperor has no clothes]

Should be fun !


If my posts appear in French the next few days, send Liam Neeson in after me.

[baldo]

That's quite a shirt he's wearing. Is there a story behind it?

[Serk]

Groovy... Where all are ya'll going exactly?

[hubcapsc]

You both pooped?

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

That's quite a shirt he's wearing. Is there a story behind it?

Some may not find the humor in it. My grandson has been lucky to have traveled a fair amount. I’ve been on quite a few trips with him. One trip I missed was in the winter in Alaska. His Mom and him stopped for burger about 20 miles from the house they were staying at. Evidently about 1/2 way home he had “the urge”. As he told me the story, the walk from the truck to the throne of happiness was too much. As he called it, “he had a 50/50”. Since that time 4 or 5 years ago, I’ve asked him if he’d had any 50/50’s lately” ? He and his parents were on a trip to Durango last year and he found that shirt. I saw a “me too” shirt on Amazon and figured it was a match.  

[The emperor has no clothes]

You both pooped?

-Mike

Oh yeah 

Groovy... Where all are ya'll going exactly?

Land at Heathrow tomorrow their time, 2 days there, rent a car, 2 days in Paris. Then we are winging it the next 4 days. For some reason he has always wanted to see London. For years my wife tried to get me to go to NYC. I hope London & Paris fall in the same category. 

[Wizzard]

Awesome,, you will have a great time.  
He is lucky to have you as his grandfather

[Serk]

Land at Heathrow tomorrow their time, 2 days there, rent a car, 2 days in Paris. Then we are winging it the next 4 days. For some reason he has always wanted to see London. For years my wife tried to get me to go to NYC. I hope London & Paris fall in the same category. 

Enjoy and have fun! Haven't been to London since 1990, heard it's changed a lot recently, be safe!

If you have the time and the means may I suggest the D-Day site in Normandy? I wish I'd had the time and means to do that myself.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Land at Heathrow tomorrow their time, 2 days there, rent a car, 2 days in Paris. Then we are winging it the next 4 days. For some reason he has always wanted to see London. For years my wife tried to get me to go to NYC. I hope London & Paris fall in the same category. 

Enjoy and have fun! Haven't been to London since 1990, heard it's changed a lot recently, be safe!

If you have the time and the means may I suggest the D-Day site in Normandy? I wish I'd had the time and means to do that myself.

I hadn’t thought of it. Thanks 

[Jess from VA]

I don't know if it is still common, but some hotels want to make you leave your passport with them.

I would never do it.  Run my credit card..... fine.

I never leave it in a room either.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I don't know if it is still common, but some hotels want to make you leave your passport with them.

I would never do it.  Run my credit card..... fine.

I never leave it in a room either.

Really ? Yeah, that ain’t happening.

[Serk]

I don't know if it is still common, but some hotels want to make you leave your passport with them.

I would never do it.  Run my credit card..... fine.

I never leave it in a room either.

My last trip abroad, around a decade ago, didn't see that. Only time I've run in to that was when I was traveling in the Soviet Union back when the Soviet Union still was a thing...

[Skinhead]

Hey Meat,

I hope you and the  Grand son have a fun, educational, and safe trip.  I'm gonna have to learn butchery so I can afford to be a world traveler.

[3fan4life]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

[Rams]

Hey Meat,

I'm gonna have to learn butchery so I can afford to be a world traveler.

Was thinking the same thing.

Rams

[J.Mencalice]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

The Lizard King is not dead.  He faked it and is walking in the crowd and observing the circus as the three rings play on.  The coffin was sealed before any of his friends or family could identify him.  There was no autopsy, nor investigation.

He's doin' fine and happy out of the limelight.  I think he's in Rio.

Sir, if you happen to run into Jim, say hi from me.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-rock-roll-twilight-zone/mr-mojo-risin-did-jim-morrison-fake-his-own-death

[Bighead]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

The Lizard King is not dead.  He faked it and is walking in the crowd and observing the circus as the three rings play on.  The coffin was sealed before any of his friends or family could identify him.  There was no autopsy, nor investigation.

He's doin' fine and happy out of the limelight.  I think he's in Rio.

Sir, if you happen to run into Jim, say hi from me.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-rock-roll-twilight-zone/mr-mojo-risin-did-jim-morrison-fake-his-own-death

I heard him and Elvis were roommates and members of a senior citizen nudist colony in Florida.

[Oldfishguy]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

Were you in Katterbach West Germany? 1982-83 

[J.Mencalice]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

The Lizard King is not dead.  He faked it and is walking in the crowd and observing the circus as the three rings play on.  The coffin was sealed before any of his friends or family could identify him.  There was no autopsy, nor investigation.

He's doin' fine and happy out of the limelight.  I think he's in Rio.

Sir, if you happen to run into Jim, say hi from me.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-rock-roll-twilight-zone/mr-mojo-risin-did-jim-morrison-fake-his-own-death

I heard him and Elvis were roommates and members of a senior citizen nudist colony in Florida.

Naaa.  Jim wouldn't be caught dead  in Florida after the fascists arrested him during his epic concert; just for letting it all hang out.

[Gavin_Sons]

Didn't know meathead had been sexually assaulted.

[Gavin_Sons]

[sheets]

Was in London in summer of `14 and Paris in `18. Two of the most densely populated (with people and vehicles) places on earth.

In London you can communicate for the most part. You will add some words to your English vocabulary before you return home. The airport is about an hour drive from the city. Have you driven on the wrong side of the road before? I trust you know how to navigate the city, or have a guide of sorts. Daughter and family live in London, across the river, near Clapham Commons. We stayed in an old hotel there on the commons. We would have been completely lost navigating the city on our own. Daughter and family were our guide. Much to see in London. Can suggest the Churchill War Room museum if you are looking for ways to fill your limited time there. A huge ferris wheel called the London Eye if you want a birds eye view of the city.  

Daughter has a holiday home in the Normandy region of France. We were there in August. The airport is on the outskirts of the city. A crazy huge busy place. Hope you have brushed up on your par-le-vou stuff. The inability to communicate or read signs makes for a very frustrating experience.  Again, daughter and family visit Paris routinely and are semi-fluent in broken French conversational language. Unless you have a guide of sorts you will be communicating in sign language, pointing to or drawing pictures to get your point across. Rode the train from the airport to downtown Paris. About an hour in travel time.  

Visited the Notre Dam Cathedral and an underground museum immediately adjacent. An ancient site that was discovered back in the 1960s (+/-) when excavating for a parking lot. Has become a historical archaeological dig site. Roamed the city on foot, and city bus for a few blocks to take a break. Ended up on top the hill overlooking the city at another historic place (escapes me at the moment). Paris is a huge busy place. I trust you know what you are getting yourself in to.

I believe the idea about leaving your passport in the hotel is for security. Both London and Paris are plagued with pick-pocket thieves. The hotel we stayed in at the airport has a safe built into the wall. You create your own combination code. (write it down... or you will never crack the code).
When roaming the streets of London and Paris keep your wallet and passport in a very secure pocket. Lady folk keep a good solid connection to their purse. A solid zipper with the flap against their body for security.

The incidents for pick-pocket thievery is very real. You lose your passport and other identification you will not be getting on the airplane for the return trip home anytime soon.

FYI. Enjoy.  

[..]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

I wouldn't visit central London or any part of Paris anymore even if you paid for the visit.

Both have radically changed.

I hope Meat has the good sense to keep very aware for all the street hustlers which have become very prevalent in both cities.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Was in London in summer of `14 and Paris in `18. Two of the most densely populated (with people and vehicles) places on earth.

In London you can communicate for the most part. You will add some words to your English vocabulary before you return home. The airport is about an hour drive from the city. Have you driven on the wrong side of the road before? I trust you know how to navigate the city, or have a guide of sorts. Daughter and family live in London, across the river, near Clapham Commons. We stayed in an old hotel there on the commons. We would have been completely lost navigating the city on our own. Daughter and family were our guide. Much to see in London. Can suggest the Churchill War Room museum if you are looking for ways to fill your limited time there. A huge ferris wheel called the London Eye if you want a birds eye view of the city.  

Daughter has a holiday home in the Normandy region of France. We were there in August. The airport is on the outskirts of the city. A crazy huge busy place. Hope you have brushed up on your par-le-vou stuff. The inability to communicate or read signs makes for a very frustrating experience.  Again, daughter and family visit Paris routinely and are semi-fluent in broken French conversational language. Unless you have a guide of sorts you will be communicating in sign language, pointing to or drawing pictures to get your point across. Rode the train from the airport to downtown Paris. About an hour in travel time.  

Visited the Notre Dam Cathedral and an underground museum immediately adjacent. An ancient site that was discovered back in the 1960s (+/-) when excavating for a parking lot. Has become a historical archaeological dig site. Roamed the city on foot, and city bus for a few blocks to take a break. Ended up on top the hill overlooking the city at another historic place (escapes me at the moment). Paris is a huge busy place. I trust you know what you are getting yourself in to.

I believe the idea about leaving your passport in the hotel is for security. Both London and Paris are plagued with pick-pocket thieves. The hotel we stayed in at the airport has a safe built into the wall. You create your own combination code. (write it down... or you will never crack the code).
When roaming the streets of London and Paris keep your wallet and passport in a very secure pocket. Lady folk keep a good solid connection to their purse. A solid zipper with the flap against their body for security.

The incidents for pick-pocket thievery is very real. You lose your passport and other identification you will not be getting on the airplane for the return trip home anytime soon.

FYI. Enjoy.  

Thanks, good info  We rose BMW’s in Ireland a few years back. I imagine the car will be a little harder, but I think I’ve got it. (I have to, if anything happens to my grandson my daughter will likely kill me)

[The emperor has no clothes]

Awesome,, you will have a great time.  
He is lucky to have you as his grandfather

Thanks, Randy  we are the lucky ones, he’s a great kid !

[The emperor has no clothes]

We are evidently flying a 747. I haven’t been on one since the 70’s. Didn’t realize they were still flying them.

[baldo]

We are evidently flying a 747. I haven’t been on one since the 70’s. Didn’t realize they were still flying them.

BA brings one into BOS every day. Lufthansa may still be flying them also. They're definitely becoming scarce. Kind of sad, one of my favorites.



They still fly approx 36 of them.


And they've retired some.


Butcher class.


Everyone else class, AKA coach scum.

[MarkT]

Meat, interested to see your "ride report" if you put one up for us.  I haven't been back to Europe since '65.  Wifey wants to see it but I'm thinkin not interested for lots of reasons - among them, can't carry, lotsa $$$ wasted, crime and American hate, and so many things to see how do you decide.  I used to fly a lot but haven't since 9/11; won't be subjected to the disrespect of the TSA plus I can't carry.  And I'd rather "See the USA, in a Chevrolet..." or in my case a Valkyrie.  I never got to ride on a 747 - just never flew a route that needed such a big plane.  I hear the Airbus 380 is a fabulous ride but coach maybe not so much.  They are discontinuing it - just not economically feasable anymore except maybe for Emirates Air and a couple others.  They can fly 2 787's for the same $$ as the 380.  The plane is over half a billion bucks I understand.  Love the #MeToo shirt.  Hell, I'd love to be "molested".  I get to pick the molester though. Any porn stars available?  

[Serk]

When I missed a connecting flight at Paris CDG and found myself unexpectedly with a few days to burn on the company's dime in Paris, I went into it expecting to hate it.

I hate big cities. I hated the French. I hated Europeans. I hated everything about the very idea of being there.

But, I put on my friendly Texan face, brushed up on the few French phrases I knew and headed into the city.

I started every conversation with a polite "Parlez-vous anglais s'il vous plaît?" and all but once I was paid back with a smile, and they'd either speak English, stammer enough English to complete our interaction or find someone did that Parlez-vous anglais. (I had one &$*#@ Air France employee that replied by hissing through her teeth "Yes, of COURSE I speak English".)

The people in Paris were extremely friendly and helpful, I had more issues finding an English speaker in New York City than I did in Paris, the parts of the city I traveled through were gorgeous (Mostly the downtown tourist area, this wasn't a planned trip it was just "Oh, I've got 2 days in Paris? Cool!)

I found as long as I approached humbly with a big Texan smile and opened with a stammering attempt in their language, the people reciprocated in kind.

After that brief exposure, Paris, and more of France in general, has been added to my greater bucket list of places I would love to return to and explore with more depth...

(And they have some funky looking little motorbikes too!)

[scooperhsd]

Upstairs in 747 was Business class - the wife and me went to Hawaii up there from Dulles in '94. ROOMY ! Most of the perks of 1st class without spending the extra bucks (just a small amount over coach). This was on TWA in an older 747. We were going out there for the commisioning of the USS Lake Erie  - one of the plankowners we met in DC as part of NavDist Washington (Navy Yard).

[Jess from VA]

When I had to fly to Sicily to defend a court martial (C-130), the local base legal office over there (who is supposed to help traveling counsel out) left me in the airport at Sigonella Naval Air Station.  They had no billeting, so me and a jr navy pilot shared a cab downtown in search of a room.  The only place we could find was like $120 a night, and neither of us felt the travel pay people would cover that (in which case it comes out of your pocket), so we shared a room (and he snored all night).  

The base people came and got me in the morning.  When we got to Comiso AS, I was informed there was no billeting, so they got me a hotel room about two towns over (and I'm definitely thinking they are out to screw me).  Then, they didn't have any old beat up cars (like I usually got), so they give me a 5 ton European style flatbed truck, with a bizarre manual shift pattern (yep, they're screwing me).  The roads over there were like Biblical times, complete with guys riding donkeys and one-axle carts pulled by an ox, and you really had to be careful not to run anyone over in this great big truck.

Then I was told the locals over there hate our guts (because Comiso AB is a GLCM (nuke) base, that no doubt has Russian counter target nukes at them), and it's OK to be out in daytime, but do not go out at night or you might just disappear.  And I don't blame them.

So after the first day of work, I jump in my truck to find my hotel, and I am lost-er than Columbus in no time.  I speak no Italian, and they have no English, and people keep pointing me to a mountain range on the horizon.  It gets dark, and I finally pull into this little town, and the truck is too wide for like half the streets in it, so I get to learn to back it down city streets.  People are shaking their fists at me, and finally the Carabinieri (military police, with machine guns) shows up to yell at me too.  I get out and show him the name of the hotel, and he points in a general direction (and kicks the tire on my truck), and leaves.  I finally find my hotel, and it looks like a holdover from a WWII stone fortress Sicilian mafia hideout, complete with old guns hanging on the walls.  My room looks like the place where the Count of Monte Christo was imprisoned, with one bare 30 watt light bulb hanging from a frayed wire in the middle of the room.  The shower is ice cold, no matter which knob you turn, and the light bulb burns out.  At least there were no scorpions, which i was told to look out for.  The food was good, but everyone in the dining room looked at me with deep suspicion.  This was worse than being treated like a Yankee at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery.

Back at the base the next day, everyone is wondering why I can't stay awake.  The trial goes much better than expected for my accused, so there's that.

It's not just a job, it's a freeking adventure (which is the Army, not the Air Force, but it's kind of universal).

Back in Turkey, I get a nasty letter from the Sicilian hotel I shared with the Navy guy; it seems the credit card I used for my half of the bill was no good.  Since I couldn't use it in Turkey, the US bank had cancelled it on me (for non use), and never told me.  Support the troops.... Yaayyy!

Flying up front in the C 130 with the big cockpit and many windows is cool (and noisy as hell):  They didn't make me wear a set belt.





You never want to tell women driver jokes here. (you could get pistol whipped)


Jeff (ChrisJ) probably jumped out of them all the time. I just waited for them to land.  Jumping out of planes on the tarmac is safe (you don't even need a parachute).

  



  

[scooperhsd]

I would assume she knows what she is doing or she wouldn't have been in that flight suit in the pilot's seat....

[Jess from VA]

Of course, I trust female pilots way more than drivers.

[baldo]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-citizens-need-visas-to-visit-europe-in-2021/index.html

[3fan4life]

Back in the early 80's when I was stationed in Germany I made a trip to London and a half dozen trips to Paris.

I'm sure that they have both changed greatly since then.

Enjoy the trip but be careful, I understand that they aren't as safe as they used to be.

Paris was a blast back then, my best trip was when I hooked up with two British girls who showed me parts of Paris that weren't on the standard tour.

Jim Morrison's grave was part of that tour.

Were you in Katterbach West Germany? 1982-83 

Baumholder 83-85.

[RainMaker]

Travel safe!  Have fun!

[The emperor has no clothes]

Travel safe!  Have fun!

Thanks, Mark  We are in Paris tonight. Interesting drive from London. The first leg of the trip in London left a lot to be desired. Hopefully the rest will be awesome.