Frank
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Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
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| Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:20 am Post subject: What countries have you set foot in? |
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I was having a conversation with a friend last night and the subject of how many countries I have visited came up. I realised that I never actually made a list and I was suprised at the number (it is still a small number, 6 to be exact but in the back of my mind it always seemed like 3 countries)
Here's my (tiny) list:
- Ireland - where I come from 
- US - 4 week vacation in Boston in 1994
- UK - never had a holiday there but I have stopped off in every one of London's airports 
- Malta - Lived and worked there for a year and a half
- Sweden - Where I am currently, 6 months now
- Denmark - Copenhagen is just a train ride over the Oresund bridge that links Sweden to Denmark. Beautiful city indeed.
I'm sure someone can beat this list 
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dooley
Official Garden Turtle
Joined: 03 Jul 2005
Location: Arizona, U.S.A (Map)
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| Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:21 am Post subject: |
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Alas, I can only list the US. I've come close to Canada and Mexico but never actually crossed the borders. I did ride a train through a bit of Canada but didn't get off at any point. I have crisscrossed our country many times, having parents in the Southwest and in-laws in the Northeast. We lived in the center for many years. We vacationed in the southwest one year and the northeast the next year. Our children have all been to other countries. Our oldest son is off to Australia tomorrow. He is a vidiculturist (wine & grapes). He'll be going on business. Dooley
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
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| Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:03 am Post subject: |
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To date: England, Wales, Southern Ireland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, Holland and more Holland (Love the place )
I'd really to see New Zealand some day as both my sons have been. Who knows - maybe next year - if Holland doesn't pull me back yet again!!!
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Frank
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| Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:15 am Post subject: |
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I saw a programme about Holland yesterday Eileen on the Discovery channel. It was about how Holland started to build windmills initially to drain the low lands and then to power all sorts of things like saw mills. Made them a very rich country in the 1600-1700s. And by the way you can't count Holland 3 tiimes, that's cheating 
Dooley, Europe is a great place, it changes dramatically with every country you travel to within it. I highly recommend it 
// BTW which part of Southern Ireland did you travel to eileen?
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eileen
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| Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:12 am Post subject: |
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Aaaaawww well you can't say I didn't try!!! Actually it's FOUR times for Holland but I didn't want to make you all too jealous. We're thinking of going over again at the end of August for a long week-end as our friends over there are missing us and I want to see how their lottie is doing. Ian wants to pick up more cheap ale too so it won't take much to persuade him
Off to that foreign place called England (  ) again at the beginning of August to visit with more friends in Whitehaven. I just hope it's not too hot as we hope to visit Levens Hall for a day out.
See here:
www.levenshall.co.uk
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Frank
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| Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:28 am Post subject: |
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Levens Hall looks very impressive, the topiary skill looks amazing. Needless to say I will be looking forward to photos of that in the near future
So off to Holland again, cheap ale is a motivating factor alright. Maybe I should print up some GardenStew t-shirts so you can parade around the streets and let people know what they are missing
I shall go to Aussie sometime in the next two years I hope as my sister has just immigrated there. Also I have a friend in Thailand so that could be another destination. But for sure I definitely want to come back to Sweden again next year for the Swedish Midsommar festival. I really enjoyed that.
Anybody ever been to Germany during one of the beer festivals??
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PeggySuetheStew
On The Way Up
Joined: 29 May 2005
Location: Northern Virginia/ DC metro
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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I don't know if I even want to know! Although, there are many places and countries that I have not seen...
1. US (of course, I live here), including Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Costa Rica
5. Guatemala
6. Chile
7. Argentina
8. UK
9. Scotland
10. Spain
11. France
12. Holland
13. Germany
14. Denmark
15. Switzerland
16. Italy
17. Virgin Islands, (St. Thomas, just for a few hours)
18. Jamaica
19. Belgium
20. Venezuela
21. Hong Kong (before it was returned to China)
22. Bahama Islands
I'm probably forgetting something ...  Maybe it was one of those with a beer festival! Been to many different German 'fests' but my favorite is the Christmas Market festivals with the Glu Wine! A chill in the air, warm spiced nuts, beautiful decorations everywhere, a potato pancake with sour cream and applesauce, and of course your hands wrapped around a mug of warm gluwine ... mit rum my favorite! I try to replicate it here, but you need the ambiance to do it justice. 
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PeggySuetheStew
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Joined: 29 May 2005
Location: Northern Virginia/ DC metro
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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 Did I effectively shut down this topic? Sorry, don't let me show off! Most of that travel I did with work, and so it shouldn't count. So many more Europeans are more well traveled in the US than Americans are in their own country it's amazing! I know most of my relatives and cousins have barely made it out of Ohio, and if so only to a neighboring state.
One of my favorite memories in the states is of a layover in South Dakota near Mount Rushmore where the heads of some great presidents are carved into a mountainside ... the Captain offered to rent a car and drive us there if we would go to the grocery store and stock up the trunk with food and beverages. Off we went, and found a lot of rain when we got there. We took turns taking what we refer to as Chinese fire drills to the trunk for sandwiches and beer while sitting in an empty parking lot and enjoying a beautiful view of Mt Rushmore. I want to take my kids there someday, but I think a more traditional visit would not be as much fun!
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eileen
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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Have you any photographs from your travels PeggySue or were you permenantly in one of your foggy hazes?
I'd love to see the Galapagos islands, Madagascar, New Zealanf, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Northern Canada, Switzerland ............. well most of the world actually!!!
Maybe when Ian retires at the age of 58 ( only 5 years to go) we'll sell up, buy a camper van and spend the kids' inheritance!!
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PeggySuetheStew
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Joined: 29 May 2005
Location: Northern Virginia/ DC metro
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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I do have some photos, some in focus, some not ... I am trying to get some posted to share but am lagging behind. I am looking for the one from Debenham's, I think if I can figure out the new scanner thingie I can get it for you! You can just imagine how annoyed the staff was!
I don't take enough photos though, and need to get to it! For the past several years I was flying a trip to Mexico City with a short night then back home. I liked it as it minimized the impact on being gone from home, but there wasn't much sightseeing to be done either. Now I am out of the habit! Plus, unfortunately, the older I get, the more I do less, of everything, including drinking. I used to describe each layover as a delicate ballet between coffee and beer or wine ... now darned if I have found that I do better with less of both!  Plus, London being so expensive I have taken to bringing lots of ramen noodles and granola bars with me ... I know, very boring!
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Seattle Gardens
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Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="PeggySuetheStewOne
We took turns taking what we refer to as Chinese fire drills to the trunk for sandwiches and beer while sitting in an empty parking lot and enjoying a beautiful view of Mt Rushmore.
A chinese fire drill where I come from is where everyone gets out of the car at a stop light with the front seat people going around behind the car and the back seat people going the other way, everyone back to their same places before the light turns green. We did that often as teens.
I have driven to mt rushmore on the way to Detroit my first trip it is nice. I have been all over the USA from Alaska to Florida and from California to Maine and to Mexico and Canada never any other countries. I don't enjoy flying so drive most places but I did fly to Mexico, Boston and Reno.
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PeggySuetheStew
On The Way Up
Joined: 29 May 2005
Location: Northern Virginia/ DC metro
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| Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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That's pretty much the same 'fire drill' I meant. We would all file out of the car, past the trunk, grab something to eat or drink (it wasn't pouring, but drizzling quite determinedly) and then back into the car. It is such a funny memory!
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PeggySuetheStew
On The Way Up
Joined: 29 May 2005
Location: Northern Virginia/ DC metro
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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Hey you all, don't let me have shut down the topic! I think Americans in general don't do nearly the traveling that Europeans do. So many Europeans that I have met have been to the states several times and many, many people here only travel over a state or two in their lifetime. Why do you think this is? I know that the US has lots of variety within our borders so that the language (mostly) isn't an issue, nor is exchanging currency, but I swear I have relatives in Ohio that have never left the state!
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Frank
Happy Gardening
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Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 9409
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| Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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Peggy,
I don't know why many Americans don't travel outside of the states but it really is a pity. America is absolutely massive and there is such a variety between states but in my own opinion there are cultures in Europe that are very very different to the States.
I believe that just taking one trip outside of the comfort zone of your own country changes your mind drastically and opens your mind. It did for me and I will make sure that when I have kids that I will take them everywhere!
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Capt Kirk
Thank a Veteran today!
Joined: 10 Sep 2005
Location: Ohio, USA
Posts: 1673
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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I may have a big advantage here!
1. US where I am at.
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. Virgin Islands
5. Puerto Rico
6. Haiti
7. England
8. Germany
9. France
10. Spain
11. Portugal
12. Italy
13. Greece
14. Turkey
15. Lebenon
16. Israel
17. Egypt
18. Tunisia
19. Oman
20. Singapor
21. South Viet Nam
22. Hong Kong
23. Phillipenes (many times)
And I think that's it!
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