Summer travel plans

[lagatta]

I'm interpreting at a feminist seminar in Amsterdam. It will be hard work. But after... on to Italy!

Actually I'm less thrilled than I should be. Except for seeing my faraway sweetie, I'm not really into travelling right now, much as I like to travel. Must finalise ticket acquisition - not easy this time of year, any hints welcome - and figure out how to pack my bag (must be light and easily carriable up and down stairs, along corridors, etc) with clothing for Amdam where it is likely to be cool and damp, and then Italy where it will almost certainly be hot.  Difficult.

And you, what are you doing?

[Toedancer]

You'll get more psyched as the day draws closer. Unless of course you know something that your not conscious of knowing and by that time maybe you'll be in Italy. I wish you godspeed on your travels.

Cold/Hot - so pack in reverse - Hot rolled up for bottom of bag, cold rolled up for top. That's all I do when I want to make it carriable.  :wink:

[lagatta]

No, no foreboding about the interpreting or Amsterdam except that it is a lot of work and I'll be very tired. Must simply avoid contemplating that too much.  Just don't have a great desire to be away from here as I'd rather finalise my new place here.

There isn't a great difference in wardrobe - it can be warm in Amsterdam too - just have to make sure I have a jacket and some lightweight, easily packable microfleece and leggings/tights. I'm not taking any trousers, just skirts - travel knit and a very light Indian-cotton type skirt.  I hope I can get away without taking shoes; I think so. I'm wearing sandals here today and it isn't very warm.

Then there are my watercolour supplies, and no doubt people will give me books. My bag is a CBC reporter's bag (a friend who works there gave it to me; he had 2) and is designed to hold a lot of documents.

[shaolin]

Are you still looking at tickets lagatta?  If you're looking for cheap, Zoom Airlines usually fits the bill, but they can only take you to London or Paris (charter).  From there you've got loads of horrible, but cheap, continental airlines: Easyjet, Ryanair, etc, or the train/chunnel.

As for me, I'll be doing my bit for global warming by flying to Toronto on Wednesday.  I'm visiting friends and family for a bit, before heading up north for a french course.  Sturgeon Falls here I come!  I'm going to miss most of the Festival here in Edinburgh, but I reckon a week of the swarming tourists will be enough for me, anyway.

[skdadl]

Welcome home, shaolin!  :)

But go back in time for me? I have to start planning -- Edinburgh and points north in September, I think. I want to, and then again I really don't.

Boy. We are an ambivalent bunch, are we not?

[shaolin]

I'll be back!  I'm in Canadia for almost exactly two months - back to Edinburgh on August 22...then I'll start taking notes on appropriate eateries.

[skdadl]

You don't have to watch me eat it, shaolin, but at least once, I want a nice haggis supper.   :wink:

[suzette]

"Nice haggis supper"?  Quite the oxymoron.

[skdadl]

Yum yum yum. Very good with chutney.  :)

Actually, there is a pub on the Royal Mile that used to serve a dollop of haggis in a potato skin, covered with whisky mayonnaise.  

Bet that got all the gourmets salivating, yes?   :wink:

[Debra]

Haggis the culinary tradition that started as a dare.

[suzette]

I confess I have stuck away a bit of haggis before today and was happy enough to eat it.  Until I found an old cookbook in a thrift store and read a recipe for it.  It was the bit about draining the lungs that had me scrabbling to open a window.

[skdadl]

Gee, Suzette. Thanks for that.   :wink:

The lungs are the "lights." "Liver, lights, and heart" -- so goes the expression.

And lots of good oats, of course, and tons of pepper, and ground lamb. What's not to like?   :D

[suzette]

"Lights", eh?  Now's there's a wee spot o' canny marketing for ye.

[shaolin]

I know an excellent vegetarian baked potato shop, just off the Royal Mile, who do a wicked veggie haggis filling.  I have no idea how much like the real thing it is, but it tastes very good.  They'll give you some vegan mayonaise if you ask nice, too.   :wink:

[suzette]

Sorry about that thread drift, lagatta.  Bad habit.

I was about to recommend the rather good http://www.lastminute.com, but I see they don't have a Canadian page.  Might be worth keeping in mind for travel around Europe and so on.  I was booking accomodation through them when I was in Britain, and getting it considerably cheaper than I would have otherwise, and they do flights, tickets for shows and all sorts of things.  

But on the clothing front, maybe a couple of cosy underthings will see you through if Amsterdam is a bit cool, without adding too much bulk and weight to your luggage.