Hello again

[Libby]

Hello folks!

I haven't been around in over a year, but I see a few familiar names around the place!

I've been on two trips since my last visit. One to Alberta (I'm in Nova Scotia) and another return visit to England. That trip wasn't as great as it could have been, but it was rewarding all the same.

My sights are set on Scotland again. Maybe Ireland!

How's everyone around here?

[madamtrashheap]

Welcome back Libby!

I did the same thing - didn't visit for a while - but mine was because of work, sadly not all travel-related!

How long and whereabouts were you in England?

[WillTravel]

Was that the trip to England with your friend? I am working on two trips right now, thanks to amazing airfare and frequent flyer mile deals. We had a great time in Edinburgh last summer.

[Libby]

Thanks Madamtrashheap! I understand about work. Since I was here last I've left one job, started another and moved! I'm no longer on Cape Breton Island. But I'm slowly getting used to the mainland.

Hey there WillTravel. Glad to hear you had a great time in Edinburgh. Isn't it an amazing city? I love it. One of the reasons I want to go back is to see the Royal Mile again. That and to have a spud from "The Banked Potato".

Ahh...my trip to England.

I had some worries about it before I left and one should always listen to their gut. My friend and I (and we are still friends) had an OK time, but we are very different travellers. She hasn't done it much so insisted on spending on a hotel and wanting to eat at some fancy places. Halfway through the week I just had to start saying NO. She also wanted to shop. We spend a whole day just on Oxford Street alone. We took the train to York and she didn't want to walk the walls, or to poke around the Shambles. She wanted to shop! Same when we were in Bath. She was also nervous of being on her own so when I suggested we split up and meet up later on, she would get all scared. It just made for an uncomfortable trip. That's probably the best way to put it.

AS well, and this is probably rather petty, she would have to get up at 6:30 to start getting ready for the day and we still wouldn't be out of the hotel unil 9:30 or later. *sigh* Hair, make-up, puttering around....

[WillTravel]

I'm glad you were able to stay friends despite all that - a tribute to your patience for sure.

[Libby]

My patients was wearing thing near the end. It was good to get back home. Funny enough, but she wants me to sign on for a bus tour if Italy next year with her and her sisters. She won't be able to dawdle and shop on one of those babies. They will leave without her.

[WillTravel]

If she gets the "right" sort of tour (I'd consider it wrong for me), then the tour will involve lots of shopping stops, but at tour-approved places where they get kickbacks. And then all free time could be spent shopping too.

[Eagle]

Libby, WELOME BACK! I was wondering why we hadn't heard from you? Good to hear that you've been doing some travelling.

I chuckled a bit when I read of your experiences in travelling with your friend. It was a poignant reminder of why I prefer to travel "solo"! Given her travel style and lengthy "morning routine", she might want to reconsider the bus tour of Italy. As you and others have mentioned, those tours wait for no one! One of my colleagues at work and his Wife just returned from a European Bus tour with one of the larger tour operators. Their bags had to be packed and outside their hotel room doors at 07:00 and it sounds like the tour was very "hurried" and quite tiring (my usual description of the tour guide herding the group around with a cattle prod seems appropriate). Apparently, this particular tour firm has two versions of their tours, and in retrospect they might have been more comfortable with the more "relaxed" Itinerary.

In discussing Bus tours, I should mention however that although I don't usually like organized tours, I am considering trying an Ireland tour next Spring. If I DO decide to go ahead with it, I will only go with one of the smaller and more personalized group tours offered by a certain well known American travel writer (initials "RS"); I will NOT consider the large "mainstream" Bus tour companies (a sentiment which will probably be disappointing to my Travel Agent!). I usually have a strong aversion to organized tours, and prefer to go and see what interests me the most when I'm travelling, keep my own schedule and make my own lodging choices. However, it occurred to me that I wouldn't mind trying at least one tour, just so I have some personal experience to know the pros & cons of tours vs. solo travel.

BTW, I finally DID get to embark on my much anticipated European trip this year (check the "Living Room" section for further details). It was wonderful!!! I'm already scheming and planning on when and where to go next time.

Anyway, good to hear from you again. Hopefully you'll have time to stop by here on a regular basis.

Cheers!!!

[jennifer]

Hey|!
Welcome back!
I hear you girl on all those friendship-travelling issues!
I travelled for 3 weeks with a friend in August and I was scared to death that it would ruin our friendship as I normally love being solo. Glad enough, we had discussed many issues really honestly and we were great compromisers. That helps! I guess we got lucky and we had such a blast. Sadly it doesn't always happen like that!

Jen

[WillTravel]

Eagle, I think the RS tours sound very enjoyable, from everything I've read. With Ireland, I think you are pretty well stuck with either renting a car or taking a tour in order to see everything (well, not everything, but the sites of tourist interest ).

[Libby]

Hey Eagle! I was very happy to read you were on tour, so to speak. ;D I thought of you when I was in York actually. I drove past a tank and an airplane on the side of the road. Hadn't you gone out of your way to see that museum?

I can't see my friend surving a tour like that. If she had to be packed and ready to go by 8am she would need to be up at 5am. That would be rough considering she didn't go to bed until 2am.

I just wish we had a better time. At one point we ended up into a bit of a shouting match in the tube. Nothing big, not enough to draw attention, but it was tense. That was over her taking too long to get ready for the theatre. She said, "It's all right if we're late, they will still let us in". I HATE being late. She knows that. She knows that it bugs me to no end. And I'm even worse when it comes to the theatre because I used to be a House Manager at one and the late arrivals drove me mad.

If she goes to Italy on the tour maybe it will be one like WillTravel said, a shopping tour. I won't be on it.

Eagle, I took that week long tour of Scotland and had a plast. I went with a small group (8 people + guide) and we stayed at hostels, cooked our own meals, etc. Very easy on the budget. We also got off the bus a fair bit.

[Libby]

Oh, I should add this gem so you can all have a chuckle.

Day one my friend told me, quite proudly, that she walked very fast and that I'd just have to keep up. By day 3 she was complaining about sore feet and that I was walking too fast. On Day 5 we actually had the "Why don't we take the tube instead of walking" argument. We were in Traffalger Square, we wanted to go to the discount ticket booth in Leichester Square. She was pointing at the tube map saying, "Look how far away it is. We need to take the tube".

She had to buy me a carmel hot chocolate that night from Starbucks when I won the bet.

[madamtrashheap]

I'm still giggling at your story Libby! You're right that your friend won't like the pace of an organised bus tour as they will leave her behind if she's late! Bless the 6.30am "make-up" call! ;D

In certain situations, there's nothing wrong with organised tours, if you are aware of what they are about and don't mind not having the flexiblility of mountains of free time. That said, you can always leave for a day and catch up in some cases. They are also good when you want to visit some out of the way places and don't want the hassle and expense of hiring a car because trains don't go there. This is particularly the case in Ireland and Scotland. Eagle, it will be interesting to see what you think of the tour if you take it. Although Mr S. states the tours are not like the others, any group travel involves a certain amount of scheduling and consideration for the group as a whole. Having said that, as you're a fan of his guidebooks, I'm sure you'll enjoy the tour. And Ireland is a good place to be driven around - that way you can watch the scenery without being distracted by the pesky concentration on the road! I've taken only two guided tours in my travel life - in Egypt (had to as it was 1998 - the first time I went there - and the incident at Queen Hatsepshut temple had just happened in 1997 so all tourists were urged to take tours.) and in southern China in the mid 1990s. They suited my purpose and needs at the time, so I don't dismiss organised tours in some places, just depends on the type of traveller you are and where you're going.

[Jules80]

hey libby

good to see you are back. i fully understand the friend taking too long in the morning scenario! the girl i went to europe with was like that too (although not quite 3 hours)....

jules