Saturday, July 02, 2005

The Weekend Question: Vacations

As I've just returrned from Portugal, I thought the Weekend Question should have something to do with vacations, so here it is; it's a two-answer one.

What was your best and worst vacation experience?

As ever, here are mine:

The best: In Egypt (1992), I went to see the Pyramids of Giza with the Sphinx. Though I knew the pyramids were huge, I didn't know just how big. All the pictures do not do it justice, and the giant pyramid had me gaping in wonder.

The worst: Though I nearly put the dysentery outbreak on the 1992 trip (above), I'll mention the awful food on the boat in Russia. We went there on a river cruise on the Volga between Moscow & St Petersburg. It was an old Soviet boat that had hardly changed. The crew looked like they were still in the KGB. The food was 'typically Russian', with dishes like porriage

that had to be sliced with a knife and fork. Most of the food was uneatable, and I came back ill, with a nasty cough.

Now it's over to you....

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello, Michele sent me.

It was raining the first time I visited Carcassone, in December 2002, and it's raining as I write this in north-central Texas...but this is home, and that day was a part of a great vacation adventure, in which my parents, husband and I rented a house in France over Christmas. It was the wrong time of year to be in that region, of course, but we didn't care. We had fun with twisty streets, colorful open-air markets, and sipping chocolate behind the protective glass of a cafe in Carcassone on Christmas Eve.

The worst trip? Sixth Grade Science Camp, when I was eleven - but I'll spare you the details for the sake of not offering TMI.

Interesting theme for a blog...love the blend of fiction and reality.

Jamie said...

Best, with cousin's and friends, going to visit my cousin in the Carolina's. We had a great time, and it was the first time I had a vacation so far away from my parents, so it felt good.

Worst, one of many to Texas(nothing against texas) but I got diarrhea, met a guy with a foot fetish I couldn't get away from, and was plain bored to tears...

dddragon said...

Captain, when you said that the size of the pyramids surprised you, it made me remember my reaction to The Mona Lisa in the Louvre. I had gone with my 11th grade French class. That painting is SO small! That was a good trip, and another funny memory was how we blew the hotel's electricity by using our hair dryers all at once getting ready for the New Year's Eve party.

I'll have to ponder Best and Worst ... I think that my parents would say that the worst was the year we drove from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania (three kids). The car broke down and we lost days. Mom and Dad drove back straight without stopping in three days. I remember being carried into the house at dawn, and my parents had to get in to work a few hours later. Mom said it took weeks to recover from that drive.

(Missmeliss: TMI? As in Three Mile Island?)

Cool Dad said...

Worst--a bout with Montezuma on a trip to Roatan, Honduras.

Best--same trip, different day. Standing atop the pyramids at Copan, Honduras gloriously free from Montezuma's clutches.

BTW--Michele sent me.

Beanhead said...

My best experience was my honeymoon in Jamaica, what a beautiful place and the best part was it was free!!

Worst vacation was going to NC with friends that do not really get along as a couple and they made all 5 couple want to go home.

Beanhead said...

oops forgot here via Michele!

Le laquet said...

The Best - A working holiday to Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa last November. Incredible - people, scenery, everything! Wow .... when can I go back?

The Worst - A two week camping trip to Narbonne, Southern France about 4 years ago when it rained constantly. It blew in off the sea the air was cold and damp. None of our clothes/the tent would dry. We left 3 days early and 40 miles up the road the sun came out!

R.A. Slater said...

Best: going to an Eagles Wings Conference in NJ . . . aside from great services, I got to see plenty of airplains and a train [yeah, I'm still a sheltered country girl...]

Worst: visiting my cousins growing up, we were pushing a go-cart and I grabbed a wrong part and managed to slice about four of my fingers. Boy was my uncle pissed at his sons! i was miserable for days.

Pirate Princess said...

Best - a weekend at the Cliffs in Park City Utah - it was fall and the leaves were gorgous. Just cool enough for the hot tub on top of the building.... Worst - vacationing in Louisiana. Hot and muggy - miserable! What ever possessed us??

Trinity13 said...

Best-My honeymoon. My husband and I drove from Columbus, Ohio to spend a night in Hershey, Pa(it smells so good there!!!) and then we drove to Niagra Falls(Canada side). We had a great hotel room where we swam around in the large hot tub. And then there was the falls...beautiful!!!

Worst-the last trip I took with my parents(and two siblings) before I got married. We went to Orlando, but all I saw was couples and I was missing my honey. I was depressed the entire time. (so it wasnt' the trip that was the worst, just my mood.)

Unknown said...

my best trip was honeymooning at Niagra Falls. A week alone with hubby in a king size bed with a balcony off the room... that was the best trip of all! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi, Michele sent me!
Best vacation:
The trip I took w/ an old boyfriend and a couple of our friends to Puerto Vallarta. We had so much fun.

Worst Vacation:
Camping with my dad and his girlfriend, whom I hated. Yuck... :-P

Fei said...

Another one from Michele's - thanks for visiting my blog too!

Best - Ooh. That's a tough one. Does 2 years of playing hooky at College here in Hawaii count?

Worst - When I was about 6, we drove up to Genting Highlands, a popular hilltop getaway back home in Malaysia. When parking briefly to go to our hotel room, our car (a Mercedez that was given to Dad by grandpa, he was rich then, I guess) was stolen. I didn't care so much for the car as I did for the my sleeping bag that was in it. I was so looking forward to sleeping in it too, the jerks!!!

kenju said...

My best vacations have been the 2 times we went to Hawaii (Big Island and Kauai). Spectacular scenery and weather too.

The worst? I can't really remember a bad one; maybe it was the time we took the hubby's parents to Hilton Head.

Michele sent me. I have to say I am jealous that you saw the Pyramids; that is my dream trip!

Dawn said...

Great question although it is hard to pick just one for the Best:

Unless I get to count the 3 month long one on "campus on wheels". All over the U.S and one month in Mexico, Belize, and Guatamala.

I climbed to the top of the Temple of the Sun outside of Mexico city, rafted the Rio Grande through the Santa Elena canyon, rappelled in Texas and Utah, hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon... and alot of other stuff.

Worst: Hmmm can't think of one at the moment.

BTW, Michele sent me.

Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator said...

I've had a lot of good vacations. The best was probably the honeymoon my wife and I took in December. When we got married, we couldn't afford one, so three years later we got a deal on a trip to Vegas. We stayed a the Paris and had a great time.

I can't think of a bad vacation that I had. Probably when just my sister and I took the train to visit my grandparents. It wasn't bad, but that's when we realized that grandma was losing it.

True Jersey Girl said...

I have really only had good vacations, and have had too many good ones to pick one favorite. I LOVED Hawaii, Italy, Vegas, and New Orleans. The only place I have ever been that I really disliked was Houston - it was boring to me and not much to do. But it still wasn't terrible. And I didn't love Cozumel Mexico either. But overall, I guess I have been pretty lucky in my travels!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Thanks, everybody, for those great stories. It was good of you to send them.

Robin said...

The Best: Going to Disney World for my honeymoon.

The Worst: I wrote a post about it here.

Egypt sounds fabulous!

Titus said...

Oh my god, there's so much useful material in this post!
wood sculpture | centerpieces ideas | Russian words