Europe A2k Meeting, 2007 - LOCATION POLL

meanwhile at another european location not too far from here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4992178.stm

Ah, riffing off the energy of the Chicago meet, I ventured, perhaps appallingly across water, to instigate a thread about a poll, and then a poll. First I tried to get people to help with the poll. Link later. Go look there. Four pages and no help with the poll.

So I did some cities. I am well aware I didn't cover cities at all, including many I'd be most interested in, much less the country towns I am personally interested in. I picked popular cities, among which were several with a2kers around. Though should we all count on one a2ker in place? Are we all lambs? Is the one a2ker nailed for the next year in a planning sequence?

Munich is on that list because Thomas is there.

Scandinavia was completely ignored, Budapest shouldn't take the slight as particular to it. Pick nine yourself with the idea of an a2k meet.

I am slightly late to cotton on to the fact that there can be resentment that I started this, being me and from the US. Among those of us who've met, my starting this is not so weird. But I can see it as being so, among europeans.

I now have thought a poll should have been for countries first, to give a chance to the small and wonderful places.

Or, maybe, we should all go back to the thread about what the poll should be, title something like Europe Meeting 2007, Starter Thread.




In the meantime, until feelings fluff out, please keep posting here with opinions and votes.

osso, i think it's marvellous you started this thread and the list of cities is just fine, don't you worry one bit.

perhaps we can pick three top runners when the time runs out (in two weeks or so?) and then start a new thread where the top contenders will be joined by cities that were being mentioned in this thread (Budapest, Prague, Baszomazapatvasarhely....NOT) and have a final round.... But that might complicate things too much. I agree with Steve that there should be some binding rules to which we agree to stick.

Feathers tamped...
listening to Dag.

Binding rules? urk? well, I'll stare at that idea in the morning. I get so sloppy at this hour.

My own sorrow about the Poll is that not only are whole countries skipped, the countryside places aren't represented. I feel there should be some expansiveness within this framework.

But it's just one meeting, albeit meant for all of a2k. Perhaps by 2009 we'll get a handle on how to organize these things. Most of the early ones started by someone saying they want to go to X when.

On the date, totally 'oh, twenty one days seems ok', I'd conjecture, never having a calendar in front of me, as being the 6th of June.

Oh, Osso, I dont think theres any European vs American thing going on here at all..

Ditto! The only thought I might throw out there for consideration is the possibility of getting some sense of likelihood that people would go at all. We might end up with 15 people for Barcelona, but only 3 who would realistically go, and 6 for Vienna all of whom indicate a strong likelihood of attending. That can certainly come later in the planning stages but I'd rather see some stronger weight given to those actually making the trip (and I'm not even sure if I'm one of them, so this isn't intended to be self-serving).

Oh, good, re the Europe-US thing, sorry for fluffing up.

I agree about the matter of who would actually go being pertinent (including me, I don't know how I could afford it, just hoping)...

I agree. Why vote for a particular city if the possibility of attending is
slim to none.

In June of 2007 I am definitely in Europe. I usually go to Munich, so
Vienna is not far, however I'd like to go to Barcelona and I voted for that.

Let's also consider that Munich and Vienna are expensive. Finding a
reasonable priced hotel is already a challenge, never mind the restaurants.
Since a lot of a2kers are on a travel budget, one should consider this
too.

Budapest and Prague are also nice, however flights can become expensive
as not all airlines fly to these cities regularily, and as far as I know, only
Delta has direct flights from JFK to Budapest or via Paris to Prague for
around $ 1800.

No geographical preference here, which is why I didn't vote. I just have an organizational preference. From observing how helpful locals were in organizing and helping newcomers get around, I would prefer a city with at least one local in it. Two would be even better.

I do understand osso's point about what do the locals in question think about that, though. Perhaps they can weigh in? If Munich is chosen, for example, would you be interested in being the insider guy?

(I mentioned my interest in Paris, but don't want to assume that Francis would want to take on any particular role...)

Sure, no problem.

well in that case i'm changing my vote to munich

You're way too modest, sublime1. That was a looooooong elevator ride.

I'm a travelfiend, I'd like to go to all of those places, and more... including Prague and Budapest, and Turkey and Talinn and....

haven't gotten my head about binding rules yet (wall going up in my living room today, two crews here tomorrow). Anyone have any ideas on that?

Re voting if you don't intend to go, I think most of us posting have a chance of going, depending on where and when. And... the Poll question phrases it that way. I did understand CJ's point, though, about how the really really serious break down on places.

I keep thinking there may be more than one get together...

I was gonna pm someone/someones [not sure who exactly] about this, but decided to plop it out here.

How is Vienna/Eastern Europe for AfroCanajun tourists?

I tried to google it, but didn't find anything that would help us figure out if Vienna/Budapest etc would be a pleasant trip option for E.

Vienna is totally fine. So is Budapest, Prague... When it comes to smaller cities, like Bratislava, I'd advise caution... .but that might be because I worked in a human rights group there for a few years, and part of my work was with AfroSlovaks (all 200 of them - the total in Slovakia in 1999, ha) and had to deal with skinheads frequently. no fun. But things are a lot better since 1999. I'd say it should be generally pretty safe.

Just one advice: stick to old centers of towns and you'll be ok. I'd not take my African friends to the suburbs in Eastern/Central Europe. But that's all.

if Vienna is chosen as the location, i hope someone will provide information about seeing some Lipizzaners, ideally in performance, or at least a training session open to the public. Mrs. yitwail would be distraught if we went to vienna without seeing them.