Europe A2k Meeting, 2007 - LOCATION POLL

That's correct: nearly 2/3 of the votes were against Barcelona :wink:

As of today (things may change) the lady Diane and meself will be going to Barcelona and possibly a second city. Are plans are vague as to dates but most likely may/june or sept/oct. Should we be able to meet up with others we would be delighted.

Possible date-poll for the Barcelona 2007 meeting -

April 6 - April 9 (the eighth is Easter Sunday)
June 22 - 25
October 5 - 8
other

or, just list months, and hone down the exact date later?
list more dates - such as May 11 - 14, July 13 - 16, November 2 - 5 ??

My answer would be "any", so please make sure that's in there.

Good point, Thomas.
I'm thinking a May date should be in there too.

So, it would look like -

April 6 - April 9 (the eighth is Easter Sunday)
May 11 - 14
June 22 - 25
October 5 - 8
Other date
Any date

I would take any date as well, but the 6th is Good Friday, the 8th Easter Sunday, the 9th Easter Monday - all public holidays, with most (especially museums) closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday/Monday. (That's according to various websides and own experiences.)

I wonder about that, Walter. People have posted that they can only go to a get together when the children are out of school. Do some schools have off the week before Easter, and some after? That's why I started by listing the weekend, wanting to maximize when more people could possibly go, but sure, that could be a problem too, just the wrong time for people who have extended families who celebrate the holiday together.

(Which also brings up that families are welcome at a2k get togethers too..)

I enjoyed Rome at that time, landing there on Good Friday and being caught up in promenading crowds on Easter Sunday. Barcelona might be festive that Sunday too. I don't remember having trouble finding a place to eat that weekend, and had no trouble booking a hotel since I did it ahead of time, but that might be a concern in Barcelona.

Maybe it would be smarter to list three days starting the day after Easter?
or list both sets of dates?

Depends on country/state/county/region - e.g. we've in most of Germany's states 14 days (some three weeks, I think) holidays around Easter or starting on Good Friday.

Other countries have different regulations.

We're about to kick off the planniing for the April trip. (perils of travelling with an organisation freak - usually - I plan a cuppla days ahead!)

Originally, we planned to be in Spain around mid-April - but, as the parador at Granada can't give me a room for my birthday, we may go to Italy instead! Harrrumph!

I'll watch this space - and fit in if I can.

I intend to meet you in Italy one day, Margo, if only for a glass of vino in passing.

I'll wait for a little bit to see if more people comment on the poll before posting it, or a version of it. Maybe just say Easter vacation, dates to be decided instead of nailing down exact days right now.

I'll wait for a little bit to see if more people comment on the poll before posting it, or a version of it. Maybe just say Easter vacation, dates to be decided instead of nailing down exact days right now.

Hi, all, I would vote for Barcelona becausemy wife and I just returned from 21 day guided tour of other parts of Europe late Wednesday night, exhausted and jet-lagged. We're still recovering. There seemed to have been no problem moving east, but the return west was pretty bad, with 24 sleepless hours and manuvering our way through three airports and two trains. We ate like pigs but lost weight because of the immense amount of walking we did. As lovely as they are, we didn't enjoy the major 8 centers we went to as much as the relatively minor center of Turino, Italy. It was charming and very liveable. Florence and Salzburg were especially beautiful but spoiled, like Rome and Venice, by the massive crowds of tourists. In our tour we were literally RUSHED through the Basilica, the Louvre, etc.. The canals of Venice were much cleaner (yet still dirty by Austria's standards) since my wife was there 30 years ago. Disappointingly, I could only see one modern art show, the Rosengart Collection in Lucerne, wonderfully rich with works by Klee and Picasso. I bought its catalog. I'm glad we did the tour before I aged any further; it WAS an expanding experience. But we decided that when we go back to Europe, it will be to spend some time in the very livable Turino. We found the location of Nietzsche's summer residence and eventual collapse into insanity. It was moving.
One of the most visually exciting events was an unplanned detour our touring coach had to take into alps because of an avalance that killed a half dozen people an hour or two ahead of us. The detour revealed beautiful chalets that were not intended for tourists out in what seemed to me the great nowhere. As my jet lag dissolves and I recall salient events, I'll share them with you. It's always good to be home.
Another great event was meeting Francis who was gracious enough to come to my hotel in Paris--a very well groomed man with sparkling eyes and a charming manner.
I'm still recovering from lag.

That was indeed a great tour with many things and places covered!
Good that you liked it - overall.

(They were only one [German] couple killed, and the pass is still closed.)



Quite funny: I made a similar but minor experience, just the other way around: eastward was worse (=no difficulties at all on my way to Chicago and minor the way back here).

O.K., Walter. Perhaps it's not just the direction--that would seem unlikely anyway--but the fact that when one is returning home one is more tired (from occupying unfamiliar places and performing unfamiliar tasks, etc.).
Do you have more details on the tragedy?

I believe--correct me if my memory is wrong--that Barcelona is colder, more industrial and where most people speak Catalan. It would depend more on the time of year, of course. Southern Spain is too hot in the summer. But I LOVE Madrid and Sevilla. Must return to the latter sometime in their winter.

I have consistently found "returning" to be far more tiring then "going" no matter the direction. I think it's more a matter of anticipation. Whether I'm returning from euope or australia it seems to take forever to get home and back into my own bed.

Oh, yeah? Allow me to think otherwise....

JLN - It was nice to meet you! Very knowledgeable man and how agreeable!

Next time you're in Sevilla, I'll take you for a slow walk along the Guadalquivir, at the sunset, till the Barrio Judio, then we'll have a cerveza at some bodega. Life can be beautiful...

..... I want to walk with Francis, too.

What are the chances of everyone staying at the same place? Depending on the number of people that end up going, wouldn't it be nice to find a chalet or bed and breakfast that we could all stay in together?

Do they have that kind of accomodations there, maybe a little outside the city? (Or, is there an "outside the city?")