A Little Trans-Atlantic Magic... PTR About This Page:

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Originally Posted by chezp

Well, you already know what I think. Just make London part of your plan! Book the flight from Barca to London, stay here a couple of days (I'm sure I can help you find somewhere cheap-ish.... ) and then we'll come up and see you if you stay until the weekend. At least then we'll get to meet, as the flights from Barca to London just aren't do-able while you're there (serves you right for picking the peak school holiday time! )

I'm sure others will encourage you to do the same....

I'll definitely keep you posted!!

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

Oh yeah, definitely go thru London!

I'm waiting to get my neighbor's response on that apartment.

Thanks!!

[lauriep]

Aaah, the part of the trip I don't want to think about! I remember when I was considering doing a westbound trans-atlantic I looked at flights to Barcelona and from Boston most flights were routed through Madrid. I don't like getting so close and then doing a short flight to the final destination. I had decided I'd change planes in London or Amsterdam to get a non-stop to Barca. I don't worry about the stand-by quite as much for you on the return flight, although it's stressful and exhausting for you, at least you've had your vacation. Much better, I'd think, to have more possible flights. To count on one per day-- ugh! So this trip I'm very glad you only have the return leg to worry about! There's just no way I won't be tensely following the process, though, as you go to the airport to wait for an opening! All my hairs are already gray, though!

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Originally Posted by lauriep

Aaah, the part of the trip I don't want to think about! I remember when I was considering doing a westbound trans-atlantic I looked at flights to Barcelona and from Boston most flights were routed through Madrid. I don't like getting so close and then doing a short flight to the final destination. I had decided I'd change planes in London or Amsterdam to get a non-stop to Barca. I don't worry about the stand-by quite as much for you on the return flight, although it's stressful and exhausting for you, at least you've had your vacation. Much better, I'd think, to have more possible flights. To count on one per day-- ugh! So this trip I'm very glad you only have the return leg to worry about! There's just no way I won't be tensely following the process, though, as you go to the airport to wait for an opening! All my hairs are already gray, though!

I was joking with mom that we should just find a westbound transatlantic cruise and take THAT home! No standby to worry about!

[cubfancolleen]

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

I was joking with mom that we should just find a westbound transatlantic cruise and take THAT home! No standby to worry about!

There IS a westbound version....in September! Think of all you could do in Barcelona if you just stayed 4 months!!!

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

There IS a westbound version....in September! Think of all you could do in Barcelona if you just stayed 4 months!!!

Wouldn't that be the vacation to beat all?? You could see a lot of Europe and return with no flights and no jet lag. When I was at school for a year in Athens I sailed there and back with 9 months in Greece in between. It was cheaper to travel that way than to ship all my books over. Unfortunately, the ship was NOT a cruise ship and I wasn't traveling in Disney luxury!

[Dlandmom2]

Now Melanie, if you're going to detour to London, you REALLY should just take a train to Paris and experience Disneyland Parisian style!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

Now Melanie, if you're going to detour to London, you REALLY should just take a train to Paris and experience Disneyland Parisian style!

I was waiting for someone to say that! And of course then you'd just have to see Paris as well...

I vote for taking the westbound Transatlantic in September and spending the time exploring Europe. We'd pop out and join you for a weekend or two!

[Thomhazel]

I'd say Paris is certainly a must do!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Thomhazel

I'd say Paris is certainly a must do!

You see... I knew someone would!

[pamcarey]

London AND Paris sounds like a great idea to me !

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Originally Posted by cubfancolleen

There IS a westbound version....in September! Think of all you could do in Barcelona if you just stayed 4 months!!!

Originally Posted by Dlandmom2

Now Melanie, if you're going to detour to London, you REALLY should just take a train to Paris and experience Disneyland Parisian style!

Originally Posted by chezp

I was waiting for someone to say that! And of course then you'd just have to see Paris as well...

I vote for taking the westbound Transatlantic in September and spending the time exploring Europe. We'd pop out and join you for a weekend or two!

Originally Posted by Thomhazel

I'd say Paris is certainly a must do!

Originally Posted by chezp

You see... I knew someone would!

Originally Posted by pamcarey

London AND Paris sounds like a great idea to me !

You all are bad influences! LOL! Besides, I already had checked... the train to Paris is a REAL hassle, it's cheaper and MUCH faster to get a one way ticket. I've already got all the prices in my paperwork. :P I really have been considering the weekend in DLP, and then trying to convince Chez and Mark to pop down for the weekend, lol. I still haven't ruled it out, entirely (it's kind of a back-up plan for if the flights out of Barca look really bad) but I know if I suggested it to mom today she'd kill me. LOL!

Originally Posted by lauriep

Wouldn't that be the vacation to beat all?? You could see a lot of Europe and return with no flights and no jet lag. When I was at school for a year in Athens I sailed there and back with 9 months in Greece in between. It was cheaper to travel that way than to ship all my books over. Unfortunately, the ship was NOT a cruise ship and I wasn't traveling in Disney luxury!

I'm so intrigued! What kind of ship was it?

[chezp]

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

You all are bad influences! LOL! Besides, I already had checked... the train to Paris is a REAL hassle, it's cheaper and MUCH faster to get a one way ticket. I've already got all the prices in my paperwork. :P I really have been considering the weekend in DLP, and then trying to convince Chez and Mark to pop down for the weekend, lol. I still haven't ruled it out, entirely (it's kind of a back-up plan for if the flights out of Barca look really bad) but I know if I suggested it to mom today she'd kill me. LOL!

Well, we might be able to "pop down" to Disneyland Paris, but you've definitely got your best chance of seeing us in London.

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by Principessa_di_Fata

I'm so intrigued! What kind of ship was it?

It was a Greek passenger ship called the Queen Anna Maria. It sounds loveley, but it wasn't! I had an inside cabin and most of the way across it was so windy and cold you really couldn't stay on deck. I got a terrible cold from the freezing recirculated air inside. They had a big room where you could play bridge, and a small library, where I spent the week! The dining room was just long tables like a school cafeteria and that's just what the food was like. Most of the passengers were Greek-American families visiting home and traveling by ship so they could bring appliances with them as gifts. As we got off the ship they were all dragging wheeled carts full of toasters, irons, etc! I had my foot-locker full of books. Oh, and they advertised a "movie every night", but what they didn't tell you was that it was the SAME movie every night! Some Richard Widmark mystery thing-- once was more than enough. It was an adventure, though.... I was 19, a junior in college, and hardy enough for anything! It took me forty years before I'd try cruising again!

[chezp]

Originally Posted by lauriep

It was a Greek passenger ship called the Queen Anna Maria. It sounds loveley, but it wasn't! I had an inside cabin and most of the way across it was so windy and cold you really couldn't stay on deck. I got a terrible cold from the freezing recirculated air inside. They had a big room where you could play bridge, and a small library, where I spent the week! The dining room was just long tables like a school cafeteria and that's just what the food was like. Most of the passengers were Greek-American families visiting home and traveling by ship so they could bring appliances with them as gifts. As we got off the ship they were all dragging wheeled carts full of toasters, irons, etc! I had my foot-locker full of books. Oh, and they advertised a "movie every night", but what they didn't tell you was that it was the SAME movie every night! Some Richard Widmark mystery thing-- once was more than enough. It was an adventure, though.... I was 19, a junior in college, and hardy enough for anything! It took me forty years before I'd try cruising again!

Wow - sorry to hijack, but this sounds a bit like my mum's experience. She travelled by boat from South Africa (where she lived as a teenager) to the UK and that was when she was about 18, I think. She has never cruised, completely put off by the experience. She doesn't like boats at all either. It's very sad that way it's affected her.

[lauriep]

Originally Posted by chezp

Wow - sorry to hijack, but this sounds a bit like my mum's experience. She travelled by boat from South Africa (where she lived as a teenager) to the UK and that was when she was about 18, I think. She has never cruised, completely put off by the experience. She doesn't like boats at all either. It's very sad that way it's affected her.

It is sad, but I completely understand! That must have been a very long voyage, too.