Tagged With "Pikes Place Market"
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Re: Suggestions wanted: Andalusia
Will you have a car? I ask, because if you will, you might consider stopping at one or more of the White Towns between Seville & Granada. I stayed a week in a house just outside Iznajar, a lovely little place, and visited a bigger town, Antequera, worth a stop. For a brief stop I'd recommend the smaller town, one of a number in the area, millions of olive trees everywhere. There is no train there although Antequera has a station, but outside the town. Below the town of Iznajar, beside...
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Re: Where We Went: London, Paris, Toronto
That's a great point! I never like "best" lists, anyway...and like to stray into any place that looks good and take a chance on whether it's "Zagat-quality." The cost of living is interesting, too, especially for travelers on tight budgets; my experience in Portugal last summer (see BLOG here on TravelGumbo) has sent a couple of younger colleagues off to plan Portugal trips instead of more expensive parts of Europe.
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Re: Thai Tourism Blossoming
I think of travel in Thailand as "Asia Lite". In a good way. It was the first place I ventured in Asia and have continued to go back, combined with more challenging destinations. So I'm not surprised. It's also my destination of choice for recuperation when the food elsewhere does me in. It's pretty much in the middle of the region with flights in from all over and that, combined with the fresh & delicious food, makes it a relaxing and beneficial spot to forget one's food woes. It's high...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 4, 2014: Frutta Fresca, Roma
No market here, just this free-standing kiosk on the sidewalk in the location I described, which is why it's such a surprise. Nothing else around it except a busy street and landscaping which you can see on the left of the photo. No cheese, just a Colosseum.
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
Note that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private organization. I think that's key in this era of government cutbacks and a congress unable to accomplish anything to speak of. If the National Park Service is unable to maintain it's infrastructure then one can only imagine how little care might go into preserving bits of our cultural heritage lacking big names, such as those on the list above. Commercial interests also have a place in accomplishing what government and...
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Re: Made in Puerto Rico - Jibaromania!
It sounds like Isla Verde has come a long way since the days when Cecelia's Place and one other, on the water at the end of Calle Amapola, were the only places to eat outside the 2 big hotels (Americana & El San Juan). It was my home then and it may be time for a return visit.
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Re: Ghost Images of WWI
Amazing work...and a stark reminder of how recently all this took place.
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Re: A visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello
I would agree that presentism is a real danger for historians...but without wanting to veer this discussion too far off course, you'll note that I cited two of his close colleagues and acquaintances in Virginia alone, not to mention Lafayette and many others IN HIS TIME AND ACQUAINTANCE who had already concluded that it was time, and many others were acting on it. It was an active debate in his time and place, he was aware of it, and sadly...he took the wrong side.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec. 21, 2013: Fujian Life
I love the photo too, Club2013! It's the kind of every day scene that tells me more about a place than most anything else. Those arms have seen a lot of hard work in their time.
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Re: Missoula, Montana — Home of Grizzlies
I think it would be hard to find another place that size with so many different—and fascinating—attractions in it and near by!
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Re: Should Wi-Fi be free in all hotels?
Originally Posted by JohnT: Maybe it's the old capitalist coming out in me, but I think "should" is a strong word. Free access to wi-fi certainly helps me determine where I'll stay, just like free breakfast is...but if a hotel has enough other amenities so that people are willing to pay for it's wi-fi then so be it...although it is easy enough to get free somewhere, I don't value it enough to pay for it. I agree with you John, that market forces will drive this. But the demand for "free"...
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Re: Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, Kennedy Space Center
Thanks for the comments, guys! The entire shuttle is actually much longer than I'd thought, maybe 180 ft. What was surprising is how small the living/pilot compartment is where the astronauts spent so much time. It's that space in front of the opened cargo door. The US space program is just a former shadow of itself with the retirement of the Shuttle program and nothing ready to take its place. But I was pleased to hear that NASA is working on the Orion project. It is a rocket based space...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 21.0
Yes, she almost looks ready to sail (were it not for the concrete footings holiding her in place)! But what place?
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 21.0
Well, I didn't expect anyone to twig it quite that fast, and it's not just because of a polar route. Although we usually don't think of Hawaii extending north of Kauai, in fact the state includes the entire Hawaiian Ridge/Emperor Seamount chain, running up to the Aleutian trench, just off Alaska's Aleutian islands. Mostly underwater, mostly administered by Federal agencies as a preservation/conservation area. Kure Atoll and Green Island is the northernmost habitable place in Hawaii, and it's...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #33
One last set of clues before the "reveal" on Tuesday: 1) A major river flows near (but not through) this place 2) The photo does not demonstrate the scenery this place is most known for Do you know where Gumbo is?
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo #5.5
Oh, the trials of being a Late Night Gumbo! Puzzle #5.5 is, hopefully, quite puzzling...but PortMoresby made that remark without even seeing the picture...because I accidentally posted the puzzle without it. It is now in place...have at it, friends, and do your best to astound me again!
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo #5.5
Interesting clues here but nothing definitive. The vegetation growing through the cobblestones might indicate a moderate climate throughout the year. This path appears to be residential and not one frequented by tourists. Maybe Mediterranean or a colonial city in the Americas. The cobblestones are on the small side and are more common, I think, in southern Europe. Also the light fixtures are a modern design and not typical of a city trying very hard to preserve the old look and feel of the...
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Re: Canal St-Martin in Paris/Where Locals and Travelers Mix
The Canal St.-Martin area is also good for food. One of the best-regarded new bakeries, Des Idees et du Pain is on its edge, and there's a great twice-a-week open-air market between the point where it goes underground and Bastille.
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Re: Dark Hedges, Ballymoney, Antrim Coast, Northern Ireland
Thanks for the comment, TravelRob! Yes, it was a cool place. It had an even spookier feel in real life than is conveyed by the photos.
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Re: A journey around Iceland: 3) South Iceland
Undeniably Iceland is the most stunning place on earth and you will truly be fascinated by the clear blue lakes, natural geysers, rolling meadows, volcanic craters and abundance of wildlife. I have been lucky to have vacation in this beautiful spot when we have visited this place by the help of KosherTravelers. This place is rich with culture and history, having lots of eye catching sightseeing to visit that has truly become the amazing trip of my lifetime.
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Re: Please Don't Squeeze the Passengers: Airbus
I've never flown an A380, Mac. They still haven't caught on in North America, where Boeing clearly dominates the market. One thing that I've wonder about is with all those people to board (somewhere over 500), is the process of getting on and off the plane very slow or have they figured out how to make this move along with reasonable efficiency?
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Sadly, that $4K isn't going to go a real long way in UK...it's a pretty expensive place. You'll need to find seriously cheap lodging and really mind your pence! If you're not really stuck on UK, you might look at other places where English will do, including Jamaica and Puerto Rico or even Guyana. If UK is really IT, though, you should look into hostel costs, and into sharing sites like couchsurfing.com. Depending on when you're going, you might find some luck with college spaces that are...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Again thanks, this is incredibly helpful!! So I think I'll look at trains for trips from bigger cities to other cities, and fill in the gaps with bus if the pricing works out. A little more planning is needed. Even though it's expensive, I do want to spend around a week in London. Being an architect, there's just so much to see and do there, like seeing the Houses of Parliament and Westminister Abbey. I plan on being on the go almost all day each day there -- can rest later, maybe in the...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Forgot to mention that my classes and exams are over the first week of May. So I'd like to go after than. When I get back home I need to move to my new job and find a place to live, so I'd like June to do that.
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Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Billionaires are made, not born. Mr. Ellison seems to be making a business move - pressure the FAA to make things difficult for Hawaiian air, upgrade the Island Air service, achieve sole "Ohana" certification for Island Air. Ohana certification is keenly sought for this market. Here is a description. http://www.examiner.com/articl...on-spiffed-up-planes
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Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Well, it's worth noting that Hawaiian has still not gotten Ohana off the ground, literally. They're citing FAA's cutbacks due to sequestration and then the shutdown as the reason. Island Air used to be a Hawaiian affiliate, flying Dash-8s and ATR-42s into small airports and feeding passengers into Hawaiian. Ohana was/is their plan to stay in that market with ATR42s. Island is unhappy with its ATRs (both the 42 and the larger 72), but doesn't seem to be able to solve any of its problems. I...
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Re: Island Air: Even Billionaires Get Airline Blues
Mr. Ellison plays hardball. He comes by his wealth through calculated strategy. It appears that the matter of securing better aircraft for his airline is part of a larger effort to corner the market for premium service to "his" island. Who knows, maybe the island is for sale ? Make him an offer. When you own the island, let me know; I will be glad to come to Lanai and run the canoe livery.
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
Hi Dreamer I can only tell you about my experiences... 1) How long? It depends. Apartment rental have been around in Europe for a long time. It used to be mostly for a week from Saturday to Saturday, but mostly anything goes now. 2) Buyer beware - It will be up to you to research the neighbourhood. You can do that many ways. Perhaps the easiest is using google streetmaps 3) There is no one way to check in. Sometimes you meet the owner or manager and they will give you the key. Sometimes...
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Re: The Valley Island of Maui: 2) Haleakala National Park
US Immigration is a bit of a hassle, although most Canadians receive about a smooth a ride as possible. In most Canadian airports, you can actually clear immigration within Canada, rather than the USA (infinitely preferable because the lines are so much shorter). Not sure if that's true of Montreal, though. Thank you for your kind words about the Hawaii blogs. Hawaii is a special place. I've always gone and explored it by myself, so in this setting I tend to drift to isolated places that are...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
John mentioned the Google street maps...really a very good way to check out a neighborhood, since it has more than just the maps! On top of the zoom scale on the map, you'll see a little orange man. Drag him onto a street on the map, and you'll see photos of the street. It takes a couple of moments to get used to maneuvering, but you can go up and down the streeet, turn and face the opposite direction, "walk" around corners, and zoom in and out. You can use the Windows snipping tool or other...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
Good tips about Google Maps street view. I guess I should have thought of it, like as a good way to scout out an area. But I guess I still don't know if that is a safe area. How can you see of a place is safe. PortMoresby has a good point. I like having space in a room and being able to spread out. That doesn't mean you have to cook.
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Re: The Worst Train in the World
Thanks FlashFlyer. The thing about adventures like this is you have no idea what an adventure it'll be until it happens and you can't get out of it even if you want to. So, no guts required. Yes, Burma will certainly change, has already. Currently not enough infrastructure for those wanting to visit but if you've traveled in Asia you know the entrepreneurial spirit is alive & well and it won't be long, I suspect, before it will come to resemble other parts of the region. So, good news as...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Hi Everyone! Hope you had a good Christmas. I spent mine with my parents, which was nice. I've been busy planning this trip that you've helped me with and I think I'm making good progress. Largely starting to arrange places to stay and developing a list of "must see" things for myself. Using the hostels and airB&B I've been able to get decent looking and affordable places for me. I still need to find something for London and Paris, but the rest of the trip is mostly worked out. Might...
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Re: Renting an apartment in Europe
Originally Posted by Bling: We have considered renting an apartment. We are never quite sure how to handle the deposit. Some owners seem very firm about having a non-refundable deposit upfront. We can understand their need to guarantee bookings but we also know that plans change, flights get cancelled, and, perhaps the place will not be to our liking. Should we only book with owners and agencies that allow the deposit to be paid on arrival ? What is the standard procedure for this ? What is...
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Re: Finishing college. Need help planning trip to U.K,
Thanks for the info on Snowdonia, GarryRF. Sounds like just the place I'd like to be heading towards the end of my stay in Liverpool, to clear my head a little in nautre after all that history and culture I'll be absorbing. Trip planning is coming along fine. I think I've got most everything I squared away right now that needs doing, and need to focus on completing my last months of university and my thesis. Will post again if I have any questions before I go and will give some feedback when...
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Re: Yesterday & Today in France.
Thanks for those links! truly fascinating. My two favorites are the second, from 1907, which clearly shows a place with almost no change (as opposed to the next where the buildings have remained but so much has not, and the 1911 road scene which at first glance shows little change; a closer look at the combination shows significant re-grading of the road level in the meantime!
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Re: The Tulou of Fujian Province
HistoryDigger, I'll explain. At the end of the first day of tulou visits, the large tour bus rendezvoused with a small van and it was indicated that I should bring my things and come with a young man. Since no one could explain, I had to simply trust and go along, an interesting sensation. I later realized that I was the only one who had opted for the second day. The young man drove me to a very basic village of mostly new buildings built, I suspect but of course don't know, for...
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Re: Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart
This display of beautiful cars is a modern day "Work of Art" They require no adornment by mannequins from the Kmart. I'd compare it to the Ad's we see at Bus Stops where some gorgeous model has had a Moustache added by some "Wag" with a Sharpie pen ! Or maybe adding some "Christmas Tinsel" to the Mona Lisa to improve her good looks ! "A place for everything - and everything in it's place!" (A Bimbo - over here - is a Lady with stunning looks - but lower than average IQ)
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Re: Greenland from six miles high!
Thank you for your comment, voyager. I shut the shade if it's clouded over, but I still peak form time to time. I shut the shade when we're over the ocean or if it's dark outside. But if the flight is over a scenic place, I like to study the geography and try to figure out where I am. It's interesting, often beautiful, and I enjoy it.
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Re: Minneapolis in the winter
Hi Theodore! I am a Mall of America fan. You can easily spend an entire weekend (or many evenings) at the Mall of America. First of all, the mall is very easy to get to by train from downtown (CICAK did a wonderful job explaining that), and fares are quite cheap (fares go for about $1.75 to $2.25 one way depending on what time of day you ride). As CICAK also mentioned, there is something for everybody at the mall. If you just want to find a warm dry place to walk and people watch, I believe...
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Re: Sleeping with the fishes--an underwater hotel room!
I saw this featured on (I think) CNN yesterday. I thought, I hope the bedroom is above water, hyperventilated at the thought of sleeping below. I wouldn't mind going down for some awake time but don't think I could fall asleep. But if I could it would be a lovely place to wake up. I'd be interested to know what it sounds like in the room.
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Re: Mercado Centrale - Cadiz, Spain
Excellent photo, JohnT! I can smell the market all the way here in my office! Love the fish head. An excellent marketing prop!
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Re: Capital of Culture Series: Liverpool
In a way, most of the places in the world worth visiting have some history of being "dirty, industrial" places--that's where people cluster and societies are forged. The ancient cities of the Middle East and Greece, and Rome itself were like that! We recently visited the excavated Roman city under central Barcelona, and were surprised to see how much of the area in the center of the ancient city was given over to commercial laundry, large-scale dye works and industrial-scale wine-making. The...
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Re: controversial architecture? - Parasol Sevilla
The building was commissioned to revitalise the area in the early 2000's. It holds a public market now. There are multiple levels where you can sit/look out etc. Other than that I believe it is a design piece first and foremost.
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona
I may not be much help, because we tend to send postcards to the grandchildren from each city, with notes about what we've seen and think they would be interested in, and to avoid filling the suitcase with physical items. But for those few things we do buy, we usually go to the market! One of our travel rituals, on the first day when we stock the apartment, is to look for a local preserve or jam that we don't see at home (skyberries in Stockholm, for instance). Once we've found one we really...
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona
That's a great idea, PHeymont! Go to the market. I'll definitely do that. Some interesting spice of jam or something might just do the trick. Tomato Jam -- definitely have to give that a try. Sounds curiously good. I understand about the liquids limitations. Anyone else have any ideas?
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Re: Gifts to bring back from Portugal or Barcellona
I am no shopper so I try to make this gift-buying task easy. When I arrive at the large entry airport, I like to stretch my legs, get a cup of takeaway coffee, and cruise the airport gift shops. Almost always, I can find little magnets of the country flag, local tiles, miniature photos, the sports team, or handiwork mounted on refrigerator magnets. I pick up a few of those and am good to go for my visit. One more thing off of my list. Refrigerator magnets are easy to carry, no problem with...
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Re: Finally some good news! Whistler or Banff
I don't ski either (bad knees), but I've visited both of these destinations. There are pros and cons to each. Both is a little over an hour's drive from their closest major airport, Vancouver for Whistler and Calgary for Canmore. Whistler is close to the coast, but high up. So they usually have good snow, but depending on the year, it can get soggy by spring and sometimes ice crusted. Banff area is far more likely to have nice light powder during the spring break season. Some people swear by...
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Re: Buddy, Can You Spare 5.3 Million Dimes?
This is a no brainer. The money was left behind by frustrated travelers. It should be used to minimize some of the frustration and indignity imposed on travelers at the TSA checkpoints. Little things would make a big difference in the "reassembly area" : + Buy easy-to-clean sturdy benches for the re-assembly area. + Put footstools in front of benches to help with putting on shoes. + Put baskets under the benches so people can place their small backpacks, purses, shoes, and belts out of the...
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Re: Whom did you say was flying this plane?
Wouldn't the self fly plane sense the heat or something from the nasty intruder aircraft long before that near collision ? In that case, the self fly plane would take evasive maneuvers. Then again, if it were also a self fly plane on the runway, it would "know better" than to be there in the first place, yes ?