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Tagged With "Frederick Law Olmsted"

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Re: Tickets: Check before you cancel!

Professorabe ·
British Airways are trying their best to hold on to their customers' money. We have had 4 flights from Frankfurt to London cancelled by them (on two separate bookings). Whilst by law they should simply refund the money to the credit card, they send you links involving only 'travel vouchers' and phone numbers with automated messages directing you to the same vouchers. It is extremely difficult to find anything to do with actual refunds, but I am persisting. I also am pursuing claims under EU...
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Re: 12 Countries ask vouchers instead of refunds

Professorabe ·
I have said it before and certainly have not changed my mind: why do airlines think they are above the law? There are plenty of other businesses suffering severely at present, but they do not have the option of hanging on to their customers' cash to keep themselves afloat. The way in which airlines have behaved over this issue is simply disgraceful and will have done nothing to engender goodwill amongst their customers. Indeed, many might - at a stroke - have destroyed the benefits of their...
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Re: Back to Future, with an Orange Roof

PortMoresby ·
"The existing tenants will be relocated by the company." I can't help but wonder if the sidewalk qualifies as "relocated" after reading about the new California tenant protection law and how Iowa law deals with the issue.
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Re: EU Parliament Ends Cell Phone Roaming Charges in 2017

Paul Heymont ·
Yes, it will apply to prepaid plans, which many Europeans as well as visitors use, but it's not as happily absolute as some of the celebrators make it sound. The final June 2017 step depends on a reform of the European wholesale roaming market in which carriers pay each other for roaming use, and is also subject to limits for those who roam "too much." Here's a quote from one of the Parliament members who was a leading proponent of the law (which also originally included provisions for net...
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Re: Edinburgh, Scotland for 2.5 days....help!

PortMoresby ·
Have you considered visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia in Leith, near Edinburgh? http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/ Various transport options here: http://www.royalyachtbritannia.../your-visit/find-us/ I'm sorry to say I didn't visit during open hours, an Edinburgh friend drove me there just to see it and it looks lovely, will go again next opportunity. Say hello to Greyfriars Bobby Pub for me, just in front of the cemetery, once owned by my father-in-law. I love Edinburgh!
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Re: Oct. 4, 2018: British Car Show, Delaware City DE

George G. ·
Thanks Garry. I am aware. My sister-in-law had an MGB at the same time we had our Midget.
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Re: Montreal: Je Me Souviens

arion ·
I'll give it some thought while cruising the Hawaiian Islands later this month, if I have a minute when not learning to hula dance, eat poi and look down into volcano craters. Aloha from Montreal, in the Province of Quebec where our provincial government wants to pass a law making it illegal for Muslim women to wear the hijab, for Jewish men to wear the skull cap (forget the proper name) and for South Asian men to wear turbans, if they work in government institutions (i.e. schools,...
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Re: Doctor List for Traveling

DrFumblefinger ·
As with many things travel, insurance is a matter of choice. Travel Health Insurance seems to be a lot more expensive in the US than elsewhere. Policies in the US usually include trip cancellation and medical coverage and often run 5-6% the cost of a trip. Given the amount you travel, Mac, the investment of a few hundred dollars a year seems prudent to me. But when I was 30 the thought of insurance never crossed my mind. Not once. A few years ago I did start buying trip cancellation (and...
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Re: April 4, 2018: Mother sheep and lamb, Wales

PortMoresby ·
Whether landowners are in favor or not, public access to footpaths and other rights-of-way are protected by law in the UK in perpetuity. Any landowner who tries to fence them off or otherwise deny access will soon find an angry mob of activists helping them correct their "mistake". http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=207 Lovely photo!
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Re: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Canada. Where Gumbo Was #36

Paul Heymont ·
Close but no cigar on Central Park's designer (who also did my backyard, Brooklyn's Prospect Park). Birkenhead was the work of Joseph Paxton, while the other two were done by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Olmsted visited Birkenhead in 1850, three years after it opened, and while he was already thinking about Central Park, which opened in 1858. In his book "Walks and Talks of an American Farmer in England, Olmsted wrote about Birkenhead: "five minutes of admiration, and a few more...
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Re: Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Canada. Where Gumbo Was #36

GarryRF ·
In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted won a design competition to improve and expand Central Park with a plan he entitled the Greensward Plan . 8 years AFTER Olmsted visited the Peoples Garden - Birkenhead Park England. He said "that in democratic America there was nothing to be thought of as comparable with this People’s Garden" So he took the plans back to New York. Entered the Central Park competition 8 years later. And won using Paxton plans from the Peoples Garden in England as a guide.
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

PortMoresby ·
From the Bloomberg article: "Airbnb has been working hard in recent months to change the law in the company’s favor." This limited characterization makes me wonder whose side Bloomberg is on, given any individual NYC host or user has more to loose or gain than Airbnb, since the company will succeed with or without NYC listings. Given the timing of the original law, it seems clear that it's largely commercial interests that back the law limiting just who can participate in the short-term...
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

PortMoresby ·
Everything you say, P, is logical and fair. The problem becomes compliance and enforcement, not a separate issue. A segment of people will always try to game the system and it's impossible to enforce these kinds of regulations in such a complex and populous place. Even here, where I live in a relatively rural place, I suspect I'm the only one in a large county collecting and paying the short-term occupancy tax. I do it, not because I'm honest, but because I don't want to think about possible...
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Re: AirBnB vs New York. Update

Paul Heymont ·
I think my proposal as written could work; in my haste I left out one aspect and that is that Airbnb or similar would be expected to require that a host supply his or her city registration number, or look it up on city website. The company would be subject to penalty for unlicensed listings or for handling rentals beyond the limit. Of course if the host rented through other agencies beyond the limit, that would not be on Airbnb...some city enforcement mechanism would be ended but that's true...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sep 15, 2015: Pit Lane, Mdina Grand Prix

GarryRF ·
I was having lunch in Mdina. Our waiter was a boy about 8 years old. He asked if I'd ever seen a train. "Of course I have. Maybe 4 a day" "When I save enough to leave Malta I want to see a train" he said. Then he asked my Mother in Law if she was my sister. She slipped him a few dollars. He'll soon have enough - I thought - to see a train - even at 8.
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Re: Family kicked off flight

PortMoresby ·
I think all children should be buckled in, just as the law requires them to be in cars where I live, in car seats when small. There have been a number of cases where children have been among the only survivors of air crashes, the theory being their more elastic bodies withstand trauma better. But a baby (or 3 year old) sitting unrestrained or on its mother's lap would likely not. I know of no seat belt laws that give an exemption for stupidity. The airline was right to remove the family.
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Re: Art, Architecture, History and More in Fun Frederick, MD

George G. ·
One of our sister agencies called the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center was located in Fort Detrick in Frederick Maryland. I visited AFMIC a number of times and your photos of the National Museum of Civil War Medicine brought back memories. I have not toured Frederick village itself, but your story has prompted me to put it on my list of places to visit.
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Re: Euro court extends passenger compensation

Professorabe ·
A long needed clarification of the law. Three cheers for the ECJ! One thing still puzzles me though: Prague to Budapest via Abu Dhabi???
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Re: The Falkirk Wheel, Scotland

PortMoresby ·
My darling father-in-law grew up in Falkirk and I've never gone there. But just mention a canal and I want to know about the towpath. A walk through Falkirk may be in my future: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk...de-union-canal.shtml Thanks, Ian.
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Re: Inspectors in Paris Fine Homeowners for Illegal Airbnb Rentals

Paul Heymont ·
Should note that under the law, if you are the renter, you can stay to the end of your time; only the owner is punished. But it may result in fewer available rentals.
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Re: Italy joins anti-food-waste movement

DrFumblefinger ·
Garry, it looks like the wonky veggies are fresh but misshapen. A good marketing idea to sell them separately. I think the idea behind the law is to prevent food waste. There are many tons of food discarded by restaurants and stores every day, as the article lays out. If this food could be channeled to food banks and such a day or two earlier, it would cut down a lot of waste. That is a noble effort, if it works. I like Italy's law of incentives better than France's. The carrot is more...
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

Former Member ·
I've often advised travelers with jam-packed itineraries to step back and leave themselves time to take a walk in a park or sit there a while, experiencing what the locals see and do. That is absolutely excellent advice. I hope that most people were wise enough to take your advice. Many of my best trip memories are made of such stuff. Thank you so much, PHeymont, for this walk in the park. It is just what my jangled nerves needed today.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

PortMoresby ·
I suspect a walk in the park is a habit acquired over time and familiarity with a place. I have a feeling, too, that the urge to go at top speed is the initial and overriding one. Or is it years and not travel experience that slows us down enough for such places to finally come into focus? Looking back over the decades I think maybe it's the latter.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

DrFumblefinger ·
I do think people's perspectives and priorities change with time. For example, I care little about a bar or nightlife scene in most of my destinations nowadays; that mattered more to me when I was much younger. I have always loved walking in parks because of the beautiful gardens, etc. But I think i'm much more into people watching in these places than I used to be. One of my favorite places to visit is the provincial park a short block from my home. It's grand to go for a walk in it, see...
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

PortMoresby ·
Maybe travel advice of the very concrete sort then, hotels, trains, etc. is the most satisfying for all concerned. A suggestion to slow down just may not compute, something for each of us to discover on our own. So PHeymont may be preaching to the choir...may he continue.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

DrFumblefinger ·
Good advice is good advice. People can accept it or ignore it. I'm all for freedom of choice. But sometimes an alternative needs to be presented in a clear way, as PHeymont has nicely done in this piece.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

PortMoresby ·
I don't disagree. Just pointing out the nature of human beings and, like world peace, we can wish for it while not actually expecting everyone to join in. But lessons are learned from war too and how would we feel about every tourist in town flocking to OUR park.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

GarryRF ·
I've mentioned in other pages that I love wide open spaces - like the State Delaware Park - but the designer of New York Central Park rung a Bell with me. Frederick Olmsted came to Liverpool to check out the "Peoples Garden" and he wrote in 1850 : "Five minutes of admiration, and a few more spent studying the manner in which art had been employed to obtain from nature so much beauty, and I was ready to admit that in democratic America there was nothing to be thought of as comparable with...
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

Former Member ·
It is clear that the "dumb" animals always seem to know the best places to hang out. We can never have enough parks. Nice to read that Frederick Olmsted also knew a good park when he saw one. Thanks for that info GarryRF
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

Paul Heymont ·
Garry's note about Olmsted's travels (and he was quite a traveler) set me off on a quick look to find the park he was referring to (which I didn't; apparently "people's garden" was a description rather than a name?) and found that Liverpool has more parks and especially top-class parks than any British city besides London. The article also mentioned that for reasons of health—and keeping social unrest down—the city commissioners set out on a park-building spree starting about 1833. Many...
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

GarryRF ·
Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

Paul Heymont ·
Even a certain similarity of shape...
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

GarryRF ·
Another Park from the 1850s. People would escape Liverpool for the day and travel north to Hesketh Park. 20 minutes on the train. This is taken in Mid-Winter.
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Re: Sometimes a Trip is just a Walk in the Park

DrFumblefinger ·
Originally Posted by Grouchy Gumbo: The last pic is of my cousin Priscilla, who lives in Prospect Park. I see that you gave her a little gnosh. Not that she needs it. She seems to be putting on a little extra "winter coat" this year. She has a fine home. I would really like to visit the park sometime. Grouchy, I'm curious how a squirrel manages long distance travel to visit relatives. Maybe you can enlighten us mere mortals.
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Re: Cruisers: American Cars in Stockholm

PortMoresby ·
My brother-in-law lived in Montreal, likely worse on cars than winter in Stockholm, and had a beloved classic Rover. Always a man with strict personal guidelines, at the first threat of snow into the garage and up on blocks it went. After 2 winters there myself a warm climate was the answer, no snow, no salt, no whining, his other hobby. Good thing we're anonymous here.
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Re: Finding Reiner #3: Inside Old Shadows

Mac ·
This makes a fascinating read, well done! My father-in-law Hans Esser was from Cologne (had sung as part of the choir in Cologne cathedral) and served on submarines (unwillingly) during the 2nd W.W. war. Their sub was attacked several times and finally they were forced to surrender. He was taken prisoner and interned in England. The prisoners then helped on the local farms which was where he met his future wife Vera. They married just after the end of the war and had the difficult privilege...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 29, 2014. Shira Plateau, Tanzania

DrFumblefinger ·
Hi Garry, By law, you can not climb or go on Mount Kilimanjaro without hiring a local "crew", which would include guide, cooks, porters. Most people do this as part of a travel package, as did I, which for me also included a week of wildlife viewing on the Tanzanian savanna. They take good care of you -- show you the way, warn you of dangers (mostly the altitude and dehydration), carry most of your gear and boil your water and prepare your food. So while remote, it was not a really tough...
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Re: Dynamic Currency Conversion: The Little Nibble That Can Eat Your Vacation Budget

PortMoresby ·
Very good advice. In many countries, if not all, merchants are required by law to give us a choice. But as you experienced, and I did once when this practice began, they slip it in on us and simply charge us in our home currency. I suspect some merchants have instructed their employees to do it while others are as oblivious to the consequences as their customers. But it really amounts to the same thing as going to the corner currency exchange, like in the old days before ATMs, drawn in by...
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Re: Airfare bill would roll back consumer protection

Travel Rob ·
It was a task to compare fares before the law, so I hope it doesn't revert back. Gotta love the name of the new bill. I guess it's opposite day again.
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Supreme Court asked: Do tour guides need licenses?

Paul Heymont ·
Two Federal courts, one in New Orleans and another in Washington DC have issued conflicting decisions on whether cities can require licensing of tour guides. An advocacy group, Institute for Justice, acting on behalf of a group of guides, has asked...
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Shhh! Your suitcase is disturbing my sleep!

Paul Heymont ·
Well, the headline's not a joke. The city council has passed a law taking effect next May that imposes fines up to 500€ for dragging suitcases with hard wheels along the alleys and bridges of Venice. The claim is that the noise drives everyone...
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Charleston and its Single Houses: Where Gumbo Was #79

Paul Heymont ·
TravelGumbo member Club2013, by e-mail, was the only one to correctly place Gumbo’s secret destination: Charleston, SC. He found the special characteristics in an almost generic “old town” streetscape, and hit the nail on the head....
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A Visit to Ireland: Part 1) An overview of the Country and its People

DrFumblefinger ·
I remember being in Wales several times and looking across the sea to the west, thinking that I needed to get to Ireland.  Well I finally made it, completing this journey with my brother on our annual "getaway trip"!  It was a trip we really...
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The North Cascades: a National Park and Scenic Highway

DrFumblefinger ·
The North Cascades Highway (Washington SR-20) offers the northern most route across the Cascade range in Washington state, just south of the Canadian border.  The eastern (and highest) part of the road is...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, January 24, 2015: The Secret Garden

PortMoresby ·
  Many cities have private gardens tucked away from prying eyes, although in a big city anywhere they’re an enormous luxury.  London seems to be particularly adept at hiding some pretty large outdoor spaces, just as the country as a...
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London legalizes Airbnb, similar rentals

Paul Heymont ·
Making good on its February promise  to legitimize short-term rentals up to 90 days a year in London (already permitted elsewhere in UK), the UK government's Deregulation Act has been passed in Parliament and, with the Queen's assent, become law....
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 14, 2015: Taplow House Hotel

PortMoresby ·
  Taplow House is a rambling Edwardian English country house hotel on the outskirts of the village of Taplow, not far from Windsor, across the Thames from Maidenhead.  I’ve stayed there twice, at the end of one segment of the Thames...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, March 12, 2015: King Kamehameha Statue, Kapaau, Hawaii Island, Hawaii

Ottoman ·
King Kamehameha I (1758 - 1819) conquered the Hawaiian Islands and united them to formally establish the Kingdom of Hawai ʻ i in 1810, thus founding the Kamehameha Dynasty. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha...
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A Place of Fairy Tales & Magic – The Biltmore Estate

GutterPup ·
By JP Chartier NUZZLED SNUGLY, DEEP WITHIN THE PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST AND ENCIRCLED BY MOUNTAINS THAT BREATHE BLUE SMOKE IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THIS PLACE OF FAIRY TALES AND MAGIC. The opulent and somewhat imposing French Renaissance,...
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Sharing your photos of the Eiffel Tower might be illegal

DrFumblefinger ·
Did you know those thousands of tourists in Paris who take photos of the Eiffel Tower illuminated at night and then share these images with their friends on social media are breaking the law?   Hard to comprehend, but apparently that's the...
 
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