Watcha Doin' - 2019 Showing 1,651-1,700 of 2,486

[Janice, Moderator]

How frustrating, Kristie!

[Sandra, Moderator]

Uff, Kristie! I hope it got solved.

[Kristie, Moderator]

It was very frustrating. I did get it straightened out (I hope!). It was just a hassle to have to go change all my accounts.

Honestly, it seems like a lot of work to hack into someone’s Netflix just to steal a days worth of streaming.

[Sarah]

I got back from my holiday at the weekend. Austria is a very beautiful country. So many lakes and they are all turquoise blue and clear as anything - water that you'd expect around the Mediterranean sea, not an inland lake. We had a swim in one of them on the hottest day we were there. The mountain ranges were magnificent. We went up a mountain railway to the top of one of the peaks and it gave us an amazing view of all the surrounding lakes and mountains. Truly breathtaking. We also went on a boat trip around the biggest of the lakes and visited some of the local villages. It was a very peaceful holiday - exactly what I needed. We had some great food too which I will be trying to make now I'm back. Unfortunately, my abdominal pain got worse while I was away which took away some of the enjoyment at times. But it was a great holiday and it was nice to see our friends.

Glad you had a great holiday Peggy. That app looks pretty cool!

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm glad you had a wonderful holiday, Sarah, in spite of the intermittent stomach pain. I'd love to see Austria in the summer. We went skiing there and the winterscapes were beautiful.

[Sarah]

Thanks Janice. I was saying to my friends actually that the mountains would be amazing to see in the winter. But actually, I think they are stunning in every season. The variation of trees around there would make it very colourful in the autumn and it was so lush and green in the Summer. I've only ever been to Vienna before which is beautiful in its own way so it was nice to have a contrast out in sticks.

[Janice, Moderator]

Did you go to Salzburg this time? It's one of my all time favourite cities.

[Sarah]

Janice wrote: "Did you go to Salzburg this time? It's one of my all time favourite cities."

No. We flew in to Vienna and drove over to Steinbach am Attersee where we stayed. Also visited Unterach, Weyregg, St Gilgan and St Wolfgang. All small towns/villages. We crossed into the district of Salzburg, maybe even some of the above are in it too but we never went into the city. Another time! I've heard lots of good things about it .

[Sandra, Moderator]

Salzburg is beautiful, and I'd like to visit it again. But the countryside is also spectacular. When we visited in 2012 we just set the GPS to avoid highways and saw incredible small villages. Not only in Austria but also I'm Switzerland and France. We had to drive from Trieste (Italy) to Marseille (France). We drove first to Salzburg, but after that we just do all the way through The Alps on smaller routes, not highways. It took 9 days and it was one of the best trips I've done.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Food is awesome too. ;)

[Janice, Moderator]

We stayed in Maria Alm which is a small town. It more than doubles its population during ski season. We did our shopping in Saalfelden which is a bit larger of a centre. When you talked about a big lake, I immediately thought of Zell am See where we saw people curling on the ice. It was one of the more memorable holidays that we went on.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Travel is the best thing in the world...

[Lisa]

Sarah wrote: "I got back from my holiday at the weekend. Austria is a very beautiful country. So many lakes and they are all turquoise blue and clear as anything - water that you'd expect around the Mediterranea..."

Glad you had a great holiday, Sarah.

[Sarah]

Sandra wrote: "Travel is the best thing in the world..."

Agreed!

And yes the food was pretty good. On occasions, it was a little tricky being vegetarian but our Austrian speaking friends were able to navigate things for us especially when the menus did not display English. Quite a lot of soups which are seemingly made of vegetables still have meat broth. But I loved everything I ate.

[Sarah]

I was able to get fitted in for an ultrasound tomorrow so hopefully, I'll have some idea of what is causing the increase in pain. We're in the middle of nowhere so it's going to take me an age to get there and back with loads of hanging about so I should get plenty of reading in. I can catch up a bit as I don't seem to have read so much this week due to one thing or another.

[Kristie, Moderator]

That’s great, Sarah. Let us know how it goes. Are the pain meds helping in the meantime?

[Sarah]

Yes they are thanks Kristie. I was able to go into work today to see clients which is good.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Great, Sarah. This has been going on for too long. It is better to see what is happening.

[Lisa]

Good luck with the ultrasound, Sarah. Let us know how you get on.

[Peggy]

Question, as we have people from all over the world here.

For Rob and me, one of our favourite things to do as a holiday is roadtripping (usually for 2-2.5 weeks as that is all that our vacation days allow) and a little hiking in the outdoors. We love mountains, lakes, glaciers, forests, rugged coasts.. anything basically. We also prefer it when it's not too hot (let's say 15-25C) and not too crowded. Iceland, Norway and New Zealand are among our favourites, and I expect that for example Scotland, Wales, and Canada would fit the bill too.

It's not too hard to find destinations like this. However, as it is always during Dutch summer that we make these trips, I feel like I miss out on 'real' summer. I also love to just relax in almost guaranteed warm (but not too humid) weather (let's say 25-33C), not to worry about what to wear. Just put on a dress and flip-flops and that's it. Wander about cute towns a little, have a drink or dinner outside a cafe, do some people watching. Perhaps spend some time on a beach, although we're not really that much into just lying on the beach or at the pool and doing nothing. I could do it for an afternoon or two, with a good book, but Rob gets bored after 2 hours (although he does like to just splash around in the ocean).

I've been thinking about this for a while and am not sure if I know of any countries or areas that offer both. At least not in Europe, but I'm not as familiar with other continents. So I figured I ask here, as perhaps there are areas like this in the US or Canada or on other continents? Of course we could go to Wales for 10 days and then from there fly to Italy, but I would prefer not to include an additional flight to another country.

Do you have any ideas of places where you can roadtrip in the relatively cool and quiet outdoors for 1.5-2 weeks in July or August, and where you can then drive to a (coastal) area that's warmer to just relax for a day or 3?

[Janice, Moderator]

The first thought that came to mind was Banff and Jasper. The mountains are beautiful, but it's very busy in the summer. If you wanted to go to the mountains, late May would be a good time. I go to Jasper the first weekend of June and the first weekend in October every year for a weekend getaway. That's considered "off season". October has a risk of snow in the mountains.

Vancouver Island would be a good choice. There is a lot to see and do there. Some of the smaller islands that are a ferry ride away would be fun to explore.

Then, I got thinking that a great area to visit would be the Maritimes - Nova Scotia (make sure you visit Peggy's Cove), Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland. I can't vouch for how busying it would be during the summer. I've visited Nova Scotia but it was late September. Maybe some of the other Canadians know better.

[Peggy]

Thanks Janice! Do those areas also have like a warmer part where you can just relax in the sun?

Jasper and Banff are on the top of my bucket list. I actually think it might be okay in terms of how busy it is (but I might be wrong!). I'm trying to avoid Eiffeltower crowds, or places where it's so busy everyone's in your way all the time, and you have to walk with hundreds of people through a small street at the same time, and all the tourists cause traffic jams on small roads.

[Margo]

I finally got to see that dermatologist. His words of wisdom were that there are only 2 cures for psoriasis; dovonex ointment and tar. Yes, tar!
I use the ointment in the morning and at night, I will use a mix of tar and ointment. The pharmacist is making up this mix for me and it should be ready tomorrow. I've been warmed that it is gooey and smelly and i will have to dump my bedding when I'm finished. I am to use it for 3 months and then go back to him. I am not looking forward to this.

[Peggy]

That doesn't sound very pleasurable Margo. But if it works, I'm sure it will be worth it!

[Lisa]

Margo wrote: "I finally got to see that dermatologist. His words of wisdom were that there are only 2 cures for psoriasis; dovonex ointment and tar. Yes, tar!
I use the ointment in the morning and at night, I w..."

Doesn't sound the most pleasant of treatments, Margo. Fingers crossed it works and you get some much needed relief.

[Sarah]

Peggy, how about Chile? I have always wanted to go there. On one side of the country is beautiful coastland and the other is a mountain range with snow! It's a long, thin country too so perhaps the south is a little cooler than the north (you'd need to check), so might cover all bases for you.

If you decide to go to Wales, there are some stunning places there. Flying into Bristol would allow you the opportunity to drive over the Seven bridge which spans the Seven estuary into Wales. Cardigan bay is lovely - we went there a few years back and there is a large pod of dolphins, seals, jellyfish and sea bird colonies all along the harbour and bay there. Snowdonia is beautiful as is Bala Lake in the north. Port Einon area is also very nice from what I recall.

[Sarah]

Ultrasound didn't show anything that could be causing the pain. At least it's nothing sinister but doesn't help me much. So now I'm waiting for the doctor to call me to discuss next steps. Hopefully they'll refer me on to a specialist. The ultrasound person said that scans don't pick up things like endometriosis so the specialist can explore those avenues. I really hope they speed things along for me as I'm not sure how long I can manage with the severity of the pain.

[Lisa]

That’s very frustrating, Sarah. At least it’s nothing sinister so that’s one less thing to have to worry about. Hopefully the specialist will be able to give you some answers and some help. Just keep pestering them if they take too long. I can say from personal experience that it helps to make a bit of a nuisance of yourself sometimes, otherwise you can end up waiting months and months to get seen.

[Kristie, Moderator]

So sorry you have to go through this Sarah. I’m glad the scan showed nothing serious, but hope you find some answers soon.

[Peggy]

Sarah wrote: "Peggy, how about Chile? I have always wanted to go there. On one side of the country is beautiful coastland and the other is a mountain range with snow! It's a long, thin country too so perhaps the..."

Thanks Sarah! Chile sounds like a good idea indeed, would love to go there someday! We're not quite sure yet how far we want to go.. stay within Europe, or perhaps Eastern Canada which also isn't that far. But Chile is probably at least 12 hours or something without stops. Oh, and it's in the southern hemisphere so perhaps a bit cold in July?

Wales has a very good chance of becoming our next destination! Thanks for the tips! I was also thinking of flying to Bath or Oxford (not sure where the airports in the UK are exactly), do the Cotswolds for a few days, and then drive on to Wales.

[Peggy]

Sarah wrote: "Ultrasound didn't show anything that could be causing the pain. At least it's nothing sinister but doesn't help me much. So now I'm waiting for the doctor to call me to discuss next steps. Hopefull..."

So good news and bad news I guess. I hope the specialist can discover what it is. My sister has endometriosis and she has had very severe abdominal pains in the past.

[Sarah]

@Peggy re other stops in UK. Nearest airport to Bath is Bristol and nearest airport to Oxford in Heathrow (maybe Luton). It's not a long drive from one side of the country to the other. The Cotswolds are lovely. As is the Forest of Dean (on route to Wales). If you end up in the Bristol/Bath area, perhaps we can meet for a drink! And maybe Chile would be a good wintertime holiday then as you can catch some winter sun then!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Piffle. Far North Queensland and Broome are in the Southern Hemisphere, and they average 30 degrees in July. It's not the hemisphere, it's where in the hemisphere. And if you stay on the coast in most of Australia continuing the example, you usually won't hit below 15. It just gets cold as you head in land.

Chile's a good call, and I am sure our local experts from South America could give other cool ideas there, like Brazil maybe? Parts of Africa? Tanzania for example, hiking around Lake Victoria and then spend some days relaxing in Zanzibar? Or Mozambique? Maybe some of the Stans or other ex-USSR countries? I have friends driving through Kazakhstan at the moment, but maybe Georgia or Azerbaijan. Relax then on the Black or Caspian Sea?

Really, most of Eastern Europe. Croatia seems a great fit but I think you've been there. But maybe the lesser visited countries like Albania, or Bulgaria (Kirila could help out there), or Romania? Apparently Romanian wine is great.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Margo, tar?!? Like what we put on the road? Welp, whatever works!!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sorry you didn't get any answers today, Sarah. But at least they ruled out the things that can be seen on the ultrasound.

[Janice, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "Thanks Janice! Do those areas also have like a warmer part where you can just relax in the sun?

Jasper and Banff are on the top of my bucket list. I actually think it might be okay in terms of how..."

Jasper and Banff get really busy in the summer. Lots of tourists will rent RV's - for pictures https://www.canadream.com/ - and the highways are plugged with them. The speed limit is 70-90 kmh. It's just frustrating. I don't know if it's "Eifel Tower busy", but I'd wager that it's close. Best time to come to avoid all that is May/June or Sep/Oct. If you want to ski, by all means come in the winter.

As for the other locations (Vancouver Island and the Maritimes), they are coastal and have lots of beaches. I hear PEI has some beautiful spots. I just don't think our beaches compare to others. You'd be better off at some of the lakes to get nice sunny beaches, like in the Okanagan.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah, I hope the specialist can find what's causing the pain.

[Peggy]

Thanks Rus! Eastern Europe and the Balkans tends to get very hot in summer. Parts of it at least. I looked into Montenegro but it gets up to 35-40C there in August. Silly comment on my part about the hemispheres now that I think of it. It's not as if Iceland and Morrocco have the same temps in any season.

I hadn't expected it too be that crowded Janice! I'll save it for when I have the luxury again of taking my holidays when I wish. I'm going to look into Eastern Canada though!

@Sarah: thanks for the info! I'll let you know if we end up there.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Ultrasound didn't show anything that could be causing the pain. At least it's nothing sinister but doesn't help me much. So now I'm waiting for the doctor to call me to discuss next steps. Hopefull..."

I hope it doesn't take long to find the problem and start treatment, Sarah.

[Margo]

@Sarah, sorry to hear you're in bother. I tried to follow the message trail back to your original post but failed. Whatever the problem is I echo Lisas advise - make noise of you won't get anything done!

[Esther]

Janice wrote: "The first thought that came to mind was Banff and Jasper. The mountains are beautiful, but it's very busy in the summer. If you wanted to go to the mountains, late May would be a good time. I go to..."

If you think Quebec, forget the warmer on the coast, it is usually colder there. But really lovely (https://www.tourisme-gaspesie.com/en/)

This being said, there is s a lot of nice hiking spots around here (https://www.sepaq.com/).

Weather is usually cool (no comments Pragya!!!!), especially in August.

[Cherie]

I hope your troubles get sorted sooner, Sarah.

[Cherie]

I am going on vacation for the next 10 days. I will be driving down to Southern Oregon to stay with my sister in Grants Pass again. I did not use all of my vacation time last year, so I am making sure I do not have any days left over this year.

I will probably not be on-line much and who knows how much reading I will get done while I am there, but I am taking a couple of books with me anyway. I have two audio books to listen to while I am driving.

[Janice, Moderator]

Esther wrote: "If you think Quebec, forget the warmer on the coast, it is usually colder there. But really lovely."

Quebec City is one of my top two favourite cities in Canada. The other is Victoria.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Which audio books do you have Cherie?

[Cherie]

Kristie - I have Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton, narrated by John Bedford Lloyd. - great voice! I also have European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Gods. It is narrated by Kate Redding. This is the second book in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athens Club series. I loved the first one.

[Cherie]

That was Athena Club.

[Shirley]

Peggy wrote: "Question, as we have people from all over the world here.

For Rob and me, one of our favourite things to do as a holiday is roadtripping (usually for 2-2.5 weeks as that is all that our vacation ..."I suggest the south-east Queensland/ northern New South Wales area in Australia. The coast here has the most beautiful beaches of anywhere in the world. The hinterland is rainforest and cute little country towns galore. Also National Parks for bushwalking. What do you think Rusalka?

We have a small 2-bed holiday unit at Pottsville, New South Wales, and you would be welcome to use it gratis if you decided to holiday here. Checkout this website for tourist info. https://visitthetweed.com.au/ It’s a long way to fly and expensive, but free accommodation and a local knowledge guide (me) makes it a little more attractive.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Shirley wrote: "What do you think Rusalka?"

100% agree. Very mild in winter, so beaches are still great options, but you can still wander around and hike without getting too hot. Perfect place to come spend a few weeks, and able to see so much of Aus.

Although, Peggy may have explored SE QLD/NSW already. I believe she an Rob spent a year over here a while back. But then, maybe they are due back a visit...

I didn't realise you had a place in the Tweed, Shirley. What a lovely place in the world! Lexx's sister has just moved there from Brissy.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Peggy wrote: "Silly comment on my part about the hemispheres now that I think of it. It's not as if Iceland and Morrocco have the same temps in any season."

Hehe it's easy to forget, but my badly made point was also that we are all located down here a lot closer to the equator than you guys in the north are.

If you want to entertain other far away places who will be in dry season here, then maybe some Pacific islands could be worth a visit too. Hop over a few in a couple of weeks. Would still be warm, but you could do some hikes without dissolving into puddles like you do in the wet season.

And I had no idea the Balkans and some of Eastern Europe got that hot! See. We're all learning things :D