Carol

With a nod to Wes, let's hear your amusing incidents.

lbb

When my friend and I traveled to Germany in March of 1999 we were in Cologne. We had just spent some time in the Art museum and noticed a lot of armed guards as we left. We joked that it was because we got to close to the paintings inside. <BR><BR>We didn't think about again. We went down to the marketplatz and got a glass of wine and a sandwich. It was a gorgeous day so we sat in the outside cafe. There was a band softly playing some kind of turkish music. <BR><BR>In the distance we started to hear this chant. Ah la la la la---------. The Marketplatz filled with women dressed in middle eastern wear. (Some had their very best on. Veils covered in sequins) They were all carrying signs that had a man on them that looked like Saddam on them. <BR><BR>The Swat team was right behind them. They had machine guns. The news media was there also. <BR><BR>We asked our waiter if we should go but he said that it was a Kurd protest. The protester were from Turkey and they would be kicked out of the country if they started any violence. <BR><BR>So we decided to enjoy our wine and enjoy the entertainment. We got a little nervous when the Swat team ordered beer. Beer in one hand, machine gun in the other. That is if they didn't set the gun down to enjoy their sandwich. <BR><BR>We noticed that everyone that didn't look middle eastern had gotten up to leave but our waiter wouldn't come back to our table so we could get our check. <BR><BR>We handled it with humor. When we saw the people hanging out of one of the windows we started to sing, Don't cry for me Argentina. Finally we had to go inside track down our waiter and pay inside. <BR><BR>We thought that it was a neat experience and we even took some pictures. Young, niave, inexperienced we never even knew we had been in danger. <BR><BR>Three days later watching the BBC we saw that it had turned violent. Another group protesting the same thing earlier in the month had a 15 year old girl set her self on fire. <BR><BR>I don't know if this is what you meant by amusing but it certainly amused our familys when we returned home.

mimi taylor

I have a hobby. On vacation, I take photos of the cats and dogs I meet. Our last day and night was spent at a bread and breakfast in Normandy. I put down my handbag to snap a picture of the family cat basking under a tree. The dog of the household came along and picked up my bag and ran off with it(passport, money) My husband chased after him and reclaimed it. Thee next day, as I packed our luggage in the car

mimi

<BR>As I was packing the luggage in the car, I tucked the map( that I had traced our trip across France with a highlite marker)into the pocket of the door. The dog stole that map. We never found it and time ran out, we had to leave to be on time for our flight.<BR>After develpoing our pictures, we were laughing to see the dog walking off with my handbag as I snapped the cat's photo.<BR>

anne

Mimi,<BR>I also take pics of dogs on trips, especially if they have run of the hotel or some such thing. In Whitby, England we stayed at a very old wonderful Inn. The Inn keeper had a huge,fat staffordshire dog who waited patiently in the lounge for guests to finish breakfast(sausages,bacon,eggs....) Well we could never finish all that food. As soon as we were safely out of range the dog proceeded to lick clean every plate on the table. Then she went back to her Red velvet couch to wait for the next unsuspecting diner!! <BR>WE have pics of her,and I have to smile!

carol

Speaking of Dogs: In the Marais in Paris is the fantastic deli of Joe Goldenbergs. They have 3 family boxers who join you at table. I have a pix of this very well behaved boxer sitting just like a person (sort of like those ads where they insert the dog head)...sat with us the whole meal.

Figaro

Just this month we were in Rome. On our last morning there we had just enough time for a quick walk before our driver was to pick us up. We walked around Garibaldi Park and on the route back I saw a man and woman, walking 2 dogs walk down a small side street and hang a left through an archway and into a &quot;park&quot;. I said &quot;Oh, lets go see what's in there! Hubby tried to stop me, but I was off... into the &quot;park&quot; following the path, when the 9 foot gate shut behind us locking us in... guess it was a private park. Now we only had an hour to get back to the hotel and catch our ride... fortunately a couple were walking in this park and with lots of sign language I was able to ask them to open the gate and let us out. Hubby won't let me forget it...