kavey

Good one Grumble <BR> <BR>I would like to say first that I enjoy the vast majority of posts from the vast majority of posters... <BR> <BR>I have much respect and admiration for everyone already mentioned... <BR> <BR>But since Grumble is asking for one poster only... <BR> <BR>I am going to go with my feeling right here right now and pick Linda (keelx2) who really hit the nail right on the head for me with her Analysis Paralysis post, it _totally_ summed up the way I so often feel... that feeling always passes and I get into the planning but its also a feeling I am really familiar with. <BR> <BR>I also would be absolutely gutted if the Forum went off line, though we could probably set up a forum of our own on somewhere like EZBoard or some other free hosted bulletin board company... <BR> <BR>But really, I have just picked one person, but I love posts by so many many posters... <BR> <BR>/&lt;avey <BR> <BR>PS Who showed me this Rose? <BR>Was it Sally? <BR> <BR>--&lt;--&lt;--@ <BR> <BR>(ncgrrl sadly I cant take credit for this one)

Ursula

Kavey, hello from Switzerland! <BR> <BR>That rose was from me responding to your cute animal (sorry, but I cannot remember what exactly it was, sort of zebra or donkey, I guess?)! <BR> <BR>@--&gt;--&gt;--&gt;--&gt;---------------- <BR> <BR>Thanks to all of you, because you help me not to forget all about my English. <BR>

Ursula

PS: ... the longer the rose, the more expensive.. ;-) <BR> <BR>Have all a great day. Here, it's some 30°C and soo hard to work!

XXX

Let's keep this going! <BR> <BR>I like Topper for always finding the gems. With the search function as it is, Topper is priceless!

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Good thread ! I am always amazed with the depth of knowledge shared by so many of the regulars on this forum. I would like to recognize some of posters that you may not see here as often but whose contributions are so valuable. I always try to read anything I see from these Fodorites: <BR>Steve James, Cathy Lynch, Maribel, and my hero Paulo. It is the depth of their commentary that strikes me.

Dina Lydia

Although I'm a complete newbie to this post and European travel, Ben Haines was nice enough to Email me and engage in a bit of historical philosophy, plus give me some good suggestions what someone with my interests might enjoy on a trip to London. The hundreds of tips I've gleaned, from reading this board voraciously, have answered most of the questions I had about the several countries I'll travel in. Thanks!

Joe

My favorite post is Richard (Valleyankee)'s 1999 description of a trip to Italy. I tried to find it just now, and my search timed out. But I still remember it for it's freshness, good humor and sense of wonder about a new country. He combined all of this with good advice on specifics(I visited one of the restaurant's last year)and general things (e.g., eat gelato at every opportunity). In my mind it represents the best of a style of messages that this site is rich in.

Martha

Most everyone has been mentioned that I would also mention. I would like to thank Amy for her 100 best things in Iceland post. I traveled there last month and loved it. Let's all keep up the good work.

oscar

Gold star to Sheila - a great ambassador for Scotland, does not hesitate to say when somewhere is bad (eg Dundee "armpit of the world" or words to that effect) but also highlights the good and the beautiful of which there is much in Scotland! <BR> <BR>Fantastic!

kate

Oh no StCirq! Keep your hands off, I saw Capo first! He's kind, amusing, liberal. No, I'm sorry, men like this don't exist. He's probably called Carol or something in real life.. <BR> <BR>and Sheila - obviously, rightly, adores her country without being arrogant (hmmm, madonna post springs to mind)

Larry

What a delightful thread! <BR>Who kept the hooded attackers at bay? <BR>Nice things were said about nice people who have given me many reasons to smile. <BR>Thank you Rex, you're always on target. <BR>Thank you PBprovence, your postings are always filled the warmth of that beautiful region. <BR>Thank you Capo for making me laugh out loud! <BR>Sorry, I guess I was only supposed to choose one. Please forgive me. I'll go back to being a quiet observer. <BR> <BR>Larry

Lila

I love this thread! Being a Fodor.com ADDICT, I think I have read every message 2 times. It is refreshing to hear such positive comments! I planned a trip to Italy last year and one for France and Italy this October. I could not have done it without everyone! What did one do before Fodors.com? Rex, the way I discovered this site, I was researching for one of my previous trips and wondered if Fodors had a web site and Viola! Thank you to all mentioned above and not mentioned (but giving good advice)! I would also like to give a vote to Surlok. I always take her suggestions seriously. They are well written very informative and to the point. Merci and Grazie!

Capo

*LOL* Kate! Actually, I believe Sally saw me first...and I understand she's pretty tenacious so watch out! :~) <BR> <BR>And, of all the names you could've picked for a woman's name, you made a serendipitous choice, since Carol is the name of my younger sister. If you ever visit Sun Valley, Idaho, go the the Chamber of Commerce, and ask for the executive director; that would be her (I'm extremely proud of her!) <BR> <BR> <BR>Seeing Ger's name on here reminded me of how much I loved her "Bridget Jones" posts from one of my favorite European cities, Barcelona; very inspired, creative, informative and funny! <BR> <BR>And here's a toast to Fodor :~), for providing this forum in the first place (I assume, but I don't know...was there a person named Fodor who started Fodors?)

Marcia

I would like to thank Pedro from Sevilla. He has helped me tremendously with my itinerary, etc. for Spain and has been most gracious and informative. Also, a big thank you to St.Cirq for her extremely informative info for the Paris part of my vacation. We will be leaving Sept. 5th & I couldn't have done it without all you Fodorites.

Funny for Grumpy

Here is the lost paragraph in GENESIS.... <BR>So God asked Adam, "What is wrong with you?" <BR>Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to. <BR>God said that he was going to make Adam a companion and that it would be a woman. <BR>God said, "This person will gather food for you, and when you discover clothing she'll wash it for you. She will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache and will freely give you love and passion when ever you need it." <BR>Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?" <BR>God replied, "An arm and a leg." <BR>Then Adam asked, "What can I get for a rib?" <BR>And the rest is history. <BR>

s.fowler

Thank you Capo <BR> So girls --- back off! You'll get your chance if I can't keep him happy <BR> <BR>As for ONE fodorite to say something nice about -- that's imposssible. All of the above mentioned would have to be included. The generousity of fodorites is incredible. So just let me say something nice about ALL fodorites -- yes even Inky

Amy

Thought it was time to up this "upper", so here's one of my heroes: Pedro, for lovely detailed information and always a civilized tone. Of course, as so many others have said, just one is not enough! Thanks to all of you who have taken time to help, inform, inspire, or just be silly.

ALW

We should have a Capo treasure hunt -- whoever finds him gets first dibs ;-) (-; <BR> <BR>Here's some info on the original Fodor: <BR> <BR>"Let's start with the pronunciation: it rhymes with "motor" and it's the surname of our founder Eugene Fodor, who pioneered the concept of the modern guidebook. Fodor thought the travel guides of his day were uninspiring collections of facts and figures. To correct this obsolete approach to the diverse world of travel, he wrote 1936... On the Continent -- The Entertaining Travel Annual, a guide to Europe. <BR> <BR>The first Fodor's guidebook, which debuted in 1936, made three important innovations. First, it went beyond reporting about the sights and included information about Europe's culture and people. (As Fodor noted in the introduction, "Rome contains not only magnificent monuments, but also Italians.") Second, Fodor included practical information for the modern traveler. Readers didn't find dull, irrelevant facts, like the square footage of an ancient monument, but they did find information about what size tip to leave at a Viennese caf?. Third, On the Continent was an annual guide. No more showing up at a hotel only to find that it had closed three years before. Fodor's readers would have the most current information."

Capo

Thanks for the info about Fodor, ALW. <BR> <BR>Re: '(As Fodor noted in the introduction, "Rome contains not only magnificent monuments, but also Italians.")' <BR> <BR>*LOL*, sounds like Eugene had a pretty droll sense of humor...my kind of guy! <BR> <BR>I just found this quote on Fodors website: <BR> <BR>"The joy of travel should not be derived solely from seeing the sights, but from mingling with peoples whose customs, habits, and general outlook are different from your own." -- Eugene Fodor, 1936 <BR> <BR>You also made me curious about the origin of the word "dibs", so I looked it up. Interesting, never heard of "dibstones" before, and I wonder exactly what "jacks" means in this context? <BR> <BR>Etymology: short for dibstones (jacks), from obsolete dib (to dab) <BR>Date: 1812 <BR>1. slang: money especially in small amounts 2. Claim, Rights &lt;I have dibs on that piece of cake&gt;

s.fowler

Great stuff about Fodors. <BR> <BR>And it's "dibs" as in I have dibs on Capo