Thanks, "topper" whoever you are! <BR> <BR>I'm clearly new to the board, with respect to a lot of other very talented and friendly "regulars" here. I started coming here in early November, thanks to Ben Haines who let me know about this from the Thorn Tree (www.lonelyplanet.com) - - so I have a one-month "anniversary" of sorts coming up soon. I will hit 100 posts soon. <BR> <BR>I am from Westerville, Ohio (NE corner of Columbus), and I have roots in "Kentuckiana" - - all those from Louisville and southern Indiana will know that term. <BR> <BR>I am a semi-retired physician (not so much rich as prefer traveling over working!), gradually trying to migrate into a new part-time career as a small groups tour operator (Europe only). I won't plug myself anymore than that. <BR> <BR>I have been traveling to Europe since I was 15 (1969); I love languages, kids and all things gastronomic. I collect travel articles (mostly from newspapers on the web), so feel free to ask me if you want to locate something you think you've seen, but can no longer find. Stuff on newspaper sites is impossible to find on conventional search engines, and a lot of it scrolls off into cyber-limbo or into a pay-archive. I'm thinking about starting a bibliographic database (like a "Medline" for travel articles, if you know this model in the medical world), but I have a lot of "annotations" to write. <BR> <BR>I hope it's okay to put in a plug for www.allexperts.com - - I'm telling everyone who writes to me there that they should come here as well. <BR> <BR>Best wishes to all, <BR> <BR>Rex

To the top gain--this one is a classic!

Here's another European! <BR> <BR>I live near Chester in the NW of England and work at an Oceanographic Laboratory (www.pol.ac.uk. <BR>Travel is my hobby and during 1999 I have managed 3 weeks in South Africa/Swaziland, plus trips to Iceland, Barcelona and Geneva. My favourite place (so far!) is India plus a memorable trip driving down the US West Coast from Seattle to Los Angeles a couple of years ago. <BR> <BR>My fellow travellers - I salute you! <BR> <BR>John

Hi Folks. I've been away off this site for a few more months. I just couldn't believe this thread is still going. Hi everyone new. As I am now starting to plan next year's trip to Europe, I am back with questions. . I intend to travel to France and ??? next August-November. Keep this up, nice to see more Aussies too. Denise <BR>

Hi Everyone, <BR>I am new to this forum, but have quickly become an avid reader. I am a 41 year old lawyer living in Northwest Florida. I enjoy traveling alone and with my 70something parents. I would travel more if I didn't have to work! I look forward to retirement, I think.

We are retired, live in Seattle, and have travelled all over the known world with the exception of alaska, S. America and austrailia. It's a bug that bites..every time I get home from an ardous trip, I swear NO MORE, then am ready to go in a few months. Have enjoyed Spain a great deal, Great Britian, Louisanna, aresome of my favorites. Tired of the Med, but spending time in Portugal this winter. We should start a "chat room" I am surprised at the response. Stay in touch.

It was a great idea Denise ! <BR>I´m from BRASIL - Rio de Janeiro and <BR>love to travel. <BR>I´have been to Europe twice and I used <BR>this site a lot <BR>

Hi Denise, <BR> <BR>I cannot resist adding to this thread... <BR> <BR>I'm from Ireland and adore travelling. I've had an incredibly lucky life so far in that I had the opportunity to live in the US for 4 years (Santa Clara, CA and Austin, TX respectively. Don't ask me which I preferred - I loved both and sometimes would go back tomorrow.) With my job, I visited most of the West Coast of the US and the Far East as well. But now, as many can probably understand, the desire to live in Ireland again proved too strong so now I'm working for yet another major US company but unfortunately no travel. <BR> <BR>I visit this site as often as I can - merely to browse but sometimes to give advice on places I've been to ( I've travelled a bit in Europe and Oz as well) <BR> <BR>I haven't travelled in 18 months now and the wanderlust is hitting me bigtime. Unfortunately, my friends have neither the cash or time to travel, and since I do not relish the thought of travelling by myself, I've consigned myself to reading this site and accomanying you all on your various trips. <BR> <BR>Nevertheless, I will travel again and without a doubt I'll be looking for advice so be warned. <BR> <BR>Slan, <BR> <BR>Fiona.

Hi Denise! <BR> I am originally from Erie, PA., but now I live in Cincinnati. I do forensic research for the University of Cincinnati. Traveling is my favorite thing to do and I try to see two new countries every year. <BR>

I just saw that this great old thread has reappeared so I'd like to say hello from the bottom of the thread pile in message 169. <BR> <BR>My husband, Scott, and I live in beautiful (yes, it's raining) Portland, Oregon and have grown children in LA, Berkeley and Chicago/England. Last year we left our "straight" jobs and started a travel-related business. We work to travel, as many of you do, and we've been lucky enough to find a way to combine the two. We go to Europe twice a year for six weeks each time, once a year to the UK and Ireland and then, a few months later, to France and Italy. We work hard while we're there, but we're there. <BR> <BR>We don't consider ourselves experts, but we are energetic enthusiasts. I have been reading this forum for a few months and am often awestruck by the knowledge of specifics that many of you have--I learn much from you and I hope that, occasionally, Scott or I can contribute something that might help. <BR> <BR>Happy New Year to you all--and happy travels. <BR> <BR>Jeanne <BR>

Hello! I am a stay at home mother that just went back to school and my husband is in the Military. We love to travel and have had the wonderful fortune of living in England for 3 1/2 years. We traveld all over England and loved every part we saw. We have also lived in Hawaii and were able to travel to the other islands. Travelling is a wonderful way to see the world and meet new people!

Hello fellow Fodorites! I'm 34 and live in Atlanta, GA although I'm originally from Fair Lawn, NJ. After graduating from the U of Michigan in 1987, my parents rewarded my 4 years of hard work and cheering for the Wolverines with a trip to Europe. I always enjoyed travelling but as a History major I was especially excited. Needless to say, 5 weeks with nothing but a backpack, Eurail pass and a couple of close friends changed my life. I've been back many times since and have been to: England (all over), Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Holland, Belgium, France (mainly Paris and Riviera), Italy (mostly the big 3 and the ski resorts), Austria, Germany and Switzerland. When I moved to Atlanta in 1992, I had the opportunity to ski a small resort (Hopfgarten) in Austria since a friend of mine was managing some chalets for Contiki. Since then, I've organized a Europe ski trip every year with groups as large as 28 last year. I married a nice Jewish girl from Montreal in 1997 and we spent our first New Year's Eve together on the Champs d'Elyse (as part of our honeymoon) before a couple of days in London and meeting 18 close friends in the Dolomites for a week of extraordinary skiing. This was my wife's first trip to Europe and she's hooked. I work as a healthcare marketing executive and, while I mostly enjoy my work, my true passion would be similar to Bob the Navigator, and start a tour operator company that specializes in Europe skiing and specialty trips to Europe (e.g. educational travel for HS and college, religious tours, etc.). I hope to bring my wife to Paris, Florence and the other cities I love when the weather is a bit nicer than during ski season, but skiing is one of the top 3 things in my life. We now have an 8-week old daughter and plan to bring her next year when "SkiIzzy" returns with a Waltz Ball in Vienna, and training it to Zell am See for a week of the white powdery stuff. Hope to hear from you in the future, even thought I'm probably not quite as seasoned as most.

This one will not die !

Hello Denise, <BR> <BR>I agree I don't think this thread will die. <BR> <BR>My first (and not last) trip to Paris was last month and discovered this forum a little before that. I am very gratefully for all the advice I received from the "experts" from Chocolates to places to buy CDS. I was the last member of my family to visit Paris - Glad I made it before the unofficial millennium (really millennium starts on 2001). My family are heavy-duty world travellers. I travelled Asia rather extensively mostly to compete during my Junior Tennis Years. I competed in Hongkong, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Singapore. Recently I've been to Japan with my husband. I am originally from Manila, Philippines but have now lived most of my life in Orange County, California. My husband prefers to see the United States. We've visited quite a few states, national parks, backroads, cities etc. I have been to a total of 24 states having started traveling the continent prior to meeting my husband. <BR>I am a Software Test Engineer, my hubby is a Computer Systems Administrator. <BR> <BR>I plan on taking my husband to Paris as a present this coming Spring. <BR> <BR>Louisa Lara (pen name)

I've been a regular on the topic of Prague for a while now, a self-appointed goodwill ambassador. I was born here in Prague, left after the Prague Spring when I was just a kid, and have now been back for over 6 years. I just love this city. When I'm not reading Fodors, I'm one of those high-tech marketing types. I co-founded a little sofware company here just over two years ago, and we recently sold it to a US-based firm. After the holidays and some sad goodbyes with family and friends, I'm headed back to the States. A great career opportunity in the US is calling. I doubt I'll be away from Europe for long though; it's in my blood (as it seems to be in all of yours, too). I hope to always find a way to have the flexibility to live abroad. It might be tougher the next time -- by then I'm likely to have a husband and kids in tow -- but living oversesas is an amazing experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Coming up on the one year anniversary of this thread, thought I'd chip in my two cents. I am 37, and a cardiologist in Toledo, Ohio, soon to be in Ann Arbor, MI. I have been to Italy 3 times in the past 18 months, and have been taking tutoring in Italian. I have found the Italians (if I may generalize) very warm and encouraging as I practice my Italian with them. <BR>I tend to look for places that are out-of-the-way, or go in the off-season to avoid the crush of peak tourist season. I visited Bellagio, Rapallo, and Siena/Florence in early October. I am planning a trip to Lake Orta in May, and will probably head for Italy frequently over the next several years. Just a current passion- so many great areas, islands, lakes to see. <BR>Denise, thanks for prompting this thread. It's a great way to inject a bit of community into the anonymity of the web. I have found the people on the forum to be a remarkably knowledgeable group, and a great way to get past the highlights-only approach that guidebooks must limit themselves to. I contribute when I can, but I'm usually poorly motivated when I finish at 8 or 9 pm. <BR>Ciao.

Hello. I'm from the Seattle area, am in my mid-fifties and work as a reference librarian - and you know what my favorite questions are about! I've traveled in Europe a lot since my family moved to Rome in 1961. They lived there for many years although I returned to college after a year or so. I've made many long and short visits since then, sometimes visiting family (my sister married first an Italian and then a German, children with both) and sometimes traveling. In the last 10 years my companion Peter and I have made 9 trips in Europe and one to India. Our favorite country by far is Italy for a variety of reasons but we have also enjoyed traveling in Spain and southern Germany. This year we went to Taormina, Siracuse and Lipari in the Aeolian Islands (all in Sicily) and then to the Dolomites in the far North. We pride ourselves on traveling on a budget and have roughly been able to average about $100-$110 a day for room and meals for the 2 of us. We have a great time and stay in wonderful, well located atmostpheric places and there are only a few we wouldn't return to. I do a lot of research ahead of time - guidebooks, internet, tourist offices. Sometimes the beds sag and the towels are thin, but when we go out the door, we are just where we want to be! I've gotten some really good tips in this forum that I am filing away - I always have at least a couple of trips in the planning. Thanks to everyone.

what about you?

I'm in my late 20's and originated in the "thumb area" of Michigan. I moved to Ketchikan, Alaska when I was 21, where I adored every moment of my 4 years there. I then moved to Seattle, where I finished my degree at the Univ. of Washington and met my English husband in Pioneer Square. Last year for my husband's job we moved to Dordrecht, Netherlands (near Rotterdam) and in January of this year we moved to Stans, Switzerland (near Luzern). <BR> <BR>The past 2 years have seen us travel all over the U.S., Australia, and Europe. I feel very fortunate to be able to live here and experience the European lifestyle. (It's quite a bonus to be able to go to Bellagio for the day like we did last weekend!). <BR> <BR>My husband and I are outdoor fanatics. We enjoy snowboarding, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, surfing, climbing, and mountain biking. Of course we're in heaven here:) <BR> <BR>If you're interested in some travelogues and pictures of where we've been - http://www.geocities.com/mathews_dalton/ <BR> <BR>Happy travels

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