Dear Snidely, <BR> When you say that you dropped a turd, did it fall from your hands or from your rectum?

Dear lonesome Tom, actually the turd was dropped out of your mouth.

Mydaughter told me it's time I jointed the computer age and logged me onto her laptop, internet and Fodors. I've lost you 3 times already and think itstrange the e-mail is named after the c at, although he's avery fine cat indeed. <BR> <BR>I'm at my daughter's a Georgian town house in the centre of Chjester, a city in the NW of England. It has 3 floors, a bit tiring for my old legs. From the back window there are glimpses of the roman wall that surrounds chester. parts are original and were built by the 21st Roman legion. Past htat is the Roodee , Chesters horse racing course which was once a waterway where Roman galley's used to tie up. It's possible that the flat bottom boats built by the Romans to invade Anglesey were built in the garden here. From the front windwo I can see the roof and spires of Chester cathedral and am no more than a minute from the Rows. The area the house is built on was in medieval times the place where apprentices of the various guilds used to live and work. A wall was built around the area, I like to think to stop them ladding iton the town. The householders here still maintain the wall. In front ius a lovely little Elizabethan style black and white house, built in 1600 something - I'll jave to look now I've thought about it. Later on I may walk down to the River Dee and have a pint. For those who didn't sound happy yesterday I wish uyo could come along, it would cheer you up. Thank you. Jack

Thank you Jack, for bringing this superb thread back into adulthood. It is fascinating to sit down for a few minutes and picture everyone around the world, all of us connected by our love of European travel. I hope to go to Tuscany later this fall and right now have bunches of guidebooks on my desk. I am sitting in a minimally decorated room--mainly my desk, some shelves and a big chair and ottoman where I read. The room is focused on a glass wall facing the water--today there are boats galore, even early in the morning. I live in a town on the South Shore of Long island, about a half hour from the skyscrapers of New York. What a week it has been here, with 150 leaders of the free world, the MTV video awards and the Us Open (I'll be watching Sampras this afternoon. Loved Todd Martin, the sportsman who lost, alas.) I'm looking at the dripping grass that slopes down a bit to the dock and my pots of mums which I have just bought to liven the dying garden. The bronzes and yellows are making my remember the colors of Tuscany. I'll have a cup of coffee now and read my guidebooks and dream of Italy. I've enjoyed reading about all of you around the world.

Thank you both, Jack and Michele, for adding your lovely commentaries. Jack, you will be glad to know that people who live in houses with stairs live longer on average than those who live in one story homes. Keep lovin' those stairs. Chester and your place in it sound very inviting, in the center of all that history. Lucky you, and you made it vivid for us. <BR>And, Michele, your autumnal home near Manhattan sounds nice, too. I can see why it has you dreaming of Tuscany. <BR>Here in Houston our heat has finally gone down 20 degrees F. Thank heavens! Real fall still seems a very long way off, alas!

I'm in Providence RI. It has been a lovely late summer to make up for the cold, wet rest of summer. My house is very old by US standards, dating from the early 1800s. The garden is very small, but right now is doing well with asters and goldenrods in a border. I am near the Brown campus in an area of colonial homes. The house is small but furnished in period style, with many antiques, including the desk I am using. I have my computer on in front of the TV, watching the Emmies award show right now. I usually turn on tv while I work-that is the way I do best--several things--listening, watching, reading whatever while I scan this forum. I love hearing about people in Singapore, Brazil, Australia, Finland and everywhere else. Thank you folks, for sharing.

very nice, Jack...I'm sitting in one of the nicest places in the world,in my modest home on the eats coast of Vancouver Island, Canada.from my window ,I look out into our garden , very green and very quiet. we're just acroos the road from a waterfront park that has a nice beach where we can watch the sunset.......but we just returned from our first trip to Europe,and we are longing to return as soon as we can. Your post just reinforces our desire, for as beautiful as it is here, we fell in love with the incredible history that Europe offers.We are planning to return to spend a year or two ,and I hope we can see some of what you are able to see on a daily basis....cheers, and good health to you, Al

Greetings world! I love reading about all of you sitting at your computers in old English villages and ICU units and Saudi Arabian offices. I am in an office now--I'm a receptionist in a medical group in Cleveland and I'm on a much-needed break, thinking of things European. I can see before me dozens of people sitting anxiously reading magazines or looking at their watches. The doctors are running late, as usual. I sometimes feel so guilty telling people that they have to wait "a few more minutes." Anyway, this thread has helped me keep my cool. Keep it coming, please.

I'm in Atlanta, in one of the leafy northern suburbs that look their best in the early spring, when the dogwoods and azaleas are sensational. My house is red brick, like so many others around here, and one-story. The lawn is brown. My computer is set up in a paneled family room off a deck. I look out at the back yard. It has been a hot dry summer and I cannot wait to take a long-awaited trip to the Swiss alps in a week. The thought of it has kept us going. So has this thread, which I've followed since its inception. Thank you posters.

Just found this thread and was reading it for an hour. I'm in Vermont, in a small town with the requisite steepled church and village commons. I love it--dropped out of the New York scene five years ago, and never looked back. I am an artist and paint my landscapes from the woods and mountains surrounding me. The seasons have changed, and I'm sitting in the peak of fall, with a huge sugar maple with yellow, orange and scarlet leaves now looking silver in the moonlight. The leaves are falling, and in the day, my glass doors overlook the scene. I get away every March in mud season, for a ramble through Europe. This coming year will be Spain. Adios.

Sunny Los Angeles, California!

I am at my desk in Helsinki Finland. I love my city in the summer, with the marketplaces by the harbor and the long bright days. The days are shorter now, and I do not look forward to the cold winter ahead. The room I sit in is very stark, with birch furniture and trim, and simple lines, as you might expect. I am writing a book, and no longer travel around Europe as much as I used to. I often visit fodors forum to see what travelers have to say about a destination so that I may use some bit perhaps in future writings. I write short stories mainly, but am working on a novel. Thank you all for your input. Come visit my city.

Bonjour, <BR> <BR>I am at home in Cleveland, Ohio. Should be doing trillions of task, as I am getting married in 16 days at the Shaker Heights Courthouse. We are leaving the next day for our honeymoon in France (paris apartment) for one month. <BR>Found our apartment at Regency International Apts, but it is also listed with Just France. It is owned by Guest Services. I looked for one year for this apartment, so I can tell you a lot about the Paris apartment services. <BR> <BR>And the best part is we have a $345.00 round trip ticket to France which we bought through Best Fares.com. <BR> <BR>Wouldn't want to be wherever you guys are that post from work. You should be working. <BR> <BR>Au revoir <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Au Revoir

This message is for you Rex. I remember <BR>you because you are the first person that responded to my first thread. This message is so far down the list that I doubt that any one will see it. I am a graduate of U S.C., but my husband doesn't like me to talk about it as he is a Cal Berkeley graduate. I hope your daughter will enjoy her experience at S.C. I am fascinated that people are writing form all over the world. I am less fascinated by the comments of their "weeds, clutter, travel posters etc". After about 50 of these messages it is not so interesting. But I will keep reading. Marilyn

Hi, Finlandia. I too am writing a novel, only I have to do it plus work for a living. I was in your lovely country 35 years ago when I was in college, spending the summer there studying Russian. My friends who've come back from Helsinki recently show me their photos that bring back lovely memories. I stayed in Jarvenpaa. I bet it's not as small as it was then. <BR>When I drink some milk tomorrow morning for breakfast, I will use the blue glass that's the last one surviving of 8 I bought at Stockmann's in Helsinki in 1965 and think of you in your lovely city and country. <BR>Good luck on your writing.

I am sitting here in a hemodialysis clinic in Southgate, Michigan. On break and using the clinics computer to research my trip to Spain in a couple of weeks. I didn't get to read every reply, but this is an interesting thread

I am sitting here in my house alone. Kids are off at the beach, movie, fair and DH is at work. At here amazed at how life just marches on. Mentally getting prepared for a tough week down at the medical center with my DH. The sun is shining and I can see the ocean from my window.

Good heavens! How did you run across THIS thread?

I'm in the family room with the drapes drawn to keep out the 105&deg; day, about 5 miles north of Scottsdale airport.

Hope the medical situation turns out well.

Hi Robes, the thread just popped up while doing a search for medical tourism. Thought it was a nice one for a slow Saturday afternoon. Stay cool and thanks for the well wishes.

Oh wow! This thread originated almost five years ago! I did a very quick glance (in reverse order) to see who's still around. Here's a partial list, starting from the bottom: Kavey, Sheila, rxxxxxx, Art (Hussey), harzer, s.fowler, Wes Fowler (poignant moment), Marilyn (is that <i>you</i>, MF?), Tony Hughes, Dan Woodlief (Hi Dan). Can't find my own response, but then it may have been under a pseudonym that I can no longer recall
:-)

Nope, Betsy, that wasn't me. But it is interesting to read the names. Of course, we don't know who was posting under all those fun names pre-reg, do we?

I'm sitting at my desk in my office working on a Sunday :( as I have to deliver 4 reports to clients next week but procrastinating on the Fodors Forum :)

Sitting at my computer at home, feeling quilty that I should be doing laundry, dishes, etc. but I'm not. I would rather be doing this. ;)

Sitting in front of my computers, listening to the air conditioning run, and wondering why my desktop machine has crashed six times in the last 24 hours.

At my computer... putting off my weekend chores!

Currently in Beijing, China at Tsinghua University, about 30 minutes north-east of Tian'an Men Square at my desk in a new dormitory building infront of my laptop. The air condtioning is on its max and someone is knocking on my door.

In Switzerland, wearing shorts and a tank top because the weather is so hot! I hear the train whistles and the cowbells in the background.

Oh, say it isn't so, Schuler. How hot do you mean? Must I assume that every June will be uncomfortably warm in my beloved Switzerland from now on? On my last visit in '02, I couldn't sleep because of the heatwave in Zurich. Can you give me some hope that we'll return to the days of yesteryear when I used to pack a wool sweater for my summer trips?

To participate in the thread topic, I'm recovering from surgery and trying out T-Mobile air card wireless and a new laptop. I'm only able to catch a wave (so to speak) about 50 percent of the time. Any thoughts or advice? Thanks all, J.

Hot! 30 degrees celcius. It's supposed to cool down to 25 C midweek. It's been a cold spring and now we have a heatwave. I love it!

I'm sitting at my home computer in Charleston, WV looking out at the ivy on my hill and the blue sky above. It is clear and very hot and I am dreaming about my second trip to Rome coming up in November.

Thirty degrees is hot? HAH!

Here in Phoenix, it was 45 a few days ago, and in 1990, it got to FIFTY.

I'd go to where you are to get <i>cool</i>! ;)

In Phoenix, everything is air-conditioned, and humidity tends to be low (which helps with air conditioning).

In Europe, air conditioning is scarce and underpowered, and humidity is high. So when temperatures are high in Europe, you're much more exposed to them than you are in Phoenix. In Phoenix, as long as you can avoid going outside, you can stay cool (usually); but in Europe, there is no place to stay cool, anywhere.

And yes, it will be like this from now on, thanks to global warming.

Today I had clients finish the day early because the heat outside (probably in excess of 100° F on the street) exhausted them too much to continue. That's a first, but I'm sure it won't be the last time.

We are in Florence, at the near terminus of a 2.5 week vacation in N. Italy. Ira- we hunted down Il Ritrovo, but, darn!, it's Monday and all we saw was the much venerated closed door. Rats!

Yes, there is a heat wave of sorts here right now; we are to escape tomorrow to spend our last day meandering in Chianti. Then it is back to our home in southern Orange County CA.

But we have seen so much this trip, and soooo much was positively influenced by the insight, memory, suggestions etc. from this board! We saw Nabucco in the arena in Verona, sunned in Lerici, sought out Saint Antimo for the Gregorian chants, took in the cypresses and sunset in the Crete south of Sienna, climbed a tower in San G., and saw the eel nets drying in the Po Delta. Thanks for the information we gleaned from the Fodorites!

Caio
Jane

I am on my 90 acre farm in Pennsylania.
In my tv room listening to my husband's tractors chopping hay and filling up the silo. 3:O

Taking a break from doing the wash and the ironing. It is so hot and humid here today, not terrible but we have on the air conditioner in the bed room running to keep upstairs from becoming uncomfortable.

My dog, Kiaya, ((&amp;)) is laying down next to me napping. She will want to go for her 3rd walk of the day as soon as I make one move off this chair.

We have walked down to check if the black raspberries are ripe yet (nope). And down the driveway to smell the pretty, fragrant trees that line it.

Maybe nest we will walk up the hill into the top field to see how high the corn has gotten.

I love lazy days off, and living out in
the country. &lt;):)

I'm home, in NYC on a beautiful sunny ((#)) 4th of July looking last minute for how to get from MXP to Milan since I cannot find where I wrote it when I first found it back in May. After the fireworks tonight, I will be dreaming of my trip. But first, I must get through writing all the proposals for work for the many different programs for which I need to raise money. Getting the info together is like herding cats! ((@))

**==

I'm in my &quot;den&quot; in beautiful, warm, sunny, breezy, Benicia, CA. From my kitchen window I can see the &quot;ghost fleet&quot; Navy ships in the Suisun Bay and as far as the Antioch Bridge.

This a.m. at Jazzercise I was fantasizing I was doing Jazzercise in Cannes where I was 3 weeks ago at this time. Don't know if they even have Jazzercise in Cannes - LOL!

Happy 4th Everybody - time to get ready to go to my friends' BBQ.

Just finished ironing..getting clothes together for short trip down to the Bay Area next weekend. I want to see my neice before she heads to Copenhagen for a year..she leaves next month. My brother will pick me up in Oakland Friday morning and then we are going to check out the Ferry Builing market and shops on the Embarcadero on our way back up to Sonoma County. The weather is perfect, my significant other has just picked a huge amount of ripe cherries off our tree. Wish I had more time to do something with them besides just eat them. Jelly would be nice and perfect for Christmas gifts..that pretty red color...not happening, but a nice thought. Going to grill some burgers and just hang out the rest of the day..take the dog of a walk later..more for me than the dog. (: Happy 4th everyone.

I'm in my little loft condo in Chicago, a flash thunderstorm warning blowing in. Will it end our summer drought? I leave for Italy in a week...after the BBQ, I think I will practice pack and do the 'take half as much' drill. Happy 4th!

Sitting in a mountain house with labs spilled out all around me, 76 degrees, nice and cool with breezes flowing through open windows and doors. My lunch guests just left and it was time to get back to storage unit work, but a nice rain started falling - so, it's French Onion dip time watching one of the best movies ever, Jeremiah Johnson. If the rain holds up then it's fireworks tonight in the valley. If not, then maybe Batman or Bewitched. But, right now I'm enjoying where I am and thinking I need to plan another trip out to the Rockies - maybe Utah - maybe Sundance.

Happy and safe 4th to all!

I'm in a boat on a river surrounded by
tangerine trees and marmalade skies. It's really quite nice. All around are cellophane flowers of yellow and green
towering over my head. I'm looking at a girl with the sun in her eyes. No, wait,
she's gone. We've just drifted by a bridge by a fountain. Interesting -- there are rocking horse people eating marshmallow pies there. How nice of everyone to smile as you drift past! Beautiful -- the flowers grow so incredibly high along here!

Unfortunately we have to start thinking about heading home to the city now, but as luck would have it I see a rank of newspaper taxis up ahead on the quay. Such a great day it has been -- my head's really in the clouds, and I can hardly wait to climb in the back of one and melt. The train would be cheaper, and we do so enjoy the plasticine porters with looking glass ties, but we'll splurge.

Now where did I put my sunglasses? God, it feels like I have kaleidoscope eyes!

Have a nice day.