Report: SoFL GTG
 

I've tried twice to post a report of the SoFL GTG in Pompano Beach on March 5, but could not get it to take. Interested viewers are kindly asked to look for the post on the Europe board. it's there under the title above.

Here's an attempt to copy and paste for you Julie. Thanks again for your great hospitality. A great time!


Report: SoFL GTG-Not tres breque

Author: JulieVikmanis
Date: 03/07/2005, 10:19 am
Message: They came by the hundreds (all right, all right, there were 11 of us) to the 2nd Annual SoFL Fodorite GTG, held this year in Pompano Beach on March 5, 2005. The weather was perfect—sunshine and temps in the mid 70’s. Though the venue originally selected was the party room of Bay Yacht Club, a condo on Lake Santa Barbara where JulieVikmanis and her husband Val reside, the weather was so nice that the group moved outside to a tented barbeque area on the shore next to the yachts (ok, so several small cabin cruisers and a fishing boat or two) moored in front of the condo.

Fodorites began arriving promptly at 3 p.m. with snacks and libations in hand—trays of cheese and veggies also brie and French bread, popcorn, chips and homemade salsa, and even a particularly decadent bowl of cold shrimp on ice with cocktail sauce. Bottles of chardonnay, pino grigio, nebbiola, cabernet franc, black opal, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and chateauneuf du pape (the latter two, a gift from Budman who could not attend but sent them from his NJ wine making experience) were passed about and happily consumed.

Fodorites attending included Judyrem (Judy Remiszewski) and her husband Johnrem, Heartburn (Beth), Patrick (Patrick Ashton) who hosted the first annual SoFL GTG last year in Naples, and his partner Lee Eiler, Beachbarbie (Barb Yinger). Wren (Kay Owen) and her husband Mark and their friend Estelle Caillaud, a young woman who moved to SoFL from the Loire valley area of France (near Angers) about two years ago. Estelle taught the group the correct pronunciation of several place names in France and at least one very helpful new secret French word—breque. Turns out Estelle even has her own apartment in Paris, in the 15th arrondissement, that she is starting to think of renting. The group encouraged her in the idea and tried to provide some helpful suggestions for how to proceed.

As the tempo of the travel conversation picked up, chili and muffalettas were served, followed by the richest, gooiest chocolate and caramel bars ever. As the sun began to set and twilight to descend, the group gathered the debris of their repast and trundled up the elevator to reconvene in the Vikmanis’ apartment with views over the lake and the intracoastal waterway to the high rises facing the ocean. Lights began to twinkle from the skyscrapers (some of them actually have 15 stories or more, so that’s pretty tall, isn’t it?) as the night time cityscape unfolded before the ever more bleary eyes of the blissfully imbibing Fodorites.

Meanwhile in the living room, several die hard travelers watched dueling computer screens as wren and Mark showed pix of their time in the Dordogne and Julie put her computer screen saver on random pix of her travels in Europe. The group amused themselves trying to guess where each shot was taken. (Funny how most cathedrals look alike when the images just flash on the screen.)

As the last of the guests faded into the night sometime around 8 p.m. or so, the party ended and everyone returned to their dreams of happy travels, looking forward to SoFL GTG III in 2006. All in all, I think it’s safe to say that the gathering was very non-breque. (I hope my spelling of French is better than my pronunciation or Estelle will have to correct me yet again.)

Pictures of the group are available. They include candids of the group seated around the outdoor tables while talking travel and imbibing, shots of small groups of members of the group holding signs to unveil their screen and true identities, and a picture of the view from the apartment deck, admittedly taken under more favorable sky conditions than those experienced the night of the GTG, but you get the picture, no pun intended. There’s even a picture of Heartburn holding a bottle of the Budman brew.

Viewing the pix
Since I’m not very proficient at this business of importing and exporting pix, the only way I could figure out to make them available is through my Comcast photo site. The catch is that you’ll have to e-mail me your e-mail address so I can send them to you. Trust me, I have no desire to collect unnecessary e-mail addresses and I’ll not let them fall into the wrong hands. If I were smart enough to make these available through some kind of URL that those interested could just point and click on, I sure would. If you want to see the motley crew, e-mail me your request at [email protected].

Interesting follow-up: Having met Estelle for the first time on Saturday, we were at a popular Boca Raton eatery on Sunday and spied her seated one table from us. Small world!

Sounds like a fun time was had by all! Sorry I missed it...and by only a few days, alas. Glad you all had a good time.

Great photos, thanks for the link. I love placing faces with names and got a kick out of the name tags :-) Glad you enjoyed yourselves...and that gorgeous sunset!

Me too! I enjoyed reading about it and especially loved putting faces on some of my favorite names. I'm sorry I missed it!

I think I'm caught up with fulfilling requests for copies of the photos so if you have made a request and not received them yet, please send a second request. I could have mistyped an e-mail address. Thanks for asking for these. It's fun to know there's so much interest out there.

Julie, thank you for the wonderful GTG, and your hospitality. I know we all had a great time and I'm sorry Barb had to leave early (work -- UGH!)

You have a beautiful location and view. I got a picture of the waterway from where we were sitting and if it comes out well, I'll email it to you for the album.

It was great meeting all the So Fla Fodorites who could attend. Enjoyed everyone's travel talk and loved the conversations with Estelle about the differences between France and the U.S.

Thanks again... you and your husband are sweethearts!

I hate that I missed the get together! I was originally supposed to be in Palm Beach but that got scuttled and I ended up going to NYC early.

Hopefully I'll catch another GTG and please email me the photos at [email protected]. Thank you!

Great photos! Thanks for sharing

I am laughing so hard I'm crying!


I am such a goob!


I just finished flipping throught the photographs which were very good and thank you so much for emailing them to me!

Patrick, for some reason I was under the impression you were a black man! I have no idea where that came from but that is why I'm laughing so hard! I am so goofy.

Hate that I missed another GTG. Again, thank you for sharing the photos!

Yes, GT, Patrick is indeed a VERY white man LOL! That IS funny!

Well, when I saw the pics I thought I'd imagined Patrick perfectly... but it was Lee that matched my previous image of Patrick.

Go Travel, so funny. Actually I am a black man, but I went to Michael Jackson's doctor and. . .

Isn't there a drug for that disease:-D

I feel so foolish!

That will teach me, I'll just have to make sure I'm at the next South Florida Got To Go.

An acquaintance and her son were talking about Micheal Jackson and he interrupted her with -

"Mom, I'm not talking about Michael Jackson the black man, I'm talking about Micheal Jackson the white woman".

He sincerely thought there were two Michael Jacksons.

Actually to make you feel better, I think I know where you got that idea. I once posted something, that someone very stupidly tried to make into a very racist remark. I responded and within my post I said something like "if only you knew". Next thing, several people were jumping to my defense and said that I WAS black. I didn't refute it. I had originally meant how many black friends I have and how close I am to many blacks and their issues, but I just let the whole thing slide.

P M and I were talking about this tonight. Anyone have copies of the pics - or the link needed to view the pictures?

Hey thanks, starrsy, I would love to see these pics. :-)

I have these pictures and can send copies to you if you send me your e-mail address. send it to valdisvikmanis at comcast.net
use the at sign (just didn't my full address out there for possible spam.)

starrsvillega at yahoo

Thanks! :-)