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What's Your Poison and Where Were You Warned Not to Travel, Yet Loved Anyhow?

What's Your Poison and Where Were You Warned Not to Travel, Yet Loved Anyhow?

Old Oct 1st, 2005, 10:38 AM
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My poison: Dr Brown's cream soda!

My first trip overseas (at age 18) I was warned about the pickpockets and the "men who grope women on the metro" in Paris. Well, both nearly happened to me. I left one assailant crying and the other bleeding. Heh heh. But I loved Paris anyway...what a memorable trip, to say the least. It gave me the courage and the desire to travel more.
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Old Oct 1st, 2005, 11:56 AM
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I was warned by more than a few not to go to New Orleans. Dirty, smelly, lots of crime, etc. It turned out to be one of my favorites places even though it was a little dirty, a little smelly, and there was plenty of crime. So tonight I'll toast NO's speedy recovery with some nice Proseco.
I was also told not to bother with Buffalo (we went for a football game). It was also a little gritty and sort of downtrodden but I loved the architecture and had a wonderful time there. Maybe it's me!
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Old Oct 1st, 2005, 03:26 PM
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donco. SDS = Students for a Democratic
Society. a sort of radical college student based political organization in the 70's.
statia. your evening sounds like perfection. i believe the trade off for evenings like this vs. shopping would be an easy choice for me. after all one can always take the lap top to the beach and shop online....
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Old Oct 1st, 2005, 05:13 PM
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Venice-I was not a fodorite at the time. Thank goodness I did not listen to the negative comments-"its old and smelly". I have still never been anywhere so facinating.
My poison-Maker's Mark!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2005, 05:08 AM
  #45  
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virginia, donco: Yes, but it was in '64 and '65- by the '70's they were almost establishment in comparison. LOL!

My first college experience was trying to get to classroom lectures in one piece (and several times not succeeding) and I was the most quiet and apolitical person that possibly existed in Chicago.

And I would sit in the very back of the Biology lecture and try to listen while watching the fleas jumps from head to head in the rows in front of me. SDS was not in the "famous" mode yet.One day I will have to write some of the early day stories, because these young people now will probably not believe it- especially the women. They were worst to the women and THEIR women than can be believed in this present days' sensibility. And the women that were NOT "with" them- worse.

Most of the Chicago 7 are now dead. It wasn't a belief system for long life- that's for sure. It seems like two centuries ago and just yesterday.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2005, 05:42 AM
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JJ5, Viriginia: Thanks, my acronym memory is shot! There was just a show on PBS about that era and the music. Very good.

charsuzan: Met an older woman who was taking her granddaughter to Venice after a 50-year hiatus. She actually said the 'old and smelly' was accurate 50 years ago!

Later, everyone. Meeting my best friend of 50 years. Taking out her 90-year old aunt who still works part time as a beautician. I'll ask her about her poison!
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Old Oct 2nd, 2005, 05:43 AM
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...a cup of hot tea-High Mountain Oolong, and I was warned about Mexico City, although I ended up spending alot of time there and fell in love with it...the only realy bad part for me was the pollution and the air, it did make me nauseated at times in certain places.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2005, 11:41 AM
  #48  
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Still enjoying everyone's stories.

Virginia, you have a point there on the shopping.
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Old Oct 2nd, 2005, 03:15 PM
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No poison here.

Mexico - Monterrey and Saltillo.

~~~ Warning: You will be beseiged by bandits.
~~~ Reality: I had the best vacation of my life there back when I was only 18. The people were most humble and gracious.


Solo car trip around US.
~~~ Warning: Driving with California tags, don't even look into other car windows, especially in the South. Memories of "Easy Rider" I suppose. As a woman, I will not return alive or at least will be raped.
~~~Reality: I had a wonderful 6 months on the road, met many terrific people. Matured a lot. Learned a lot. Camped a lot. Ate a lot of Dinty Moore beef stew...Visited 26 states and Canada.


Big cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta.

~~~ Warning: Dirty, nasty, dangerous...
~~~ Reality: yes, there can be those things anywhere in the world but if you are careful, you can learn a lot in any city and have a great vacation. I know I did.

I now only listen to advice of seasoned travelers, especially Fodorites.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2005, 07:32 AM
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My favorite poison is a glass or two of cold Italian white wine with some accompanying cheese. And my experience is from years ago, when central and eastern European countries were all under Soviet control, behing the iron curtain.

I had a strong desire to visit countries like Poland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania. When I started the process of getting visas, I found that my choice of countries had to be limited simply because of the time it takes to get a visa from each country. So I didn't get a chance to visit all of them.

But in regard to the warning not to travel, I worked at the time on a number of hush-hush government projects. My security department gave me some stern warnings not to go, but when they saw I was determined anyway, they put me through a rigourous series of special briefings about what could happen and what I should do. The warnings would have frightened anyone, but I felt that the government's concern was not really justified. Am I glad that I went!!!

All of the then-communist dominated countries, I found, were full of people who disliked the Soviets and yearned for a glimpse of the western world. The people were warm and helpful for the most part, but in a few cases I encountered some pretty serious local military and police who nearly sidetracked my entire trip. Fortunately, I was able to get out without spending any time in jail. The entire experience was worth writing a book, and maybe I will some day. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
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Old Oct 3rd, 2005, 01:27 PM
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Wayne: wow! Please write that book.

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Old Oct 3rd, 2005, 01:42 PM
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Viet Nam and Cambodia in the 60's; Panama in the early 70's.
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Old Oct 4th, 2005, 01:52 PM
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Hi Statia, Trish and everyone else. I'm a little late with the "poison" thread but I was in St Louis for a 3 day weekend with an old friend from college.

Friday night my poison was the usual VO Manhattan. It was however greatly enhanced by having it before my dinner at Cunetto's on the Hill in St Louis. I shared sautéed octopus in tomatoes and onions and classic St Louis fried ravioli. My main dish was the fettuccine carbonara. It had prosciutto ham and the most amazing alfredo sauce. The kind that's so freshly made there's still little lumps of parmesan in it. Not that pasty stuff that comes out of a bucket.

Had an excellent meal at Chez Leon in the Central West End. They have seared foie gras on the menu.

Attended the last 2 regular home season games of the Cardinals in their old baseball stadium. When the post season is over they'll tear it down to make room to finish the new stadium.

After the game on Sunday there was a 2 hour presentation. Employees who had worked there the entire 39 years. Retired ball players from past decades including Mark McGuire. An 8 team set of Clydesdales pulled an antique Budweiser beer wagon around the arena. Fireworks were set off. It was pretty cool.

Well I guess this is the "poison" thread and not my St Louis trip report.

I've been warned against a few places for example Athens, Lille and Madrid. I was mostly being told "industrial," "boring," "not worth your time," etc. Mainly I hear "why do you want to go to XYZ when ABC is SOOOOO much better." I guess I'm the type that has more fun in XYZ.
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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 06:46 AM
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Hi Statia -- I was actually warned not to go to Texas 3 yrs ago (including on this Board).

We had a great time in Big Bend NP, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, & a guest ranch in Bandera. We met alot of really nice people including Statia's SIL who was managing the ranch at the time.

I was reported to a police officer for saying the word HELL in public in Austin (but that's another story)!!!!!!!
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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 08:06 AM
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I was also told that Turkey would be bad and asked repeatedly why I would want to go there. I loved it! The people were nice (good looking, many of them) and they were very American-friendly. The rich history of religions, cultures, etc, was amazing and more than expected.

I am off to Russia next month. I never listen to what people say; some are bored with things that thrill me (like spending a day looking at art and historical artifacts). I know people that will go to Disney year after year and nowhere else; I guess if you have Epcot, why go anywhere??!!

Best to see for yourself...
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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 08:33 AM
  #56  
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laurieb, I live in Austin and I would love to hear your story about being reported for using the word "hell." If that's a crime here in Austin, then I'm in big trouble.
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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 08:56 AM
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Hi Indy...better late than never! Your dinner and mine for Friday sounded very similiar execpt DH made mine. He's not quite a four star chef, but he's still a pretty darned good cook.

Nice to see you, laurie! And, it's nice to see that someone enjoyed the great state of Texas.
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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 09:27 AM
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Hi Indy,

It sounds good but your dinner was not Carbonara. True Carbonara has pancetta and raw eggs along with cheese. It's called Carbonara as in carbon or burned which refers to the pancetta.

Either way, a good meal.

Nice going yesterday. I expect to see a Sox - Cards rematch in the World Series. Don't expect to win as the BoSox still has a score to settle with St. Louis. Consider last year's sweep payback for 1946. This year will be payback for 1967!



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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 10:08 AM
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mm,

Mario Batali's story about Pasta Carbonara (if I'm remembering it correctly) is that long ago, the dish was served to coal miners, and when they leaned over into the dish, chips of coal from their hair would fall into the pasta. Apparently this is now why authentic Carbonara has loads of black pepper on top--to mimic the carbon chips.

I agree that a pasta dish with prosciutto and alfredo sauce can be very good, but it's not real Pasta Carbonara.
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Old Oct 5th, 2005, 10:58 AM
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Coincidently, on the Europe board there is a topic concerning Rachel Ray. It veered into the general subject of Food Network. In that string I mentioned a fine chef named Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.

It turns out that Lidia is the mother of Maria Batali's partner, Joseph Bastianich.

BTW, I've eaten at Lupa and it was fantastic. I shared the carbarona with my brother and really enjoyed the Veal Saltimbocca.

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