Has Anyone Booked a Holiday Yet?

[bovril]

4 minutes ago, DerbyshireFox said:

Excited now 😊. Managed to get to Ohrid, Prizren and Pristina last year when visiting Albania. Such endless places to see over there 🙌

Ah great stuff. Prizren and Ohrid are beautiful. 

 

If like me you like to match your holiday reading thematically with the destination, The World and All That it Holds is an enjoyable novel that starts in Sarajevo. In terms of history, Misha Glenny is the obvious writer but his 19th and 20th century history of the Balkans is a little big to fit in a suitcase. Mark Mazower's history of the Balkans from about 1700 is very good, concise and light. Mazower is excellent in general, he has some good books on Greece. Kaplan's Balkan Ghosts used to get talked about a lot, but I'm not a huge fan. 

[skolfoxes]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

Mine too.

My old man said if he doesn’t go this year he never will as he’s in his late 70’s now.

The price is a rip off and he’s spending my inheritance but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.
It’s only for the Monday practice day as the tournament is sold out but even so.
Just want to experience the place IRL.

And you’ll be spending the rest of your inheritance in the Masters shop onsite!

 

The tales of how much stuff some people buy are obscene, to the point I think you can UPS it straight home rather than have to carry it around all day. 

[boots60]

Yes, booked a weekend in Bournemouth bank Holiday weekend end of May.

Does anyone know if there's anything worth going to see that weekend?

[grobyfox1990]

1 hour ago, boots60 said:

Yes, booked a weekend in Bournemouth bank Holiday weekend end of May.

Does anyone know if there's anything worth going to see that weekend?

Us get relegated 

[FoyleFox]

4 hours ago, Whatever said:

Has anyone done a Norwegian Fjords cruise? We're looking at going around September time.

 

Yes. Hamburg up to the Northern Cape at Honningsvag.  Stunning, one of my favourite cruises. 

[slymunn]

This year we have got booked pretty early and have Iceland, North Wales & Mexico as our holidays this year. 

Only really got the holidays at work left for a long weekend or two after this.

[jgtuk]

2 hours ago, slymunn said:

This year we have got booked pretty early and have Iceland, North Wales & Mexico as our holidays this year. 

Only really got the holidays at work left for a long weekend or two after this.

Which Iceland in North Wales are you going to?

I've heard the one in Caernarfon is pretty good.

[Izzy]

The wife decides she wants us to get some sun Feb half term so I tell her just to book something.

 

I say somewhere quiet and to discuss it with the kids and then let me know where we're going.

 

So Aya Napa here we come 

 

I said to my teenage lad "You do realise it'll be full of The only way is Essex, trout pout, fake tan, cocaine sniffing, Aldi middle isle, peppa pig plate used as an ashtray, sofa in the front garden, universal credit, chavs?"

 

He replied "Shut up you Tory" 

[VLC86]

Tempted by Aya Napa and I’m not sure why, any tips?

[Jattdogg]

1 hour ago, VLC86 said:

Tempted by Aya Napa and I’m not sure why, any tips?

Don't bend over.

[HowardsBulletHeader]

On 22/01/2025 at 17:03, Izzy said:

Going to Augusta, Georgia with my old man in April for the Masters golf.

 

He's paying thank fvck. Can't wipe the smile off my face, I'm like a kid before Christmas.

Holy moly you lucky git! 

 

So so jealous of that! Have an absolute blast my friend! 

[Lako42]

After a lot of research it looks like Sri Lanka for 3 weeks with the little un. 

 

Private driver for the whole trip to make things a bit more manageable. 

 

Can't wait 

[jgtuk]

9 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

After a lot of research it looks like Sri Lanka for 3 weeks with the little un. 

 

Private driver for the whole trip to make things a bit more manageable. 

 

Can't wait 

You’ll love it! 
Not sure about your youngster, depends on age. Lots of amazing Buddhist temples, tea plantations are beautiful and serene, some beautiful and interesting train rides, lots of wildlife (fantastic birding, if you’re into that). 
Sigiriya is fantastic and well worth the effort, maybe not for a youngster though. 
Definitely worth it for the driver 👍
Good luck 

 

edit: not sure what happened with my font there 😂

Edited 29 January by jgtuk

[Raj]

On 22/01/2025 at 17:09, DerbyshireFox said:

Off to Marrakesh at the start of February and booked Bosnia for mid March!  First time out of Europe for Morocco and back to the Balkans, probably my favourite part of the world so far 

 

On 22/01/2025 at 17:35, FoxesDeb said:

We're going to Marrakech for the first week of March, first time in Morocco for us so you'll have to report back please! 

Thinking of Marrakech for half term October so please do a full report when you can!!

[SemperEadem]

Fantastic weekend in Bochum for Gladbach away, looking to get back out soonish for Leverkusen away next.

[South Shire Fox]

On 27/01/2025 at 20:23, VLC86 said:

Tempted by Aya Napa and I’m not sure why, any tips?

Think the place is a shithole personally. Chav land

[VLC86]

9 minutes ago, South Shire Fox said:

Think the place is a shithole personally. Chav land

Was a joke based on the above post, awkward

[South Shire Fox]

29 minutes ago, VLC86 said:

Was a joke based on the above post, awkward

Didnt see that part 😂. Actually its not so bad after all..

[STEVIE B]

Booked a week in Bergamo, Northern Italy...September.

A bit off the beaten track & looks like a hidden gem. 

Anyone been ? 

[Izzy]

11 minutes ago, STEVIE B said:

Booked a week in Bergamo, Northern Italy...September.

A bit off the beaten track & looks like a hidden gem. 

Anyone been ? 

Probably @bovril

 

Our very own Michael Palin 

[bovril]

42 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Probably @bovril

 

Our very own Michael Palin 

You always say this and I always point out that my recommendations are basically the same five countries

 

I have been to Bergamo but i vaguely recollect someone off the forum lived there so I'll pass.

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, bovril said:

I have been to Bergamo 

I knew it 

[Stadt]

2 hours ago, bovril said:

You always say this and I always point out that my recommendations are basically the same five countries

 

I have been to Bergamo but i vaguely recollect someone off the forum lived there so I'll pass.

@VLC86 iirc

[Stadt]

Any recommendations for Belgium? 
 

I’ve been to Bruges but that was for the CL game and I essentially stayed in the same spot for about 18 hours as I didn’t have a ticket.

 

Some combination of Bruges, Brussels and one other (Ghent/Antwerp) seems perfectly doable. 

[VLC86]

3 hours ago, STEVIE B said:

Booked a week in Bergamo, Northern Italy...September.

A bit off the beaten track & looks like a hidden gem. 

Anyone been ? 

Nice one, I lived there for about 5 months and try to get back every couple of years. Where are you staying?
 

A week in the city of Bergamo is a lot but it’s a very nice city with plenty to see around it.

 

You’ve basically got the lower, modern part and then a great old town overlooking that. The old town is what you would expect from old Italy, cobbled streets, cathedral, nice restaurants. You can then go a bit higher up with great views of the city. You can walk up to the old town or get the Funicular.

 

Food wise, everywhere is nice it’s Italy but the place we kept going back to was a Japanese place called Miyabi, I’ve not been for about 8 years but if it’s anything like it used to be it’s well worth a visit. There used to be a class Gelato place called Gemma’s Gelateria but i think that had gone when I last went about 18 months ago.

 

You’ll probably see everything in Bergamo itself probably a day and a half so I’d imagine you will be exploring around a bit.

 

Its about a 40 minute drive to the southern part of Lake Como and a town called Lecco, but you are close to Lake Iseo and Lake Garda which are both really nice (Garda significantly more built up).

 

You can drive or get the train to Milan in about 40 mins and Verona is probably about 90 mins the other way. Venice is about another half an hour but I never got there.

 

Edit: it goes without saying but if you are there when Atalanta play at home definitely go.

Edited 29 January by VLC86