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Random Thought of the Day

Deleted Member
- 5427 posts
April 5, 2011 7:19:52 PM CEST

canuckywoman (Apr 5 2011, 04:16 PM) said: > original post
The first trip ever to England in 2004 -- by coach/ferry -- is still my fondest memories here so far...just seeing the white cliffs of Dover at six in the morning as the sun hits them...wow. Just wow. B)

Absolutely!
Back in the day,you could get over the channel for free by hitch-hiking with a lorry driver.
Deleted Member
- 7373 posts
April 5, 2011 7:20:18 PM CEST

marthamay (Apr 5 2011, 05:16 PM) said: > original post
Why such a hassle? The ferry and coach takes forever to get there - whereas most destinations in the UK are only an hour away by flight.

Add another hour before the flight...and another hour after the flight...Yecch. I hate airports. I hate the lineups in customs (with Dutchie skipping through his line and me waiting for half an hour, grr)

I'm very much a getting-there-is-half-the-fun person. Last year, we packed up the car (RIP) and drove to Bognor Regis to visit friends for a few days...the tunes turned up loud...checking out all the little towns along the way...awesome!
Deleted Member
- 5427 posts
April 5, 2011 7:24:08 PM CEST

canuckywoman (Apr 5 2011, 04:20 PM) said: > original post
Add another hour before the flight...and another hour after the flight...Yecch. I hate airports. I hate the lineups in customs (with Dutchie skipping through his line and me waiting for half an hour, grr)

And then you've got to get public transport into the city.
Personally - best way to London is the train.
Deleted Member
- 7373 posts
April 5, 2011 7:29:48 PM CEST

mrfook (Apr 5 2011, 05:24 PM) said: > original post
And then you've got to get public transport into the city.
Personally - best way to London is the train.

Haven't tried that yet, but intend to soon. I want to do some family tree research hopefully later this year.

But it probably won't be our final destination. Dutchie and I wants to explore all of the UK by train too...
Deleted Member
- 5427 posts
April 5, 2011 7:30:09 PM CEST

marthamay (Apr 5 2011, 04:14 PM) said: > original post
Aye - they were the days. Never mind - you'll always have your memories. :lol:

I'd much rather have the memories than the cash....otherwise I'd be a miserable old git with a big bank account. :)
Deleted Member
- 5427 posts
April 5, 2011 7:33:29 PM CEST

canuckywoman (Apr 5 2011, 04:29 PM) said: > original post
Haven't tried that yet, but intend to soon. I want to do some family tree research hopefully later this year.

But it probably won't be our final destination. Dutchie and I wants to explore all of the UK by train too...

Book in advance and you'll get a pretty good deal....more room,more relaxing,sit and watch the world go by...and there's a bar....and you get direct to London city centre St.Pancras(they've made a lovely job of doing it up)
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 5, 2011 7:42:59 PM CEST

sps (Apr 5 2011, 01:09 PM) said: > original post
BBC took the 686KHz world service off the air, it was my source for English language news in the car. Does anyone know how to get English news on the radio in NL? Does any of local FM relay the BBC service?

I've listened to it on AM (648khz I think) radio before...

Oh dear, I see on Wikipedia that it stopped already on March 27th 2011.
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 5, 2011 7:50:31 PM CEST

canuckywoman (Apr 5 2011, 05:29 PM) said: > original post
But it probably won't be our final destination. Dutchie and I wants to explore all of the UK by train too...

Oh, something you literally could have done back in the days prior to that horrible man Dr. Beeching getting his hands on the rail network in the 60's...
korrok
- 572 posts
April 5, 2011 7:54:36 PM CEST

mrfook (Apr 5 2011, 04:24 PM) said: > original post
And then you've got to get public transport into the city.
Personally - best way to London is the train.

I took the train to London last year for the London Expo and never again! It was loads of hassle, train changes, queues, then one of the most uncomfortable seats I've ever had in a train. Seriously, the oldest, most beat up Dutch trains have comfier seats. Was grumpy, sore and tired by the time I got to St Pancras. I swore ever after that I'd fly - and I did for the next one, and it was so much less stressful. And I don't exactly enjoy flying!

Best way imo is to take the car and get the ferry or the tunnel. Unfortunately we don't have a car here in NL. Sigh.
Deleted Member
- 5427 posts
April 5, 2011 8:02:26 PM CEST

korrok (Apr 5 2011, 04:54 PM) said: > original post
I took the train to London last year for the London Expo and never again! It was loads of hassle, train changes, queues, then one of the most uncomfortable seats I've ever had in a train. Seriously, the oldest, most beat up Dutch trains have comfier seats. Was grumpy, sore and tired by the time I got to St Pancras. I swore ever after that I'd fly - and I did for the next one, and it was so much less stressful. And I don't exactly enjoy flying! :lol:

Best way imo is to take the car and get the ferry or the tunnel. Unfortunately we don't have a car here in NL. Sigh.

The Thalys is fantastic.
Deleted Member
- 7373 posts
April 5, 2011 9:47:43 PM CEST

mrfook (Apr 5 2011, 05:33 PM) said: > original post
Book in advance and you'll get a pretty good deal....more room,more relaxing,sit and watch the world go by...and there's a bar....and you get direct to London city centre St.Pancras(they've made a lovely job of doing it up)

Isn't it lovely? I saw it a couple of years ago when I was there...
Deleted Member
- 7373 posts
April 5, 2011 9:49:21 PM CEST

wesleynl (Apr 5 2011, 05:50 PM) said: > original post
Oh, something you literally could have done back in the days prior to that horrible man Dr. Beeching getting his hands on the rail network in the 60's...

Dutchie goes on rants about how it was all Thatcher's fault for privatizing the railways.

Oh well, ignorance -- if not bliss -- does have its advantages!
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 5, 2011 10:22:06 PM CEST

canuckywoman (Apr 5 2011, 07:49 PM) said: > original post
Dutchie goes on rants about how it was all Thatcher's fault for privatizing the railways.

Oh well, ignorance -- if not bliss -- does have its advantages!

Well, Beeching reduced the amount of rail track mileage by the thousand. And he did it in an underhand way. He literally sent his team out there after the easter holiday break asking them to count the number of passengers. Hardly the best time to do it and those lines that 'appeared' little used were axed...
Actually, it was nothing to do with Thatcher and everything to do with her succeeder, John Major. He privatised British Rail from 1995 (nearly 5 years after she got booted out), 2 years before he and the Tory party got kicked out. Unfortunately, two years too late... Thatcher felt that the railway network was too complicated to privatise so left it alone. Something positive to say about her.
pepec
- 2359 posts
April 11, 2011 1:37:17 PM CEST

What a hero.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eDhdEd8zrg
pepec
- 2359 posts
April 11, 2011 5:09:34 PM CEST

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...k-deported.html

I don't dare to think of the outrage about "those racist Dutch" on the various boards had Telegraaf written a similar article.
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 12, 2011 12:42:09 AM CEST

pepec (Apr 11 2011, 03:09 PM) said: > original post
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13...k-deported.html

I don't dare to think of the outrage about "those racist Dutch" on the various boards had Telegraaf written a similar article.

Crikey, the Dutch are way in there too! Anyway, I see the readership are just as bad as the Dail Mail itself... such a wave of anti foreigness going on, all over the place.

Random thought of the day -> where the hell did that rain come from?
pepec
- 2359 posts
April 12, 2011 12:58:21 AM CEST

wesleynl (Apr 11 2011, 10:42 PM) said: > original post
Crikey, the Dutch are way in there too!

Belgians on the other hand seem to behave very well.

http://www.buienradar.nl/
No surprises for you anymore.
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 12, 2011 1:13:16 AM CEST

pepec (Apr 11 2011, 10:58 PM) said: > original post
Belgians on the other hand seem to behave very well.

http://www.buienradar.nl/
No surprises for you anymore.

But not as well as the Luxembourg'ians... pleasant lot they are indeed.

Ah yes, that bloody rain cloud, the pitter/patter of rain on the window pane... ah, I see I already have that in my favourites, but thanks anyway.
qed
- 42 posts
April 12, 2011 10:21:40 AM CEST

Cheeky traffic light at junction of Daalseweg & Heydenijckstraat in Nijmegen: http://www.gelderlander.nl/voorpagina/nijm...voetgangers.ece

Nijmegen city council has no clue how that got there and who was behind the prank.
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 12, 2011 12:57:18 PM CEST

qed (Apr 12 2011, 08:21 AM) said: > original post
Cheeky traffic light at junction of Daalseweg & Heydenijckstraat in Nijmegen: http://www.gelderlander.nl/voorpagina/nijm...voetgangers.ece

Nijmegen city council has no clue how that got there and who was behind the prank.
miss_blue
April 18, 2011 10:59:39 AM CEST

http://youtu.be/JrdEMERq8MA
korrok
- 572 posts
April 20, 2011 1:38:40 PM CEST

Anyone fancy offering a little advice?

This weekend my parents come to visit..for the first time. They want to do something nice and touristy on Saturday - BUT - both of them are disabled and cannot walk far. I'd say 30 minutes tops. This rules out stuff like Amsterdam, city wandering etc. I've tried talking to people and asking about this but everyone keeps giving me totally unsuitable ideas (stuff that requires a lot of walking)! They will have a car though.

Does anyone here know of any good ideas that are stuff like...nice drives, small towns that are easy to stop in and you can just walk a little from the car, or anything else that's touristy and doesn't require more than 30 minutes walking. I would REALLY appreciate some ideas! It doesn't matter where in NL it is.

(Also, I looked into the Segway hire in Utrecht. But 30 euros per person for the first hour, 25 euro for each hour after, is far too much! XD)
pepec
- 2359 posts
April 20, 2011 1:51:24 PM CEST

The town of Naarden. It is small, some nice shops, and there is lots to see within short walking distance. And it is close to Utrecht.
fortuner
- 10421 posts
April 20, 2011 2:02:15 PM CEST

pepec (Apr 20 2011, 11:51 AM) said: > original post
The town of Naarden. It is small, some nice shops, and there is lots to see within short walking distance. And it is close to Utrecht.

Wow, that's weirdly interesting... might even try going there ourselves, as my partners free today.
korrok
- 572 posts
April 20, 2011 2:16:29 PM CEST

pepec (Apr 20 2011, 10:51 AM) said: > original post
The town of Naarden. It is small, some nice shops, and there is lots to see within short walking distance. And it is close to Utrecht.

Sounds like a nice one! Thanks for that!