Best Of
Re: Pre-Tour Recommended Activities for Venice and Dalmatian Coast
It was over twenty (20) years ago since I was there. It wasn't much of a vibrant area then, but I do remember enjoying the synagogues. I do not know if the museum is still there.
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Re: Pre-Tour Recommended Activities for Venice and Dalmatian Coast
It was over twenty (20) years ago since I was there. It wasn't much of a vibrant area then, but I do remember enjoying the synagogues. I do not know if the museum is still there.
The museum is still there, as is the Synagogue, but they charge a fee to enter. Venice has seen a exodus of full time residents and I suppose that has included the Jewish residents.
@sevenseas - we just went there. I don't think you would need a guide - the ghetto area is fairly small. A good guide could give you the history of the place, however.
Here's a Wikipedia article about Jewish history in Venice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Venice
Transportation from Munich to Frankfurt
This October four of us have combined the Autumn Along the Rhine which ends in Munich with Romantic Germany that begins in Frankfurt. We were debating about how to get from one city to another. The train was out of the question because we didn't want to handle our luggage. We checked airfares. We checked a couple of car services. I asked Tauck what car service they use in Munich and they gave me the contact info for SIXT ride. SIXT ride responded immediately with a quote that was less expensive than 4 airfares. They don't like to take credit card info over the internet so they asked when a good time would be to call me. And they did. I was really impressed with their service level! They were more responsive than my doctor's office.
Re: First time going on a safari!
Your comment would have been better received if you framed it as how it affected you personally. We all have a right to our feelings, such as you expressed about people who are not polite when taking pictures. But to suggest that no one can enjoy an excursion if they take pictures, and should look at pictures in the National Geographic, is no longer a comment about how something affects you. It's an assunption of how someone else feels, or should feel.
I realize you didn't intend that comment to me directly.
Regarding experience in photography, in my youth, I worked as a professional photographer, mostly doing weddings and portraits - back in the film days. I shot some nice cameras, including Hasselblad. Weddings aren't that great for creativity, but they forced you to be a good technical photographer. People (actually, the bride) bought the photos and demanded good technical photos - well lit, good focus, good framing, and of the right event and people. Bad photos, no money.
We used to say that all weddings looked alike, the only thing that changed was the people. And that's true - everyone wanted the same shots. I only shot a few "unique" weddings - one was two hippies, outdoor wedding, and that was interesting. The parents were as straight as can be.
Film was much more difficult than digital. We had to get the right exposure (most cameras did not include a light meter) and you only had a limited number of shots on a roll. You had to make sure you didn't run out of shots while some event was going on, such as throwing the bouguet. They usually bought that shot. I had to tell the bride to keep her arm up in the air after she threw it because I'd wait until the bouguet was almost over the other women and they were all reaching for it. If the bride dropped her arm, it didn't produce as nice of a picture. And you only had one chance to get that shot.
I developed my black and white and some color. But color took a long time, so I used to send it out to a lab.
[Oh, the other rule was "Always shoot into the bride" meaning make her the focus of the picture, and make sure she looked good. She's the one who bought the pictures. The groom could look goofy, as long as she looked good.]
Re: Trip Review April 16-29, 2023 2023 part 2
The chateau dinner was the one night the TD mentioned it being a special evening. The baron's daughter daughter who talked to us for part of the event was wearing a very simple dress, flats and no hose so I didn't feel under dressed.
Re: What type electric outlets in British Air lounges at LHR?
This falls into the paranoid area, but I don't like to plug into USB outlets in public places. The reason is that it can give software behind the plug access to your phone or iPad. I use a charger and plug that into the power outlet.
My experience is that most public places, such as airports, have universal electrical outlets that take almost any plug. But you can't depend on that. In Europe, almost all places will take the European two round pin plugs.
Kenya and Tanzania in JAN/FEB?
We are looking at the Classic Safari and debating whether or not to go in JAN or FEB to get some warmer weather during winter here at home. Have looked through the discussion forum and found one previous post on this topic, but it was never answered after the discussion digressed to airline complaints/issues.
Would love to hear from those who have been on safari in Kenya/Tanzaniya during these months and from those who have been at other times as well if you have pros/cons.
Re: First time going on a safari!
@Mike Henderson Your photography is amazing, and you should be proud of it. I always say that what other people think of me is none of my business, but I occasionally take breaks from this Forum. Although most people who post here are kind and extremely helpful and knowledgeable, there are others who love to take nasty and immature pot shots ( not photographs 😂 ) from behind the safety of their computer screen. “Travel leaves us speechless and then turns us into storytellers”. Your photographs tell beautiful stories 👏
Re: First time going on a safari!
Most modern post processing software, such as PhotoShop or Luminar Neo, will allow you to remove unwanted things in a picture, such as people, electrical lines, telephone poles, etc.
Luminar Neo is especially powerful but has a learning curve. It's not very expensive. There's a lot of other amazing things it can do in post processing.
Learning to see the whole frame before shooting just takes experience.
Re: First time going on a safari!
I am posting here as the original post was about first time to Africa. Like others, I have visited as a tourist and a medical missionary to several countries.
1. Yellow fever card-whether or not you go to a country with yellow fever precautions, do check on your airline requirements. I thankfully packed my yellow Yellow Fever card and the gate agent in Nairobi insisted I present my card even though I was only transiting in Doha and then on to Beirut(to get my mom who was visiting her best friend there). I was on a Middle East airline. I recommend that anytime one visits that continent to bring the card with you. Whether or not that rude gate agent was poorly trained or not, an ounce of prevention is worth not getting stuck!
2. Safari clothing-I buy some permethrin spray-available on Amazon and sporting good stores-and just spray my safari clothes and hang them up to dry in the garage. Once sprayed they should be washed in cool water separate from other non sprayed clothes. I just do my own laundry for my safari clothes and let the lodge wash other items.
3. Underwear-most countries in Africa will NOT agree to wash your undies. Pajamas probably but I still pre spray mine as the awful malarial mosquito hunts us at night. The other bad boys-Zika, Dengue, Chikungnya are day time predators.
4. Spraying my clothes does reduce the amount I put the nasty chemicals on my skin. Do not forget to spray your socks either. Most lodges do provide mosquito sprays in your room so it is not necessary to pack a lot of cans or lotions
