Tag: travel

The other side of the fountain.

When in Rome (Italy, not New York), you have to go to the big tourist sites: The Vatican Museum, St. Paul’s Basilica, The Spanish Steps, and the Trevi Fountain.

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This sculpture really impressed me with it’s size and detail. We walked down a narrow street, passing shops and restaurants, and at the end, where  several streets converged, it was there. We sat looking, drinking it all in. We people watched and took photos.

What most photos do not show is the view in the other direction, where all the tourist are. This is what you see:

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Rows and rows of steps where the tourist and locals alike gather on a hot summer afternoon, in the cool shade of the neighborhood buildings. It is a meeting place which is easy to find, the cool water of the fountains splishing and splashing in the background, while making plans for dinner.

I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in Naples, Italy for a Navy assignment. One of the Saturdays, 11 of us took three cars up to Rome for the day. More of that trip in future posts.

 

A little bit about me.

 

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My Navy career lasted over 34 years. Mostly Reserve duty, but that allowed flexibility in where I went for duty. Seven weeks in Egypt, three in Naples, Italy, and two weeks each in the Philippines, Japan, and three more in Thailand made for interesting summers. Athens, Georgia was a recurring destination. Two deployments included Diego Garcia (where I didn’t want to leave) and Afghanistan. Those added Singapore, Kuwait, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Germany to my stops. Vacations have included Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, cruises on both coasts of Mexico, France, England, Scotland and Wales.
I think I’ve flown over every timezone at least twice. I have overpacked and under packed. I was dubbed “Commander Gadget” by a friend on our way to the Middle East.
I’ve made many friends around the world, mostly online, but have met scores in person and have had the privilege of enjoying their hospitality.
I hope to add you to this wonderful group of friends.
Welcome

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English Narrowboats along a Canal

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If you live in the United Kingdom, you probably have seen, or at least heard of, narrowboats. Like houseboats in the US which can be rented on various lakes and river systems, the narrowboat is a great way to spend a week relaxing with friends or family.

In a few weeks, I’ll be flying to England to, among other things, spend a week on a narrowboat. I don’t know how close it will look to this one, but you can count on photos and videos added after my trip! (Videos will go up on YouTube.)

My particular canal trip will begin in Market Harborough which is approximately 10 miles southeast of the city of Leicester, England. I booked this trip through the Armed Forces Vacation Club  about which I’ll write in a future post. Trust me when I say that if you are in, or have relations in the US military, you should know about this site.

My particular boat will have two bedrooms, a full kitchen, lounge area, and a bathroom with shower (hmmm a bit nervous about this, lol) and will be driven by one of the four of us onboard. Because we will be on a canal system, we will encounter the lock system which will raise and/or lower the boat to accommodate the change in altitude of the canal. I’ve added a short video to my YouTube channel to give you an idea how it all works.

Though cruising along the canals will be relaxing, there will be a public tow path along at least one bank, as canal boats were originally towed by horses and mules. Paths may be paved, run through towns, and will have a variety of geocaches to be found (future post also). Some boats have bicycles which can be used on the paths and around villages along the way.

I am really looking forward to this trip. We will be stopping in little towns and villages for sightseeing, shopping, and of course, the pubs. This will be a totally new vacation experience for me. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain for the entire seven days!!

What is the most unusual vacation you have taken? Comment below or on the Tiggrz Travels Facebook page.

Be on the lookout for updates as they occur!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo credit: Pixabay contributor Gavin36