Topic: Whats on your summer vacation calendar?

[smokester]

One of the reasons I love Caribbean cinemas is that midweek without a 2 for 1 night, you get this sort of seating.

Spoiler (hover to show)

That's Mrs Smokes and TNG making the place look busy.

We were settling down to Alien: Romulus, by the way

[6pairsofshoes]

At least you don't have to climb over a lot of people to get to your seat.  I don't think the cinema on St. Maarten recovered from Covid.  At least it was closed the last time I was there, but I just checked and it's back open.  We saw some jingoisitic movie about Americans kicking terrorists butts in Iran or some place.  I don't even remember the name of it.  It was probably in 2008 or something like that.  When we were there from 2019 to 2020, we didn't go see any films.  I figured the one movie house on the island had died, but it's back up and showing a variety of features.  Seems like the same company owns the one on St. Lucia.  https://caribbeancinemas.com/stmaarten_en/now-showing/

[8ullfrog]

Thought I'd involuntarily sit through a hurricane.

At my aunt's house. Again.
Different Aunt, Different Hurricane. Still no opt out.

Least I know to leave the psp packed this time.

Also

[goldshirt*9]

Last weekend we visited Moreton -on -the marsh in the Cotswolds, wife wanted to visit Diddly Squat farm
(Jeremy Clarkson place) OMG it was chaos, I drove in and did a U turn and came away. Was so busy and I appreciate why the locals are iffed off as the area around the entrance is an absolute mess with cars parking everywhere.

Already looking forward to next year, Possibly Galicia in June and if I can get time off from work.
Riding the Camino, later on for my 60th birthday  🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️.

[6pairsofshoes]

I have a friend who lives in Chadlington and, believe me, if there was a way to put Clarkson in a capsule and launch him into space, there would be plenty of neighbors contributing to it.

Before his arrival, it was a sweet little Cotswold town with a post office, a bakery, a butcher and a small general shop.  And that was enough. 

[6pairsofshoes]

My friends have been living there since the late 1980's.  And I agree there's lots of weekend visitors.  We ran into David Cameron one weekend at the local shop.  That was pretty weird.

[smokester]

It's not (just) Clarkson: every "sweet little Cotswold town" is now full of arrogant rich city dwellers that have bought a piece of chocolate box living to post about on Instagram. It is absolutely staggering how few actually Cotswoldians can afford to live there nowadays.

... but is true that the incomer arseholes are really happy to live in (occasionally), and post about (ceaselessly) a sweet little Cotswold town with a post office, a bakery, a butcher and a small general shop. They never use any of them, of course, because they aren't there long enough (and when you are desperate Deliveroo is so much more convenient - and less muddy, dear.). I find it particularly amusing that the loudest complaints about Clarkson come from folk that only live locally a couple of weekends a month when they can break free from the Stockbrokers/ Chambers/ Bank in the smoke.

Watch Agatha Raisin for what is essentially a documentary of this sort of country living.

No worries. They'll all bugger off to Portugal soon.

Hopefully.

[8ullfrog]

When does gentrification end? I remember when my hometown became unaffordable, simply because Orange County found it a quaint little place to relocate. The whole "You can never go home" thing became literal.

[smokester]

As soon as I'm through this big contract, I think I'll bugger off the Paris for a week.

Not a summer vacation, but no less valid in my book.

[goldshirt*9]

As soon as I'm through this big contract, I think I'll bugger off the Paris for a week.

Not a summer vacation, but no less valid in my book.

Stunningly beautiful and a crap hole at the same time.
Worth a visit 
Off to Stratford upon Avon this weekend.
Premier inn as cheaper than all the big hotels by a mile (a plus I do get a good sleep).
Have planed out the oldest pub there and a tap house, other than that its a peruse around.
looking forward to it

[smokester]

Stunningly beautiful and a crap hole at the same time.
Worth a visit 
Off to Stratford upon Avon this weekend.
Premier inn as cheaper than all the big hotels by a mile (a plus I do get a good sleep).
Have planed out the oldest pub there and a tap house, other than that its a peruse around.
looking forward to it

I go to the racecourses in Paris but I've never been to Chantilly or Vincennes. I thought I may coordinate a trip that could take in both - along with my beloved Longchamps if they have a meeting there too.

[6pairsofshoes]

Well that's America off the "places to visit" list for the foreseeable future.

If you have a big enough place, you might want to rent out a room to US refugees for the next 4 years.  I'm thinking of brushing up on my Portuguese.