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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22641
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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 Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 11:51 am Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe.. Pas de Calais |
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I crossed off a bucket list item last fall sleeping in the same field my grandfather did in 1917 in the Somme. I lay in the grass for one night, praying it wouldn't rain, woke up at sun up by a French farmer who brought me a hot coffee. He told me he hadn't seen this in 8-9 years but knew exactly why i was there.
Visit the monument to the 70,000 still missing at Thiepval. Bring tissues.
That's all I have to say about that.
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 11:56 am Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe |
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Awesome - now I'm getting lifestyle advice!!   Too late fellas; at this age, I yam what I yam.
To the English guys, do they not take credit cards at the gas station in Europe? I haven't paid cash for gas in years.
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'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
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www.crescentbeachguitar.com
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CHARLIE-DONT-SURF
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2007
Posts: 332
Location: Cow County, UK
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe |
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Same as most countries. Money is money and they will take cash or cards.
Just remember if you pay by card remember the exchange rates shift daily, sometimes after payment but before amount is debited from account if abroad.
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Last edited by CHARLIE-DONT-SURF on Wed May 18, 2016 3:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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crukab
Samba Chef
Joined: December 13, 2002
Posts: 6116
Location: Vermont
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 1:03 pm Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe |
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Congrats on your Son's Wedding, great place to have it !!
If you drive thru the town of Blankenheim, keep an eye out for a Shop/Gas station on your left ( heading West) that has a few of these :
Our Son lived in Belgium for a year, we did Bad Camberg & the Euro Bug-in in '07 & 2011, now we are waiting for he & his lady to get hitched  
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Tom
My Pops:
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I know you will always be with me, rest in peace with no more pain. 8/13/14.....
In the yard right now:
'51 Dodge 5 window truck
'65 Bug
'66 Singlecab
'82 Rabbit Truck Diesel from CALI 
'86 Doublecab W/T
'91 Vanagon carat/wolfsbrg.Tiico
'88 Dodge Ram pickup
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 3:52 pm Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe.. Pas de Calais |
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| Abscate wrote: |
I crossed off a bucket list item last fall sleeping in the same field my grandfather did in 1917 in the Somme. I lay in the grass for one night, praying it wouldn't rain, woke up at sun up by a French farmer who brought me a hot coffee. He told me he hadn't seen this in 8-9 years but knew exactly why i was there.
Visit the monument to the 70,000 still missing at Thiepval. Bring tissues.
That's all I have to say about that. |
I hear you. My grandfather at age 19 volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps before Canada had its own Air Force and spent the war dropping grenades on enemy positions while being shot at from pretty close range!
His pilot's log book, with the crossed off names of so many of his fellow pilots, is heavy reading.
The primary goal of this journey, however, is to be present at the union of my older son and his delightful fiancee. The secondary goal is to meet my father-in-law's brothers, only one of whom I have previously met. I had the good fortune to be able to work with and learn from my wife's late father and I'm really looking forward to meeting his twin brother in the ancestral Thaysen home on Sylt.
_________________
'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com |
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe |
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| crukab wrote: |
Congrats on your Son's Wedding, great place to have it !!
If you drive thru the town of Blankenheim, keep an eye out for a Shop/Gas station on your left ( heading West) that has a few of these :
Our Son lived in Belgium for a year, we did Bad Camberg & the Euro Bug-in in '07 & 2011, now we are waiting for he & his lady to get hitched |
Good luck with that! We had pretty much given up hope that either of the boys would go the traditional route - BUT!
Blankenheim is kind of in the middle of our circle tour that takes us by train from Paris to Nunspeet in Holland to pick up the Westy, then to Sylt in the North Sea where Uncle Lutje lives to Ditmarschen where Uncle Meinert lives to Seevetal near Hamburg where Uncle Andreas lives to Mohrendorf where Maiken's bass was made to St Leger-du Ventoux where Milo will be married - then to Nunspeet to return the van and then back to Paris to fly home.
I will be doing some driving...
Anyway, the plane leaves around nine o'clock tonight!
_________________
'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com
Last edited by Jake de Villiers on Wed May 18, 2016 4:07 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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furrylittleotter
Samba Member
Joined: May 19, 2008
Posts: 1506
Location: West Seattle
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe |
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Also keep in mi d many stores and even filling stations do close mid-day for a period of time.
There are a few other quirks lime some German towns closing up shop on Sunday's...correct me if I'm wrong.
I hit Munchen on Father's Day and the entire city was shut down (who knew?!) finally found a single bakery open before I starved that day... ( was bicycling )
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silverbulletuk
Samba Member
Joined: February 02, 2010
Posts: 206
Location: NW Surrey, UK
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| Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 1:47 am Post subject: Re: Trip to Europe |
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^^^ Oh yes! Half-day Wednesday in rural areas and you won't be able to buy a thing on a Sunday other than in the aforementioned gas stations.
It's a delightful change from the "open all hours" culture, you just have to think more than 8 hours ahead.
(I only mentioned the Belgium pay-in-advance fuel stops because they are a bit of a local oddity, but the fuel is so much less expensive than in other parts)
Have a great trip!
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1990 SA Microbus - Supercharged wbx going in with UN-1 trans.
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