Vacation

[Ratchit]

To the Ineffable All,

I will going on vacation starting tomorrow. Be back toward the end of February.

Ratch

 

[ronsimpson]

What is "vacation".

 

[Ratchit]

What is "vacation".

Traveling to and living somewhere else for a while for the purpose of enjoyment. San Antonio, Texas in my case.

Ratch

 

[ronsimpson]

Self employed, I get to stop working when I die.

 

[spec]

Have a good vacation Ratch- it should be a touch warmer in San Antonio.

spec

 

[Reloadron]

Vacation = Good Thing so enjoy your time on vacation. Just returned from the Caribbean which considering I live in Cleveland, Ohio was a good thing. Checked out the Panama Canal which is really an engineering marvel. Mount Rushmore remains on the bucket list but who would go there in January, February time frame?

Ron

 

[Mikebits]

I would like to go back to Italy, went there once many years ago. I never got to see the Sistine Chapel which is on my bucket list. Being recently divorced, I may take a trip by myself one day

 

[Reloadron]

I would like to go back to Italy, went there once many years ago. I never got to see the Sistine Chapel which is on my bucket list. Being recently divorced, I may take a trip by myself one day

Go for it! Italy is a convenient jumping off point with neighboring France, Germany, Austria and other places. Aside from several trips to Italy I lived there for three years during my DoD work years. My son was born in the Napoli area. No shortage of things to see and do in Italy as well as most of Europe. Thus I say go for it, if you never have it is well worth the trip.

Ron

 

[spec]

I spent a few days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice- great food, friendly people and good sightseeing.

spec

 

[Reloadron]

I spent a few days in Italy: Rome, Florence, Pisa, Venice- great food, friendly people and good sightseeing.

spec

When I lived in Napoli British Airways had specials running. Round trip Naples to London Heathrow was $69 (USD). We would take long weekends and head for London, it was great.

Ron

 

[cowboybob]

Two weeks in Italy in June, 2002. One in Genoa (funicular was a trip!) and the rest in Rome. Fascinating, especially St. Peter's.

Curious thing happened, though, when we first landed at Orly to change planes. No visa stamp since the guy said we weren't at our destination yet (Genoa). OK. Fine.

Brit Airways/Air France flight to Genoa. No stamp since we'd come "from within the EU". ?!

When we left Rome for US, no stamp. No reason given.

Can't prove I was ever even near the place...

 

[Reloadron]

My living in Naples went back to the early 80s and whild we traveled with passports they were seldom if ever stamped. Following years of Europe I think I had a single stamp and that was from Greece.

When my son was in school he brought his birth certificate in for show and tell. He always thought having been born abroad was pretty cool.

Ron

 

[JimB]

Curious thing happened, though, when we first landed at Orly to change planes. No visa stamp since the guy said we weren't at our destination yet (Genoa). OK. Fine.

Brit Airways/Air France flight to Genoa. No stamp since we'd come "from within the EU". ?!

When we left Rome for US, no stamp. No reason given.

Because you came from the USA, I guess they thought that you were OK and "low risk". They probably had already checked you out from the airline passenger list.

Travelling within most of Europe there are no border checkpoints in the "Schengen Area",
look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement
In the Schengen Area, you can just drive from one country to another, there is just a big sign telling you which country you have just entered.

The UK is not part of Schengen, there are passport checks in and out, no stamps just a good look and a swipe through the "machine" to record who is in and who is out.

We also have a fairly good barrier in the form of the English Channel and the North Sea.
A few misguided illegal migrants try to walk through the railway tunnel between England and France, but soon get either picked up by the police or killed by a passing train.

JimB

 

[Mikebits]

Hey Ratch, I see you are back--saw your moniker on bottom of my monitor. Hope your trip went well, glad to have our resident math expert back.

 

[Ratchit]

Hey Ratch, I see you are back--saw your moniker on bottom of my monitor. Hope your trip went well, glad to have our resident math expert back.

Thanks, went to San Antonio, Texas to visit a friend.

Ratch

 

[aardyvarky]

Sometimes, if you ask nicely, they will find a stamp for your passport but with having to deal with 1000's of people a day, most staff can't be bothered. I just checked my old one, and only have the one from the good 'ol Department of Homeland Security and one from Canada Border Services. Wifey is annoying - any time a part of the world is mentioned on tv, she says "I've been there".

 

[large_ghostman]

I had pasta once.....if that counts?

 

[Reloadron]

I had pasta once.....if that counts?

That does count. I lived in Italy for 3 years and my son was born in Napoli, Italia. I told him he was eligible for the Italian Armed Forces draft.

Ron

 

[large_ghostman]

That does count. I lived in Italy for 3 years and my son was born in Napoli, Italia. I told him he was eligible for the Italian Armed Forces draft.

Ron

It was tinned! So that probably excludes me from the draft!

 

[granddad]

I get to stop working when I die.

How do you know ?