Roll Call - Christmas Markets 2008 - all lines, all dates

[Bill S]

We received our Avalon cruise documents yesterday and they are all in order!

We were in DC this past week and while at Dulles Airport, I was able to convert some USDs for some Czech Republic florints, enough to get us our first meal in Prague. We will be arriving there on Sunday, Nov 30.

So, now it is just a matter of reading all the information in the cruise documents, watching the weather forecasts and packing the right clothes!

[AZPam]

Woo Hoo! Somebody else is now doing the dock dance! Lucky you Bill! Mine should be showing up any day now and I am anxiously awaiting their arrival!

[KeyOfSea]

I'm so excited now I can hardly stand it. :D

 

We've been planning this trip for about 2 years!! It doesn't quite seem real.

 

 

Woo Hoo! Somebody else is now doing the dock dance! Lucky you Bill! Mine should be showing up any day now and I am anxiously awaiting their arrival!

 

I thought that it was "doc" for document dance. But I like yours better because we get to go to a dock!!! :D Hopefully, we will get ours soon - only 3 'mailing' weeks left because of the holiday.

[AZPam]

We've been planning this trip for about 2 years!! It doesn't quite seem real.

 

 

 

 

I thought that it was "doc" for document dance. But I like yours better because we get to go to a dock!!! :D Hopefully, we will get ours soon - only 3 'mailing' weeks left because of the holiday.

 

Ooops! You got me! Must have been a slip of the fingers! But dock still kind of makes sense, doesn't it? :rolleyes:

 

So, here is a question, who is doing what for Thanksgiving? Especially those that leave days after, like me. I still am having the family here for dinner but I've warned them that I won't be breaking out the china or crystal this year. They'll be lucky it isn't served off of paper plates!

[steamboats]

We were in DC this past week and while at Dulles Airport, I was able to convert some USDs for some Czech Republic florints, enough to get us our first meal in Prague.

 

Bill, I hope you got some Czech Crowns :D for Prague (and Hungarian Forints if you´re going to Budapest too).

 

steamboats

[KeyOfSea]

Ooops! You got me! Must have been a slip of the fingers! But dock still kind of makes sense, doesn't it? :rolleyes:

 

So, here is a question, who is doing what for Thanksgiving? Especially those that leave days after, like me. I still am having the family here for dinner but I've warned them that I won't be breaking out the china or crystal this year. They'll be lucky it isn't served off of paper plates!

 

We are going to my Aunt's and I told my mom that I wanted to bring something that I could buy (no prep work) and I don't want ANY leftovers. Our DD (who's 23) is currently living with us so she'll be home while we're gone.

[AZPam]

We are going to my Aunt's and I told my mom that I wanted to bring something that I could buy (no prep work) and I don't want ANY leftovers. Our DD (who's 23) is currently living with us so she'll be home while we're gone.

 

My husband will be home with the dogs, so I don't mind leftovers. At least he will have something to eat for a few days! My DD will be home for a few days but then has to go back to school for finals. My DS will only be able to come down for the day due to his job, but he only lives a little over 2 hours away, so not a huge deal. My Mom and my SIL are going on this trip too, so we were really in a pickle as to who was going to get stuck doing Thanksgiving. I guess I drew the short end of the stick.

[KeyOfSea]

My husband will be home with the dogs, so I don't mind leftovers. At least he will have something to eat for a few days! My DD will be home for a few days but then has to go back to school for finals. My DS will only be able to come down for the day due to his job, but he only lives a little over 2 hours away, so not a huge deal. My Mom and my SIL are going on this trip too, so we were really in a pickle as to who was going to get stuck doing Thanksgiving. I guess I drew the short end of the stick.

 

Our DS is away at school and it's too far for him to come home. He will come home for Christmas a couple of weeks later anyway. We get home late Dec. 11th and he comes home on Dec. 13th. :D

[skyview851]

We are having the whole family in for Thanksgiving. Right now we are looking at 9 people, but that can change, if DS brings home friends from college. We leave on Tues after Thanksgiving, so the weekend is my packing time. I can't wait :).

We still haven't gotten our Euros, waiting to see what the rates do, but I am thinking we will have to order them by next week. Our bank says it will take 3 or 4 days to get them to us.

[Bill S]

Steamboats---I meant to say crowns, but apparently was thinking of Hungary when I wrote it. Yep, the money is from the Czech Republic--thanks!

Re Thanksgiving: our boys & grandson live up in Reno. We leave for the cruise the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Plus, another couple who live about 60 miles from here, are coming over on Friday afternoon to spend the night at our place due to having a 6am flight on Saturday. All of that ruled out driving up to Reno.

Although our bodies will probably not like this, we are flying up to Reno at 6am on Thanksgiving morning and leaving there at 9am on Friday to return home. We are going to be whipped puppies by the time we get to Prague. This also means that we will need to be pretty much all packed before Thanksgiving Day! Yikes! :eek:

 

Hi Trish! Good to see you posting and getting ready for the long-awaited adventure!

[sa4]

Hi, DH and I will be traveling with Viking on their 7 day Rhine cruise. They don't advertise this as a Christmas markets cruise, but I know there will be some markets and we will have some free time. This is our first river cruise and it is the easy part of our trip; get on the boat and go. We are arriving in Paris 10 days earlier and I am still planning the logistics of that. So far have 4 nights reserved in Paris and 3 nights in Lyon. Our DD goes to school there and will also be joining us in Paris. Anyway, still have last 3-4 days to plan in Switzerland. May just wing it and not reserve hotels ahead of time.

I have spent most of my time planning the rest of the trip but reading all these posts has got me really excited about the cruise. Getting good tips too, thanks. Just how cold do you expect it to be? I am planning for 40s and being from Wisconsin, that is almost balmy. LOL

Have been working on my French for many months and now I realize I need some German too!

[AZPam]

Hi, DH and I will be traveling with Viking on their 7 day Rhine cruise. They don't advertise this as a Christmas markets cruise, but I know there will be some markets and we will have some free time. This is our first river cruise and it is the easy part of our trip; get on the boat and go. We are arriving in Paris 10 days earlier and I am still planning the logistics of that. So far have 4 nights reserved in Paris and 3 nights in Lyon. Our DD goes to school there and will also be joining us in Paris. Anyway, still have last 3-4 days to plan in Switzerland. May just wing it and not reserve hotels ahead of time.

I have spent most of my time planning the rest of the trip but reading all these posts has got me really excited about the cruise. Getting good tips too, thanks. Just how cold do you expect it to be? I am planning for 40s and being from Wisconsin, that is almost balmy. LOL

Have been working on my French for many months and now I realize I need some German too!

 

Sounds like you have a great trip planned already! How nice is it that you will have your DD to act as a tour guide?

[fred111]

We are leaving before Thanksgiving so it looks like we'll be celebrating both Thanksgiving and my wife's birthday in the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. Beer and brats are the perfect Thanksgiving dinner.

[pacmom]

Thanksgiving will be as usual--at least 14 of us gathered at our house. All the children live within 40 mins of us, so no overnite guests. Finally have started having them bring part of the meal, makes it an easier day. We leave the following Sunday evening out of Cincy and arrive in Frankfurt the following am. Am really starting to get excited. Pat

[AZPam]

[color=blue

Re Thanksgiving: our boys & grandson live up in Reno. We leave for the cruise the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Plus, another couple who live about 60 miles from here, are coming over on Friday afternoon to spend the night at our place due to having a 6am flight on Saturday. All of that ruled out driving up to Reno.

Although our bodies will probably not like this, we are flying up to Reno at 6am on Thanksgiving morning and leaving there at 9am on Friday to return home. We are going to be whipped puppies by the time we get to Prague. This also means that we will need to be pretty much all packed before Thanksgiving Day! Yikes! :eek:

 

Hi Trish! Good to see you posting and getting ready for the long-awaited adventure!

 

Okay, I think you win, so far, for the craziest Thanksgiving day schedule just before leaving! Sounds like you will have lots of fun though and I am sure will be nice to be with your sons and grandson. That's what it is all about anyway, right?

 

Anybody have any great receipes you would want to share that you just have to make for any big special dinner? I got one last year from my AZ Cruisers board for refrigerator potatoes that is fabulous! Makes making those mashed taters much easier!

[skertso]

We try to get the entire family together at Thanksgiving but I'll only have 3 of my 4 children with guests here this year. My eldest son lives a state away and usually doesn't get here for Thanksgiving any more. DH and I will go over there the weekend before Thanksgiving to spend time with them though and that will be fun.

 

We are really getting excited about our river cruise. A month from today! It'll be here before we know it!

 

Have a great day everyone!

:) Cherie

[hello]

I'm getting excited just reading about how excited everyone is about their upcoming cruises -- I can't wait to hear all of your comments once you return home!!

 

Have a great time ...

[AZPam]

I leave 3 weeks from today!

[KeyOfSea]

I leave 3 weeks from today!

 

So do we!! I think that it's time to do a Virtual Voyage - then you get to "live" it twice. I'll start but please (everyone) feel free to add your own.

 

VV: We're sitting here waiting for the shuttle that was supposed to be here 15 min. ago. Good thing that we're only 10 - 15 minutes from the airport. Tomorrow we will be in Vienna. :D

[AZPam]

So do we!! I think that it's time to do a Virtual Voyage - then you get to "live" it twice. I'll start but please (everyone) feel free to add your own.

 

VV: We're sitting here waiting for the shuttle that was supposed to be here 15 min. ago. Good thing that we're only 10 - 15 minutes from the airport. Tomorrow we will be in Vienna. :D

 

I've never done a VV before, but I'll give it a shot!

 

Didn't get a wink of sleep last night! Still stressing over how much I packed and if my bag will be overweight or not.

[KeyOfSea]

I've never done a VV before, but I'll give it a shot!

 

Didn't get a wink of sleep last night! Still stressing over how much I packed and if my bag will be overweight or not.

 

 

We bought a luggage scale for this trip. We never worried about it much before but thought that it would be important this time. It will help us to know if we need to mail some things home.

[AZPam]

We bought a luggage scale for this trip. We never worried about it much before but thought that it would be important this time. It will help us to know if we need to mail some things home.

 

Yeah, I have one too but that doesn't mean the airport scales will totally agree. I had a bag a year ago that was right at the limit, but thought I had about 3 lbs to spare, and when I got to the airport they said it was overweight. Frustrated me to no end. So, in the mean time, I stress.

[KeyOfSea]

Yeah, I have one too but that doesn't mean the airport scales will totally agree. I had a bag a year ago that was right at the limit, but thought I had about 3 lbs to spare, and when I got to the airport they said it was overweight. Frustrated me to no end. So, in the mean time, I stress.

 

Oh, thanks for the heads up. I didn't consider that. I'll try to keep mine about 5 lbs under.

[KeyOfSea]

VV: It's so good to finally be in Vienna. We're tired but we were able to rest on the plane some and we're too excited to think about it. Our hotel is nice and we're going out to explore. We'll need to find some food too but our stomaches are confused about what time zone they are in. :rolleyes: The weather is cool but dry.

[Signor John]

I'm concerned that I may go crazy buying beautiful things, in spite of 14 storage bins of Christmas stuff in my garage.

 

Easy. Skip the shopping and spend your money on Glühwein and sausages. :-)