Tag: Travel

…the term “rawdogging” had this meaning, in a travel sense:

A new travel phenomenon has swept TikTok in the form of ‘rawdogging,’ which means consuming no form of entertainment during a flight – except for the basic maps or data shown on the seatback screen.

Taking it to greater extremes, some will also claim to forgo food and drink for the duration of the journey.

Many videos show travelers with blank expressions as they stare into space, while overlaid captions brag about them completing the challenge. 

However, a team of travel experts from the site Netflights have now warned that the practice can have many negative impacts.

And here I thought “rawdogging” on a flight meant some kind of unprotected sexual congress with a flight attendant.  Shows what I know.

Anyway, while I can sort of see the experts’ [coff coff]  point, I don’t buy into their argument wholeheartedly.  I quite like to sit and gaze into space with a “blank expression”;  in my day, that was called “quiet contemplation”, and on short-haul flights I do it all the time, not needing constant stimulation to be happy, or at least passably happy.  Transoceanic flights are a different animal, however, but a decent couple of “disposable” books — ones that can be tossed without regret after completion — usually fit the bill admirably.  And I loathe airline movies because they’ve mostly been bowdlerized Because Of Teh Kiddies.

Also forget forgoing food and drink on a long flight;  that’s just plain stupidity, spelling as it does hunger and dehydration.  This is why God invented biltong, my children; and dehydration in the pressurized cabin is no frigging joke, especially if you are at risk of a gout attack (ask me how I know this).

Speaking of biltong:  I see that our supply thereof has fallen to a dangerously low level, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the kitchen.  I may be feeling poorly, but sometimes ya just gotta.

This was actually an ad feature, but still:

Stuttgart, Germany?

Actually, yes.  Of all the German cities I’ve visited — and that’s a lot — I was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by Stuttgart,  Here’s why.

It’s quite pretty, being set in the midst of a series of ridges and hills — like Johannesburg — and it makes no bones about the fact that it is all about business — again, like Johannesburg.

But it’s also a nice place to visit:  the food is varied and not expensive (at least, not when I was there. Tip:  if you can find a place that caters to the after-school crowds, the deals are sensational:  think 1-euro gyros and -pizza slices).

I remember asking the guy behind the counter in the above pic why they didn’t serve lamb gyros — highly unusual for a Turkish joint — and his response was:  “German lamb is terrible.”  (Schrecklich!)

Also, walking in the city itself is great fun, as there are several pedestrian-only streets and of course, there are the bars.

Close by, there are all sorts of interesting places, e.g. the Mercedes and Porsche factories and museums, for those who are that way inclined.

And unlike many Euro cities, renting a car is an excellent idea in Stuttgart for the simple reason that the Swabian countryside — Black Forest, y’all — is spectacular.  (If you have the money — I didn’t — rent a Porsche Boxster.)

I wouldn’t go there in winter or even early spring, though:  it’s pretty bleak.  This was late April/early May, when I was there:

But the best part of going to Stuttgart is that even in summer it’s not a tourist-y city like Paris or even Munich.

I’d go back there tomorrow if I could.

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Afterthought:  like many German cities, Stuttgart was bombed all to hell during the slight disturbances of the early 1940s.  But just a short trip up the autobahn from Stuttgart is Tübingen — which wasn’t — and it’s worth a couple of days all by itself.

The street food alone was voted “Best in Germany” by the kids — and they went to all the places I went to.

I read this report with more than a little interest:

Cheddar Gorge locals are facing a 21-mile detour this week as filming crews descend on the iconic Somerset beauty spot to shoot scenes for Danny Boyle’s new horror movie 28 Years Later. 

Somerset Council has announced that the B3135, the main road which runs through the attraction, will remain closed until this weekend, and maybe longer, to accommodate the film crew.

The way that I see it, closing this road is a blessing, not a curse.

You see, I’ve been through the Cheddar Gorge (it’s the road leading into the town of Cheddar) and it’s unusual for the area in that one minute you’re driving through the normal exquisite West Country farms and pastures, and the next you are plunged into a deep ravine, which goes on for miles and miles until you reach the picturesque town itself.

Unfortunately, this being Britishland, tens of thousands of people think it would be a nice place to visit, so the road is crowded not only with cars driving on it, but miles and miles of cars (and buses!) parked along its verge.

These pics were taken in late summer, and the traffic congestion spoiled the entire trip for me.

As for Cheddar itself:   standard gorgeous little West Country village, marred by the fact that it has no parking for the jillions of cars that invade the place all through the summer.

For tourists, don’t bother trying to get some of the famous Cheddar cheese there — it’s sold all over Britain anyway, and there’s nothing special about buying it there.  (The little ice cream shop on the main street, however, sells possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted.)

As far as I’m concerned, the locals should look on the closure of the Gorge road as a chance for some blessed (and rare) peace and quiet.

Tourist tip:  during the summer, avoid like the plague.  It may be worth a visit during late fall or winter (don’t know for certain), but I wouldn’t risk it.

Go to Norton St. Philip (it’s on the way to Cheddar) instead, and spend a few hours in the George Inn pub (fantastic food and… 6X!!!).

You’ll thank me for it.

Watching the Brit TV show “24 Hours In The A&E” the other night, one of the characters asked an intriguing question of another:

“If you could snap your fingers and be anywhere in the world, where would you choose?”

New Wife and I talked about it for ages.  Where to go?

1. A place that you’ve been to before, and loved?
2. A place you’ve never been to before?
3. By yourself, or with a partner / wife / buddy etc.?
4. For how long?  A day, weekend, week, or a month?

Here are mine:

1. Never been to Lake Como, always wanted to, also a week.
2. By myself: on a driven bird shoot, somewhere in southern England, for a day or two.
3. With New Wife: somewhere scenic in the U.S., either where I’ve been before and she not, or where neither of us has been.  Whatever the choice, for two weeks.
4. With my buddy Trevor: somewhere in Europe where neither of us has been to before, for a week.

(New Wife, by the way, chose only one locale:  any Indian Ocean island — Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives — for two to three weeks.)

And now it’s your turn.  Feel free to work the conditions, any way you please.

Snap your fingers…