I'm nearly not here...

[Swoop]

Hey, what about buy NZ, NAVMAN!!! (only cos I work for em)

I have a navman fishfinder on the boat.
Would I buy a navman "moving atlas"? No.

[vifferman]

Hey, what about buy NZ, NAVMAN!!! (only cos I work for em)

Two things:
1. Their maps for Yurp aren't as up to date or extensive. Because Tom tom is the most popular in Yurp, the maps are more betterer.
2. Tom tom is cheaper.
3. I attempted to acquire a job several times at Navman, and got dicked around somewhat extremely.
4. jrandom used to work there, and he wouldn't buy one nor recommend one. And he knows everything, so I respect his opinion.
5. I can get a Tom Tom using Fly Buys points.
6. I can't count. Nor spiel.

[Blackbird]

Welcome back Ian - looks like you've had an absolute ball!

We had part of our honeymoon in Venice and everyone told us it would be smelly but wasn't - how did you find it? In fact, the only thing that stank was the outrageous price of the food and drink in St Mark's Square

Cheers,

Geoff

[vifferman]

I tired to think what they would be. Dificult, but here's a first attmpt (might edit later..)
Highlights
More than a month away from work, and Noo Zilund's crappy weather.
Holland: much nicer than anticipated, and the beer, food and hospitality were fantastic.
Venice, Paris, Rome, Lucerne.
The Getty in LA.
The bus breaking down in Montecatini.
More sex than normal, even though we had to take the mother-in-law with us.
The food.
The bed in Brouwhuis - best sleep we had.
The Trafalgar tour director and driver - tehy were awesome.
Les Miserables.
The people on the bus - the pleasant Canadians, the friendly and interesting Aussies, the Mom and daughter from LA who were always late or getting lost and making us wait, but who were such sweeties that no-one minded.

Lowlights
Missed the VFR in Germany, when the weather and roads were fantastic, and I was stuck in the bus.
Less romance than was planned, because we had to take the mother-in-law with us.
Too much rushing around.
Pisa.
Some of the people we had on tour with us (the obnoxious Canadians, the ignorant Aussies, the chain-smoking Kiwi, the rude Seff Effrycuns, and the really stupid blonde bimbo Aussie who pissed everyone off).
The pillows in out hotel in Brusselles (too fat) and in Montecatini (filled with sawdust, kapok or dead tourists...)
Planes, buses and trains. Although to be honest, it made LA much more interesting taking public transport everywhere.
The coffee. Apart from a thick, tarry espresso from a machine in our hotel in Lucerne: it transported my brain into another realm.

[vifferman]

Welcome back Ian - looks like you've had an absolute ball!

Thanks very much, Mr Blackbird, Sir. I must come and visit soon and show you some pix. (My sister's house over the hill from you is livable now, so she's invited us to stay, probably about a fortnight from now).
Perhaps not an absolute ball (the mother-in-law spoiled things a little, and it was all a bit rushed), but it was good.

We had part of our honeymoon in Venice and everyone told us it would be smelly but wasn't - how did you find it?

It was very crowded, and very hot (high 30s), but we enjoyed it very much. The aforementioned MIL nearly expired though. Some of the people who did the gondola ride thing (we didn't) said it was very smelly, but we didn't notice any smells.
We regretted afterwards not visiting the Doge's palace.
Pricey? Yes. Very.
We sat in the shade at a bar/restaurant/cafe by the Metropole to wait for our water taxi, and ordered some drinks: one (mediocre) beer, two lemonades, and the bill (if I remember correctly) was 28 Euro.
Compare that with some town we stopped at in Belgium: it was like your corner dairy, but sold booze as well. We bought three beers, some biscuits, crackers, crisps and other stuff, and the bill was around 12 Euro, including about 1.70 Euro each for some very fine high-alcohol Belgian beers, including a Duvel, some Trappiste beer I can't remember, and some other thing that would get you pissed on a couple of mouthfuls.
It was a nice-ish town, but because we stopped there for lunch we ended up getting lost going into Brussells, and it took us around 2 hours to get unlost.
I liked Venice, but I dunno if I'd go back. On our next visit to Italy we'd probably go to Rome again, but also explore some of the smaller towns more. I definitely wouldn't go back to Pisa. It's very overhyped.

[vifferman]

Here's a few more of the 4100 or so photos I haven't yet posted. I have some really nice ones but can't upload them from work (or from home, as the vifferbabe wants to know why I'm wasting time on Photobucket when I could be editing photos...)
Holland (again) - near Kinderdijk:


Avignon (in la Belle France, y'know):


Nice (it was nice):


Somewhere in Italia:


Somewhere else in Italia (Fiorenze):


Somewhere in Vatican City:


Swiss Cheese Land (Lucerne):