Travel Talkers Toastmasters

Travel to Europe from the US is very popular this year and is expected to grow 55% in the Summer of 2023. The theme for our June 22 meeting was “Adventures in Europe.” Kit Myers in her speech, “Before You Go: Travel Tips,” provide several suggestions for how to make our trips more affordable and more enjoyable. Her family mantra for travel is “All you need is a passport and a credit card” for a memorable trip.

• 1. Go in the off-season. If you are traveling to Europe, off-season is mid-September to November. You will miss the summer crowds and hotels and airline travel is cheaper off-season.
• 2. Start planning your trip as far in advance as possible. Investigate several hotel and flight options. Be flexible with your dates to find the best price.
• 3. Research the destination and pick one “must see or do” event and then add 2-3 other places to see or visit in the same area. Balance the most popular and most crowded places and with those places that are not so popular. Sometimes the hidden or overlooked gems are more fun.
• 4. Never pre-pay for a hotel, car rental or any other reservation that you can pay for 2-3 days in advance. You can pre-book, just don’t pre-pay. Book ahead to lock in lower rates, be aware of cancellation dates.
• 5. Apps and Maps. Learn about all the features of Google maps before you travel, download a local copy of the maps for the area you are traveling to in case you don’t have internet access on your trip.
• 6. Enjoy the planning. Read about the area you are traveling to, watch movies set in the area, and sample the cuisine in local restaurants before you go. Spoil yourself!
• 7. Pack your carry on bag with your favorites to soothe your spirit or help you relax. There will be bumps along the way.

Our Destination Master, Tym Myers, picked a destination in Europe. Here are his clues for the city:

• The first Bishop of this city was beheaded in 250 AD. He walked to his burial site carrying his own head.
• This city was one of the first European cities to use gas street lamps in the 1860’s.
• This city has 37 bridges and the oldest stone bridge, built in 1578 is called the “New Bridge.”
• The nickname of the city is, The City of Lights.
• The city is home to a famous museum which was first a hunting lodge, then became a palace, and then during the French revolution, the Louvre opened as a museum of the people in 1793.
• It is a capital city.
  

If you guessed Paris, you are correct!

Travel Topics were also related to the theme of Europe. Megan Burns prepared a slide deck of photos representing the architecture, religion, art, literature, food and history of Europe. We each had the opportunity to select a category and then the question was revealed.

Her questions were:

• Architecture: From the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to The Shard in London, Europe has a wide variety of architectural styles to choose from. What famous building would you like to visit?
• Religion: Churches and other houses of worship are tourist attractions in European cities. Famous burial plots, beautiful artwork, and acoustic chambers that amplify concerts are all worth a visit. What religious buildings have you visited, or hope to visit some day?
• Art: Art takes many forms, from marble sculptures to paintings, to giant beasts that walk across a beach. What piece of art or famous museum would you most like to visit?
• Literature: Harry Potter discovered a hidden platform at London’s King’s Cross Station. Quasimodo scaled the towers of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral. Through literature, we discover real places to visit one day. What book has inspired you to visit a European city?
• Food: Surprise! You and a guest have won an all-expenses paid trip to a European city of your choice. There, you’ll take a cooking class from a Master chef to learn any dish you like. What is your destination and what will you cook?
• History: So many historic events occurred in Europe. If you had a time machine, would you travel to Athens to sit in on a philosophy lesson with Plato? Watch a chariot race in the Roman Coliseum? Witness the signing of the Magna Carta?  Or maybe something else…your choice!

We all enjoyed the travel topics questions and the photos Megan provided to illustrate each question.

Join us for our next meeting on July 6 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm Pacific (-8 UTC). The meeting theme is “Coast to Coast.” We want to hear about your travel adventures. Where are you headed next?

We will not be meeting on Thursday, June 29. Be sure to join us on July 6 to share your travel plans with us.

Register for the meeting: https://tinyurl.com/TravelTalkersZoomLink

Looking forward to hearing your Travel Stories!

Helen Josephine,

Travel Talkers Toastmasters