World Travelers

Certainly is. Just means we ain't friends, Captain.
I'll try and put it to "public".

Has anyone been to Abruzzo in Italy? I'd like to do a road trip there with my girl friend (our first big trip, we haven't been able to arrange but a citytrip here and there). It's a sparsely populated and visited region in Italy, with many beautiful little villages and national parks and seeminly spectacular mountain landscape all close to Rome, so we would combine visiting that city too. I love regions like this (like the Spanish region east of Madrid or Corsica). If you've seen The American then you have seen some of the scenery of Abruzzo.

Never been a big fan of Italy, but that region looks fantastic!

Not a fan of Italy? How is that even possible?

Ah, must have had 'palm trees' and 'beaches' confused (you usually can't have one without the other).

That's probably true. But the beach here in Plockton isn't really suitable for sunbathing. About 20 minutes from the Isle of Skye, it's always weird seeing these palm trees in this small Scottish village.

http://www.plocktonyachtcharters.com/pl … ockton.jpg

Weird. That looks like a photo from the Riviera or something.

I should point out that my idea of a fantastic time was spent in a tent, around camp fires and climbing peaks every single day.

The only downside was the fucking midges which swarmed every evening as soon as the sun was going down.

I'm usually not bothered by midges. I used to say that I was never bothered by them but on one trip to the lighthouse at Neist Point I was absolutely covered in midges. Although I wasn't bitten, I looked like a midge version of those photos you see of people with bee "beards".

Am i the only one who read "fucking midgets'? goddamnit, i am ruined.

No.

Six-star hotel at the foot of a mountain???

There are many hotels and guest houses in Fort William to accommodate you after a climb of Ben Nevis ( now a meter taller so get training ) but where I usually go it's sleeping bags and tents and no hotels for miles around.

So I'm off for Cannes bright and early tomorrow morning. I've been to France several times, but never at the Riviera (I think the closest is probably Carcassone), and never at the Cannes film festival. So a double first.

Have any of you been there?

Me and two colleagues have rented a small apartment about 4-5 km from the city centre. Now, the things I'm NOT looking forward to include hours upon hours of standing in line (sometimes 4-5 hours for one film, if it's popular), the obligatory 'fancy' dress code for some screenings (I had to buy a new suit today just for this purpose -- I really prefer just wearing shorts and, if required, a nice short-sleeve shirt), the trek back and forth between the apartment and the festival area (both physically and financially) and the steep, almost Norwegian-style prices on most things.

Among the things I DO look forward to, include the general ambiance of the place, the fact that it's (hopefully) nice weather most of the time, seeing some great movies and hopefully attending an event/party or two. I've also been invited to host a panel on gender equality at the European Film Music Day at the local FNAC store, featuring -- among others -- Laura Karpman.

All in all, two exciting weeks ahead. I need to do something after I've been drenched in envy for all the social stuff you've all been doing at the Tyler concert.

That's cool Thor! I'm not sure I could survive two weeks of some of the decadence and apparently all the waiting. Have a great time. Next time, pass by London to have the shorts wearing part fixed.

You saw Spielberg on the red carpet. Then you must've seen Rebecca Hall too as she was practically the only one getting all the attention from the paparazzi. Quite funny, that clip of the premiere.

Well, understandably, since she's quite tall and not bad looking.