enframed wrote:Going to Italy next week for 10 days: Marche, Abruzzo, Umbria, Lazio, then Sardinia for 5 days. Cannot fucking wait.

jfv wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 1:21 pm Work travel starting to pick up for me again.

Next week: Corvallis, Oregon
Week of Sept. 26: Seoul, Korea
late October/early November: Fremont, CA

If there are any FMs around those cities that would want to meet up, let me know.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:01 pm

jfv wrote: Off to Seoul, Korea on Saturday and will be there all next week.

Dunno if you're much for urban hiking, but Inwangsan is a cool mountain trail, right in town, w/an excellent view of the city. There's a shamanic shrine, Guksadang, up there, and if you're lucky, you may see holy women performing esoteric rituals, convulsing, and chanting on the nearby rocks.

You should also go to Namdaemun and Gwangjang markets and eat... everything. And don't forget to visit a pojangmacha, a sort of tented outdoor bar that serves street food (usually specializing in just a few things), or three. Jongno area is full of them (or at least, it used to be). You'll definitely make some new friends. For a sharp contrast, find an upscale place serving royal court cuisine, and you'll encounter a totally different side of Korean food w/mild flavors, something akin to Japanese kaiseki.

lotharsandwich wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:07 pm

jfv wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 1:21 pm Work travel starting to pick up for me again.

Next week: Corvallis, Oregon
Week of Sept. 26: Seoul, Korea
late October/early November: Fremont, CA

If there are any FMs around those cities that would want to meet up, let me know.

I don't know if you've been to Fremont, CA before. You can take BART to Berkeley/Oakland/SF easily enough (far better than driving at many times of day). Fremont itself may appear to be composed of housing developments and strip malls, but it's also home to sizable immigrant populations-- Afghan, Indian, Chinese, etc-- so it's like parts of Los Angeles in that you may find really interesting food in some of those desolate looking strip malls. I'm not sure where to start research-wise, but it's probably not too hard to figure out.

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 1:59 pm

enframed wrote:Going to Italy next week for 10 days: Marche, Abruzzo, Umbria, Lazio, then Sardinia for 5 days. Cannot fucking wait.

Lucky dog. If you can smuggle it home, buy a lot of bottarga in Sardinia, specifically around Oristano. S'Archittu (rock formation) and Tharros (Roman ruins on a peninsula) make excellent afternoon jaunts from there. Bosa is also really beautiful.

I've always wanted to visit the nuns that make those Coenobium wines, at Monastero Suore Cistercensi, in Lazio. I like the white, the skin contact one, and (especially) the harder-to-find red, which sells out briskly around these parts.

jfv wrote: Wed Dec 07, 2022 4:02 pm Will be in:

Berlin, Germany >>> Dec 10-15

enframed wrote: Thu Dec 08, 2022 2:36 pm Going to Mexico City over New Year.

Never been. Like food, a little night life, nothing too touristy but wanna see some cool stuff...art galleries, museums.

Anyone have any recommendations?