Toodle-oo Tut
Ursula Hennessey ·
Jan 20, 2011 at 8:32am
The only educational topic that could pry me from my Monkees and Duran Duran obsessions in middle and high school was King Tut.
Later in life, I taught ancient civilizations to middle schoolers. I would kill to go to Egypt and see, in person, the tombs and temples depicted so majestically in the many books and videos I've devoured over the past 25 years. (Oops. Strike that. "Kill" and "devoured" reveal the "shocking vituperation and hatred" that feeds my soul.)
But, alas, my financial situation and the fact that deep, hot, sweaty tombs are not for toddlers prevent me from visiting King Tut's tomb before it is, apparently, sealed off to the public.
Is there one place or one tourist attraction that you want to see before you go to your reward?
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May '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Tuscany
Jan '11
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Paris (with Patagonia a close second). I still have very fond memories of the amazing Tutankhamen exhibit in the 70s, though that is partially from the fading memories of standing in line for five plus hours at the National Gallery in DC.
Dec '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
One life goal I'm decently serious about is traveling to all of the top ten "Most Extreme Airports" according to the history channel special that came out last year. Unfortunately, Kong Kong's Kai Tak was replaced with a new airport
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
I hate travel. I once went 10 years without leaving my home county.
I love home. I don't need to go anywhere. TV, books, newspapers, internet. All I need.
Weird, huh?
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Persepolis
May '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
I would love to see New Zealand. I'd love to visit the Holy Land. But I am a very poor traveler. And I hate tourism.
Jul '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Greece. To see Ithaca, Athens, Sparta, Mycenae, and the Dairy Queen on Route 5. It is where the real insanity got started. Geez, if committees are so badly broken, let's try rule by Demos with 6000 "committee members". Like that would ever work.
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Tommy De Seno: I hate travel. I once went 10 years without leaving my home county.
I love home. I don't need to go anywhere. TV, books, newspapers, internet. All I need.
Weird, huh? · Jan 20 at 8:54am
I'm with you on this, Tommy. Thing is, I suspect that experiencing ancient Egypt through books and videos is akin to watching Star Wars on an iphone. But, maybe that's as good as it will get for me.
Jul '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
The cave paintings at Lascaux would be similar for me. Also unavailable to most people and even by visiting I'd probably be doing lasting damage, but I'm strangely compelled to see in person such early evidence of humanity's unique presence and capability in the world. There's a lot of other neat places that I'd like to see but I only go places with running water, toilets, and preferably air conditioning so that limits my options considerably. But cave paintings I could see during the day and the retire to the nearest Hilton afterwards...
Dec '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Ursula Hennessey
I'm with you on this, Tommy. Thing is, I suspect that experiencing ancient Egypt through books and videos is akin to watching Star Wars on an iphone. But, maybe that's as good as it will get for me. · Jan 20 at 9:13am
Take heart. With immersive virtual travel technology, you'll be able to come pretty close to the experience of being there in a few years' time.
I tend to think of places in terms of experiences. I'd like to celebrate Hogsmanay in Edinburgh, and see the Palio races in both Siena and Ferrara, and take part in the maniacal food fights in Buñol (the Tomatina) and Ivrea (the oranges at Carnevale), and for that matter go to Carnival in Rio de Janiero and Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnevale in Venice. (I might want to watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona in person, but I'm past the point of wanting to do the running.)
I think the thing I'd most like to see for the sake of seeing it is Iguazú Falls in South America.
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Ursula Hennessey
I'm with you on this, Tommy. Thing is, I suspect that experiencing ancient Egypt through books and videos is akin to watching Star Wars on an iphone. But, maybe that's as good as it will get for me. · Jan 20 at 9:13am
You're probably right, Ursula. I can't really judge if I haven't been.
I do know that every time my wife drags me away, my max seems to be 3 days before I'm wishing I was back home.
Although Aruba was a terrific place to sulk about it, I admit!
Sep '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
I have been all over Patagonia (mostly for work) and I will say that while the mountain glaciers in the south are a wonder, the rest seemed like Nevada but not as hot and with Dinner at 10 pm.
May '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Perhaps back to Ireland. I went for two weeks when I was 18. I'd like to make that trip again and spend more time getting to know the people, rather than just focusing on the history and vistas.
Or Kenya.
May '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
I wanted to see America. But they shut it down shortly after Reagan left office. Everybody took it for granted and thought it was too crowded so they stopped going.
Dec '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
"The only educational topic that could pry me from my Monkees and Duran Duran obsessions in middle and high school was King Tut."
I'm very curious about the chronology behind this statement. I would place Monkee-mania in the mid-60s, Tut-mania in the 70s, and Duran Duranism in the 80s. When was this middle and high school career of which you speak?
Edited on Jan 20, 2011 at 10:36amRe: Toodle-oo Tut
Stuart Creque: "The only educational topic that could pry me from my Monkees and Duran Duran obsessions in middle and high school was King Tut."
I'm very curious about the chronology behind this statement. I would place Monkee-mania in the mid-60s, Tut-mania in the 70s, and Duran Duranism in the 80s. When was this middle and high school career of which you speak? · Jan 20 at 10:34am
Edited on Jan 20 at 10:36 am
Totally fair question. There was a brief revival of the Monkees in the 80s. They toured, etc. I went to a couple of their concerts and, in a pathetic show of teen craziness, screamed and cried for them like they were 20 not 50. Oh geez. Can't believe I'm admitting this. So, Monkees and Duran Duran overlapped there for me. And, just for kicks, I'll share that I didn't go for the "obvious" crushes in those bands. Most people loved Davy Jones (M) and John Taylor (DD). I went for Mickey Dolenz and Simon Le Bon. Like you all care.
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
That is a very brave thing to admit, Ursula. And I for one, LOVE travel. I will put up with lousy airports and weird hours as long as I like who I'm traveling with. Which includes myself. Dump me in a relatively safe city I've never seen before all on my own and I love it. So there's just too many places on my bucket list...which is what you seem to travel in when in coach these days.
Jun '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
I'd like to follow the Formula 1 Grand Prix around the world for one maybe two seasons.
Sep '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
Things that might never happen, but are desired: Silk Road. Roman stuff in Libya. WW II Pacific island battlefields. Siberia.
Things that might happen: Nakasendo Way in Japan.
Things that will happen!: Runnymede 2015. Walking tours of great cities in "old" and "new" Europe. Concentration camps. More Southwest geology. More Chaco Culture. To the bottom of the Grand Canyon once more. More Yosemite. Once more looking up the Seine toward Notre Dame at sunset. Westminster Abbey at Isaac Newton's tomb.
Sorry it's not just one, this is my job in retirement.
Jun '10
Re: Toodle-oo Tut
The Amalfi Coast & the Grand Canyon are on my list. If I knew the exact day I was about to croak, I'd ask to be brought to a beach in Donegal for my last day on earth.