h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yes, that's right everyone, the King is making a royal tour around Europe. Not only that, but I'm doing it during Winter too, specifically to bring joy into the dull, drab months of cold. So what's the itinerary?

Well, I arrive in Paris on the 16th of January, and shortly thereafter embark upon the tour of Europe - or some thereof, anyway. At this stage the destinations include most regions of France, Tuscany (Florence) and Venice in Italy, somewhere or other in Germany, and possible brief stops in Switzerland and Denmark, with a week or so in Finland. Following that, I'll be spending the remaining time (2-4 weeks, depending on how long the tour lasts) in Paris before stopping over in London on Saturday the first of March on the way home.

So... any advice, offers of accommodation, and particularly offers of a h2g2 meet to coincide with the time I'll be in your neighbourhood (or possibly to entice me to extend my royal tour to your neck of the woods) would be gratefully and gracefully received.

I'd try and entice you to extend your trip as far as Ireland, but my wife doesn't take kindly to multi-tentacled lifeforms leaving slime on the carpet.

I can clean up after myself But no, Ireland, Scotland (my ancestral home! I'm the heir to the dukedom of Argyle, don't'cha know ) and England will have to wait for my next tour unfortunately... aside from the brief stopover in London, that is

or is that the dukedom of Gurgle?

*shrug* Doesnae really matter, I'm about 400-somethingth in line, so it could be to the fiefdom of leftwards Mongolia for all it matters I just like getting a reaction which you steadfastly refused to give So do you have any advice for me at least?

Learn how to say please and thank you in the languages of the countries you are visiting. You'll be much more welcome, particularly in France, if you do.

s'il vous plait, merci; per favore, grazie; bitte, danke; olkaa hyvä, kiitos... French, Italian, German, Finnish - so far as I know, anyway I think I'll also learn "I'm an Aussie" too... "Je suis Australien" and "Olen Australialainen" is French and Finnish from memory... I'll be sure to brush up on them before I leave

Why not change the places/times you'l be in them, to coencide with the London meet in january, the 25 jan I think

I suggest getting in touch with the respective researchers' organisations and groups like the Germania Connection (best to be found at AXR's Bolle's Berliner Buletten Bude) or the Nordic researcher's club ...

No chance of you swinging by Texas on the way back then?

2legs - Can't really unfortunately... the flight back via London is a freebie of the airfare, to come over otherwise would cost me real money which I probably won't be able to spare.

Tube - Yep, that's next on the list... I came here from a French translation thread (none of whom have yet followed me ) on a sudden whim, so now I'll hunt down researcher groups

Gosho - Nope, I'm afraid not; not on this particular trip, anyway.

If you end up in the Czech republic at all, you may want these handy phrases:
Dekku- Thank you
Pivo-Beer

Hmm... *probably* won't, but hey, who knows!

Oh, and... for the information of everyone giving me advice in this thread - I... err... don't actually drink beer. In fact, I hate the stuff, and quite possibly wouldn't ask for it if I was about to die of thirst. But thanks anyway Egon

Well to be honest if you were about to die of thirst then beer would probably be a bad idea anyway, as it dehydrates you.

I only mentioned Dekku in Pivo as they served me well when i went to Prague. even in a record shop which for some unfathomable reason had a bar in it.

Pah... what's the use of facts when trying to make a point, eh?

A bar in a record shop... mind you, what were you wanting to buy in a record shop in Prague anyway?

Oddly, I bought a Chris Isaak album. A nd also "Ulpne Naha", a CD by a Czech singer called Lucie Bila. i was also looking for stuff by fool's garden, a German band who only seem to release stuff on mainland europe.

It was weird- there was a huge ground floor, which resembled a Virgin Megastore, then the basement had the bar and a cyber cafe (but was a lot smaller than the ground floor), then another floor down, they had a thing for trying out Playstation games free. It was one of the oddest record shops I've been in.

Yep, you're right, that all sounds pretty odd Mind you, I think just about everything's going to look pretty odd to me - and if it doesn't, then I'll just have to search for a bit longer until it damn well does!

So, er... could me and Mrs Gosho stay at your gaff while you're away?

Sure, if you can get yourself to Australia

I could generally offer accommodation in northern Germany.