OT: 88th Obsequious Banter Thread: Starts with incredible optimism; ends with the same disappointment

[Jack Straw]

back in 2010 I think it was the wife and I went up to Portland for playoff hockey against the Monarchs. We went to this wings place that was right across from the arena. Place was great

I've been meaning to go to some kind of game here but have never gotten around to it. They have minor league teams in hockey, basketball, and baseball- I'm sure tickets are cheap and easy to come by.

 

[GapToothedWonder]

And Copenhagen is twice the city Helsinki is.

Hopefully I will be back there in a few months. Have an opportunity coming up.

Just a very liveable place. Amazing civic spaces, good pay, fantastic public services, super clean, great transport... stuff happening every day. You can swim in the city centre, safely, clean water etc. Just awesome.

If it were not for the winters... I would say it was the city I would want to live in in future. But alas, while summer is amazing everything kind of dies down from October to February as the wind, rain, snow, ice and cold mean it is hard to do much outdoors. Though that is same for most of Northern Europe.

Come live with me for a winter or two and we will break you of your concept of "bad winters" and you'll have no issues.

 

[Appleyard]

Come live with me for a winter or two and we will break you of your concept of "bad winters" and you'll have no issues.

Aha, I like cold weather. Within reason. Love the Alps in winter for example. Beautiful, crisp, ~10-20 degree weather is awesome. (I know Canada is waaaay colder depending on where!)

Also part of a sea swimming club, so have swam in Øresund when air temp was like 15 degrees and had to half break a hole to get through ice to swim. Can deal with it okay!

I just hate the f***ing ~36-46 range with rain, wind etc. Which is several months a year in Northern Europe. Cant do anything in that weather. Would genuinely it rather be ~-4 or so and dry air. So much nicer.


That being said... give me 2-3 weeks a year of Alpine or Scando holidays and the rest of the year I will take 80-95 degree heat by the beach aha. Can just enjoy life more.

 

[GapToothedWonder]

Aha, I like cold weather. Within reason. Love the Alps in winter for example. Beautiful, crisp, ~10-20 degree weather is awesome. (I know Canada is waaaay colder depending on where!)

Also part of a sea swimming club, so have swam in Øresund when air temp was like 15 degrees and had to half break a hole to get through ice to swim. Can deal with it okay!

I just hate the f***ing ~36-46 range with rain, wind etc. Which is several months a year in Northern Europe. Cant do anything in that weather. Would genuinely it rather be ~-4 or so and dry air. So much nicer.


That being said... give me 2-3 weeks a year of Alpine or Scando holidays and the rest of the year I will take 80-95 degree heat by the beach aha. Can just enjoy life more.

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That with a smattering of -40 to -32 days to weeks throughout the winter months.

One winter here and you'll be begging for the Denmark weather haha.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Allergy seasons are the worst.

 

[Embiid]

Allergy seasons are the worst.

Yeah mine have kicked up since coming back from the shore.

 

[Appleyard]

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That with a smattering of -40 to -32 days to weeks throughout the winter months.

One winter here and you'll be begging for the Denmark weather haha.

Late March to October is pretty similar to Copenhagen! Weirdly. But you get slightly warmer summers with less rain.

But tbh winter seems preferable to me in some ways. Not that much precipitation. No rain. Though really depends on the wind looking at that. If wind sucks it sucks. If wind is strong regularly then nah.

I just hate high humidity (if not snowing), rain and wind. Crisp cold is fine down to like -4f or so. Can layer and feel pretty good and do shit. Have been in that weather in Alps, Norway etc and tbh did not mind it. But ofc 2 weeks is different than 4 months aha! Must get old after a while.


That being said... I'd rather be in Lisbon or Southern California weather wise!

Lisbon is actually, basically, San Francisco winters with LA summers. A bit of seasons at least but still nice, and less rainy than SF. That is one of the best climates I have ever experienced... only issue is slightly windy at times aha.

 

[Magua]

Im not sure if this is near you at all, but any recommendations for the Portland area, in terms of things to do or food?

I went to a seafood place called Street and Co. when I was in Portland for a few days some five years back. Pretty memorable place, old brick looking building right down a cobblestone street in Old Port. Probably on the upscale side but in a rustic way.

I absolutely loved Portland (in July). Check out Portland Head Light — short 15 minute drive — very scenic. We went to Freeport as well, though that’s just shopping really. Nice area though. I wanted to go up to Acadia but the 6 extra hour round trip nixed that one. We did the road trip up through Boston for a handful of days, then Portland. Lovely trip.

 

[Appleyard]

Manchester's weather is basically Seattle but with:

Colder winters
700 hours a year less sun
Worse summers (~10f colder on average for 3-4 months)
More days of rain (though slightly less rain overall)

Lmao.

Manchester for me is worse than Copenhagen by some way due to extra rain and less sun... even though slightly warmer winters.

 

[Embiid]

The dutch have talking ducks too

All jokes aside, scientists find talking duck

 

[Jack Straw]

I went to a seafood place called Street and Co. when I was in Portland for a few days some five years back. Pretty memorable place, old brick looking building right down a cobblestone street in Old Port. Probably on the upscale side but in a rustic way.

I absolutely loved Portland (in July). Check out Portland Head Light — short 15 minute drive — very scenic. We went to Freeport as well, though that’s just shopping really. Nice area though. I wanted to go up to Acadia but the 6 extra hour round trip nixed that one. We did the road trip up through Boston for a handful of days, then Portland. Lovely trip.

@Starat327 - agree on Portland Head Light, very cool lighthouse on a promontory sticking out into Casco Bay. I probably know that cobblestone street Magua is talking about, runs parallel to Commercial St (the main drag along the waterfront) and there are a bunch of little places there. That's why I think you may be just as well walking around that area and picking something that looks interesting. Chances are you won't be disappointed.

 

[Asnito]

@Asnito
View attachment 464274 View attachment 464275 View attachment 464276

I may have it ready today or tomorrow. I'm still working through a few things. In the meantime

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

And Copenhagen is twice the city Helsinki is.

Hopefully I will be back there in a few months. Have an opportunity coming up.

Just a very liveable place. Amazing civic spaces, good pay, fantastic public services, super clean, great transport... stuff happening every day. You can swim in the city centre, safely, clean water etc. Just awesome.

If it were not for the winters... I would say it was the city I would want to live in in future. But alas, while summer is amazing everything kind of dies down from October to February as the wind, rain, snow, ice and cold mean it is hard to do much outdoors. Though that is same for most of Northern Europe.

This inspired me to look up Copenhagen's weather. Holy shit, does that place have the ideal climate for me. It gets warm in the summers, but never to swamp ass inducing levels of heat, and cold in the winter, but never really too far below freezing.


Holy f*** am I jelly.

 

[Tripod]

I expect Felix to lose today to Medvedev....but here is some good vibes!

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

 

[Appleyard]

This inspired me to look up Copenhagen's weather. Holy shit, does that place have the ideal climate for me. It gets warm in the summers, but never to swamp ass inducing levels of heat, and cold in the winter, but never really too far below freezing.


Holy f*** am I jelly.

Aha. For me perpetual Autumn sucks. The rain and wind just make it annoying from October to February.

But when the summer is good like 2018? It is paradise. March to September that year were amazing. Almost no rain and 72-85 almost every day for 7 months.

 

[Tripod]

Felix.....you choked that set away.

You are done

 

[Starat327]

I can give you some recommendations of places I like, I don't go out much these days and when I do it's usually when family is visiting so we generally go to "family" type restaurants. That said:

Benkay Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar in Portland. Very good Japanese food. Benkay Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar: Portland, Maine

Royal River Grill in Yarmouth. Good food, nice setting right on the river by the boatyard. Yarmouth is in between Portland and Freeport. Royal River Grill House

Tuscan Brick Oven Bistro in Freeport. Tuscan Brick Oven Bistro

For more upscale places I can give you two, I haven't been to either but I'd be pretty confident that the food will be good. In Portland there is DiMillo's, right down in the heart of the Old Port. I believe this is one of the "must go to" places in Portland, specializing in seafood. You might need reservations. https://www.dimillos.com

The other place is the White Barn Inn, in Kennebunkport (about 40 minutes south of Portland). My niece actually works at the hotel and my understanding is they have two restaurants there- one VERY nice, the other just very nice. I think I'm the only one in my immediate family that hasn't been there yet but everyone else says the food is excellent. Probably a very nice place to stay too. White Barn Inn & Spa | Luxury Hotel in Kennebunkport - Auberge Resorts

Portland is definitely a "foodie" town though, so you can probably find something you will like with an internet search.

If you're in the Boston area and find yourself in Salem- stay away during the month of October. Not kidding, Halloween is a month long thing there and traffic and crowds are crazy (I used to live there). But the Peabody-Essex Museum in Salem is worth a visit.

Vey much appreciated, sir. And you as well, @Magua

 

[Beef Invictus]

TWC is a little too desperate to get attention here.

 

[Cody Webster]

What a tweet! Who thought that'd be a good idea?

 

[swami24]

Maine, went Acadia in 89, loved it, have to get back. One thing that made me laugh was on the mainland from the park, there are 2 town, Trenton and West Trenton, just like in Nj. The Maine Trenton is certainly much nicer.

 

[Lord Defect]

I did not realize that there was a Portland in Maine. I was confused as hell for the first few posts.

 

[PDX Flyer]

I did not realize that there was a Portland in Maine. I was confused as hell for the first few posts.

Don’t bring my town into this thread please

 

[PDX Flyer]

TWC is a little too desperate to get attention here.

Yeah as someone who didn’t need a tv to witness that day they can f*** off