Two weeks under the Puglia sun (page 6 of 7)

Thanks for following along, Carmen. On the other hand, I couldn't say whether I preferred Sardinia or Puglia 😉 (all things considered, maybe Sicily—western part 😎)

Thanks Bluequark for reading this travel journal 🙂.

We’re really looking forward to your next one 😏

Gonna have to wait a bit, though—nothing planned before October...

Speaking of travel journals, don’t suppose you’ve got one in the works, do you? 😏

For sure! We’ve all noticed (well, apparently not you 😎) how exhausting extreme heat can be 😕

Oh yes Muriel, it's happening today! Honestly, I worked on it Friday, it glitched and I lost everything 😕

It glitched and I lost everything 😕

It’s so frustrating when that happens 🏴‍☠️ Now I draft a Word doc first (which I also use for Myatlas), that way I don’t have to rewrite everything—it’s at least something saved, even if I still have to re-upload the photos (and that glitches sometimes too 😕)

On the other hand, I couldn't say whether I preferred Sardinia or Puglia 😉 (all things considered, maybe Sicily (western part) 😎)

The comparison is a real headache. I avoid doing it because me and myself never agree! The question could be phrased like this: if someone offered you the trip, which one would you choose among the three? 😉

Comparisons are a real headache. I avoid making them

Same here 😎 I made that comment in response to a question Carmen (Ticapi) asked me—whether Puglia seemed bland compared to Sardinia.

But one thing’s for sure: I’d pick any of those 3 destinations over Gran Canaria 😏

Thanks Muriel for this travel journal. I’m adding this destination to my list of places to discover when I’m on an open-ended vacation! 😊

Open-ended... and off-season 😉

Indefinite stay... and off-season 😉

A vacation with no set end date! I love it and totally agree with the idea! Just gotta wait 😉 🤪

Personally, I don’t really mind when conversations go off-topic, as long as it stays friendly (even criticisms if they’re constructive 😉). On the contrary, I quite like it when there are comments—it feels more lively to me (otherwise I wonder if I’m the only one reading what I write 😏). But it’s like travel styles—everyone has their preferences. Some (like you, I think) prefer to unfold their story without too many interruptions.

Hi Muriel,

Now that your travel journal is finished, I won’t disrupt its flow by replying.

When an interesting journal—yours especially—gets sidetracked by discussions that have nothing to do with it, it might be engaging for you or others now, but what about in 6 months or a year? That’s the issue... Imagine (it’s quite likely) that people get interested in your story and stumble over all these off-topic detours!? How will they react? Will they stay engaged until the end?

Personally, I regularly read old, completed travel journals. Well, I try to... And I admit that for some, it’s become so frustrating that I give up before finishing. Much to my regret.

I’m fine with comments directly related to the story—encouragement, opinions, etc.—as long as they’re relevant.

I realize this is a quirk of this forum—all these completely off-topic tangents in any story. For me, it feels like pollution, even a bit of discourtesy toward the writer. But that’s just my opinion... though I’m sure there are other members who feel the same way!!

Keep up the good work, Hope to read more of your travel accounts soon.

Puma2A

Hi there,

Sometimes, like you, I can get a bit bothered by interventions if they’re too frequent, off-topic, pushy, or come with photos. We’re on a forum, so interactions are inevitable. But they can also be really pleasant and encouraging to keep going. For readers who aren’t interested in these interactions (I borrowed the idea from someone—I can’t remember who, sorry 😕), I post a link at the bottom of each message that takes you straight to the next one. Example here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=11199447;#11199447

Also, when I have the energy and time, I make a copy of my travel journal on MyAtlas, a version I’ll send to my loved ones since the reading is smooth and continuous.

Hi Kate,

Interactions can happen just as well once the story is finished!!

When we watch a movie at the cinema or on TV, we only react at the end when the story is over, don’t we?

What’s more, if we number the images we share, we then have a possible reference. Actually, the solution you adopted (which I had noticed) is a "lesser evil" solution to help readers who are only interested in the story itself. (Thanks for them)

And I’ll avoid saying what I think about adding photos to someone else’s travel journal without their prior approval...!

.

Best regards,

Puma2A (I don’t know My Atlas)

To both of you...

I’ll admit I don’t really think about the hassle digressions can cause for future readers ... but it’s true that it can get annoying when there are too many. Adding a link to jump straight to the next part of the story is a good idea... but it’s kind of a pain to do systematically. A few years ago, I also used to keep travel journals on Wixsite (it’s in my profile) and I’d often include links in my VoyageForum journals. They changed their storage capacity, so I switched to MyAtlas too. I’ll try to remember to add the link at the end of my journal for those who prefer linear stories 😉

Maybe it'd be better to put the link in the first message. 😉

That's exactly what I thought... except I'm rarely in sync with writing on both sites. And besides, it's mostly for those who'll read the travel journal later, so in the end, it works out too 😛

So, for those who'd like to (re)read the travel journal without interruptions... it's here.

You can edit a post in the travel journal section anytime.

So you can add your link to the first post after finishing your MyAtlas journal. 🙂

(Not sure at all that someone who’s totally allergic to journals with comments will read all the way to the last post.)

Thanks for the info. You're absolutely right about going all the way. I thought you couldn't edit a message after a certain time (so I didn't even try 😏). I'll go do it right now...

...except "Sorry, the message you're trying to reach doesn't exist. It was probably deleted" shows up 😕