If you have the chance Charlie go visit this hidden church in Amsterdam:
“De papagaai”
It’s in the big famous shopstreet “The Kalverstraat”. It’s a small church, but it’s so lovely!
https://religiana.com/de-papegaai
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The plan was to go to Monaco today. Spoiler. I never made it there.
Had a quick look at the map: somehow ignored the elevation (I’ll put my sobriety reference in brackets here: yeah, that’s what they say, it will be tough times, blablabla. Be prepared. Get some tools.) Well, I had some energy bars as it was only 38 km one way.
Go down to the coast, along the coast. Flat. No mountain to be seen. (Yeah, that is easy. I like it. Why did I even drink?)
Then after Port de Nice. End of fun. No cycling path. And it get up. Wait, I am on the coast. 
(Fuck, I feel lonely, I suck, work sucks, I want a drink).
It sucks, it’s exhausting BUT whenever I want I can stop and take a picture. (I can go on my speed. No hurry.)
And as exhausting it was and as much as I felt frustrated not having made it to Monaco (to take one picture as proof I have been there 
) I discovered things and had a wonderful view.
View over Nice from the west side.
Inside Nice.
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Gorgeous scenery and looks like quite a ride and also thought process.
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Yes! Went there for the first time this week. Beautiful.
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Traveled sober to Vegas. It is certainly NOT a place you want to be if you’re newly sober. I enjoy the food and shows so been keeping it low key.
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I love some good Vegas shows. Did you see anything worth mentioning. I haven’t done Vegas sober yet. Loosing money on the slots isn’t much fun when your sober though.
Enjoy.
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I’ve never been there totally sober… last time I was there I was drinking beers in bathroom stall to hide it from my wife… aah nothing like drinking with people shitting next to you. I think the shows would be amazing now though. I hope you’re having a good time.
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I was born in Vegas, it’s where my parents met. We moved when I was a baby but there were lots of trips back through my childhood to visit family. Could be why I got pretty disenchanted with the whole environment there early on. We stayed as a family on the strip a couple times and I remember it just felt sad there. I did win $2500 on a slot machine once when I was of age and they said the machine was defective and didn’t want to pay me. But they did. Vegas is such a weird place. I still have cousins and aunts/uncles that live there and my mom grew up there, it’s not much different than Phoenix other than the strip and the gambling culture, etc. They sure do seem to eat well though! So many restaurants.
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We went to the Tournament of Kings for dinner/show - it’s good family fun, the kids enjoyed it.
My wife and Daughter went to Ru Paul’s Drag Race last night, she said it was fabulous!
I lose a lot less money on the slots now! No more playing angry, ha!
@Dan531 - I used to do the same, do the “be right back” - order 4 drinks at a time and only show up with one. How sad, huh?
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I was just there sober last month and had a great time. I gambled more than I did when I drank but not to a problematic level (yet, I am an addict and aware). I’m a city girl at heart though. I love navigating a big flashy city.
Have fun and if you ever feel tempted a quick spin around will tell you all the reasons not to drink. My husband had to talk me down from wanting to escort two VERY drunk people back to their hotel room. If it isn’t windy, jump off the top of the Stratosphere. Best $120 I spent there.
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Thanks for all your pics and post Charlie. It sure looks fantastic. Maybe someday I’ll get there. Definitely gonna see the windmills and tulips some spring in The Netherlands. I was suppose to go to The Netherlands spring 2020. I had a big family reunion planned. Everyone got time off and BAM 
COVID hit. Never made it. I even had my Ann Frank tickets. I was so disappointed. Fucking COVID. In hindsight, not so sure I’d be sober today if I’d have gone on that trip. That would have been early on in my sobriety. Ended up in France last summer instead without the family. Grand babies messed it up this time. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Alaska was my favorite cruise so far. Norway has always been on my list.
Safe travels and thanks for the pics.
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Glad to hear baggage was found. Better it happened on the way home and not the way there.
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And you didn’t have to wait at the baggage carousel forever. It’s great you knew in advance.
Glad you had a great trip. Laundry will be there tomorrow 
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That’s a horrible feeling too!!
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Charlie, thanks so much for taking the time to post your experience. I live vicariously thru you all and so enjoy it.
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@Acehope
I love your pics you just posted on the Gratitude thread. I just got back from a visit to London May 1st. We went far south to Beckley near Rye to visit friends but mostly to hang out in London and see some shows.
There’s a great hiking thread 2023 Hiking Club (Walking Sober) - #106 by Mark5
I know I’d love to see more pics. You might recognize some of them.
And a great “post photos of nature thread” too.
I spent a lot of time distracting myself with photos of nature and posting them on the nature thread. And pics of food for the foodies thread. And memes on the meme thread. But the gratitude thread is my home thread with a lot of wonderful people on it.
This place works if you use it. Being active on here has kept me sober.
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Beautiful and thanks.
I this a couple of hours ago.
Since then,
I can’t get Bob Marley out of my head.
If I got to have an ear worm? I can’t think of a better way to go 
Thanks Dan 
Enjoy your trip.
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This is the first opera that I came to deeply enjoy as an adult. I heard Pavarotti sing the lead role, back before I even got sober. Instead of singing his last line, he screamed out his pain. That passion hooked me.
I saw it on stage last night did the first time. And although I know how it ends, the emotion in Rodolfo’s voice touched me and I cried.
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