Frankly....THIS message string which is totally pointless given everyone's varied interests!

Nothing in Europe has ever disappointed me really, although I did have my share of unpleasant experiences in Paris, so it doesn't have my fondest memories, but that was mostly because of bad luck and the bad cold I contracted just before arriving. Or so I'd like to think!<BR><BR>Even a tourist trap like Torremolinos was nicer than I had expected. Even it had its own quirky &quot;melting pot&quot; charm and the delights of the Meditteranean just outside one's door. <BR><BR>The only city I can think of that didn't have any charm or appeal is right here in the U.S.A. - Hartford, CT. Well, at least Hartford has the Wadsworth Athenaeum, which is very nice museum.

Stonehenge<BR>Pisa<BR>Viewing the Mona Lisa

Giovanna,<BR><BR>I was just trying to draw a distinction between &quot;didn't meet expectation&quot; and &quot;didn't have a good time&quot;. Nothing personal.

Pisa and Siena. I was so looking forward to Siena, very disappointed. Hubby wanted to see Pisa and all I could say as we left was &quot;I told you so&quot;.

<BR>Stratford on Avon: Disneyland for old folks. Need to rename it GiftShopville.<BR>Stonehenge: A photo is the same as being there. Boring<BR>Tivoli Gardens: I can't believe I am admittiing I went there.<BR>Hamburg: Got dragged there 17 years later and still didn't like it.<BR>Alaska: Down boy. $140 per person to see a Bear from a little motor boat?<BR>And finally<BR>The Rest Room At The Rome Train Station: Some idiot kicked in the door to the toilet while I was pulling up my pants and knocked me down on the &quot;squawt&quot; toilet and a overhead shower thing went off.

<BR>Highly touted and Worth It.<BR>The great piramid at Giza: Went inside, and will never forget the fantastic experience I had. Yes, not Europe but...

Versailles in France and<BR>Capri in Italy. Neither really lived up to our expectations.

It Grand Canyon. Nothing impresses me in USA

Cotswolds, Stratford-Upon-Avon<BR>Evora, Portugal<BR>Not Europe: Las Vegas, Jamaica<BR><BR>Expected to like, but was even better: North Wales, London (not usually fond of big cities), Marvao, Portugal<BR><BR>Expected not to like, but pleasantly surprised: Warwick Castle, Rothenburg<BR><BR>These are just opinions. I think places disappoint or overwhelm us based on how the reality compared to what we preconceived in our minds.

How fortunate that some people have never been disappointed. If its true, they must be lucky enough to have some very low expectations.<BR><BR>The worst for me was Pisa. I was stuck there for a day with friends. Other than the tower, there was nothing worth seeing and the town is nothing more than a tourist trap. I would never recommend it to anyone.<BR><BR>I was also disappointed with my first venture into the Cotswolds. Not because they weren't nice, but because they didn't live up to all the hype that I had heard and read about before my first visit. I've been back a couple of times since, and have found that I am able to enjoy them for what they really are.<BR><BR>I had the exactly the opposite reaction to North Wales. It was even better than I had been led to believe. Other than parts of Ireland and New Zealand, it is probably one of the prettiest places I have ever been.<BR><BR>I think disappointments are directly related to expectations. That is why people who read travel boards should take everything they read with a grain of salt.

Amsterdam. But then my expectations were windmills and wooden shoes. What we saw from the train station were drugs and dirt and left after an hour. We did not give it a chance and hope to go back someday.

How can you fail but be impressed by places in the USA (esp. the 'natural wonders'). The wow factor for us is overwhelming. Can't wait for our next holiday to deep south in May. Hurray!

Englishone,<BR><BR>If you are heading to the deep South...do not miss Charleston, SC and Savannah, Georgia.<BR><BR>Charleston is one of the top three or four cities in the US!<BR><BR>US

Bruges and Bali

Pisa..unless you just long to see the tackiest group of souvenier stands known to man!<BR><BR>PS Those Rolexes for $50 ...they're fake you know!<BR><BR>US

Bath, England. Not worth the trip from London.

For me, it is often the case that the first trip to a country is rather disappointing as I feel obligated to visit the &quot;premier&quot; sights which are invariably thronging with tourists. However on subsequent trips I can get out of the mainstream, visit the smaller towns or wander the &quot;ordinary&quot; neighborhoods in the cities and really enjoy my self. Somehow I feel an obligation to at least &quot;get my ticket punched&quot; on the first trip and that is always a less than satisfying experience.

The French Riviera except for Nice, which we liked. The rest of it is crowded and surprisingly tacky. The road along the Rhine in Germany is nice, but more famous than it deserves to be. <BR><BR>In the U.S., the Oregon coast is tremendously overrated. The coastline itself is lovely, but all but a couple of the towns are shockingly tacky, dreary and ugly. Also, New Orleans is way, way overhyped and the French Quarter is far too overcrowded to be interesting. And I think San Diego totally lacks any discernible character.<BR>

Bath, England was a non-event, but perhaps because it was a chilly, rainy day. I'm going back with my husband to try again.<BR><BR>Munich, but I was only there two days and our hotel was in the business district.<BR><BR>Glencoe, Scotland. But we were with friends who can make anything fun.