JCK

Try the Norwegian fjords, they are the most spectacular landscape I have ever witnessed. If your looking for a city, try Prague.

Linda

Standing in Jerusalem & knowing the history of many religions is there.
Seeing "The David" in Florence and the way the sun makes its shadows.
Being at Brandenburg Gate & realizing that Berlin embodies the history of the 20th Century.
Standing on the Charles Bridge in Prague & trying to imagine a more romantic setting.
Visiting the House of Lords in London & seeing part of US history.
Riding the train past Lauterbrennan to the Jungfrau near Interlaken, Switzerland.
Watching the changes in Budapest as the old regime goes out & a hopefully new & progressive one is in place (from a spa, of course).
Talking to people wherever you are & learning about them & how much alike the world really is.

richardab

So far many of these sound tempting. I have to say I really don't have a problem with turning 40, but I want to be somewhere to remember. I hate my memories of my 30th birthday. As far as what I would like to do, I am not really into finding my soul, religion or inner self. I have no desire to climb the high mountain, swim the widest sea, visit cold climates or remote villages on the edge of the world. I just want to sit, think and look at something beautiful, eat something delicious and reflect on my good fortune. Is that so much to ask?

Charlise Cloete, JHB, South Africa

Hi Richard!
I absolutely loved Prague. Don't miss the Charles Bridge and the many fantastic castles & cathedrals!
Another place that is unforgetable is Russia. St Petersburg & Moscow has so much to offer! If you're an art lover for instance, St Petersburg has the biggest museum in the world
(The Hermitage). Find out about doing a tour on the waterways connecting St Petersburg & Moscow. The Kremlin, Red Square & St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is a must. If you're really brave take a train tour on the Trans Siberia connecting Berlin & St Petersburg. They even change the train's wheels on the way!(The tracks in Russia are narrower which prevented unauthorised entry in the communistic era).Both Russia & Czech Republic (Prague) still bare the traces of communism but are on top of my list to visit again A.S.A.P!

kam

Then ,Richard, I will again recommend sitting on your veranda at the San Pietro in Positano watching the beauty of the town and peaceful water, knowing that in a few minutes you will eat a delicious dinner and enjoy your birthday. Happy times.

Leslie

Richard,
I too am turning 40 in September and am going to Tuscany/Umbria for a month. Renting a house for two of the weeks so we can kick back, soak in and enjoy the local color. I wanted to go someplace where the fall is colorful. I love harvest time. Good luck. Leslie

John

Hi Richard,
No, it's not too much to ask. So okay, how about the Hotel Richard Löwenherz in Dürnstein, up the river a few miles from Vienna. Sit on the terrace looking over the Danube and the vinyards beyond with a glass of young wine in your hand;

Or the terrace at the Parador in Toledo, looking over the river to the cathedral, this time with a glass of sherry and some tapas;

Or take the coastal steamer up the Norwegian coast, arriving on the arctic circle on your birthday;

Or the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle followed by a pub crawl;

Or go back to Paris and get a table with a view of Notre Dame at the Tour d'Argent.

Happy Birthday!

Michelle

John: Terrific ideas - may try some myself. Still think the motorcycle was the best though.

Debi

Well - I don't even remember 40 (one of the benefits of getting older, since you forget everything, each day is a new adventure....) - but I like your idea of a great place for vacation. As someone else mentioned, Vienna and surrounding area was nice - and Lucerne is especially awesome and beautiful. One of my good friends also went to Egypt - and I would probably also side with the above posters that recommended that. We saw the pictures - absolutely unbelievable! But remember, wherever you go - about the age of 47, you do start forgetting.........

richardab

Here are some more thoughts.......

-Egypt scares me.

-Positano sounds interesting.

-Where is Santorini and what there?

-What is Jungfrau?

-Prague could be fun.

-Jerusalem does not interest me (I am not religious).

-I can't picture myself on a motorcycle, but it sounds fun.

Keep going with the ideas!

dan woodlief

The Jungfrau is a mountain just outside of Interlaken, Switzerland. There is a special train that takes you up to the Jungfraujoch (highest rail station in Europe), where you will be able to walk on the largest glacier in the Alps. It is not all that cold.

Sense you don't want to climb or go to the ends of the Earth, I will cast my vote for Prague as well. I can guarantee you that you will never forget it, especially its nightime beauty and charm.

John

Richard. Santorini (the ancient Venetian name when Venice was a powerful city-state in the 1400's) or Thira (the preferred Greek nmae) is one of the southern most of the Cylcadic Islands approx. 150km north of Crete. It suffered what is believed to be the most cataclysmic volcanic eruption ever known on earth around 1800BC, and which is believed to be the basis of the myth of the lost city of Atlantis. If you've studied volcanoes at all, Santorini would make Mt. Saint Helens absolutely insignifcant by comparison. Imagine a roughly conical island 20 miles in diameter with a peak approximately 3000 feet high. Imagine the entire island blowing up, leaving only the crescent edge of the eastern side of the island and a hole in the ocean several thousand feet deep. The explosian destroyed all of the extensive Minoan civilzation and tidal waves destroyed much of the Minoan civilization on Crete. The event must have been something to see

Fira, the main city of modern Santorini, and its smaller towns to the north, are built on the edge of the caldera, 1000 feet above the water. The views are specatacular...especially sunsets.

don

Since no one has mentioned Istanbul yet, I will. You can be in europe and asia at the same time, see beautiful sights, and get luxury at a price much more affordable than elsewhere in Europe. It is a fascinating city!

sandi

Richard,

I'll be 40 in 2 years and I was thinking the same thing...I was leaning towards something totally different like an African Safari...

Sandra

Why limit yourself to Europe? There are places all over the world. Go to Australia--after the Olympics. There are places there you'll never forget.

ann

Richard, all the travel recommendations are for wonderful places. However, I can tell you from experience that you can and probably will visit many wonderful places at various times in your life (witness your already wonderful list of places visited!). When I turned 40, I asked to do one thing I've always wanted to do, and that was to travel Ireland's back roads by horse-drawn gypsy caravan (you know, those little round wagons... they actually have beds, stove, etc. inside!). It was one of the most fun things we've ever done and I will never forget that trip or the people we met. When I turned 50, I asked to do one more thing I've always wanted to do, which was to take our own barge down the Burgundy canal, and we did. Again, one of the most fun things ever, and the memories will last me until 60 and beyond... so I guess what I'm saying is that it's the things you do and with whom they're done that is important more than the actual location. Have a great experience and a happy birthday somewhere special while you're doing something unique that you've always wanted to do... Best wishes.

helen

Richard, Agree with many of the suggestions. Santorini is a volcanic island (part of Greece, one of the more distant islands; if you go, you'll probably want to fly from Athens--though, there's an amazing view of the cliffs that you also must see arriving/leaving by boat). I was there a few years ago--our hotel looked right onto a volcano, a seeming stone's throw away across a bit of ocean. Black (and red? am I remembering correctly?) sand beaches, though the sand is not that fine. Wonderful Greek salads (no lettuce, as we get in the states, just amazingly fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and feta and olives) and unbelievable yogurt and honey. Beautiful. But I also second the Hawaii suggestion, if you haven't been there: hiking on the north coast of Kauaii, in thick red mud, but with perhaps the most gorgeous coastline I have ever seen, was unforgettable. Food (well, you said you wanted to be somewhere beautiful and eat well, right?) IMO not as exciting but still potentially excellent: great seafood, lots of dishes incorporating fruit (eg, if you are a fan of Burmese food you should love it). You don't have to be a beach person for either of these-lots of people do go to Santorini to sun themselves, but there's also easy hiking and ruins to see if you're interested; in Kauaii, there are some beautiful drives, hiking as I mentioned, great snorkelling (and presumably diving). Also, what about Tuscany, as someone mentioned? Not quite as dramatic a setting, but so-o-o-o beautiful and relaxing, and great food, of course. Have fun choosing and happy birthday!

helen

Oops. Just scrolled through and saw that someone already posted a much more informative description of Santorini than mine. Thanks, John!

kk

Dear richardab, regarding milestone birthdays and travel...I like your idea of drowning out your bad turning-30 memories with great ones for 40. Here's why. When I was about to turn 50, I wanted to go somewhere for fun and a little bit of money to celebrate my 50th. Since we live in Texas, Cancun and Las Vegas came up as quicky vacations. Well. Did I choose the wrong thing! I detest Las Vegas, so I have a bad memory of that birthday. OK, so there were tiny bits of those three days/four nights that were not bad, but it was my own bad choice over all.
So, go do something great for your 40th. From the list you've been given, I would recommend either Prague or Positano. You couldn't go wrong with either. More crowds with the former...depends on what you want, as we always say here on fodors. At any rate, enjoy enjoy!

Fazed

It's not where you are but who you're with that makes it special.