Just Got Back from Rome, Florence, Venice, London, Paris (Italy in separate report)
Jul 1st, 2002, 09:14 PM
#1
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Just Got Back from Rome, Florence, Venice, London, Paris (Italy in separate report)
Thanks everyone for posting so many useful information on this site. I will (hopefully) provide a detail trip report later. Here are some quick summary of our experiences for London and Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice under Italy.<BR>London: booked for 4 nights but stayed for 3, HATED London so much, had to get out. We're Asian-American and have never been so badly treated. They didn't even look at us in the eye, let alone talk to us. Even our taxi driver pretend to not hear us when we asked him a question. The place was a dump! It smelled so bad in Soho. We stayed near Soho and Picadilly Circus. My husband was offered sex and drugs at 6:00 PM and there were two police officer just a few steps away. Apparently, there was so many crimes they have to turn a blind eye and only deal with major crimes like murders and rape. <BR><BR>I read an article about Soho, after dark, the place is very dangerous, and the smell was disgusting from people pissing and going to the toilet on the street.<BR><BR>The tube was smelly and dirty. Actually, LA was cleaner than some parts of London. We did not feel safe at all. Even the buses were dirty. It was easier to travel by buses in Rome than in London because the bus map and timestable was not correct. Hated London! London reminded us the bad area of LA, Sydney's Kingscross (red light district)and parts of New York.<BR><BR>We met some people who have been living in London for more than 20 years (they were from Russia, Italy and Germany) but don't have a single British friend. Actually, they all said the same thing about the Brits, that most European countries cannot stand them.<BR><BR>Paris: thank god for Paris! We loved Paris, very romantic and gorgeous. We did not meet a single rude Parisian. People started to talk to us and tried to help us with directions eventhough we didn't ask for help. One very elegant French lady with a cute poodle started talking to us in English. In summary, we love the French people, they were very goodlooking, well-dressed and elegant. All the women were very skinny. Love Paris!!!!<BR><BR>Love eating lunch at Jules Verne, the food, the service, the ambiance, everything! We did not have to make dinner reservations in Paris or any where else since we ate at 7:00-7:30 PM most nights. Love Pont Neuf, Effiel tower, Notre Dam (climbed to the top) and Montmarte(spelling?). Please beware of thieves near the Moulin Rouge, especially the ones on motorbike. There were two men on the motorbike, then suddenly my husband notice that they stopped near him, he thought they were stopping to go in to one of the shops. I was in the shop near by when I heard my husband screamed as he was trying to hold onto his backpack. If it wasn't for the French local, all our cameras and camcorder would've been stolen by this thief.<BR>We were so shaken by the experience that we took the first bus back to our hotel without seeing the Moulin Rouge. We knew this was a Redline district but none of the guide books said anything about it being dangerous during the day. Please wear your backpack with both should straps on, my husband didn't. Also watch your back when walking around this area and beware of anyone walking too close to you. That was the only bad experience that we had in Paris, but it was the Red light area...We still love Paris but will avoid the area near Moulin Rouge next time. We feel extremely safe every where else.
Jul 1st, 2002, 09:39 PM
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I don't understand what your impression about London is all about. Maybe it is you who has the problem because why do you say that no one would talk to you or look you in the face?<BR><BR>And you can't judge the whole city just by the location of your hotel. You just picked a dumpy area to stay-why didn't you do some research before you booked a hotel there?
Jul 2nd, 2002, 12:36 AM
#6
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<BR>We were asked drugs in amsterdam in the red light district but we still have good memories about the city..Every city has such a district.In paris the moulin rouge area near motmarte is smilar district too..Cities are not built for the tourists but for their citizens and drugs and sex belong to it
Jul 2nd, 2002, 05:42 AM
#9
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We had a great time in Soho,London.<BR>Went to a great restaurant,which by the way was Chinese and the people there seemed quite happy.And everyone looked at them and spoke to them.<BR>There were some drunk teenagers,but they have those in NYC also & LA.<BR>Too much comparing of LA to Europe!<BR>and meanwhile,what kind of trip report is this? Where did you stay,where did you eat? Or did you just wander the streets hanging out with the hookers?<BR>
Jul 2nd, 2002, 05:51 AM
#10
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Oh my gosh Lisa you sound as if you are a hateful snob and no, I'm not from England! You must be impossible to please if you couldn't find anything nice about London. Perhaps you have an attitude that makes people feel you want them to kiss your butt.
Jul 2nd, 2002, 08:56 AM
#12
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Lisa - I think you made some serious mistakes and are blaming London. I have many Asian friends and none have experienced what you seem to attribute to some sort of prejudice.<BR><BR>And you do seem to dwell on the seedier parts of town. You can be accosted in SF (especially SF) or NY or LA but would you "HATE" it there? Probably not.<BR><BR>I am sorry you disliked London so much but you are in the definite minority there. I have one friend who doesn't like London - but he doesn't like any large cities. He spends his time out in the country. To each his own - <BR><BR>You mention all the tourist attractions and fancy restaurants in Paris, but nothing in London. It sounds like you just rode the tube and looked for trouble in Soho.
Jul 2nd, 2002, 09:19 AM
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Goodness, what the heck part of London reminded you of LA???? I live smack in the middle of Los Angeles, and if there is a part of my city that is REMOTELY like London.. please share...lol...<BR>Funniest trip report I've ever read.. mayhap you are a wonderful troll...
Jul 3rd, 2002, 01:32 AM
#17
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Lisa, I am an Asian and I would have thought that I will be picked on more than you would because of my looks and my accent. But I was treated like royalty and enjoyed my one week stay in London. Next time you go try out this hotel - Sheraton in Knightbridge.<BR><BR>
Jul 3rd, 2002, 02:58 AM
#19
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Lisa is almost certainly a troll, my guess is of European origin, masking his (why are trolls mostly men?) less-than perfect English behind a spurious Asian-American tag. Quite acceptable to hate London of course. But to hate London and adore Paris when as citites they have quite a lot in common seems a tad extreme: more like the animosity of a peevish and proud Parisian, if you ask me, who traveled to London in order to have his/her prejudices confirmed. The dead give-away is this supposed conversation with German, Russian and Italian residents of London for some 20 years, none of whom has a single British friend or a kind word to say. If true, there can only be something seriously wrong with their personalities, which would at least explain why they look to "Lisa" for company. For those of you who don't know Soho, don't be put off. It's much more interesting and much less seedy than Paris' Pigalle, although first-time visitors who don't like pubs and clubs might consider avoiding the area after 10:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays, when the legendary English over-indulgence in drink makes the place something of a fool's paradise. Weeknights and daytimes are fine, and while no one would think to spend their entire vacation there like "Lisa", it's well worth a stroll.<BR><BR>Nice try Lisa! Next time, try making your mischief a little less preposterous.
