It seems the farther one lives from a place, the more precise the ideas one has about it.

The problem with Paris, and other places, is that it is viewed, especially in the English-speaking world, basically as a theme park for couples, a sort of Venice without the canals, and not a metropolis of some 11 million people with all that implies.

With mass tourism, many people do not travel out of curiousity for foreign places (this is also connected with another friendly conversation on tourist neighbourhoods in Paris). As a consequence of today's widespread consumerism, they want to see their destination AS THEY IMAGINE IT, as agreed in the contract. As they bought the package, the "product" has to live up to these expectations. It's a bit like theme parks fans who do not want to be surprised but want to see the rides they know and compare those rides between the different locations.

"It seems the farther one lives from a place, the more precise the ideas one has about it"

Excellent point. I'd add "and the more unrealistic and idealised those ideas often are"

Few Bruxellois have the fantasies about Paris many Japanese seem to.

Yes, Trudaine made a good point. Most people that lives in big cities in Europe (even the ones who live in small ones like me) has that kind of ideas about Paris Japanese seem to have :)

Sorry, I meant to say "Few people" not "most" :)

Honestly, I was more uptight in Paris because I'd heard so many negative things about the rude people, expectations for needing to speak the language, and so on. In some ways, it lived up to its reputation. It's still a magnificent (although huge) city.

I don't suppose this psychologist, Mamoudia, bothered to observe his patients in Japan (where, one suspects, they had long believed their rooms were being bugged, and/or they were being attacked by microwaves, and/or they were the Sun King - even before they left home....)

Loved what missypie said, re delusions about being Louix XIV a bit more serious than the usual vacation disappointments.

As for me, Les vacances, c'est moi, is my motto....