The Luberon - far and away. I was not prepared for the staggering beauty.

Paris and Venice.

Marseille. Loved the Old Port area, the energy, the ethnic mix and the laid back attitude.

The Dordogne!!!

and Paris..Unfortunately we can't drive anymore due to age so the Dordogne is out for a repeat visit, but we have returned to Paris once, and are going again at the end of our Italy trip this Fall.

Salzburg-the views, the town, the people.

Munich- Friendly people, the christmas marketseasy to navigate.

I forgot Edinburgh! I had the privilege to attend university there for a year and fell in love with the city. It's such a beautiful, lively place with friendly people. Turns out that before my hubby and I met, we were in Edinburgh a month apart, so now I'm waiting for the day to go back together! :)

It would definitely be Egypt. I knew I would be impressed but... This was one of the friendliest places we've ever visited, the people were very interested in talking to English speakers, we were even invited to a wedding and that was a delight. The whole trip wasn't without ups and downs but far exceeded my expectations. I just couldn't get over the pyramids, the sheer size alone was unbelievable. Great trip!

BRUSSELS !
Weren't impressed the first time we went, but the second time we had such a wonderful time doing nothing. Great French gourmet food, interesting blend of neighborhoods to explore. We enjoy discovering the subtle aspects of a big city. Very comfortable to live in, I'm sure BTilke would strongly agree.

MONTPELLIER

Another unexpected comfortable city to linger on for simple pleasures. We're returning there for our 3rd visit this year. The only downside is the lack of good hotels so we keep returning to the same hotel.

I don't understand how famous places like Paris, Venice, Rome, Tuscany etc can surpass someone's expectations. How low of an expectation can someone have of these premiere destinations?

Bergen, Norway

DAX, when you go with low expectations its easy for cities to surpass them. For example, as I said above, I went to Rome only for the historical sights. I heard stories of it being dirty, gritty, chaotic, etc etc so of course I had concerns and honestly didn't think I would like it. Yes, its easy for the main sights to meet someones expections but you never know how the city as a whole is going to jive with you until you go.

Tracy

I keep going back to Hong Kong. I have been 6 times and plan to go next March again.

HOTEL: Palazzo del Capitano in St. Quirico d'Orcia. I had read on this forum from bobthenavigator, stududley and others how good this hotel was, but it was just a spectacular place to stay for four days. Great staff, wonderful garden and patio area, terrific restaurant, nice breakfast room and, of course, late night cocktails. It was the most comfortable stay of anywhere I have traveled in Europe, and I've ben a lot of places.

TOURIST SITE: Another thing that blew me away was the Bayeux Tapestry. The only other Tapestry that I had ever cared for was Carole King's third album. I really had no expectations other than since we were there, let's go see it. It was a terrific experience.

And finally, Paris. I had heard all the comments about French rudeness, blah blah blah, so I did not know what to expect on my first trip (well, I went when I was a kid, but mostly all I remember was eating some really cool snails and that traveling to Europe was fun). Well, if we can still make our December trip, this year will mark the eighth time I've been back, and it just keeps on being a special place for us.

((H))

The colonial cities of Mexico never fail to delight me. Europhiles who love architecture, cafe-sitting and good food should really give them a try. I half expected the dirt and poverty to overshadow the beauty, but that's not the case. Puebla, Oaxaca, Merida, and Queretero are beautiful cities. And right in the U.S.'s backyard.

I also never expected Rouen to have as pretty an old town as it does.

On my most recent trip (last week) I would have to say the Killarney National Park. The vistas and natural beauty of Ladies' View and the Gap of Dunloe simply took my breath away. I had not prepared myself for such sheer stunning nature!

Also, the Cliffs of Moher, Dun Anghosa on the Aran Islands, and Kells Priory (near Kilkenny).

Other trips would include the Yorkshire Dales (I'm with you on this one, Cimbrone!), the Isle of Skye, and Somerset, England. I was underwhelmed by Inverness, but had really enjoyed Perth the night before, so it balanced out :)

yorkshire dales-everyone talks of the lake region. this area was lovely, with skeletons of churches, great hiking, the heather, the rolling hills, fabulous duck, that bronte atmosphere and sheep and green everywhere. now i know why it haunted so many poets!

guadalajara, mexico-lived there for a few summers w/ my best friend's relatives. their generosity and kindness was amazing. food and local artisans weren't bad either!

paris-had always heard about the rude parisians so i constantly put off going there. we have fallen in love w/paris and just finished our 3rd trip in 6 years there...

ucsun:

So many places far exceeded my rather moderate expectations over the past 60 years..I can't begin to list them...but most recently, I place the
Lofoten Islands (Norway)
in that category. Driving the spine of the magnifcent chain, we were in contstant states of awe. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the whitest sand beach imaginable near the village of Ramberg.

Stu T.

Venice--yes, I had sky high expectations, but it went way beyond even that level for me.

Tokyo--Wish I could have stayed awake 24 hours a day there.

American Cemetery in Normandy. Much more moving than I anticipated.

Walking along the Seine in Paris.

St. Mark's Basilica in Venice. All of Venice.

A lovely thread!

Paris was much more romantic than I thought it would be. Of course I knew it was a city for lovers but I felt it in the air. (silly sounded maybe but whatever)

Versailles was much more impressive than I thought it would be.

I almost cried when I saw Monet's waterlilies at Giverny. I had loved them from afar. I did cry when I saw the paintings at the Orsay.

Chambord and Chenenceau were spectacular in person.

Sacre Coeur was more moving than I expected.

Mont St. Michel was even more wonderful than in my dreams. I took French in high school and there was a picture of MSM in my textbook and I thought it was the coolest place in the world. It took me about 15 yrs to get there and to spend the night on the Mont surpassed my expectations.

My France trip was in 2003 but I am craving a return. :)