Paris. When traveling through Europe as a college student in the 60's, my roomate and I found Paris to be the least friendly place we visited. It was the only place I did not enjoy. Have been back many times to France with my husband-- but have never returned to Paris. ( My poor husband has never seen Paris except from the air as we fly in and drive out of the airport.)

The poster didn't venture to say why he didn't like Lake Constance.

People who judge a place by their breakfast experience should stay home.

The bleakest place has to be Holyhead in Wales. The only reason to be there is to take the ferry to Ireland. Never plan to take an early ferry that requires you to stay overnight in this dreary place.

My third trip to Ireland last week and I stopped at Dublin for the third time. Probably my last time. I wouldn't have gone this time, except I was with first time visitors -- and they wanted to see Book of Kells, Dublin Zoo, etc.

It was noisy, rude, and much too much bustle after the relaxing week and a half out in the west and Kilkenny.

I'll probably be flamed too, but I gotta say that I agree with JAGirl. Just went to Rome for the first time this spring and didn't see what all the fuss was about. It was not my first time to Europe, so I know what to expect and how to greet people, how important it is to learn phrases in the local language, etc. I've done all that and never had a problem before. But in Rome, I just didn't feel comfortable and the people were not very helpful, no matter how nice you were or how you greeted them in their own language. My aunt had one shopkeeper roll his eyes and say to his friend, Uggh touristas, right in front of her, although she went into his store, greeted him and nicely paid for her bottled water. We also had a waiter hurry us along to choose from the menu although we weren't taking that long and the menu was 9 pages long, and another shopperson claim not to know where a major street was although she works every day in her shop and we later found out it was very close by and found it ourselves. We just kept getting turned around for some reason. At the Spanish Steps we ran into a mother and daughter who ran into the same type of people and were so happy to commiserate with us, so we weren't just the lucky ones. I am willing to give Rome a second chance, though. Maybe the second time will be better.

Sue_xx_yy, the hotel in Jerez was Hotel Joma. The website made it look <i>so</i> nice, but it was not. Our room was a dump. It hasn't been renovated in years. There was one flat sheet barely big enough to cover the mattress (not even a fitted sheet - we sometimes woke up on the mattress itself - yuck!), and undesirable hairs were left on the bathroom sink and counter! We had to ask the deskman 3 times to clean it.

As for the dressing up, I don't think there was a special event. In any case, it was a Tuesday afternoon when we arrived, and after walking in town, we sat down for a coffee and that's what we saw. Too bizarre!

How come no ones mentioned Monte Carlo. Pretty sterile, kind of like Epcot. That is one place I never want to go back to. Also Athens did nothing for me.

I am surprised how many people did not enjoy Florence. I thought that the ladies would especially enjoy Florence due to Michaelangelo's DAVID. Maybe even DAVID had shortcomings.

Seen one,...seen them all. sorry guys, I think we are wired differently.

Nova Scotia and Florence, Italy.

There wasn't anything particularly wrong with Nova Scotia, I just didn't find it particularly interesting--I could have had as much fun and stimulation in my hammock in our back yard for a lot less money. And the food is better at our house, too.

I've been to Florence several times (not by my choice after the first two times in 1960 and 1982) and for me it's just a crowded, dirty, polluted, noisy city. I'm not a big fan of the city's big attraction, Renaissance art and architecture.

wheretogonext
:)) Are you sure that wasn't Venice? I'm sure that same guy has a shop in Venice :))

I'm amazed by the dislike of Florence too GW.
I'm sure I'll like Rome the second time around too...and I'd love to give Heidelberg a second chance...I'll just have to skip breakfast altogether! ;)

Anyone can see the statue of David at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Thanks for the honesty in talking about these cities.

I'll be going next year and now I won't feel odd if I don't like someplace.

Add me to the disappointed in Colmar, France list. Loved the rest of Alsace.

Hope this posts...screwy board again today. Rome just did not grab me. I think for several reasons: it was my first trip to Europe, I was on a tour and even though this tour wasn't nearly as frantic as some, this was still the last city. We had been going for almost two weeks, it was the middle of September and hotter than Hades, and humid..oh how humid, and I was sticky and sweaty all the time, so these circumstances could very well have colored my opinion but I had some of the same experiences with the local people as others have talked about so...you know, it's just one of those things. Having said that, I would have like to have had a couple more days to see some additional sites because Rome is NOT on my short list to return, but in the end, if opportunity arose, I'd give it another chance.

I didnt fall in love with Rome until my second visit. I was alone that time and was really able to wander at will and take it all in.

Geneva had very little that interested me. And, like many, I despise Milan.

While it's not that I dislike it, I really didn't see all the excitement over Capri. Aside from the fact that it's an island, there's nothing there that the Amalfi Coast doesn't have. With the exception of glitzy designer type stores. As some have noted, perhaps I expected too much.

Istanbul was a bit a disappointment to me. Many people,Taksim area was ugly, the Aya Sophia and Blue Mosque were nothing to write home about.

Not in Europe but a place I didn't like at all was Los Angeles.

Although there was many things I liked about Florence- the art museums, the people-watching while drinking beer or wine at an outdoor restaurant, the medieval streets, gazing at the city at night high on a penzione rooftop- I must admit not enjoying the Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge in the Florence not blown up by the Germans in WW 2. Loaded with jewelry and trinket shops. Also, I walked into an area one morning on the banks of the Arno and found myself surrounded by used needles-kind of scary, actually.

The dressing up and parading is quite common in towns in Spain and Italy from what I have seen and heard. Families get dressed up and walk around in the early evening, talking to friends and family before going to dinner. I think this activity actually has a name in Italy, called 'passeageo' or something similar!

In Italy it's called &quot;fare una passegiata&quot; Red, and people don't dress up to do it-they just do it, take a long stroll, generally in the early evening, but other times as well.