Have you ever been anywhere where any preconceptions have been totally blown away? Where were you and what had they been? And did that experience have a bearing on any future trips? <BR> <BR>Just curious...!

I suppose one of my greatest ones was with Turkey. Originally we feared traveling independently there. We just knew that Turkish people were dark, mysterious, dirty, and would be out to "take" us. We were sure that Turkey would be very dirty, unsafe, and backwards. Boy, were we wrong. The people were warm and friendly unlike some "movie" image we had of them. The entire country, despite its ruins and "antiques" was modern, clean, and efficient. What a pleasant surprise.

As a teenager I went on a school trip to Russia where I was convinced that we would be eyed with suspicion for clearly being 'affluent' (in their terms) Westerners. <BR> <BR>We couldn't really have been more wrong - they were fantastically friendly and just so interested in Britain and our way of life. It was also really important to them to make sure that we were given the best of the little they had. It was quite overwhelming.

A precpnception that was a miscoception for me was on my first trip to Europe, in 1969. <BR> <BR>There was an astonishing difference (and breath of fresh air) we all noticed on leaving the US "ally" Greece (right after the junta - - see the movie "Z") - - where the Mediterranean concept of siesta became for a while a police-enforced curfew in the middle of the day! - - and crossed in to our "communist enemy" Yugoslavia. Of course, because of Tito, the dissolution of the Iron Curtain had its origins in Yugoslavia long before the Berlin wall fell. You could feel the oppression in the air in Greece, and the (relatively greater) sense of freedom among the people in the communist "dominated" Eastern bloc country of Yugoslavia. <BR> <BR>And all the more reason it makes me sad to think what has happened there in the past ten years - - and the past ten months, days, hours... <BR>

Misconception: Turkey was a "third world" country, not so, especially around Istanbul. Truly lovely civilized place with very friendly people. IMO. One BIG exception: the guy who "pinched" me in the Grand Bazaar, boy was I shocked. We (the ladies I was with), had big chuckle. <BR>Judy ;-)

I grew up thinking the English were cold and unfriendly. My very first exposure to a foreign country was London when I was a teenager. I found the people there to be friendly, very helpful, sweet natured and humorous.

Patrick: I am having too many "senior moments" lately. I saw your post previously and confused it with something else???? Confused? I am too, better start taking that gingko biloba, starting today! Needless to say, I agree with you, Istanbul and Turkey were a very pleasant surprise. IMHO, Judy ;-)

I was expecting the French to be really rude and unwilling to speak English. They were just wonderful to me. I think that is because I knew the secret password: opening conversations in my horrible French. They really do appreciate the effort.

Mel: <BR>I was wary of Paris on my first visit. I had been told about the rude Parisians. My first encounter was with the Air France bus driver. When he dropped us off, i ask him for directions to the hotel and he started waving his hands and screaming something in French. Well, I thought everything I had heard was true. Then an angel appearred! A very dapper gentleman approached two sorrowful looking folks with suitcases and asked if he could help us. Voila! Directions and an escort to the front door of the hotel. he even recommended his favorite cafe to us. My thinking about Parisians changed forever. They are polite, conservative people but they will go out of their way to help you even if you don't ask directly!