Not a place,... or site,.... although I have those... I was surprised that my husband and I spent 3 weeks, 23 hrs a day together, still had such a magical time together after 23 years. We had sent the kid to college and got to find each other again.... pleasantly surpassed my expectations.

Here are mine: <BR> <BR>The Sistine Chapel: high expectations blown away <BR> <BR>St. Chappelle (low expectations completely left in the dust) <BR> <BR>Paris: NO expectations -- didn't even want to go, got a free trip -- can't describe the feeling of seeing the Eiffel Tower! I spent the weekend pinching myself! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Dana -- After having called the Anne Frank House "over-rated" in the other post, I'll try to explain. It's not that I didn't appreciate the history, but I expected a MUCH MUCH smaller living area, etc. The articles and pictures she pasted to the walls moved me too. But for some reason, I didn't really "feel" her there, but here's what really got me -- looking out of the window from the Anne Frank House into the street, thinking about hearing those German boots, how afraid they must have been, watching people get taken away. Hearing her father say that he had no idea that she was so "mature" until he read her diary and hearing Miep (?) say that they found Anne's diary and didn't give it to her father until they knew she was dead. <BR> <BR>Don't assume that the only people who would be moved would be Jews (and the only ones who wouldn't be non-Jews). That's not fair. At Notre Dame, would you have thought that I was crying because I'm Christian? Nope, it was (to me, but not to some others) beautiful -- and that's where the real "I can't believe I'm in PARIS" feeling hit me). Being Christian had nothing to do with it. And if you had caught the tears in my eye at the Anne Frank House, you would have been wrong about me too. ;-)

First of all, after hearing terrible things about Naples, I was thrilled to love its people, neighborhoods, and food. It's an Italian New York City! <BR> <BR>I also didn't expect to like Mykonos as much as I did after hearing it was so expensive, etc. I enjoyed it and its proximity to Delos, my highlight of Greece. <BR> <BR>Watching the Acropolis light up at night was a thrill I didn't expect to move me so much. <BR> <BR>I adored the shops and shopkeepers in the Campo di Fiori section of Rome. My daughter will remember her "buying a bikini experience" for the rest of her life - for good reasons! You don't need to know Italian when a little Italian grandmother kisses your daughter's cheeks and proclaims her "Bella!" in her new bathing suit. <BR> <BR>The Alps were more breathtakingly beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

"The David" in Florence blew me away--not just the sculpture but the lighting and way it is presented <BR>The Charles Bridge at night in Prague--beautiful and romantic <BR>Berlin--what a tremendous city with all that history and culture <BR>Jungfrau and train ride up from Interlaken--majestic and the waterfall at Lauterbrennan <BR>The Hill Country in Texas--wild and free <BR>Washington, D.C.--very moving <BR>Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake and the Kennedy Launch Site--exciting <BR>Auschwitz/Birkenau--the exhibits as A. and the scope at B. <BR>Vienna--the culture, the wine <BR>Zakopane--small, scenic <BR>

I posted about some European places that surpassed expectations earlier then I noticed non-European places mentioned, too. <BR> <BR>Here goes: Montreal - the Old Town area and Notre Dame cathedral. <BR>Niagara Falls, Canada. Yes, it's a cliche but it's still stupendous to see. <BR>Viewing San Francisco from Alcatraz Island...and the prison itself was fascinating. <BR>The Muir Woods in California. <BR>Cruise on the Chicago River and seeing the city from that perspective. <BR>The French Quarter in New Orleans...and crossing the Mississippi River by ferry and seeing NO from the opposite bank. <BR>The Hoover Dam on the Nevada/Arizona border. <BR>New York City - I visit it several times a year but I always feel excitement when I'm there. <BR>Boston, MA - I love Boston and just went a few weeks ago to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. It blew my companion and myself away. And the North End is great for Italian restaurants, etc. <BR>Providence, RI - the Water Fire events in the river. The city itself has been wonderfully restored. <BR>Listening to the Boston Symphony on a sunny summer afternoon on the lawn at Tanglewood. I'll always remember that day. <BR> <BR>Lee <BR>

Paris <BR> <BR>Mont Saint Michelle <BR> <BR>Ile de Noirmoutier <BR> <BR>Carcassonne <BR> <BR>Hospices de Beaune <BR> <BR>

What surpassed my expectations? I remember one evening looking out a hotel window and seeing through the window of another building across the way. A French woman had put up her ironing board and was working away, glancing up now and then and what I guess was probably the television. I got my binoculars, only to see what she was ironing, and it was a what looked like a man's white shirt. I could see toys on the couch and a package from a store on her table alongside her purse. Also a glass, soda maybe? I watched her awhile, without the binoculars, and I realized that was probably what I would be doing, if I were at home. I did not expect the thrill I would feel as the realization really hit home that we really, really share a sisterhood (and a brotherhood) with all mankind.

the duomo in florence... the alcazar and cathedral/giralda in sevilla... the alcazar and albaicin in granada... camden market in london (just when i thought it had ended and was ready to be mildly disappointed, there were miles left to explore)... siena and san gimignano... paris, everything about it... traveling to london and amsterdam with my boyfriend of 3 WEEKS and having the most incredible time together, and turning out to me perfect travel companions, like we'd known eachother all our lives (3 years later, we're planning our next european vacation)

Just found this great thread while doing a search. Thought people who are planning for this year's vacation might find some useful tips.<BR><BR>To add my favorite--Romania. A beautiful country, some unforgettable historic and cultural sites, and marvelously friendly people. In many sections it is like visiting pre WWII Europe. Also, very interesting to observe their transition from a communist economy to a market economy. They need an influx of hard currency and need tourism. If you are flexible, want to see something new, and want to go to a place where tourists are welcomed and not looked at solely as cash cows, try Romania.

Edinburgh: Riding along in the taxi from the airport and looking up to see the Castle glowing in the sunrise on a winter morning. One of the prettiest cities I've seen.<BR><BR>Venice: Sitting on a boat coming around the corner to see Venice right at sunset. The colors from the buildings was more than I could have ever expected. I loved spending the next few days exploring the nooks down the little pathes in Venice.<BR><BR>New York City: Having traveled around the world, NYC was one place I had never made it to and I fell in love with it. The height of the buildings was more than I could have imagined.

Petra in Jordon - makes all the other ancient monuments and cities around the world pale into insignificence. Would go back tomorrow but would most definately stay a lot longer to explore this wonderful place

Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time, what an incredibly beautiful city.<BR>Piazza Navona at night and the pure magic of walking in Rome...looking for a restaurant in the Campo d'Fiori area for dinner.<BR>The little town of Arles and the bright colors of Provence.<BR>Walking throught the Gardens at Giverny and visualing the paintings of Monet.<BR>The beauty of the Hawaiian islands, especially the Big Island of Hawaii.<BR>

The Grand Canyon

The cemetery at St. Michael's Kirche, in Salzburg, Austria, on a warm spring morning. I wandered through it for hours, in a daze, until my wife came and gingerly led me away.

So many that have already been posted.<BR>1. Cistine Chapel<BR>2. Colosseum<BR>3. David<BR>4. Venus di Milo<BR>5. Tower Bridge<BR>6. Tower of Pisa<BR>7. Float plane ride over Mt McKinley, Alaska and landing on a glacier lake.<BR>8. Helicopter ride over the mountains on Kawai<BR>9. Snorkeling off reefs in Maui

Stockholm. Being of Swedish descent, Stockholm was included on our itinerary that ended in St. Petersburg.... was sort of a "Duty" visit. Lovely city. We've been back and hope to visit again.

Paris, every single thing about it:)

<BR>France.<BR><BR>I had 5 years of college and high school French in the States. I finally made it to France last Spring. I made it to Chenonceau 25 years after I had saw it on the cover of my high school freshman French book.<BR><BR>I enjoyed France. I did not have any problems with the French. Not a single story of being rudely treated. Maybe it was because I always tried with my pathetic French. Maybe it was my expectations. <BR><BR>I spent 3.5 weeks in France and can't wait to get back.

The American Cemetary overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy. A beautiful tranquil piece of American soil(given to the USA by France). The enormity of the American loss could not be better portrayed by the seemingly endless row upon row of Crosses and <BR>Stars of David. When you go down to the beach and see the gunner emplacements(still in the cliffs), then you realize how so many brave people perished without having a chance. They were sitting ducks for the Germans. The fact that so many survived and eventually overcame the German defences is astonishing.

That first view of Machu Picchu. Awe inspiring.<BR><BR>Vermeer's Milk Maid-My favorite for years and finally saw it at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.<BR><BR>The Grand Canyon after about a minute to sink in. What spectacular grandeur.<BR><BR>Chenonceau from the outside at a distance as it reflects into the water below.<BR><BR>Wieskirche, the most beautiful roccoco style church in the world.<BR><BR>Cesky Krumlov-I had no idea it would be so enchanting<BR><BR>Pluscarden Abbey in the Highlands. Serenity defined.<BR><BR>The Great Wall. I was prepared for a tacky tourist trap, but it is awesome.<BR><BR>Paestum (Greek) and the mosaic floor in the Basilica at Aquiela (Roman) in Italy. These are as beautiful as you will find. <BR><BR>Pecs in Hungary. A wonderful little City.<BR><BR>There are others, but, enough for now. Hope this helps to keep this thread at the top so others can contribute.