Terry

Have I heard from everyone?

Deena

Yes...that is a toughee. I love things about every country I've been to. Guess if I had to pick one, it would be Italy. Love the people, history, food, architecture, art, etc...

lynne

enjoyed reading all the responses and agree with those that say almost anywhere can be great, attitude is important. but one point i would like to make is that many of the messages reference only major cities. i have not found the "heart and soul" of a country in its cities. get out into the countryside and to the towns and villages. for something different, we like to rent a houseboat, which you can do in so many countries these days. you don't have to pack and unpack and it slows your pace down. but however you do it, don't spend all your time in the cities and please don't judge a country by its capitol.

Rod Hoots

Back in the old days, when you had to deal with visas, customs officials and border guards, each nation seemed like a separate entity. Now that Europe is virtually without borders, and you can drive anywhere, I think of Europe as being one wonderful community. So I vote for Europe as my favorite country.

Anon

Rod <BR>Europe is not a country. It is a continent. Your view is much like saying North America is a favourite country. I'm sure the Canadians would love that one. Each country of Europe has retained it's own distinctive culture and way of life despite borders coming down.

Sandi

I feel a kinship towards the poster who called himself/herself "I Love Everywhere." That is exactly how I feel about traveling. When the opportunity presents itself to take a trip with a good friend or friends, I will jump on it every time. My European travel is very limited, having been to London once and most recently to France. Loved them both with equal and abundant enthusiasm. <BR> <BR>It has been fun reading everyone's opinions, though, as always. Thanks! <BR> <BR>Sandi <BR>

PG

Spain for me. <BR>NEVER again am I going back to Portugal

Gina

If people in London are unfriendly, rude, and unhelpful, then I must have been visiting a totally different city for the past several years. <BR> <BR>Two of my favorite examples: took my parents to London (and west England) a couple of years ago. My dad uses a wheelchair. One night we were coming back from the theater and a large crowd of Saturday-night drinkers was spilling onto the sidewalk from a pub. We couldn't get past. Before I could even say "Excuse me," a couple of guys noticed us and started elbowing the other drinkers off the sidewalk, good-naturedly nagging them to get out of the way, "Can't you see this gent can't get past?" and so on. Very thoughtful. <BR> <BR>Another day, we were walking up the Mall and encountered a very high curb with no curb cut nearby. My dad, who can walk a bit with a brace, was debating whether to go through the strain of getting out of the chair and getting down the curb that way (high curbs aren't easy to get down for him either in or out of the chair) or whether we should retrace our steps to find a better way to go. Out of nowhere, these three burly guys in fake-fur tiger costumes show up asking if we need help. When we say yes, in half a second they have dad, chair, and all lifted over the curb. (When we asked about the tiger costumes, they said they were involved in some sort of "charity do.") <BR> <BR>Rude and unfriendly? Not the Londoners I've met.

Jackie

While I've been to quite a few countries in Europe, I stayed the longest in Italy, and perhaps that has something to do with why I like it the best. But really, Italy IS wonderful--the language, the food, the art, the culture. It's so well adjusted--the people there seem to know how to live the sweet life. La dulce vita, si? <BR> <BR>geocities.com/j_goyette/t.html

Kathy

I'm not a seasoned world traveler yet (working on it), but so far I'd have to agree with Jackie. We spent 3 weeks in Norway in July of 2000. The scenery is what I envision 'heaven' to look like! Words cannot adequately describe the beauty. Be sure to travel by car, bus, or train from the east to the west coast (or vice versa) to see the changing topography and millions of waterfalls. Most of the people speak excellent English, public transportation is good, and the tours are comprehensive. Although expensive (ranked 3rd for most expensive place in the world to visit), I would go back in a heartbeat. One warning though: if you don't like fish (mostly herring and salmon) don't expect to eat much!

Steve Mueller

Although I haven't been to every major European country (Italy is next), of those that I have visited, I would put Belgium first, with Germany a close second. France would be at the bottom. <BR> <BR>Belgium is great for those with an interest in Medieval Europe. I read somewhere that Belgium has more Medieval structures per square kilometer than any other country. Brugge is the Disneyland of Medieval history enthusiasts (only Rothenburg, Germany offers anything on the same scale).

Julie

OH lala...without a doubt...Switzerland...take your breath away scenery...lovely people..Lake Lucerne is absolutely glorious!!!

Laurent

Hi Terry and everybody else, <BR>I guess there is no universal answer to that ? - different tastes for different seasons for different places. A strong preference for Mediterranean countries with rich history - Spain is an amazing place, and Greece has something for everyone: people ARE genuinely friendly, communicative and fun-lovers. I urge anyone to visit the volcanic island of Santorini in September. The view on the "caldera" is truly breathtaking !

Capo

Without a doubt, France. Why? The charming people, the beautiful French language, the diverse scenery, the rich history, and the wonderful food & wine.

Donella

God bless America. Land that I love.... <BR>Such a good life here, it allows us to travel to beautiful Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France, Carribean and soon Spain, and hopefully many more countries. I never forget, however, how very beautiful the USA is, and how comfortable I feel when I travel here. You usually know what to expect here whereas if something trying happens in another country we feel unjustly abused, and may come home with bad feeling about that country, where as if it happened in the US (rude people, bad food, muggings, bad roads,cabbies trying to cheat us) I don't think we would be as insulted.

Sylvia

Sorry to hear the Anti-English cliches. The weather, well it varies a lot. If you don't like the climate, wait for half an hour and it will change. Bad food, that's just plain daft and another outdated cliche. You can find bad food if you look for it but there is wonderful food available from pub grub to Michelin starred food. In London, you can find food from every corner of the world. <BR>The people, well the saying is that Londoners hate tourists and love foreigners. If you can imagine trying to get to work in the morning and having to cope with people with shorts and backpacks blocking station entrances and standing on the wrong side of the escalator, it's no wonder they get a bit impatient. I've also noticed that some Americans come across as abrupt and rude. "Please may I" will get you further than "I want" or "Give me". <BR>Having said all that, I live in a beautiful city slightly off the main tourist circuit and most of our American visitors are charming and dress and behave in such a way that they blend in with the "natives".

Judy

Hello All, Have a good GROUNDHOG DAY! SPRING-YES! My heart loves Paris and France, but my mind loves the UK and London! I love history tooooo much and a lot of my history seems intertwined to the UK's. I walk into Westminster with tears in my eyes,,,oh, the stories there! Judy

chris

I agree with Sylvia, i'm sick of the anti- English cliches too, esepcially the bad weather! When I hear of people complaining about the weather they make it sound as if people in London actually like the weather and have a choice of different types of climate! Honestly, who the heck goes to London for the weather?! Everyone knows London weather isn't fantastic, sounds to me that anyone who complains about it is just looking for something to whine about

g&g

italy is our delight. always will be until we can find another. i doubt it's possible. however we are planning a trip to turkey, which we hear great things about. it's still killing me not to go to italy.

Linda

Such a question gets everbody's dander up!! I am glad that the world is so varied...there's something for everyone. For me, it is England. Such a small and beautiful (hmmmm, could it be all the rain that makes it so??)country that has inspired so many to be loyal to her. "Oh, to be in England" indeed.