gordon

wanted to be no.100!!<BR>

travel attitudes 101

I continue to be astounded that so many posters feel they have a right to be "let down" by a place they choose to visit (especially the person who left Amsterdam after 3 hours... now that's really giving the place a change - NOT!). I've said it once, and I'm saying it again, these cities are not there for your amusement or approval!! Get a LIFE!<BR><BR>Since I am assuming at least some of these judgemental folks are American, I suggest they stick to Las Vegas or the Disney theme parks. Things will be clean, everything in its place, no surprises.

y

Dear Duh-<BR><BR>Learn to take life, messageboards, and yourself, a little less seriously. We're having a debate, not a war.<BR><BR>"first and foremost, I am female." Gender isn't relevant to the discussion, and as for gender-neutral terms, I've always found it a little odd to refer to a single individual as 'they.'<BR><BR>"Second, I am not European." I never said you were. Indeed, I suggested the contrary.<BR><BR>Seems that to the extent that sweeping statements make one inept, we both are: "one would never [never is pretty sweeping] see a prostitute dying of AIDS..." - actually, I suspect we see people dying of AIDS all the time, we just don't know it, presumably they don't stay at home all day...<BR><BR>"statement was a total fabrication.." - can't tell, it's all hearsay on this board anyway.....<BR><BR>

italianstalliaon

Without a doubt - VENICE - with FLORENCE a close second

Ehrich

Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, London.

Marina

I say Florence and Pisa.

shelly

I am not going to say "why or give it a second try or GET A LIFE"<BR><BR>If a place was a real let down for you, I will respect your honest opionon.<BR>

beatrice

bravo shelly, well said

Sjoerd

For me it all depends on:<BR>1. the company - to be in any city with my better half is more fun than with (some of) my colleagues;<BR>2. the weather - nice Spring weather can make an average city wonderful, and drizzly rain can make a wonderful city boring;<BR>3. pure luck - do I happen to run into the goodlooking, funny, witty, friendly waiter, or do I get the one who has a bad day? <BR><BR>And then: Let's all be glad that we are all different and like and love diferrent places. Respect other people's opinions: they are just that: opinions. <BR>(by the way: not Amsterdam, but the tourists themselves made a tourist destination out of the Red Light District. The prostitutes and the customers would rather have the place to themselves, but almost every foreigner that I have shown around in Amsterdam (100's of them) *wants* to see the RLD. So don't blame the city, blame yourself if you visit the RLD and don't like it. There is so much more to see in Amsterdam)

Not my name

We have the "right" to be let down by anything, what do you mean. I am let down all the time, if a person lets a place ruin the trip that is a shame. I say if you are let down with a place, which I am sure any thinking person is at times, just move on.<BR>I love France, but on one trip I was "let down" by constant, freezing rain, so I went to Italy on the train and warmed up a bit.

Geri Sass

<BR><BR>The USA.

mario

Yes we enjoyed the USA very much. And we comeback soon.

Emma

France we are not too kean on, but we certainly appreciate going to the States.

Joyce

Places which have been "let downs" for me: All historic small towns I visited where the town governments were oblivious to urban planning. <BR><BR>Florence and Toledo are examples. Both towns have small historic centers that are completely open to automobile traffic, no restrictions whatsoever. The traffic congestion is unbelievable (especially in Florence). This ruins the historic atmosphere tourists come to see, and also makes life unpleasant for town residents.<BR><BR>There are workable solutions to this type of problem (e.g. requiring non-residents to park at a perimeter and take a shuttle into town), but the local governments prefer seeing their historic centers ruined with pollution and traffic rather than take any proactive steps to improve the environment.<BR><BR><BR>

Rich

I agree with qyite a few places mentioned but Paris last Oct. when the museums were shut down day after day due to wildct strikes with no warnings. I did learn a lot about the metro system checking out the different closed museums. We took day trips which were enjoyable in the obligatory rain. We,re trying again this oct.

ginger

Bob,<BR>Samuel Johnson said, When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. So I would like to know exactly waht part you did not like. Did you stay in an awful hotel which can ruin any place, did you have nonstop rain, what was it. I can guarantee you a London itinerary that would make you move there! What was it about London, Bob. Also, to whomever said they did not like Venice, that is another comment that I simply cannot believe. What in the world didn't you like about Venice?.

Lacey

I can say I too was disappointed in Venice - I found it dirty, smelly and crowded. The canals had garbage floating in them - including a car seat and a dead cat. Venice should only be seen at night.

tj

Just returned from a business trip to A'dam and found it to be very nice.<BR><BR>I stayed near the Central train station and took several trips to other towns by train.<BR><BR>I found some nice shops and restaurants not too far away, and was warned about being near the RLD. <BR><BR>However, I never saw the RLD, and was not really interested in seeing it.<BR><BR>I did have some very nice Salmon sandwiches, but never saw a cheese one.<BR><BR>People were very friendly and generally spoke English.<BR><BR>I liked seeing all of the people riding their bikes, and would have rented one if I had some leisure time.<BR><BR>I have been to London many times and enjoy that too, they are also pretty good at speaking English <BR><BR>I feel badly for the people that did not enjoy these cities, you really have missed out.

gina

I thought Bacharach, Germany was a whole lot of nothing. Absolutely nothing to do and impossible to sleep because of the trains.

Capo

Joyce, I liked your comments about the lack of urban planning -- especially vis-a-vis the automobile -- in some historic European cities. I only differ with you in that I'm not sure it's a case of the city governments being oblivious to urban planning. Instead, my guess is that they lack the political will, and perhaps support as well, to do something about all the automobile traffic. <BR><BR>One of the main reasons I liked staying in Siena recently far more than I like staying in Florence fifteen years ago was precisely because Siena greatly restricts automobile in its historic center. <BR><BR>On the positive side, of course, many European cities *do* restrict the automobile in certain areas, which is more than I can say for most American cities. (People in Seattle, for example, wanted to close ONE measly short street in downtown a few years ago but powerful retailers, led by hometown Nordstrom, fought it so the political leaders caved in and the street was re-opened to cars.) <BR>