DH and I want to go somewhere new to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary and the launching of our first child off to college. We've never had a chance to really celebrate our anniversary, as we share it with our DD. We're going for only about a week and are fortunate to have enough airline miles to go to any of the places on our short list.

We've been many places, but have missed these:

Lisbon, Portugal
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Istanbul, Turkey

We love great history, culture and food. I speak Spanish fluently and enough French to be passable in conversation. DH has some pretty good German skills. We enjoy renting a car and driving, but like trains too.

We've been to Paris many times and first considered returning there. We also loved Gstaad, so our taste kind of runs from the largest of cities to smallest of towns.

We enjoy a little luxury in a unique boutique hotel and a wonderful dinner with great wine. We like to meander. DH likes no more than two museums and two cathedrals while on a trip. No limit on castles.

So, where would you go? Why?

... and we'd like to travel in September or October.

My first choice would be BA, and then on to the wine country.
The wine country is what Napa was 35-40 years ago. Your open timeframe starts in early October.

Second would be Lisbon. My last choice would be Istanbul. I wasn't all that impressed when I visited there.

Whichever you decide, FF tickets are very very limited.

I like to travel in may-june.i think you should go to argentina & turkey.It is depend on you where would you want to go.

Thanks, Rasta. Because we travel so much for work, we've got pretty good status with the airline, so we can use the FF miles at any time. No blackouts. We were feeling a little anemic on miles after last summer, because five of us went to Nice, returning from Madrid, on 300,000 miles. We were able to get those flights during June.

Why did you not like Istanbul? Details, please!

I'm thinking BA also. Hmmmm.... Did some homework on Portugal last night, and I'm just not sure. If I'm that close, I'd like to go back to Spain!

Buenos Aires would be perfect-lots of great food,wine,history and cultural things and if you speak Spanish you will have no problems!

I think that's where we are leaning, dutyfree. If I can just get the kids launched back to school next week, I'll have some planning time!

I've always wanted to go to Argentina. The other two just don't spark my interest in the same way.

On Thursday afternoons (I believe around 2pm) the mothers who wear the white scarves parade in front of the pink palace square to STILL protest their lost children/loved ones from the "bad years" of the 70's,etc. Each scarf is embroidered with the loved one's name.It is extremely interesting,poignant and brings you in touch with what happened back during the dictator days when people went missing during the night and dropped out of airplanes never to be seen again.
I also enjoyed the Recolletta(sp?) craft market usually held every Sunday over by the cemetary area where Eva Peron is buried.
Great wine/Malbec and a fabulous steak for dirt cheap-YUM!

Argentina's coffee and gambling is quite popular i have heard. . . . but besides that its a beautiful place nevertheless

Yes Argentina is definitely rich in gampling, casinos, horse riding gambles, pokers, its even got Casino cruises to top it, but that not all there is to the place. Argentina's culture makes it unique, its food is distinctive, the traditions, its attractive tourist places make it a traveller's favourite holiday spot

Just more reasons we're leaning toward Buenos Aires!