To go to concerts and theater without spending the price of a plane ticket.

To buy tights at Marks and Spencer.

To get steak and mushroom pie at Sainsbury's.

To see friends.

To wander in parks and polk around in lovely old churches.

To visit our old college, restock our Cambridge T-shirts and enjoy lunch while watching the punters on the Cam.

Lunchtime concerts at St. Martin in the Field. The Proms at Albert Hall. Evensong at York Minster. Fish and chips at the Old House in Wales.

Why do I have to wait till next year?

Because I can!! Hmmmm..that's what Bill said about Monica...seriously folks..I just love it all..the history, the architecture, the art, the culture, the scenery, the wine, the beer..the beer........the wine.....Oh yea...who was that that said the didn't care about gelato....take 'em out and shoot em' I say!!!!!!!!!! Oh yes...that was Scarlett..well she just needs to be sent to hell!!!!!

LOL, creflors, I will make up for it with consumption of wine and chocolate~
The Yankee is the sorbet/gelato person in the family~

All of you are giving me an excited stomach over my future trip to Europe. I want to see historical places come alive right before my eyes. Did you feel this way before your first trip?

Well put, Jocelyn_P

One of my dear sisters refuses to go to europe. Her reasoning is that she still has "so many wonderful" places to see in the USA. Boy, is she a party-pooper when you try to show her pictures of your last trip.

I believe she is secretly afraid of the language issue. Or maybe she is just waiting for me to plan AND pay for her virgin trip abroad?

degas,

DH and I are trying to convince his parents to come to Europe with us. Anywhere they want to go. Sis-in-law and her DH have also made the same offer. MIL and FIL keep giving lame excuses as to why they can't go, when in reality they just don't want to. I think part it is that they've lived their comfortable life in the same small town forever and if they travel, they may realize that they don't have everything figured out. They're happy with their perception of the world and I'll be it's scary to think about getting that dose of reality.

Lying on a beach for 10 days (or 10 minutes for that matter) has to rank as one of the more boring and useless ways to spend a vacation. Europe is definitely not boring. The history, culture and the people of Europe have kept me coming there for years and eventually plan to retire there.

THE PIXIES - IT'S THEIR MONEY AND THEY ARE DOING WHAT THEY LIKE WITH IT - WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?

Since this is a travel forum it's logical that the people who read and post here are inspired, moved and thrilled by travel. I agree with many of the lovely sentiments expressed on this thread. I hope I am always able to find new places to explore.

But I don't understand why it is that those who chose NOT to travel out of the US or to non-resort venues are often characterized as narrow minded dullards who are too boneheaded, lazy, frightened, whatever to see beyond their own inadequacies.

It's not an either/or proposition. Go and enjoy if that's your bliss. But why trash those who chose a different path?

obxgirl, point taken. I expect most folks on this forum travel to a variety of wonderful places both in and out of the USA.

> I expect most folks on this forum travel to a variety of wonderful places both in and out of the USA. <

Agreed!

obxgirl,

I doubt anyone here is seriously trashing those who choose not to travel. Maybe just trying to rationalize what seems irrational in our minds? I hadn't thought much about traveling to Europe until DH and I were offered a free place to stay for a week in Austria. We had an unexpected fantastic time and came back with THE TRAVEL BUG. Perhaps some of us who have the bug want to share this fascination with family and friends, cuz, it's so cool, right? Maybe, like us, if they just went once, then they'd get it.