What was our favorite place?.................................................
This is the number one FAQ of them all. It's also the one that is impossible to answer.
There was something to enjoy everywhere we went. More sensible people might have focused more closely on places, themes, whatever, but that's not our style. Here's a quick summary of what we liked about different countries. See a separate entry for the foodie angle.
Portugal was so tourist friendly and affordable as well as having many lovely places to visit that I would recommend it to anyone for a two-week vacation. Lisbon is a laid-back city that even us country bumpkins could enjoy and you don't need to worry about speaking Portugese because everyone wants to practice their English.
Spain is huge and we've only nibbled around the edges. We've spent time on the Mediterranean beach north of Barcelona, on the Atlantic beaches in both the south and the north and they are all wonderful. Spain is also great for birders. We've been in the mountains in the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa and found them breath-taking. A little knowledge of Spanish really helps because we encountered very few folks who spoke English, outside of a couple of hotel clerks. But everyone is friendly, so it's not a major problem. My only regret is that we didn't make the side trip to Guernica.
We've been all over France and we still prefer the French lifestyle to that in other countries. These people just know how to live. And how to cater to the tourist euro. The French are not as outgoing as the Spanish but they are the politest people on the planet. Politics aside, I'm convinced that the problems that Americans report about getting along in France are the more the result of misunderstanding than anything else. We encountered nothing but the best service anywhere we went. There is no doubt that they have the best and most varied food at the most reasonable prices. There is something for everyone in France as far as geography goes. The French think that their country is perfect and I'm not going to go that far by any means, but I can see where they're coming from. All of northern Europe comes to France on holiday and you can understand why.
We're still not sure about Italy, but we're interested enough that it might just be an option for our next trip. There is no doubt that the Dolomite Alps are at the forefront of the competition for the most awesome scenery we've ever seen.
Germany is off our list. As I've mentioned before, in general Germany does not offer the lifestyle that we enjoy. This is not to say that we haven't enjoyed parts of Germany. After all, a country that will allow you to take your own car around the legendary Nurburgring race track can't be all bad. The Bavarian Alps are always beautiful as are the Rhine and Moselle valleys but that's about it in the scenery department as nearly as we've determined. Otherwise, you need to go into the cities, and you know what I think about spending a lot of time in cities. Plus the traffic is awful from one side of the country to the other.
Belgium is a 'nice' country. What else can one say, other than it's flat too. And small. I don't see how they can make a whole guidebook about Belgium. The only real reason to go to Belgium, and it's a pretty good reason, is that they make the best beer on earth. Period.
The United Kingdom. Off our list, despite our friends Norman and Colin who did their best to entertain us for ten days. The reasons are way too many people, way too expensive. I could live with the first, but don't see any point in dealing with the costs. You simply don't get good value for your money in the UK, lovely though it may be in many places. And it is a myth that because we all speak English that you won't have any language problems. They can understand you because they've seen the Hollywood movies but you won't understand them at all. I'm glad we've seen London and Edinburgh and the Cotswolds and the Lake District and Wales and so on, because I don't think we'll be going back. Especially since it would mean flying through Heathrow!
Conclusion: It depends. Spain is best on prices and beaches, France on food and lifestyle, Germany on breakfasts and beds, ----you can see where I'm going here.
This is the number one FAQ of them all. It's also the one that is impossible to answer.
There was something to enjoy everywhere we went. More sensible people might have focused more closely on places, themes, whatever, but that's not our style. Here's a quick summary of what we liked about different countries. See a separate entry for the foodie angle.
Portugal was so tourist friendly and affordable as well as having many lovely places to visit that I would recommend it to anyone for a two-week vacation. Lisbon is a laid-back city that even us country bumpkins could enjoy and you don't need to worry about speaking Portugese because everyone wants to practice their English.
Spain is huge and we've only nibbled around the edges. We've spent time on the Mediterranean beach north of Barcelona, on the Atlantic beaches in both the south and the north and they are all wonderful. Spain is also great for birders. We've been in the mountains in the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa and found them breath-taking. A little knowledge of Spanish really helps because we encountered very few folks who spoke English, outside of a couple of hotel clerks. But everyone is friendly, so it's not a major problem. My only regret is that we didn't make the side trip to Guernica.
We've been all over France and we still prefer the French lifestyle to that in other countries. These people just know how to live. And how to cater to the tourist euro. The French are not as outgoing as the Spanish but they are the politest people on the planet. Politics aside, I'm convinced that the problems that Americans report about getting along in France are the more the result of misunderstanding than anything else. We encountered nothing but the best service anywhere we went. There is no doubt that they have the best and most varied food at the most reasonable prices. There is something for everyone in France as far as geography goes. The French think that their country is perfect and I'm not going to go that far by any means, but I can see where they're coming from. All of northern Europe comes to France on holiday and you can understand why.
We're still not sure about Italy, but we're interested enough that it might just be an option for our next trip. There is no doubt that the Dolomite Alps are at the forefront of the competition for the most awesome scenery we've ever seen.
Germany is off our list. As I've mentioned before, in general Germany does not offer the lifestyle that we enjoy. This is not to say that we haven't enjoyed parts of Germany. After all, a country that will allow you to take your own car around the legendary Nurburgring race track can't be all bad. The Bavarian Alps are always beautiful as are the Rhine and Moselle valleys but that's about it in the scenery department as nearly as we've determined. Otherwise, you need to go into the cities, and you know what I think about spending a lot of time in cities. Plus the traffic is awful from one side of the country to the other.
Belgium is a 'nice' country. What else can one say, other than it's flat too. And small. I don't see how they can make a whole guidebook about Belgium. The only real reason to go to Belgium, and it's a pretty good reason, is that they make the best beer on earth. Period.
The United Kingdom. Off our list, despite our friends Norman and Colin who did their best to entertain us for ten days. The reasons are way too many people, way too expensive. I could live with the first, but don't see any point in dealing with the costs. You simply don't get good value for your money in the UK, lovely though it may be in many places. And it is a myth that because we all speak English that you won't have any language problems. They can understand you because they've seen the Hollywood movies but you won't understand them at all. I'm glad we've seen London and Edinburgh and the Cotswolds and the Lake District and Wales and so on, because I don't think we'll be going back. Especially since it would mean flying through Heathrow!
Conclusion: It depends. Spain is best on prices and beaches, France on food and lifestyle, Germany on breakfasts and beds, ----you can see where I'm going here.
posted by Al and Linda @ 4:36 PM
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