Since I have been posting lots of travel stuff, I am going to make one more post on the topic. Then I may go back to my random stuff. So anyway, when John and I moved to Ireland, we made a list of places we wanted to visit while here. We have been to some of the places but I have lost the list. Therefore we made a new list. However, we don't think the list is really complete. So, here is where we have been in Europe (outside of Ireland):
- Norway, south western part
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Munich (2 times)
- Brussels/Brugge
- Venice and the Italian Alps
- Salzburg
- London
In Ireland we have been to:
- Giant's Causeway
- Galway (soon to be twice)
- Cliffs of Moher (soon to be twice)
- Kerry (but need to go back)
Our list thus far has:
- Paris (planning a long weekend in May)
- Rome (thinking end of October)
- Prague
- Budapest
- Snowdonia
- Scotland
- Naples
- Vienna
- Amsterdam
- Istanbul
- Greece
- Finland
- Switzerland
- Luxemburg
- Belgium (want to see more than Brussels)
- Egypt (OK, not in Europe but close)
- Non Bavarian parts of Germany
- Sweden
- Croatia (Dubrovnick and the national parks)
- France
- Monoco
- Various parts of Eastern Europe
Ok, that is a long list and we will have to stay a while or just take a career break to make a dent in that list! So, dear readers, here is the question for you. Have you been to any of these places? If so, did you like them? Also, is there anywhere that you would recommend as "must see" for either a long weekend or a longer trip (usually 10 days is our longest).
5 comments:
on your list of not-yet-seen places, i have been to finland and to amsterdam. i spent seven hours in what was then yugoslavia, so that's probably not long enough to be intelligent about.
i loved finland. i was in turku and in helsinki. helsinki is very walkable, very urban. i love all the colorful shops (marimekko, etc) and people living above them and going about their business with shopping bags and bicycles.
there's a place down at the gulf where people bring their rugs to wash them in the soft water there--the city has built a floating platform to accommodate people, and has built drying racks so the rugs can dry in the sun. they use this wonderful natural pine soap so as not to pollute, and they sit on the hillside and chat while their rugs are drying. it's a very small but wonderful thing.
there's a great farmers market, too, down by the water, and a big flea market where i bought a purple skirt and bangle bracelets.
amsterdam i liked, too, but it felt less innocent and more crowded. swarthy men followed me for blocks one day, pinching my butt and, when i'd turn, leering and asking if i wanted to buy drugs.
but i loved the skinny houses and all the bicycles. the stairs inside the buildings are very very steep--if you look you can see poles jutting out from the top windows of apartments. they're for ropes--you throw a rope over the pole and haul up the furniture and drag it in through a window because the stairwells are too steep and narrow.
i'm going to paris in april. i'll let you know....
ps in ireland you should go to donegal, west clare and the aran islands.
I lived on Santorini when I was 10. LOVED it. Now it's very touristy, but if you go to Greece, it's worth a night at least, just for the caldera. And on Crete, you must go to the museum in Iraklion and to Knossos. If you wait a little while, my dad's going to be in Athens on sabbatical, and his work the last 20 years has been Santorini :-).
I'm going to be in Paris in April! So close to a chance of seeing you, but no cigar.
I've been wanting to email you, but I can't find your address. I'd leave you my address here, but that seems rather public. I think you can figure it out.
It's MOmylastname@yahoo.com.
I hope to hear from you! I may be leaving Philly soon and I don't want to lose touch again!
hello! I highly recommend Prague. It is quite a small city and very walkable. It's small enough to see quite a lot in a weekend break, but if you stay longer there is still lots to do. If you do stay longer, I recommend travelling outside the city. When we were there about three years ago, we went to a town called Kutna Hora about an hour outside Prague. It has this amazing ossory, it's indescribable. The good thing about Prague is that it's pretty cheap. Outside of Prague, it's even cheaper (if I remember rightly, when we visited Kutna Hora, a big lunch for two people with drinks cost about e7). Great booze too :D
Since I'm from the west of Ireland I feel almost obliged to plug it ;) Seriously though, if you're down by the Cliffs of Moher, consider driving through Galway, up through Connemara to Westport. The scenery is second only to Kerry, there are hidden wool spots along the way, and Westport is fantastic for fresh seafood. Céide Fields in north Mayo are definitely worth a visit too. The cliff scenery there is spectacular... there's a huge sea stack right beside the Fields.
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