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Holland
I like its , shall we say , laid back vibe man
Amsterdam is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world due to its past trading links and the food is superb
Some bloody great pike , perch and zander fishing over there in the canals too
And its flat , going up and down mountains is a young man's game
Having visited every single one of them I would say:
Slovenia: it was an undiscovered gem when I visited the place about 20 years ago.
Romania: as above
Italy: oozes history, character and atmosphere.
Spain: I avoided the place for many years after images in my head of the tourist resorts. Great country, especially Andalucia.
Iceland: magical
Holland: the people. It's like home.
Germany: Lived there and became hooked on the people (straight as a dye), culture and language.
San Marino: very chocolate box.
Austria/Switzerland: stunning scenery
France: a delight on the eye.
Weirdest European countries visited:
The eastern strip of Moldova which is still under the control of Russia. Very eerie.
Northern Macedonia: very poor bit with a regime that pumps money into very vulgar and ostentatious statues in the centre of the capital city.
Azerbaijan: oil money seems to have trickled down to a very small minority and the rest of the population seemed very poor.
Albania: I went there when it first opened up and there was nothing to buy. There were hardly any vehicles on the road and some of them I saw had replacement side windows made from plywood! It was not uncommon to see ground floor flats surrounded by pigs.
Surprises:
Odessa in The Ukraine: almost Parisian in nature.
Minsk, Belarus: incredibly sophisticated despite being ruled by a despot
Bosnia: a beautiful, non-functional* country. (*Still beset with profound factionalism)
I have been to a fair few, but always keep going back to Spain, just has a bit everything
I love Cyprus. The island is beautiful and the people are so friendly. Last year was the first time for 7 years that we haven't gone back there.
France , mainly because I work there a lot and have got past the frustrations that its bureaucratic nature can throw up but it can be a stunning place to discover.
Obviously, there are issues ,especially in the outer suburbs of the main cities but rural France is stunning.
I actually quite like Russia and Germany as alternatives.
Croatia. So many stunning places to visit. Loads of lovely islands. The people are generous. Food decent. Climate good.
Germany. Lovely clean country. good people.
Wales. Although I've not been there since Feb 2020 I usually make around 30 trips a year - must be something about the place to go so often :-)
France. I’ve been to Paris in particular more times than I can remember and it strangely feels like a second home. Learned the language a bit which helps too.
Although I’ve not been to every country in the “region” (however you want to define it) but I’ve always been fascinated by the Balkans (western in particular but also what could be described as the eastern part more broadly too). I’ve probably read more history/travelogue books or articles about this region than anywhere else in the world minus perhaps Wales. Could say the same for Central Europe of a particular time in history too (basically from the old Habsburg empire up to the WW1 and between the wars).
Always had a strange fondness for Belgium too.
Croatian coast is lovely; Pula, Split, Dubrovnik and the Adriatic islands. Amazing.
Poland particularly the Krakow area
wanted to go back last year , think this year is out of the question maybe next year now who knows
Iceland.
The cleanest air in the world, wild landscape, bubbling mud pools, frozen volcano lakes, clean attractive towns, Grimsey Island above the arctic circle, good food (especially fish) and friendly people. The only downside is you need a major bank loan to buy a beer!
Italia - Specifically the Tuscan countryside. Such a laid back, relaxed feel to the place. Stunning as well.
Me too for Croatia. Did one of those small boat cruising holidays round the Islands amazing holiday. Problem with Dubrovnik though as its always absolutely rammed with tourists. Not now though.Quote:
Originally Posted by 198bore
Sweden , Denmark are nice but cold in the winter
My nads were like peas
Great white sharks off adriaticQuote:
Originally Posted by Shrewsbury Blue
Be careful when swimming
Germany
Wasn't the main city in Game of Thrones actually Debrovnik?Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrewsbury Blue
Spain, off the beaten track. I motored right across it, nearly 30 years ago. I love the food, the culture, the weather. Obviously I stayed away from the places that are full of Brit chavs, the ones having an English breakfast, fish n' chips for tea, and drinking shite British beer like John Smiths.
Sludge often goes to Krakow....Quote:
Originally Posted by MOZZER2
Portugal very friendly .
Most cosmopolitan cities in the worldQuote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
1 Dubai 83
2 Brussels 62
3 Toronto 46
4 Auckland 39
4 Sydney 39
4 Los Angeles 39
5 Singapore 38
6 London 37
6 New York 37
7 Melbourne 35
8 Amsterdam 28
9 Frankfurt 27
10 Paris 25
surprised by dubai
Same, lovely people, Berlin my favourite cityQuote:
Originally Posted by xsnaggle
This always amuses me. My sister has lived in Berlin since 1978 and now even carries German citizenship, but she would say the locals tend to be brusque, borderline rude. Fantastic city though, agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by UNDERHILL1927
As a German speaker I'm very comfortable in Germany, but favourite non-British places in Europe (as opposed to favourite countries which I know is the question - but much harder!) would be west coast of Ireland, north west coast of Portugal/Spain and
- my favourite place of all - Corsica.
Surprised frankfurt is more cosmopolitan than HamburgQuote:
Originally Posted by ToTaL ITK
Brussels doesn't surprise me , great city
Mayonnaise and Chips
Have it
Haven't travelled as extensively as I'd have liked. However, of the places I have been I love the Greek islands and also the Netherlands. One thing that impresses me with many places in Europe though, is how much the younger generations embrace their local cultures and traditions, which seems to miss many of similar ages in this country.
I enjoyed that summary Taunton. I've visited many in the list.Quote:
Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie
I agree... Slovenia is a super place. Lake Bled.. just beautiful.
The organisation I work for have a large presence in Romania (we helped the government set up their child protection systems and close the orphanages that Ceaușescu established)... Some real gems in Romania. Bucharest is fascinating. I ran around the city in 2019 doing the marathon.
Another secret from Europe if you're a wine lover . Moldovan wine... Just unbelievable and one of the best kept secrets.
Other notable mentions... Czech Republic.. amazing places there and also the literature is sublime. Prague is great but so many other gems outside the capital.
Croatia.. of course Dubrovnik but also some of the northern parts.. Rovinj has very special memories for me - stayed on Sveti Andrija a few times.
Agree about Austria, Switzerland, France and San Marino.
Germany is also stunning and Berlin is everything and more.. I was only there for a short time for a conference a few years back but for the few days I was there I loved it.
Bologna in Italy is a lovely city and I could slip right into the lifestyle quite easily!
The Greek islands are also lovely although of course the problem with some of the holiday destinations is the tourists. Philistines 🤣
I also loved Malta. I went out of season.. November 2018, still warm but quiet. Wonderful place. Rich in history and art and stunning beaches.
Italy. Too many reasons to list here ❤️Quote:
Originally Posted by SLUDGE FACTORY
If I only get to choose 1 then Sweden.
Honourable mentions Denmark, Portugal, Netherlands, Malta
Was due to go to Croatia this summer, only heard good reports
Please share more or send PM. Sounds like my thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shrewsbury Blue
Haha fair enough. The ones that I met in the local German bars were very welcoming.Quote:
Originally Posted by Swiss Peter
To be honest that's been broadly my experience there too. It's just when you live and work there your realise that there are just as many miserable bastards around as anywhere else :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by UNDERHILL1927
Haha without a shadow of a doubt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Swiss Peter
Croatia- just beautiful.
Italy for me.
So much old stuff:hehe:
So nice to see families at the local square of an evening just being together.
For some reason life seems simpler when I'm there.