What has exceeded your expectations

[DenisetheMenace]

On the back of another thread, what has exceeded your expectations.

If I may, I’ll kick off with The Lost Gardens of Heligan, St. Fagans Museum, Tokyo, Michelangelo’s David, Tintagel and Porthminster Beach Cafe in St. Ives.

Skiing in chamonix. Thought it would be overly expensive and full of people but it was just beautiful

The Bayeux Tapestry.
We were lucky enough to arrive between coach parties and had it more or less to ourselves.

Llandudno. Expected it to be just another grim seaside town but it is absolutely beautiful, and the buildings along the curved front are majestic.

Divorce.

The Birmingham museum. Actually, Birmingham in general. Much nicer than I expected, would recommend for a city break!

Lindisfarne (the island, not the band!)
Derbyshire countryside
Oat milk - better than actual milk!
Really good sundried tomatoes

Agree with the posters above about Rome. The Pantheon and the ancient ruins just... there in the busy city was just stunning.
The impact of Da Vinci's Last Supper in Milan. I'm not religious but it completely overwhelmed me on many levels.

Having just posted on the other thread I'm coming to balance up:

• Rome: It was like wandering around a living museum, so many amazing sights

• Las Vegas: Thought I'd hate it but it's so ridiculously cheesy and fake that it's almost awe-inspiringly so

• Having a 'job' instead of a career: Worked my arse off for a six figure career which left me tired and stressed. Now have a 9-5 £40k job I actually like and it's so much better!

• Cheaper cars: In hindsight I liked my VW Golf as much as the new Mercedes I now drive, will be trading down next time and saving the money

• Split: Just thought the city was very beautiful, will definitely be back to Croatia

• Gardening: always thought it was boring but now getting into pottering around the garden

@wheresmymojo

Having just posted on the other thread I'm coming to balance up:

• Rome: It was like wandering around a living museum, so many amazing sights

• Las Vegas: Thought I'd hate it but it's so ridiculously cheesy and fake that it's almost awe-inspiringly so

• Having a 'job' instead of a career: Worked my arse off for a six figure career which left me tired and stressed. Now have a 9-5 £40k job I actually like and it's so much better!

• Cheaper cars: In hindsight I liked my VW Golf as much as the new Mercedes I now drive, will be trading down next time and saving the money

• Split: Just thought the city was very beautiful, will definitely be back to Croatia

• Gardening: always thought it was boring but now getting into pottering around the garden

I just read all the way through this thread expecting to see Split somewhere, couldn't believe no one had mentioned it!

I’ve been to Split, when it was still in Yugoslavia, and can concur that it’s lovely.

@ouchmyfeet Yes! It's lovely....again, like walking around a living museum and then in 5 mins you can be having a coffee looking out over the harbour and sea.

And so cheap to fly there and stay there!

Dubrovnik very much on the list now as well as the islands.

Forgot Belize somehow...

• Belize: amazing country. My best ever holiday. The islands are like beautiful carribean islands...all white sand, Bob Marley, rum cocktails and hammocks. The mainland is totally different with sub-tropical rainforest, animals you've never even heard of and Mayan ruins

Brunei - strangest place I’ve ever visited.

Buenos Aires. We went for a few days on the way to Rio and much preferred it.

Has anyone else been to Brunei btw? I’d be interested in their view?

Princess cake

Yosemite

Split is OK but Rab is better.

Hong Kong

Sex with my ex. It wasn't that great first time around, and I know it's generally not advisable but... yeah.

The Keswick pencil museum. Bloody brilliant. Learnt loads, hardest museum quiz I've ever done 😂

The Lake District, all of it, especially the Langdales, Ullswater, and the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway.

Oh and also skiing.

DH was a keen skier when we met (youngish - about 19) and I had never been. It took him three years to persuade me that skiing wasn't just a 'cold holiday'.

I was hooked from the first day. It is one of my favourite things in the world to do and we ended up doing a whole season at one point. There is no feeling like looking down a run, with fresh powder snow and blue sky above you, and knowing that no matter how many of you are there, only you can get yourself down and you choose your path.

When I was very ill (with meningitis) with the most unthinkable pain in my head, I used skiing as a mental visualisation to deal with the pain. it honestly got me through.

@actiongirl1978

The Keswick pencil museum. Bloody brilliant. Learnt loads, hardest museum quiz I've ever done 😂

I totally agree. I think it was better before it was refurbed fir flooding though. Still excellent though!

A collapsible fire pit I bought from a Facebook advert.

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