Destinations that turned out to be surprisingly good

[Pluvia]

Salamanca. On a trip through Spain we randomly stopped there for a night at Salamanca and loved it. Inexpensive bars and restaurants, lots of locals, no tourist hotspots — so much so that we spent the day looking round and stayed a second night.

Cardiff. A lovely, bustling, buzzy city with a beautiful river, park, castle, shopping, cafes and a harbour and history. I'd gone for the weekend to visit an old friend, ended up moving there.

Lucca. So beautiful and lots to do and see.

I love Tasmania. The nature is so beautiful, it's unreal. Plus wombats and wallabies

wombat, I worry a bit for your blood pressure.

That’s kind of you, but there’s no need to be concerned, even a bit. Laughter is great for blood pressure and I’ve had some real belly laughs reading this thread, I can tell you.

Most recently a few minutes ago, when I looked on on the thread to find the OP being told off for not understanding her own question in her first post.

@bedheadedzombie

I love Tasmania. The nature is so beautiful, it's unreal. Plus wombats and wallabies

Yes, but did you go there expecting it to look like a council estate? If not, go to the naughty corner.😉

Oh dear. Rather bitter are we, Janis? You’re the one who waxed lyrical about the pyramids and Angkor Wat, right? Tell me, when you made the not particularly easy journey to Cambodia to see the latter, did you set off thinking, “this isn’t going to be any good”?

It rather begs the question of why you bothered. How fortunate that it turned out to be a UNESCO world heritage site and you liked it after all!

😄

Your over the top rage really amuses me, Wombat.

Au contraire. No rage. You really make me laugh, actually. Keep it up! You’re the one who came back trying (unsuccessfully) to have a dig.

@GettingStuffed

I'm going out a limb and I'm going to say Bolton. OK it's not the prettiest place but it has friendly people, good restaurants and pubs. It's a great base for touring lancs, and a day trip to the the lake district

Did you just say Bolton ? 😏

The Hague ( Den Haag). I thought it would be dull and drizzly but it has some lovely small museums and architecture. And day trips around.

I liked The Hague too, quiet but very liveable and a good (albeit flat and grey) beach. Haven't been for ages and now I want rijstafel for lunch.

Sodding Covid, if it wasn't for all the faffing around with tests I'd seriously consider booking a Novotel in The Hague/Ghent/Bruges/Antwerp/Rotterdam for the weekend and jump on the train on Friday evening.

I mentioned Germany before and the city that surprised me there was Dusseldorf. In my ignorance I hadn't realised how fine a city it is.

Even if people were misinterpreting the thread (and if it mattered), wombat, you are downright nasty and rude.

Antwerp

@rampantivy I think it must be still open - I found the website, www.fishingheritage.com but it was a few years ago when I went. I loved walking right along Cleethorpes seafront too. All totally unexpectedly great! I was there for work.

I think that anybody who finds it advisable to repeatedly reprove other posters for being ‘rude’ should worry about their own blood pressure, frankly.

(‘Rude’ meaning ‘having successfully exposed other posters’ silliness, which they don’t like at all’ in this case).

Oman! Beautiful country, fantastic roads, friendly people, so welcoming to children. Lots to see like beautiful old forts and castles, hot springs, and markets, but also lots of modern shopping malls and soft plays if you need a more kid friendly day. Plus lovely beaches full of camels.

having successfully exposed other posters’ silliness

Good lord, you do have quite an opinion of yourself. Not sure who you think you are. It's quite funny though.

Wombat, when you find yourself in the proverbial hole, you should stop digging.

Keep them coming! You are almost as good as Cannon and Ball. Or a similar mediocre comedy act.

To everyone who's now thinking of visiting Salamanca and Segovia, can I also recommend Avila, which is not far away? It's got a really romantic parador from which you can walk out on to the city walls.

On the subject of museums that I was very ambivalent about going to see but found them surprisingly good *:

Gosport Submarine Museum - the tour of the post WW2 boat by ex submariners is fantastic.

Brooklands - transport museums aren’t really my thing, but the Concorde exhibit is great fun.

National Mining Museum Scotland - interesting tours run by ex miners.

* I believe this meets the thread police requirements?

Ex miners do the tours at the National Mining Museum near Wakefield as well.

The Thackray Medical Museum (Leeds), Weston Park Museum (Sheffield) and the museum in Carlisle are all brilliant, as is the prison in Beaumaris.

I'm going out a limb and I'm going to say Bolton. OK it's not the prettiest place but it has friendly people, good restaurants and pubs. It's a great base for touring lancs, and a day trip to the the lake district

I used to like the market when I was younger or rather the sweets you could buy there You don't need to go to the Lake District, you've got Rivington right there. That said, on the north-west MNers thread people were saying there was somewhere else that eclipsed Rivington.

Does it really have good restaurants? A few years ago (way before covid) I read an article that said even Pizza Express had closed and all the investment was going to Manchester which was damaging the towns around it like Bolton.

I love museums so will make a note of these, thank you.

In London I love the Petrie Museum of Archaeology. No idea if it is enough 'off the beaten track" - maybe not- but just thought I would mention it. The British Museum has all the big Egyptian stuff like statues. The Petrie has all the small household stuff, including the oldest dress in the world, about 5000 years old.

@FryingpanintoFire

I mentioned Germany before and the city that surprised me there was Dusseldorf. In my ignorance I hadn't realised how fine a city it is.

I went to Dusseldorf when I was about 17 and was really tired having got off the plane after an early flight from Bristol so wasn't desperately impressed with it. But I went there about four years ago and it is really nice - lots to do locally.