To ask what you dreamed would be fabulous but is actually maybe a bit shit

[hitsvilleuk]

I think this about lots of things to do with celebrity lives, when I was younger I thought it all would amazing now not so sure.

A particular one I have is that I always longed for a villa on the Italian lakes. We went to a hotel there one year for 5 days ( in the same village as George Clooney ) It pissed down for 3 days. Everything was dark and damp and that combined with the endless queuing for flights and the thought of maintaining a property in another country sort of did for the dream. Not achievable without a lottery win anyway but now I don't even want it.

Anyone else got stuff like this or that they actually got and then thought 'meh'. I seem to have it about more and more things as I get on - I just don't want stuff anymore. Is it just to do with age?

@Sgtmajormummy

I’d always wanted a buffet server or, in my wildest dreams, a hostess trolley.

Aldi had buffet servers about 2 years ago. Not popular here in Italy so they’d reduced the price, too. I bought one, set it up once and never used it.
It’s too big for daily use and we always eat together anyway, so no need to keep things warm under dinky plastic lids.

But the next time there’s a christening/funeral/catering event I WILL BE PREPARED.

We had a 70's hostess trolley included with the house when we bought it 20 years ago.....

I would never have thought to buy one - but it's brilliant - about 3 or 4 times a year when we entertain or have an extended family Sunday/Xmas lunch! (not so much recently......). The rest of the time it's a handy table in the corner of the kitchen with the fishtank on top! Highly recommend........

Yoga.
God it's so boring and if you say its boring, then you are told it's because you need to relax more

Paris. “Hell is other people”....no, Hell is Paris

I think that hell is London.

London is worse than Paris to me.

I absolutely love Wicked.
Les Mis and Cats though are terrible.
Agree about parts of Cornwall & it makes me sad. Had some great hols there as a kid. Went about 5 years ago and it was just gridlock everywhere.

Oh, I am so sorry for the people who don't like Rome and Venice. I stayed in Rome for a fortnight a couple of years ago and adored every minute (except the mozzies on the first night). Spent a lot of time sitting in squares, people-watching with a cold drink. It was fab.

I agree with many of these although I spent a view years in Paris and loved it... eventually. Most tourist cities are shite until you explore.

Chinese takeaway. I fancy one and order it to find it a huge waste of money.

So many scented candles. Diptyque are very hit and miss but I have my favourites.

Various classic must see/read books.

Although I love Venice and The Sistine Chapel but I didn't scream! 😂

@Justaboutawake

Mr Frosty. Waited 22 years for that useless bastard

I’m glad you said this because I’ve wanted one for over thirty years.

@Zimniy

A huskie-drawn sleigh ride across the snowy plains of Greenland has always been a dream of mine.

Then I started thinking about how much dog farts stink. Surely the huskies must fart a lot as they're pulling the sleigh along? I mean it's just something that happens when one exerts oneself, yes? So would you spend the entire sleigh ride breathing in the foul stench of dog fart?

I don't want to find out.

Haha - your assumptions spot on according to DH who did this in Norway. A very smelly experience although still very enjoyable, apparently!

My daughter would say The Golden Coin Maker. It was her generation's Mr Frosty.

@RhubarbFairy kids were 8 and 9 and really loved Efteling

Now the Lake District, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment, not as nice as the Scottish Highlands, queues everywhere, hillwalks a bit like a high street used to be on a Saturday.

@TheTurn0fTheScrew 100% agree with you re Florence. Loved the Uffizi but the rest of it was bleurgh. So disappointing and not a patch on Siena.

The New Forest sounds idyllic but in reality it’s soo over hyped.
Horses, cows and donkeys belong to commoners and as such are allowed to roam freely around the forest..The number that are killed on the roads each year, mainly by locals, is heartbreaking. Cars and animals sharing the roads simply does not work and of course the number of cars is horrendous. Places like Lyndhurst and Burley are just one big traffic jam and for what? Shops full of overpriced tat.

Car parks rammed full of visitors and dog walkers which obviously leads to dog shit everywhere, certainly not a place to picnic or let children play.

Having children.

I love NY, have been loads of times, loved San Francisco even more and had the best time in Vegas even though I wasn’t really keen on going. I haven’t ever really been anywhere that I don’t like (aside from the Canary Islands). I’m obviously easily suited.

Outdoor gigs unless they are in a stadium. Or feature Bruce Springsteen.

Shark vacuum cleaner. I'd have been better off with a real shark.

Langoustines. Nah.

I did love HP studios, Disneyland Paris and most of the theme parks I have ever been to though.

I absolutely loved Barcelona, Rome and San Francisco, walked and walked everywhere in all of them and felt totally safe. Ditto New York, been twice and its awesome. Would go back to all these in a heartbeat.
Las Vegas is bonkers, like nowhere on earth but as long as you're prepared for it, its excellent fun.
Los Angeles was a shithole. The Griffith Observatory was great for the view bit otherwise no, and the Walk of Fame was a particularly shit Blackpool.

2020?

Also Rome. I had to go for a work conference which was shite and was super excited to see it. Stayed in a hotel right by the Coliseum with a lovely view. As soon as I got out the airport, I was spat at by someone who I refused to buy "lucky" Heather from and it was the start of being bombarded by beggers everywhere. They don't just ask you for money, they fall across the pavement in front of you in a prayer motion, forcing you to step over or go round them. There was also rubbish everywhere. I mean everywhere. The traditional Italian food I had was all terrible apart from one coffee which was to die for.

The culture was amazing. I loved it, except that there was scaffolding around half the fountains etc.

Over all I just felt a bit let down.

I agree with Disneyland Paris. What a load of shite.

Cornwall is awful - I feel so sorry for all the people buying houses there at the moment, congratulating themselves on escaping to a lovely bit of the country. They'll learn.

A good chunk of the locals hate anyone they're not related to and are openly hostile, the weather is consistently middling - you spend your life scowling at the TV showing pics of heatwaves / amazing snow days from Devon up as warm or cold mizzle drifts past the window, depending on the season - and there are virtually no decent shops and very little culture. A play / ballet etc is nearly a 2 hr drive away. If you want to see a big band you can go to the Eden Project and 'enjoy' an outdoor concert - often you'll be soaked by the end thanks to the horizontal rain. On hot days you often go to the beach, only to find a sea fog has rolled in. Also, it is heaving with tourists and it takes twice the normal time to get anywhere from May - October.

Phew - that was like therapy - I am so glad I moved away!!

London zoo

It looks dilapidated and concrete, most bigger animals have been moved out to whipsnade (quite right too) what's left is simultaneously underwhelming while being a tiringly big site for a 4 year old.

@TroublesomeTrucks

Cadbury's World was the most boring, overpriced, queue-filled pile of nothing I've ever been to.

Completely agree! So disappointing, think I was expecting more Willy Wonka's chocolate factory!

I didn’t mean to be pissy, @MilesJuppIsMyBitch, I just really liked the book and hate that it is so overlooked.

I bloody love New York, Rome, Paris, London, San Francisco, Florence and Venice. It’s about choosing your time and what you want to see. I am so sad for people who have rotten experiences there.

A kitchen island. I lusted after one all my life but never had a big enough kitchen to make it work.

@Meruem my husband and I were discussing this this very morning! We have a kitchen that’s too small for our island (well, peninsula if we’re being accurate). Massive mistake to put that bloody thing in; dominates the space!

I completely agree with you!

I would also say both Dublin and London

Lake Garda. I kind of feel it wasn’t Lake Garda’s fault entirely but we went to eurocamp in a heatwave and returned 2 days in to our week long holiday as the caravan had the worlds worst air con, ds1 could not cope with the heat which was high 30’s and the campsite was a pile of shit. It was horrendous and I have never been so glad to get back t9 the cool of England.

Give me Lake District with its rain any day.

Eurodisney at New Year was also shit but we knew that would be, it was a family trip we felt obliged to go along with. Too cold, long queues, too many people......