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?

Fridge Raiders.
They taste of Nothing. Cold nothing.
I'm sure cardboard would have more flavour.

Monaco/South of France, imagined wafting about looking classy and eating in fancy restaurants, reality was hot sweaty mess trying to persuade the kids to sit in one place to sip my overpriced drink for more than 5 minutes. I’d go back, just be better prepared and not take the kids!

[quote CroutonsAvatar]@Houseofvelour same here. Love living by the sea. Best thing we ever did was move to the seaside. Got the theatre, cinema, big shops independent shops and some of the most fantastic restaurants. Loads for kids to do. Lots of events and parades.

The summer is MANIC, though. No point driving if you don’t have to. The roads are rammed.

It depends which seaside town you choose to move to. There are lots I wouldn’t want to live in no matter how beautiful the view.

I’ve just thought of another, the film La La Land. Everyone raved about it and that I’d apparently love it! I thought it was probably the most overrated film I’ve ever had to sit through.[/quote]
Sounds like we live in very similar places 😊 also the house prices aren't ridiculous either.
We have a 5 bed detached and it cost £295k.
I honestly couldn't ever move away. I love it far too much

@Nuitsdesetoiles

Monaco and several other places along that coastline. Weird intense lifeless feel to the whole place. Casino was shit.

My mum told me a saying about Monaco - "a sunny place for shady people". One of my friends ended up visiting there when motorcycle touring around Europe. The group (all 20 somethings from Liverpool) was asked to move on when they parked up to find lunch. He's still annoyed about that 30+ years later 😂

The Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik. Was enjoying it until bits of dead skin, hair and even a used plaster or two floated past.

Land's End.

Oh, and snorkeling. It basically gave me a panic attack.

I found this at first and it makes sense. If your body senses that your face is underwater, it's counterintuitive to be able to breathe, and your body doesn't want you to and you panic. I tried breathing through the snorkel above water while gradually lowering my face under and that helped. But no one tells you how difficult it can be! Plus I found once I had mastered it and was swimming around looking at fish (this was in Greece) I ended up well out of my depth and got a weird vertigo effect.

Ooh I LOVED The Blue Lagoon! I love baths and it's like a giant lake-sized bath. lurvely

Fucking etch a sketch.

The Orient Express. Queued for ages at the tiny bar, finally got to order and I wanted mineral water as I’d not been well and didn’t fancy drinking. A bloke next to me said (in a heavy scouse accent) “fucking mineral water?” as if I was committing a crime. Nice train but I won’t be rushing back.

@Houseofvelour it’s amazing isn’t it? I previously lived in a soulless little commuter town that had naff all in it except a half decent line to London (which doesn’t hold the same allure anymore, imo). The house prices were astronomical and the people snobby and rude.

Where I live has had a reputation for being a bit of a depressing seaside town and lots of people think it’s a bit of a shit hole, which I’m ok with! It’s had a lot of new development of late and my friends are shocked that it’s so full of character and the people are so friendly.

Actually, moving to the coast is something that has surpassed my expectations! Finally feel I’m where I belong.

On the snorkelling note, scuba diving. I thought I’d be amazing at it as I love the water and I’m a strong swimmer. Nope. Couldn’t get the hang of it. Kept sinking to the bottom and lost the rest of the group. It was actually really scary.

@RampantIvy

I did most of my travelling before the advent of really cheap flights, and am disappointed to see that so many places that posters have been to have been disappointing. It sounds like mass tourism really has spoiled so many places. We loved Lisbon (visited in 1994), we have really enjoyed every holiday in the US (1986, 1990, 1991, 2016). I loved Rome *@bluetongue*, but we went in October half term so didn't expect it to be quiet. I wonder if sometimes people have unrealistic expectations about places?

We make a point of avoiding the really touristy areas. DH was surprised at the comments about Krakow. He went there about 10 years ago and really liked it, but he was working in Poland anyway, and visited quiet bars and not the kind of places that stag parties would go to. He also said the the Poles are friendly and hospitable - or certainly the ones he knows.

I don't understand people who say that everywhere in the US is horrible and unfriendly. Have they visited every city in the US? If everyone has been rude and unfriendly maybe it isn't everyone else who is rude and unfriendly. This quote comes to mind:

“If you run into an asshole in the morning, you ran into an asshole. If you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole.”

I actually think people have an idealised view of travelling and don't do much research about where they are going before they go.

I find it particularly telling about Barcelona. Obviously people are sticking to the tourist traps and aren't looking for the places that locals frequent or recommend.

Nor are people going for the experience of travelling which includes days when it doesn't exactly go to plan. IME often these events are the ones that give you 'the stories' and make the trip. People are expecting santised tourist board pictures rather than the reality.

Some of the best things we've done have been when we have got lost!

Its worth doing the cliche tourist things but we've definitely learnt that these are often a box ticking exercise. Whenever we book something now for a city break, I try and look up what local cultural events are going on whilst we are there as they are often amazing and so much better than a list of museums or landmarks.

I dunno. I like places which are quirky and different. I've racked my brains trying to think of places we've been and hated. I can't think of anywhere. They are just 'different' and have positives and negatives.

The experience of going somewhere doesn't have to be 'magical' to be enjoyable or memoriable.

For NZ the comments are about 'doing stuff' rather than just 'being'.

Girls World. Shit plastic hair that didnt actually grow except for a ponytail out of the top of the head and to make it grow you had to twist a knob, which worked just once, one way only. Shitty makeup that was just purple or green and a tiny lipstick. Mine used to freak me out if i woke up in the night, sitting on top of my wardrobe, staring silently. When I got older she turned punk, with biro eyeliner, black biro filled in lips and a mohawk. I feel a bit sad for her now as she'll be like that for eternity in whichever landfill she's ended up in...

Yes! The Blue Lagoon! So squashed into the change rooms my butt hit the lady next to me. Someone had some kind of skin problem and the stench of dead skin was unbearable. Got out of change room after queue for ages for a shower. Bar staff in the pool were rude. Got out and someone had stolen our towels. It was my DD's birthday so I'd booked a restaurant table. They were 30 mins late opening. Massive queue. No apology. Whole experience was awful. I sent them an email telling them my experience. Response was 'well, that's just the way it is.' Never again.

Often worth doing some of the "tourist cliches" and then going off the beaten track as RTB says. Me and XH went to Cuba over 25 years ago, supposed to be a fully planned/inclusive two weeks. We were so bored after the first week but were told we were not allowed to escape, we had to stay in the all-inclusive resort, on the government-sanctioned tours etc. We said fuck that, left, hitched to Havana and checked into a fabulous old-style hotel in central Havana with a rooftop bar full of actual Cubans. Had a great week. (And bought a gorgeous painting of Havana from the actual artist, at his house, which had to have its own plane seat home, and which XH sadly got custody of in the divorce).

[quote CroutonsAvatar]@Houseofvelour it’s amazing isn’t it? I previously lived in a soulless little commuter town that had naff all in it except a half decent line to London (which doesn’t hold the same allure anymore, imo). The house prices were astronomical and the people snobby and rude.

Where I live has had a reputation for being a bit of a depressing seaside town and lots of people think it’s a bit of a shit hole, which I’m ok with! It’s had a lot of new development of late and my friends are shocked that it’s so full of character and the people are so friendly.

Actually, moving to the coast is something that has surpassed my expectations! Finally feel I’m where I belong.[/quote]
That's amazing 😂 where I live was a shit hole about 15 years ago but is now the place to be. There's been millions invested in it

I felt the same as a PP about the film LaLa Land. I found it uninvolving and emotionally unconvincing. Gosling was really one note in it. The English Patient had the same effect on me. And worst of all ( this goes back a bit) Damage with Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche. A load of twaddle.

LaLa land - love musicals, but can’ never managed to watch this through. Ditto ‘A star is born’, although I do like the music from that film.

Barbecues - I do like barbecues but they are so much hassle.

Heston's mince pies.

Marks and Spencer's food generally.

Massively over hyped and nice but not THAT nice.

@wheresmymojo

Having a career. Takes ages to become professionally qualified, you’re worked like a dog, the day-to-day work isn’t what you ultimately envisioned & you have no decent quality of life. It’s not worth the money when you’re a) so stressed that you struggle to mentally be present for the ppl you love & b) you don’t have any time with the ppl you love. Much prefer a humble job that pays less, delivers more actual enjoyment in an area of interest & you can leave it at the door at 5pm.

Yes to this too.

Just left a six figure career for a £40k job I actually like.

this - word for word. I've already told my children!

@whataboutbob one note and yet managed to “save” jazz. Ridiculous film.

Oh, and snorkeling. It basically gave me a panic attack

Same for me as well when I tried to go diving (I'd never even snorkelled before). I honestly thought I couldn't breathe. And then the panic attack itself - I've never had one before or since and couldn't work out what was going on and neither could my DH - I'm normally so level headed.

We were in South Africa and had already paid for a 4 day course! Fortunately, my DH had done loads of diving, so he spent ages with me that evening in the hotel pool with a borrowed snorkel, just making me walk up and down the pool with my head dipped in the water. I was fine by the following day, and managed to complete the course, but never want to go diving again. DH spent the whole of the rest of the holiday apologising for suggesting it - it wasn't his fault though, just one of those things.

I have been snorkelling since though, over reefs off Bali, and it was awesome! (The rest of Bali is a shithole though, even that beach had hawkers all over it - it was only actually good in the water away from all the locals).

@Eddielzzard

Yes! The Blue Lagoon! So squashed into the change rooms my butt hit the lady next to me. Someone had some kind of skin problem and the stench of dead skin was unbearable. Got out of change room after queue for ages for a shower. Bar staff in the pool were rude. Got out and someone had stolen our towels. It was my DD's birthday so I'd booked a restaurant table. They were 30 mins late opening. Massive queue. No apology. Whole experience was awful. I sent them an email telling them my experience. Response was 'well, that's just the way it is.' Never again.

We went years and years ago before it was expanded and Iceland became a place to go and it was amazing back then. Icelanders used to go themselves back then but stopped going as it turned horrible. From what I hear it is somewhere which has suffered from over tourisification (lots of iceland is like this to be honest). Its now NOT the natural thermal pool to go to - there are several others which are amazing in their own right. We've been to one of the city's municiple outdoor swimming pools and actually this was a lot of fun.

Iceland is DEFINITELY somewhere to do reading up on. There is more to it than the fucking Golden Circle (which has turned into a coach queue).

I'm desparate to go back, but want to go the East Fjords and the North of the country. There really is FUCK ALL there to do. Thats kind of the point!

Legoland
I was totally underwhelmed

Beijing - I've always wanted to visit China, since reading Wild Swans in my youth, but Beijing seems to have really embraced the capitalist lifestyle.
Never have a felt like such a cash cow. Everyone ripped us off, shop keepers and stall holders had one price for locals and another for tourists, and didn't even try to hide the fact. A foot massage cost twice the advertised price and was a constant exercise in up selling so we had to continually refuse all the extras and it became a very stressful 'treat'. But the low spot was undoubtedly the 'private tour' of the Great Wall of China. We were taken by car to the closest point, which was just off the motorway, and not a part of the Wall renowned for its beauty or accessibility, and left to get on with it. On the way back we had to fight tooth and nail not to be taken to a Jade factory, where our 'guide' obviously had a commission deal and the atmosphere was very frosty when we repeatedly refused. Back at our hotel we handed over the exorbitant fee and he asked for a tip, which my husband gave him! The guide made it very clear he didn't think it was enough.
Visiting the Forbidden City was worth the visit but I won't be hurrying back.