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?

The posts about promotions and careers is interesting. I am just a minion where I work, but I feel valued and appreciated. I love my job and love not having to manage people and decide what other people are doing. I would far rather do my job than tell someone how to do it.

Cadbury world. They give you loads of chocolate but the experience is very average indeed. Don't bother.

Agree about house ownership. So effing expensive and lots of hassle.

Promotion: a bit more money for a lot more stress, work and having to be polite and PC. No, ta.

That Wonder Water for your hair. I wanted calmer less frizzy swishy hair....nope. Made mine feel really weird and gave me an allergic reaction. Great.

Caravan holidays. Not a holiday, especially when done with kids. Never again.

Sky diving and being an adult

Capri. It was freezing cold and very boring!!

This thread is my fav so far this year! I shouted up to my DH about MNetters who cook Xmas Dinner on Xmas eve and just kick back on the day and get people to help themselves- we immediately agreed that's exactly what we are going to do this year! Plus, get the kids to open gifts off other people (not family) on the eve too.

Centre Parcs is lovely but not worth the money unless you go off-peak and have a more peaceful stroll about.

@JudgeRindersMinder

Being an adult

Tate modern.
Les Miserables, never prayed so much for something to be over and I love the theatre and musicals.
New Year’s Eve at Trafalgar Square, couldn’t hear Big Ben, grope fest.
Carribean islands on a cruise, people hassling you the minute you step off the ship. We went on tours around several island’s, people live in run down shacks, potholes in roads, no pavements. The tour guides said about the lack of education opportunities, medical facilities and jobs prospects. Every day there are 4 cruise ships in port with thousands of visitors spending money, it certainly isn’t invested in the country.
The Kings Speech, whoever thought this was a good story to film, let alone win awards, the mind boggles.
Designer fashion, a case of emperor new clothes.

The Isle of Wight (very disappointing).

My air fryer, was super excited about getting one, got rid of the slow cooker to make room for it and now I’m wishing I had kept the slow cooker.

Marriage, what a big disappointment that was, divorce was more fun.

Looking at other PP's comments .

I love Venice , Rome , Lake Garda ; not so keen on Florence but it was very hot when we went, too hot for walking round . Loved Lucca, Sienna, Bologna. Unimpressed with Milan . Disappointed when we visited Apuglia.

Disappointed in Barcelona , but we only visited for the day from Sitjes, probably should have researched better . DH/DS enjoyed their separate trip to the football stadium .

Love the Lake District , but would never go to Windermere. I really like Keswick but even so wouldn't chose to visit on a bank holiday . Also enjoy Butlins for what it is .

I am disappointed to hear that you don't get en-suite facilities on the orient express . That's my dream but I imagine I would be disappointed .

Also underwhelmed by Paris. Can remember it was really dusty . DH keeps on about going back but there are so many other places I would chose to go instead .

Interested to hear PP's views on NY, LA, San Francisco; have been considering somewhere US as bucket list , given it's going to take a lot for me to brave the flight (California where I really want to go) I'm wondering if it's going to be worth it .

Also interested to see so many unimpressed with Cadbury World . It's a very close day out for us, but as I couldn't see what it would involve aside from a walk round a chocolate factory I've never bothered . Glad we never missed out.

Christmas markets - agree over crowded and expensive . There was a brilliant thread on here last winter about recreating a Christmas market in your back garden . Think it may be in classics .

Agree re last season GOT. Any film / TV where I have read book first .

Don't like champagne, Prosecco or gin .

Omg, House upgrades and renovations. How the hell anyone gets anything finished when no tradesperson ever phones you back baffles me. I cannot imagine anything worse than doing a self build and having to do-ordinate a load of people who are laws unto themselves.

Getting a new shower installed has just taken me almost a year.. and contacting 7 plumbers. I'd started to fear I'd been put on some secret blacklist somewhere. I always pay promptly and offer a cup of Yorkshire tea but you do wonder.

Swimming with dolphins in NZ. Absolutely freezing fucking cold, everyone on the boat throwing up, really choppy sea that I spent the whole time worrying about my dds' lives whilst in. Never again.

Horse riding in Glenorchy, NZ. Gorgeous scenery but the riding itself was dull as fuck and prohibitively expensive as dd and I were for some reason put into a group of inexperienced riders who could do no more than trot about 100 yards.

The pyramids. Say no more.

Safari in Kenya (I know I sound really miserable and spoilt now). Ok it was great at times and I especially loved the lodges but my enduring memory was me bouncing about in the back of a really uncomfortable Land Rover for eight hours a day, the actual sighting of the wildlife was probably for about one hour of those eight.

I cannot imagine anything worse than doing a self build and having to do-ordinate a load of people who are laws unto themselves.

You pay someone to do it for you. Totally stress free! Love a self build.

@MarieIVanArkleStinks

Prosecco is great: the real stuff, that is, which you get in Italy. I mentioned this to an Italian waiter in Florence a couple of years ago, who said with effusive disgust: 'You buy it in Marks eh Spencer? Iss noo Prosecco!'

He's actually right. Most of the sugary stuff you can buy in the UK is nothing like the real mccoy.

I think Italians overestimate how delicious their food is. When I stayed in Milan and Rome I barely ate because I didn't like the food.

I think wildlife programs give people an unrealistic expectation of what seeing animals in the wild is actually going to be like. Although the "making of" programs often give a better idea, i.e. spend 6 months living in tents with thousands of pounds of camera equipment to get a 20 second shot!

Oh yes and Glastonbury Festival.

Loved it when I was young but went back again ten years ago and... never again.

Hours and hours of traipsing through mud from one stage to the next, hungover. When at the stage, unable to see the band unless you actually like being in the middle of a massive crowd of twats. Nowhere to sit, rubbish everywhere, toilets like the eighth ring of hell. No sleep, even in a friend's camper van.

The first day and night were brilliant. By the end of day two I just wanted to go home but I'd paid £300 to be there and felt I had to stay for five nights just to get my money's worth.

I think Italians overestimate how delicious their food is. When I stayed in Milan and Rome I barely ate because I didn't like the food.

Maybe because you are used to Italian food in which is geared to British tastes. My inlaws were also disappointed with the food when they went to Rome.

I'm on a roll...

Skiing.
Cold, scared, crowds, rude queue jumpers, prohibitively expensive, I could go on.

My house! Its damp, cramped and the garden doesn’t get any sun since the neighbours built huge extension 😤

@MummyJ12

Sweaty Betty running leggings. Lusted after them for ages, I just look like Nora Batty running down the street in them, they’re the cheapest feeling most rubbish workout wear ever!

I agree with that. I got some purple ones in the sale but didn't realise they have a line down the middle of your fanny so my vulva looks like a giant plum

@Lanique

I'm on a roll...

Skiing.
Cold, scared, crowds, rude queue jumpers, prohibitively expensive, I could go on.

Completely agree. Tried the snow holiday thing once hated it, snowboarding. I was cold, terrified and bored simultaneously for a whole week. Hated it. Never again. And the whole apres ski thing, just no.

Living in a house that backed onto woodland. Yes it did feel quite peaceful but from late afternoon millions of mosquitoes and midges would descend and linger around the garden all night so I never wanted to be out there.
Thank you for posting this! We nearly bought a place that backed into woodland but it fell through and I’ve always been a bit wistful about it. I am really allergic to mosquitoes!

Parenting

No idea why my previous post got removed though.... didn’t think I had posted anything controversial!

New Year on the Champs Elysees: full of louts setting off fire crackers and pickpockets. Also biscoff spread.