I have not seen close to everything I wish to see in this big, wide, world of ours… but I have been fortune enough to see quite a bit, and it is astounding. Of the places I have visited so far, I would like to share with you my top ten favourites. These are places you simply must see for yourself. <!--[endif]-->
Victoria, Australia<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – I had wanted to visit this country since I was a small child. I was like a little kid this past fall when my husband informed me we would be spending a few months in Melbourne. It was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. Just being able to feed and play with wallabies was worth the cost of trip, but there is so much more than just the animals here. If you see nothing else in your life, do endeavour to at least make the down through the Great Ocean Road in southern Victoria. I still haven’t managed to pick my jaw up off the floor. <!--[endif]-->
Skane, Sweden – <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->I loved this country so much I moved here. Southern Sweden (Skane) is just pristine and beautiful. The people here are not all caught up in trying to trump the Joneses. It is all about living and enjoying life to the fullest in this country. Besides, they have Ales Stenar, one of the biggest stone henges anywhere. Did I mention the shopping? The great beaches? The Viking settlements…? <!--[endif]-->
Copenhagen, Denmark – <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->You begin to get the feel of Denmark from the moment you step off the airplane at CPH, and it just gets better from there. Copenhagen is just rich in so many things: History, the Arts, shopping; and this is the homeland of Hans Christian Andersen. What’s not to love? <!--[endif]-->
Luebeck, Germany – The marzipan capital of the world. Every other shop along these quaint and ancient streets sells this wonderful confection, and you would do well to stock up while you’re here… in between shopping for all the great bargains you will find and filling your stomach on the myriad of culinary delights.<!--[endif]-->
Helsingborg/Helsingor<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – These are twin cities in Scandinavia, being across the Oresund from each other in Sweden and Denmark, respectively. Yes, I know I already mention Skane, but these two cities deserve their own place on the list for a number of reasons: Both have awesome castles that have glorious views of the other, And both have delightful shopping amid wonderfully preserved medieval buildings. <!--[endif]-->
New York, New York<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – This one makes the list for Times Square alone. What a great place that is! There is enough in New York City to keep you gawking for weeks on end. Be sure to bring a good, sturdy, comfortable pair of shoes since the best way to see everything is on foot. Lights everywhere, crowds of people… the place is just energizing. <!--[endif]-->
Mazatlan, Mexico<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – I have been through a number of cities in Mexico, but Mazatlan will forever hold my heart. The temperature here averages 82 F year round, as does the water in the Pacific. Do be sure to get out of the touristy areas and explore the old part of the city. This is where you will find food to die for, and lots of pleasant folks willing to clue you in on the rich history. <!--[endif]-->
London, England<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – Put the political climate aside and just enjoy the sights and sounds of the place. Much like, NY, the place abounds with energy. Do be sure to visit the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace. Wow. Just wow. The Underground is a brilliant way to get around, and although it may look daunting at first it does not take long to get to know the various lines. <!--[endif]-->
Miami, Florida<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – The greater Miami-Lauderdale area is where I would live if I had stayed in the US. They have some of the best beaches in the world, excellent restaurants, and it is just a damned fun area to vacation in. the transportation options are not very good, but the many entertainment options more than make up for that. Do visit the Coral Castle, Monkey Jungle, Miami Seaquarium, and Parrot Jungle. Also, a run down to Coconut Grove is a great way to spend a day shopping if you are into local artists. <!--[endif]-->
Los Angeles, California<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> – The entertainment capital of the world. Again, there are some great beaches in the greater L.A. area. You would do well to not miss Venice, Redondo, or Hermosa Beach. For shopping, head downtown and ask around. There is a hidden alley there in the Garment District where you can walk away with some amazing deals. Do not miss a walk down Hollywood Blvd either. People from every walk of life can be seen here, along with some outrageous little specialty shops. <!--[endif]-->
As I said before, I have not been absolutely everywhere in the world (yet…) so if I missed mentioning your particular favourite spot, it is likely that I just have not made my way there yet. Please do feel free to give me a heads-up on any other great spots to visit. I am always open to adjusting future travel plans.
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Comments: 38
And yes, I do need to get to Alaska eventually.. and I realize I left off Iceland from my Place to Visit list. Damn.
Good article, and I love your travel tales, especially when they include stories about animals.
I thought New York was one of the great world cities long before I lived here.
And I love London. It is another place where it is possible to walk from great theater to great shopping, to great galleries, to great music. And, since the nineties, it has great food, too!
I share the common snobbery of the east coast toward LA.
Peter... London and NY have a lot in common, and yet are so very different at the same time. Amazing places, both. I lived in Los Angeles before I lived on the east coast so I have no such snobbery. heh.
My favorite places include Soviet Georgia (which I visited in the early 1980s). Despite their oppressive government, Georgians clung tenaciously to free-enterprise, hard work, family and unrivaled optimism. Gosh, I think it was those very characteristics that made this country great in the past.
The most delightful place in the world for me is a plantation that a friend of mine own on the big island (Hawaii), up the hillside from Kona. He grows coffee and a wide variety of exotic fruits and vegetables. The road is so bad that only the foolish or deliberate venture that far. I suppose that this is what makes the place so charming and comforting; isolation, serenity and a simple existence. If I were only able to live there, greeting each day with a cup of Kona coffee, clad only in my boxer shorts, faced with nothing more than blissful hours tapping on my MacIntosh keyboard! Who could ask for anything more?
I am soooo in on that trip to Gotland! That is where they train the horses for the summer Riddarspelan (jousting) And yes the shack is still there ;)
More later, I just woke up,. ha!
(note to Mrs. W: Harmless joke, I have a rep to maintain.. no real threat here... please don't beat me up.)
SG... I was vaguely curious about Scandinavia prior to my coming here, but to be honest it was not on the top of my To Visit list until I met my husband. I think they downplay themselves to keep the tourists to a minimum so the country will remain pristine and beautiful. heh.
Terry with a beer... YOU are awesome.
aaand back to Cindy... I wrote a piece on Ales Stenar. I can't remember if I posted it on Gather or not, it is on AC though for sure. Let me look through my gather stuff..
Ales Stenar
Hey, Richard W. -- that place in Hawaii sounds like Rooster Farms -- one of my favorite places in the world. Is it? The Rooster is a fellow gather member.
Lori, regarding those Word code fragments, I have found it easiest to paste my article from Word into notepad before pasting into gather's publishing form (with word wrap turned off). I have to reformat the bold and italic stuff, but I don't get the junk from Word in the gather article. I'm gonna write an article about all of my gather publishing workarounds one of these days...
And if I edit, then it has to go back through moderation, and I hate to be bothersome to group owners.
If you ever do make your trip to Hungary and find yourself at the Fisherman's Bastion in Buda, there's a Marzipan Museum there.
Good marzipan is really hard to find in the US. I usually avoid disappointment and spring for the imported stuff.
Would you believe it's a year since we went to the Coconut art festival...time certainly does fly..
I can still taste that Marzipan..
Cheers my friend
June! Good to see ya over here. I got an alert that your posted something new, I'll go check it out.
Sorry I missed ya.
Dottie Downunder
I have been meaning to email you. Really I have. I'm having one of those kinda airheaded winters. I start to do one thing then get side tracked onto another thing for 5 minutes before yet something else grabs my attention and then before I know it evening has arrived and I have accomplished absolutely nothing. OHJ!