At some point in the past several years, I signed up for something with Lonely Planet. I don't remember what it was, but like most other online registrations, that was all they needed to put my email address on their mailing list. I don't mind this type of email so much now that Gmail cleverly sorts email into one of three separate inboxes. Kudos Google. The Lonely Planet emails go into the "promotions" box, with all of the other travel related emails. Though unlike the SNCF and EasyJet promotions which make me sad for a few seconds before I delete them because they're useless to me right now, I often save the Lonely Planet emails until I get around to reading them. Because this winter is horrible and endless, I've gotten a lot of reading done. I recently opened up a Lonely Planet email from a while back. It included a link to their top 10 cities to travel to. No surprise to anyone who's been there, Chicago was #8 on the list. Yea buddy!
I've only been to two of the cities on that list. Well...technically three because I've had several layovers in Shanghai. And despite not being able to waste any time on Facebook during layovers there, everything else about Shanghai's airport is top notch! I hope I can actually see Shanghai outside of the airport sometime. But this list made me start thinking about my favorite cities I've traveled to.
Chicago is not on my list. That's not because I don't think it's great. It is. I didn't put Chicago on my list because I've lived 100 miles from it for my entire life. I lived there for a time. I don't remember my first visit to Chicago, so I can't compare it to other places as far as experiencing it for the first time. Does that make sense? It does in my head.
And Bordeaux isn't on my list. Bordeaux will always have a very special place in my heart. Those were the best two years of my life, without a doubt. However that was because of the wonderful, amazing, incredible people I met there. I love the city. It's gorgeous. It's easy to get around. The food is good. The wine is better. Everyone should visit, if given the chance. But my list of favorite cities are all places I'd have no problem going alone. If I ever went to Bordeaux alone, I'd spend the whole time crying because my friends weren't there with me.
And Bordeaux isn't on my list. Bordeaux will always have a very special place in my heart. Those were the best two years of my life, without a doubt. However that was because of the wonderful, amazing, incredible people I met there. I love the city. It's gorgeous. It's easy to get around. The food is good. The wine is better. Everyone should visit, if given the chance. But my list of favorite cities are all places I'd have no problem going alone. If I ever went to Bordeaux alone, I'd spend the whole time crying because my friends weren't there with me.
Most of the reasons I like a place have to do with food.
1. Seoul
I write about Korea/Seoul in every blog post. So of course my number one is Seoul. I love this city. There is fantastic (and cheap!) shopping, the public transportation is genius, super simple, spotlessly clean, and ridiculously cheap, crime is nonexistent, and the food...oh my goodness...the FOOD! Aside from the obvious/delicious Korean food, there is everything there from American to Indian to Bulgarian to food trucks selling burritos. I loved living in Seoul, and if I could find a job there that was more career and less "We need a white person to teach at our school", I'd move back in a nanosecond. But I also think it would be an awesome place to travel to. There are museums, festivals, palaces, mountains for hiking in the city, and lots of cool places a short ways out of the city that make for great day trips. Seoul gets a fair amount of tourists, but I'll never understand why it's not on more people's travel radar. If someone from the Korean Tourism Organization is reading this, please hire me.
2. Paris
Everything in Paris is exactly how it should be, except there isn't a soundtrack of accordion music playing in the background. I don't know how many times I've been to Paris, but even so, it still takes my breath away. I spend the whole time I'm there thinking "EEEEEEE!!! I'm in Paris! Paris Paris Paris! Is this real? PINCH ME!". So beautiful. So so so beautiful. Unfairly beautiful. The food is the stuff dreams are made of. They have entire shops dedicated to cheese. America, why haven't we caught on to that yet? The cathedrals, the museums, the delicious coffee, and the Eiffel Tower...le sigh.
The rest of these aren't in much order. I love them all equally.
The rest of these aren't in much order. I love them all equally.
3. Hong Kong
I went to Hong Kong on a whim. I had a long weekend and wanted to go somewhere. HK was the cheapest ticket I found. I knew no one who wanted to go with me, so I thought, "what the heck, I'll go alone." And I did. On that trip I learned two things-traveling alone is awesome and Hong Kong is awesome. It was crowded and expensive, but it was also exciting. The skyline is incredible. The view from Victoria Peak is definitely worth the wait. And it's not all skyscrapers and people. I learned on my trip to Hong Kong that there are also stunningly beautiful beaches and mountains. Who knew? I guess anyone who reads up on Hong Kong a bit before going there, which I did not do. Hong Kong also has really cool markets, which is a huge plus in my book.
4. Stockholm
Suddenly, IKEA made sense. I know that early November is probably not the ideal time to visit Sweden. But, that's when my break from school was, so that's when I went. The weather was cold and rainy, but inside everywhere was so warm, it felt like a gentle hug whenever I walked inside anywhere. Stockholm made being a tourist incredibly easy. It also made this particular tourist feel very fat and very brunette. But that's okay. Stockholm is a bunch of islands, so of course there's water everywhere. Bodies of water makes walking around a place more interesting and enjoyable, even when you're getting pelted in the face with cold rain. Also, the Vasa Museum has skeletons. What more can a person want?
5. Madrid
I learned on House Hunters International that it's not uncommon to find a deep fryer in a Spanish kitchen. That's a good sign because you know you'll be eating some gooooooood stuff. My first visit to Madrid was an overnight layover in February, so I didn't have long to explore. But I stepped off the train and was immediately in love. The sky was bright blue. It was about 75 degrees (February!). The plazas were full of people enjoying the beautiful weather. Even though the weather was not quite as nice as the first time, I was able to go back to Madrid for a few more visits. Each time, I loved it more. Also, I appreciate a city that at 7 AM is still going strong from the night before.
6. Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington, NC
My family used to vacation here every summer. The last time I was there was in the summer of 2005, but whenever I think of Wrightsville Beach, I still get that warm fuzzy feeling. Nostalgia isn't the only reason I love this city, though I'm sure a lot has changed since 2005. There are so many shops, delicious restaurants (but, sadly for the majority of my vacations here I was in my "chicken fingers and fries" stage. Sigh, so much delicious food I surely missed out on...), and stately homes. Plus, Wrightsville is a beautiful and LONG beach, perfect for walking.
7. Barcelona
Sure, there are the Gaudi buildings, Las Ramblas, delicious food and heavy handed bartenders who aren't afraid to fill a wine glass to the rim. But, the real reason I love Barcelona is because where else can you get your picture taken with an owl plate and two men who are completely naked except for their watches?
8. Chiang Mai
In addition to avoiding the Thai-del-wave, my goal for the trip to Thailand last year was to experience more Thai culture than I did on my first trip. Chiang Mai was the perfect place for that. It's impossible to turn around without seeing a temple. There's also loads of delicious food, ridiculously cheap massages, and markets markets and more markets. Plus, Elephant Nature Park is located a short drive from Chiang Mai. Who doesn't want to spend their vacation feeding pineapple to elephants, shoveling poo, and tubing down a river hoping there aren't snakes or crocodiles? My life goal is to move to Chiang Mai.
9. San Sebastian
I spent only a weekend in San Sebastian, but it didn't disappoint. The beaches are beautiful. Basque culture makes things a little weird (one night, there was some celebration going on, which included people carrying around GIANT puppet/doll things. These things were two or three stories high, no clue why), which I love, and the food...I need to pause a minute while I dream about the food...San Sebastian is known for pintxos. In the old part of the city, you can walk into pretty much any bar/restaurant and find pintxos covering the bar. The bartender gives you a plate, you pick out what you want, pay per item, practice the only Spanish you need to know "Vino tinto por favor" and enjoy. Most of the time, I wasn't entirely sure what I was eating, but it was all delicious. Spain also has really yummy pastries. If I ever moved to Spain, I'd no doubt need two plane seats by the time I left.
10. Marrakesh
I had a hard time deciding between Marrakesh and Udaipur for this last spot on my list. They are both little oases of calm in extremely overwhelming countries. A short distance from both cities is breathtakingly beautiful scenery. I love Moroccan food as much as I love Indian food, and both cities have a lot to offer in the way of delicious local fare. Both cities are full of history and interesting sites. But, I decided to go with Marrakesh for a few reasons. It's more walkable than Udaipur, and I like being able to aimlessly wander. I also like the prayer calls in Muslim countries. I like them less when they are waking me up at 5:30 AM, but they're strange/beautiful and a cool reminder that I'm somewhere so far and different from home. Marrakesh is also home to the biggest market in Morocco. And, even though it's touristy and there was a bombing there a few years ago, Jemaa El Fnaa square is really cool, and FULL of all kinds of amazing food, everything from the best fresh squeezed orange juice you'll ever taste, to apricots, to grilled meat. So good. SO SO GOOD.
DO OVERS!
There are a few places I've been that had potential to be awesome, but for whatever reason things prevented me from fully experiencing their awesomeness.
Portugal
It was on this trip that I learned the importance of guidebooks. I'd done some googling, and came with a few notes in hand, but for the most part I didn't do my homework before going to Portugal. I didn't know what the important sites were. I didn't know what Portuguese food was must try. I've been to Portugal, but I feel like I didn't really experience Portugal.
The Philippines
The Philippines has so much potential, but everything about this trip was wrong. Like Portugal, I didn't do enough reading before visiting. If someone were to ask me what was good to eat in the Philippines, I'd say mangoes and nothing else. Because I have no idea what Filipino cuisine is. I also got sick shortly before this trip, and I spent most of the time there feeling like I just wanted to sleep somewhere quiet and alone, which my 3 travel companions mistook for me being in a bad mood. Then on the morning we left, I realized how much I'd been looking forward to this break from work, and got really anxious about returning to Korea. Dumb, I know. I love Korea and the trip had been lackluster. But this anxiousness grew all morning, until I had a panic attack in the van on the way to the airport. I felt like I couldn't breathe or speak. I kept it together as best I could, but really needed alone time to take some deep breaths and calm myself down so I didn't start sobbing. Alone time in an airport isn't really possible. So I put my headphones on and wrote in my journal. Saying something to my travel companions never crossed my mind, because headphone/journal time is NBD, right? I'd done it frequently while traveling with my friends from Bordeaux. Wrong. I should have realized I wasn't with my friends from Bordeaux and said something. My travel companions saw this as me being antisocial and negative. Despite efforts to talk and smooth things over after we got back, peace was never restored. My excommunication from this group wasn't any huge shock because the ringleader of the three was one of those girls who thrives off of junior highesque drama and had enemies/former friends everywhere she went. Unfortunately, these girls were also my coworkers, so work had a very 3 against 1 feeling for the next several months. Unfun. I need to disassociate The Philippines with that disaster of a trip, because I'm sure it's actually a cool place.
Istanbul
Istanbul has everything I want in a city-delicious food, places to walk around, and old things to see. Sadly though, I visited Istanbul on my way home from Korea. And my heart was still 100% in Seoul. I was looking at incredible sites, but rather than thinking "Holy smokes! This is how old??" I was thinking "I wonder what my Earth Class babies are doing..." or thinking about my loser ex-boyfriend, in addition to having wicked bad jet lag for the first few days of my shortish visit there. Sorry Istanbul! You deserve better!
5. Madrid
I learned on House Hunters International that it's not uncommon to find a deep fryer in a Spanish kitchen. That's a good sign because you know you'll be eating some gooooooood stuff. My first visit to Madrid was an overnight layover in February, so I didn't have long to explore. But I stepped off the train and was immediately in love. The sky was bright blue. It was about 75 degrees (February!). The plazas were full of people enjoying the beautiful weather. Even though the weather was not quite as nice as the first time, I was able to go back to Madrid for a few more visits. Each time, I loved it more. Also, I appreciate a city that at 7 AM is still going strong from the night before.
6. Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington, NC
My family used to vacation here every summer. The last time I was there was in the summer of 2005, but whenever I think of Wrightsville Beach, I still get that warm fuzzy feeling. Nostalgia isn't the only reason I love this city, though I'm sure a lot has changed since 2005. There are so many shops, delicious restaurants (but, sadly for the majority of my vacations here I was in my "chicken fingers and fries" stage. Sigh, so much delicious food I surely missed out on...), and stately homes. Plus, Wrightsville is a beautiful and LONG beach, perfect for walking.
7. Barcelona
Sure, there are the Gaudi buildings, Las Ramblas, delicious food and heavy handed bartenders who aren't afraid to fill a wine glass to the rim. But, the real reason I love Barcelona is because where else can you get your picture taken with an owl plate and two men who are completely naked except for their watches?
8. Chiang Mai
In addition to avoiding the Thai-del-wave, my goal for the trip to Thailand last year was to experience more Thai culture than I did on my first trip. Chiang Mai was the perfect place for that. It's impossible to turn around without seeing a temple. There's also loads of delicious food, ridiculously cheap massages, and markets markets and more markets. Plus, Elephant Nature Park is located a short drive from Chiang Mai. Who doesn't want to spend their vacation feeding pineapple to elephants, shoveling poo, and tubing down a river hoping there aren't snakes or crocodiles? My life goal is to move to Chiang Mai.
9. San Sebastian
I spent only a weekend in San Sebastian, but it didn't disappoint. The beaches are beautiful. Basque culture makes things a little weird (one night, there was some celebration going on, which included people carrying around GIANT puppet/doll things. These things were two or three stories high, no clue why), which I love, and the food...I need to pause a minute while I dream about the food...San Sebastian is known for pintxos. In the old part of the city, you can walk into pretty much any bar/restaurant and find pintxos covering the bar. The bartender gives you a plate, you pick out what you want, pay per item, practice the only Spanish you need to know "Vino tinto por favor" and enjoy. Most of the time, I wasn't entirely sure what I was eating, but it was all delicious. Spain also has really yummy pastries. If I ever moved to Spain, I'd no doubt need two plane seats by the time I left.
10. Marrakesh
I had a hard time deciding between Marrakesh and Udaipur for this last spot on my list. They are both little oases of calm in extremely overwhelming countries. A short distance from both cities is breathtakingly beautiful scenery. I love Moroccan food as much as I love Indian food, and both cities have a lot to offer in the way of delicious local fare. Both cities are full of history and interesting sites. But, I decided to go with Marrakesh for a few reasons. It's more walkable than Udaipur, and I like being able to aimlessly wander. I also like the prayer calls in Muslim countries. I like them less when they are waking me up at 5:30 AM, but they're strange/beautiful and a cool reminder that I'm somewhere so far and different from home. Marrakesh is also home to the biggest market in Morocco. And, even though it's touristy and there was a bombing there a few years ago, Jemaa El Fnaa square is really cool, and FULL of all kinds of amazing food, everything from the best fresh squeezed orange juice you'll ever taste, to apricots, to grilled meat. So good. SO SO GOOD.
DO OVERS!
There are a few places I've been that had potential to be awesome, but for whatever reason things prevented me from fully experiencing their awesomeness.
Portugal
It was on this trip that I learned the importance of guidebooks. I'd done some googling, and came with a few notes in hand, but for the most part I didn't do my homework before going to Portugal. I didn't know what the important sites were. I didn't know what Portuguese food was must try. I've been to Portugal, but I feel like I didn't really experience Portugal.
The Philippines
The Philippines has so much potential, but everything about this trip was wrong. Like Portugal, I didn't do enough reading before visiting. If someone were to ask me what was good to eat in the Philippines, I'd say mangoes and nothing else. Because I have no idea what Filipino cuisine is. I also got sick shortly before this trip, and I spent most of the time there feeling like I just wanted to sleep somewhere quiet and alone, which my 3 travel companions mistook for me being in a bad mood. Then on the morning we left, I realized how much I'd been looking forward to this break from work, and got really anxious about returning to Korea. Dumb, I know. I love Korea and the trip had been lackluster. But this anxiousness grew all morning, until I had a panic attack in the van on the way to the airport. I felt like I couldn't breathe or speak. I kept it together as best I could, but really needed alone time to take some deep breaths and calm myself down so I didn't start sobbing. Alone time in an airport isn't really possible. So I put my headphones on and wrote in my journal. Saying something to my travel companions never crossed my mind, because headphone/journal time is NBD, right? I'd done it frequently while traveling with my friends from Bordeaux. Wrong. I should have realized I wasn't with my friends from Bordeaux and said something. My travel companions saw this as me being antisocial and negative. Despite efforts to talk and smooth things over after we got back, peace was never restored. My excommunication from this group wasn't any huge shock because the ringleader of the three was one of those girls who thrives off of junior highesque drama and had enemies/former friends everywhere she went. Unfortunately, these girls were also my coworkers, so work had a very 3 against 1 feeling for the next several months. Unfun. I need to disassociate The Philippines with that disaster of a trip, because I'm sure it's actually a cool place.
Istanbul
Istanbul has everything I want in a city-delicious food, places to walk around, and old things to see. Sadly though, I visited Istanbul on my way home from Korea. And my heart was still 100% in Seoul. I was looking at incredible sites, but rather than thinking "Holy smokes! This is how old??" I was thinking "I wonder what my Earth Class babies are doing..." or thinking about my loser ex-boyfriend, in addition to having wicked bad jet lag for the first few days of my shortish visit there. Sorry Istanbul! You deserve better!
2 comments:
Aw, this made me so nostaligic! And, as Unya would say, BAZINGA at #9
kd
I meant that BAZINGA for #7 actually. #9 was a great trip, but bazingas are reserved for Owl Plate Level stuff
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