Great topic, Roger, loved reading all the posts, at least the ones about best places.
Note to self: try very hard not to get on the wrong side of Malc. I've never seen Tutti Frutti and am ambivalent about Emma Thomson - like some of her films and
loved The Magic Roundabout. Peeps, you're just jealous because Lucy thinks Malc's pic bears a resemblance to George Clooney - if you say George is ugly, you're simply telling an untruth. You should go further up the West coast to see some really spectacular scenery. Glencoe gives me the willies - purely psychological: my Mum was a Campbell.
My first overseas trip was to Lebanon in 1968 before the troubles started. I was only 14, but it made a big impression on me – a beautiful country, full of history. Stand out memories are having “mezze” on the terrace of a restaurant looking out over the Mediterranean in the ancient village of Byblos, visiting the Cedar mountains and seeing the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” performed in the Roman ruins of Baalbek.
With working on the camping tours in Europe and having an interest in architecture, I’ve been in a lot of churches and cathedrals around the world and they tend to blend into collections of types of architecture and historical significance. When I walked in to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, though, it was almost a spiritual experience – nothing to do with the religious aspect for me, purely the building. The huge dome seems to float above. It was awe inspiring for me.
Bearing in mind that I haven’t been to Europe since 1984, my favourite places were Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva, Dubrovnik, northern Italy, especially Venice, Florence and Sorrento, Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland and the Spanish Pyrenees. I’ve skied there and Trevor and I stayed in a beautiful Parador (Paradors are state run hotels in historical buildings) in the western Pyrenees on our way to France.
New Zealand would have to be right at the top of best places I’ve been to. My first big trip was a 7 month working holiday there. Started my camping tour career there, so saw lots of it four times. The whole of it, although the South Island has the most impressive scenery.
Tasmania – haven’t seen all of it, but what I have, I loved. Australia’s Red Centre – standing on top of Ayer’s Rock looking out over the red earth towards the horizon – first time I’d really seen the curvature of the earth; the Olgas, Stanley Chasm, Katherine Gorge, which is a bit further north.
The island of Islay in the Inner Hebrides - spent four summer holidays in Port Askaig from when I was about 7. Fishing off the pier, riding on the back of the little luggage "train" when the ferry came in - this was in the days when everything was taken on and off the ferry by crane in nets, including the cars – eating chips and coke iceblocks made by the cook on the "Loch Fyne", a cargo ship which came in regularly, going in the boat with the lighthouse keepers when they were taken to the lighthouses at either end of the Sound of Islay, spending hours in the surf on the west coast (can’t remember the name of the beach) on our li-los (lucky we didn’t end up in America) and one memorable trip to Colonsay in the lifeboat with the shepherds and sheepdogs going to the Sheepdog Trials. Much as I loved those holidays, I was still madly jealous of my best friend who got to go to Butlins every summer.
Agree with everything said about the far north of Scotland – just beautiful – and I remember spending a weekend in a hotel just outside Aviemore with a couple who were friends (I went for the skiing), going for a walk by myself and thinking “I could live here."
Love the two places I've lived the longest: Galloway in South West Scotland, family lived just outside Castle Douglas and of course, Sydney and where we live right now, on the edge of a national park, with the beaches and ocean ten minutes away by car.
Canada is definitely on my list of want to sees, been to Vancouver for three days, but that wasn’t enough. Also Alaska, various parts of the USA, South America and possibly even Antartica, Vietnam, in the UK, the western counties of England, Wales and Yorkshire. So much world and so little time (and money!).
I forgot Ireland – spent another great family holiday in Donegal and stayed with my aunt in County Wicklow. Also Fiji is lovely – been there 3 times.
Good God! No wonder that took me so long to write!
