Some people have been asking me where my favorites places to visit were, which is a really difficult question because I loved almost everywhere I went.
I spent time in eight countries (some for only a very short time, others for much more), so let me begin by country:
Belgium: My experience was wonderful but pretty much limited to what I could see from the seat of a high-speed train and a few of days in Brugge. Brugge
was worth a trip in and of itself -- but more of that in another journal entry. The things I missed seeing were the quaint windmills and the tulips
in bloom. It’s a long way to travel just to see a relatively small country, but would definitely recommend including it in combination with other
neighboring countries.
Handmade chocolates were “to-die-for”, food was decent, beer was good, wine (surprisingly) was mostly Italian, not French.
England: England had always been a place I dreamed of visiting and maybe that’s why it didn’t live up to my expectations. Parts of it were extremely nice,
others disappointing — I had great times when I wasn’t near a large city — Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, London — not so great in general —
northeast region south of Scotland, Cornwall and the southwestern areas, Welsh border areas and near Dover/Canterbury — wonderful areas to see.
If you like beef, fish, pork and curries — you’ll love the food in England — vegetarians will have a more challenging time but options are available.
I really enjoyed the pot “pies” (typically beef and ale, but had some great goat cheese and veggie ones), the fish and chips and the East Indian curry
dishes. Unfortunately, English pastries are pretty dreadful, although some of their seeded breads are very good. Surprisingly, their craft beers were
only marginally competitive with US craft beer — tried local beer wherever I went and nothing stood out, good but not any better than craft beer
here (plus quite a few pubs “pushed” Belgium/Flemish beer more than the local brews). The cider was decent — three dominant makers
(two English, one Belgium) — craft cider was much better but very difficult to find in the pubs or stores.
France: Very much enjoyed France, certain areas more than others. I’le de France (Paris) is obviously a must see, as is the mid-Eastern coast from
Pontorson south to the Bordeaux region. Southwest France — highly recommend. The Massif region in central France was a little more challenging
to navigate (language and driving — not for the faint-hearted) but the scenery was breath-taking. If you’re into wine, then the Burgundy region
from Macon north to Beaune is mandatory — totally agricultural area, lovely but a stretch for doing much else — it was one of my favorite places.
I didn’t get to visit much of Eastern France — ski resorts north to Strasbourg — so I can’t comment on it — from my conversations with people
and what I read about it, it would be a great place to visit, time permitting. Most of the rest of France was pleasant but not my thing — central
and northern France, unless there is something specific you want to see, are pretty boring. If you’re into military things (WWI, WWII), northeast
France is apparently well-worth a visit, otherwise, not much there to see. Even though it was scenic, I did not care for the south of France, and
in retrospect, if I had skipped that area altogether, I wouldn’t feel like I had missed all that much — Cannes, Nice, etc… all felt like they were living
on their laurels from days gone by -- plus being very overpriced, over-crowded and an unusually large number of rude, obnoxious people (many
were Italian tourists but the locals had their share).
The people I came into contact with were (except for a couple exceptions) very friendly and helpful -- not the Stereotype of the "French". However,
I was given some excellent advice early (by Christine) which was validated by my observations -- learn a little French and try to use it as often as
possible even if you "butcher" it! The French are proud of their language and are inundated by foreign tourists who insist on speaking their native
languages while in France. I can't count the number of times I entered a shop (or soething) and was greeted with a "frosty" stare until I started
speaking some really bad French at which time the person's whole demeanor changed to a friendly one because I tried. Many individuals told me
(in excellent English) that they and their counterparts, if a tourist doesn't even try to speak French to them, will pretend not to understand English,
even if it means losing a sale. As my French listening comprehension got better, I could even understand at times, the comments being made in
French about non-French speaking tourists -- and they weren't complimentary.
Food in France is heavy pork and beef oriented so, for all the time I spent there, I didn’t eat main meals out a whole lot. Great crepes/gallettes —
surprised no one has tried doing that in the States. Surprisingly, burgers were pretty common and decent; for being so close to Italy, the French
can’t do decent pizza or Italian food; ratatouille was wonderful, other vegetarian dishes tended to be really underwhelming. French pastries and
bread are world-class — only been gone from France for two days but am already having serious withdrawal pains -- nothing compares (well,
maybe San Francisco sourdough bread and Irish brown bread, but that’s it!). Surprisingly, the French do really, really bad donuts compared
to the US — Dunkin and Crispy Creme have nothing to fear! French wine is super-cheap and excellent — craft beer, when you can find it, is
surprisingly good — skip the margaritas, my experience was pretty ugly (skip the Mexican food while you’re at it). Coffee in France is a whole
different experience -- depending upon your tastes, you'll love it or you'll hate it. The average American coffee cup holds probably eight to twelve
ounces -- a "cup" in France is about two ounces, a large or "double" is four. The only place you can get an American-sized coffee is at Starbucks
or MacDonald's. If you like strong, expresso style coffee in small doses, you will love French coffee! Otherwise, you'll be frustrated paying seven
to eight dollars for an American standard size coffee.
Ireland: Wonderful place! — had some concerns about even going there but so glad I gave it a second chance. The people were so friendly and welcoming,
the food was very good, the historical sites were excellent and the scenery was just unbelievable. The center of Ireland is very agricultural
and not really terribly exciting unless you like green — focusing on the coasts and the Limerick/“Ring” areas are much more interesting —
it doesn’t matter which coast — the southwest Ring areas are the most crowded but the other coasts are just as fantastic in their own ways
and much less congested. The people are a huge part of the "Irish" expereince -- they are extremely friendly and you'll find yourself caught up
in a conversation with a total stranger in a store, a restaurant or just walking down the street -- they love to talk and they are very interested in
hearing about America -- apparently, it's a favorite destination to visit and many have.
Ireland has quite a strong beef industry going — thus much of the food is beef-oriented. Pork is also big, as is fish. Not a lot of “Irish” cuisine —
much of the current emphasis is Mediterranean-focused — vegetables and salads. The food, while not overwhelming, was consistently quite good.
The Irish copy the English quite a bit food-wise, especially in the bakery — not especially good — although the non-commercial bakery brown
bread was excellent, but sometimes hard to find. Irish beer was very good with a growing craft beer industry — Belgium/Flemish beer still got
“pushed” quite a bit in restaurants and stores.
Monaco: Best described as a “pretty face” with no substance to back it up — quite disappointing given the hype, and definitely living on its past allure.
I can say I’ve been there — I can also say I have no desire to ever go back. If you want glitz or gambling, go to Vegas; if you want beautiful
beaches/coastal scenery, go to southwest France. Over-rated, overpriced, overcrowded.
Northern: Lovely country once you’re out of Belfast — not a “bad” city, just not a great one. Belfast is pretty much "Northern Ireland" and much of Belfast
Ireland exists because of the University (the University area has a “neat”, almost Bohemian vibe — other parts are a bit edgier, not in a “good” way).
Outside of Belfast you’re pretty much on the Irish coast and all is well — beautiful scenery. Much like Belgium, worthwhile for a quick stop in
conjunction with a larger trip to other countries (Ireland/the United Kingdom).
Too small to have a food/ wine/ beer identity.
It has a reputation for not being terribly welcoming which may or may not be justified — I had only positive experiences interacting with
the people I met, however, I did observe other “tourists” not being so warmly treated by the locals.
Scotland: Perhaps my favorite, although it’s really a three-way tie with Ireland and Wales. Absolutely warmly welcoming people, magical scenery and
outstanding historical and recreational opportunities — once you’re out of Edinburgh — didn’t care for Edinburgh — crowded, noisy, an older
city showing its age in its grey concrete buildings — it seems to exist solely for the university and tourists. My time in Edinburgh was
rewarding but not a place I would ever return to, unlike the rest of Scotland which won my heart. Initially had very low expectations about
going to Scotland — saw it as a placeholder, somewhere to fill a couple of weeks time while in exile from France — was I ever wrong!
The areas south of Edinburgh with Roslyn Chapel, or north of Edinburgh with the wild coastline and the distilleries, or the western peninsula and
islands waiting to be explored, or southwest Scotland bordering upon Wales with its beautiful scenery — all out of Edinburgh -- all absolutely
fantastic! I would return to visit in a heartbeat!
One thing to be aware of, as in much of the British Isles and parts of rural France, the roads are not for the faint-hearted — they are extremely
narrow (understatement), have few turnouts, minimal safety features (guardrails, lane markings), the locals drive fast (forget any posted speed
limits) and probably forty percent of the drivers are inexperienced at driving (only driving a car when they go on “holiday” once a year, otherwise
using public transit to get around) — it can be quite an unnerving experience until you get used to it.
Food in Scotland is strongly seafood oriented with ample offerings of mutton and beef — the best meal I had on the whole “adventure" was
in Scotland — a local take on fish and chips in a small village. Very limited local craft beers — what there was was quite decent — just not
many choices. Most of the wines were Italian. Most of the whiskey was Scotch, although American whiskey was surprisingly well represented
in the stores and pubs.
Wales: I fell in love with Wales! For some reason, it's the unloved step-child of the British Isles -- no one talks about it, no one goes there -- as a whole,
it was one of the most unspoiled places I visited -- incredibly friendly people, unbelievable scenery from the majestic deserted highland moors
to the stunning craggy coastline, rivers to kayak, trails and hills to hike, well-done historical sites to visit, good regional food. Again, like Scotland,
I hadn't expected much from the place -- actually even visiting there was unplanned, squeezing in northern Wales after seeing Scotland and then
exploring southern Wales on my way from London to western England. Wales, Scotland and Ireland form the unholy trio of places I would revisit
without a second thought!
The food wasn't anything fancy, just very well done. Fish is big -- in much of the country you can buy fresh Atlantic salmon caught that morning
from a fisherman on the side of the road with a freezer box in his van. Beef is also prominent on the menus in restaurants alongside a surprising
variety of non-meat options. Like much of Europe, everything is prepared fresh, very little is prepackaged -- farmers' markets abound in the small
villages with fresh produce and local specialties (candy, preserves, honey, sausages, baked goods, etc...). Just writing this journal entry makes
me miss it!
Cider is big in Wales with a number of small-time craft makers -- downside is that if you find one you really like, you get twenty-thirty miles away
and you'll never see it again. Did not find much craft beer, although what I came across was pretty good.
