Travelling: stuff you like to experience

My dearie spent time cycling and seeing Spain for...over 3 wks. recently. He was cycling and took 1-2 short train trips. He was in Madrid and eventually made his way over to Seville where he was busy with meeting people, presenting at the Velo-city conference. Then he took side trip to Valencia for 1 day before going to Madrid and return to Canada.

The whole time he was there he did not visit any museum nor historic site. He did enjoy the architecture --meaning taking photos, looking but mostly I suspect he didn't know the significance of what he was seeing...which happens to many of us travelling overseas.

He enjoyed the Spanish tapas, paellas that he had. Stumbled into a Spanish wine festival at a place.

I'm the opposite --I want to see and go inside some of the key historic, architectural or artistic collections. So yea, I have to get off the bike.... For me, just to cycle through a foreign country, especially non-English speaking, I would feel I was wasting abit of the trip, the opportunity.

I would like to eat the local food ...which was why Copenhagen, Denmark was a disappointment to us, food-wise.

When my SO and I travel we plan to do a lot of walking and looking. We love looking at architecture, gardens, scenery, etc. We like checking out museums, churches and other significant buildings.

I like trying a lot of different foods but my SO is a very conservative eater. So we check out menus to see what would work for both of us.

Neither of us is particularly into nightlife. We'd rather be up early walking.

Like your sweetheart I'm not too much into museums either. I will walk EVERYWHERE, talk to people in pubs, sit for hours in gardens and parks, check out some galleries, eat anything local, shop at farmers' markets, cycle to see the sights... but the only museums I'm likely to visit are industrial/science museums and some historical exhibits. When my husband wanted to see the Louvres when we went to Paris I had to dig deep into myself.

I like museums well enough, but I know I'm more likely to visit them if the weather is nasty.

We went to London and didn't go inside any of the museums or palaces... it was school vacation there, and some of the historical places had severely curtailed hours. We walked for miles, saw a show in the theatre district, shopped, ate, and we did do a one day tour of Stratford-Upon-Avon, which for me, was really work related at the time. DH took a lot of illegal pictures for me at Shakespeare's birthplace (you weren't supposed to use a camera); I used them for the next 4 years with my students.
I went into a few palaces/gardens when I was in Berlin and Pottsdam, but that trip was more for visiting my former exchange student. In Italy, it was all about the eating, scenery, and shopping, though we went into the oldest church in Florence, and one other art museum. We like exploring parts of towns that are off the beaten path. On the other hand, my bike tours in Europe had a lot of museums and history built in... I liked the brewery in the Czech Republic, too! We actually skipped some of the historical stops on that tour, especially on the days it was raining. I just wanted to get to the end of the riding on those days. But, we did do all of the historical side trips planned for after the riding day was over. Last year, when we went to Spain, we did tons of museums and palaces, both before, during, and after our tour.

When I was in Barcelona, I skipped the inside tour of Sagrada Familia in order to go to a bike expo. I kind of regret that, after seeing my friend's pictures of the inside. I was thinking it would be so crowded that I wouldn't enjoy it. Oh, well, it gives me a reason to go back!

I enjoy walking around, seeing gardens, street scenes, diving in to an interesting shop or bakery (my true weakness), but I also like seeing the inside of musems. I plot my course by museums / sites to see. I've seen a lot of country looking for the small museums (Museums of Wine in Paris). On the otherhand I've also enjoyed having an albatross fly overhead while sitting on a beach in Scotland.

I have found that it's often safer for everyone if I walk. Get to the destination, then park the car and walk. No one complains too much if you stop in your tracks and/or turn around and go the other way. Besides, you can't smell the bakeries in a car. ;)

Haven't tried bike touring, but that sounds like fun. My French friend (who I've vacationed with), isn't much of an outdoors woman. She'd happily drop me off for the cycle tour and see me at the end. She will walk just about anywhere, so I have tricked her into hiking places, just not all day hikes in the mountains.

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Originally Posted by Grog

Like your sweetheart I'm not too much into museums either. I will walk EVERYWHERE, talk to people in pubs, sit for hours in gardens and parks, check out some galleries, eat anything local, shop at farmers' markets, cycle to see the sights... but the only museums I'm likely to visit are industrial/science museums and some historical exhibits. When my husband wanted to see the Louvres when we went to Paris I had to dig deep into myself.

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I was bored stiff of the Louvres after about 15 minutes. Luckily Erik was too. LOL. My favourite part was losing my Bus Hop ticket and having to walk all the way back to our hotel. We walk a lot too - we go into some museums etc and I do love to see them but I'm not much into the expensive touristy places.

I like a little bit of everything. For instance, I love Paris and have been 4 times since 2004, three times by myself and once with DH. I've been to almost all of the smaller museums and historic sites, but only once to the Louvre for a short visit. It's just too overwhelming. In London, I went to the Tate Modern, but not the British Museum. I tend to like fine art over historical objects and artifacts. I love guided walking tours but also like to wander aimlessly. I love quirky shops, but otherwise don't love shopping. I love people watching in public spaces, street markets and cafes. And, of course, I love the food.

I tend to do better in big cities when I'm alone (I love traveling by myself), but DH and I have more fun on active, outdoorsy trips and in more intimate settings. We tend to go hiking and the like together.

I am not certain if those of us, who do abit of art, may perhaps find certain art galleries in our travels, as something that draws us inside.

There are certain types of art media I enjoy in galleries and museums:

any paintings, mosaics, carvings (all media) and some textile/fabric art, some pottery, certainly, calligraphic pieces (because I did do dip-in-inkpot steel nib calligraphy).... Yes, stained glass art is interesting all, hence I'll pop into churches and cathedrals, even if only briefly. There's some really interesting local artistic interpretations of Christianity. Try going into a a local church in Hawaii.

because I've tried some of this art media and to see Masters' works is a treat for myself. So no, Louvre was a great place for me. So yea, I am the person looking longingly up close at the oil painting brush strokes, shading and then standing back to see the overall effect. It's a real learning experience --for me.
What is perhaps tougher to slog through, is that some of the medieval and renaissance artwork is heavily skewed to religious themes.

I get bored with seeing alot of china, jewellery, cutlery, armoury, clothing etc. of the past. Even though I am a decent seamstress and hence, have strong appreciation for complex clothing designs and embroidery.

I enjoy the local outdoor environment also. Yes, local farmers' markets are great places to get a more real vibe and cheaper food. This most definitely is true anywhere one travels. And is ideal for cyclists.

Science museums don't interest me as much unless, it's about the local flora and fauna. I love botanical gardens, interesting/beautiful parks and probably have gained in appreciation of gardens over the years. Several decades ago, gardens used to bore me.

Dearie doesn't mind going with me to some of these places with me, because sometimes I provide some commentary if I've done some advance reading or I know something or offer an interpretation how to look at certain pieces of art. From his perspective, though he doesn't want to spend tons of time. So at times, I just go off on my own happily for a few hrs. while he goes cycling off exploring....taking pictures of cycling infrastructure.

I can only take so much of standing around while he takes pics of local cycling infrastructure. :p Sometimes he needs a cyclist in the pic, so I'm the convenient model.

I sort of do different trips depending on who is with me...

If I do a trip with my mother & brother, my brother has mobility issues... So we usually will book a tour, a cruise, and do something that allows him to see/experience as much as possible with as little walking on uneven surfaces as possible... So we'll get a tour guide, do the museums and all the sites, etc. If I'm on my own, I'm reading a guidebook or four.

If I'm traveling by myself for a ski trip or a kayak trip, then... I am kayaking or I am skiing. So if I'm skiing in the alps or Canada or whatever, I've spent X amount of money on airfare & X amount for lift tickets - so screw seeing museums or culture or buying food, I'm skiing as much as possible. When I'm doing kayak touring trips, I can take my kayak to places that I can't get by car, bike, or walking and camp on utterly pristine places... So screw experiences culture, people, and the rest of that.

If I'm traveling to sightsee by myself - I'm generally trying to get as much off the beaten path as I can. So I will do some of the typical tourist stuff, but will try randomly talking up people and seeing where the local tourist sites are, etc. If I can get a rental car, I will.

I haven't done a lot of bike touring, and I don't really envision that I will... I don't get enough time to travel in any country that I see biking as a really efficient way of getting around... And anything that I see biking, I can see in a car. And I don't have to worry about leaving my panniers or it getting stolen when I'm in a car. I"m also way more likely to stop and take pictures when I'm in a car. If I"m on a bike, I get into "I can't stop till the top of the hill" or "I can't stop at the bottom of the hill, I gotta use the momentum to get to the top of the next hill" mode and I don't sight see as much. I will kayak tour or backpack, because what I can see by kayak or hiking, I can't see from a car. I could maybe see bike touring in Asia.

For sure, Cataboo if we're snowshoeing at a resort somewhere ...it is spending lots of time each day outdoors in the mountains and in the woods.

That's our local "cultural" scene" --Mother Nature in her glory. :rolleyes:

However in the winter, there's only so many hrs. one's body can be outdoors without getting cold.

It's been nice for some of the ski resorts, we drive for less than 1 hr. to a winery for a meal. :)

I only do supported bike touring, so the "cultural" things are built into the trip. Of course, you are free to partake in as much of that part of the tour as you want to.
The reason why we liked our tour in Andalusia so much is that that Cycling Country, the tour operator we used, is a small business, run by a young couple who hire 1-2 other guides a year. They only do a few trips a year; the one we did took us through the small city where they live. We got to experience their toddler screaming, because she didn't want to go to day care! Not only did we get to see the regular sights in Seville, Granada, and Cordoba, we got a real close up view of the life of regular residents. After the tour, DH and I spent 3 days in Malaga, where we continued walking everywhere and exploring; there were lots of tourists there from the UK, and, as a beach town, it was a little more focused on tourists, but we were still able to get off of the beaten path. We took the bus to the wrong stop and ended up spending the day at the beach, where all of the locals go. So much more interesting than the area set up for tourists.

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Originally Posted by shootingstar

However in the winter, there's only so many hrs. one's body can be outdoors without getting cold.

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That is what good gear is for - to keep warm.

As a nod to my old age, I now will stop during a ski day to get a hot chocolate for 20 mins or so. I never used to be willing or happy to do that, but someone who was skiing with me last year got some frost bite in her toes (despite the fact that we did stop a couple of times to let them warm up.) I used to neurotically plan things so that I got the last chair up the mountain just as the lifts were about to close so I could take the longest/hardest run I could find down. Typically I won't bother driving somewhere afterwards for a nice meal (that does depend on whom I'm with), but if I'm at a remote ski resort, I will be perfectly happy to just stay at the resort.

I guess I've lived near the free smithsonian museums for most of my life - so when I see museums in other countries that I have to pay for, I have no desire to pay to go see a museum. If it's an exhibit that I can't possibly see locally some variation on, I'll do it - but only if I'm very interested in it. That typically won't cover art museums, unless it's more archaelogical old art (greek statues, the elgin marbles, the nike, incan art or egyptian mummy type stuff)...

I like visiting cemeteries. I find it very peaceful and interesting.

When I visit someplace new, I like to have a "free structure" to my tourist activities.

For example, I would plan my day to spend the morning and early afternoon exploring and wandering around by foot or bike. Go back to the hotel to freshen up, rest for a bit, then head out to a museum for a few hours. I find it stressful to pack in a bunch of planned activities. I want room in my schedule for flexibility based on how I'm feeling that day.

I have girlfriends that I sometimes travel with. They have to plan out what we're doing every minute of the day, complete with a printed itinerary and directions to everything. It's so stressful.

I am all about the food and the pubs! Lucky for me, DH is happy anywhere he can get a decent beer. I like looking at local art and handmade crafts, but really, I want a comfy chair, a cold brew, and a big plate of what the locals are noshing on.

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Originally Posted by limewave

I like visiting cemeteries. I find it very peaceful and interesting.

When I visit someplace new, I like to have a "free structure" to my tourist activities.

For example, I would plan my day to spend the morning and early afternoon exploring and wandering around by foot or bike. Go back to the hotel to freshen up, rest for a bit, then head out to a museum for a few hours. I find it stressful to pack in a bunch of planned activities. I want room in my schedule for flexibility based on how I'm feeling that day.

I have girlfriends that I sometimes travel with. They have to plan out what we're doing every minute of the day, complete with a printed itinerary and directions to everything. It's so stressful.

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You and I approach trip planning similarly. At least on city vacations, I like to have one or two planned things each day; the rest of time I go with the flow. I can only handle being in a museum for an hour or two anyway, before my head explodes. The rest of the time I wander.

I've spent a lot of time by myself in Paris. The time of day I always found my challenging was after things start to close but before it's "acceptable" to eat dinner, i.e., from about 6 to 8 or so. I usually would set up shop at a cafe or see a movie or I'd have an early dinner and then see a concert or something.

Shootingstar, explain why "mother nature" as a cultural thing is bad??? I don't get it.

When I think of Canada, I see mountains & prarie to experience..what's the problem? When people think of Australia, beaches.

Cultural icons aren't just buildings.

Anywho..

When I visit a new place, lead me to a natural environment or allow me to experience how other nations live. Sit in a cafe and people watch or just walk and observe.

I too love going to cemetaries & old battlefields. When my dear was on his way home from working in beijing, he had a weekend in Hong Kong. I had him walk to the Commonwealth Grave Commission Site...l.
I want to go back to Washington to visit the Wall and Arlington Cemetary.

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For sure, Cataboo if we're snowshoeing at a resort somewhere ...it is spending lots of time each day outdoors in the mountains and in the woods.

That's our local "cultural" scene" --Mother Nature in her glory.

However in the winter, there's only so many hrs. one's body can be outdoors without getting cold.

It's been nice for some of the ski resorts, we drive for less than 1 hr. to a winery for a meal.

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Are you referring to this comment of mine, crazycanuck?? Did I infer that Mother Nature was bad?:confused:

I don't get it. I just finished saying we do the outdoors stuff like snowshoeing, cycling too and enjoy in the wonderful stuff. I just get COLD after 5-6 hrs. out there in the winter. And when I get cold, I can't really enjoy it as much. So I'm human. :) So I have to go indoors to something nice and maybe interesting.

My personal blog http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com has all kinds of stuff about our trips for both : outdoors, Mother Nature & the cultural stuff. My admiration blog. It's not a ranting blog. :)

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Originally Posted by limewave

I have girlfriends that I sometimes travel with. They have to plan out what we're doing every minute of the day, complete with a printed itinerary and directions to everything. It's so stressful.

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My MIL was pretty steamed that we did not share a structured itinerary with her including phone numbers where we were staying while we were on our HONEYMOON (we only had reservations for 3 of the nights we were there...the rest of the time we just drove and stopped where we felt like stopping for the night)! Her rationale was that she wanted to be able to reach us in case of a family emergency. Seriously...like we could do anything about it from halfway across the continent and on an island (Nova Scotia). :confused:

I'm just thankful that this was pre-cell phones. ;)