Sounds about right to me.
My wife and I joke that we will never get divorced not just because we agreed that it would never be an option (ever…this is both of our 2nd and final marriage and it’s so much easier to work through problems when you realize there’s no getting out alive so you better get out together) but also because neither of us could ever do the dating thing again and survive.
Definitely count your blessings. It’s a war-zone out there with landmines everywhere.
Lived in Japan 20 years, if you ever have a chance to visit I can’t recommend it highly enough. Tokyo is the food mecca of the world, it’s just so competitive no matter what the cuisine is, I’ve had French people bragging about the French food, the paisan about the pizza, pasta and Italian-style seafood, etc, let alone the Japanese food. If you like sushi, no place can touch Tokyo’s. But outside the gray cities the landscapes make it easily one of the prettiest countries on the planet. It has gotten more reasonable in terms of cost since I moved over in late 80s. Avoid going next year though, prices surely, because of 2020 Olympics go up till it’s all over.
Thailand is my favorite S/E Asian country, the food and the beaches are amazing. Avoid Andaman Sea coastal regions during rainy season though. I went to Koh Samui a lot before it became commercialized which is on opposite side, the Siam Sea, and even during rainy season it might rain an hour then stop. I like Philippines as well, mostly cause of the people, they have my least favorite Asian cuisine. I loved Singapore, didn’t care for Hong Kong at all.
I’ve been to Colombia, Chile and Argentina but want to see Brasil and more of Colombia. And Europe, haven’t been there yet. Specifically France, where my father’s side of the family roots are from a long time ago and Italia!
Well, you can thank Tinder et al for that.
Match.com was perfectly fine…and then they had to give it steroids.
I tried Match, actually. You would buy the first six months (for an incredibly high price) and, if it failed, you got another six months free. In the twelve months I had it, I got a total of two messages, one being a rejection and the other saying she had a boyfriend already. Match was worthless.
Osaka is going to be our next “big” trip after we go to Barcelona for the wife’s conference (but that isn’t until 2022).
Try dating in your 60s! And, after being ‘off the market’ for 35 years.
Actually met my wife on a website called Ourtime, for 50+.
Scotland. It’s tough to beat if you like whisky, friendly people, and beautiful landscape.
If that’s where you’re basing yourself it’s not difficult to get to Kyoto where there’s many more things to see/do. How many days will you be in the country?
Oh, this is years down the road. We’re compiling a list of trips to do, that one won’t be for another 4-5 years. So we’re not even to the planning stage.
If we don’t go back to Italy to explore the southern half (Amalfi Coast), then we’ll probably go to Spain. That probably tops my wife’s travel list.
My wife and I are looking going to Europe in spring to celebrate paying off our student debts. We’ve decided on Paris and Florence and we’re looking to add another city/country. Any suggestions?
We’ve talked about Greece, Spain, and Switzerland as the final option…
As far as my favorite foreign travel destination, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was great if you are looking for a safe place (looking at you, Mexico) to relax on the beach.
I would suggest, regardless of where you choose to go, that you don’t stretch your trip out too far, distance-wise.
We limited ourselves to basically France (Geneva is really close to Lyon, so we threw it on as a supplemental destination). We would’ve been happy with just Paris and Lyon. But if you want to stretch it further, I’d go with Barcelona. It’s pretty close to the French border if I remember correctly.
Switzerland is so disgustingly expensive and I wouldn’t recommend it (unless you’re secretly loaded, then go crazy!). Going out to eat in Geneva is dumb. It’s just plain dumb. We went to an average fondue restaurant. It cost $90-100 to eat what amounted to chain-restaurant quality food.
I would highly recommend the Bovarian region of Germany. Munich is a fun city and the smaller towns up in the Alps are so clean and neat. The best beer, especially if you like a hefeweizen. Lot of history in that area as well.
I’ve had the opportunity with work and personal trips to go several places. Tahiti, Northern Ireland, and Israel probably top the list for me. Other places in no order include Canada (British Columbia), England (London, Bath, Cotswolds), France (Paris, Nice, Strasbourg), Germany (Munich area), Switzerland (Lucerne), Austria (Salzburg), Lichtenstein (views from the Malbun ski area were awesome - wish I was skiing!), Singapore, Japan (Tokyo, Tsukuba), Malaysia (Penang), the Philippines, China (Shanghai), and Hong Kong).
Check out the Rick Steve’s travel guides and podcast. He has some great info and insight on many of the European countries.
If anyone’s ever in Lyon, go here:
It’s run by a filthy American, from Austin. It was a pleasant surprise. Happened to be an A&M fan and so we looked at each other in a menacing fashion.
Edit: Houston, not Austin.
How was Lucerne? I’ve heard it’s a bit cheaper than the bigger cities of Switzerland.
