Travelling hopefully

Talking of travelling - OK, I know we weren't, but the weather here is so awful that I would love to find somewhere warm and dry, well, dry - I haven't the faintest idea who it was said that it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive. I think he was being overly cynical or pessimistic, but I must admit that there have been occasions on my travels when I have experienced disappointment.

The OB and I visited Venice last year, somewhere she has wanted to go to for a long time. A fellow Lion told me that it was his favourite city, the most romantic city he has ever visited. Frankly, I was a little disappointed in the place. There was a lot of graffiti and fly-posting, and many of the buildings looked just about ready to fall into the canals.

Another let-down was the statue of the Little Mermaid at Copenhagen. I was expecting it to be in a fairly prominent position and perhaps larger than life-size. In fact, it is parked in an out of the way spot and it is so small I almost needed binoculars to see it properly.

I'm not sure quite what I expected of Monterey: somewhere a little smarter, perhaps? Certainly something a bit more exotic and less typically American. Maybe it didn't help that I was unwell while I was there.

I think the biggest let-down of all was in Paris. Having queued for what seemed like hours to enter the Louvre, and walked several miles along corridors, when we finally reached the Mona Lisa it was half hidden behind bullet-proof glass (which made it difficult to see) and is not much larger than a postage stamp! I really couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

On the other hand, there are some places that stick in the memory as being better than expected or just for being there when not expected. The Sainte Chapelle in Paris is tucked away behind government buildings, but on a sunny morning its stained glass is out of this world. Mentioned in very few guidebooks is Postman's Park, London. A wall in the park has 47 hand-painted tiles paying tribute to everyday people who sacrificed their lives helping others - a very moving read. In Brussels, all visitors admire the Grand Place and the Manneken Pis, a fountain of a boy urinating. What most visitors miss is a similar fountain erected by the feminist movement.
        

Walking into the Piazza del Mirabile in Pisa early enough to beat most of the tourists - wow! There in front of you are the baptistry, the cathedral and the Leaning Tower - all gleaming white in the sun. And Amsterdam - possibly my favourite city. I can wander alongside the canals for hours, or sit at a pavement café watching the cyclists without getting bored. But Yosemite is possibly the most awesome place I have ever visited. It is magnificent.