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The Pyramids at Giza. I cannot believe how unmaintained that whole area is. It has to be the single most iconic of all the world wonders, but guides and businesses seem to encourage you to litter. The landscape around the pyramids is absolutely hideous because of the human garbage and tacky souvnier kitsch.
Montreal. Yeah I went there. I don't get it. It would be a great city to live in, but as a destination I don't understand what stands out that much about it, exactly. If you've been to Europe, the architecture or foreign romance language thing isn't going to impress you much, and Vieux Montreal isn't expansive enough to keep you charmed for very long anyways. The St. Lawrence promenade cannot be less attractive for a downtown waterfront, and a lot of infrastructure in the city seems especially dated for some reason. It's got cool culture and weird arts things going on, but I seriously doubt the typical tourist delves in to any of that, other than the jazz festival and Maybe Just for Laughs. By the way, JFL has tired reruns of acts on the comedy channel all the time and most comedians seemed absolutely terrible.
I understand Montreal's got good nightlife, but that's only really going by Canadian standards and doesn't make it worth targetting to party if you're a foreigner. Unless you're bored in Vermont. I guess it's cool if you're an American and the idea that there's a large francophone city in the continent is kind of cool at first, but still. Again, I think Montreal is a great city to live in, I just want to emphasize that I don't see the huge tourist appeal it seems to have.
Paris!! Especially the Seine, which looks like a dirty ditch. I think a lot of Americans are bedazzled by Paris because its their first big European city. If you're coming from Brussels, the initial "I'm in Europe" thrill has worn off by the time you get to Paris.
you must be kidding.
Being clean is not the sole or most important factor about a city. Paris is hyper dense - much denser than any American city, so of course it can't be spotless like a suburban town in Ohio. (Is Manhattan clean?) But the architecture, the landmarks, the streetlife, the boulangeries and patisseries, the public spaces, the cafes, the gardens, the art, are unmatched by anywhere in America or Europe.
Brussels is nothing compared with Paris. Brussels, along with Zurich and Oslo are probably the most boring cities in Europe.
Many Americans hate Paris only because they can't speak a single word in French, appear all awkward like a bumpkin in a sophisticated city, and their American English didn't bring any admiration or even respect like it likely does in other parts of the world (such as the Netherlands, Norway etc.).
If I give Paris a 10, London gets 8 and NYC gets a 7 (San Fran a 4).
The Pyramids at Giza. I cannot believe how unmaintained that whole area is. It has to be the single most iconic of all the world wonders, but guides and businesses seem to encourage you to litter. The landscape around the pyramids is absolutely hideous because of the human garbage and tacky souvnier kitsch.
Montreal. Yeah I went there. I don't get it. It would be a great city to live in, but as a destination I don't understand what stands out that much about it, exactly. If you've been to Europe, the architecture or foreign romance language thing isn't going to impress you much, and Vieux Montreal isn't expansive enough to keep you charmed for very long anyways. The St. Lawrence promenade cannot be less attractive for a downtown waterfront, and a lot of infrastructure in the city seems especially dated for some reason. It's got cool culture and weird arts things going on, but I seriously doubt the typical tourist delves in to any of that, other than the jazz festival and Maybe Just for Laughs. By the way, JFL has tired reruns of acts on the comedy channel all the time and most comedians seemed absolutely terrible.
I understand Montreal's got good nightlife, but that's only really going by Canadian standards and doesn't make it worth targetting to party if you're a foreigner. Unless you're bored in Vermont. I guess it's cool if you're an American and the idea that there's a large francophone city in the continent is kind of cool at first, but still. Again, I think Montreal is a great city to live in, I just want to emphasize that I don't see the huge tourist appeal it seems to have.
Agree.
My friends went to Egypt and told me the same thing. Therefore I have zero interest in seeing the Pyramid. Same for Taj Mahal.
Agree about Montreal as well. A nice place to live in (except the 5 months of winter) but otherwise, it is far from great as a major tourist destination. There is simply not enough to see/do and Old Montreal is only impressive from someone who has never seen a real European city. But of course in the North American context it is not bad ... better than more boring cities such as Toronto, Seattle or Miami.
Guy Fieri is a valuable person. Anything he likes, I know I'm not going to care for. So if I see a place proudly proclaiming that they were featured on his show, I know to avoid it.
On the other hand, I've found that places Adam Richman has visited on Man V. Food were actually very good.
Luckily for me, I don't recall any destinations that didn't live up to my expectations. But then I don't expect things to be exactly like others' subjective descriptions. I keep my expectations very low so as not to be disappointed!
My friends went to Egypt and told me the same thing. Therefore I have zero interest in seeing the Pyramid. Same for Taj Mahal.
Agree about Montreal as well. A nice place to live in (except the 5 months of winter) but otherwise, it is far from great as a major tourist destination. There is simply not enough to see/do and Old Montreal is only impressive from someone who has never seen a real European city. But of course in the North American context it is not bad ... better than more boring cities such as Toronto, Seattle or Miami.
If Montreal was in Europe it would be as desirable a destination as, say, Brussels.
My friends went to Egypt and told me the same thing. Therefore I have zero interest in seeing the Pyramid. Same for Taj Mahal.
Agree about Montreal as well. A nice place to live in (except the 5 months of winter) but otherwise, it is far from great as a major tourist destination. There is simply not enough to see/do and Old Montreal is only impressive from someone who has never seen a real European city. But of course in the North American context it is not bad ... better than more boring cities such as Toronto, Seattle or Miami.
I enjoyed Cairo immensely when I was there. But the encroachment on Giza wasn't nearly as bad then as it is now. Many travel destinations are "see it while you can." China is like this. They're not going to tear down their landmarks like they did during the Cultural Revolution -- but they are building so many skyscrapers that many of their iconic buildings will eventually be lost in a sea of glass and concrete.
I plan on seeing the Taj Mahal as soon as practicable. The structure is made with a wooden frame, which is supposedly rotting. I say supposedly because there is another group of archeologists in India who are just as certain that the Taj is in no danger of collapsing.
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