Long weekend in Europe - tourist not sporting !

[RJD]

For me I want a place where there are few tourists, I want to see that country their food and customs..... the worst advert for anywhere is saying its a 'popular tourist destination', or that you can get a full English or UK beer!
for that reason we tend to travel out of season, try not to go package but sort stuff out ourselves or tour on motorbikes with nowt booked.

some nice places we have been inc Porto, Dinant & lower ardennes, the Eiffel region in Germany (inc Monschau Christmas market in the snow), northern Holland, lower slopes of the Pyrenees massif central in France around the Clemont Ferrand area. All had good things going for them, especially the lack of Brits

In regards to Germany, it really has gone downhill since the days I went there on school exchanges or was stationed in the rat catcher town

Couldn’t agree more, the road from Clermont down to Pyranees (we stayed in Ceret last summer) is fun too, especially the huge bridge!

 

[Morkai]

For me I want a place where there are few tourists, I want to see that country their food and customs..... the worst advert for anywhere is saying its a 'popular tourist destination', or that you can get a full English or UK beer!
for that reason we tend to travel out of season, try not to go package but sort stuff out ourselves or tour on motorbikes with nowt booked.

Same.

 

[McKenzie]

Our first trip at the tail end of lockdown was to Lisbon in April; loved it, very easy to get around & some really beautiful parts. A day trip to Sintra is a must.

 

[tim@tcs]

Neukölln is so predominately Turkish that when Erdoğan calls an election they have voting booths set up there for the Turkish expats, it is becoming an issue to your NORMAL German.

There was a picture taken of an apartment block somewhere in Germany during a wendyball tournament and all bar one of the flags on the balcony were Turkish, the odd one out was Polish!

 

[Bavarianbrit]

It is not what it was for me for the 40 years of working here but it is the larger cities getting trashed more than smallish towns or villages like mine.

 

[nic531]

I am lucky that through motorbikes I have friends that live in Germany and in Netherlands and can often visit and stay or get the best suggestions of where the 'locals' go rather than the tourist places. Off at end of may for a 2 week trip visiting 2 bike clubs that I know for parties and another couple of friends.

 

[opticron1]

Couldn’t agree more, the road from Clermont down to Pyranees (we stayed in Ceret last summer) is fun too, especially the huge bridge!

A few years back now, but as you say.......a huge bridge and quite unnerving on a windy day!

 

[Tim.243]

Malta was good, some very impressive architecture, culture and food is a mix of italian, greek, arabic and british, pretty cheap before main season starts. Good for a long weekend. If not San Sebastian in the Basque country perhaps??

Went twice for diving good food Gozo blue hole is worth the ferry ride
Speak (Essex English) and they will have no problem
WW2 History is good,
@RJD

 

[RJD]

A few years back now, but as you say.......a huge bridge and quite unnerving on a windy day!View attachment 359348View attachment 359349

Just add a few wind blown motor homes for more ‘excitement’…

 

[the_greenman]

It is not what it was for me for the 40 years of working here but it is the larger cities getting trashed more than smallish towns or villages like mine.

The same year the wall came down, Berlin filled with Romanian beggars.

 

[Shootgun]

Transylvania!

+1 Hidden gem !

 

[Shootgun]

The same year the wall came down, Berlin filled with Romanian beggars.

How can you tell?

 

[tozzybum]

Loved Rome ,despite a zillion yanks
.Brugge is gorgeous, yes its tourists to the zilch but still fabulous.
Ypres is such an amazing experience including the Menin gate .
Daughter loved Krakow too.

 

[the_greenman]

How can you tell?

I was there... working alongside German police

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I was there... working alongside German police

Were you a dreaded redcap ? We often get the US Hoenfels MPs pop into our local mickey Ds and they are always tooled up to the gunnels with ironware.

 

[the_greenman]

Were you a dreaded redcap ? We often get the US Hoenfels MPs pop into our local mickey Ds and they are always tooled up to the gunnels with ironware.

Was indeed, hated even by our mums!! Worked Checkpoint Charlie and Bravo. We worked alongside the USMPs (as the checkpoints were in their sectors) and had good socials with them. When I returned a few years back I found myself in a photo in the Allied Forces museum at the Olympic Stadium.

 

[tozzybum]

Went there in 86 did checkpoint Charlie, Olympic stadium, and a few beers.Wall was still up and we had 3 in a car ,and passed through Russian checkpoints to get there through the corridor.
Fascinating journey and place at the time .

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Went there in 86 did checkpoint Charlie, Olympic stadium, and a few beers.Wall was still up and we had 3 in a car ,and passed through Russian checkpoints to get there through the corridor.
Fascinating journey and place at the time .

I worked in Wolfsburg in 1978 and we did a weekend through the Helmsted crossing and on into West Berlin, looked over the wall, saw Von Richthofens grave right at the wall which stuck with me but I was too much of a chicken to go commie on into the east sector.

 

[tozzybum]

It was only guns,attack dogs and mines with automatic shotguns on the fence.
Nothing to worry about

 

[Bavarianbrit]

It was only guns,attack dogs and mines with automatic shotguns on the fence.
Nothing to worry about

I have a through marriage, relations relative who worked for a certain which will have to remain as an un named organisation over here that told me back in the day he used to go with permission under the wall into the east in an unknown to the public tunnel to have dinner with his eastern counterpart as both sides wanted it to be kept on a safe level rather than shooting at each other. The source is very good.