Name a place that once you visited exceeded your perception

[The Ruthsayer]

Amalfi.

I’d place this in the other post for disappointing destinations. Crawl along at 5mph, trying not to run over waiters who are crossing the road, while fending off Italian boy racers who are trying to overtake you and squeeze into non-existent spaces. No thanks.

 

[goalscrounger]

Bucharest. Really didn't know what to expect when I went over for the Boro match but I found it a fascinating and friendly place.

Not that I ever expected it to be bad, but Chicago has exceeded all expectations.

 

[Lemmy_kilmister]

Rome.
Fantastic

 

[newyddion]

Yosemite National Park.. outstanding natural beauty. Totally pishes all over the lake district!

 

[Ironops]

Florence

 

[gregorgregorovich]

Grand Canyon National Park South Rim blew me away it wasn't what I expected at all. Pine forests and layers and layers of rock formations. I was expecting a big crack in the ground like the West Rim.

We did the West Rim in 2013 and thought it was great, but 4 years later did the South Rim and it blew my mind, it was one of , if not the best thing I've done on Holiday. I realised that the West Rim is just an offshoot of the Canyon proper. I would love to go back and do the North Rim and actually walk to the canyon floor, maybe over 3/4 days to take as much as possible in.

 

[gregorgregorovich]

First time at the Caldera rim on Santorini and also again in 2020, when the Island was super quiet due to Covid. We've started going back later in the year, when there are less people there and travel to the caldera on the days when there are no or very few cruise ships.

 

[sadgit]

I have too many to type. I dreamed as a poor lad of places I wanted to visit. My top 2 are Victoria Falls (multiple times now) and top of the list Everest Base Camp. These were places I never imagined a young Boro lad could ever see.

 

[Facefuzz]

Madeira. Wow.
What a beautiful island

 

[joeydiaz]

I was expecting Benidorm to be brutal but had an unreal time there on a stag.

 

[American_Mary]

I've been lucky enough to go to lots of places that as a kid I'd only dream I'd ever see but the place that took my breath away the most was St Chapelle in Paris, most of it is pretty unassuming but poking my head up through from the stairwell into the King's Chapel for the first time was a slack-jawed, wow moment, the most beautiful man made thing I'll ever see, maybe my fortune stretched to catch it at the right moment of light and still to make perfection but genuinely wide-eyed awe struck, a regressed back Redcar kid in primary school still without enough fingers and toes to count his blessings.

 

[Wiseman_Vaughn]

I have too many to type. I dreamed as a poor lad of places I wanted to visit. My top 2 are Victoria Falls (multiple times now) and top of the list Everest Base Camp. These were places I never imagined a young Boro lad could ever see.

Vic Falls for me too.
While I was there I did a Safari in Botswana which was amazing - I really didn't fancy it but was blown away and would definitely do it again.

 

[boroPE]

Madeira. Wow.
What a beautiful island

We where in Funchal Madeira on Christmas Eve we stopped off on a cruise. Was a lovely place the Christmas lights made it even better. We went to Nerja in Spain for a few days last year. Another lovely place that exceeded our expectations.

 

[Normanby_Red]

The Foundry (pub in Eston). Used to hear about all sorts of trouble in there and always avoided it.

Decided to give it a try not long back and I really liked it in there. Think they refurbed it. No trouble, good little starter pub for a saturday night.

 

[The Ruthsayer]

Sri Lanka. Has just about everything. Culture, architecture, mountains, beaches and wonderful people.
Might not be the best time to visit at the moment, though.

 

[sherlock1969]

.

 

[Smog On The Medway]

France, wife wanted to go on holiday there for years, it's 45 minutes to the tunnel from my house. I drive 30K miles per year, last thing I wanted to do was drive on holiday. Finally relented and went there, bloody loved it. Stunning countryside, beautiful villages, cracking food, wine and the roads are fantastic and quiet. Also found the French quite friendly if you have a crack at the language, which I'm pretty poor at.

Been 3 times now.

 

[Ziggy]

Berlin. Best city I’ve ever been to, fascinating in every single way. Exceeded my expectations even when returning, theres so much more to see as well. It also has amazing S-Bahn and U-Bhan transport infrastructure.

Jordan. The Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea, Madaba, Jerash, crusader castles…so much history and physical beauty. Transport infrastructure not so great though.

I went there a couple of years before the wall came down. It was totally mental. Like an island of non stop neon surrounded by a dark ocean. Went up a tall building near the Rundfunk tower
after dark with almost a 360degree views of the east. Only there for 3 days. Only made it to the hotel on the last night, well about 4 in the morning. Pure sci-fi, end of the world stuff.
Brilliant madness. People had the “This could all end tomorrow”attitude.

 

[muniz]

Club Bongo

 

[Glover_elbow]

Hull.
Took my dad during City of Culture - he couldn't believe I was taking him there but was totally knocked out by it. He still talks about it to this day as one of his favourite days out in a city. Hull does have an awful lot top offer from remembering William Wilberforce to the old port buildings.

Some fantastic pubs in the old town