We visited The Vatican - as have many millions before us
However, we visited in 2021 when covid restrictions were in place, meaning we had the incredible experience of being there almost alone.
In normal times an estimated minimum 50,000 people visit daily!!
About a decade ago, I took my parents back to my Dad’s ancestral village in southern China. It’s still very poor and the dirt-floor home where my grandparents lived with their kids (they had 13 total, with some dying early) had been abandoned.
The visit was meaningful to me, because I value remembering where we came from. It makes me appreciate the most mundane things, and so much more beyond.
My Dad hadn’t been back in 60+ years, because his family left to pursue a better life in Hong Kong (then run by the British) and visits were limited by money, war and then Communism.
My family eventually immigrated to the U.S., for which I’m super thankful. Girls and women often lived harsh lives in China. I’m of a generation when baby girls often were killed, abandoned, sold or given away, because Chinese culture heavily favored boys and many people were poor. (When I was born, one of my uncles told my Mom: What’s the big deal? It’s just a girl.)
When I travel around the world and see poor villages and such, I know there are people (especially women) who are no doubt smarter and harder working and yet often won’t get anywhere the opportunities I’ve had. And it’s not as if I’m any more deserving. I don’t take that for granted.
I don’t have pictures with me but my list of the most interesting places I have visited includes:
But my best memories are from people and, in my experience, the poorer an area is, the more generous the people tend to be, and sometimes they show a kind of serenity and simple happiness that makes me a bit ashamed of all the superfluous things I have. In that sense I have great memories of people in:
Nepal, Burkina Faso, Mali and Brasil.
Huge thanks to everyone that’s replied so far, this discussion has made great reading for a grey Friday afternoon! Keep them coming!
Thankyou for singing the praises of my family’s stomping-ground! I haven’t been up there for a few years now. I miss it. It is a well-kept secret, isn’t it?? (Although mention Barnard Castle to any Brit, and they’ll just trot out the tired old tale about the Tory politician who, during Covid lockdown, broke the rules and drove there from London… Supposedly to see his optician.). Apparently, the area also has the cheapest houses in England.
SSSSSSHHHH!
It was really lovely. I did get a few comments about going to Specsavers as I stayed in Barnard Castle, which has a lovely small town centre. This country has so much to explore but most visitors from abroad only see places like London, Edinburgh and York. At least THS gives you a base and you can just take you time .
They have done a fabulous job at Bishop Auckland if you get a chance to go. X
Random: I once booked what I thought was a normal hotel in Orlando, Florida. We were just passing through during a leisurely road trip along the U.S. East Coast. Turned out I’d actually booked a two-room apartment-like suite in a brand-new resort. It was beautiful.
Everything had been built, including three towers of suites and various swimming pools, but none of the water slides and other attractions had been added yet. Because of that, they hadn’t officially opened the resort.
I happened to book it via an aggregator (probably set up early to get things working), so only we and a few other guests ended up staying at the time, we learned while checking in.
We never saw any other guests during our stay, though. And when we roamed the whole place, it was like “The Twilight Zone” or a dystopian movie — as if all other humans had disappeared. Dead quiet. Eerie.
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. Thanks for recently offering that we return for a second extended housesit. Alas other commitments did not permit it. Shame. Hopefully next time.
I’ve done countless road trips across decades, including visiting historical and historic sites. That includes U.S. pioneering locations where author Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family settled.
In one case, we visited a small town where her family and others nearly starved or froze to death over seven months of snow and blizzards, which cut them off from food and fuel that normally came by train. She later wrote a book about it, called “The Long Winter.” The town was saved only because of the heroic efforts of two young men, including the one she eventually married.
It was fascinating to see a place I’d only imagined, reading her books many times as a kid. (Her books have been translated worldwide and led to a TV series, which I didn’t care for.)
Anyway, that Midwest town is so small that it had only three places to eat when we visited — one served hot dogs. The best place to eat was in two mobile homes formed into a quasi restaurant.
It takes hours off the beaten path to reach the town by car, even if you happen to visit the thinly populated state of North Dakota in a sprawling country like the U.S. (Trains stopped running through there decades ago and the town was left behind.) I think folks there rarely saw anyone who wasn’t white, because three little girls stared at me the whole time while we ate. 
We also got to stay at a former bank that the pioneers used, which had been renovated into a bed and breakfast. Memorable and charming.
I really admire pioneers and others who overcome all sorts of hardships stoically. Reading about them helps me not take things for granted.
In parts of England where the underlying rock is chalk, there are sometimes desigbs cut into the hillsides, exposing the white chalk against the green of the hillside. White horses are a comon design. There is a whole group of them in Wiltshire.
A little further south, in Dorset, not far from our recent housesit, they decided on a different design. The Cerne Giant overlooks the village is Cerne Abbas. I won’t say that he is anatomically correct, as his proprtions are somewhat unusual, but let’s just say they didn’t omit any details!
My photos don’t provide the best view, which is from the air.
If you zoom in, he is just above the boys & dogs
And here on the lighter part of the hillside above the trees
Here’s the website providing aerial views
Very interesting, @Debbie ! 
Your sons and those dogs are so cute! 
@Maeve I’m sure there is a topic about pets wearing clothes that I need to find an post some photos on. Italian greyhounds do feel the cold!
Jeju Island, Korea. I’ve now been back 6 times (same dog). Great culture, food, beaches and hiking. Too many waterfalls to show. So, some “oreums”, Sanbangsan (and there is a temple at the base), and Yakcheonsa Temple (brilliant!). There are always sits posted because there are international schools there - but you’ll want one that includes a car, especially for a stay longer than a week. There is a pretty good bus system, but a car really is a must. Love Korea (and Seoul) but Jeju is heaven.
Cool. I visited the island before smart phones and digital cameras, so my photos are in print somewhere in a box. I’d be curious to see how much it’s changed in the decades since.
Going to Seoul for the first time in February, for just a few days but looking forward to the food.
The ladies toilets on the North York Moors Railway! I thought everything looked a bit plush but I put it down to a 1930’s feel! 
There’s amazing food, as well as coffee shop culture. You can find many, many social media posts about such, if you haven’t already.
I also like ones where folks test out the convenience store food. In parts of Asia, their convenience stores offer way better food than convenience stores elsewhere. And there are all sorts of interesting treats to try out.
This is amazing! I do want to say though that whale sharks are indeed sharks! Even though they filter feed like whales do, they are true sharks because they have cartilage instead of bone. What a breathtaking experience - I hope to swim with these magnificent creatures some day!!
VERY ironic q : I am currently in Mauritania (NOT on a sit) and have just completed a ride atop the iron ore train. Last week was a camel trek in the desert after I had a mini breakdown fearing the treament of the camels which escorted us - carrying our bags, not us. They were well cared for as much as I - a non-camel person but obviously very much an animal welfare person could tell. Google will give you a better description than I can .
Suffice to say, amazing !
Happy to offer more details and a fab connection if you’d like
