Hi everyone!
I'd love to get to know my fellow Talossans a bit better. What's one country you've visited that left a lasting impression on you, or one country you dream of visiting someday? I'd be interested to hear what attracts you to those places—history, culture, food, scenery, or something else.
Looking forward to the discussion!
My own answer:
I have traveled to Nepal and India so far.
In the future, I would love to visit Spain, mainly to visit the stadiums of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and experience the football culture firsthand.
Germany is another country high on my list, as I would love to see the home of famous companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen.
I would also like to visit the United Kingdom, especially London, to see Buckingham Palace and take a photo with the King's Guards.
France is another dream destination of mine. I would love to visit the Eiffel Tower and, of course, the Talossan province of Cézembre.
One memorable thing from my trip to Nepal was seeing people do bungee jumping. I didn't try it myself, but it was amazing to watch.
As for India, the most impressive sight was undoubtedly the Taj Mahal. Seeing such an iconic monument in person was a remarkable experience.
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 04:57:32 AMI would love to see the home of famous companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen
So that's Bavaria for BMW (Munich) and Audi (Ingolstadt), Baden-Württemberg for Mercedes-Benz and Porsche (Stuttgart) and Lower Saxony for Volkswagen (Wolfsburg). I highly recommend Bavaria though, specifically the Alpine regions, especially at Lake Constance, Lindau specifically.
So far, I've been to Poland (obviously, the rest of my family is there), Italy, Holy See, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia (transit), Croatia, the Netherlands (transit), Belgium (transit), Czechia (transit) and the UK.
I would want to visit Portugal, Malta, Morocco, Greece, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Canada and the US (when there will be a government ran by the Democrats).
For me, it's Japan, Canada, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Switzerland.
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 04:57:32 AMGermany is another country high on my list
Avoid Berlin.
Quote from: Barclamïu da Miéletz on June 21, 2026, 05:32:33 AMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 04:57:32 AMI would love to see the home of famous companies such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen
So that's Bavaria for BMW (Munich) and Audi (Ingolstadt), Baden-Württemberg for Mercedes-Benz and Porsche (Stuttgart) and Lower Saxony for Volkswagen (Wolfsburg). I highly recommend Bavaria though, specifically the Alpine regions, especially at Lake Constance, Lindau specifically.
Thank you for the recommendations! Bavaria and Lindau sound wonderful, and I'll definitely keep them in mind if I ever get the chance to visit Germany.
@Barclamïu da Miéletz
Quote from: Barclamïu da Miéletz on June 21, 2026, 05:35:33 AMSo far, I've been to Poland (obviously, the rest of my family is there), Italy, Holy See, France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia (transit), Croatia, the Netherlands (transit), Belgium (transit), Czechia (transit) and the UK.
A huge list😊
I have lived in the US and Germany. I've visited Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Israel, and Jordan. I've been to 47 of the 50 states in the US, and lived in 3 different states (Oklahoma, Maryland, and California since 1986.)
My favorite places are London, Edinburgh, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and a whole host of German cities, but most especially Rottenburg ob der Tauber and Wildflecken. When I lived in Germany, the east was communist so I never visited that part of the country.
-Txec R
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 10:11:14 AMQuote from: Barclamïu da Miéletz on June 21, 2026, 07:50:37 AMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 04:57:32 AMGermany is another country high on my list
Avoid Berlin.
Interesting! Out of curiosity, why would you recommend avoiding Berlin? @Barclamïu da Miéletz
Horrible city, isn't even beautiful (is also overrated). There's also lots of criminal activity. Visit Munich, Augsburg and Lindau instead.
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 10:16:09 AMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Brazil, Argentina, France
May be as a Football fan?🤔⚽ @Breneir Tzaracomprada
Not at all, I find football to be rather boring but I have a friend from childhood who adores the game. I love his love of the game but I'd rather watch tennis or bowling.
As a lover of history, visiting the Parthenon in Athens and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul were highlights.
Quote from: King Txec on June 21, 2026, 12:50:06 PMI have lived in the US and Germany. I've visited Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Israel, and Jordan. I've been to 47 of the 50 states in the US, and lived in 3 different states (Oklahoma, Maryland, and California since 1986.)
My favorite places are London, Edinburgh, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and a whole host of German cities, but most especially Rottenburg ob der Tauber and Wildflecken. When I lived in Germany, the east was communist so I never visited that part of the country.
-Txec R
Your majesty
@King Txec, you've traveled far more than most people ever will! It must be fascinating to have experienced so many different countries and cultures. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 01:13:02 PMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 10:16:09 AMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Brazil, Argentina, France
May be as a Football fan?🤔⚽ @Breneir Tzaracomprada
Not at all, I find football to be rather boring but I have a friend from childhood who adores the game. I love his love of the game but I'd rather watch tennis or bowling.
As a lover of history, visiting the Parthenon in Athens and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul were highlights.
That's understandable! While I'm a football fan, I can certainly appreciate the appeal of tennis. But most of football fans visit Argentina and Brazil.
Quote from: Barclamïu da Miéletz on June 21, 2026, 12:51:36 PMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 10:11:14 AMQuote from: Barclamïu da Miéletz on June 21, 2026, 07:50:37 AMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 21, 2026, 04:57:32 AMGermany is another country high on my list
Avoid Berlin.
Interesting! Out of curiosity, why would you recommend avoiding Berlin? @Barclamïu da Miéletz
Horrible city, isn't even beautiful (is also overrated). There's also lots of criminal activity. Visit Munich, Augsburg and Lindau instead.
I've been to Berlin once, it was fine.
So far: Norway (where I live), Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Czech republic, Slovakia, Ireland, UK (all parts except Wales), Spain, Portugal, Italy, Gibraltar, Romania, USA (incl. Talossa), Mexico. A lot of this is work related, but not all. Of these my best memories are of Ireland, but not the touristy stuff. Just staying in the small towns, while going around the island. I've been around the whole island a couple of times, but I've only spent 2 hours in Dublin in that time, and I don't think I missed anything :)
As for where I'd want to go, I want to say Nepal. I'd like to do a hike to some of the villages on the Everest trail, but for medical reasons (and money), it's not something that's likely to happen.
Quote from: Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial, UrGP on June 21, 2026, 02:08:37 PMI've been to Berlin once, it was fine.
I personally did not enjoy my time there, maybe because I stayed in Ostkreuz.
Quote from: Barclamïu da Miéletz on June 21, 2026, 03:03:46 PMQuote from: Marcel Eðo Pairescu Tafial, UrGP on June 21, 2026, 02:08:37 PMI've been to Berlin once, it was fine.
I personally did not enjoy my time there, maybe because I stayed in Ostkreuz.
What I found kind of sad is I didn't fully get to see the Brandenburg Gate as it was under renovation, most likely because of climate activists.
Moinol, what a fun question to ask everyone!
I've lived in the United States, South Korea, and New Zealand. I've visited India, China, Japan, Vietnam, Ireland, and Cambodia for months at a time, and traveled in Italy, France, the Vatican, Monaco, Tunisia, and probably some other places I'm forgetting. I spent most of my twenties traveling the globe, so I got to see a lot. I'd actually like to go back to a lot of those places, since I was dirt poor for a lot of that time and didn't get to do anything that cost real money. Maybe now that the kids are getting a little older, I'll be able to.
Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Japan, Canada, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Switzerland.
For countries on my want to visit list: Indonesia, The Philippines, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Egypt, Madagascar, Iceland, Palestine (coming up in October hopefully)
Quote from: Gjermund Higraff on June 21, 2026, 03:01:16 PMAs for where I'd want to go, I want to say Nepal.
It might be a wonderful journey to visit Everest(Me and my family can not visited it due to some problems)
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 21, 2026, 08:58:31 PMMoinol, what a fun question to ask everyone!
I've visited India,
I think you have faced some strange experinces.
Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 09:26:50 PMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Japan, Canada, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Switzerland.
Palestine (coming up in October hopefully)
How can it be possible?(I mean in this war)
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 21, 2026, 08:58:31 PMI'd actually like to go back to a lot of those places[...] Maybe now that the kids are getting a little older, I'll be able to.
I went the opposite direction: Once my kids grew old enough (they started paying full fare) we didn't travel anymore all together. Even before then, just the logistics for getting us all from one side of the planet to the other were not very enticing. Last trip like that was to Hong Kong, and that was only with two kids.
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 22, 2026, 02:10:13 AMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 09:26:50 PMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Japan, Canada, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Switzerland.
Palestine (coming up in October hopefully)
How can it be possible?(I mean in this war)
If you want to make a difference, Moinul, there are times when you need to determine the amount of acceptable risk. My personal limit is probably higher than most when it comes to human rights especially.
When I was in Colombia for another delegation the village we were observing was bombed by the ELN. There are ideals that one must be willing to put oneself on the line for.
Other than my home country, I've been to, in rough order of first visit:
- Austria (all landers except Voralberg; 3x Vienna, among my favourite cities)
- Germany (2x Munich, 2x Berlin, 6x FFM/Mainz/Hesse)
- England (4x London, shamefully)
- France (I really need to visit again)
- Czechia
- Portugal
- Belgium
- Vatican City, fwiw
- Slovakia
- Ireland
- the Netherlands, visiting dear friend @Glüc last year
Gaping holes in the map and/or new places I want to visit next:
- Anywhere outside Europe (but I will travel to Istanbul in September for PhD related stuff)
- Spain (too hot. I don't like hot.)
- Switzerland (almost visited once, but the composer/conductor friend who invited me to play for their national holiday concert fell ill. Probably too expenso to visit in the near future, just like Scandinavia.)
- Slovenia/Croatia (if you live in NE Italy, pretty popular for beach holidays. Not with my parents, apparently)
- Hungary (but I am determined to pay homage to Magyar Peter by sneaking in a trip soon)
All of this contingent on my meagre PhD salary and saving up to fund my expensive skiing habit.
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 22, 2026, 02:08:16 AMQuote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 21, 2026, 08:58:31 PMMoinol, what a fun question to ask everyone!
I've visited India,
I think you have faced some strange experinces.
India was one of my favorite places to visit! I wrote my thesis there while living with
@Béneditsch Ardpresteir for a few weeks, plus I traveled all around the country for months. Delhi was great, but also we had a particular love for Varanasi and Sikkim.
Quote from: Danihel Txechescu on June 22, 2026, 12:45:04 PMQuote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 21, 2026, 08:58:31 PMI'd actually like to go back to a lot of those places[...] Maybe now that the kids are getting a little older, I'll be able to.
I went the opposite direction: Once my kids grew old enough (they started paying full fare) we didn't travel anymore all together. Even before then, just the logistics for getting us all from one side of the planet to the other were not very enticing. Last trip like that was to Hong Kong, and that was only with two kids.
Yeah, my wife and I haven't traveled anywhere significant -- outside of a few places in America and to Canada -- since we had our twins. Partially it's the expense, but also it's because all the kids are still kind of too young to appreciate it. We plan to remedy that in a couple of years and go down to Mexico... I'll be hitting you up for advice on where to go!
Quote from: Sir Lüc on June 22, 2026, 04:10:38 PMGaping holes in the map and/or new places I want to visit next:
The States isn't in your list, probably for understandable reasons right now, but if you ever want to come visit (probably post-Trump) you'll have a free place to stay in Massachusetts!
Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 22, 2026, 12:56:12 PMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 22, 2026, 02:10:13 AMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 09:26:50 PMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Japan, Canada, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Switzerland.
Palestine (coming up in October hopefully)
How can it be possible?(I mean in this war)
If you want to make a difference, Moinul, there are times when you need to determine the amount of acceptable risk. My personal limit is probably higher than most when it comes to human rights especially.
When I was in Colombia for another delegation the village we were observing was bombed by the ELN. There are ideals that one must be willing to put oneself on the line for.
That's a powerful perspective. Your experience in Colombia shows the kind of courage and commitment that human rights work sometimes demands. I have great respect for people willing to stand up for their principles despite the risks.
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 23, 2026, 06:19:19 AMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 22, 2026, 02:08:16 AMQuote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 21, 2026, 08:58:31 PMMoinol, what a fun question to ask everyone!
I've visited India,
I think you have faced some strange experinces.
India was one of my favorite places to visit! I wrote my thesis there while living with @Béneditsch Ardpresteir for a few weeks, plus I traveled all around the country for months. Delhi was great, but also we had a particular love for Varanasi and Sikkim.
Quote from: Danihel Txechescu on June 22, 2026, 12:45:04 PMQuote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 21, 2026, 08:58:31 PMI'd actually like to go back to a lot of those places[...] Maybe now that the kids are getting a little older, I'll be able to.
I went the opposite direction: Once my kids grew old enough (they started paying full fare) we didn't travel anymore all together. Even before then, just the logistics for getting us all from one side of the planet to the other were not very enticing. Last trip like that was to Hong Kong, and that was only with two kids.
Yeah, my wife and I haven't traveled anywhere significant -- outside of a few places in America and to Canada -- since we had our twins. Partially it's the expense, but also it's because all the kids are still kind of too young to appreciate it. We plan to remedy that in a couple of years and go down to Mexico... I'll be hitting you up for advice on where to go!
Quote from: Sir Lüc on June 22, 2026, 04:10:38 PMGaping holes in the map and/or new places I want to visit next:
The States isn't in your list, probably for understandable reasons right now, but if you ever want to come visit (probably post-Trump) you'll have a free place to stay in Massachusetts!
Sikkim was absolutely wonderful! (When I have visited)
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on June 23, 2026, 06:19:19 AMThe States isn't in your list, probably for understandable reasons right now, but if you ever want to come visit (probably post-Trump) you'll have a free place to stay in Massachusetts!
I hope I will be able to take you up on that offer some day!
Quote from: Moinul Moin on June 23, 2026, 07:10:50 AMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 22, 2026, 12:56:12 PMQuote from: Moinul Moin on June 22, 2026, 02:10:13 AMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 09:26:50 PMQuote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on June 21, 2026, 06:44:03 AMFor me, it's Japan, Canada, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, France, Hungary, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, and Switzerland.
Palestine (coming up in October hopefully)
How can it be possible?(I mean in this war)
If you want to make a difference, Moinul, there are times when you need to determine the amount of acceptable risk. My personal limit is probably higher than most when it comes to human rights especially.
When I was in Colombia for another delegation the village we were observing was bombed by the ELN. There are ideals that one must be willing to put oneself on the line for.
That's a powerful perspective. Your experience in Colombia shows the kind of courage and commitment that human rights work sometimes demands. I have great respect for people willing to stand up for their principles despite the risks.
Thank you Moinul.
Quote from: Sir Lüc on June 22, 2026, 04:10:38 PMGermany (2x Munich, 2x Berlin, 6x FFM/Mainz/Hesse)
I highly recommend Lindau (it's at Lake Constance).
I've been to England, Scotland, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and actually resided in Libya during the Qaddafi era. (My dad worked for Esso over there.)
Within the United States, I've lived (actually resided) in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, and Tennessee, and have visited more states than I care to write down here. (I'd guesstimate maybe 35 out of all 50 states.)
Apart from the US, I've been to Canada, the Bahamas, the UK, Ireland (RoI), and now Catalonia for work -- I did head down to Barcelona while there, logged around 15 km walking the city one day. No visit to Camp Nou though, sorry. :P
Bucket list countries would probably include:
- Switzerland
- Germany -- yes, including a trip to Wolfsburg to visit Autostadt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostadt) and the VW factory, but also perhaps to catch a Grizzlys Wolfsburg game
- Italy, especially if I can get some good tours in of Palladian architecture
- Finland
- Russia, at least as a hypothetical. In my undergrad years I minored in Russian Language and Culture, and it would be very nice to put some of what I learned into practice. Rather let them get their stuff shaped up a bit before going over though, I think.
- Japan: between traditional architecture in places like Kyoto, a desire to hike Mt. Fuji, and the food...pretty much anywhere...this is probably one I'm going to want to save up a good bit of PTO for.
- Singapore -- not so much a "bucket list" country, but I'll likely be headed there for a wedding next year? That should be fun, I've heard good things about Singapore.
Quote from: Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be on June 29, 2026, 12:54:15 AMApart from the US, I've been to Canada, the Bahamas, the UK, Ireland (RoI), and now Catalonia for work -- I did head down to Barcelona while there, logged around 15 km walking the city one day. No visit to Camp Nou though, sorry. :P
Bucket list countries would probably include:
- Switzerland
- Germany -- yes, including a trip to Wolfsburg to visit Autostadt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autostadt) and the VW factory, but also perhaps to catch a Grizzlys Wolfsburg game
- Italy, especially if I can get some good tours in of Palladian architecture
- Finland
- Russia, at least as a hypothetical. In my undergrad years I minored in Russian Language and Culture, and it would be very nice to put some of what I learned into practice. Rather let them get their stuff shaped up a bit before going over though, I think.
- Japan: between traditional architecture in places like Kyoto, a desire to hike Mt. Fuji, and the food...pretty much anywhere...this is probably one I'm going to want to save up a good bit of PTO for.
- Singapore -- not so much a "bucket list" country, but I'll likely be headed there for a wedding next year? That should be fun, I've heard good things about Singapore.
That sounds like an amazing travel experience! It was great to hear about your time in Barcelona. I'm a big FC Barcelona fan, so I have a special fondness for the city. Even though you didn't get to visit Camp Nou, I'm sure exploring Barcelona itself was a wonderful experience. I hope you get the chance to visit again in the future and see Camp Nou then. It's also one of my dreams to watch a Barça match there someday. :-)
I am a bit older, so my list is : France (obviously), UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Russia (only Saint Petersburg), Czech republic, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Marocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, United States (only NYC, Chicago, Houston, Dallas), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. We should go on family trip to South Korea in August.
Quote from: þerxh Sant-Enogat on July 05, 2026, 10:04:57 AMI am a bit older, so my list is : France (obviously), UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Russia (only Saint Petersburg), Czech republic, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Marocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, United States (only NYC, Chicago, Houston, Dallas), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. We should go on family trip to South Korea in August.
A huge List than others!!!
Quote from: Moinul Moin on July 05, 2026, 11:20:11 AMA huge List than others!!!
I would prefer to be younger and able to discover them all again ;-)
Quote from: þerxh Sant-Enogat on July 05, 2026, 10:04:57 AMI am a bit older, so my list is : France (obviously), UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Russia (only Saint Petersburg), Czech republic, Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Marocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, United States (only NYC, Chicago, Houston, Dallas), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. We should go on family trip to South Korea in August.
Holy smokes, wow!
Where in Korea will you be going?
Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on July 06, 2026, 07:46:21 PMWhere in Korea will you be going?
Seoul, Busan and Gyeongju, with day trips to DMZ and Suwon. Only a few weeks left to get accustomed to Kimchi!
Quote from: þerxh Sant-Enogat on July 11, 2026, 09:14:58 AMQuote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on July 06, 2026, 07:46:21 PMWhere in Korea will you be going?
Seoul, Busan and Gyeongju, with day trips to DMZ and Suwon. Only a few weeks left to get accustomed to Kimchi!
That's a pretty fun itinerary. You're going to want to make sure that you eat some fresh seafood in Busan. One of my favorite evenings in the country was spent on a date with my wife in a little seaside restaurant with stuff they'd pulled out of the ocean just a few hours before.
Quote from: þerxh Sant-Enogat on July 11, 2026, 09:14:58 AMOnly a few weeks left to get accustomed to Kimchi!
I ate a lot of spicy stuff, including Buldak noodles (came with its downsides). Now I can eat kimchi with no problem.