Go to the link and go through the slides.
So if you want a nice vacation somewhere that is not over-run with tourists (and I was just reading this piece about how the Greek island of Santorini is completely overwhelmed with cruise ships these days) you have to go somewhere that is less popular. That shouldn't be too hard! Mind you, if you are fixated on seeing the Mona Lisa or the Eiffel Tower or Buckingham Palace, you will just have to put up with the mob. But if you are willing to be more creative, then the world is your oyster.
I'm off to Montreal for a little vacation in a couple of weeks, so let's put that on the list. Montreal is the fashion capital of Canada and, along with Vancouver, the food capital as well. If you want great Asian food go to Vancouver, but if you want the brilliant fusion of Jewish, French and local cuisine (with the influence of a zillion world cuisines), then Montreal is the place to go. Great cultural life as well. One caveat: go in September, it is the only decent month weather-wise.
Europe has some fantastic music festivals of which the one in Salzburg in August is perhaps the most famous. I was planning to go this year, but just couldn't make it. Perhaps next year? Great concerts by every great performer you want to hear, plus orchestras, opera--the premium music festival. There are also other spectacular ones in Berlin, Verbier (Switzerland) and London (the Proms). You should book your tickets early as they mostly sell out.
A bit further afield, I think I would really enjoy a trip to St. Petersburg or Moscow where so many of my favorite composers lived and worked. I need to do research to find the best time to go to catch some music festivals. And I think we should avoid the winter months!
Some other interesting places in Europe that might not be too overrun are Bordeaux, the Rioja and Rousillon, for example, for wine-lovers.
Canada, the US and Mexico are large countries with all sorts of beautiful places to visit and Canada in particular just can't be overrun with tourists--there's just too much territory! My favorite places in Canada are Vancouver Island and the Pacific coast generally. The further north you go on the island the more beautiful and exotic it is. It does rain a lot, though. The Rocky Mountains around Banff are simply spectacular and there are a thousand things to do, including cultural offerings at the Banff Centre.
I'm not much of an expert on the US, but just about everywhere I have been there has had a lot to offer in terms of food, scenery or culture. Mexico is a great place to visit, just stay away from border towns and Guerrero, where Acapulco is located. Mexico City is an amazing place to spend some time with a host of museums, not over-crowded, incredible restaurants and, yes, cultural events as well. It is also a lot cheaper than you would expect. It is my favorite place to spend a long weekend.
Where is your favorite non-cliched place to take a vacation?
Perhaps a suitable envoi would be "Going Up the Country" by Canned Heat:
10 comments:
Decades ago I had a bunch of Canned Heat LPs, including "Hooker N Heat," with John Lee Hooker. As for vacations, someday I hope to have more leisure and money, but right now in my life I need to work to finish fixing my finances.
I went decades hardly taking a vacation! It is pretty much a recent thing for me.
I went to the chamber music music festival in Mantua in May, and it is sublime. Wonderful performances in magnificent spaces. There were no tourists.
That is very useful information, Ralph. Thanks!
I am very fortunate to live but a moderately short train ride away from London. What was it Samuel Johnson said? Something to the effect of, 'if a man tires of London, he has tired of life'. Now, Samuel Johnson's London was not characterised by the kind of overpopulation, crumbling infrastructure and architectural sins we see today in London. And he was fortunate to live before the invention of the internal combustion engine. But I still reckon that it's impossible to tire of London.
I don't know about taking a 'vacation' to London. To start with, I can't imagine any Briton (unless corrupted by Americanisms) going on a 'vacation'. The term seems strange to me. It's so negative -- one is vacating somewhere. We have holidays, but a holiday just means free time, not necessarily going abroad. And call me a Little Englander, but I'm quite happy staying where I am.
There are plenty of places in London free of the typical tourists. Just walk around in the city for 10 minutes and you'll likely find somewhere unexpected and interesting. And of course, despite people often moaning about it, London has an excellent classical music life. Wigmore Hall, Proms, Royal Opera House, Barbican...
You are very blessed, Steven. Living a short train ride from London, why would you need to go anywhere else? Mind you, in order to hear Grigory Sokolov play you will have to venture to Paris at least. The brief times I have spent in London I was astonished at the rich variety and sheer quantity of musical events. You couldn't possibly take them all in. Did you get to some Proms concerts this year?
I only made one, I'm afraid. It was the Ives Symphony No. 2 (first pieces was a Gershwin piano concerto -- the other one!). I usually always enjoy the work, but the conductor played it so restrained and so sentimentally. The Gershwin, by contrast, was of full of colour and interest. Was surprised how much I liked it.
I wanted to see the Per Norgard Symphony No. 3, and hearing it on the radio regretted so much that I wasn't there.
But I must confess I'm not generally that enthusiastic about the Proms. Unless it's a big symphony, the Royal Albert Hall is just too vast and uneven a space. Unfortunately I'm just not, by and large, that interested in big symphonies. I'd rather save the few pennies I have for something at the Wiggy or Barbican.
Saying that, I am tempted to see the upcoming Ring cycle at Covent Garden. Though if I could get tickets, they would be standing. And while I may still be young and fit, I don't know if have the endurance -- especially when I don't even know if I like Wagner!
I just thought, an opera I did see recently (albeit in the cinema) which was magnificent was Samuel Barber's Vanessa. It might still be available online to watch. The music was just so gorgeous and yet so aggressive.
I see what you mean: it is all about the big gala at the Proms. Have you ever been to the Salzburg Festival?
No, afraid not. Though of course I'd love to, and imagine it to be much more varied and interesting than the Proms.
As I've mentioned on one post or another, I spent a summer there in Pepe Romero's master class. The concerts were remarkable. The Alban Berg Quartet did all the Beethoven quartets, Alfred Brendel did all the Schubert sonatas, Jessye Norman did a recital, Lutoslawski conducted the premiere of his violin concerto (I think it was!), Stockhausen and his ensemble did seven concerts of his chamber music, etc, etc. There were five orchestras in attendance.
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