Originally Posted by
ghiaaa
It seems that there are several perceptions of Rome that differ from mine. I don't find it alarming at all (the first time I was there I was 14 so I'm comfortable there), I just think it can be a little overwhelming for a less seasoned traveler; particularly an American as we tend to have different perceptions of queuing and personal space.
Different cities, as you referenced, have different vibes. London is my happy place. It feels like home and I go every chance I have. I didn't think Budapest felt particularly foreign but melancholy. In describing Istanbul, I said it was like Rome and Paris had a child and weaned it solely on sugar and caffeine. My next adventure is Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Muscat. I've never been to Sarajevo but it looks amazing. Happy trails.
Sorry to divert here...
ghiaaa -
I don't know if you are male or female or are traveling alone to Abu Dhabi/Dubai? I was there 2 years ago. My boyfriend at the time had just gotten a job over there and I visited for a week. He was staying at the Radisson Blu on Yaz Island (most expats stay at the hotels on there when working.) It was ok - but I am a woman and would not travel there alone. We did go to Dubai one day - huge city, traffic, construction - like Chicago or worse. Was happy to go back to Abu Dhabi. We didn't venture far from Yaz Island though. We did go one day to a zoo near the Oman border. On the way back, we took an exit where we thought we might see camels (you see some from the highway). We ended up at a camel racetrack. That was interesting! I would not care to revisit though. Nothing special.