Favorite town

I'm going to ignore most of your criteria - I think Rick skips over far too many small cities in Europe...

Tie between Hasselt and Leuven in Belgium.

Frank this reads like one of those question on a college entrance exam.....albeit
wittier. Nice job.

You said there wouldn't be a pop quiz this week and I forgot to study. Mom is gonna kill me if I come home with another F.

Olomouc, Czech Republic

Königstein in the Taunus?

The question is a little too general for me. Could you be a bit more specific as to what you are looking for?

Can you wear shorts there?

You can wear shorts, but only while wearing a stylish scarf. Otherwise, you will NOT blend.

...and shouldn't it be the perfect temperature weather-wise year round?

And can we make it something Welsh, so no one can pronounce it?

This town should have a very specific food or wine specialty that is only available for the 2 weeks you are there.

Also, the cheapest season should be the best time to visit.

We're all getting quite silly now aren't we? :)

Yes, Steve, is it getting silly...which is what this post was supposed to intend about the sudden numerous questions that have absolutely nothing to do with European travel. And, according to the posting guidelines, is what this forum is about.

So whether it's trying to figure out who's state is better than the others, or which country do you pretend you're living in when you return from your trip, or what is the best rest area to relieve yourself in on I-40 after a long drive.....

Let's get back to what this board is intended for--helping all of us become better European travelers.

Ahhh, let's just all go to tea at Corinna's!

I for one, wracked my brain on this one Frank, and then you tell me you don't really want to know???? ahh heck!

Actually, I think it is fun for us to play a little and not be so serious all the time. Sometimes, amazing little bits of information shine through and we all learn from each other. It opens our minds in a different way, much as travel does. So, I do think goofing around has its place. All the travel websites have a place where folks can be silly. If you don't believe me, go to Trip Advisor and look up the hotel review for Shrute Farms. That's one of the funniest things I have ever read. Fodors has its' page where folks can be silly and talk about what ever they want. Perhaps Rick Steves website could use something similar, since everyone seems to be having a good time with the "fun threads".

Jo-thanks so much for the Schrute farm link. Does anyone know if Meredith does a pub crawl tour of Scranton?

Can the Town have a Mcdonalds there? Monte

Frank, my favorite rest stop on I-40 is just east of Clarksville, AR, at mm67; there is a great view of the Ozarks from there.

Actually, I understand your position, and most of the threads on here are of a serious nature; however, I tend to agree with Jo. Sometimes humor can be the best teacher. One can learn a lot from the humorous travel anecdotes of others.

I surely do enjoy this comic relief after a long day with 142 6th graders. :-)

It's called satire, Ron...

I don't mind a question or two off the main topic. As you can see, I try my best to add to them--we can be original with our questions yet still be informative about Europe.

Rather than a questions like "What song was playing when you were born (sorry JO)...or what's the greatest State in the U.S.:

How about things like:

Have you been able to find your favorite European chocolate, beers, foods at home and where?

What were people's most embarrassing moments while traveling. Any embarrassing language faux pas?

What was the strangest hotel room you ever stayed in?

Does anyone know the real reason Lufthansa only allows 17.6 lbs for carry-on?

These kind of questions can be a lot of fun and informative. Let's face it...anyone who has traveled probably has at least one or two good embarrassing stories to tell.

I started the fun "song" thread at a time when tempers had been flaring and I wanted to see if I could do anything to lighten things up just a bit. It worked. It might have gone a bit overboard, but so what. Obviously, people enjoy being witty online and joshing each other, and it isn't like we are limited to how much space we have on here. Perhaps a nice mix or balance of serious and light helps keep things friendly on the Helpline.

Okay.....I'll stop my attempts to get us somewhat back to the subject at hand.

Frank, I think I found your favorite town but they would not let me in as I had more than 21# in my R/S bag on wheels. Next time I go I will use a backpack and maybe they will let me in. I also had a money belt on and I looked extremely fat and everyone was laughing at me. Just a bad day.

In the category, I really liked Schlesswig in Northern Germany.

I'm not sure an American fast food restaurant would be included in my favorites.

Frank, the strangest hotel room I ever stayed in was in Olongapo City, PI, but we don't talk about that much; it was long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away...