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I'm going to China for three months in April, May and June with my best friend, Kit.
That is all.

Jim

My favourite places

Parc Guell, Barcelona

Besides the USA, all of my travel has so far been within Europe, so that's where most of my favourite places are.

1: Barcelona, Spain - For me, Barcelona was leages ahead of all the other great European cities. Before going there I had never taken it very seriously, always assuming it was just a fun, coastal, partying city, but how wrong I was! There are photos to take at every turn, and everything here is full of colour. Can't recommend it enough.

2: Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland - Switzerland as a whole is a breathtaking and beautiful country, but the Lauterbrunnen valley in particular (also known as the Valley of the 70 waterfalls) just blew me away. Hiking down this huge gorge for several hours was one of the highlights of my trips.

3: Granada, Spain - I loved Granada not just for the Alhambra (which WAS amazing) but also, the people are friendly and great at partying, and there is great nightlife and lots of tapas bars. There are a lot of small, almost Arabic-like streets that are beautiful to walk down at night.

4: Florence, Italy - I didn't go to Rome, but this made up for it. The Duomo here is incredible.

5: Bordeaux, France - The city itself is nice, but I also loved cycling through the surrounding forests of Landes.

6: Prague, Czech Republic - The suburbs aren't so nice, but the city centre is probably the most beautiful you'll find anywhere.

7: Avignon, France - This was another surprise for me. I loved this (very small) city's architecture and atmosphere. Forget Aix-en-Provence. Avignon is much nicer in my opinion.

8: Salamanca, Spain - I'm not even that interested in history, but walking around this city you can really feel its past surrounding you. Definitely worth visiting.

9: Dresden, Germany - Of the German cities I saw, Dresden was the most unique and charismatic. The buildings are amazing, charcoal-stained yet beautiful.

10: Munich, Germany - I had a fun time in Munich. It's bustling and full of energy, with some very nice buildings and of course, great beer! :D

The best "obscure" places

La Villa de Alcántara

When travelling I always find it fun to discover smaller places that have great things to offer a traveller, without being a busy touristy metropolis like many destinations are. Here are some of my favourite small towns, in no particular order:

Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain - A very pleasant walled town halfway between Portugal and Salamanca. It's actually rather like a small version of Salamanca in a way.

Alcántara, Spain - A small town built quite high up, with some historic buildings of interest and an impressive Roman bridge. It's located not far from Caceres.

San Gimignano, Italy - An almost Lord-of-the-Rings-esque town south of Florence, famous for its many towers standing in the hills of Tuscany.

Figueres, Spain - Birthplace of Salvador Dali, and a pleasant place for a stop-off, as it lies halfway between Barcelona and the Pyrenees.

Eze, France - Okay, it's not exactly "obscure," but it's a very beautiful village nonetheless, with incredible views. Word of advice, don't try cycling up there like I did. Took a lot of hard work!

Intro Updated Jan 19, 2008
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Comments (36)

Geoff_Wright Jan 29, 2012 at 1:47 AM Report Abuse

Hi Jim. Happy Birthday to you. Have a good day. Geoff
cachaseiro Jan 28, 2011 at 11:14 PM Report Abuse

Happy birthday Jim and greetings from Los Angeles.
Agraichen Dec 8, 2008 at 7:46 PM Report Abuse

Ah travel. No 2 and 4 definitely rank in my top 5 as well. Alas, Pinole is rather down there in the rankings.
WorldMeet2008 Jul 30, 2008 at 5:37 AM Report Abuse

Your next trip? Make it really unique! It's not too late to attend WM08 - Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Dead- Sea on 25- 28th Sept (+Petra 29-30th). We want to double the num of attendees to 100! Click to learn where, when, what, how, how much! Avi [FruitLover].
enzhu Mar 14, 2008 at 4:47 PM Report Abuse

Wish you have a good time in China.
Etoile2B Jan 29, 2008 at 10:44 AM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday from sunny California!
sayedaburas Jan 28, 2008 at 7:58 PM Report Abuse

♫•:*¨`*:•Happy birthday to you♫♫Happy b-day to you♫HAPPY BIRTHDAY to JIM ♫♫Happy b-day to yoou•:*¨`*:•♫ I wish you not only a happy year, but also happier maany returns (~_~)
GracesTrips Jan 28, 2008 at 7:58 PM Report Abuse

Happy Birthday, Jim! Hope you enjoy a most excellent day!
imstress Jan 16, 2008 at 6:02 PM Report Abuse

have a great cycling trip around China! China has some beautiful places yet to be discovered by tourist.
crewrower Dec 4, 2007 at 12:48 AM Report Abuse

Hi Jim - I live in China and have done some cycling here (see my Yunnan and Hangzhou pages); might like to join you for a short segment of your '08 ride if that's OK with you (like a portion around Shanghai).