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Galley Gossip: The people you meet, the places you want to go - Portugal, Greece, Hong Kong, Croatia, and Dubai

Though I have no idea when it will actually happen, I can't decide where to travel on my next big vacation...
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- Croatia
- Dubai
That's been my list of dream places to go for the last few years. But now I've got a new place to add to the list, a list that just keeps growing.
- Portugal
Man oh man, the people you meet, the places you want to go...
Alice, my hairdresser is from Portugal, and that's what we talk about every time I see her, which is at least once a month. It was the morning of my Las Vegas trip, and while Alice worked her magic on my hair, I sat in front of the mirror on a swiveling chair catching up on the latest travel magazines that customers before me had left behind. Of course whenever I see Alice I can't help but talk travel while flipping through all those amazing photographs of beautiful places all around the world.
While reading an interesting article about a little town in Croatia, Alice said, "You've got to go to Portugal. It's beautiful." She had just returned from a two week vacation that very week, which explained the dark tan and the honey colored streaks in her auburn hair.
Placing a copy of Travel and Leisure on my lap, I listened as she described Vilamoura, the village by the sea where she grew up, where she had just visited, and as she described the fresh food, seafood of course, I decided right then and there I wanted to go. Soon. If you'd been there with me you'd want to go too! When my curly hair had been straightened as straight as it could get, I went home, got on the computer, and started googling Portugal.
Alice was right. Portugal is beautiful. I do want to go. But with so many places to go, and not enough time to actually go, how does one decide which place to go - first?
Greece has been on my list for as long as I can remember. So long, in fact, I can't even remember how or why Greece initially made the list in the first place, but there it is, right at the top, where it's been for years and years now. There's just something about all those stark white homes against a sea of blue that leaves me yearning for more. Of course the movie Mama Mia only made me realize I need to get there sooner than later.
Hong Kong made the list last year after the husband returned home from a business trip. Initially he didn't want to go. Complained about having to go. But then, when he finally returned, all he could talk about was going back. "It's amazing," he kept saying as he described the buildings and the food and the tailor who eventually shipped him three custom made suits. Then, last month an old friend from an old job contacted me on Facebook to inform me she still worked for the same company, only she was now VP of the company in Hong Kong, ending the email with "Come visit me soon," prompting the husband to exclaim, "What are we waiting for!"
Croatia made the list five years ago after viewing hundreds of gorgeous photos taken by a young man, a budding photographer, the son of a woman who works for my husband in New York. The photos were beautiful, particularly the ones of the people who lived there - his relatives. "You can stay at one of their houses," he offered, "While they stay at a hotel." It was a tempting offer. We came very close to spending our honeymoon in Croatia, but then the war broke out and after 9/11 I was a little nervous about flying too far away from home. We ended up in Mexico. Since then, each and every year, we come THIS CLOSE to going to Croatia, which is really really close, before someone or something inspires us to go elsewhere. Eventually we'll make it there.
Dubai is the most recent place to make the list. I must admit, the thought of actually traveling for that long of time on an airplane does not sound like a vacation, not to me, not when you work on an airplane for a living. The last thing a flight attendant wants to do is go to the airport, get on an airplane, and be surrounded by passengers on a day off, for any length of time. But I keep meeting passengers who absolutely love Dubai. On my flight to Vegas, the British man sitting in the first row couldn't stop talking about the airport - the airport! Apparently it's pretty incredible. And that's just the airport! And on my flight to Miami, if the passengers weren't going to Dubai, they were coming back from Dubai, or had just recently been to Dubai. I even shared a cab with a flight attendant who worked for another airline who wanted to quit and become a flight attendant for Emirates, just so he could live in Dubai (and layover in five star hotels.) With all this talk about Dubai, it had to go on the list.
There are so many great places to travel and I can't decide where to go. Perhaps you, dear reader, can help. Please! Have you been to Dubai, Croatia, Hong Kong, Greece, or Portugal? If so, take the poll below, and don't forget to add a comment. Tell me why you love the place you choose, and make sure to share all your favorite things to do and see. I'm dying to know.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Grant Martin Sep 17th 2008 10:52PM
I'm actually going to Lisbon for Thanksgiving. I'll let you know how it goes.
Hong Kong is fantastic too. Go there over Greece, it will blow your mind.
Nick Hawkins Sep 18th 2008 10:35AM
I'm off to Hong Kong next month and you can have my notes. Dubai was decent, but after 4 days I got really bored. I'd do Dubai/Abu Dhabi and head up to the Musundam Peninsula to get some snorkeling/dolphin watching in.
Rui Sep 18th 2008 11:53AM
I'm Portuguese (Lisbon), so I think my opinion might be a "tad" biased. Specially because I haven't visited any of the other "must have vacation in" places.
Here's what I can tell you about Portugal:
- Lovely weather from March until September, not too hot nor too cold.
- Rich history and diversity. You can wander around the 800+ years old streets of ancient Lisbon, all the hip neighbourhoods, and then visit the modern Northeast side, where the World Fair was held 10 years ago. And the city of Oporto is on a world of its own.
- Amazing seaside.
- Rich gastronomy. Seafood and fresh fish aplenty, and the best pastries in the world. Put simply, your life isn't complete until you've tried one Pastel de Belém.
and most of all
- The people. Friendly without being annoying, passionate without being excessive, warm and welcoming all-around. Beware of the tourist traps and avoid the super-hectic holiday peaks (specially in Algarve) and I'm sure you'll fall in love with Portugal.
Craig Sep 18th 2008 11:54AM
It depends on the purpose of your vacation -- do you want to explore a culture, or lounge and relax? We wanted a little of both for our honeymoon so we chose Greece and loved it. We started off exploring Athens and ruins at the (sort of) nearby Delphi, soaking up all the history and Mediterranean buzz.
Then we retreated to a small island in the Cyclades and just vegged out on the beach. It was wonderful to do essentially nothing -- crawl out of bed when the cleaners come knocking, plop down on the beach until the sun sets, then stroll through town and eat at whichever place looks good.
We finished off the trip with a mix of culture and relaxation -- the touristy but necessary Santorini. There's plenty to see and soak up, but absolutely no hurry. Just wander and admire the scenery. (Be sure to stay in Oia, not Fira.)
Full disclosure: I haven't been to the other places you listed, but they're all (except Dubai) on my list.
Rui Sep 18th 2008 11:54AM
I'm Portuguese (Lisbon), so I think my opinion might be a "tad" biased. Specially because I haven't visited any of the other "must have vacation in" places.
Here's what I can tell you about Portugal:
- Lovely weather from March until September, not too hot nor too cold.
- Rich history and diversity. You can wander around the 800+ years old streets of ancient Lisbon, all the hip neighbourhoods, and then visit the modern Northeast side, where the World Fair was held 10 years ago. And the city of Oporto is on a world of its own.
- Amazing seaside.
- Rich gastronomy. Seafood and fresh fish aplenty, and the best pastries in the world. Put simply, your life isn't complete until you've tried one Pastel de Belém.
and most of all
- The people. Friendly without being annoying, passionate without being excessive, warm and welcoming all-around. Beware of the tourist traps and avoid the super-hectic holiday peaks (specially in Algarve) and I'm sure you'll fall in love with Portugal.
Bill Sep 18th 2008 12:09PM
I've been to four of the five places listed (Dubai is next year). Dubrovnik is so crowded with tourists from cruise ships that if you don't see it soon, you won't be able to see the buildings obscured by the crowds. I suggest you go off season or be there after the daytimers go back to their ships. But it is lovely. The sailing around the shores of Croatia is also lovely, and the natural sights in parks are described as thoroughly lovely.
All the other places listed are worth separate trips, however, I think the Croatian tourist towns are most in danger of being overpopulated sooner.
John Sep 18th 2008 3:32PM
I have been to Greece and I loved it. If you get the chance go to Olympia and Thermoployes but warning with the latter wear jeans when climbing up the hill.
Justruss Sep 21st 2008 9:17PM
I keep trying to understand why people want to visit Dubai. It's hot and dusty for much of the year, it's expensive, and aside from some modern architecture, there really is not much to do. I city feel manufactured and artificial to me.
Melissa Borghorst Sep 22nd 2008 4:24PM
I wish I could say I've been to one of the places on your list! I vote for Greece. I hear it's amazing. That's one of the places on my list and now that you mention Portugal, I think I'll add that to my list too. I just published a photo journal series (Dream List Photo Journals), which was one of my dreams. One of the journals, Dream List for the Traveler, is a journal that you personalize with your travel dream list and record your accomplished dreams with photos and journal entries. Thought you might like it since you have your own travel dream list. You can see them on my website, www.dreamlistmedia.com. I wish you all the best on your list!!
Paula Sep 26th 2008 3:55PM
Heather,I was a flight attendant for 35 years, retired 4 years ago. I think you should go to Croatia. I've been there 5 times on my own, not any working trips. The whole country is so beautiful,relatively inexspensive, and the people are just wonderful. If you go avoid summer it has become one of the really hot destinations. my first trip was in 1990(it was still communist). Then 3 trips in the mid 90's to bring in aid and supplies to the refugees living in train cars at an abandoned train station and toys for orphans before Christmas during the war there.My last trip was last October with my husband, I had talked so much about the place he said he just had to go there. He loved it too.Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split,are not to be missed. Also just over the border in Bosnia try to go to Medjugorje (very spiritual) and Mostar, to see the famouse bridge and the old city. Croatia has rebuilt and is more beautiful than ever. In Bosnia you still see bullet holes in buildings but it is very charming despite that. So I hope you go, you will not regret it. I love your column I can relate to all of your articles
Fly safe, Paula