What happens when you don’t love the place you’ve visiting. How do you cope with the disappointment when your expectations are severely quashed & you don’t want to do anything?
I faced that dilemma in Cologne, Germany in 2015.
I don’t know if it was the city. I don’t know if it was because I was on week three of a four week trip that hadn’t really gone as planned already. I’m not sure if it was because I was on about the 17th day of rainy days. I’m not even sure if it was because Cologne Cathedral is a giant black building that looks imposing & kind of scary.
Whatever it was, I was depressed and I was alone.
I tried to make the best of a bad situation.
I went to visit the dreary, imposing Cologne Cathedral – which was actually kind of amazing, so much detail both inside and out. I went on a riverboat cruise up the Rhine River & saw some pretty incredible architecture. I checked out the famous love locks on Hohenzollernbrücke. I saw a guy create some amazing bubbles in the Rhine Garden.
But I didn’t love Cologne and couldn’t wait to leave.
Why is it that some cities will make us fall in love with them so deeply – I’m looking at you London & Melbourne. But others will bring up feelings of disdain and disappointment, like Paris & Cologne did for me.
Maybe if the sun had been shining, I would have had a different experience. Maybe if I was there with someone else, it would have been better. Maybe if I had gone there first, I would have liked the city more.
Maybe.
Of course I can’t change what has passed.. I can only go forward. I know I’m not going to love every place I visit. I know that I will be disappointed from time to time. I guess it’s all about how I react at the time will determine what memories I have of a place.
Weirdly enough though, I think I took more photos in Cologne than anywhere else on the four week trip through the UK & Europe. Maybe I was trying to compensate for not liking the place.
Have you ever visited a place that you just didn’t like and couldn’t wait to leave?
How did you deal with it all?
Hello World. It's Me, Sarah 
well I listen to this before i blast the hell off:
and occasionally I listen to this if it’s really bad:
*L*
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Good tips 🙂
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thanks, my specialty! L
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then i dance like this and it’s all good!
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Dance like no one’s watching?
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yeah only way to dance! L
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ok my comedy act is over and I’m outta here! nite’
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😀
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Brussels. I wasn’t very impressed. But I did like the waffles:)
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I spent a night in Brussels last year & didn’t leave the hotel room expect to find something to eat. Just didn’t feel it, if you know what I mean
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I know that feeling. I happened to enjoy Köln, but really found Copenhagen to be flat. To be fair, I do think it depends on the day, the weather, and how we’re feeling. Last year, we were in Paris when they had 103 degree weather. Unbearable and difficult to enjoy the city. I had been before, but my traveling companions had not and felt drained by the visit.
I enjoyed your post!
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Thanks! Interestingly I liked Copenhagen but you might be right.. I actually had good weather in Copenhagen haha.
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See?! It was the last stop on our vacation and it was a gloomy day. And we were spent.
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Haha it was my last stop too and one of the few times the sun actually shone! It’s funny how things seem better in the sun! I remember the first time I went to Melbourne, I hated it – it was grey, rainy & I didn’t know what I was doing… 15 years later it’s one of my favourite cities 🙂
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Those are beautiful pictures. My dad took brother mom and I to Rome, Paris, and London. I loved London and felt at peace there. But Paris I didn’t like at all. I don’t know why. My brother once someone spit at his shoe when he was trying to ask for directions. We were looking for a place to use computer. Rome was alright but some things just made me not like that visit either. I always feel so bad about not liking the places. I should be grateful to spend time visiting places not many people are lucky to visit. Yet, it doesn’t make me happy.
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I love London too but didn’t like Paris much at all. It was weird, I was surrounded by this amazing architecture but I was like ‘meh’ when it came to Paris.
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Yeah, same here. My mom even tried telling me to look and I did look but it didn’t make me feel anything.
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Same! I think I appreciated more after I left and was looking back at my photos but I haven’t rushed back there
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Yes, it happened to be Frankfurt am Main. The city was too busy, too many cars on the street, the hustle and bustle.. I just could not stand it. Lucky me, that was on my last day of trip so I don’t have to spend any day longer in Frankfurt. On the other hand, I love Koln the most. I spent eight hours a day there, strolling the shopping district, the town, the cathedral, the river, and I still wanted more.
Maybe you’re right, that’s something about companion – because I spent my days there with great travel companions and got the best memories in return. I feel sorry that you dislike the city I love. 😦 Maybe you could rearrange a trip there with the special ones, perhaps? x
Anyway, your photos are so good it makes me miss Koln so much! Good job you did here. T
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It’s a funny thing really. I know I’m not going to like each place I go but I was really expecting to like Cologne. I think the weather played a massive part – I was so over rain and I had about 17 days of it so I was really kind of depressed. I still got out and did stuff though, which I’m really proud of myself for – I could have just sat in my room and sulked 🙂
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