Favourite country?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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horizon
Posts: 11275
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Cornwall

Re: Favourite country?

Post by horizon »

For me, three countries stand out head and shoulders above the rest. One - Spain (and more specifically Andalucia) - I have visited often, mostly by bike, and will be going back. The second - Ghana - I visited once and will probably but unfortunately never go back. The third is India which I have never visited but feel a deep sense of longing for and connection with; I may go there, perhaps with a bike.

All three are hot. I love the heat but all three counties are challenging. All have music playing in my mind and tugging at my heart strings: flamenco in the case of Spain, the sitar of India and in the case of Ghana, the music of Jimmy Cliff (it was ubiquitous during my stay there in 1974 and I was often lulled to sleep in a hotel room by the gentle waves of reggae wafting up from the street below).

I think a country to be special must be like a lover: you must feel a sense of emotional attachment. It must retain some mystery, something you might never quite understand about it. And when you leave, you must feel torn in two and promise that one day you will return. A tear shed perhaps. I certainly felt that after hitch-hiking down to the south of Spain on my first trip and when I climbed aboard my plane home from Ghana in Accra.

Some of that mystery must be in the language - which rules out New Zealand - and the food (which rules out America). But I also think you must be affected physically: getting sunburnt in Spain or squeezing onto a hot and crowded bus in Ghana are physical memories not photographs.

More than anything I feel that a country has to allow us to explore ourselves and our differences with it. That may not be nowadays as possible as it once was but I am pretty sure that I wouldn't be complacent about India not challenging my senses to the core.
When the pestilence strikes from the East, go far and breathe the cold air deeply. Ignore the sage, stay not indoors. Ho Ri Zon 12th Century Chinese philosopher
cyclingnomad
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Joined: 15 May 2013, 8:10am

Re: Favourite country?

Post by cyclingnomad »

And the winner is the UK with 3 votes, followed by France Germany and Cuba all with 2 votes. We are cycling through Laos at the moment, but despite the beautiful scenery warm temperatures and the sunshine we are missing the UK.
http://www.cycling-nomads.com/
TimP
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Joined: 25 May 2015, 6:15pm

Re: Favourite country?

Post by TimP »

I never realised it at the time, but UK is very hard to beat for cycle touring. Plenty of camp sites, youth hostels and B&Bs scattered around in UK's myriad network of lanes, plus people find it an interesting concept, so tend not to be negative towards cycle tourists, indeed helpful is more often the way.

For almost 30 years I have now lived and worked in many countries in Asia, mainly South East Asia and more and more I am sure that my best tours have been in Scotland (north west and west side) and the Yorkshire Moors. Even the now overcrowded Lake District gets an honourable mention. These areas are the only ones I have cycled that I *really* yearn to revisit and cycle again. (The Lake District tends to be overcrowded, but overcrowded for a reason, the reason being that it is such a great place, but that sadly makes me focus on less crowded areas)
Vorpal
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Re: Favourite country?

Post by Vorpal »

I've never been to Asia. My favourite tour was Scotland. I found the roads and accomodation to be good, the drivers to be mostly considerate, people to be generally friendly and helpful, and the scenery amazing.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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stu1102
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Joined: 24 Jun 2013, 8:38pm
Location: Beeston, Nottignham

Re: Favourite country?

Post by stu1102 »

Cuba (an incredible country and people)


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France
Scotland and Wales
Switzerland
Netherlands
Belgium
Spain
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Audax67
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Location: Alsace, France
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Re: Favourite country?

Post by Audax67 »

Although I said France and stand by it, I occasionally wish we'd picked Italy to move to in 1972. I haven't been there a lot, maybe three weeks in toto, but the food & the countryside were wonderful. As is the language. Can't wait to go back - I missed a club trip there a week back so as to do a PBP qualifier, but next time around I'm going.

Some great architecture, too:

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Have we got time for another cuppa?
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Sweep
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Joined: 20 Oct 2011, 4:57pm
Location: London

Re: Favourite country?

Post by Sweep »

Back on the theme that maybe blighty isn't so bad after all:

This - though it's a county.


http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/ ... ely-planet

On the doorstep for some of us - stuff appreciated by families is maybe appreciated by us cyclists as well.
Sweep
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