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Show HG The Salt Lake Tribune TRAVEL Sunday, 10, 1995 P Forget Nice: Now a Few Fords About Dud Destinations By Gary A. Warner banker's town not worth a day of a visit ORANGE COUNTYREGISTER I guess expectations are every- thing. Mine cominginto Florence were sky high. Maybe I'd seen “A Room With a View’ a few too manytimes. I saw Florence at the top of the list of the world’s best cities compiled by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. I dreamed of quiet afternoons by the Arno River. Strolling throughthe quiet cobbledstreets around the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo.Staring at Michelangelo's masterpiece, the David. Instead I found noise, dust, heat, closed museums and an overpriced, dank hotel. The food at sidewalk trattorias was enjoy- able, if you could blot out the constant buzzing and gas fumes of seemingly millions of motorscooters. I won't be back soon. Frankfurt is a big bore — a Germany. The city is to useit to get out of town as soon as possible. Spend yourfirst or last night before flying from Frankfurt in beautiful Heidelberg, just an hour awaybyrail. My mild distaste for Florence and Frankfurt is nothing compared to my complete loathing of Singapore, a plastic city filled with knockoffs of American chain restaurants and big Western-style departmentstores. Worst ofail, it’s ruled by authoritarian businessmen who close magazines critical of the government, cane teen-agers for spray-painting cars and have out- pected to gush about how wonder- ful the place is — evenifit isn’t. But even those of us who shun freebies often freeze up whenit’s time to call a dud a dud. Maybe it’s fear of angry calls from fulmivating public-relations flacks. Or maybeits just that disease again. Niceness. So let’s not be nice. It seems as good a timeas any to “run down” mypersonallist of the overrated, overpriced, and just plain lousy spots aroundthe globe. Let’sstart with overratedcities. I know it’s cultural sacrilege, but Florence is near the top of my must-misslist. to blessed with one of the best rail systems in the world. There’s even a train that takes you directly from the airport terminalto the mainstation. That's helpful, since you'll want Treally don't care for Florence. T loathe Singapore. Hate the food in Switzerland. Wouldn't drive in Bangkok for all the gold leaf on the reclining Buddha in Wat Po temple. I say these things because there’s a disease in travel writing circles. Niceness. When travel writers like a place, they foam with hoary cliches and flowery adjectives. Hate a place — nary a word. For someit’s a caseofnotbiting the handthat feeds — they got an all-expenses-paid trip and are ex- People who visit Philadelphia often take day trips to Bucks or Lancaster counties. I say switch it around. Stay in the countryside and give Philadelphia the few hours of a daytrip it deserves: the Liberty Bell, the art museum, a cheesesteak for lunch, stroll South Street, then blew town. Even some wonderful cities have their tacky spots where tour companies send haplesstravelers. Nearly the whole waterfront of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square to Fisherman’s Wharf to Pier 39 is a troveof tourist traps. It's textbook tacky with cheapo above, just remember:I told you souvenir stands, mediocre restaurants and kni stores. so. For some strange reason, a lot lawed chewing gum and in-line anyone go to Seoul, South Korea, whodidn’t have relatives or business there? A soulless city where the governmentis bulldozingall remnants of the past in favor of generic glass towers. Driving can be a hassle overseas. I've faced narrow roads in Scotland, geefball drivers in Saudi Arabia and machocut-off artists in Spain, France and Italy. } of the city are beautiful, but it is hell when it comes to getting aroundby anything but riverboat. In the United States, I'm not a big fan of Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor, Most people herald the redevelopment of the former industrial area into a playground of fast-food joints, T-shirt shops and float rides as a major achievement. To me it’s about three notches too high on the phony meter. Maybeit was the only way to traveling in St. Petersburg, Russia, are at risk for possible terrorist attacks. American tour groups may be at highest risk; travelers at the airport and using tour bus- es should use caution and watch their luggage. There are no new travel warnings this month. Travel warnings are in effect for Af- ghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bosnia, Burundi, Colombia, Croatia, Guatemala,Iran, Iraq. Lebanon,Liberia, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Rwanda, Serbia and Montenegro,Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Tajikistan. For late-breaking information, consult the State Department’s Overseas Citizens Services, (202) 647-5225; computer bulletin board, (202) 647-9225; or automated fax service, (202) 647-3000. SRS PekCa| (PA Ceiteeect DEATH VALLEY, LAUGHLIN & LAS VEGAS GET-AWAY onan oewe NIGHTLY, a ine Wendover Connection Round Trip With SPECIAL ROSE PARADE SAN DIEGO STYLE Dec. 28 - Jan. 3 FOCUS ON SOLVANG AND THE ROSE FPARADE Fy wiThsus TO THE TOURNAMENT oF ROSES PARADE districts with relatively little to But the worst of all is Bangkok, a abt FALL MYSTERY TOUR Oct 11-14 Train, Bost, Pisne, Camel, Who Knows’? How Brave Ars You? cians _ FOR RESERVATIONS, 975-0202, Crore SILVERSMITH, STATELINE '$ D CRUISIN’ es THERi ROSE PARADE Rose parade, New Years Eve Dinnertainment 4 NIGHT CRUISE, offer tourists. Others are spots that were once fashionable but are now passe. Thelist includes the Via Veneto in Rome, Hong KongIsland in Houg Kong, Grammercy Park in New York, and Broadwayin San Francisco. Onefinal note: Switzerland is city in constant gridlock amid searing heat and humidity. Parts THE WASHINGTON POST The U.S. State Department has announced that Americans PeeshcCem ontioas of the hotels marketed by paekage tours are in areas of major cities that are unattractive, declining or unsavory. Among them I count hotels in San Francisco's Union Square, Los Angeles’ downtown, Chicago's South Loop, New York’s Times Square, Soho in London andwithin 100 yards of any Europeantrainstation except those in London. Paris has severalof these areas, including Les Halles, Place de la Republique and Place Pigalle. If yourtravel agent books you in any of these, get a new travel agent. Other tourist-heavy areas are just boring. Some are business skating. Some Americans think the United States would bebetter off if it were more like Singapore, but then some people would vote for Adolf Hitler because he buiit nice highways. While we're in Asia, why would Americans Warned on St. Petersburg Travel the most beautiful country in the world. That no doubt is why God packed it with taciturn hoteliers andthe worst nationalcuisine this side of Bulgaria. Otherwise the world would move there. But bratwurst with boiled potatoes? Fondue? Better get a mountainview table and a big glass of beer. Enough? OK. Now I’m not claiming this is God's Truth handed down ontablets from the mount. Everybody has an opinion abouttravel. I love San Diego. Mywife thinksit’s the most boring city in North America. But if you go to any of the save the place, but I prefer near byFells Point. 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