What are the most interesting places you've ever been?

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by Brother_Karl

I am so jealous. What was your impression? Did any of your views get changed or challenged while you were there or were your views simply confirmed? Why did you decide to go in the first place? How much did you enjoy it there? Was there anything particulary weird about the place that stood out to you?

I had been in Germany for about 3 years at the time and had been most everywhere within driving distance and wanted to experience something completely different. I was living in Fulda, the likely focal point of any Russian invasion of Western Europe, and wanted to see what the "enemy" was all about.

The visit largely confirmed what I thought to be true, having been across East Germany and into East Berlin a few times. The biggest impression was the scarcity of common foodstuffs. A grocery store we went into in Moscow had stacks of bread and dried fish and not much else. Also, the accounting for/spying on western visitors was palpable within the hotels and on any formal tours/outings. We were left alone though as we wandered on our own through Leningrad and Moscow.

I remember the feeling of intense relief when our plane touched down in Vienna after our visit. It was like a burden had been lifted and we'd only been there 8 days.