Where to travel when you can't walk or eat?

[Metalcat]

If the desiderata are good scenery and bad food, it's hard to do better/worse than Utah.  Get an airbnb in Moab so you can fix what you need to eat, rent a pilot and a small plane (usually, Redtail Aviation) and have her fly you all the hell over Utah or even down to Grand Canyon.  I never knew anybody but long-distance road bikers that ever regretted missing a meal in Southern Utah.

I don't doubt that would be cool, but I've mentioned a few times that we have no interest in this trip focusing on nature. Our travel has been nature-focused for years, we bought an entire second home to have access to more nature-focused travel. We get more than enough exposure to absolutely mind melting natural sights.

We're looking for a cool city, and *not* in North America.

[Villanelle]

Edinburgh? Scotland isn't known for food. We walked a lot (and the Royal Mile might be intense, but you can take a cab to near the top/Castle and then slowly stroll down with a lot of stops, and/or break it into 2 days.

We enjoyed several good museums there, and even though I'm not a Royal-phile, the Royal Yacht Brittania was interesting (though I don't know how accessible it is.)  I think you said your DH vetoed London but maybe Scotland?

[Kris]

That's so tricky because walking and eating are the main things I usually do on trips.

But I'll say split and Dubrovnik in Croatia were amazing cities architecturally and visually, and both are fairly small so very easy to get around with just short walks or taxi rides if you stay central, although also lots of cobblestones.

The food was good but pretty standard seaside fare, not internationally known kind of good. Hope you find a place that works!

Cobblestone isn't a problem. Dubrovnik is definitely a possibility as it's one of DH's other favourite cities from his European adventures back in the 90s. Although seafood is my very, very favourite and I just suffered a week-long ischemic attack thanks to a few ounces of cod...

Yeah almost any seaside city would have lots of seafood so maybe inland options would have fewer temptations. My other suggestions are some landlocked cities I've enjoyed.

Vilnius, Lithuania. Super mediocre food (very potato centric) and a decent city to walk around. One particularly cool area is Uzupis, which considers itself independent and has their own statement of rights and obligations.

Budapest is also a really great city, not particularly memorable food but lots of neat historical areas and an incredible public bath/spa.

Prague was also a really cool city that I enjoyed visiting. Food was nothing special but I remember it being very cheap. This was over ten years ago so who knows now.

Lots of people are mentioning Rome but having been there and all over Italy, it's not the best part of Italy and even if there's lots of touristy food, Italian food is on average is still so good because everything is so fresh. But if you can tune it out, the historical sights are definitely worth a visit.

Oh, yeah, Vilnius is another good option. Which is in keeping with my “cities in Poland and maybe other central and eastern European places. (I’ll toss in another vote for Prague, too, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve been there so I don’t really know what it’s like food-wise now first-hand).

[Metalcat]

Edinburgh? Scotland isn't known for food. We walked a lot (and the Royal Mile might be intense, but you can take a cab to near the top/Castle and then slowly stroll down with a lot of stops, and/or break it into 2 days.

We enjoyed several good museums there, and even though I'm not a Royal-phile, the Royal Yacht Brittania was interesting (though I don't know how accessible it is.)  I think you said your DH vetoed London but maybe Scotland?

DH has never disliked Scotland, but I think he would prefer Ireland if he had to choose between the two because he's Irish.

[Metalcat]

That's so tricky because walking and eating are the main things I usually do on trips.

But I'll say split and Dubrovnik in Croatia were amazing cities architecturally and visually, and both are fairly small so very easy to get around with just short walks or taxi rides if you stay central, although also lots of cobblestones.

The food was good but pretty standard seaside fare, not internationally known kind of good. Hope you find a place that works!

Cobblestone isn't a problem. Dubrovnik is definitely a possibility as it's one of DH's other favourite cities from his European adventures back in the 90s. Although seafood is my very, very favourite and I just suffered a week-long ischemic attack thanks to a few ounces of cod...

Yeah almost any seaside city would have lots of seafood so maybe inland options would have fewer temptations. My other suggestions are some landlocked cities I've enjoyed.

Vilnius, Lithuania. Super mediocre food (very potato centric) and a decent city to walk around. One particularly cool area is Uzupis, which considers itself independent and has their own statement of rights and obligations.

Budapest is also a really great city, not particularly memorable food but lots of neat historical areas and an incredible public bath/spa.

Prague was also a really cool city that I enjoyed visiting. Food was nothing special but I remember it being very cheap. This was over ten years ago so who knows now.

Lots of people are mentioning Rome but having been there and all over Italy, it's not the best part of Italy and even if there's lots of touristy food, Italian food is on average is still so good because everything is so fresh. But if you can tune it out, the historical sights are definitely worth a visit.

Oh, yeah, Vilnius is another good option. Which is in keeping with my “cities in Poland and maybe other central and eastern European places. (I’ll toss in another vote for Prague, too, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve been there so I don’t really know what it’s like food-wise now first-hand).

I know DH loved Prague back in the day, so it's definitely an option.

[iris lily]

I'm going to second the recommendations for Northern, Eastern, or Central Europe.

Here's my thought process. You don't want to go to Canada or the US. Mexico's food is too good. South of Mexico, Central American food is not very good but there is not much urban exploration to be done, it's more of a nature/beach destination. South America is much further away. I have not been, but only Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires* come to mind as urban destinations. If you don't like their respective cuisines you might consider them, but generally their food is popular so I wouldn't recommend them for you. (Also Rio is famously hilly.)

Tokyo (or other Japanese cities) would score great for you on urban interestingness and able-to-get-around (as long as you're willing to shell out for some taxis) but the food is too delicious and it's a very long flight. The rest of Asia is ever further, less easy to get around, and the food is still delicious. Australia is even further, less good food, but less interesting. Africa is going to be difficult to get around. So write off all of Asia, Africa, and Australia. Antartica is not known for its urbanism either. (Wow, judging whole continents is fun!)

By process of elimination, this leaves Europe. Iceland, Norway, and the British Isles we can strike out for being too similar to your NL home. France is too tasty. Similarly, in the Mediterranean region, Barcelona and Florence must be avoided. In Madrid and Rome I have had great meals but also mediocre ones so they could be worth investigating but not my top choices for you.

The city in the Mediterranean that I found to have the worst food but still worthwhile to visit on its other strengths is Venice. (And I was trying, hard, to find good food!) But obviously getting around would be a big challenge (crutches would work but not a wheelchair, except within museums), especially if boats are more difficult for you than cars, so I cannot recommend it for you. Plus it's crowded, though crowds are concentrated in the most popular areas. (Though I suppose the compactness of the city might serve to your advantage? No, still not worthwhile. Even at your slow pace of exploration I am not sure it would hold your interest for long enough to be worth a trip in its own right...though you could pair it with another destination, say Rome or Croatia. But then you might well prefer to just stay there!)

I have never been to Croatia or anywhere in the Balkans and I don't know much about them so I can't speak to them.

Looking further southeast, there's Istanbul. When I went last year the food actually disappointed me greatly, plus my wife and I developed a digestive illness (possibly from the water rather than the food—even though we tried our best to only drink bottled water). I honestly didn't love it as a destination even food aside but some people do quite like it. Part of my issue was cultural; I don't like it when every restaurant and shop have a guy standing out front trying to get you to come in. Due to recent inflation in Turkey, it's not as good a deal as it once was. Not recommending it.

Rome...it could work. You'll definitely see and smell people at sidewalk cafes eating some good stuff. But it's also true that the average place you walk by might not be that good. There is a lot to see. But if I were you I would still avoid it on food grounds. Someone upthread mentioned the best time to visit Rome is Christmas. I have an aunt that says the same thing! I've only ever been in summer.

Instead, I'd turn to Switzerland or points north or east of it. I lived in Berlin for a year and while good restaurants can be found you won't be sad to be missing the standard German menu. Honestly I think Berlin is better to live in than to visit, so I'd prefer Munich. Better than Munich would be Vienna, which pairs nicely with Prague if you want to do two cities. Personally I prefer Vienna for being cleaner and more put together (also I speak German but not Czech), but you could well prefer Prague since I recall you don't mind a bit of grunge and grime in your cities.

I have only been to two cities in Switzerland (Bern and Lucerne) for a total of one long weekend. I found the country to be absolutely beautiful, and the food to be not only bland but also absurdly expensive. As such it scores very poorly (or very well, rather) on your food component! It has both global-tier cities and beautiful natural views. If you choose to take the train between cities or to see some glaciers, rides are short since it's a small country. I would strongly consider it.

The food in Belgium is not particularly good, though if you love the smell of fresh-fried frites you will have a bad time because the frites stands are everywhere. Brussels was great a weekend trip when I lived in Berlin but not worthwhile coming across the pond. Bruges is a popular destination of medieval architecture; I've never been.

I have never been to the Netherlands but I suspect it would be a very good match for you. Strongly recommend you consider it.

I've never to Poland but I think 2B1S's claim that the food is better in Warsaw than Rome is a very strong claim, I would definitely do your research!

I think I recall you've been to Copenhagen but maybe that was just a potential place to retire to. It could work. Rounding out the continent, Sweden and Finland could be options but I've never been.

Thanks for joining me on this quick judgmental tour of the world!

*on the subject of Argentinian food, here is a blog post both amusing and informative. It's 18 years old, so probably out of date. Warning, contains extensive descriptions of food, you may be better off not reading it!

Lucerne is a pretty little city. I am of a mi d to like smaller cities—Lucerne. Bruges. York. A traveler can really wrap your arms around them.

What about a car and driver for you mcat? That way you can direct the driver to stop whenever you need to stop.

We had a two week tour with a private car and driver in Romania and I won’t  go back to any other way to travel. Absolutely loved it. Now as it turns out he set the agenda and we varied very little just hitting gardens because that’s what I wanted to see. I loved Romania so much, castles and villages. Just loved it.

[Watchmaker]

Helsinki. It might be my favorite city I've ever been to, despite the food, definitely not because of it.

 

[E.T.]

I'm not sure if the altitude would bother you but I think Quito, Ecuador is a neat place to explore. I like the food but I wouldn't classify it as a foodie destination. Very meat, bread, and potatoes focused, so pretty boring compared to other Latin American cuisines. If you're interested, let me know. I can pm you details.

I agree with other posters that Lucerne is very pretty and not too food oriented. Same for Vienna too. I haven't been to Rome but have consistently heard from friends that the food was a disappointment.

[brunetteUK]

Hey Mcat!

When I read your initial post, I thought: Madeira Island, Portugal! It's nature focused, I apologise. But it's a beautiful island, you can rent a car and go around easily and it's known for it's beautiful flowers. The food is not the main attraction and it's a slow pace travel destination aimed at senior citizens. I just loved the vibe of the place.

Back on track now, I would strongly suggest Vienna. It's beautiful in terms of architecture and history and overall prettiness. It's not a massive place so you wouldn't be sitting in a car for a long time. While you rest, your DH can simply go out and walk around. They have great beers, surely they will have alcohol-free beer options too. Again, it's a beautiful city, I cannot state this enough!

I second Switzerland. Again, beautiful and magical with all that old world charm.

I have been to Czechia, Poland and Hungary and ...  I would caution against these destinations in your specific situation. In these places, you will get "cute, european, history since the middle ages" charm in the main city centre, which will be great. However, outside of the cute bubble, you will get soviet architecture and communism poverty vibes. The level of customer service and general population overt happiness will also be pretty grim by north american standards. (I went with a friend to shop for her expensive wedding dress in Poland and there was zero happy or celebratory energy about it. "Here are the dresses. You like? Don't like? Chose one and come back in 10 days for the next fitting)

I have been and loved my travels there, don't get me wrong. I just think Vienna and Switzerland will give you the old-European charm with castles and royalty and history and city buzz without the depression inducing post soviet vibes. (it's a cultural thing in eastern europe, smiling to the person you're interacting with is a sign you take them for an idiot and you think you can take advantage of them).

Germany may also be a good option but I've personally only been to Oktoberfest and the only  memory I have is of being drunk in a super cute fraulein dress.

I disliked Belgium intensely. Grumpy people, bad weather, nothing charming. Grey.

The Netherlands are really cool. Plenty of culture, history and design, a very cool way of life, people are open minded. Weather can be terrible, rainy, grey.

What is it that your DH disliked about London and the UK? Was it that the city was too big? Unreliable weather? People are unwelcoming?

I would caution against Rome if you're going on the assumption that food will be bad and it won't tempt you. Food is Paris can be terrible too, but still...

[horsemom]

If I may, I'd like to add a third (fourth?) vote for Prague!  By far my favorite city that I've traveled to in Europe.  My goodness, the history!  The architecture!  And the food was definitely not something I would highlight.  It was an eat to live experience for us vs. live to eat while there!  Of course, others may have had a far different experience (and it WAS 10 years ago)....

[Metalcat]

Prague is starting to win me over...

You folks have been amazing, I have so much to research now.

[iris lily]

Prague is starting to win me over...

You folks have been amazing, I have so much to research now.

Oh baby, I love Prague too! But it is horribly crowded. I heard a rumor they were thinking about limiting the number of tourists  at certain times of the year. Unlike the poster above, I found the Czech folks to be happy and industrious, generating a buzz of prosperity.

You can take a day trip from Prague to the gorgeous little spa town of Karlovy Vary, two hours away. If you hire a car, you could make that an overnight trip and go at your own pace, getting out of the car when you need to. There are also other day trips out of Prague like a concentration camp.

I think Switzerland is lovely and I’ve been there many times because my husband is of Swiss descent and he keeps in touch with his cousins there. Last year he went to visit cousins and they put him to work at their food booth in Davos which amused me.He had fun. I stayed in the States because I had a plant  Society convention to attend.

[corgiegirl]

[...] I would strongly suggest Vienna. It's beautiful in terms of architecture and history and overall prettiness. It's not a massive place so you wouldn't be sitting in a car for a long time. While you rest, your DH can simply go out and walk around. They have great beers, surely they will have alcohol-free beer options too. Again, it's a beautiful city, I cannot state this enough!

[...]

While Vienna has all the charm and culture you could ask for from a European city (art! opera! music! dancing horses!) it does have a very strong cafe culture with mouthwatering cakes and pastries.  But as long as you don't have a sweet tooth and are happy to inhale coffee if you can't drink it it does otherwise meet your food requirements.

[jrhampt]

I actually quite like the food in Prague (lots of beef tartare, for example) and found Budapest pretty tasty as well.  But neither is a food destination, so it wouldn't be too in your face in those two cities.  They are beautiful and full of great things to see.  Lots of castles, and you could hang out in the baths in Budapest if you needed a rest day.

German food bores me to death.  So I would agree with the consensus that several cities in Germany, Switzerland (not all German food since there are also French and Italian sections, but all terribly expensive as mentioned previously, and really my diet in Switzerland is just wine, cheese, and chocolate from the grocery store), and Austria (with the exception of pastries) would work.  I've spent quite a bit of time in Vienna, and since music is not on your list of things you can't do, I would go there and have an absolute orgy of live music performances plus the great museums like the kunsthistoriches. 

[reeshau]

If you are observant, you can supplement your visit to the Lipizzaner stallions in Vienna with a visit to the Lipizzaner cats!  They have a group of barn cats that live at the gorgeous stables.  I was visiting with them when the horses paraded by, through a covered walkway from the arena to the show.  I was eye level and less than 5 feet away, and it was free!

[Metalcat]

If you are observant, you can supplement your visit to the Lipizzaner stallions in Virpenna with a visit to the Lipizzaner cats!  They have a group of barn cats that live at the gorgeous stables.  I was visiting with them when the horses paraded by, through a covered walkway from the arena to the show.  I was eye level and less than 5 feet away, and it was free!

Lol, that's awesome.

Incidentally, I have seen the Lipizzaner stallions at a show in Canada

[K_in_the_kitchen]

hey metalcat - is it the texture/chunkiness of food? or the biochemical stuff?

Like - If you got a plate of ravioli, could you pop it into the vitamix for 30 seconds, and then eat it? or does it need to be bland as well as soft?

if you got a baked potato at the table, can you mash it yourself with a fork and eat? could you mash up ravioli?

my only suggestion would be something on the water, where you could pack a lunch of approved foods, and sit in the boat and roam around that way?

The food thing is complicated, I would rather not get into the weeds on it, which is why I shared what I can eat.

This is totally understandable.  I was recently diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, and we’ve yet to get it into remission despite steroids and multiple doses of an IV biologic.  I recently went back on the steroids just to be able to eat.  I can eat beef, lamb, and pork cooked with salt but no other seasonings.  I can’t eat chicken as I’ve developed a chicken allergy.  I can eat bacon (checking ingredients).  I can eat eggs.  I can eat hard cheeses.  I can’t eat fluid dairy at all — no sour cream, no yogurt, no cottage cheese, no ice cream.  Liquid dairy baked into things seems okay, which is good since I also have tree nut allergies and can’t have nut milks, nor can I have soy or oat milks.  I can eat mashed potatoes or baked/boiled potatoes that I mash with my fork.  I can eat white bread if the ingredients are safe.  I can eat butter.  I can eat plain white crackers.  I can eat pasta, but only with butter or as macaroni and cheese.  Other than potato I haven’t yet been successful with produce other than making a smoothie of peaches, pineapple, and mango (no seeded fruits allowed), and that depends on my body on any given day.  Deep fried foods mess me up, fiber messes me up, seasonings mess me up.

We haven’t even begun to consider how to travel other than going places in the campervan so I can take all of my own food.  Trying to get food that hasn’t been seasoned with black pepper is really hard, so I’m trying to figure out if I’m safe with very small amounts (like at the bottom of an ingredient list).  The really hard thing is it will seem like I can eat something and then my doctor takes me off the steroids and it turns out I can’t eat those foods after all.

I understand that you’re looking for places you can go without feeling like you are missing out on food, and I’m happy to see these suggestions as well.  I have a friend who also has disabilities and food issues (like me) and she takes her food in a self heating Steambox.  But her advice to me was to go ahead and really grieve what I’ve lost.  I wasn’t a chef, but not only did I bake all of our bread, I ground the wheat berries into flour to bake our bread and other baked goods, as well as to make our own whole grain porridges.  I cooked from scratch daily using a rainbow of fresh local produce.  I went to the farmers market and belonged to a CSA.  When traveling I used to love to go to farmers markets for fresh local produce.  I was always working around food allergies, but there was plenty I could cook and eat, and I could eat at restaurants.  Now it feels like restaurants are my enemy.  I feel like half my identity has been taken away from me, compounded by being very ill and losing my health.  I cried the first time I had to use a walker.  Sure I have answers now, but there’s so much I’ll never get back.  We have to grieve these things.

[Metalcat]

hey metalcat - is it the texture/chunkiness of food? or the biochemical stuff?

Like - If you got a plate of ravioli, could you pop it into the vitamix for 30 seconds, and then eat it? or does it need to be bland as well as soft?

if you got a baked potato at the table, can you mash it yourself with a fork and eat? could you mash up ravioli?

my only suggestion would be something on the water, where you could pack a lunch of approved foods, and sit in the boat and roam around that way?

The food thing is complicated, I would rather not get into the weeds on it, which is why I shared what I can eat.

This is totally understandable.  I was recently diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease, and we’ve yet to get it into remission despite steroids and multiple doses of an IV biologic.  I recently went back on the steroids just to be able to eat.  I can eat beef, lamb, and pork cooked with salt but no other seasonings.  I can’t eat chicken as I’ve developed a chicken allergy.  I can eat bacon (checking ingredients).  I can eat eggs.  I can eat hard cheeses.  I can’t eat fluid dairy at all — no sour cream, no yogurt, no cottage cheese, no ice cream.  Liquid dairy baked into things seems okay, which is good since I also have tree nut allergies and can’t have nut milks, nor can I have soy or oat milks.  I can eat mashed potatoes or baked/boiled potatoes that I mash with my fork.  I can eat white bread if the ingredients are safe.  I can eat butter.  I can eat plain white crackers.  I can eat pasta, but only with butter or as macaroni and cheese.  Other than potato I haven’t yet been successful with produce other than making a smoothie of peaches, pineapple, and mango (no seeded fruits allowed), and that depends on my body on any given day.  Deep fried foods mess me up, fiber messes me up, seasonings mess me up.

We haven’t even begun to consider how to travel other than going places in the campervan so I can take all of my own food.  Trying to get food that hasn’t been seasoned with black pepper is really hard, so I’m trying to figure out if I’m safe with very small amounts (like at the bottom of an ingredient list).  The really hard thing is it will seem like I can eat something and then my doctor takes me off the steroids and it turns out I can’t eat those foods after all.

I understand that you’re looking for places you can go without feeling like you are missing out on food, and I’m happy to see these suggestions as well.  I have a friend who also has disabilities and food issues (like me) and she takes her food in a self heating Steambox.  But her advice to me was to go ahead and really grieve what I’ve lost.  I wasn’t a chef, but not only did I bake all of our bread, I ground the wheat berries into flour to bake our bread and other baked goods, as well as to make our own whole grain porridges.  I cooked from scratch daily using a rainbow of fresh local produce.  I went to the farmers market and belonged to a CSA.  When traveling I used to love to go to farmers markets for fresh local produce.  I was always working around food allergies, but there was plenty I could cook and eat, and I could eat at restaurants.  Now it feels like restaurants are my enemy.  I feel like half my identity has been taken away from me, compounded by being very ill and losing my health.  I cried the first time I had to use a walker.  Sure I have answers now, but there’s so much I’ll never get back.  We have to grieve these things.

Yup. I literally just finished a session with my therapist where I ugly cried my way through most of it.

I'm *really* not in a good place right now, which is why I'm trying to plan a fun adventure, because I could really use something exciting and new and stimulating to remember that life isn't just the relentless series of devastating losses I've experienced over the past 6 years.

Also, IBD sucks, I just spent my whole Saturday curled up in bed with a friend who has IBD and we pretty much spent hours talking about poop, lol, it was a great time comparing poop drama. I don't have IBD, I have scar tissue strangulating my sigmoid colon, so it's similar, but also very different. But I keep the poop chats to my journal, no one wants to think about human waste in a travel thread.

[mm1970]

Haven't read all the replies, but ... Copenhagen.  I really enjoy visiting (full disclosure: DH has family there.)  Food's ok.

Also, I was underwhelmed by the food in Japan, and lost weight that 4 days...

[Metalcat]

Haven't read all the replies, but ... Copenhagen.  I really enjoy visiting (full disclosure: DH has family there.)  Food's ok.

Also, I was underwhelmed by the food in Japan, and lost weight that 4 days...

Copenhagen is way up there because of the food and that I have a lot of family in Denmark who I haven't seen in ages.

[ToTheMoon]

Have you considered somewhere like Panama City, Panama?

Relatively short flights (4.5 hrs and 4.5 roughly), good weather, different culture, but easy to navigate and lots of cool sights.

We have really enjoyed travelling in Panama, and Panama City with Casco Viejo and the canal etc were so interesting. The country is relatively small, so if you wanted to change cities/sights the flights are short. Just thought I'd mention it since I don't think I saw it come up before!

[Metalcat]

Have you considered somewhere like Panama City, Panama?

Relatively short flights (4.5 hrs and 4.5 roughly), good weather, different culture, but easy to navigate and lots of cool sights.

We have really enjoyed travelling in Panama, and Panama City with Casco Viejo and the canal etc were so interesting. The country is relatively small, so if you wanted to change cities/sights the flights are short. Just thought I'd mention it since I don't think I saw it come up before!

Not a bad idea at all, my ex's family lived in Panama City for years and I've heard so many stories about it, but have never been.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Yup. I literally just finished a session with my therapist where I ugly cried my way through most of it.

I'm *really* not in a good place right now, which is why I'm trying to plan a fun adventure, because I could really use something exciting and new and stimulating to remember that life isn't just the relentless series of devastating losses I've experienced over the past 6 years.

Also, IBD sucks, I just spent my whole Saturday curled up in bed with a friend who has IBD and we pretty much spent hours talking about poop, lol, it was a great time comparing poop drama. I don't have IBD, I have scar tissue strangulating my sigmoid colon, so it's similar, but also very different. But I keep the poop chats to my journal, no one wants to think about human waste in a travel thread.

Lol, figuring out poop is a major part of travel for people with bowel disorders.

I was diagnosed with my 4th and 5th autoimmune diseases in 2024, with the IBD being the most severe and the latest flare having been going on for years, just undiagnosed and incorrectly diagnosed.  We bought Disneyland annual passes as our fun adventure once I was up to being away from home for a few hours, mostly because there are bathrooms everywhere, but it does help that the food isn’t that appealing if you actually like food, lol, and not just what it looks like.  I’m not ready to travel yet aside from close to home trips in the van, but Disneyland has brought me joy that was absolutely missing.  I know a lot of people dislike Disneyland, but I’ve been going since I was in utero, and for half of my childhood lived very close.  Riding Space Mountain makes me incredibly happy.  Sure, I have to use a walker, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be — no one at Disneyland is thinking about me at all.

I’m glad to see people here recommending The Netherlands, as I have that on my list for a potential summer 2026 trip.  We’ve never been to Europe, but we have family living there now, and they will be very understanding of my limitations.

[Metalcat]

Yup. I literally just finished a session with my therapist where I ugly cried my way through most of it.

I'm *really* not in a good place right now, which is why I'm trying to plan a fun adventure, because I could really use something exciting and new and stimulating to remember that life isn't just the relentless series of devastating losses I've experienced over the past 6 years.

Also, IBD sucks, I just spent my whole Saturday curled up in bed with a friend who has IBD and we pretty much spent hours talking about poop, lol, it was a great time comparing poop drama. I don't have IBD, I have scar tissue strangulating my sigmoid colon, so it's similar, but also very different. But I keep the poop chats to my journal, no one wants to think about human waste in a travel thread.

Lol, figuring out poop is a major part of travel for people with bowel disorders.

I was diagnosed with my 4th and 5th autoimmune diseases in 2024, with the IBD being the most severe and the latest flare having been going on for years, just undiagnosed and incorrectly diagnosed.  We bought Disneyland annual passes as our fun adventure once I was up to being away from home for a few hours, mostly because there are bathrooms everywhere, but it does help that the food isn’t that appealing if you actually like food, lol, and not just what it looks like.  I’m not ready to travel yet aside from close to home trips in the van, but Disneyland has brought me joy that was absolutely missing.  I know a lot of people dislike Disneyland, but I’ve been going since I was in utero, and for half of my childhood lived very close.  Riding Space Mountain makes me incredibly happy.  Sure, I have to use a walker, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be — no one at Disneyland is thinking about me at all.

I’m glad to see people here recommending The Netherlands, as I have that on my list for a potential summer 2026 trip.  We’ve never been to Europe, but we have family living there now, and they will be very understanding of my limitations.

Thankfully I don't have bathroom issues like IBD folks, I don't have a reactive, inflammatory condition. As long as I take zero risks with my diet, I'm generally fine.

My diet is just much, much more restrictive than most inflammatory condition diets. I just figured out today that I probably can't actually have mashed potatoes. So that's out.

[classicrando]

I'll toss in a suggestion for Barcelona. 
It was founded by the Romans (so it has a long history) and is densely packed, being hemmed in between mountains and the sea.  There are tons of things to see; some suggestions being: the Maritime Museum, la Sagrada Familia, Cementiri Poblenou, Tower Glories, Parc Guell, Parc Ciutadella, and Mont Juic.  The public transportation is fantastic.  You can get basically anywhere in the city in about 30 minutes via your choice of bus, subway, tram, or (in some cases) cable car.  It was actually faster than driving when I was there.  Hope this helps!

[Metalcat]

I'll toss in a suggestion for Barcelona. 
It was founded by the Romans (so it has a long history) and is densely packed, being hemmed in between mountains and the sea.  There are tons of things to see; some suggestions being: the Maritime Museum, la Sagrada Familia, Cementiri Poblenou, Tower Glories, Parc Guell, Parc Ciutadella, and Mont Juic.  The public transportation is fantastic.  You can get basically anywhere in the city in about 30 minutes via your choice of bus, subway, tram, or (in some cases) cable car.  It was actually faster than driving when I was there.  Hope this helps!

Is public transit generally crowded though? I don't do super well standing on buses and trains for very long.

[AMandM]

Re: public transit, you might not have to stand as much as you fear. In the German cities I've lived in and recommended above, and in Paris when I was there umpteen years ago, every bus and every metro car had seats designated specifically for disabled people, and the culture respected that. If an able-bodied person was sitting there, they would get up when they saw, say, a person with crutches board. OTOH, I don't know how things would play out with non-obvious disabilities, espcially if you don't speak the local language.

[Metalcat]

Re: public transit, you might not have to stand as much as you fear. In the German cities I've lived in and recommended above, and in Paris when I was there umpteen years ago, every bus and every metro car had seats designated specifically for disabled people, and the culture respected that. If an able-bodied person was sitting there, they would get up when they saw, say, a person with crutches board. OTOH, I don't know how things would play out with non-obvious disabilities, espcially if you don't speak the local language.

I often walk with walking aides if I'm going more than around a block, so it's pretty obvious I'm disabled, but how accommodating people are very much depends on the specific city.

For example, in Canada, if I'm in Ottawa, Montreal, or Halifax, people are amazing about accommodating me, but if I'm in Toronto, people are more likely to get pissed off at me for being slow or my crutches getting in their way.

So yeah, it varies.

[classicrando]

+1 to what @AMandM said.  Also, my Spanish is atrocious and I don't speak Catalan, but I didn't have any trouble navigating everything in English.

@Metalcat The public transport was sometimes crowded, but not overwhelmingly so (not like Chicago at rush hour, for example).  And, at least for my usage, most trips on it were very quick.  Most of my experience was with the subway, and other than the trip to and from the airport (which was about an hour if I recall, most of my trips getting around to see things were less than 10 minutes.

[Metalcat]

+1 to what @AMandM said.  Also, my Spanish is atrocious and I don't speak Catalan, but I didn't have any trouble navigating everything in English.

@Metalcat The public transport was sometimes crowded, but not overwhelmingly so (not like Chicago at rush hour, for example).  And, at least for my usage, most trips on it were very quick.  Most of my experience was with the subway, and other than the trip to and from the airport (which was about an hour if I recall, most of my trips getting around to see things were less than 10 minutes.

Yeah, that sounds pretty doable. Thank you!

[Captain Pierogi]

Combining a few responses above, I would look into combining Helsinki and Tallin, Estonia.  There is a two-hour ferry that runs between the two, and by ferry, I mean a comfortable, mini cruise ship.  Both are small cities with plenty to do.  Helsinki has a good tram system, although you may not even need it.  Old Town of Tallin is very compact.  And frankly, nothing I ate in either place was memorable, outside of the bite of reindeer hotdog I had at the Helsinki port which was purely for the novelty.  Spring would be a lovely time for both.

[jrhampt]

Yup. I literally just finished a session with my therapist where I ugly cried my way through most of it.

I'm *really* not in a good place right now, which is why I'm trying to plan a fun adventure, because I could really use something exciting and new and stimulating to remember that life isn't just the relentless series of devastating losses I've experienced over the past 6 years.

Also, IBD sucks, I just spent my whole Saturday curled up in bed with a friend who has IBD and we pretty much spent hours talking about poop, lol, it was a great time comparing poop drama. I don't have IBD, I have scar tissue strangulating my sigmoid colon, so it's similar, but also very different. But I keep the poop chats to my journal, no one wants to think about human waste in a travel thread.

Lol, figuring out poop is a major part of travel for people with bowel disorders.

Ha.  So true.  And I only have IBS, not IBD.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Yup. I literally just finished a session with my therapist where I ugly cried my way through most of it.

I'm *really* not in a good place right now, which is why I'm trying to plan a fun adventure, because I could really use something exciting and new and stimulating to remember that life isn't just the relentless series of devastating losses I've experienced over the past 6 years.

Also, IBD sucks, I just spent my whole Saturday curled up in bed with a friend who has IBD and we pretty much spent hours talking about poop, lol, it was a great time comparing poop drama. I don't have IBD, I have scar tissue strangulating my sigmoid colon, so it's similar, but also very different. But I keep the poop chats to my journal, no one wants to think about human waste in a travel thread.

Lol, figuring out poop is a major part of travel for people with bowel disorders.

I was diagnosed with my 4th and 5th autoimmune diseases in 2024, with the IBD being the most severe and the latest flare having been going on for years, just undiagnosed and incorrectly diagnosed.  We bought Disneyland annual passes as our fun adventure once I was up to being away from home for a few hours, mostly because there are bathrooms everywhere, but it does help that the food isn’t that appealing if you actually like food, lol, and not just what it looks like.  I’m not ready to travel yet aside from close to home trips in the van, but Disneyland has brought me joy that was absolutely missing.  I know a lot of people dislike Disneyland, but I’ve been going since I was in utero, and for half of my childhood lived very close.  Riding Space Mountain makes me incredibly happy.  Sure, I have to use a walker, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be — no one at Disneyland is thinking about me at all.

I’m glad to see people here recommending The Netherlands, as I have that on my list for a potential summer 2026 trip.  We’ve never been to Europe, but we have family living there now, and they will be very understanding of my limitations.

Thankfully I don't have bathroom issues like IBD folks, I don't have a reactive, inflammatory condition. As long as I take zero risks with my diet, I'm generally fine.

My diet is just much, much more restrictive than most inflammatory condition diets. I just figured out today that I probably can't actually have mashed potatoes. So that's out.

Aw, that sucks.  I live off mashed potatoes these days, usually the Honest Earth instant potatoes made with butter and water (boring but safe).  When I was first diagnosed I could eat beef cooked with salt, plus boiled potatoes, and nothing else.  Multiple severe food allergies and other autoimmune conditions with dietary restrictions complicate it for me.  I can’t have Ensure or other meal replacement drinks.  Hopefully you will figure out what works for you and find a way to travel!

[Metalcat]

Yup. I literally just finished a session with my therapist where I ugly cried my way through most of it.

I'm *really* not in a good place right now, which is why I'm trying to plan a fun adventure, because I could really use something exciting and new and stimulating to remember that life isn't just the relentless series of devastating losses I've experienced over the past 6 years.

Also, IBD sucks, I just spent my whole Saturday curled up in bed with a friend who has IBD and we pretty much spent hours talking about poop, lol, it was a great time comparing poop drama. I don't have IBD, I have scar tissue strangulating my sigmoid colon, so it's similar, but also very different. But I keep the poop chats to my journal, no one wants to think about human waste in a travel thread.

Lol, figuring out poop is a major part of travel for people with bowel disorders.

I was diagnosed with my 4th and 5th autoimmune diseases in 2024, with the IBD being the most severe and the latest flare having been going on for years, just undiagnosed and incorrectly diagnosed.  We bought Disneyland annual passes as our fun adventure once I was up to being away from home for a few hours, mostly because there are bathrooms everywhere, but it does help that the food isn’t that appealing if you actually like food, lol, and not just what it looks like.  I’m not ready to travel yet aside from close to home trips in the van, but Disneyland has brought me joy that was absolutely missing.  I know a lot of people dislike Disneyland, but I’ve been going since I was in utero, and for half of my childhood lived very close.  Riding Space Mountain makes me incredibly happy.  Sure, I have to use a walker, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be — no one at Disneyland is thinking about me at all.

I’m glad to see people here recommending The Netherlands, as I have that on my list for a potential summer 2026 trip.  We’ve never been to Europe, but we have family living there now, and they will be very understanding of my limitations.

Thankfully I don't have bathroom issues like IBD folks, I don't have a reactive, inflammatory condition. As long as I take zero risks with my diet, I'm generally fine.

My diet is just much, much more restrictive than most inflammatory condition diets. I just figured out today that I probably can't actually have mashed potatoes. So that's out.

Aw, that sucks.  I live off mashed potatoes these days, usually the Honest Earth instant potatoes made with butter and water (boring but safe).  When I was first diagnosed I could eat beef cooked with salt, plus boiled potatoes, and nothing else.  Multiple severe food allergies and other autoimmune conditions with dietary restrictions complicate it for me.  I can’t have Ensure or other meal replacement drinks.  Hopefully you will figure out what works for you and find a way to travel!

Ugh, that sucks. If i couldn't have ensure, I pretty much wouldn't be able to get nutrients, I honestly don't know what I would do.

[Villanelle]

I'll toss in a suggestion for Barcelona. 
It was founded by the Romans (so it has a long history) and is densely packed, being hemmed in between mountains and the sea.  There are tons of things to see; some suggestions being: the Maritime Museum, la Sagrada Familia, Cementiri Poblenou, Tower Glories, Parc Guell, Parc Ciutadella, and Mont Juic.  The public transportation is fantastic.  You can get basically anywhere in the city in about 30 minutes via your choice of bus, subway, tram, or (in some cases) cable car.  It was actually faster than driving when I was there.  Hope this helps!

Is public transit generally crowded though? I don't do super well standing on buses and trains for very long.

When I was in Barcelona, we primarily used the Hop On, Hop Off buses for transportation.  We always got seats and found this a great way to see the city.  I've have very mixed experiences with HO-HO busses in various cities, but in Barcelona, it was fantastic and got us everywhere we needed to go, plus offered nice commentary along the way.  (It's been a number of years--this was maybe 2015.  So it's possible things have changed, and IIRC, some of the lines the HO-HO bus ran were seasonal, so that's something to keep in mind)

[jrhampt]

I'll toss in a suggestion for Barcelona. 
It was founded by the Romans (so it has a long history) and is densely packed, being hemmed in between mountains and the sea.  There are tons of things to see; some suggestions being: the Maritime Museum, la Sagrada Familia, Cementiri Poblenou, Tower Glories, Parc Guell, Parc Ciutadella, and Mont Juic.  The public transportation is fantastic.  You can get basically anywhere in the city in about 30 minutes via your choice of bus, subway, tram, or (in some cases) cable car.  It was actually faster than driving when I was there.  Hope this helps!

Is public transit generally crowded though? I don't do super well standing on buses and trains for very long.

When I was in Barcelona, we primarily used the Hop On, Hop Off buses for transportation.  We always got seats and found this a great way to see the city.  I've have very mixed experiences with HO-HO busses in various cities, but in Barcelona, it was fantastic and got us everywhere we needed to go, plus offered nice commentary along the way.  (It's been a number of years--this was maybe 2015.  So it's possible things have changed, and IIRC, some of the lines the HO-HO bus ran were seasonal, so that's something to keep in mind)

Oh, great suggestion!  We used it in Budapest and it was great.

[fuzzy math]

My immediate thought would be Santorini Greece. I have no idea if it has the accommodations you need or the lack of food component because I haven't been there. But it jumped out in my mind as my first place I'd want to travel to if I were worried about not having that option in the future, so I had to offer it up.

My biggest advice to you would be to Google the access to the foods you need. If you drink a certain brand of Ensure, can it be bought there? Does the product differ in ingredients in different regions of the world? Would that change possibly make you sick enough to ruin your trip? What are the reviews of travelers with a restricted diet like in whatever city you want to go to? I have a gluten allergy, there are lots of blogs about traveling the world and restaurants in various cities who cater to that diet. With your short list of foods, you might want to start with a search on a celiac blog just to get an idea of the culture of the place and how they familiar they are and how often they deal with allergies / restrictions. Some cultures I've found understand it better or worse. There are entire cuisines I don't eat because I've found the lack of understanding to be troubling enough and have gotten sick enough times even after getting assurances that its ok. Some of that comes down to the fact that many autoimmune diseases seem to strike white western women more than others (ie, maybe its just not a problem in their country of origin).  Some of the familiarity of keeping a safe kitchen is going to come down to how often touristy places deal with people like me traveling there.
I saw you updated that potatoes are possibly out, but I'm still going to use it as an example of what I would be worried about when eating abroad. If you can't eat oils, or butter, or if there's something in a spice mix  that they would normally put in their mashed potatoes, you have to make sure that the kitchen understands that all of those things are a source of possible contamination. You also need to have an idea of what other products have ingredients that would be totally safe to use to cook your food in Canada, but that product again (maybe an oil blend) might be totally different there and not safe.


If you are looking to go somewhere and order a dry plain potato, or X, Y or Z single ingredient food I'd want to print up cards in the local language that I'd be able to pass out to staff and have them take back to the kitchen. Something like "I have ____ condition. I can only eat the following foods. Please do not add any of the following items _____ to these foods. Do not season them or cook them in _____ ".

Hopefully that helps! I'm sure that's something you're learning to do locally, but the language barrier can really cause a strange game of telephone that puts unexpected things in your food, especially if the wait staff is trying to talk to you in English and struggling...

[Metalcat]

I don't actually intend to order food anywhere.

I'll either bring ensure with me or buy it there. Almost every place I'm considering should have an appropriate meal shake available.

Without the option of potatoes, there's pretty much nothing I could even order at a restaurant aside from scrambled eggs. No restaurant would serve anything I could eat because no one would ever want it.

Other than maybe ice cream, some places might have ice cream I could order.

[CNM]

What about a trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa?  I did this many years ago and, as I remember it, the animal safaris are entirely via car/van to minimize too-close contact between animals and humans.  I did not find the food in South Africa to be particularly appetizing, either.

[Metalcat]

What about a trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa?  I did this many years ago and, as I remember it, the animal safaris are entirely via car/van to minimize too-close contact between animals and humans.  I did not find the food in South Africa to be particularly appetizing, either.

That would definitely be too far for a shorter trip

[PhilB]

First up, my sympathies.  I can't begin to imagine how awful it would be to have the enjoyment of food taken away.

As a general principle, cities with 'high culture' - top museums, grand architecture, etc, also tend to have a food culture (apart from in Germany) so, to my mind,  a non-city holiday might be better? I know you don't want to do nature, but there are loads of other interesting things to base a holiday around. Would you be interested in ancient ruins, or vernacular architecture, industrial archaeology or gardens?  There are many places in Europe where you could work out an itinerary visiting fascinating places in the countryside or small towns.  Hire a small campervan and you can self cater and break the journey as you need to and cover more ground, or just pick a smaller area and use a hire car and a holiday cottage or two.  The world is full of fascinating little things for those who take the trouble to look.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful time.

[Metalcat]

First up, my sympathies.  I can't begin to imagine how awful it would be to have the enjoyment of food taken away.

As a general principle, cities with 'high culture' - top museums, grand architecture, etc, also tend to have a food culture (apart from in Germany) so, to my mind,  a non-city holiday might be better? I know you don't want to do nature, but there are loads of other interesting things to base a holiday around. Would you be interested in ancient ruins, or vernacular architecture, industrial archaeology or gardens?  There are many places in Europe where you could work out an itinerary visiting fascinating places in the countryside or small towns.  Hire a small campervan and you can self cater and break the journey as you need to and cover more ground, or just pick a smaller area and use a hire car and a holiday cottage or two.  The world is full of fascinating little things for those who take the trouble to look.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful time.

If I can't figure out an optimal major city to visit, then we probably just won't do an international trip this year.

[seattlecyclone]

I really enjoyed a trip to Peru (particularly Cusco and Machu Picchu) years ago. The food was not particularly memorable. The tourist areas in Cusco are generally pretty compact and you might want to explore some on foot to the best of your ability, while hiring vehicles otherwise.

I'll echo everyone else's sympathy for your dietary restrictions. I remember my great-aunt/step-grandmother had a very Ensure-heavy diet in her later years due to cancer. She made everyone else delicious cookies that she couldn't eat herself. I still don't know how she did it.

[JupiterGreen]

I have been to a few places that have been mentioned. For Rome I would stay out of Vatican city because that walk through towards the Sistine Chapel is packed tight with people and lots of stairs and nowhere to sit down. I vote for any of the German cities, I've always been pleasantly surprised with Germany and never had a bad time. Which city you go to will depend on your personal interests. I haven't been to Eastern Europe. My friend lived in Argentina and told me the food wasn't good, she a chef, but I've never been and I think you mentioned that was too far, but might be a consideration for a two-part trip someday. I have some dietary restrictions (not like yours) and I never travel for the food, its always the sites. I feel like if you get excited about seeing a place, like for me I'd love to go to Prague and see that clock tower, the museum etc. that's a good way to approach this. Like I said, I never expect to find food in a location so maybe try to really pivot to what you want to see. What gets you excited? Art, music, architecture, technology, fashion, people watching? I understand that might be hard if you were a former chef, so I like your strategy of staying away from the culinary destinations. You got this!

[Metalcat]

I have been to a few places that have been mentioned. For Rome I would stay out of Vatican city because that walk through towards the Sistine Chapel is packed tight with people and lots of stairs and nowhere to sit down. I vote for any of the German cities, I've always been pleasantly surprised with Germany and never had a bad time. Which city you go to will depend on your personal interests. I haven't been to Eastern Europe. My friend lived in Argentina and told me the food wasn't good, she a chef, but I've never been and I think you mentioned that was too far, but might be a consideration for a two-part trip someday. I have some dietary restrictions (not like yours) and I never travel for the food, its always the sites. I feel like if you get excited about seeing a place, like for me I'd love to go to Prague and see that clock tower, the museum etc. that's a good way to approach this. Like I said, I never expect to find food in a location so maybe try to really pivot to what you want to see. What gets you excited? Art, music, architecture, technology, fashion, people watching? I understand that might be hard if you were a former chef, so I like your strategy of staying away from the culinary destinations. You got this!

Exactly. It's going to take me time to get used to food not being a huge part of cultural experiences. Even if the food in an area is bad, it's always been a HUGE part of how I experience an area.

The food out here in Newfoundland is pretty dreadful on average, but it's still been such a cornerstone experience to me getting to understand the culture. I feel profoundly limited by the prospect of exploring a new place and not being able to engage in food as part of understanding it.

It's going to be a massive adjustment.

[GuitarStv]

The food out here in Newfoundland is pretty dreadful on average

But there are so many options!  Corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, OR cod . . .

[Frugal Lizard]

Have you looked into the Azores?

Not as long a flight as mainland Portugal. Not so crowded in the off season. Food can be good, but can be very bland.

My favourite parts were bathing in the ocean in the natural swim pools. Especially the ones with vents that warmed the water.

[jrhampt]

I really enjoyed a trip to Peru (particularly Cusco and Machu Picchu) years ago. The food was not particularly memorable. The tourist areas in Cusco are generally pretty compact and you might want to explore some on foot to the best of your ability, while hiring vehicles otherwise.

Oh, I actually really, really love Peruvian food.  The ceviche, ALL the potatoes (Peru has an amazing variety of potatoes and different potato dishes), papa a la huancaina in particular, tallarin verde, lucuma, quinoa stew, ahi de gallina, alfajores...I would not go to Peru if I couldn't eat the food.

[JupiterGreen]

I have been to a few places that have been mentioned. For Rome I would stay out of Vatican city because that walk through towards the Sistine Chapel is packed tight with people and lots of stairs and nowhere to sit down. I vote for any of the German cities, I've always been pleasantly surprised with Germany and never had a bad time. Which city you go to will depend on your personal interests. I haven't been to Eastern Europe. My friend lived in Argentina and told me the food wasn't good, she a chef, but I've never been and I think you mentioned that was too far, but might be a consideration for a two-part trip someday. I have some dietary restrictions (not like yours) and I never travel for the food, its always the sites. I feel like if you get excited about seeing a place, like for me I'd love to go to Prague and see that clock tower, the museum etc. that's a good way to approach this. Like I said, I never expect to find food in a location so maybe try to really pivot to what you want to see. What gets you excited? Art, music, architecture, technology, fashion, people watching? I understand that might be hard if you were a former chef, so I like your strategy of staying away from the culinary destinations. You got this!

Exactly. It's going to take me time to get used to food not being a huge part of cultural experiences. Even if the food in an area is bad, it's always been a HUGE part of how I experience an area.

The food out here in Newfoundland is pretty dreadful on average, but it's still been such a cornerstone experience to me getting to understand the culture. I feel profoundly limited by the prospect of exploring a new place and not being able to engage in food as part of understanding it.

It's going to be a massive adjustment.

You know I've been thinking about this topic. You've inspired me to remember how I've use my other senses and appreciate them, and like really purposefully lean into them. My friend went to Japan and took video of the temples and all the sounds made from trees, chimes, etc. and it made me feel something in my body (cells?), kind of like a gong bath (popular here in the states) I was like whoah I want to feel that place. And Kyoto gave me that zing, not sure what it was but I wondered what it smelled like, I guessed it smelled like moss, but who knows. I also wondered how the wind felt there, the temperature, and it made me want to feel the place and appreciate the unique craft, buildings, and traditional dress that you see here and there. I've not been to Japan but it's on my list.

I still remember the time I went to see the redwoods in the pacific northwest US like 20 year ago, what the forest smelled like and the feeling of the bark, how noticeably cool the trees made the forest, on the other hand I have no idea what I ate. LA was like this weird dry warmth, everyone smiled and smelled good and leaned against really expensive cars. Vegas was like a movie set, hot and noisy, people touch you a lot. Boulder Colorado, bright and how the mountains were breathtaking the way they jut right up into the sky next to the city. Amsterdam seemed to be full of people who didn't emote and cyclists were serious, I really liked the people in Belgium and Denmark, Paris has great architectures and last time I went the protests gave that bit of adrenaline the danger I guess, Rome was dusty it made me feel surreal to walk among the relics the colosseum was surprisingly well worth it, Barcelona's beaches were dirty I didn't like that, but the art was good like the Gaudy church someone already mentioned (sacred family I think it's called except in spanish), I really like walking through those narrow streets in Toleda, Spain I felt like a big person (am not) I enjoyed learning about the crafted swords. In all of my travels over many years the only meal I can remember eating that may be able to stand up to those other senses was in Florence, Italy. Yeah don't go to Florence.   

Your post is a good reminder not to just to rely on taste to give us the good time. City sounds, bells, Grass, lilacs, cherry blossoms, how the architecture cuts the sky, the differences in faces, and running our hands across an interesting surface (I'd choose an Anthony Gormley sculpture). Great reminder to check in on our other senses.

[Metalcat]

I really enjoyed a trip to Peru (particularly Cusco and Machu Picchu) years ago. The food was not particularly memorable. The tourist areas in Cusco are generally pretty compact and you might want to explore some on foot to the best of your ability, while hiring vehicles otherwise.

Oh, I actually really, really love Peruvian food.  The ceviche, ALL the potatoes (Peru has an amazing variety of potatoes and different potato dishes), papa a la huancaina in particular, tallarin verde, lucuma, quinoa stew, ahi de gallina, alfajores...I would not go to Peru if I couldn't eat the food.

I would lose my shit being surrounded by ceviche