Cities and sights overrated
Casablanca, Morocco
Not, frankly, what I was expecting, having seen the 1942 Bogart/ Bergman movie (which I then learnt was shot in Hollywood, anyway). Even the tourist magnet cafe, Rick’s Bar, was built just 13 years ago.
Casablanca is neither Fez nor Marrakesh, and nor is it particularly romantic nor Moorish. It’s just a hard-working city full of hard-working people, many of whom would very much like to sell you a leather handbag.
Juliet’s House, Verona, Italy
It seems churlish to criticise the home of a fictional character for lack of authenticity, so let’s focus on the lack of stuff to see instead. It’s an old house, with some token old furniture, and a balcony that has a permanent long queue of photo-hungry people outside. A balcony, of course, that was constructed long after Shakespeare died.
Times Square, New York, US
The flashing lights, the New Year’s Eve dropping ball, the bargain Broadway ticket booth . . . OK, it was a stretch getting that far for the plus sides. Some might be put off Times Square by the onslaught of commercialism (why all the fuss about a big M&Msshop?), but really it’s the people. Oh so many people.
La Rambla, Barcelona, Spain
Unless you have a thing about living statues, hideous terrace restaurants and the odd pickpocket, La Rambla is overrated. Even the still-great La Boqueria market is besieged by smartphone-toting tourists and hellish paella restaurants. But wait – there is another Rambla to the north of the Placa de Catalunya, lined with the elegant shops and beautiful architecture of the Eixample district. As for markets, try the charming Santa Caterina or the huge wrought-iron hangar that is the Mercat de Sant Antoni, soon to reopen after a massive restoration.
Las Vegas, US
Las Vegas may look dazzling at first, but rap your knuckles on any surface and you soon see that it’s fibreglass, fake, a big mirage in the desert. The bright lights of the Strip disguise a deep consumerist ugliness. So hire a car at the airport and drive out of the city – to Hoover Dam, or north across the state border to Zion National Park, which is a genuine spectacle of ancient rock formations and worth the trip.
Pompeii, Italy
If your idea of a good day out is to battle your way between cruiseline tour groups in the southern heat to see loose flagstones, broken pillars and a load of old rocks, then make all haste to Pompeii, legendary Roman ruin wrecked by the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. To make it worse, half the chief sights are barricaded off for repairs. There are a dozen better ruins, such as Ephesus or Jerash. Sure, the traffic is nuts in this Indonesian megalopolis, but Jakarta has a beating cultural heart that isn’t talked about enough. Kota, the old town, gives a taste of Jakarta’s Dutch colonial roots, you can whiz around the main square on a colourful hired bike, check out a show at the puppet museum, then head to the antique market at Jalan Surabaya. Finish the day 56 floors above the city at Skye Bar, then rest your weary bones in the quirky-chic new Raffles Jakarta, an ode to Indonesian artist Hendra Gunawan.
Brussels, Belgium
Spend a little time in the supposedly boring seat of the European Union government and you start to appreciate Brussels’ greatness: the live music venues, the cosy little restaurants, the great beer, the antiques shops, the markets, and the Tintin murals that appear on numerous city walls. It’s a surprisingly fun place to be. Traveller