OK... let's get out of the US for a while and see what the rest of the world has to offer (well, in my opinion anyway!)


1. BEST Cheap booze: The Sando in Newtown, Sydney, Australia. $2 beers, free bands, huge couches and funky bar staff.

2. BEST Steak: A tiny Argentinian Steak House in Clapham, London. Cheap and the steaks are bigger than your head!

3. BEST place to meet drunken college girls: Having been a drunken college girl for far too many years (although I call myself a uni student), I have come to realise that you don't need to worry about the venue, just that there are college girls there.

4. BEST Pizza: Florence. Can't remember the name of the place, can't remember what was on the pizza, can remember having a foodie orgasm as a result of it.

5. BEST Seafood: Doyles in Watsons Bay, Sydney. Eat right on the water and the seafood's so fresh, you'd swear it was still moving!

6. BEST BBQ: I think this has a slightly different meaning to me. The best BBQ is one with good music, good friends, lots of beer and more meat than you can possibly eat!

7. BEST Bookstore: Second hand book store next to Putney Bridge, London. The old man never lets me pay for anything because I bring him a coffee every time I come in.

8. BEST bar to watch celebs get plastered in: Used to be China White's but now you only see Page Three girls. Otherwise watch them fall out of The Ivy.

9. BEST coffee: My friend Abir makes the best coffee in the world, so where ever she's working will do. Otherwise, anywhere in France.

10. BEST beach: Whale Beach, Sydney. I will live in one of the houses on the cliffs there one day.

11. BEST Place to get hammered and watch baseball: Hmmm... I don't watch sport. So.... I'll say best venue to get hammered and watch bands - Brixton Academy, London.

12. BEST Place for Porsche lovers: My suburb - Fulham, London. I tell you, if you don't see eight sports cars before you leave the street there's something wrong. Weird.

13. BEST Street tacos: Again, going to have to change this one as I've never had a street taco. Best street food is from the Markets in Bangkok. Don't listen to the guides, it's safe for everyone.

14. BEST Blue Collar town: Not blue collar as much these days, but Glasgow is just brilliant.

15. BEST Clubbing town: London, London, London.

16. BEST Chili Dog: Crap! Going to have to change it again. Second best street food is the crepes you get by the Seine in Paris. Yum!

17. BEST Concert venue: Shit. I've already done this one. Best music festival then - Roskilde in Denmark. One whole week, hundreds of bands and more drunk and gorgeous Danes than you can poke a stick at! Oh, and lots of mud. Heaven.

18. BEST Snowboarding; Shame I'm so shit at snow sports. I've been told that the Swiss Alps kick arse, so let's go with that.

19. BEST place to people watch: Picadilly Circus under the Eros Statue. London baby, yeah!

20. BEST place to feed your mind. Everywhere. there are so many things going on if we take the time to notice.

Cool questions. Next time I'm in the US I am going to have to hunt down a chilli dog and a street taco. Why does all my travelling experience always come back to food?

Suz xxx

A friend of mine went to the Roskilde festival two years ago and said it was very good. But i have been to Picadilly Circus. It is fun to people watch there.

And hey... I mentioned Canada TWICE flooz. We haven't annexed them yet!

I didn't make mine particularly international either, did I? I shouldn't be throwing stones in this delightfully fragile house I live in

Roskilde is amazing. There is no other way to describe it. The people are fabulous as so welcoming because you've travelled such a long way (OK - so I played the Australian card without telling them I lived in London), the bands are top notch, it only gets dark for about 3 hours in the middle of the night, beer becomes your staple food and every time you leave your tent you don't know what you're going to experience next. I wish I could get time off to go back this year

When were you in London?

Suz xxx

I've been to the UK twice. Last time was in 1993. I might be going over this summer for a couple of months for (ugh) work!

Got my fingers crossed!

Best biscuits & gravy: a truck stop outside of Baker, Oregon.

Best roadside diversion if you have to drive across Iowa: Dyersville, Iowa (home of the field of dreams movie site & the national farm toy hall of fame...also some great cathedrals there)

I've heard of Dyersville Gid. I'll put that one on my list if i ever go there.

BEST biscuits and gravy: A truckstop outside Baker, OR.

Made the list!

Wow - that means that you won't have been here for 12 years. I'm sure that everything and nothing has changed in that time. Still a pretty funky city to be in regardless.

Best roadside diversion if you have to drive across Iowa:

this category is sorta like 'best 30-day home study course to take while riding in a car being driven non-stop across texas at 70 mph' or 'largest unofficial outdoor ashtray in the state of wyoming' or even 'most creative lighted portable 'beer & live bait sold here' arrow-shaped sign in kentucky and tennesee'

Flooz,

BBQ in the states is all about the sauce. You can go to different cities and get totally different flavors. I have my fingers crossed on the UK trip. I reeeealy want to come over. I'm sure things have changed since my last trip in 93. If i DO come over, i expect a lunch with you if possible I need a tourguide as well!

King,

The largest ashtray in Wyoming is actually the city of Cheyenne. ::

Sorry Wyo folks. You guys and Idaho are the only state we Utahns are allowed to make fun of.

pissoff, kingbee! (LOL). Dyersville's a pretty durn cool place, it's just you have to drive into IOWA to get there.

And Council Bluffs (at the extreme other end of the state) is pretty cool too...especially for a history buff like me.

Even a history buff like myself find Iowa boring...hell, even the westward bound pioneers wanted to get the hell outta Iowa and Nebraska as quick as they could!

hell, even the westward bound pioneers wanted to get the hell outta Iowa and Nebraska as quick as they could!

sorry gid...that was sorta my point tho. just about any diversion is a great diversion in iowa...even the nebraska state line. council bluffs does have the advantage of being further west than say dubuque (where i once spent a year during the last three days of february).

I have another one!!

BEST Prime Rib: The Weber Grill Restaruant Chicago, IL.. Smoked Prime rib served medium. AWESOME! They cook everything on Weber grills! How cool is that?

Ok, I tried to respond to this yesterday, but it appears that my answers didn't take, so I will try again.

1. BEST Cheap booze: I suppose, with enough effort, you are apt to find cheap beer anywhere--but one of the best I've found is at My Brother's Place in Washington, DC--$10 for the night. Of course, the place has "character" if you know what I mean.
2. BEST Steak: I'm not a steak eater, so in the spirit of Floozie, I'm going to shape the questions to my desires. So, Best Falafel: Street vendors in Tel Aviv, Israel
3. BEST place to meet drunken college girls: I'm pretty sure any college town will suffice!
4. BEST Pizza: Casserta's Pizzeria on Federal Hill in Providence, RI
5. BEST Seafood: For great casual seafood (ie, clam cakes and chowder while sitting on the jetties) there is nothing better than Champlin's in Narragansett, RI. If you are going for fancy, Puda Can Manel in Barcelona, Spain is a must. (Of course, my mom’s stuffies and chowder outranks all of these).
6. BEST BBQ: I assume we are talking about Southern BBQ? Pig Pickin' in Winston-Salem, NC would be my pick. Though I have to be honest, the best ever was at a street rally for Senator McCain when he was running for President. McCain spoke and they served BBQ sandwiches--it was amazing!
7. BEST Bookstore: I've got a three way tie on this one: Bookfinders in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Kramerbooks in Dupont Circle, Washington, DC or Revolution Books in NYC.
8. BEST bar to watch celebs get plastered in: I don't have a lot of experience, but I really enjoyed the prospect of celebrity watching in Newz Bar and the Blue Bar (both in Liverpool, England).
9. BEST coffee: I've had a great cappuccino at the pensione we stayed at in Venice, Italy. Along the same lines, the best hot chocolate I have ever had was at a café near the Palacio Real in Madrid. Absolutely divine!
10. BEST beach: I am particularly fond of the Breachway in Charlestown, RI. Cape Cod, MA and the Outer Banks, NC also have some good contenders for the best beaches.
11. BEST Place to get hammered and watch baseball: Fenway Park, Boston, MA—hands down! Though I am quickly becoming rather fond of RFK Stadium, home of the Washington Nationals
12. BEST Place for Porsche lovers: Got me!
13. BEST Street tacos: Can’t say I’ve ever had a street taco—so I will go with best street food in general. There’s a great “market” that sets up on Saturdays in Chelsea in NYC that has great food—and incredible variety.
14. BEST Blue Collar town: I’m partial to Newcastle, England
15. BEST Clubbing town: I’m not a huge club-girl, but I am heading to Miami this weekend, and will check out the scene and report back to you.
16. BEST Chili Dog: I’m not even sure what a Chili Dog is…so I am going to go with best NY System Hot Weiner—and the best ever (well, besides my Dad’s) was the old Anton’s Deli in Wakefield, RI—but now that they have closed, there are some great dives in Warwick and Cranston, RI that keep up the tradition. If we are going to go simply with Best Hotdog (or even, best street diner) it is Haven Brothers in Providence, RI
17. BEST Concert venue: For small shows, the Birchmere in Arlington, VA, for larger shows, Madison Square Garden.
18. BEST Snowboarding; I’m not a big snow sports fan, so I will leave this question to the experts.
19. BEST place to people watch: Piazza San Marco in Venice, or Leidseplein (a tram intersection) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands
20. BEST place to feed your mind. With all the free museums, I have to say Washington, DC
21. BEST WALKING CITY: I’d have to say it is a tie between Rome and Jerusalem