How many countries?

[HEPZIBAH]

Last night I was reading how a younger friend had recently asked her online friends to guess how many countries she had visited. The answer turned out to be 20 (+1/2 for one country that she'd travelled through but not put her feet on the soil of.)

So, instead of counting sheep last night, I started to count the countries I had visited. I got to 23 (+ 2 halves for countries where I'd put my foot on their soil, but only in airport transit mode) although I should really make a proper list and see if I come up with the same figure.

Co-incidentally, in this morning's local paper there was an article about a young man who is on an adventure visiting all the countries of the world - all 196 of them.

How many countries have you visited?
From those you have visited are there any that you would love to go back to if you had the opportunity?
From those you have visited are there any that you would never go back to if you had the opportunity to do so?

[Yildez]

I got 18, but I rather think I’ve missed some out! And I’ve made many, many visits to countries I love, like Turkey and Egypt!

[HEPZIBAH]

I dare say I would have visited more countries if I'd not made repeated visits to some on my list - not least Egypt and Morocco,

[crewmeal]

As a retired BA trolly dolly it would be how many countries haven't I visited.

[carrie]

Do Wales, Scotland and Ireland count?

[John Landon]

Of course we do carrie... !
Odd though, I only ever see continents and Islands, countries are just man made borders in continents and the islands..

I have been fortuante to travel to many countries, and I have lost count. 3 Continents so far...


We are the lucky generations post war.
My family who back in the day were well off could only ever dream of doing what I have been lucky enough to do and achieve..

Yes, I count my blessings evey day..

[HEPZIBAH]

Do Wales, Scotland and Ireland count?

I originally counted Scotland but then just counted it as part of the [un]United Kingdom of England, Wales, Scitland, and Northern Ireland. I think Southern Ireland counts on its own though.

[HEPZIBAH]

As a retired BA trolly dolly it would be how many countries haven't I visited.

How many have you actually visited, as opposed to just touching the airport soil for an arrival/departure flight?

[HEPZIBAH]

Surpised no one has asked if Upper and Lower Egypt count as 2. Afterall, they often seem like different countries.

[Yildez]

Do Wales, Scotland and Ireland count?

That pushes my total up by two!!!

[Grandad]

I am up to 31 but 5 of those are UAE Emirates so, if they don't count, I might reduce my total to 27. I thought it might be more. For continents I claim 4 1/2 if the sub continent of India can count as a half.
We have been to Egypt around 40 times and would return in a heart beat. A country I long to revisit but never will is India, my all time favourite of 3 visits. Age and diminished mobility mean foreign travel is now off the bucket list.

[John Landon]

Well. There is always next time. Grandad.
So don't worry about that. You clearly had a great time in Egypt as we did.

Ever get the feeling you had come home. ?

One lifetime is never enough to fully appreciate the game of life.

My second set of godparents always said to me that thier biggest regret was not travelling enough. But given the fact that life has many distractions they did a great job of doing what they had to do and I think they got to travel more than they ever could have imagined.

My godfather was first to go at the age of 88. Which devastated my Godmother.

I tried my best to tell her everything was ok .

One evening she was inconsolable when I called to check if she was ok.
So I went round and picked her up and brought her around for tea. She had a great evening enjoying good food my wife had cooked and observing my grandchildren playing in our Living room.

Just as I dropped her off at home that night a bright red shooting star soared across the evening sky up high and to the right.


She didn't see it. But I did.

[John Landon]

A good book or the right piece of music can take you to faraway lands and places.

If the mind experiences those journeys, then is it not the same as having a memory of visiting them physically.

At least you don't have to queue at the airport,
And those modes of travel are considerably less expensive.

Definition of an adventure. A journey where the outcome is unknown.

[Grandad]

Well. There is always next time. Grandad.
So don't worry about that. You clearly had a great time in Egypt as we did.
Ever get the feeling you had come home. ?

Every time we landed JL Everything was familiar and welcoming. So many happy memories.....

[Grandad]

How could I forget Turkey and wonderful Istanbul.......better make that 28

[Brian Yare]

Do Wales, Scotland and Ireland count?

I was wondering about the various constituents of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Germany which have all changed since I first visited them.

[HEPZIBAH]

I have had a similar dilemma over Burkina Faso as I think it was Upper Volta when I made my first visit there.
I have only counted it once.

[Grandad]

I got 18, but I rather think I’ve missed some out!

Same here Yildez. Just thought of two more, Portugal (Madiera) and Swaziland (That I thought was part of South Africa but is a country in its own right) So I am now up to 30

Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Isle of Sheppey, Isle of Dogs, I guess they don't count?????

[crewmeal]

How many have you actually visited, as opposed to just touching the airport soil for an arrival/departure flight?

Most have been nightstops. One trip was even with a week in Mauritius as the flight only operated once a week. A Qantas crew were there as well. You could imagine the fun we had.

[Grandad]

I am only including countries that I have stayed in for at least a few nights. Can't think of any that were just overnight stopovers. I am however including several that I spent time in on business trips.

As a PS Hepzi, I didn't comment on your second question, where do you not wish to visit again.
That would be the Canaries. Nothing there of any interest to me.