Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

If I and my money aren't welcome somewhere, I won't be there long and won't come back.

and that goes for parts of Chicago as well as anywhere outside the USA

If I and my money aren't welcome somewhere, I won't be there long and won't come back.

You'd be welcome in Paris by merchants and whatnot, but there is a segment that would see you as a mark.  They can be a bit annoying for first timers.

I don't recall being accosted so much in other European cities aside from someone sitting somewhere with a cup out front, maybe begging, often outside churches.

The "real" pick pockets probably operate more covertly, I don't know for sure.  My wife worries about them a lot more than around here.

One thing in "life" I've learned is that a bad story or three gets hyped and told and exaggerated while 300 "good stories" or normal experiences get submerged.  I notice a certain major media outlet nearly always has something terrible hyped as a headline daily.  I'm not suggesting such stories be suppressed, but they often aren't typical.

Rome and Paris of course are top tourist destinations, bucket list places.  So, it stands to reason the gypsies et al. would concentrate on both.

I don't know why Euro city would be third on that list, maybe London or Barcelona or Vienna or Florence?  

Yeah, I just wonder what third city most US tourists aspire to see after P and R.  London is "OK", I've been 4-5 times.  It has some "things" of interest to me, $$$ of course.  

I've not been to Vienna, it's on our list.  My wife wants to go (back) to Florence.  

My wife alternate each year between Paris and London for the major air show she had to attend for work.

I didn't notice many gypsies in Athens (GR), or beggars.  We stayed near the center of town, walked all over.  It "seemed" pretty safe and relatively clean.  We had a good time.  The outskirts appeared to be much poorer from the cab.

We watched a video of Istanbul the other day with our Turkish friend, a Rick Steve's video, he said it was very good.  We're booked.  Most of the city is in Europe.

6'10" and 235 is pretty svelt, really.  I've gotten 40 pounds over my better weight, 240 at 6'4" and a lot is not muscle.