I was hanging out on Gay St with my brother and walked by someone who had a Lonely Planet guide and I couldn't figure out what language it was in. It had a bunch of little sticky note bookmarks throughout it and it didn't dawn on me that this was a once-in-a-blue-moon occurence: a tourist was in our city. We had already arrived at the coffeeshop before I went to see if she needed any help or info to explore our city (Lonely Planet did a paltry job on covering Columbus, even in their Great Lakes guidebook). Hopefully she'll have a good impression, being the lone (Italian) tourist here (I saw the word "Stati" and googled it and voila, it was Italian), since they do at least mention German Village, the Short North, and OSU. Although, their foreign language guides tend to be quite outdated, which I noticed when I was living in Spain, so if she's looking for the Coffee Table or Skambo, she's gonna be out of luck. So basically, I missed an opportunity to share all of the interesting places there are in this city. Oh well, maybe next time.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
There was a tourist from Italy Downtown!
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Posted 3 years ago #
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Columbusite wrote I was hanging out on Gay St with my brother and walked by someone who had a Lonely Planet guide and I couldn't figure out what language it was in. It had a bunch of little sticky note bookmarks throughout it and it didn't dawn on me that this was a once-in-a-blue-moon occurence: a tourist was in our city. We had already arrived at the coffeeshop before I went to see if she needed any help or info to explore our city (Lonely Planet did a paltry job on covering Columbus, even in their Great Lakes guidebook). Hopefully she'll have a good impression, being the lone (Italian) tourist here (I saw the word "Stati" and googled it and voila, it was Italian), since they do at least mention German Village, the Short North, and OSU. Although, their foreign language guides tend to be quite outdated, which I noticed when I was living in Spain, so if she's looking for the Coffee Table or Skambo, she's gonna be out of luck. So basically, I missed an opportunity to share all of the interesting places there are in this city. Oh well, maybe next time.
It happens more than you would think!
Posted 3 years ago # -
joev wrote
It happens more than you would think!
Especially given that OSU is in the top 10 institutions for foreign student enrollment in the US:
1. University of Southern California 6,881
2 Columbia University 5,575
3 Purdue University 5,540
4 New York University 5,502
5 University of Texas at Austin 5,395
6 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 4,904
7 University of Michigan 4,649
8 Boston University 4,542
9 The Ohio State University 4,476
10. SUNY - University at Buffalo 4,072
*Source: Institute for International Education: Open Doors 2006
So that is not only 4400+ students, that's associated family, friends, etc... that visit. And this doesn't even include international faculty scholars, visiting lecturers, artists and guests.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I was wondering if maybe she's going to be teaching Italian at OSU, but still I never see anyone doing the tourist thing, walking around Columbus with travel guide in hand, except today.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I read tourist guides of Columbus too, and my grandpa is Italian too. WOW!
There are pobably thousands of foriegn tourists in Cols.
Posted 3 years ago # -
I've helped a couple of foreign tourists in the last month. If you see someone holding a foldout map on a street corner with a confused look on their face, ask if they need some help.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Not surprisingly, I've seen many German Tourists in German Village over the years.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Brewmaster wrote I've helped a couple of foreign tourists in the last month. If you see someone holding a foldout map on a street corner with a confused look on their face, ask if they need some help.
Me too, I see tourists all the time where I work downtown, I always say Hi and offer to take their picture. If they want I take them on a tour inside the building and to visit a clean restroom. Sometimes they're from Marion, sometimes from Viet Nam. Sometimes they like parks (Topiary) and sometimes they want to eat or shop or go to the Wexner. It seems to me that it's part of my job as a downtowner to make their visit more fun and meaningful.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Coremodels wrote Not surprisingly, I've seen many German Tourists in German Village over the years.
Why just last week I had one ask me where the local strip club was. Told him that to the best of my knowledge, there aren't any in GV... he looked at me skeptically.
Probably thinking, "This isn't like Germany at ALL!"
Posted 3 years ago # -
Drew wrote
Coremodels wrote Not surprisingly, I've seen many German Tourists in German Village over the years.
Why just last week I had one ask me where the local strip club was. Told him that to the best of my knowledge, there aren't any in GV... he looked at me skeptically.
Probably thinking, "This isn't like Germany at ALL!"
Not quite in GV, just west of the Village, past the Greenlawn Ave. bridge - but I didn't know it was listed in the guide book! :shock:
Posted 3 years ago # -
While I was staying in switzerland a few years ago on my 3 week euro tour, a guy told me about a local bar in Bern that was covered in OSU garb because the owner's son went to Ohio State.
Posted 3 years ago # -
some dude in clintonville wrote While I was staying in switzerland a few years ago on my 3 week euro tour, a guy told me about a local bar in Bern that was covered in OSU garb because the owner's son went to Ohio State.
There's a bar in Lecce, Italy, where OSU operates a summer study program, that has a wall full of OSU regalia from the years of students that have come in. Kind of strange amid the other cafes and ristorantes.
I've met several foreign tourists on campus, but never any Italians.
Posted 3 years ago # -
dru wrote
joev wrote
It happens more than you would think!
Especially given that OSU is in the top 10 institutions for foreign student enrollment in the US:
7 University of Michigan 4,649
...
9 The Ohio State University 4,476
.
Beaten again!
Posted 3 years ago # -
while i havent been here just a bit, when in miami alot of europeans really respected the love of OSU football, even though they dont quite understand the sport.
As for foreigners, more so people form europe, you get tired of them quickly, many people from italy came to miami in winter, and spain well they pretty much took over miami.
btw Columbusite how did you like Spain ? many americans i talk to think they are going to a latin american country but its quite all the opposite.
cheers
Posted 3 years ago #
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