Taken with a Grain of Salt

In all the trip planning I've been doing, I've discovered one invaluable piece of wisdom that I'd like to impart to everyone that is also planning a trip:

Don't heed anyone's advice on places to see, not to see, things to do, not to do, etc. if it conflicts with your plans.

I've also discovered that anyone who has ever travelled Europe, landed in Europe once enroute to somewhere else or read a book on Europe is now an expert on the continent.

I've been told that a) Madrid is beautiful and the people are friendly, b) that Madrid should be avoided at all costs since it's not anglophile-friendly and the men are lecherous and c) that Spain is overrated altogether unless you're going during the fiesta season/festival of San Fermín in Pamplona for their 'encierro'.

I've been told that, a) I NEED to see the Vatican when I'm in Rome because it's the best part of the city, b) that the Vatican only appeals to the zealous Catholic (and that as a lapsed Catholic who hasn't stepped foot in a church in half a decade, it would only be a waste of time) and c) that I should go see the Sistine Chapel and then vacate the Vatican immediately as the crime rate is horrendous there.

I've been warned that a) gypsy pickpockets are in no short supply, b) that the gypsy pickpocket warnings are urban legend and they are a rarity and c) that the gypsy pickpockets will throw babies at me in order to rob me of my money.

Obviously everyone has their own ideas of what to see, where to go and what to be cautious of, and it becomes increasingly more difficult for me to plan a trip all my own when I'm trying to make everyone else happy by taking all their advice.

If everyone had the same travelling experience, then wouldn't we just pay someone who is incredibly gifted in describing things and places in vivid detail, to snap some pictures and tell us everything and save the thousands of dollars we'd spend on going ourselves?

Anyway, if you want to go see the Eiffel Tower/Leaning Tower of Pisa/Stonehenge/Tibetan Monastery, do it. Just because someone else did it and didn't enjoy it, doesn't mean you won't enjoy it either.