Sitting on an 8-hour flight from Frankfurt to Dulles, so I thought I'd put down some random thoughts and opinions from the trip.
- Getting out of people's way, (I mean pedestrian-wise) seems to be somewhat exaggerated in American culture. We see someone coming our way and we scoot out of the way a dozen or more feet before we cross paths. Here, they usually wait until what seems to be the last minute before moving out of the way. From the American perspective, it feels aggressive and like a constant game of chicken, when, in fact, I think, it is just a necessity born out of how much tighter the streets and sidewalks are, and how much crazier the drivers are.
- The ground level of a building in Germany is often called 0 not 1.
- If you can't turn the lights on in your hotel room, insert your key card in the main switch when entering the room
- Though I was once mistaken for being French in Prague (I tell you it's the scarves), the German are indeed my people. Typically tall and a little gangly. I know for certain where my giraffe characteristics come from. Many times we were mistaken for being native Germans when we were in Germany. The fact that we both have quite a bit of German in us doesn't make that surprising. Perhaps being German is what drew me to study the German philosopher Immanuel Kant?
- Northern Europe is flat and green and there is a lot of agriculture.
- Germany has odd looking crows that are grey with black wings.
-Rick is a phenomenal travelling companion. He stays calm and patient in stressful situations such as being lost, less-than-self-evident public transit, and rather unhelpful service. He has soothed my frustrations and waited out my impatience and ensured that things worked out . . . and if they didn't that was OK too. I look forward to many more trips with him.
- City maps and small guidebooks are worth the money. The only thing I would do different next time is try to print up some information on the public transit in the cities that we would be visiting.
- Having an international cell phone, while not necessary, certainly would have made things a little easier, especially when making reservations or trying to obtain information.
- The purchase of this little Acer Netbook was a great investment for this trip. Can't imagine lugging my laptop all through Europe or trying to record my experiences at internet cafes.
- Make reservations when traveling by train.
- Black, white, grey, and beige with a splash of color here and there make for a great travelling wardrobe and minimizes the items that need to be packed.
- Clarks shoes are great for lengthy walkabouts.
- Next time, set aside money to have the hotel do critical laundry so that you can bring less and not spend precious time abroad washing your delicates . . . though I argue that doing laundry in Paris was still a cultural experience.
- I have no favorite or least favorite country.
- I would like to spend Christmas with Rick in Prague some year soon.
- The Eurrail Pass makes travelling easy, once you get on the train. Ninety-nine percent of the battle though is finding the right train and getting a seat and then finding the right seat. After that, traveling by train, particularly the ICE's, is great.
- It wasn't that much more for us to purchase a first class Eurrail pass and there are a few perks here and there so we'd probably do the same again. However, The different between first and second class on the trains is not as great as what you experience on the airplanes. if you need to sit in second class it is pretty darn comfortable. Much better than coach on a plane.
- In France, Belgium and, to some degree, in the Netherlands, people eat with their fork AND knives. Rarely do they cut their food with their fork.
- When you aren't sure what to do, just get out and walk. You'll ever know what you find in the cities of Europe, or USA for that matter.
- Let yourself take afternoon naps. They are rejuvenating and are the quickest way to get a second wind.
- We MUST get a Nespresso Machine, found all through Europe. These coffee machines make wonderful espressos and coffees with rich crema from coffee capsules. The cost around $200 - $400. These machines have spoiled me for life and it will be difficult to do Starbucks anymore. Thank goodness Portland has some decent coffee houses and Ristretto Coffee!
- After Rick caught me checking work e-mail early in the morning in our Paris Hotel, I promised to not check work e-mail and, though initially difficult, fulfilled that promise and do not regret it. As much as I dread seeing ALL the work e-mails, I now see the value in unplugging completely.
-Must travel like this again before another 20 years passes by. We are thinking perhaps every couple of years if we can afford it. The list of places to go includes Scotland (hopefully castle-hopping with our good friends Alison and Casey), Italy, Prague, Hungary, Istanbul, Croatia, Slovakia, Iceland, Patagonia, Brugge, and the French countryside. Any other suggestions?
-Quit being so damn afraid of being disoriented, confused, or lost. You might have to back track, take a later train, get into an argument with a cab driver who is trying to scam you, or concede to having to eat a third rate pizza in a second rate jazz bar in Prague. It is all part of the adventure and hey sometimes it is these "bad times" that make for the best stories.
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