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That
all changed this year when in one 12‑month period I experienced
Big Ben, the beautiful
canals of Venice and Amsterdam, the ancient ruins of Rome, the
Louvre in Paris, and lest we forget, the Guinness brewery in Dublin.
And
despite seeing all these monumental things, it’s amazing how much
American culture there is just about everywhere you go in Europe.
I always wondered back in the ‘80s how Michael Jackson could be
so big everywhere in the world. Now I know.
Not
that it’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s kind of something to be
proud of. It makes you feel
good about your country, especially in a time when the rest of
the world doesn’t think you’re so hot politically.
However,
politics is a funny thing. On the first trip at this time last
year, people were asking us
how, in the name of Abraham Lincoln, did we reelect President
Bush. In fact, one Irishman with
a beer in one hand and whiskey in another leaned over to me during
a New Year’s Eve celebration
and asked, “What is wrong with you Americans?”
On
the return trip, however, things had changed greatly. Democrats
retook control of the House and Senate, and the reverberations
of that election were felt in Europe–maybe even more than in the
U.S. In fact, one British man in his twenties, who I found out
does clerical work for his government, stopped me in a car on
“The Tube,” and thanked me of all people. You know, because I
had a lot to do with how the election turned out or something.
“You
even elected the first socialist ever in the States,” he said,
causing me to wonder how he knew that. Americans don’t even know
that for crying out loud!
But
that’s the thing: There is just a whole different vibe in Europe–a
vibe I greatly enjoyed.
I
could easily see myself living in any of the cities we visited,
especially Amsterdam and London. I’m sure I would miss home, but
those places were certainly more hospitable than expected.
For
fun, I made a list of the best, worst and weird of our two trips
to Europe. If you’ve already been, you know what I’m talking about.
If you haven’t, take my advice: Go in the winter to avoid the
crowds, save major money on plane fares and hotels, and take in
the winter ambience that we certainly
don’t get in the Valley.
And,
also, don’t listen to anybody in Paris airports–especially people
who know what they’re talking about.
Top
Cities
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Amsterdam – My grandmother was a world traveler who saw
just about everything. After she died, my mom told me that her
favorite place to visit was Amsterdam. I found that strange
considering all the places she’s been. But now that I’ve been
there twice, I can definitely understand. The beauty is understated
and the canals are amazing. Unlike Venice (see below), you can
get around Amsterdam easily. And the place is super liberal,
just as I like it.
·
Venice – I can’t imagine there is another city quite
like this one. You have to take a boat or gondola to get anywhere.
And some of the alleyways are so narrow, you can feel both sides
of the buildings if you stretch your arms out to the side. The
architecture alone would make this place amazing.
·
London – I was unaware that outside of a few pockets
of time here and there, London was never really considered a
cool city. It must be in one of those pockets right now, because
I find the place really great, despite the high expense of just
about everything.
Best
Trip Advice
·
Don’t drink the soda. Normally people tell you not to
drink the water when going to a foreign country. But when in
London, do not buy soda. Because of the poor conversion rate
and the lack of available cola, I actually shelled out more
than $6 for a 12‑ounce can of Pepsi– the equivalent of
two cases at Safeway. Needless to say, I ended up sticking with
water for all my meals the rest of the way.
·
Walk, don’t ride. If you really want to see these cities,
get on your walking shoes and see it the right way. Buses, trams
and trains are good for the lazy ones, but we must have walked
50 miles in all these cities and saw things we probably wouldn’t
have seen otherwise. With a good map and a comfy pair of shoes
(which I unfortunately did not have–see next piece of advice),
you can breathe in the international air and conduct your own
personal tour. If you must take a bus, don’t shy away from the
official city sightseeing busses that let you get on and off
wherever you want. It’s like having your own personal taxi and
is informative on city history as well.
·
Did I say bring comfortable shoes? I decided to break
out a pair of hiking boots that I hadn’t worn in a year, and
my feet decided to punish me for it. I never knew ankle bones
could be so sore. The good part of it all: the nightly foot
rubs in the hotel. Feels good just thinking about it.
Most
Memorable Moments
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The first sight of the Roman Colosseum. Our hotel in
Rome was just four blocks north of the ancient Roman Colosseum,
but buildings were blocking the view as we walked down the main
street to it. When we reached the intersection to turn toward
it, we both looked left and saw it at the end of the street.
It looked just as expected, but still caused a moment of “Wow,
there it is!”
·
New Year’s Eve in Dublin. When you’re celebrating with
an Irish family, you will never have a drink that gets below
half‑full. We visited a family that Jennifer is loosely
related to, although nobody at the party knew exactly how. All
the same, at midnight everybody huddled with arms around each
other to ring in the new year with Irish songs. Turned out to
be one of my most memorable New Year’s Eves.
·
Walking through the Anne Frank House. Nothing about the
history of the Holocaust is easy to experience. But walking
through the famous “Secret Annex” where Frank and seven others
hid from the Nazis during World War II really brought the tragedy
to life. I never read her diary in high school, but I crammed
an entire weekend of learning about what I now consider a heroic
figure. I never understood why young girls always said they
wanted to be like Anne Frank ... until now.
Funniest
Moments
·
Countdown in Belfast. While in Dublin for New Year’s
Eve, Jennifer’s cousin (um, we think), Nile, pointed to a live
TV remote from Belfast, where revelers were counting down the
minutes until midnight. He then uttered the line of the year:
“Normally when you see a clock ticking down in Belfast, you
run the (expletive) away from there as fast you can!” That’s
a joke only the Irish can make.
·
Nearly being trampled boarding planes. RyanAir in Europe
is a no‑frills airline, which doesn’t assign seating,
similar to Southwest Airlines in the U.S. But because the planes
are boarded from the tarmac, passengers feel like they need
to treat it like the running of the bulls in Spain. I got pushed
in the back by one woman who had to be in her 60s. She sprinted
by me like one of those machines in “War of the Worlds” was
chasing her.
Biggest
Disappointments
·
Sean Hannity follows me everywhere. Thanks to Sky TV,
Europe’s satellite service, a feed of Fox’s “Hannity & Colmes”
was on our TV in Venice. All I was hoping for was a week’s break
from the seemingly ubiquitous conservative TV and radio pundit.
No such luck.
·
Items in Amsterdam coffee shops stay in Amsterdam coffee
shops. You mean I can’t take that stuff home? Darn!
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