Stranger in a strange land that's me

 It is so weird coming back to the U. S. after 6 months away. I can only describe the feeling as being kind of disoriented. 

I had mixed feelings coming back. On the one hand - so ready to go home, back to a familiar place where I knew my way around, could speak the language, was familiar with the food. On the other hand, I dreaded it. The violence, The craziness. The loud Americans.

And America did not disappoint. Two mass shootings in the last few days. Same political shit. Same loud, acting out in public.

As far as being familiar and all that, it has been nice to see things I love. Yet I feel strangely ambivalent about stuff. 

Maybe its let down from he trip. Maybe I'm exhausted in every way possible . Maybe it's jet lag. Maybe it's a combo of all that.

Maybe I've changed. We shall see. I didn't expect to feel this way.

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November 25, 2022 at 01:50AM

I should have bought the $4 beret in Paris

Scenario: Eiffel tower, Paris, 2022. Olivia and the boyfriend are setting up for todays instagram photo. Olivia has on a red beret (or was it a raspberry beret I can't remember). She is wearing a designer dress, cleverly thrifted from T. J. Maxx for just the occasion. There is the inevitably red lipstick. She will be striking one of 3 poses:

1) One leg kicked up, one arm thrust toward the tower

2) Gazing nonchalantly to the side like she sees the eiffel tower every day

3) Both arms up jumping jack fashion in a "look at me at the eiffel tower" pose

Todd the boyfriend looks dishelved and a little peeved.

 May I just say how absolutely, positively, sick and tired I am of instagram posers? Enough already!! Doesn't anybody take a normal bad picture anymore? I have observed them with loathing from one one end of Europe to another.

Stop with the red berets in France,  kicking one leg up in Barcelona, acting like you are cleverly putting your finger on top of some monument!! Stop, before I come over there and slap you silly! 

The  vast majority of the instagrammers are heavily made up young women (in red lipstick) in Vogue inspired outfits,  dragging some poor sap (usually a man) with a camera. Selfie sticks are out these days. These people have professional camera mounts. 

There was one interesting guy with a glittery sombrero and what looked like a bullfighter outfit at the Louvre. They have cement blocks there probably meant for sitting that people stand on and he was standing on one. So that was entertaining.

Paris is probably the worst place for this with all the cliche photo ops. People literally take their lives in their hands in front of the eiffel tower and arc de triompf in the middle of traffic to get the perfect photo or til tok video. 

Then there's me and Mike over here looking like something the cat dragged, in trying trying get an occasional picture together. I wish I had thought to buy us a couple of red berets. What a memorable photo that would have been...

I am an old fart okay? I remember the good old polaroid days when your brother Jimmy's head was cutoff and nobody looked happy at Disneyland. of course the picture was discolored too. Ah...1970s...what a wonderful time...

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November 19, 2022 at 07:52PM

Lauren Boebert is the last straw

I've made a decision. I'm staying here. I'm never going back to a country that would re-elect Lauren Boebert. 

So what do I think about coming back to the U. S. after living over here for over 6 months? I have mixed feelings. 

On the one hand, I am so ready for the familiarity, comfort and security of being home. It has really made me appreciate the importance of having your own space, stuff, place. I am looking forward to familiar food, grocery stores, neighborhoods, streets, to hearing my own language, seeing familiar people. 

On the other hand, I dread the violence and current chaos of our country. It has been nice living in my travel bubble where I don't have to hear about last nights murder in north Minneapolis or what idiot shit did Trump spout today. 

It has felt safe and comfortable here. I haven't felt the need to keep my guard up walking here like I do in Minneapolis. Of course I have used common sense with safety but it definitely feels different. 

The biggest difference I have noticed is that there are not the obvious drug addicts, drunks and mentally ill people visible here like in the U.S.  I'm not saying that we haven't seen it here, we have. On the scale of the U.S.? Not even in the ball park. 

I realize that we haven't gone into the poor areas here where it is probably more obvious. The thing is, you don't have to go into the poor areas in the U.S. to see it because it's right there in the central city on the street, on public transportation. 

Do people use less drugs here? Are there less alcoholics? Are there less mentally ill? I think there are very few countries that compare to the U.S. for drug consumption and the heavy kind of drugs we use: fentanyl, meth, heroin. Is it easier to get drug treatment here? Alcohol is part of everyday life here, especially wine. It is consumed with food. Do people do less binge drinking because of that?Are there less alcoholics?  Is it easier to get help for mental illness here? I don't know the answer to any of these questions. 

These are countries with long histories, completely different experiences in their pasts than that of the U.S. Countries share one culture.

Being here has been made me realize just how young of a country the United States is. We don't have the wisdom and experience of all these societies. We don't have an overall common cultural experience and identity like a lot of these countries. Europe and the UK are diverse, but not as diverse as the United States. The United States is not one culture, it's many cultures trying to live together under the same roof. That makes things difficult and has shaped our country. 

Will this trip make me more patient with the youthful, multicultural country I live in? I doubt it. Har. It is home though.

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November 18, 2022 at 09:29PM

the wavy streets of Lisbon

Lisbon has STEEEEP hills...but when you get to the top you are rewarded with beautiful views of the city.  Visually, Lisbon is stunning to look at  Multi colored houses and buildings with terra cotta roofs of different heights because of the hills. It looks like a painting, especially with the harbor in the background. 

Down at street level, most of the sidewalks in the central areas are made of black and white small tiles called called Calcada Portuguesa or Portuguese tiles. They have different patterns and have all been laid by hand. There is no other way to do it. 

They are in danger of disappearing because they are somewhat dangerous- slippery when wet and can be uneven and cause a tripping hazard. Also installing them, keeping them up, is labor intensive and few young people want to learn the trade. 

What you find is that Lisbon streets are wavy. A lot of the time there is no consistent flat surface. In Lisbon, I feel like I am often walking at an angle up a hill or down a sidewalk that slants downward so you are walking on the side of it. 

On narrow streets, there is barely a sidewalk on either side of the street. There is room for one person to get by.

It makes walking challenging, but the tile designs  are charming and pretty. 

Like all of Europe people live in row after row of apartment buildings with retail on the first level. Like Spain, the architecture is ornate and there are Juliet wrought iron balconies on most apartments.

When the sun came out today, the blanket men appeared! Selling scarves, fake purses on plazas. Restaurants have hawkers with menus trying to persuade you to come to their restaurants. There are "tuk-tums", 3 wheeled vehicles that offer a menu of tours around the city for a price. They are decorated with flowers and art.

The sun brings everybody out.

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November 17, 2022 at 08:00PM

The 100 foot waves of Navare, Portugal

Navare

 

  
It was one of those Susan off the beaten path.   days today. It was gray, gloomy, looked like rain but we had to go. We had done it in Scotland at North Berwick to see the North Sea, at Greystones to see the Irish sea near Dublin. Again at Tramore to see the North Atlantic near Waterford. I could watch to the beach in Valencia and Barcelona. 

We had to go see the ocean. Where I wanted to go would take us an hour by bus and train.  I wanted to go to Carveletos beach.

Like most port cities, Lisbon is not on the open ocean. it sits at the mouth of a river that empties into the ocean. The open sea is 15 miles away. I wanted to go to a beach 23 miles away. That was the nearest places with the biggest waves. They were up to 15 feet today. 

I knew that Portugal has some of the best surfing and biggest waves in the world. At Navare, 2 hours away from Lisbon, waves can get 100 feet high. So even though 15 feet seems paltry compared to that, it's good enough for me.

We got off the train  and walked the half mile to the beach and it was deserted. It was deserted except for surfers running to the waves, bobbing in the ocean or walking out of it. 

 The waves were beautiful. Yes they were big. Another unforgettable moment on the trip for me. I could be persuaded to leave Minneapolis for living by the ocean, that's how much I love it. 

Navare waves average 50 feet high in the winter months. A few times a season they can reach 80-100 feet. I'll definitely be back to see that.

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November 16, 2022 at 09:56PM

Ten things I have learned traveling in Europe

pay toilet

Ten things I have learned traveling in Europe and the UK:

1) Air conditioning is a very good thing. None of the airbnbs had air conditioning, many had no fan. One hotel had no air conditioning. Most homes, stores, restaurants have no air conditioning. 

2) Window screens are a very good thing. I have honestly never seen an apartment here with window screens. Open windows = bugs and that's just the way it is.

3) I don't actually mind not having a dryer. The vast majority of homes here have no dryer. People hang their clothes on drying racks or on balcony railings or lines. Your clothes last longer.

4) You should always have change because there are lots of pay toilets. Frustrating but true. I always looked for a McDonalds. They always have a free toilet. 

5) Most grocery stores here are small, especially in Europe. There are not the big stores we're used to. 

6) In the bigger stores there are large sections with fresh fish of many different kinds. Some are very large. It smells of fish throughout the store. In bigger places there may be be big pig legs hanging in the meat dept or they may have it in a holder where the hoof sticks out and will cut you bacon right there. A little disconcerting. 

7) Restaurants may not open until 8 or nine at night. People eat late here. Lots of people out and about in the evenings. You don't have to tip here if you don't want to. 

8) The car is not the center of the universe. Every city here usually has at least two forms of transportation be it subway, bus, tram, train. It is cheap in 90% of the countries. In Lisbon it is 1.50 to ride the bus or subway. Buying a book of tickets in most countries it is discounted even further.  The public transport  goes everywhere in the city.

9) Airfare is so cheap between countries. From Paris to Lisbon was 40 dollars. There are trains that go to practically everywhere in Europe. Imagine having that kind of system in the US.

10)  It feels like so many more people here smoke.Not as many people speak english as you think. Toilets all have button flushes and very little water. Lots of places closed on Sunday. There is no Target type place where you can get a variety of stuff. Lots of places close early. It is so weird how many shirts, sweatshirts you can buy here with American city names or American colleges. People here don't hate American.  In fact it's just the opposite.

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November 15, 2022 at 09:57PM

What they don't tell you about Europe and the UK

I think that when you take a trip anywhere and you post on social media or write about it, you want to paint a pretty picture. Oh it's all so wonderful! Better than I ever expected! Just like in the movies! 

I mean who wants to see or hear about the not so nice parts of somebody's vacation.  So I've kept that whole vibe going for the most part. It's about to get real folks. I've seen some things, had some experiences that you wouldn't see on a travel poster. 

Let's start with accommodation (what a nice word for it). Our first place was decent in London. There was that fox fight outside the first night that sounded like something out of a horror movie. We got used to hearing and SEEING our new fox friends. 

Next fun accommodation was in Lyon with the fruit fly problem. The place that required five keys, five doors to get to the apartment. It was like going into a dungeon. Then the narrow, death defying staircase to get up to the bedrooms. You went through the first bedroom to walk across a bizarre glass walkway to the second "bedroom". We really tried to tough it out, but the fruit flies were too much and we left early.

Unfortunately there were no hotels in Lyon for 3 days so we had to divert to Macon, France where we stayed in another old building with a stone staircase that let to a weird inner courtyard where the apartments were. We came back after dark one night: absolutely no lights in staircase or courtyard. That was the place where there was no hot water 2 out of the 3 nights. "Quaint" old building ain't always what they are cracked up to be.

Then Valencia, a very nice Spanish city with a very bad sewer smell problem. The place we stayed in, the bathroom smelled like a sewer all the time. When I asked the airbnb "host", I was told "there is nothing that came be done about it". 

Out of the 10 airbnbs we stayed in, there were two I would consider staying in again if I were to stay in an air bnb again, which I never will. 

The UK and Europe are old and the neighborhoods reflect that. If you aren't in a bougey or tourist area, they are gritty and dirty a lot of the time.  That is just the way it is. There are homeless everywhere, shaking their cups for money, sleeping on the street. We have seen them take their daily constitutional on the street.

Yes, they are interesting cities with beautiful areas, stunning landmarks, but the neighborhoods are like New York City. It always has struck me how you have these big glamorous cities, with people walking around in these fancy clothes down a dirty sidewalk with garbage bags piled up. 

This, along with the stunning Eiffel tower, beautiful Alps of Lausanne, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, wonderful parks of Valencia and Madrid, beautiful beaches and landscape of  Spain, Ireland, Scotland is the reality of the UK and Europe. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done and an education.

My advice: Stay in the tourist areas. Visit the neighborhoods.