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