Key Thoughts on the Summer Europe Tour

Transportation: This was truly the trip of Planes, Trains and Automobiles; But that’s not all. What’s so great is how many people are out on bikes or walking.  It’s so easy to get anywhere you want to go whether it’s a scenic train ride or a quick flight or around cities the public transportation plus google maps makes it so easy to get around. 

Dogs: People take their dogs everywhere! And usually off leash.  In restaurants, they lay under the table while you eat; on the bus, they ride right beside their owners. In beer gardens they roam around and enjoy nature.  It’s like’s heaven!

Smoking: Ugh, everyone smokes, at least it’s generally banned in doors but it’s everywhere else on the street and cigarette butts are everywhere.  It’s pretty disgusting.

Hygiene: There is absolutely no smell like the unshowered, no deodorant, wearing the same shirt for three days in a row European on a tight bus.  I don’t see how anyone gets used to that.

Packing: I don’t believe in checking bags.  And now that I stay in Airbnb’s part of the time, I take a few travel packs of detergent and wash at some point while there.  Last year’s packing for Ireland didn’t hit the mark.  I wound up with all hiking and casual clothes and had nothing to go out in.  This year, I did pretty well – a good mix of tops and jeans and hiking shoes.  It was very hot in some places and cool and others and it worked out well.  But one huge miss that I will never forget again – my Waterproof Brooks – Walking/Hiking shoes.  Soaking wet socks and Nikes and Salzburg was not cool!

Scenery – Nature: Just because you are in big beautiful historical city doesn’t mean you should enjoy the nature around you.  In nearly every city, I escaped outside the city for hikes and to enjoy the beauty around me. Or there were so many parks to walk through and enjoy.  I think it’s something we don’t do enough of in America.

Food: I would generally call myself an adventurous eater, not much I don’t like or won’t try.  But what I thought was really cool in places I couldn’t read the menu is that I just asked people to bring me something or to recommend something.  They would generally ask me if I ate meat and then would just select an amazing dish for me.  Something I definitely recommend!

History: Don’t lose sight of the history that has taken parts in the places you have been.  But look beyond it as well.  Some of my favorite parts of the trip were walking along the old wall markers in Berlin, seeing the holocaust museum at the break of day in the peace and quiet, touring Glasnevin Cemetery in Ireland and learning about the leaders I have heard pub songs about and the fight for independence or walking past the Anne Frank and listening to the church bells she heard.  But a city is so much more beyond it’s historical past so make sure to look beyond it.

Paying for bathrooms: I really don’t understand this at all.  Sometimes in a club in America you will have a lady handing you paper towels or trying to spray you with perfume in hopes of a tip.  But in Prague especially there is rarely a bathroom that doesn’t have some mean looking lady charging you a few crowns or a Euro for the bathroom.  It’s very odd to me.

Buying produce: I got really frustrated that for some reason, there is a magical hidden banana scale in the grocery store and you have to use it and print a sticker before you buy bananas.  Peaches are fine, Apples ok, but if you want some bananas – find the magical scale please.

Last but not least – FRIENDS:  I generally travel alone and I love it!  It really opens your mind to a new world of things.  And though I traveled alone I had friends join me in Amsterdam for my birthday, met in Friend in Berlin for beers and dinner, had a college Frat brother and good friend and Prague and met a friend that I had once met in a Pub here in America in Dublin.  I also made several new friends that made the experience great.  With each of those people I got to experience a part of the world like no other.