Epilog

Epilog: Time to Reflect

Our trip to Europe is now finished.  The clothes are unpacked, washed and put away.  We

A handheld GPS can really help you get around

have signed papers on the sale of the house.  We have paid all of the bills that piled up during the month we were gone. We are still waking at 4:00 AM and hope we get over the jet lag soon.  All of the blog entries have been posted.

We would like to share some raves, rants and observations from our trip.- John and Donna Mollan

Rants:

·         Airlines should have a “screaming baby” section apart from the general public.
·         Subways and train stations should have elevators or escalators to accommodate people with mobility issues.
·         With just a tiny bit of effort, most hotels could be wheelchair-friendly.
·         Charging for tap water in a bottle at fancy restaurants really sucks.
·         Taxis should take credit cards.  When first arriving in a country, don’t expect visitors to have Norwegian or Icelandic Kroners or British pounds.
·         Train stations and shopping malls would do well to have non-pay toilets.  Not all travelers carry the local coinage on first entering the country.
·         If you carry only an American Express card, you will have problems in many places.
·         Why can’t the English figure out modern plumbing?
·         Major train stations need to have someone who can really answer questions.
·         People who require assistance with luggage on intercity and international trains are out of luck.
·         None of the places we stayed had an adequate number of electrical outlets.
·         Perhaps I made some bad selections, but some the Belgian beer I tried was unpalatable.
·         Why is the English spoken by the Norwegians and Dutch easier to understand than that spoken by the English?
·         Brussels could use more road signs and directional markers.
·         Would it be too much trouble for hotels to run courtesy vans?
·         Why did we get strange looks from the hotel staff when we asked for ice in our room?
·         Norway is very expensive.  A simple woman’s haircut would run you at least $70, without styling.
·         Europeans smoke everywhere.
Why is it the nearly everyone is taking selfies?
·         Nobody wants to stamp your passport any more.
·         Much of the Wi-Fi, especially the expensive kind on the ship, was unreliable and slow.
·         Your American cell phone won’t work here without special stuff.
·         Be aware that some grocery stores do not supply bags.

Raves:   (commendations)
·         Say what you will about the French, but without exception, they were courteous and helpful.
·         On every type of conveyance, in each country, at least one person offered to give up their seat to Donna without being asked. Kudos!
·         Many of the pedestrian walk lights give you a digital count-down.
·         The Paris subway system is wonderful, once you figure it out.  We were among the few senior couples traveling on it.
·         The cruise port at Harwich is, perhaps, the most efficient operation of its type we have ever encountered.

• Taxes are included in the price you pay. There is no added sales tax.
• Tips are not expected for normal service at restaurants and taxis.
• Alesund Norway is beautiful, uncrowded and un-touristy.  
• What a pleasant surprise!Take the river cruise on the Seine and the canal cruises in Amsterdam.

·         The best kind of food in Paris, is simple French food.  If you want Lebanese or Greek food here, you take your chances.
·         Belgian chocolates are every bit as good as they claim to be.
·         Norway continues to be stunningly beautiful.
·         The crossing from Holland to England on the Stena Line ferry was an interesting experience.
·         With the exception of Iceland, reminders of the Holocaust kept popping up everywhere.
·         Overseas flights still include meals and no baggage charges.  (I wish they included leg room!)
·         Bergen, Norway is still wonderful.
·         There are tiny cars in Europe that make Smart Cars look spacious.
·         Norway and Iceland are relatively crime-free and quite clean.

Comments:
·         John was not solicited by prostitutes in Amsterdam, nor did either of us show any interest in purchasing cannabis at a local “coffee shop.”
·         Everybody is on a cell phone all the time.  Even bicyclists in heavy traffic were texting away.
·         If you don’t watch carefully when you cross the street in Amsterdam, you will get run down by a bicycle, motor scooter or tram (streetcar).
·         The North Sea lives up to its reputation for nasty weather.
·         Drop your laundry off at a neighborhood laundry and have it done for you.  Don’t waste a valuable day of your vacation watching washers spin.
·         Iceland is about the size of New Mexico.  Don’t try to see even a fraction of it in one day.
·         It appears that a majority of workers in England are of Indian origin.
·         Brussels has many interesting things to see, once you find them.
·         While we speak neither Dutch nor French, we were able to read many menus and signs using our knowledge of Spanish and Norwegian.
·         Klaksvik, Faroe Islands, was the only place we saw no graffiti.
·         When you consider the security lines and wait time, it is faster to travel from Paris to Amsterdam on the high speed rail, than it is by air.  You also travel from city centers.  A notice on your rail tickets requests that you be there two minutes before departure.
·         If Paris was only a three hour trip from here, I would travel there several times each year.
·         Don’t waste your time eating at American fast-food places when traveling overseas.  When in Rome…
·         There appeared to be an absence of older people on the streets and on public transportation.
·         It’s really hard to spell Reykjavik correctly.
·         The USA really needs high-speed rail travel.
·         In the Faroe Islands, many shops don’t open until 1:00 PM.
·         You never know what you will have to take off when you go through airport security.
·         Set one of your watches for local time and keep the other on home time.
·         Skype or Facebook can make calling home easier and much cheaper.
·         If you haven’t shed tears at least once during your travels, you haven’t really been there.
·         Always have a second way of taking pictures, other than just your phone or camera.
·         Read at least one book on art history before you leave home.
·         Pack dark clothing.  They will keep clean longer.
·         Be sure to pack a voltage adapter.  Europeans use different voltages and plugs.
·         Pack lightly.  You can buy toothpaste in Europe.
·         Bring your Ziploc bags to breakfast and you won’t have to stop for lunch.
·         A handheld GPS will get you back to your hotel.
·         Take a screenshot of the maps on your smart phone and you can use them, even when offline.
·         Consider using hop on and off style buses to give you an orientation to a new city.