Some Closing Thoughts

Well, I finally finished posting all about our trip (a month later). It was great and I think we are both suffering from the travel bug. Europe has always interested me and, as much as I have always wanted to visit, I am not sure I ever would have if I hadn't met Joe and moved over here with him. Something about having an adventurous partner to get me over all my practicality about why it wouldn't be, well, practical and having a best friend to share the journey and memories with. Living here and being able to travel so easily is an opportunity I am grateful for and enjoying very much. Anyway, here are a few closing thoughts:

• I LOVE Europe. I was meant to live in Europe. I need to travel Europe. Seriously.

• Every European city seems to have the following in their old town: 2 H&M stores (within a block), a castle or castle ruins, a Swarovski store, a river (as in an actual river), an open town square, outdoor cafes with blankets provided for patrons, and (sadly) a McDonalds.
  

• Rental car companies should provide foreign drivers with a laminated cheat sheet of street signs and their meanings. Seriously. Have you ever tried navigating through a city in which the signs are in a language you can't read and the symbols are unfamiliar? It's a bit difficult. (What do you do, for instance, when you get to a traffic light that set atop a Stop sign? What happens when the light is green?)

• The large everything-you-could-need stores (e.g., Target) don't really seem to exist here. There are a few department stores (really nice ones, not like Target) but for the most part their are clothing stores, furniture stores, shoe stores, book stores, rug stores, frame shops, flower shops, food shops, hardware stores, sports stores, travel stores, etc. Everything seems to be more specialized. (We have observed this in Edinburgh, but is seems consistent everywhere we've been so far).

• WWII affected people and cities in Europe in a way I had not considered before moving here. European cities were bombed. And, I knew this before coming here, but seeing the effects and hearing about it brings it to life in some way. Old, historic structures were ruined; some were rebuilt and some were not, but you can't go far without learning about how the bombings literally changed the landscape. There are remnants of the old Jewish ghettos that bring to mind the horrors of the Holocaust. Children in Britain were sent away to other parts of Britain, or even other countries, in order to protect them from the bombings they knew were coming. We've met some of these children, now grown up, who were sent away and to hear their stories makes you understand how wide-spread were the effects of the war. People here don't say World War 2, they simply refer to it as "the War" and it is a part of the life story of anyone who was alive during that time.
  

• I've never encountered markets like I have experienced in Europe. Local, fresh produce. Local, fresh meats and cheeses. Big markets. Open air. Clean and bright. Amazing. Love it.

• The lifestyle here seems much more laid-back. People work hard, and some work over 40 hours per week, but life seems less driven by work and achievement. Stores close early (6-8pm), and people spend the evenings being with other people, not working. It's nice.

• Holiday seasons (Christmas and Easter) seem to be festive times but not commercialized and cheesy. More quaint and charming and steeped in tradition.

• Have I mentioned that I love Europe? Because, I do.

• I love Europe. I especially love Germany--the food, the people, the markets, the landscape, the culture.

• I should have been born German. Ok, well, I was born German (Schmitt, anyone?). But, I should have been born in the motherland. I was meant to be German. It's in my blood.

• We may have to move to Germany next. I'm signing up for German language classes and buying lederhosen and dirndl. I'm actually not kidding--well, I am about the clothing part. Prepare yourself people. You've been warned.