# Any other Dopers who have never been to Europe? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623 "2008-07-16T00:36:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![DistendedPendulousFrenulum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@DistendedPendulousFrenulum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DistendedPendulousFrenulum)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/81 "2008-07-17T03:18:39Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] I’ve never been, but I only kind of want to. I can’t get past nervousness about a long flight. And taking a ship would be worse. Cooped up breathing all those other people’s germs! 😛 I would go if I could get ‘knocked out’ for the flying, like they used to do Mr. T. I would love to see the ancient public works of the Roman Empire, for example, and the dykes of Holland. (No puns!) Also on my list would be the great museums, and tours of the cities known for their architecture. [/QUOTE] Well to begin with, Ninety, you know damn well that 35,000 feet is where the airframe belongs. And planes are huge these days, you can get up and walk around them and feel teh airframe happy to be up there. Besides, it’s barely eight hours from MEM to Amsterdam. That ain’t a long flight. You try sitting in an MD-11 for sixteen and a half hours over the Pacific sometime. That’s long. Now, I had my reservations about the ship trip too, but the ship was very comfortable, the room was big, the hall was big, and there were lots of really big places to go running (and shopping and drinking and gambling) and so on. I wasn’t the least bit claustrophobic. Ship companies also have put hand sanitizer dispensers positively all over the place so that everybody doesn’t come down with the duke-n-puke. So you really ought to go. Or come with us to China next time. That’d be a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/82 "2008-07-17T03:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=DistendedPendulousFrenulum] That’d be a hoot. [/QUOTE] Yeah, for \*y’all \* maybe. :dubious: Ok **Asimovian** , share your secret! It’s your lovely wife, isn’t it ?? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/83 "2008-07-17T08:41:03Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] The only place in Europe that I’ve been is Iceland, which is not exactly close to the mainland, and I didn’t do a lot of the touristy things beyond the first summerlong trip. [/QUOTE] What’s the first summerlong trip? (I’m actually curious - I live here and have never heard of that trip) ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/84 "2008-07-17T11:28:02Z")
Never been there. Scandinavia, especially Sweden, is the only part I want to visit. Iceland, too, but I don’t know if that’s considered Europe or not. Australia and Asia have much more fascination. ---
**Author:** ![DistendedPendulousFrenulum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/43a26b/32.png) [@DistendedPendulousFrenulum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DistendedPendulousFrenulum)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/85 "2008-07-17T11:47:40Z")
We’ll feed ya summat delicious dawg soup! ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/86 "2008-07-17T11:49:08Z")
[QUOTE=VunderBob] Never been there. Scandinavia, especially Sweden, is the only part I want to visit. Iceland, too, but I don’t know if that’s considered Europe or not. Australia and Asia have much more fascination. [/QUOTE] I’m going to Sweden next week, you jealous? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/87 "2008-07-17T12:04:06Z")
[QUOTE=Illuminatiprimus] I’m going to Sweden next week, you jealous? 😛 [/QUOTE] Slightly. No snark implied… ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/88 "2008-07-17T12:24:40Z")
[QUOTE=WormTheRed] What’s the first summerlong trip? (I’m actually curious - I live here and have never heard of that trip) [/QUOTE] I usually spent almost my entire summer break there when I was a kid-- from mid-June to mid-August. I think the first “big” trip we did to Iceland that I can recall was when I was eight; since we had the whole family there for a couple of weeks during that time, we went out to one of the glaciers (probably Langjökull or Mýrdalsjökull), saw Geysir, hopped down to the Westman Islands, visited some relatives in Ísafjörður, saw Gullfoss, Selfoss, and stayed at a family friend´s cabin in Þingvellir. The other summers that I visited, I didn’t do as much of the touristy stuff; I did a lot of hopping from one uncle’s house to another uncle’s house to my grandfather’s house and back, and visited the public pools and wandered about Reykjavík. I do miss summers there quite a bit; I got spoiled by spending 3+ summers in someplace that doesn’t heat up like a frying pan and most places are walkable and the food is good. I have no clue what we’ll start with when my fiancé comes with me to Iceland to meet my mother’s side, but I’m sure it’ll be fun. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/89 "2008-07-17T13:47:02Z")
[QUOTE=VunderBob] Never been there. Scandinavia, especially Sweden, is the only part I want to visit. Iceland, too, but I don’t know if that’s considered Europe or not. [/QUOTE] Hell yes Iceland is in Europe! Just not on the mainland… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/90 "2008-07-17T13:51:06Z")
[QUOTE=nashiitashii] I usually spent almost my entire summer break there when I was a kid-- from mid-June to mid-August. I think the first “big” trip we did to Iceland that I can recall was when I was eight; since we had the whole family there for a couple of weeks during that time, we went out to one of the glaciers (probably Langjökull or Mýrdalsjökull), saw Geysir, hopped down to the Westman Islands, visited some relatives in Ísafjörður, saw Gullfoss, Selfoss, and stayed at a family friend´s cabin in Þingvellir. [/QUOTE] And here I was thinking the “summerlong trip” was some sort of tour that I’d never heard off :smack: So I’ll just let everyone else know (like you already do) that it’s beautiful here! And probably the cheapest ever… considering how much the ISK has fallen ([chart here](http://www.glitnir.is/markadir/Gjaldmidlar/GreiningKrossa.aspx?g1=EUR&g2=ISK) ) ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/91 "2008-07-17T14:14:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] if I’m just trying to figure out why my modem’s out I don’t really care if they’re Mike, Muhammad, or Countess Bathory.) [/QUOTE] Countess Bathory might have some interesting ways of trying to fix it though! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/92 "2008-07-17T14:38:18Z")
[QUOTE=NinetyWt] Ok **Asimovian** , share your secret! It’s your lovely wife, isn’t it ?? [/QUOTE] Well, my lovely wife certainly isn’t a secret (at least not anymore, now that you’ve let the cat out of the bag)! 😛😃 [del]If you’re really curious about how I got over my fear of flying, have a go at this old thread (although I recognize your fears and mine may not be the same)[/del]. Apparently, my thread about fear of flying no longer exists, which kills me because it went so well. Gah! (Does anyone know if there’s anything I can do to find a thread I started back in 2006?) But please, please do SOMETHING to conquer your fear – you have no idea how liberating it is, after years of crippling terror, to just know that you can now go wherever you feel like. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/93 "2008-07-17T19:08:22Z")
While I never think of Iceland as part of Europe (I guess it’s sort of “neither fish nor fowl” to most people) it seems to be a sort of fnord of fiords in that suddenly it gets a lot of press. It’s begun turning up in articles by the score on everything from tourism to alternative energies (in which they seem to be a leader) to archaeology journals. I don’t know if they’re intentionally going higher profile (PR folks et al) but they seem to be coming out. ---
**Author:** ![meenie7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@meenie7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meenie7)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/94 "2008-07-17T23:34:44Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] Troy’s not that bad, and they have done some major renovations there recently. And Albany…they redid all of downtown Albany and the falls here are stunning. [/QUOTE] Good to hear about Troy. I went there in 2002, when I was briefly dating a guy who lived there, and it was…unattractive. Very rundown and depressing. I just don’t know how people get all this travelling done…it seems weird that everyone else is that much richer than me ☹ ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/95 "2008-07-17T23:34:52Z")
(sorry for the hijack reply to **Sampiro** but…) We’ve gotten more money. That’s the main reason 😉 Iceland has pretty much stepped from the bottom 10 to the top 10 in (W)Europe (economically wise) over the last 30 or so years. And the industry has gotten more and more diverse… from basically only fishing to everything from Aluminum Smelters to Tourism and IT, banking and so on. So the reasons are most likely - more focus on tourism, more money to spend on PR and diverse sectors that are more fun to write about than fish. And no back to your regular programming. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/96 "2008-07-17T23:39:02Z")
[QUOTE=WormTheRed] (sorry for the hijack reply to **Sampiro** but…) We’ve gotten more money. That’s the main reason 😉 Iceland has pretty much stepped from the bottom 10 to the top 10 in (W)Europe (economically wise) over the last 30 or so years. And the industry has gotten more and more diverse… from basically only fishing to everything from Aluminum Smelters to Tourism and IT, banking and so on. So the reasons are most likely - more focus on tourism, more money to spend on PR and diverse sectors that are more fun to write about than fish. And no back to your regular programming. [/QUOTE] I could look this up but I’m being lazy: does Iceland use the Euro? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/97 "2008-07-17T23:49:41Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] I could look this up but I’m being lazy: does Iceland use the Euro? [/QUOTE] We’re not in the EU, so nope. The glorious Icelandic Krona (with different fish on the back). And it’s sinking like a stone ☹ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/98 "2008-07-18T00:02:11Z")
I want to go to Europe. Especially England…and Slovakia, where my family’s from. There’s a lot of Europe in between. I need to find myself a nice gay southern sugar daddy. Someone who will pay for having a sweet young traveling partner (we can pretend we’re Dr Who!) but won’t get all handsy on me…hmm, I wonder if I know anyone like that…? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/99 "2008-07-18T00:05:21Z")
[QUOTE=WormTheRed] We’re not in the EU, so nope. The glorious Icelandic Krona (with different fish on the back). And it’s sinking like a stone ☹ [/QUOTE] The 50kr pieces have crabs! The “folding money” (i.e. 1000kr and higher, IIRC) has all sorts of historic sights and historical figures on it-- very pretty, IMO, with lots of colors and linework. [example 1 (5000kr- back))](http://www.banknoteworld.com/countries/iceland.html) [example 2 (5000kr- front)](http://www.banknoteworld.com/countries/iceland.html) ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623/100 "2008-07-18T01:33:24Z")
I’ve been to Canada and Honduras. Never Europe. Someday. When I have both money and time. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-other-dopers-who-have-never-been-to-europe/456623.md?page=6)