I am an old white guy and I recently returned from my first trip to Europe.
I hope I go back before I die, but really, I am posting after watching a lot of Youtube videos about what is strange about Americans and what Americans think is strange about Europe.
Before I post my boring monologue, I have to say, I found nothing really strange. Of course there were language differences. Regardless, most everybody spoke English and my limited German was passable. So here I go:
My first stop was Munich and from what I saw, it is a beautiful city, but it is a large city very similar to large cities in America. I did not have much time there, but I did see the area around the main train station including Frauenkirche. Outside of the square next to Munchen Hauptbahnhof, I did not meet a native German. Everyone who worked in my hotel was an immigrant or a child of an immigrant. They all spoke multiple languages.
After Munich, it was off to my first destination: Garmisch-Partenkirchen. A small town in the Bavarian Alps and home to the 1936 Winter Olympics. Absolutely gorgeous. Not as many people speak English, but it really did not matter. Here, everybody is native German except for a few tourists. Actually most of the tourists are German. Great food, great people and a beautiful setting. Seriously, go there.
After Garmisch, it was on to Paris. If you ever have a problem with train or bus connections, go to the BD office in whatever German town you are in. They will solve it, perhaps not with a smile, but by God they will get you where you are going without charging you more.
The trip to Paris was on the German and French high-speed rail. Oddly enough, the German part of the train trip was much more homey than the French part. The French part, though, was way faster. Go second class. It’s cheap.
As Munich, Paris is a big city – a really big city. Our hotel, though, was in a working-class neighborhood. The staff was just as friendly as the staff at the German hotel.
However, the rooms were extremely small as in the sense that you have to open the medicine cabinet to spit in the sink. The elevator was so small that only one person could take it at a time and there was no landing. When you stepped off the elevator, you had to be careful not to tumble down the spiral staircase. Also, no air conditioning. Be aware of that in the summer. It’s the same in Germany. Fortunately, we were there after a cool front passed through.
Regardless, Paris was as delightful as Garmisch. We ate in small corner cafes and the food was great no matter where we dined. We spent most of our time in the museums and they were great.
Despite the stereotype of the ugly American, all the people we met in France were friendly, helpful and really seemed to like Americans. It may have helped that my daughter speaks French, but I think it was more than that.
If you are a young American, go to Europe while you are young. If you are an old American, go while you are old. Don’t stay in big hotels. Learn to take the train and the bus. It’s not difficult. Talk to people. Walk, walk and walk more. There is no reason to be afraid. I promise, someone will help. Even at Charles de Gaulle Airport, the scariest place I have ever been.
