Dear readers:
Kallista and I are hanging out at the Dusseldorf train station (hbf), waiting for our train, slightly regretting buying our tickets online -- more expensive, it turns out? -- and using the free Starbucks wifi. So... blog post!
Not much happened today, besides our uneventful flight to Dusseldorf, so I'll dedicate this post to some of the small but entertaining things I've seen and learned in each location I've been to so far on my Grand Tour.
(Note that this is all in my limited experience!)
DUBLIN
1) People were, for lack of a better word, folksy. Friendly and nice to tourists. Sometimes very foul-mouthed, either to impress you or to show you that You're On The Same Page, i.e. that you can relax around them. (This is an attitude towards swearing that Kallista and I grew up with in Montana -- which is part of why, when I say "folksy", I refer to the same type of folksiness that you see in the Rocky Mountain West. Part of why I was so utterly charmed by Dublin was because its people reminded me so much of people back home.)
2) Apparently there are insurance advertisements starring leprechauns. Could you get more stereotypical??
LONDON
1) Proper tea is everywhere. (I saw this the last time I was in London, but I'm reiterating for emphasis.) Whether you're at a restaurant, in a hostel, or on an outward-bound flight, there will be proper tea. And they will label it as such. And on that note:
2) Proper everything is everywhere. Even proper popcorn ("Propercorn"). Accept no substitutes.
ROME
1) Trains, depending on location and time of day, may or may not run on the honor system.
2) If you want a bottle of water (that isn't mineral water), or a glass of milk, people get confused.
3) The only difference between a Caffe Latte and a Latte Macchiato is the order in which you pour the milk and the espresso into the glass.
4) In vending machines, soda is stored nose down... like wine. And, on a similar note,
5) The fanciest espresso brand I know of in America -- Lavazza -- is sold in vending machines in Rome.
VATICAN CITY
1) If you visit St Peter's, only take the stairs if you're ready for a long, sweaty, and arduous hike. Otherwise, pay the extra 2 euro! (I took the stairs and loved it -- it made the view much more rewarding -- but beware if you're out of shape or have health problems!)
2) Don't worry if you missed a gift shop... because there's another one around the corner. Oh, and around that corner too. Almost out the gates? Gift shop! On the very top of the basilica? Gift shop!! And almost every one of them is staffed by sweet and helpful nuns.
3) You're hard-pressed to see or buy anything with Pope Benedict on it. It's there, but 90% of the swag has John Paul II on it. The remaining 10% is Pope Francis giving you a thumbs up.
(Is it sacrilegious to call him a total cutie?)
That's it for now! May add more later.
- Beth
Kallista and I are hanging out at the Dusseldorf train station (hbf), waiting for our train, slightly regretting buying our tickets online -- more expensive, it turns out? -- and using the free Starbucks wifi. So... blog post!
Not much happened today, besides our uneventful flight to Dusseldorf, so I'll dedicate this post to some of the small but entertaining things I've seen and learned in each location I've been to so far on my Grand Tour.
(Note that this is all in my limited experience!)
DUBLIN
1) People were, for lack of a better word, folksy. Friendly and nice to tourists. Sometimes very foul-mouthed, either to impress you or to show you that You're On The Same Page, i.e. that you can relax around them. (This is an attitude towards swearing that Kallista and I grew up with in Montana -- which is part of why, when I say "folksy", I refer to the same type of folksiness that you see in the Rocky Mountain West. Part of why I was so utterly charmed by Dublin was because its people reminded me so much of people back home.)
2) Apparently there are insurance advertisements starring leprechauns. Could you get more stereotypical??
LONDON
1) Proper tea is everywhere. (I saw this the last time I was in London, but I'm reiterating for emphasis.) Whether you're at a restaurant, in a hostel, or on an outward-bound flight, there will be proper tea. And they will label it as such. And on that note:
2) Proper everything is everywhere. Even proper popcorn ("Propercorn"). Accept no substitutes.
ROME
1) Trains, depending on location and time of day, may or may not run on the honor system.
2) If you want a bottle of water (that isn't mineral water), or a glass of milk, people get confused.
3) The only difference between a Caffe Latte and a Latte Macchiato is the order in which you pour the milk and the espresso into the glass.
4) In vending machines, soda is stored nose down... like wine. And, on a similar note,
5) The fanciest espresso brand I know of in America -- Lavazza -- is sold in vending machines in Rome.
VATICAN CITY
1) If you visit St Peter's, only take the stairs if you're ready for a long, sweaty, and arduous hike. Otherwise, pay the extra 2 euro! (I took the stairs and loved it -- it made the view much more rewarding -- but beware if you're out of shape or have health problems!)
2) Don't worry if you missed a gift shop... because there's another one around the corner. Oh, and around that corner too. Almost out the gates? Gift shop! On the very top of the basilica? Gift shop!! And almost every one of them is staffed by sweet and helpful nuns.
3) You're hard-pressed to see or buy anything with Pope Benedict on it. It's there, but 90% of the swag has John Paul II on it. The remaining 10% is Pope Francis giving you a thumbs up.
(Is it sacrilegious to call him a total cutie?)
That's it for now! May add more later.
- Beth
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