God Jule, Joyeux Noel

As we approach Christmas in Texas for the first time in seven years I have been thinking about our experiences the past years.  A few observations and reflections.  Please click on the links for photos and additional information.

Christmas Markets are popular across Europe in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  The markets are a great place to get unique gifts/crafts and local/traditional food.  Some markets include activities and carnival type rides.

If Christmas falls on a weekend you do not get a "make-up" day off on the Friday or Monday (true for all holidays that fall on a weekend).

A tradition we established in our short stay in France was visiting the flagship Galeries Lafayette in Paris.  GL is a large department store with themed display windows along the street and an amazing Christmas tree suspended from the ceiling, considered to be one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in the world.  We visited the Christmas Market on Champs Elysees our first Christmas in France, but the market has since been cancelled.

Our Christmases in Norway are the ones that stick out the most in my memory.  Candles are everywhere.  The heavy-duty long-lasting (8-10 hours) candles come in a bucket the size of a saucer (as in cup and saucer) and line streets around shopping centers and driveways/sidewalks of people hosting parties.  Julenisse are a cross between a troll and Santa.  Virtually every boutique offers pepperkakke (crisp thin gingerbread cookies) at the checkout counter.  Traditional Christmas main course food consists of pinnekjott (lamb ribs), lutefisk (gelatinous dried white fish in lye), ribbe (pork ribs) and smalahove (sheep head--tasty but very little meat on the cheek, fun to play with the eyeball and teeth) and to drink akavit (distilled from grain and potatoes).  Many Norwegian hotels and restaurants close between the 23rd of December and 3rd of January.

As tourists we got to sample Christmas in Kiruna, Sweden, Copenhagen, Denmark (amusement park in the freezing temps), South Africa (visited a prison), Thailand, Greece (first snow in 40 years) and Portugal.  The details may differ but what is uniform is that Christmas is special time of the year, celebrating with family and friends, having good food and celebrating your faith.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all my readers!

Pack Your Bags

Experience and observations have taught me a few things about being a good tourist.  Being prepared and acting prudently can help make a vacation more enjoyable, beneficial and overall help things to run smoother.  A few general thoughts/hints/tips on traveling to Europe.

People in most large cities and touristy areas speak English.  With the closeness of England much of the English spoken uses British English terminology.  The scarcity of English increases as the population of a town/city/village decreases.  The exception to the rule are the Scandinavian countries where a very high percentage of the population speaks high quality English.

Europeans do not feel obligated to be overtly friendly so do not feel offended if people do not greet you or ask how you are doing.  Exception:  in France it is considered rude not to say "bonjour" to the proprietor as you enter a boutique.  Conversations held in public places such as on a train or at a restaurant are at a subdued level (i.e. in elementary school they called it using your "inside voice").

Dress in Europe in general is "nice casual;"  Dockers, polos, khakis, shirts, some jeans and casual shoes are the norm.  Caps, tennis shoes and t-shirts with your favorite college or professional sports team are strong indicators that you are not European.

When shopping (or any time you see a price) remember that the tax is included, so the price listed is the price you pay.  Businesses are often closed on Sunday, or have limited hours.  It is not uncommon for shops to be closed Mondays and/or closed during the early afternoon.

A convenient and affordable way to obtain foreign currency is via an ATM.  ATM's associated with banks tend to have lower fees than the generic "get your cash here" ATM's.  When given a choice the flexible exchange rates often are more favorable than the "guaranteed" rates.  European credit cards use chips and a four digit code so you may get a displeasing look when using an American card that requires swipe and sign.  Most importantly, provide your financial institutions with a travel notification or you may have your credit/debit cards frozen due to questionable transactions.

Research your destinations with regard to meal times.  Scandinavians have dinner (supper) as early as 4:30 while the Latin countries may only start eating after 7:30 or 8:00 pm.  Restaurants tend to be smaller than North American ones, seating for 25 or less is not uncommon.  Reservations are advised.  Meals are not rushed, a reservation may save your table for an entire evening.  Most likely you will have to request your ticket/bill.  Ask around and research for the best local food and restaurants.  Be cautious of hotel reservations as they often have deals with local restaurants.  Look for restaurants that do not have an English menu.  English menus often equate to touristy places with touristy food and touristy prices.  A restaurant where you are the only tourist likely means good food at a reasonable price.  Good local places may be off of the beaten path.  Be prepared to get confusing looks if the staff does not speak English and you may end up with something different than you expected.

When ordering coffee and you want something similar to what you would get in North America ask for a tall or Americano.  You may get a regular size coffee cup but it may only be half full.  Coffee often equates to an expresso.  Ask your hotel if the water is safe to drink.  Public water fountains for filling water bottles are common.  Norwegian water is the best in the world.  At a restaurant you may have to specify that you want still water and/or tap water or you may end up with a pricy bottle of sparkling (carbonated) water.  Beer/wine may be cheaper than sodas.

The most time and cost effective way to travel is by public transportation.  Consider day or weekly passes if you will be in one location for more than a few days.  If you will be travelling by train with assigned seating you may wish to purchase your tickets in advance.  Strikes and track repairs are common so travel may be disrupted.  Should you wish to travel by car most vehicles are manual transmission and diesel fuel.  Roads and streets may be narrow and/or steep (roads may be no wider than a sidewalk).  Parking can be hard to find and expensive.  To save on potential headaches my opinion is to opt for maximum insurance coverage.  Europeans walk a lot.  As a tourist it is not uncommon to walk between 5 and 10 miles a day.  Walking is cheap and can be quicker than transportation (especially compared to driving in a city).

When you want to visit many attractions in one city consider a city-pass--one price gets you in to all the listed attractions, may include bypassing ticket and entrance lines, may include hop-on, hop-off buses and/or public transportation.  Hop-on and hop-off buses are a way to get an overview of the main attractions along with some history.  The buses offer transportation around the city, but are not as frequent as public transportation.  Consider the number of attractions, entrance fees and cost of public transportation when considering city passes or hop-on, hop-off buses.

With many attractions being hundred of years old you can expect narrow hallways, steep stairs, cobblestone and other features that make visiting an attraction a challenge.  Newer attractions tend to have more accessibility options.  Museums/attractions may close one day a week.  Some attractions are free on certain days--save money but crowds may be larger.  Some attractions allow you to bring in your own food and water.

Hotel rooms tend to be smaller than North American hotels (so ignore "small room" comments on TripAdvisor from American reviewers).  Breakfast may or may not be included.  If breakfast is included it may have bacon but it may not be nice and crisp like in North America.  Washcloths and top sheets on the bed are not common, instead expect a duvet even in the summer.  Air conditioning is limited and if it is available it may not cool to the extent that you are familiar with.  Coffee makers in a room will consist of a water boiler with tea bags and packets of instant coffee.  Inquire about the sound-proofness of rooms and closeness of churches that chime their bells (6 am until midnight) or speakers that call believers to prayer.

Air conditioning is not all that common, even in warmer climates.  The A/C that does exist may not cool as much as North American A/C.  Chocolate shops and refrigerated isles in grocery stores are areas to cool off.

Do not be alarmed at different publicly acceptable behavior.  F-bombs other "inappropriate" words are common in daily talk and television and radio.  Varying degrees of nudity are acceptable in some areas, such as topless female sunbathers and co-ed naked saunas.  Conversely modesty is expected in most religious attractions (i.e. knees, shoulders and mid-drifts covered).  Public consumption of alcohol, recreational drug use, prostitution and public urination are acceptable in some countries.  Children are allowed in bars/pubs and many businesses and restaurants allow dogs.

Exhaustive tour/travel books will list all cites, sights and attractions.  The more personalized tour/travel books like Rick Steves may not list all the cities and attractions but will give you more inside information such overpriced tourist traps, coffee shops that have terrible coffee but great views, and the hidden "hole-in-the-wall" boutiques and cafes.  Tours can be very informative but you have to follow their schedule.  Being your own tour guide you may miss out on some history or other details but you may have more fun and "stumble" across gems and adventures.

My last piece of advice is to be adventurous.  Try new foods.  Find the unique hotels.  Go wandering/driving down the side streets and roads (one of our favorite activities is to "get lost" when out walking or driving).  Even though your visit may be brief try to experience life as close as you can to being a local.

On a Hamster Wheel

We have been back in Houston for four and half months and we often get the question, "So, is it good to be back in Houston?"  In all honesty the answer is "no."  It seems that all we do is take care of errands with very little time for family or fun.  Often it feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel.  We have had some fun but those times seem short and few and far between.

Our busyness can be attributed to multiple factors.  Many of the items on our "to-do" list relate to getting our house in order.  Our son has school related activities which are new to us as he had no extra-curricular activities the past two years.  With my teaching job I have less time to manage household items.  In Europe businesses were closed on Sundays so by default we had a family day.

A plan is in place to free up time for family and fun:  planning of weekly and daily activities, establishing a routine, maximizing available time during the week, evaluating wants and needs, prioritizing needs and most importantly making time rather than looking for time.  Taking the initial steps in getting our house the way we want it is bringing some relief.  We have been in this position before and survived, so we will persevere and thrive again.