Common Questions I'm Asked About Europe

When I tell most people I've gone to Europe, there are usually a range of questions that come with that topic of conversation. So much so, I find that I know what questions people are going to ask...well before they even ask them. Even though my trip is a year old as of May 16th of 2010, I'm still regularly asked questions...and so I've decided to put them here, and answer them, in the effort to help others plan their own trips, not to just Europe, but anywhere they can imagine.

Did I feel safe? Was it scary to travel alone? Did I worry about getting lost? How did I keep my belongings safe?

Well, isn't it always a little weird to walk around in a city that you've never been to before, and do so alone? Doesn't matter if it's in another country or state. Crime happens. People get robbed, mugged, beat up, or worse everyday in areas where there are lots of people. But, if you worry about what will happen, you'll never do anything. If I had that attitude, I never would have gotten on that plane, went to the airport or even bought the ticket in the first place. The same rules apply as to when you're alone in any city, like not advertising or allowing people to think you have a lot of cash on you, don't walk down any dark alleys late at night, etc. Follow your gut. And don't let anybody outside the Sacre Coeur in Paris put a bracelet on your arm. Traveling alone wasn't as scary as it was sometimes a little awkward. But after you've managed one meal in a restaurant alone as well as a canal ride, the next ten or so are a breeze. I downloaded apps that featured city metro bus and train maps to my iPhone, and I found I used that more than a city map. I didn't worry about getting lost, for some reason, I had an innate sense of direction. I kept my belongings locked up in a locker at the hostel, and I was the only one who had a key. My mother had a key here in Chicago, and best believe, if I'd lost mine, she'd have been fedex'ing that key overnight.

What's the best ways you saved money on the trip? How did you get from each city (London to Rome, Rome to Paris and Paris back to London)?

The best ways I saved money was to pack effectively. I traveled on a small airline that went from region to region, but they were big on baggage fees. I was gone for three weeks, but I only packed a week and a half of clothes, knowing ahead of time that I'd have to do laundry. I also made sure that I kept a daily budget and stuck to it fairly religiously. I bought an Oystercard in London that I still have as an souvenir. It saved me a lot of money on the train. I also took advantage of the duty free (tax free) shops in the airports, buying whatever toiletries I needed there instead of in the cities, where the prices would be much more expensive. There are many airlines that fly to many different regions in Europe, RyanAir, AerLingus and EasyJet are three I can think of, offering fares as low as $20-$60 per trip. Realize though, each airline has STRICT rules, and if you don't follow them you will have major headaches. Make sure you know and understand them all before you even think about booking a ticket, which you need to do pretty much as soon as you know your itinerary.

What is the biggest culture shock you received overseas? What are things Americans who've never been overseas would be surprised to see or experience? Any stereotypes that are true or false?

In Rome, there is a lot of ease and slow pace. But the cab drivers are CRAZY. I thought New York cab drivers were bad...the ones in Rome put them to shame. Also, the poverty in certain places is a little off putting. However, the biggest culture shock I received was shopping for deodorant. It was EXTREMELY difficult to find some in smaller neighborhood stores. I luckily found a trial size in the bottom of my bag and that was able to last for the duration of my trip. As a result of the deodorant shortage, there was a lot of FUNKY encounters. Even now, I can close my eyes and that pungent, wet and onion-y smell comes wafting back into my nose. The stereotype that Parisian women are any more fashionable than American women is also not as prevalent as one would think. Plus, people are a lot more affectionate. You go to the bars and it's normal to see everyone in the bar making out with each other, whether they know each other or not. I saw it in London at the IceBar (a bar built solely of ice, and you wear these massive coats), in Paris (even on the streets, lol) and in Rome (everywhere also).

Were there any weirdness with the different kinds of food that they eat versus what is normal American fare, even if it might be Italian, French, etc?

The food itself is smaller portions. However, Europeans eat more often than we Americans do, so if you keep that in mind, you won't go hungry. As a result of the portion size being smaller, flavors are richer and more...luxurious. People aren't as worried about fat content as they are in the States. Going to a Starbucks and getting a low-fat macchiato might get you some weird looks. Also, it was hard as hell to find soy milk. So much that I skipped eating cereal and drinking coffee, etc during my trip. It wasn't worth the headache. Europeans have really cornered the farmer's market concept, and some of the best fruit I've ever been fortunate enough to taste was the fruit I bought in Rome outside the Coliseum. Some people may hesitate to try outdoor food sold like that, but it's well worth the risk. It's also easy to eat well and inexpensively while in Europe. Just be sure to try the croissants in Paris, the espresso in Rome and the hamburgers in London...and be sure to do plenty of walking! I did and ironically, I LOST weight.

So, you stayed in hotels or motels or hostels? What was that like? Are they like the ones in that horror movie?

In order to save money, I stayed in hostels, which are like dorms. Most rooms are shared, with bunk beds, and like hotels, each person has a key or keycard. The cheaper the room rate, the more roommates you'll have. The ones I stayed in were all recognized by Hostelling International, the biggest group behind hostelling travel in the world. Not all hostels get their stamp of approval, and each place has to not only maintain their facilities, but also their safety guidelines to meet their criteria, which is audited by them officially every year. They also will revoke a hostel's inclusion on their material if they get enough complaints from guests. The one I stayed in Paris was the nicest, the most modern, with a full restaurant and bar in the lobby. The floors were female, male and co-ed, and bathrooms were filled with stall showers. Everyone got a large bin to put their belongings and lock it, and it was fine. The London hostel had a bathroom right in the room, with laundry, a kitchen if you wanted to cook, as well as a bar in the lobby. The Rome one was the least modern, with no elevator (and I had to climb five flights to get to my room..imagine doing that twice drunk), but had the best bar and the hottest bartender. No psycho killers wanting to sell my body to an illegal hunting group. I had one stalker, who actually followed me from Rome to Paris and stayed in the same hostels as me, but he was a sweet stalker and left after he realized I wasn't interested.

These are just some of my questions I get. If you have any additional, hit me!

Roman Sentiments Part II

Hey,

So first, I have to apologize in the delay between blogs. I've just been busy. But anyway...back to the Rome trip.

The idea of a pub crawl is something I'd never experienced before in life. It's a genius idea actually, if you think about it. In a pub crawl, you pay the operator (usually a local promotions company) a set amount of money, and you get to go from club to club over the span of several hours. Because you paid the fee to the promoters, you don't have to pay to get into any of the clubs, and usually you get a wristband that allows you some deep discounts on drinks at the various clubs. Well, this pub crawl I joined did all that, plus they gave us shots as we walked along the club route. I didn't know that they would be doing so, and had a couple of drinks before we left, So, by the time we reached the 1st stop of the evening, I was more than a little intoxicated. (Sorry, Mom). I also have to add that the pub crawl gave me a chance to actually walk the streets of Rome, which are amazingly beautiful at night.

Roman nightclubs make me feel like I've decided to climb into a time capsule and travel back ten years. The decorations are dated, along with much of the music, (they played YMCA by the Village People for goodness sakes) but there is something magical about these places. Unlike American clubs, they have a feel of someone's living room and aren't the cold and unfeeling places I've seen in past club outings. The people there are focused on two things 1-having a good time and 2- drinking. If you come across as not doing either, you should be prepared to spend the night alone. I was able to do both until 2AM. The Kissing Hour. (cue "doom" music) It is an unofficial rule in Roman partying, at least in all the clubs I visited, that everyone start kissing when the DJ announces it. Well, the DJ announced it, and I look to my left. Kissing. Look to my right. More Kissing. Look in front of me, MORE KISSING. The crowd parts, and an attractive but sweaty Italian guy comes a-walking in my direction. At this point, I only had two options. Deal with him directly...or run. I chose the latter, hiding out in the unisex bathroom.

After all the kissing was over, I emerged from the bathroom and decided to walk back to the hostel. I did so without a map, and really was able to take in the city. Of course, I made sure to not freak out my Mom and I did so with two guys I'd met who also were staying at the same hostel as I was. I'd be grateful they were with me, because not less than one block from the club, a random Italian homeless man began shoving roses he was selling in my face. Then he tried to hug me and touch my butt. The guys stepped in and got him off of me, and we made our way back to the hostel, which was a long walk, but we made it safely.

Over the course of the next few days, I would see all Rome had to offer. I went to the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and the Vatican. I ate such wonderful Italian food and drank fabulous wine. I even made friends with the staff at a wonderful restaurant called Miscellenea (find a review of it here), where Mikki, the manager, and his waitstaff made us feel like we were hanging out with friends instead of in a place of business. So much so that we could have gotten away without paying, they were so relaxed about it! It's right near the Pantheon, but only open for dinner. If you go to Rome, you must visit, if not for the inexpensive food, have a glass of the 2 euro 'sexy wine'. Unlike regular red wine, it is made from fermented strawberries, and not grapes. As a result, it has a smooth sweet taste and smells like fresh strawberries. I bought a bottle home with me, and my mom can vouch that it is amazing. I intend to go back and get more.

There are some aspects of my trip to Rome that I hated. So while I talk about how magical Rome is, and how you can smell the history and touch buildings that are older than Christ, there were moments where I wanted to leave. Walking around for two hours looking for a bank was one. Being propositioned as a prostitute was another. An Italian man asked if I had a hotel and if I would sleep with him for euros. After being disgusted and walking away, another Italian told me that because of my complexion, people would mistake me for being Brazilian, and the Brazilian women are perceived to be thieves, prostitutes and otherwise of bad moral character. It explained a lot of some of the treatment I received, but didn't make much sense because I spoke no Portuguese, had an American passport and an American accent. But they were convinced. A vendor spat into a sandwich that he tried to sell me which led to me screaming for my money back and having to call the police, a lady followed me around in a store because she thought I was going to steal something, even though I had no place to put anything, and I was glared at in many places. Later, I would find out that Brazilian women broke up a lot of Italian marriages and used to openly be spat at in Rome as they walked through the Piazzas. I was just grateful that never happened, because I'd be in Italian jail right now for murder.

While I enjoyed the beauty of the city, the saliva-free food, the wine, the architecture, I found myself more and more ready to leave Rome behind for Paris. The last night I was in Rome, I went to bed early after eating a three course meal for only 10 euros (about 16 dollars), made sure my clothes were clean and ready to be packed. On the plane, I found myself wishing that I'd been able to share the experience of Rome with someone else, and for the first time, I felt lonely. I watched out the window as the plane propelled up into the air and shut my eyes, wanting to get to the destination I was the most excited to see: Paris, France.

As I sat on that plane, I thought about my trip and realized I'd miss Rome. It's a city with so much history and beauty. Places like the Campo de Fiori look beautiful at night, as well as the lights all lit up on the Tiber River. The Vatican is breathtaking, as well as Saint Angelo's Castle. The Pont Angelo (Angel Bridge) lined with majestic angel statues that literally take your breath away, the clear blue water of the Trevi Fountain, the powerful emotions when looking at the Spanish Steps as well as the Tomb of Raphael...it's a city that serves as the model for many American cities. If you have the chance, do go see it for yourself. Even though I had some downs on my trip, I don't regret going in the slightest.

Before I knew it, the plane was landing outside of Paris, and the next leg of my journey was soon to begin.

Next Blog:

Parisian Perfection

Thoughts?

Ashley Robin