Paris is a gorgeous city and it’s only a quick 2.5 hour train ride on the Eurostar from London. We visited in the middle of September. The weather was perfection – cool and lovely in the low 20s. The city looked majestic and elegant as always. Remnants of the recent Olympics and Paralympics were being taken down. So based on these few days in Paris and my time in London, which is better? (Note: I’m probably biased as I know London better and I speak English!)
Continue readingAs we travelled through parts of the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, Germany and Belgium in the summer of 2022, I was struck by the many ways that Europe differs from Australia. These are some of my observations about Europe, the good stuff, the bad stuff and the stuff which is just plain awful! So let’s go…in no particular order…..
Cycling is very normalised in Europe. It is really so wonderful to see well designed, cycling infrastructure that keeps cyclists safe. It’s totally normal to see people dressed in their normal clothing (as a pose to lycra), riding bikes with their shopping or on their way to work. I saw parents doing school pick-up on bikes. The older kids had their own bikes to ride home whilst the youngest would be popped into a cargo bike or into a toddler seat attached to their parents’ bike. People often take their bikes on the train to go on a holiday adventure. It is so great for health and for the environment. It reduces the traffic on the road.
This seemed to be the case in continental Europe but is unfortunately not the case in London where cycling is far more dangerous. In the city, the cycling infrastructure is lacking, bike theft is rife and motorists hate cyclists and vice versa. To reduce congestion, London should invest more in making cycling safer and more attractive for everyone.
French Flower Beds – When in France, I found the way they planted their flower beds to be so delightful. They would plant a crazy unexpected mix of plants with varying types and textures all thrown together. The combinations are wild and crazy but they work! I have never seen anything like it anywhere else!
Recycling is taken seriously. In both continental Europe and the UK, recycling is the norm. Particularly striking examples include in Slovenia where there are public bins for each type of rubbish and the people do the right thing with their waste. In Germany, glass beer bottles can be exchanged for a small refund when recycled. It is therefore normal to leave your empty bottle by a rubbish bin instead of in it. This leaves it visible for someone to go past and collect it and hence get the refund. This is an easy way for someone who has come upon hard times to get a bit of money to help them by. So, in a way, you can feel good about yourself when you leave an empty bottle.
Pride in their town. Whilst traveling Europe, especially in the smaller towns, it was clear to see the pride the locals had in their town. Of particular note are the Slovenians. Ljubljana city was really spotlessly clean and the Airbnb we stayed at in Bled was a model of cleanliness and efficiency. This shows pride in doing things well and looking after their patch of this Earth. The Slovenian food tour guide spoke so highly of her country and their people. I find this really heartening to see in contrast with Canadians and the British who are in general, fast to bring up the many flaws in their country.
“Pay What You Want” or “Free” walking tours – These are wonderful and available in many of the cities in Europe. We always look them up. The guides are paid from the tips they make at the end so they are therefore incentivized to be really entertaining. They are always very interesting and give an insight into the city. They are much more affordable then any other kind of tour. Many of the cities around Europe offer these. They are an economical and entertaining way to learn a bit about a new city and orient yourself.
Actually, a noticeable difference, that may be a result of Covid, is a seeming reduction in the quantity of English language “Free” tours. On previous visits to Europe, years before Covid, these tours were mostly held in English and the majority of customers were on the English speaking tours. Now it is the Spanish language tours that draw the customers. It is a reflection that international travel has decreased and domestic travel has increased. Hopefully for the English speaking guides, this will adjust itself in the coming months.
The History! Compared to countries like Australia and Canada, Europe has some seriously old buildings. The mind boggles when walking down some of these old narrow streets and looking at these buildings hundreds of years old. What did the world look like when they were built, and what tumultuous events would these walls tell us if they could talk? If the people who built it saw the world today, the cars driving past, what would they think?
Covid Masks – The wearing of masks for Covid prevention was a mixed bag in the countries we visited. The best were the Italians who encouraged the wearing of FFP2 masks using signage and public announcements on Italian trains and on the ferries around Lake Como. FFP2 masks are far superior to the blue surgical masks or cloth masks for the prevention of Covid transmission. Despite the enforcement being a little lax, most people complied. On German trains, it was necessary to be masked and this was enforced. No masks were required on Belgium, French or English trains. This was disappointing as Covid is still around and still poses a threat to the more vulnerable members of our community.
Relax, eat slowly! The pace in restaurants is different in Europe where it is expected that people will take their time to chat and linger over their meal. In Asian countries, time is of the essence. Cooked meals are presented to customers at lightning speed to ensure people can eat and leave the table to allow multiple seatings over an evening.
French food is delicious – Sometimes, I am offended at how proud the French are of their cuisine. There are plenty of fantastic cuisines worldwide. That being said, when I taste proper French food, I have to admit, it is delicious. In France, even the microwave meals are excellent. The supermarket produce are high quality e.g. the tomatoes are red, ripe and flavorsome. The French like good food, so bad restaurants don’t survive and the supermarkets have to cater to their high standards.
Menu du Jour or Menu del Dia – getting a reasonably priced lunch in Europe is often possible by looking out for their lunch specials. The restaurant knows that they’re going to sell a lot of the lunch specials, so they can scale up production of these dishes and choose them based on the freshest or best value ingredients they can acquire. It’s a win-win for the business and the customer! We had one memorable Spanish lunch special which consisted of three delicious courses and a bottle of wine each for the princely sum of €16 each.
Europeans are more comfortable with their bodies. It is not unusual to see people of all shapes and sizes enjoying the beach. Women of all types sun themselves topless. Women go about their day in the city without a bra on under their tops or ride bikes in quite short skirts. They are just more comfortable with their bodies and each other’s bodies than any other place I can think of worldwide. It’s just not a big deal and that’s nice! Everyone deserves to be comfortable, wear what they want and enjoy the beach on a hot day.
There are lots of nice people! In general people are nice. When walking in an industrial area, a truck driver leans out of his window and struck up a conversation in French and then broken English when he saw us with our backpacks. People kindly swap to English when they see us struggling. People in crowded trains are nice to each other despite the sweltering conditions because they all know that they are in it together. In France, in the most crowded train imaginable, the lovely French people managed to contort themselves out of the way to allow me to move up the carriage so I could stand next to my travel partner. When they realized we were travelling together, it was a group effort to “part the red seas” so we could stand together. It was really very sweet considering how horrible the situation was in that crowded train for everyone!
The French Baguette – the French actually buy these fresh and carry them around. It’s not just a cliché. It is not uncommon to see one of these sticking out of a backpack or tucked under the arm of a person riding the bus or walking along the street.
Compactness and Convenience – Europe is a great place to travel as there are so many diverse cultures packed together in a small space. Transport infrastructure is highly developed, with even small cities equipped with amazing train and light rail systems to allow you to get around. It is also super convenient to be able to use the Euro as you travel.
What to do with the garbage? Life generates certain amount of waste and cities, with its high population density, generates a lot of garbage! It is always interesting how a city deals with it’s garbage. Walking along the streets of London, the garbage is in bags, or in a plethora of different types of bins. They would almost certainly have to be picked up by hand, a very manual and slow task. Australian ‘wheelie bins’ are not pretty but it does convey a certain neatness when every household has one. Plus, having trucks that can pick up and empty the wheelie bins definitely reduces manual handling. This solution isn’t possible in the center of London due to the density and the narrow streets but surely there is a better way. Garbage left out in bags is unhygienic, attracts vermin and is unsightly. If it was any warmer, it would be smelly too! It is surprising to think that we can be so advanced as a society and yet something basic like a system of garbage disposal is not optimised.
One option that we’ve seen is to have a central rubbish bin on each street, which compacts the rubbish and stores it underground until collected. Rubbish collection therefore can be less frequent and involves less stops (so is less expensive). Take a look at this: Underground garbage storage
Why does it smell like pee? – So many cities in Spain, Italy and France smell like pee. Is it because there is a high rate of dog ownership? Is it because there is no green space for dogs to relieve themselves? Is it because the summer weather just makes all smells worse? Is it because there are no free public toilets so a portion of the population is finding a secluded corner to pee for free?
Private Green Spaces – In Milan, I was sad to learn that the vast majority of green space is private. As private property, it is simply not accessible to the general population. It’s so easy to take for granted the public green space and public amenities like benches, water fountains and public toilets that we have in Australia.
Restaurant Peculiarities – In Germany, when you sit down at a restaurant, there is often an expectation that you order a main meal each and a paid drink each. The drinks are where the profit is made it seems. Tap water is not provided. Italy is similar in that you have to pay for water. Free tap water is not available. In Italy, there is also coperto and maggiorazione. Coperto is a cover charge per head of about 1 to 3 Euros to cover napkins, cutlery, salt, bread etc. Maggiorazione is a service charge of up to 15% which is charged in touristy areas. These extra charges felt like an excuse to squeeze more money out of their customers and left a bad taste in my mouth. As a consequence, we often skipped some restaurants in Italy.
In Italy, I asked for tap water by learning the Italian word for tap water and confirming that the waiter understood exactly what I meant. He came back with a bottle of water and said that they do not have a tap! (At least the bottle was glass and could be recycled!) It is annoying when restaurants do not serve tap water when it comes out free and potable from the tap. In the middle of a sweltering summer, it seems almost cruel to withhold this. In addition, the sheer amount of waste generated by all that bottled water is mind boggling and criminal!
In Australia, it is actually illegal to not serve tap water in premises that are licensed. These little peculiarities of European restaurants meant we tended to avoid them in favour of supermarket meals, takeout places or street food vans.
Hot Apartments in Summer – Except for Southern Europe, most apartments are not designed to manage hot weather. They are well insulated and have relatively small windows with limited capacity to capture breezes or allow cross-ventilation, and air-conditioning isn’t common. In some cases, apartments can be quite a lot hotter than the outside temperature, which can make sleeping difficult. Once again another reason to be careful what time of year you travel to Europe.
Don’t Travel to Europe in August – It’s too hot and way too crowded. Just don’t do it!
Navigating the Train System – The European train system is very complicated, particularly when you’re travelling between countries. It really is a head-spinner when you consider the different rail passes that are available, and trying to work out if buying a pass is worth the money is almost impossible for the uninitiated. It took us quite a while to get familiar with the operation of the passes and how to make bookings etc. It almost feels like the rail passes are a scam, particularly in countries that have expensive reservation fees (which are not covered by the rail pass) for most trains. In order for us to get from Bilbao to the Cote D’Azur, at one stage we were considering back-tracking to Madrid so we could get on a fast train to Marseille….madness!
Our saviour was the Seat61 website, which is packed with tips and is highly recommended. The tips on crossing international boarders (particularly France to Spain, Spain to France and Italy to Slovenia were very valuable!I
I just want a normal pillow! – In France, Germany and Spain, that the standard bed pillow is a square shape. Whilst this doesn’t sound so bad, these pillows are usually insubstantial and soft. They provide absolutely no support for your head and neck! Even when you fold them in half, they sink so much under your head that you might as well just lie without it. It’s astounding that an advanced country like Germany can do so many things really well but cannot get a simple thing like a pillow right! The other unusual thing is the use of two single sized duvets (doonas) on a double bed instead of a large double sized duvet. It does prevent duvet hogging!
Narrow streets – Many of the old European towns and cities were built in a time well before cars. It’s quite shocking when you see cars and other vehicles squeezing down these narrow streets, mere centimeters from diners trying to dine alfresco! More pedestrian zones please!
Old buildings stifling growth? – There are plenty of stunning, well maintained old buildings of architectural significance that are worth preserving. But there are also plenty of mediocre, low-rise, drafty, old structures that might be better demolished to make way for modern, energy efficient buildings that can house more people, more comfortably. I’m not suggesting forgetting our history but merely to allow more room for modern advancement. Yes, it will change the skyline but why is that a bad thing if its good for the people? Increasing population density in the city means less sprawl and therefore less emissions as people don’t need to travel long distances into the center for work. Increasing the population density brings more business in and breathes more buzz and life into the centre.
Crowded beaches and private beaches – Private beaches are a foreign concept to Australians as all beaches are free for the public. In Europe, the prevalence of private beaches means that what remains free for the public is extremely crowded. These are often rocky and small compared to Australian beaches. We are absolutely spoilt with beautiful beaches in Australia and we are too used to not having to share our beach space with so many people!
Paying for toilets – In Spain, France, Italy and Germany, it is impossible to find free public toilets. They all charge about 0.5 to 1 Euro per use. The crazy thing is that this money is supposed to pay for the the cleaning of the facilities but they are usually not that clean or well maintained. Even in a fast food chain like Burger King, there will be a person at the toilet door demanding payment to use the facility. The only way to use a toilet for free is to eat at a restaurant or to pay to enter a museum. Neither of which is without cost. Perhaps I am spoilt by the ease of finding clean, free, ablution facilities in Australia. I had associated having to pay for toilets with underdeveloped countries so I was shocked to be consistently charged all over Europe.
Using the toilet is something that we all need to do as functioning, living humans. If we all need it, then why not just set up some free, public facilities? I also feel that it is sexist because it is easier and more socially acceptable for men to find a secluded corner to relieve themselves. To be honest, that is gross too and probably explains why so much of Europe smells like pee!
Smoking – In Europe, about 1 in every 3 people smoke. This is compared to Australia where 1 in about 9 people smoke. The laws around smoking are also different. Cigarettes are highly taxed in Australia, where it costs about 26 Euros for a packet of 20 cigarettes. In Spain, it only costs about 4 Euros for a packet of 20 cigarettes. Smoking in Australia is difficult to afford whilst in Europe, it will only cost the loose change in your pocket. There is no cost disincentive.
It is socially acceptable in Europe to light up at alfresco restaurant tables despite other patrons dining on adjacent tables. The smokers would be the ones absolutely desperate of get off the train at their destination. They would be ready with their cigarette in hand. Two steps off the carriage and they would have lit up on the crowded platform. It is a callous action as they are probably well aware of the damage their passive smoke is having on other people and small children having to go past them.
It is impossible to walk the streets of Europe without being assailed by someone’s passive smoke. It is so socially acceptable to smoke in Europe unlike in Australia where it is quite frowned upon and the habit is steadily dying out.
I felt sorry for a Spanish store holder as they do not have the rules that cigarette packets have to be kept out of sight like in Australia. This poor girl had to work her hours in a shop with cigarette packets arrayed from wall to ceiling all around her. These are the cigarette packets which are emblazoned with graphic pictures of the physical health consequences of smoking.
A worrying trend is the increase in vaping. It is not unusual to see young people vaping. It is quite shocking to smell that sickly, synthetic fruit smell and then see children of about 14 using their vapes. What is worse is the way that vapes are advertised? There are vape stores throughout Europe where vapes are openly sold and advertised. Their sleek design aesthetic, modern curves and colours make them look very appealing. The way vapes are advertised is very similar to the way mobile phones are advertised. It is impossible to argue that they are not targeting children and young people. A new generation of addicts! Ka-ching! $$$
Religion – Despite the fact that Europe is one of the most secular places in the world, in every town and city in Europe, the church or cathedral would be the ostentatious centre piece. Often there were laws which restrict any buildings to be taller than the local cathedral. These cathedrals/basilicas/churches would be tall, spectacular buildings of architectural wonder. The Gothic style cathedrals would have nightmare inducing gargoyles peering down from up high. Inside, there are very high vaulted roofs, valuable paintings, expensive artifacts and relics of gold and silver. Within the building, there is a respectful hush as the sheer height of the ceilings which are designed to make a person feel small in the presence of God.
Every church you go into will be sure to have a prominently displayed donation box labelled with something along the lines of ‘for the upkeep of the church’. These buildings are enormously expensive to maintain, and many will have sections scaffolded off while work is being done. As Europe continues to change and become more secular and less Christian, what future is in store for some of the second-tier churches of Europe?
These amazing buildings were designed, crafted and made by humans. They are architectural wonders but made by determined and capable human beings. The sense of awe and ritual in a church is all designed by the church to make their flock sub-servient to God. What makes it really sickening is the value of these properties, the land, the buildings, the paintings, the artifacts etc. We were in a church that was famous for the number of Rubens paintings it owns. If the church really cared about helping the poor masses, selling just one of these valuable paintings would handsomely fund programs to pull people out of poverty. It’s hard to reconcile the stated mission of the humble church with their gaudy and opulent places of worship.
There is good and bad in everything. That is part of the nuance that is life. Seeing and experiencing it all is part of learning about how the world works. Europe is a “must see” destination as there is nothing else like it. For the many good things there is about it, there are things which are not so good. This can also be said for every other place on this Earth.
You may agree with me on some of these points or your may not…… that too is part of life.
Even before arriving at the Toulouse Matabiau train station, it was obvious we were heading to a busy place. With every approaching station, the train became more and more full. By the time we arrived, every seat was taken and there were people and luggage in the aisles. As we exited the train, there were lots of people waiting to get on urgently. This was probably because, only the people who got on first would get a seat. Despite the strong heat of the day when we got off the train, the city was busy! This was no sleepy town like Limoges! Toulouse is France’s fourth largest city following Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
Due to the searing summer heat, the best time for a wander around town is in the cool of the morning. The afternoon and in particular late afternoon is extremely hot. It was 37C on the day we visited. Unfortunately, the downside of our early morning walk-around is that the attractions were closed. This meant we couldn’t take a peak into some of the historical churches. When walking around Toulouse look around and look up. There are so many stately and elegant historic buildings, narrow alleyways. We even found a hidden church on the way to Monoprix, the local supermarket!
The biggest disappointment of our visit to Toulouse was being unable to get either an English speaking tour to the Airbus factory or even an English speaking “free” walking tour of the city. It’s a real pity. Toulouse is famous for being the home of Airbus and an insight to the Airbus aeroplane factory would have been a real treat!
Limoges, France is not a touristy city. It isn’t as pretty as other cities and as a result doesn’t draw a lot of tourists. Nevertheless, there was plenty to see in this town, which seemed very quiet, probably because it’s residents were having their summer holiday by the coast! It was a real treat wandering around town in the cool of the morning while the town’s residents had their Sunday morning sleep in. We had a lot of the attractions to ourselves!
In 1429, Joan of Arc, a 17 year old French peasant girl leads a French force in relieving the city of Orleans which had been besieged by the English. She did it because Christian saints told her too. Nevertheless, she changed the course of French history and Orleans, the town has not forgotten despite the many hundreds of years that has passed.
Orleans is a lovely town to visit even for those without an interest in Joan of Arc. The cathedral is spectacular and includes many gothic elements. There are many stone buildings which are all in excellent repair and scrubbed very clean.
There are many charming al fresco restaurants along the cute, narrow stone laneways in Orleans. We indulged in some buckwheat galettes followed by a Nutella crepe!
