I am a Europhile. Unsure of the spelling, but you get the jest. I love the place and while they aren’t feeling the same with our current government, they are cordial, well most of them. And be ready for their opinions..

Here’s a few things to know when you visit:

• The first floor in Europe is “0,” the second floor is 1.
• When you enter a hotel room put the room card in the plastic holder next to the door. It turns on the lights.
• Keep hydrated.
• Take trains.
• Ask a millennial. They know English. Recently got scammed by a senior in a train station so watch out for those old ladies and men. I can say this I am one, a senior that is..
• Smile.
• Take pictures of street signs rather than writing them on a piece of paper.
• Bring an umbrella.
• Wear your clothes to the airport, it lessens the luggage weight.
• Have coins available for the bathroom.
• Get GPS on your phone. European Sim cards are cheap, usually about $20 and are available in airport kiosks, and vending machines. I like going to the kiosk and having service but you can do it yourself. Remember to store your American Sim card safely.
• Know the exchange rate.
• Use ATMs for currency exchange and do this transaction in daylight.
• Bring an empty water bottle with you through airport security, refill.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Those stone streets are killers.
• Bring a listing of phrases in the native tongue. Learn hello, thank you, and I’m sorry. Even if they throw the book at you as was done to me in a Spanish train station let it go. We all have bad days. 🙂
• Make eye contact. It helps.
• Layer clothing. In Brugge this year I brought what I thought was appropriate clothing. It was May and frigid. Finding a clothing store was not easy and luckily the train station had one. Tights and a hoodie embroidered, “New York City Original,” was purchased. Not the souvenir sweat shirt I expected but it was the warmest.
• Go with the flow.
• And let me close with that.. traveling is a learning experience and fascinating to meet folks of different lands and tongues.

Sculpture Outside a Portugal Rest Area. Isn’t it great.