When in Europe...

-Spend 10 minutes in a train station and you will have met one of every person in the world.

-If you ask where the closest laundromat is, the hotel receptionist will look at you like you've grown another head or asked her to repeat the Greek alphabet backwards. They are probably called "Wash and Dry" and good luck finding one.

-Don't tell yourself, "The sun is shining and it is 25*C out so I won't need an umbrella."

-Everyone smokes. Like everyone. So, think twice before you decide to go eat at the nice outside restaurant dining area. *cough, cough* And in Germany, everyone walks around with a beer in their hand as well.

-99.9% tour guides fall under two catergories: Annoying and Very Annoying

-In Salzburg three things can be found on every street in one form or another: The Sound of Music, Mozart, and Chocolate.

-"Coffee to Go" advertised in the cute little Switzerland shops will likely result in, at the most, 3/4 of a small cup of coffee and cost you about 4 times what it is worth.

-Don't believe the Future Shop employee when he tells you that the plug adapter will work in Switzerland or the Walmart employee when he says the headphones will work with your Netbook.

-InterDiscount opens at 9 AM and will sell you an adapter that will work in Switzerland and 149 other countries. I'm thinking I should check out the rest of the countries and make sure it does.

-I don't know that I could ever get used to military time despite how many times I've had to figure it out this trip.

-Supermarkets are your friend. You can have supper for $5 instead of $35...and then you can spend your savings on chocolate. ;)

-I must have played the local pretty good as I had a couple lost looking people sound like they were asking me for directions in German.

- Hotel Romantica Zermatt is the cutest little hotel I've ever stayed in.

-Everyone told me Switzerland is expensive. Switzerland is expensive.

-In Switzerland, half of the souvenir shops trinkets consist of cows and Swiss flags.

-I've always wanted a log house. Now I'm debating a mini Neuschwanstein castle.

-Take the 3.5 hr walk down from Gornergrat to Zermatt. If you feel like a 100 years old the next day and wince when walking up and down the hotel stairs, you are not in shape.

-And I still haven't decided if "Ich spreche kein Deutsch." which means "I don't speak German." is an a appropriate phrase to use or not. Should you speak German to say you don't know German??

-You will see people taking their dogs and bikes on the bus. Please tell me that just seems mixed up.

-Europeans will add chocolate and hazelnut to almost anything. Having Norwegian blood in me, it totally makes sense why I love that combination.

European hotel breakfasts are totally different than North American ones. However, good coffee, croissants, nutella spread, and cheese will still get you through the morning.


I miss you already Europe. I will be back! :)