Things I’ve Learned While Traveling Through Europe

This is the first post in a series highlighting what I've learned through experience and observation while in Europe this semester. Some things are practical, many are just plain silly, and all are based on actual events, though not all of them happened directly to me.

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Rule #1:

Street food is good, particularly crepes in France, waffles and oliebollen (dutch donuts) in Holland, and fries anywhere.

Rule #2:

Don’t stand in bike lanes in Amsterdam. Ever. And if someone shouts “bike!” you dive out of the way.

They will run you over. And you are severely outnumbered by them.

Rule #3:

Be open to trying different foods, because the wurst can often be the best. At least in Aachen, where the Hanswurst restaurant proved to be super cool and fun, thanks to an awesome waiter. 

It was a self service restaurant, and the waiter liked us so much he actually served us at the table :)

Rule #4:

Watch out for homicidal pigeons. They aim to take out bicyclists.

Rule #5:

The red light district in Amsterdam is million times less sketchy before 10pm. If you want to check it out, definitely go before then. And don’t get lost there. Bad idea.

Rule #6:

Don’t let drunk people wander by the water. The paths go right up to the water, and no one wants to dive in and rescue you from the Seine.

Rule #7:

Eat a hearty breakfast. Hotels make good breakfasts.

Rule #8:

Try the local specialties of food and beverages.

Rule #9:

Have a map of the city you’re in with your hotel circled on it with you. It will come in handy.

Rule #10:

Learn at least the minimal necessary phrases to get by in whatever country you’re in. Unless you’re in Holland--they pretty much all speak fluent English in addition to Dutch. Things like “Do you speak english?”, “I don’t speak ______”, “I would like ______”, “How much?”, "Where is the _______?", “Thank you”, “Toilet”, “Wine”, and “Beer” should get you by ok.

Rule #11:

Don’t be surprised if you see super heroes roaming Europe. Spider Man and Super Man sometimes walk around Amsterdam and “Batman Live” is playing in Cologne. 

Rule #12:

Make friends with your waiters and especially your bartenders. They tend to be cool people and tell you fun, interesting stories and good places to go.

Rule #13:

Listen to prophetic German grandfathers. If one starts following you and your friends through the street at an ambling pace, and then comes up to you in front of a more than 1,000 year old cathedral and strikes up a conversation, telling one of your friends that he will remember where she is from and she will be famous 1,000 years from now, and then walks away, you should believe him. And make sure to snap a picture before he disappears.