Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Epilogue
There you have it: four countries and six cities in twenty days. Now that our tour in words and pictures has ended, we return to the question posed at the beginning. What is big in Europe?
For me, the answer was not the stuff of movies. Going buck wild wasn't big, nor was meeting the love of my life on a train, and "finding myself" certainly wasn't either. Instead, the answer came down to five S's:
Slenderness
I've said it once and I'll say it again — Europeans are skinny! It's not a secret how they get this way; in fact, it's quite trite. Their formula is exercising more and eating less. For exercise, Europeans don't go to the gym but simply spend a lot of time walking as part of their daily routine. They eat less because their food, from restaurant meals to pre-packaged snacks, is served in smaller portions.
Believe me, this simple combination works. During my trip, I ate much less than usual, and I spent at least half of each day on my feet. Net result: I lost twelve pounds! (Now that I'm back home, it's been a battle to keep the weight off.)
Sidewalks
Life in Europe happens on sidewalks, in cafés and in plazas. It didn't matter if it was during the week or the weekend, or what time of day it was — these places were always jam-packed. Whether it was chatting with a friend on the street, sitting down with a book or newspaper, or making small talk with a grocery clerk, the locals that I encountered liked to savor the moment. Sure, our longer work hours do result in greater prosperity (in real terms), but if you don't have time to enjoy life, is the extra money really worth it?
Now that I'm back home, I miss the busy sidewalks and people watching from a café or terrace bar. In the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, there are few establishments with sidewalk seating, which is a shame because the climate there is perfect for them. Then again, there isn't much to see there besides cars and drive-thru fast food joints.
Style
Europeans have a great sense of style. The key adjective is becoming; individuals know what suits them and tone it down or play it up accordingly. They seldom err and end up looking trashy (except perhaps in southern Italy).
On this trip, I constantly noticed fashion differences between Europeans and Americans. The European was the one walking down the street in a smart-looking suit or a sexy, but not revealing, dress. The American was the one slouching with her flabby belly showing through her too-tight shirt.
Smoking
The vast majority of locals that I saw have the tobacco habit. As in the States, the cost of cigarettes is exorbitant — thus I wonder if smoking has a luxurious cachet. Smoking in Europe is a public health crisis waiting to explode. But on the other hand, it sure keeps men and women thin.
Staring
This occurs between strangers with far greater frequency than in the States, especially in Paris and Barcelona. People there will make eye contact with you that lasts ten seconds or more until you pass them. In general, residents of these cities are less suspicious and less scary than in America, which makes eye contact between strangers more permissible. For my part, I got quite a few looks, probably more on the days that I wore a bright red T-shirt that read "Play" on the front. Of course, I didn't have the linguistic confidence, or the nerve, to talk to any of these folks, but I did witness at least one instance (on a Parisian bus) when two complete strangers started up a friendly conversation.
Note: I tried catching glances from beautiful women in Italy, but naturally they looked straight ahead.
Lastly
I enjoyed my time in Europe tremendously (obviously so, or else I would not have produced this travelogue). I would like to go back there next summer. I've heard Greece is worth a visit, and also the beaches of Croatia. Prague is a popular destination these days. Maybe even the Wild East — Russia. Well, now that I have one significant travel experience under my belt, I think I could go on a real adventure!
