Comments on Rick Steves

Steves Comments 01

As I write this, the original location of these comments is at http://www.ricksteves.com/blog/. There is no way to tell how long it will be available, but there are all the stories Rick wrote, and all the comments of his readers, including all of my posts, and all the comments and complaints about my posts, etc.

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The Italian soldiers we talked to at the McDonald’s restaurant, near the Spanish Steps in Rome, assured us, “There are no Italian soldiers, only Italian uniforms.” (1989)

If we watch the drivers in Rome, we can see how their Army acted and reacted during WW II. The Italian drives as if there are no rules, and when there is a traffic jam or some other problem, he just gives up, throws his arms in the air, smiles as if to say, “No big deal, I wasn’t going anywhere anyway.”

In Rome, Italy, people will be driving at 100 kph, on a street with a posted limit of 50 kph, and regardless of how much I blow the horn, they won’t move over and let me pass. It seems like traffic lights in Rome are connected to car horns — each time a light turned green, we heard horns blow.

Most countries have traffic “Laws and Regulations.” Italy has traffic “Hints and Suggestions.” Three guesses what a red light means, or a left turn lane, or a two lane road, or a Do Not Enter sign, and … …

Posted by: Jim humberd - May 30, 2007 6:05 PM
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If you are able to get in your car, or take a bus, train, or plane, and visit the US on your own, there is no good reason why you can’t do the same in Europe. If you speak the language, you will still have difficulties at times, and if you don’t speak the language it can be more confusing, but that’s part of the fun.

Just make allowances for what you don’t know, and look for a place to sleep before it gets too late in the afternoon. Remember, after a good night’s sleep you can put up with most anything the next day.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 13, 2007 11:37 PM
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East of Cortina the highway is extremely twisty and narrow as it crosses steep mountains. The road was crowded with far too many vehicles, and even more than elsewhere, some impatient drivers were proceeding in a most dangerous mode.

At one place we were forced off the road and into a culvert, by an expensive sports car. The driver drove down the middle of the road, flashing his lights and blowing his horn, forcing vehicles off both sides of the road. The damage to our vehicle was less than the damage to our feelings for (some) Italian drivers.

While we shopped in a grocery store a farmer drove some cows through the streets of Bolzano. After he left, the store owner, with a scowl on his face, a broom in one hand and a shovel in the other, went out and cleaned up the mess.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 13, 2007 11:46 PM
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As we drove on the Autostrada in Sicily, at several places there was a concrete retaining wall with planter boxes high on the side of the highway, but if they planted anything, it has died long ago. As one man told us, “Italy is not well organized. We do a great job of designing and building, but we have yet to hear about maintenance.” Mt. Etna smoked in the distance, no maintenance needed.

As we returned from Sicily to the mainland of Italy, in front of us were two very hefty ladies with large bundles, maybe three feet in diameter — the bundles, not the ladies — but they didn’t appear to be very heavy — again the bundles, not the ladies. When we arrived at Villa San Giovanni, the ladies put the largest bundles on their heads, picked up others in each hand and gracefully waltzed off the ferry.

Posted by: jim humberd - May 31, 2007 10:25 AM
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We remember a young lady in the uniform of the Italian Post Office, who turned off the motor on her little Post Office Vespa motor scooter and coasted down a long, long, street in Siena, Italy.

To summarize Siena: the Plaza del Campo — Siena’s civic center — is incredible; the Torre del Mangia — the fairest tower in Italy — is astonishing; the Palio delle Contrade — an exciting bareback horse race — is phenomenal; the Duomo (Cathedral) — built with horizontal dark green and white stripes — is conspicuous; the streets are exhilarating — Siena invites a stroll through its narrow streets, lined with palaces and patrician mansions. (1980)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 13, 2007 11:49 PM
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In Padova, Italy, we discovered a large Sheraton Hotel, I offered Emmy the chance for breakfast with menus, a tablecloth, a waiter, and all the trimmings, but she said, “I’d rather fix it myself.” Wow, is she trained. In

1995 while in Venice, our Sony video camera gave up the ghost. The man at the campground in Mestra telephoned Sony in Milano, and was told a Sony Video repair shop was located in Padova, just 25 miles away. We got off the Autostrada at “Padova East,” turned right to the 3rd light, then right for one long block, asked for directions one time, then turned left to Via Maroncelli #46, the Video Systems Centro Nordmende, where the man in charge said he would look it over and see what he could fix.

That night we found we had a picture, but no sound, so went back the next day. He worked a little, while we went sightseeing a little, then he returned the camera in fine working condition. (1991)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 13, 2007 11:57 PM
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As we walked through the five towns of the Cinque Terre, (Five Lands) Italy, we said, “What a fascinating place for these people to live. What a fascinating place for us to visit.”

From Riomaggiore, Italy, a 15 minute walk along a picturesque, curious, narrow path, a niche hewn out of the rocky cliff and overhanging the Mare (Sea) Ligure (Italy’s west coast), brought us to Manorola, the next Cinque Terre town to the north. This trodden path is called the Via dell’Amore, or “Road of Love.” I had high hopes both times we were here, but we just walked. (1988-1995)

Carrera, Italy, the mountain town of marble quarry fame, is where the marble for Michelangelo’s Statue of David was quarried. When we visited Carrera’s mountain top we bought a marble rolling pin from the same quarry, paid $9.50, and I call it, “David's armpit.”

Posted by: jim humberd - May 31, 2007 10:28 AM
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A tall, handsome, retired “hall Porter” who had worked in 4-star hotels in Venice, Rome and Munich, told us that senior citizens in his hometown of Venice, are “three metal” people. Silver in their hair, gold in their teeth, and lead in their fanny. He said, “Residents of Venice must do a lot of walking, but they also eat and drink a lot. After a party, Venetians don’t worry about a ticket for drunk driving, but they may fall into a canal and hope they quickly become sober.” (1988)

The Venetian storekeeper, where Emmy bought a glass bead necklace (he remembered her from a previous year), pantomimed American tourists with the wife striding through the store and her husband following, handing money to her on demand. And the Italian couple, with the woman in the lead, but the husband in back is saying, “… not so much money, not so fast.”

He is a retired music professor and had played with a symphony orchestra, if we understood that correctly.

Posted by: Jim humberd - May 14, 2007 12:01 AM
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In 1979, while looking for tickets to tour from Algeciras, Spain to Morocco, I had pointed out a broken water pipe I had seen through a window in a closed Spanish government office, to a man in uniform. He thanked me and ran for help.

As a complete surprise to him, and the two of us, he was the Customs official in charge of the customs station at Algeciras, Spain, when we returned from Morocco. As we entered the building, he remembered us from a few days earlier, smiled, saluted, shook our hands, thanked us, and personally escorted us past the long, complicated customs inspection stations, through the gate without even a glance at our passports or packages.

Cast your “bread” upon the broken water pipe, and it will come back to bless you.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 13, 2007 11:19 PM
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UNESCO's pride and joy,

We drove to Wieliczka, 6 miles southeast of Kraków, Poland, to visit the old salt mine and the Chapel of Blessed Kinga, located more than 300 feet below ground. The Chapel’s chandeliers consist of dangling salt crystals, the floor is carved as if it were tile. The many works of art on the walls, include several bas-reliefs (maybe 20 feet by 30 feet), especially the one of da Vinci’s “Last Supper,” that includes the spilled salt shaker. In a way, we think this reproduction is almost more of an artistic achievement than the original in Milan.

UNESCO says, “The historic Salt Mine in Wieliczka lies on nine levels, its major shafts, and 3,000 chambers stretch for the total of 186 miles, reaching the depth of over 1,000 feet.” Of course our tour group only walked a very few of these miles, on just a few levels, but it was fascinating, especially the artwork carved in the salt, in many places, not just in the Chapel.

http://www.travel-tidbits.com/tidbits/003888.shtm

Posted by: jimhumberd - May 31, 2007 10:03 AM
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In one steep narrow passageway two women had spread a small dirty rag on the pavement and displayed a few pieces of green vegetable for sale. Two donkeys, carrying buckets of redi-mix cement for a Tangiers, Morocco, construction job appeared. As they passed, a donkey peed and pottied, some splashed on the food, but no one but the two of us seemed to notice. (1979)

A few miles past the border between Spain and Morocco (Cueta, Spain, is on the continent of Africa; Llivia, Spain is in France; Gibraltar, owned by England, is in Spain; all of them cause problems), our tour-bus just happened to stop at a place where there were both large camels to ride and small ones to pet. Emmy enjoyed riding a camel.

We discovered that bakeries in Tangiers, Morocco, sell heat as well as baked goods. Once they have the oven heated, they might as well make use of the heat. We would see little children taking unbaked dough to the bakery, and baked bread home with them. Makes good sense.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 19, 2007 7:30 PM
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A most unusual Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), is being built in Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by Catalan architect Antonio Gaudí, and a most interesting design it is. Four colossal openwork spires, the tall round towers or spires of Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia, remind us of the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, built with a similar style by an Italian immigrant, named Simon Rodia. Only the towers and part of the front of Sagrada Familia are completed, no auditorium yet. (1979)

Emmy ate a buffet lunch at a large Department Store in Barcelona, Spain. She enjoyed herring, various salads, roast beef, chicken, artichoke hearts, even ice water with plenty of ice. First time Emmy has eaten paella, a rice, fish, and chicken dish. I just kept her plate filled, and I watched her eat, as I have done hundreds of times.

You’ve heard the story, “I would rather — do this or that — than eat.” Well, “I would rather keep my Sweetie’s plate full, than eat.” (1979)

Posted by: jim humberd - May 31, 2007 9:55 AM
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Maybe all you saw was the Villa d’Este, and not the gardens, or Hadrian's Villa, a mile away.

The terraced gardens at Villa d’Este, alive with gushing fountains, waterfalls and fish ponds, are something we will never forget. The gardens extend over seven acres, and it would take pages to describe the seven hundred fountains and cascades that remain, let alone the two thousand that were built a few hundred years ago.

Water gates divert the Aniene River into a canal, then to the double tunnel through the hill, to supply the fountains and miniature waterfalls in the gardens of Villa d’Este. The hundreds of fountains and waterfalls use gravity, natural water pressure — no pumps are involved.

Hadrian's Villa — The Villa, covering an area of 600 acres, includes pavilions, an imperial palace, baths, libraries, theaters, large gardens dotted with statues, fountains and waterworks, one of the most magnificent creations of the imperial age

Posted by: jim humberd - May 30, 2007 5:38 PM
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As we headed from France toward Andorra, we crossed a high mountain pass, and were in heavy fog. It had been a long day, and I was driving enthusiastically as if the day has just started, but Emmy was very tired.

Andorra seems to exist in deep valleys, with some towns hanging on the adjacent hills, with only one narrow crowded highway for all the traffic. There was a campground right in downtown Encamp, so we checked in early so Emmy could rest, and I could go walking in the rain.

There is a building boom in town, with large cranes that can transfer building materials from the main street, clear across the buildings in this block, to the new buildings in the next block. We were told these are vacation and second homes for people in other countries. (1980)

Posted by: jim humberd - May 30, 2007 5:17 PM
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The Dordogne River, near the little town of La Coquille, France, was filled with people, including a young lady who would have been considered exceptionally gorgeous even if she hadn’t lost most of her swim suit (but not as gorgeous as my Sweetie!).

A truck would take a load of people up the river, then the boats and passengers returned to this spot. Or boaters would float down the river from here, the truck would bring them back. Either way, it looked like fun, and the river was filled with people and boats the Sunday afternoon we were there.

As we have seen other places, the bridge across the Dordogne River at this spot was a narrow one-lane bridge that was one-way for the vehicle that got there first. Works just fine. We didn’t see any sign of a problem, traffic on both sides of the river cooperated. (1995)

Posted by: jim humberd - May 31, 2007 1:36 PM
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On our first visit in the area of les Eyzies, France, we took pictures of houses that were built under huge convex cliffs with a million tons of stone above the roof. The cliff formed one-half of the roof, and chimney smoke blackened the cliff above each house, making inky streaks on the white stone.

We tried to find this scene during our next visit to les Eyzies, but despite my drawings, shown to people in a cafe, no one recognized the spot. Next time we must take the photos with us, they give better detail than my pencil scratches on a restaurant napkin. (1988)

Houses under a cliff

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 01, 2007 9:00 PM
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While Emmy was inside a store, I noticed a commotion and watched while the Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, crowd parted as if Moses was there with his staff. A lady, by herself, was walking down the street, a beautiful smiling lady, dressed nicely, not showy, and the crowd just melted out of her way, as if in awe. She must have been recognized as someone famous, a celebrity, but no one tried to talk to her or approach her in anyway. I could find no one who spoke English, who could tell me who she was. (1985)

In the morning when we arrived at Dubrovnik, the market place near the church was filled with fruit and vegetable dealers. By early after lunch the peddlers were gone, the garbage trucks had carried off the clutter, the market area had been cleaned and hosed down, tables and chairs were put in place, and Dubrovnik’s sidewalk cafes were again open and serving both locals, and the multitude of tourists. (1989)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 10, 2007 7:49 PM
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By traveling in a RV and not staying in hotels and eating in restaurants, we didn’t have to put up with bellhops and waiters. In Europe a clerk in a bakery or a grocery store is thrilled to meet an American, a waiter or bellhop is thrilled to get a tip.

In 9 trips in 25 years, and 968 nights in Europe, we have found only a couple of times that we heard negative comments about Americans. But we almost never spent time in hotels and restaurants, and never in nightclubs, bars, movies, and any of that other nonsense. In France alone there are 12,000 campgrounds with 1,000,000 campsites.

In Paris, almost in sight of the Eiffel, and on the Seine there is a very nice campground that holds at 5,000 people. We stayed there many times. I don't recommend it for you, but for us the RV is the only way to travel. We are not campers at all, we just love the convenience.

http://www.mobilhome-paris.com/en/default.htm

Posted by: jim humberd - Jun 17, 2007 8:41 PM
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A story about cameras, and one of my favorite photos of the hundreds on my site. One year our daughter and family were visiting her husband’s relatives in San Daniele, Italy.

While shopping, they lost their digital camera. This was the last day of their vacation, but a couple of days after they got home, the phone rang, and it was the relative, calling from Italy.

A young man found the camera, looked at the photos, recognized the apartment building where they had taken photos of the relative standing on her balcony. The young man knocked on doors at the building until he found someone who knew of a lost camera, and now my daughter has her camera, complete with vacation pictures.

I accused my son-in-law of doing this on purpose, so he would have a story that told how wonderful the Italians are. We already knew that. (Story was printed in the Los Angeles Times, Travel Section.) (2006) A Favorite

Posted by: jim humberd - Jun 18, 2007 2:12 PM
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We've visited Mostar twice, both before the war, so these are photos of the original. We considered the bridge to be an architectural jewel, compared to the Eiffel Tower, the Lincoln Memorial, the Parthenon in Athens, or most any other man-made object, the 16th century Ottoman Bridge in Mostar was as near to perfection as can be imagined. Mostar Bridge 2 Mostar Bridge !

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 21, 2007 10:07 AM
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We visited Yugoslavia four times in the 1980s. Near Jajce, Emmy went into one of the restaurants with a big rotisserie in front complete with a sheep, and asked for a sandwich. We used the dictionary and showed them “take out.”

The man cut a big slab of meat and put a large chunk of bread in the sack, all for about $3. We followed the narrow road toward the town of Rijeka Crnojevica, to see the special bridge pictured in a guide book.

The lady at the stream-side cafe in Rijeka was just delighted to see a picture of “her” bridge in the guide book! In Pula, located at the southern tip of the Istria Peninsula, we saw one of the most intriguing old Roman Amphitheaters we have seen. We found the peninsula to be delightful. Pula Amphitheater

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 23, 2007 5:27 PM
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Barbara & Jan asked about Puglia: — When most people think of a vacation in Italy they think of Venice, Milano, Florence and Rome. Be assured that a delightful vacation can be spent in Puglia, the “heel” of Italy.

The little towns are an intellectual adventure, very different from what we have seen elsewhere. It’s a land of contrasts with barren plateaus and fertile plains; poor farms and wealthy estates; modern buildings and ancient stone structures. The green countryside is the result of mathematically precise vineyards and woodlands. A lot of stories and photos of Puglia, Trulli houses at

http://www.travel-tidbits.com/tidbits/cat_italy.shtml .

For a Billboard at Bari

http://www.travel-tidbits.com/tidbits/002295.shtml

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 23, 2007 5:35 PM
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Rick, Did you notice all the outdoor basketball hoops located throughout Yugoslavia, especially in Istria? No wonder there are so many Yugos in professional basketball.

Reminded me of Indiana where school children dribble a basketball from home, up and down curbs, across streets, in order to make it the whole way to school without a double dribble.

At the Plitvica National Park (near Zagreb, Yugoslavia), sixteen lakes are connected by thousands of little, hundreds of medium, and dozens of large waterfalls. We walked down the hill on the four feet wide wooden pathway that meandered over lakes, under waterfalls, through the Plitvica forest, up and down some steep ramps and stair steps. A scary walk through a gorgeous natural treasure. (1989)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 26, 2007 11:23 AM
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For a couple of thousand stories and photos (each with a story) about our 968 nights in Europe over 25 years, go to Home At the end of each year’s European Travel Summary we had a closing comment —
In 1970, “What a fabulous 28 day trip.” —
The 1979 visit was “An outstanding 96 day trip.” —
Our 1980 trip was “An exceptional 171 days in many fascinating places.” —
The comment in 1983 was “What a wonderful 87 day trip.” —
In 1985, “… our sensational 156 day trip.” —
Then 1988 was “… a beautiful way to spend 130 days.” — In 1989 we said “… the best possible way to spend 115 days.” —
In 1991 we “… flew home after as interesting 78 days as can be imagined.” —
By 1995 we had determined, “All in all, our 107 day trip proved ‘It’s a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there,’ is not a cliché, it’s the truth.”

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 30, 2007 1:25 PM
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Our travels in France have been a thoroughly enjoyable experience — truly, it’s an exciting and beautiful country. The towns we’ve visited, the sights we’ve seen, the people we’ve met!

Nearly 160 nights, were spent in over 100 different places during visits in 9 years, from 1970 to 1995. We mentioned how helpful people had been on more than one occasion. Our beautiful French friend Brigitte said, “That’s impossible, French people don’t even like each other.” Where we spent the 968 nights in Europe.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 01, 2007 12:04 PM
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We visited Denmark a couple of times, we found it to be a delightful country, but found people of both extremes, those who liked us and the US, and those who thought the US was the worst country in the world.

We had a large “coffee table” book about the US that we had purchased in Vienna, but the young people in Copenhagen just could not believe the photographs were real. They said they had never been told that the US looked anything like that. The fact that the book was printed in the German language, in Vienna, gave it some validity in their mind.

One man complained about the US, then bragged that he sent his two high-school aged daughters to the US to be educated. Another man complained about how we treat immigrants, then said, “But this is Denmark, we don't want any immigrants.” Strange, but a beautiful country.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 04, 2007 3:37 PM
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In Denmark, we spent at least one night in Arhus, Copenhagen, Fredrikshaven, Fryshav, Helsingor, and Horsens. When my Sweetie and I traveled in Europe we just wandered here and there. We traveled by RV, and sometimes visited with Emmy’s cousins.

When we started out in the morning we often didn’t know which country we would be in that night. We rarely stayed in a hotel or ate in a restaurant, and never had reservations for anything.

Our Travel concept includes: If we have no schedule, we aren’t late. If we don’t care where we are, we aren’t lost. If we have no itinerary we’re just where we ought to be. If we can’t see IT this trip, we’ll see IT next time.

Each evening my Sweetie noted the odometer reading on the RV, and noted the town name. If you care to see the names of the nearly 400 towns, in about 30 countries, where we spent at least one night, visit Towns and Countries

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 06, 2007 5:25 PM
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A man we talked with in Copenhagen told us the Danes complain that in the US, we don’t treat our millions of immigrants the way the Danes say we should. He then added, “But this is Denmark, we don't want any immigrants.”

While on a cruise ship sailing from Athens, we noticed most passengers tended to congregate with others from their own country. It’s also obvious the English are different from the Germans, who are different from the French, who are different from the Italians, who are different from the Greeks, who are different from — whoever.

Viva La Difference!

That’s diversity as it is intended to be, from country to country, not the phony diversity of people going to another country, and taking their culture with them, and refusing to assimilate.

We spent a month in Greece and said the Greece are the friendliest ever. But when we visit Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Stockholm, etc., the Greeks are a problem, because they have not assimilated.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 07, 2007 7:43 PM
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Eric - Jul 08, 2007 1:48 AM That quote you highlighted and repeated in your comment was mine and mine alone. Read my comment about Denmark in Steve's earlier blog, a couple of chapters earlier, “Home For a Couple Weeks.”

I am the original isolationist and nationalist. Over 50 years ago I visited the United Nations HQ twice. I don’t know who I talked to, it may have been the janitor, but I asked that all immigration be stopped, worldwide. If you were born there, you stay there. Except for one thing, Invitation. If a country asks you to come, you can, but you have two or three years to eliminate all signs of your previous culture, and completely adopt the culture of the country you went to, or out you go.

Remember, a country has two things, and two things only — a border and a culture, if you violate either, out you go. The Joy of Travel is to learn about other people and their cultures. People come because our culture is best, and I want it to stay that way.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 08, 2007 11:17 AM
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Kathleen - Jul 08, 2007 1:39 PM. By your definition maybe everybody everywhere in the world is an immigrant. I will admit, and brag, that when my ancestors arrived on this continent, they did not obey any laws of the United States, nor did they disobey any of those laws. The United States did not yet exist.

And don’t tell me that one Indian per 1,000,000 acres means it was owned by anyone. And by your definition, the Indians must have immigrated here from somewhere.

All I said was, since you came here, act like it. I love cultural diversity, that’s why I have traveled to 70 countries and major islands, and wish I could visit more. But cultural diversity within a country is never a good idea.

Sure there can be a block here and a block there of stores and restaurants from other places, but it should be more like a museum than a community.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 08, 2007 6:24 PM
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A little off the subject of Denmark, but on the subject of learning a language. My Sweeties parents were both born in Germany, and came to the US in 1922. Her parents never wanted her to speak German, so they spoke to her only in English, but often spoke German to each other.

Emmy was surprised when she visited Germany (in 1970), that she actually understood a great deal of what everyone said and could even speak simple sentences herself, just from listening to her parents talk 40 years earlier. In her last months, in spite of dementia, she could still understand German.

In 1981 we helped a Polish family come to the US. After a month of language classes a few times a week, they could communicate with us. Within a couple of months the grade school son was near the top of his class in school.

A Mexican who taught English as a second language, said to me, “But he was motivated!” She said that in the same tone of voice as if she had said, “You are a child abuser!” Like how dare you!

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 10, 2007 7:52 PM
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We really liked Denmark both visits, but on the main street of Copenhagen in 1979, we saw a booth manned by several young people, set in the middle of the shopping street, with an advertisement for “Lyndon LaRouche for President of the US.”

I asked what their opinion would be if people in the US campaigned for a man to become the head of Denmark’s Government, and they didn’t like that idea at all. In both 1979 and in 1985, on the main walking street in Copenhagen, there were young people collecting money to feed the “poor children in America.”

They advertised, and invited people to see a film that showed hungry children in gutters, people being shot, and all other kinds of problems in the US.

When World War II ended, there were many members of the German Military stranded in Norway. As the Germans tried to get home, dozens, or hundreds (depending on which story you want to believe), were shot and killed by the Danes, as they tried to cross Denmark, on the way to their home in Germany.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 10, 2007 5:54 PM
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Don't be an Ugly American, or and Ugly anything else. And in my 1,000 days of travel in Europe, I have seen many more Ugly Someone Else (a visitor not a resident) European than I have seen of US citizens.

Thirty to Forty years ago this was printed as a Letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, this is the only way to go:

In addition to clothes, money, and a passport, the most important thing to take with you on vacation is a positive attitude. It’s amazing how many stupid, ignorant, inefficient, obnoxious people we meet when (if?) we are in a bad mood.

That’s true even when we aren't on vacation.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 11, 2007 2:57 PM
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We visited Berlin in 1970, this story is shortened: — We were so queasy and flustered about what we did and how we did it while we were doing it, it was a couple of years later when we reviewed this in detail, that we realized that four very friendly, neighborly actions on the part of East Germans, had occurred.

At Checkpoint “Able” we filled out the wrong form, the lady in uniform politely said “… you filled them out beautifully.” I helped a lady who had an overheated car. The officer in charge liked that so he waved us on, before our “aggravation time” had expired.

At Checkpoint “Baker” The guard held up three fingers, and asked, “Drei frauen?” (Three women?) I answered “Yes.” He rolled his eyes skyward, as if to say, “You poor fellow.”

Young guards, held their guns in one hand, and threw kisses to the Lindas with the other. Boys will be boys, as long as teen-age girls continue to look like teen-age girls. Berlin Wall, Fragments .

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 13, 2007 3:47 PM
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Don't mean to be a pest—Rick is going to the Czech Republic, here’s my favorite Ambassador.

One visit to Prague, we asked to see (but she was busy) the United States Ambassador, Madam Shirley Temple Black (yes that Shirley Temple). Appointed by President Bush in 1989, she served until 1993. She was in Prague to help set up a chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and saw people being killed during “The Prague Spring,” when the Soviets invaded this city in 1968.

She was in Prague as Ambassador when the Czechs celebrated the “Velvet Revolution,” the collapse of Communism in 1989. This 61-year-old American grandmother, dressed in a jumpsuit and yellow Reeboks, had watched the antigovernment rally in Wenceslas Square, while perched on a dirty window ledge. In January 1993, as a result of the “Velvet Divorce” Czechoslovakia was replaced by two independent states: Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Her Bio says, “I speak some French, a little Arabic, and Czech. Czech is a hard language

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 13, 2007 5:05 PM
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We are not Pollyannish about our travels, but there is really no place where we have visited in 70 countries and Islands that we would not be happy to revisit tomorrow.

Of course some are more interesting than others, but when we travel we know it is their home, if we don’t like it we can leave.

We are there to learn about their home and way of life, and we try not to tell everyone that our home and our culture is best, even though we are positive that it is.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 15, 2007 2:12 PM
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During the late ‘30s and early ‘40s, a few men, at the head of state, turned Germany into the most hated nation in the world, and for the next 40 years the East Germans were brainwashed by their liberal-left government. But isn’t it wonderful to observe how fleeting and how superficial that brainwashing was.

The ideas of freedom are so ingrained in human nature, no debriefing or retraining was needed when the Berlin Wall fell. They knew instinctively how freedom works.

In 1991 at Alexanderplatz, I commented to a lady at a market booth that she was a beautiful young lady, dressed in an attractive manner, with a pleasant hair style, and she looked nicer then many young ladies, with “bed hair, and thrift store clothes,” we see in the US and in West Germany.

Her response, “We can’t afford to have our hair styled like that, and can’t afford that style of clothes, but just as soon as we can afford it, we will.” A good reason to rebuild the Berlin Wall.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 16, 2007 9:38 AM
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We often conduct a “Humberd Poll.” After the Berlin Wall fell, the 1991 “German question,” asked with hand signals and finger pointing was, “Eins Deutchland besser Zwei Deutschland?” One Germany better than two Germanys? Usually the answer was yes, but the “nos” made sense after we asked more questions.

Young people in the West were not happy with tax increases needed to rebuild the East, young people in the East were excited about their chances for an improved life.

The pension of the elders in the East, based on the East German Mark, does not buy enough to live well, they have no way to earn money needed to take advantage of the improved situation. Most older people in the West were excited to see their country returned to “normal.”

Alexanderplatz in East Berlin included a large world clock that told the time in major cities all over the world. In 1980, I said, “Why do people in East Berlin care what time it is in Tokyo, they can’t even visit West Berlin.”

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 16, 2007 2:11 PM
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Early in WW II, Allied diplomats who were captured in countries invaded by the Germans, found themselves in custody in the famous Baden-Baden hotels. A State Department employee, who had been assigned to the United States Embassy in Paris, told us they were treated very well indeed during the months of internment.

The diplomats were permitted to go shopping and roam around the town, but always with a German guard not far behind. The residents of Baden-Baden were very happy to have the diplomats in their town — they were confident the Allies would not bomb Baden-Baden.

This State Department official spent most of the war in Lisbon, and told an intriguing story. He raced across Spain at break-neck speed, talked his way across the French border, then raced to Paris so he could be the first American to re-enter our Embassy after the Germans were thrown out of Paris. (1985)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 18, 2007 9:16 AM
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We left Rotterdam and sailed to London, then to Montreal, Canada. I’m sure you will understand why it wasn’t boring for me.

Well, I love to travel on a ship, and in addition to Sweetie as my fascinating special Bunkmate, there was the tall, slender German lady who visited the Sauna almost as often as I did. Well Sweetie thought I was just making up this part of the story, so just guess how she was dressed, or rather … … .

Rules were unambiguous, look but don’t touch. Never once recognized her face on the ship when she was dressed.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 18, 2007 1:06 PM
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People mention free and easy travel in Europe, not on a tour. (Sorry Rick). After 9 trips, and 605 nights in an RV, is RV travel worth it, you ask?

Can you imagine camping at Chamonix, France at the foot of Mt. Blanc; in Fiesole, Italy, high over the Arno River Valley with the domes and towers of Florence spread out below; on an island in the Rhône River with the floodlit Le Pont D’Avignon and the Popes’ Palace on the far riverbank; with le Mont St. Michel (northern France) out our window one night, the Rock of Gibraltar (southern Spain), or the Parthenon (in Athens) on another; next to the wall of the Crusades city of Aigues-Mortes, and the double wall of Carcassonne, France; on the bank of the River Seine in Paris, the Neckar in Heidelberg, the Vltava in Prague, the Rhine and the Mosel at Koblenz, and the Danube in Budapest; on Lido Island across the lagoon from Venice; along the Adriatic near Dubrovnik; and hundreds more.

Visiting these spectacular destinations seems almost a dream.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 19, 2007 3:21 PM
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Well, we didn't find a completely nude beach on the Cinque Terre, but found beautiful "scenery" several places on several beaches.

From Riomaggiore, Italy, a 15 minute walk along a picturesque, curious, narrow path, a niche hewn out of the rocky cliff and overhanging the Mare (Sea) Ligure (Italy’s west coast), brought us to Manorola, the next Cinque Terre town to the north.

This trodden path is called the Via dell’Amore, or “Road of Love.” I had high hopes both times we were here, but we just walked. (1988-1995)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 20, 2007 9:14 AM
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Tidbit by Jim and Emmy Humberd

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