Travel Tidbits

Steves Comments 09

I have never written a guide book, and in spite of all my travel, I never will. I have written books about our travel, I call them “Why Not Travel” books, not “How to Travel.” The other thing unique about my books, they are not for sale. Several years ago, a couple of weeks after self-publishing three books, my Beautiful Sweetie had a stroke, and selling books was the farthest thing from my mind. I have given many away, but the closet is still nearly full. My books just tell about what we saw and what we enjoyed. Our 968 nights in Europe, included only 23 nights in a hotel, usually our first night or two, while we looked for a RV, the only way to fly, for us. Also we said, “Eat to travel, don’t Travel to Eat.” Remember, the clerk in a grocery or a bakery is thrilled to meet an American, a waiter or bellhop is thrilled to get a tip. The most important things I could recommend, is that you should have a reason to travel. We wanted to meet the people, see the architecture, and explore the country side. We often didn’t know which country we would spend that night, but we knew it would be a fascinating day. And I have not, and never would recommend our travel style for anyone else. Even our friends in Europe could not imagine driving a RV 87,000 miles in about 30 countries, including 9 visits to Paris, and 4 in Rome. Each time we visited Venice, it must have been after a heavy rainfall, the streets were always flooded, so we didn’t drive there.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 05, 2008 5:56 PM
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Well as I said before, I do not write Travel Guides, but you think a freebie is bad, don’t believe it. Of the 605 nights we spent in our RV in Europe, dozens of times in a dozen countries we had a free campsite, for all kinds of reasons, often just because we were Americans. If you look at my 1500 page Travel Journal, you will find no difference in content in what we wrote about the night. We appreciated the gift, but that did not change the facilities. Just remember, some of those free nights saved us as much as $4, others as much as $10. Our first visit to Rome was 25¢ per person, per night, so a freebie would not mean much to any one, except for the happiness of the friendliness of the people in Europe. The score would be about a half dozen people who treated us badly, hundreds of nice people who loved to meet Americans. I know this is a repeat comment, but just remember, "It's amazing how many ridiculous, stupid, ignorant, inefficient, obnoxious people you will meet, when you are in a bad mood."

Posted by: Jim Humberdj - May 09, 2008 9:43 AM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Rick, do me a favor and find where I can get information about the history and the design of the Shepherd Staff, carried by the Head Shepherd in Greece. We found that in the Country of Greece, most every rock, every tree, and every turn in the road had a folk tale, a old wives' tale, a fable, a legend, from centuries ago, but no one, except the shepherds know the story behind this most important “tool” that they carry, and will not part with. I have said that when we visited Greece the people were oh so nice and friendly. Well, now that we are not in Greece, the Greeks ignore me. I have sent several letters to the Embassy, visited Greek festivals, Greek churches, restaurants, sent 50 e-mails, and yet no one seems to know the story I am looking for. At the LA Travel Fair, where you and I met a few months ago (and I gave you a copy of my “not-for-sale” book), the Greek Booth promised an answer, but nothing. There was no reason for you to notice, but that “stick” in my hand, was a Shepherd Staff. The design of the “head” of the staff is unique to Greek shepherds. We stopped and talked (with hands and money), and chased them up the mountains, several shepherds to see if they would sell their staff, but always he clutched it to his breast, and shook his head, with a look on his face that said, "… no way Jose!" Finally, in an antique store, on the beach in Githio, I found one! The store owner said this is the first one he has ever had in his store, and doesn't expect to be able to get another one. In Kótronas I finally bought a staff, a little different from the other one, from a Shepherd who was thrilled to sell it, at least he was thrilled with the overpayment I offered. English speaking Greeks don’t know about sheep, people with sheep knowledge, don’t know English. I have been told several times at Festivals, “Oh, my Grandfather would know!” jimhum@sbcglobal.net, just in case you know what I want to find out.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 09, 2008 12:38 PM
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Please understand, this is in no way competition for anything Rick writes. You will find not a word about places to eat and sleep, or to buy things, and no directions how to find this or that. But at http://www.travel-tidbits.com/tidbits/cat_greece.shtml you will find a half dozen stories and 50 photos, each with a story, that tells of the wonderful time we had in Greece. I sure hope that no one considers that I am bragging in any way. Remember if I did it, it ain’t bragging. I don’t understand why some people think that what we actually did in our travels can not be told. And I really have nothing for sale, and may soon have 4 new books printed just to give to friends (including Rick). I don’t intend to sell them, I will just enjoy them. My only hope is that in addition to what Rick tells in his books, where ever you are, you will just wander, wander, wander, and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 10, 2008 9:37 AM
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I know this is #3 and against the rules, but it is on the subject. ===== The trash spread all over Greece is worse than we’ve seen in other countries. We were told, “In years past, the Greeks wrapped the trash in grape leaves before tossing it over the cliff, so it blended into the foliage and soon disappeared.” These days, plastic bags filled with tin cans, glass bottles and all, are thrown down the side of a hill and will be there forever. ==== We saw miles of blue and green paint all along the road. There’s an election in Greece soon, these are the colors of the main two parties. Sometimes they just hold the paint sprayer out the car window, pull the trigger and paint a mile of a wide line on rocks, retaining walls, trees, bridges, and anything else that will stand for it. We saw a 100 miles of this in various parts of the country, but hopefully it’s a special paint that will fade quickly. (1989)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 10, 2008 1:30 PM
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We found the Greeks in Greece to be wonderful, but we found the Greeks in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and other places, to be a mess. Was that because only the "bad ones" left, or because they would not assimilate?

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 14, 2008 9:10 AM
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I just do not understand this problem people, including Rick, have that requires complaining about the country they are visiting. They have their culture, we have ours (in spite of the people who keep trying to change it). 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 have never been mistreated, we have never rushed to get away from anywhere. 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. We have been asked a thousand time, what is your favorite country, what is the best place to visit. My answer, “There is no best, each is unique, there are many differences.”=“Breathes there a man with soul so dead … ” that he is not gratified by another’s appreciation of his home, his city, and his country. He may grumble in private over the plumbing, the taxes, and his government, but he loves to have the visitors find their surroundings beautiful and interesting. The architecture, ruins from ancient times, gardens with precision plantings, the natural beauty, art and treasures, all can easily be appreciated. The tourist who comes to “appreciate” will visit and see the beauty, and never notice the negatives seen by the tourist who came to “criticize.”=We have been to Venice 7 times, and have neither seen nor smelled a problem.=As for cuisine, we “Eat to Travel,” we do not “Travel to Eat.” A ham and egg omelet in our RV tastes the same in Norway, Greece, and in dozens of countries in between.=We could count on our fingers the times people expressed a dislike for the USA, but would need a calculator to keep track of the people who loved our country.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 15, 2008 9:50 AM
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What just about everyone who comments here is talking about, and no one has yet named is CULTURE. When we visit a country, we know it is their home, and their Culture, and while we see things we would like to change/improve, we wouldn’t think of trying that. A Country consists of a Border and a Culture. I don’t want a Mosque down the street from where I live, but I don’t care how many there are in Iran. This is my culture, and that is their culture. I was offered a job in Iran about 40 to 50 years ago, but after getting some informtion about the way they live, I turned the job down, I didn’t want my family to live like that. But that doesn’t mean it would not be a wonderful, interesting, educational, place to visit. In reading all the comments over the months, and remembering what I enjoyed most about travel, it’s easy to see that there are many reasons to travel. There is your way, and my way, and everyone elses way. “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 - May 16, 2008 5:55 PM
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It seem to me that most writers on this page, have never read history, so they are surprised to find that individual people in Iran are nice people, the government is not. Read some history, and you will find this is not only stupid, but almost normal. But what bothers me are people like Shahram, who says he lives in LA, and others who brag they no longer live in Iran. I was recently in the hospital and the nurses I met were born in a dozen countries, including Iran and Syria. I lived near Palm Springs for 25 years, I once asked a doctor, “What do people in Iran do when they need a doctor, you are all over here?” The barber who cuts my hair was born in Iran. Aren’t we lucky that Washington, Franklin and Jefferson didn’t leave our country just because they didn’t like the government. They created a new government. Castro conquered Cuba using fewer people, than live in a city block in Miami, so don’t believe them when they say they care about the place where they were born. It is my belief that when anyone comes to our country to get educated they must go home and live in their home country for at least 10 years before they can immigrate to the US. When someone comes to this country from a third-world country, after 10 years here, they must go home for 10 years to improve the standard of living for others. Can you name a country that does not have what is usually called Western European Culture, where people from oppressed countries want to move? And this does not just concern Iran, it concerns all countries. In Burbank and Glendale there are signs in a forign language on half the buildings. The Armenians all tell me how much they love their country, but they don’t live there, so how do they know. And let’s not even mention the Mexicans. When I was born, the populaton of the US was 128,000,000, and now it is over 300 million and growing. Why not make your home land a place worth living?

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 19, 2008 9:37 AM
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Renee, this is not a complaint, just a question. You said, “My husband talks about Iran with such passion and always has said that the people and culture are wonderful.” So I wonder why doesn’t he live there? My Sweetie and I traveled in dozens of countries, and we very often said, “Would we like to live here, even for a year or two.” The answer was always no. The statement, “It’s a great place to visit, but we wouldn’t like to live there,” is the truth. What I could never understand is the many people from many, many countries that I have talked to in the USA, who talked about how nice their home country was, but they didn’t live there. I just don’t understand that. I don’t agree with each and every thing done or said in the USA, but I still would not live anywhere else. And this is a honest question, why do the Armenians, the Iranians, the Cubans, and all the other people say how much they love their country, but they don’t live there? Why? If you really cared about the people in your homeland, but thought the culture in the USA is best, go home and change that culture. Don’t expect someone, not born there, to change the culture, that should be done by home bodies. Go home and make your homeland livable! You can see that the USA trying to change the culture in Iraq is not working at all.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 20, 2008 10:20 AM
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KathyM mentioned traffic at the Arc de Triomphe, and Rome, and having driven an RV, never an auto, in both places many times, I wrote == Most countries have traffic “Laws and Regulations.” Italy has traffic “Hints and Suggestions.” === and Sweetie thinks it would be best if she could just close her eyes while we drive around the Arc de Triomphe. She thinks I might like it best if she had her mouth closed also. ==== As for those Green and Yellow cars, I don’t think they look all that great, but just look in any parking lot and see the ugly, ugly, ugly design and the non-color of today's terrible vehicles. Never since the Model T Ford, have the automobiles looked so boring and uninteresting.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 22, 2008 11:58 AM
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And I repeat — these are the two most important words that describe a country — BORDER AND CULTURE. When the United Nations was created, it was my hope, and belief, that their main job would be to define and protect borders, and protect Cultures from being changed by members of other Cultures. If home-born members of a Culture want to change it, that’s fine, if people from other countries want to change a Culture, that is not permitted. Rick, I haven’t noticed at any time in your writing that you intend to make Iran change any of their Culture and that is the way it should be. And all people from Iran (and any other country) who could not stand their home Culture, and came here and try to change ours, must be sent back to their homeland. If this would happen, Miami would be half empty, but Cuba would thrive. I don’t really care what the Government in another country thinks of us, and I don’t want them to care what I think of them. Remember, if you think your home country is so wonderful, why aren’t you living there, and if you think our culture is best, you must go home and help your neighbors improve that home-country culture. And I do like to read what Rick is writing, and look forward to seeing what Rick is filming.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - May 29, 2008 9:19 AM
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Laex says “turn on your TV set and watch corporate America use women's bodies to sell cars and washing machines.” Not quite, you will see ladies who have applied to corporate America to pay them money to show their body. I have never heard of anyone being forced to take that job, and if you put out a cast call for ladies to show their bodies, the line would be around the corner by early tomorrow morning. I don’t care what it is, or who is doing it, or what country they are in, just make sure it is being done by volunteers. And the rest of what you say, is a result of Culture, not just law. And what do you mean by "less oppressed"? Who is oppressed in the USA? No woman that I have seen, on the street, or on TV. But the ladies in Iran and other such countries sure seem to be oppressed, by what I read and see.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 05, 2008 6:14 PM
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I think several of these sayings help describe what Rick is doing with his travel Blog. === A picture is worth a thousand words. A visit is worth a thousand pictures. The video is priceless. === It is the intent of his Tidbits, Snippets, & Gems, to pique your curiosity, stimulate your interest, and prompt you to investigate travel ideas. === People complain about the idle-rich, and the idle-poor. The one because they are idle. The other because they are rich. === Wouldn’t you rather trust everyone all of the time and be wrong once in a while, than trust no one at any time, and be right once in a while. === Ken, try travel-tidbits.com, then Email me.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 06, 2008 8:50 AM
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Timmy says, “When will you people start to respect other cultures?” That’s easy, I respect another culture when I visit another country. Remember, a country is a border with a culture. I don’t try to change their culture, they don’t dare to change mine. In either case, violate either the border or the culture, out you go. I care when I see the culture in Iran treat women in a way I don’t like, but I would never try to change that culture, and I want anyone with that culture thrown out of our country.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 06, 2008 11:41 AM
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Marilyn said, "Men always sitting down to pee." ==== Since Marilyn doesn't go into the men’s room in a restaurant, she never sees the signs that says, “We aim to Please, You aim too, Please.”

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 06, 2008 5:28 PM
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I just don't understand all these Iranians who talk about how much they love their country, but they don't live there, and aren't trying to correct the problems that made them leave. I am sure happy that George Washington didn't say, "This place is a mess, I'm going to Canada." Why don't you go home and help change the portions of the culture that have in the past, and continue, to cause problems for people who live there, those who feel they must leave, and the rest of the world who listen to your leaders? I am not saying you should change much or most of the culture, just that portion that causes people to leave, then talk about how much they love the place they where they won't live.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 14, 2008 10:30 PM
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I just don't understand all these Iranians who talk about how much they love their country, but they don't live there, and aren't trying to correct the problems that made them leave. I am sure happy that George Washington didn't say, "This place is a mess, I'm going to Canada." Why don't you go home and help change the portions of the culture that have in the past, and continue, to cause problems for people who live there, those who feel they must leave, and the rest of the world who listen to your leaders? I am not saying you should change much or most of the culture, just that portion that causes people to leave, then talk about how much they love the place they where they won't live.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 14, 2008 10:33 PM
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Oh my, what a variety of comments about my comment. And I was in fact born in the USA. But from what little anyone seems to know about it, my ancestors did not abide by the immigration laws of the United States when they came from somewhere in Europe. There was no United States. No one knows when any two of them came over on the same boat. During my extensive travels, I have seen my last name, perhaps spelled a little differently, in England, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, so who knows where my ancestors came from, or how they got here. The only thing known for sure is that they were here long before 1775, and at least two of them were injured in the Revolutionary War. I love to talk with people who came here from somewhere else, and love this country. I spent a half-hour just yesterday talking with a lady from Armenia, who was a Drug Store manager, taking a break on a bench in front of her store. We agreed with each other in all aspects of “… love your home country, but love the USA more,” and don’t complain that your home is better, if you won’t live there.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 15, 2008 10:06 AM
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To repeat what I have said before: A country consists of a culture and a border. I do not intend to do anything to change the culture of Iran, even those elements I would like to see changed. That is the duty of the citizens of that country. But even more, even if it would take a war, I do not want any Iranian, or anyone from any other country, to try to change our culture. That is the duty of citizens of the USA. If people in the Middle East do not want a Democratic style of government, that is their business, not ours. Let’s just make sure that people from every country leaves everyone in any other country alone.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 17, 2008 3:26 PM
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We would never suggest that a visitor miss a visit to Pompeii, we’ve been there three times, but if time permits, visit Herculaneum, located between Naples and Pompeii, on the Naples side of Vesuvius. The oil billionaire, J. Paul Getty, built a museum Malibu, near Los Angeles. The Museum plan is based on the Villa dei Papiri, buried near Herculaneum by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, 79 AD. Sweetie and I visited the museum a dozen times at least, we visited Herculaneum twice. We were told in both Malibu and in Italy that we are the only visitors to both the Museum and Herculaneum, that they know of. To the west of Vesuvius, the town of Herculaneum was covered by a sea of mud from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, 79 AD. It solidified, eventually carbonized and became tufa-like (silica stone), almost impossible to excavate. Various items are better preserved than at Pompeii. Inside some well preserved buildings, food, cloth, rope, grain, rolls of papyrus, even loaves of bread and baskets of walnuts survived. When the eruption started, there had been time for some people to leave, but many died as they reached the outskirts of town. The path to the top of Vesuvius was rough bare black lava rock. We would have taken the chair lift, but it was out of order that day. It was cold, windy, and too foggy to see much of the advertised beautiful scenery. We picked up a large piece of lava, and the guard let us know it was OK to take it home with us.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 25, 2008 9:36 AM
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Our experience in Naples did not sour us on the country of Italy. After 112 wonderful nights in 63 different places in our RV during eight trips to Italy, beautiful eItaly, we determined that Italy is crowded with beautiful, friendly, congenial people who welcome us, confuse us, charm us, disturb us, enrapture us, discombobulate us, and ensure that we have a fascinating vacation. === A man in Bologna told a story that someone from Germany drove his Mercedes to Naples, and parked near downtown. When he then reported his car had been stolen within a few minutes, his insurance company would not pay, and told him that, “Anyone should know that you don't park that kind of car in Naples.” We heard that stolen cars are put in big trucks, and within hours will be out of the country. Seems that Russia, and other Eastern European countries are the destination. === Oh my, I used my two visits here, already!

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 23, 2008 10:41 AM
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We visited Naples in three different years, from 1970 to 1989. In “Innocents Abroad,” published in 1867, Mark Twain said “See Naples and die.” Well we didn’t die, but it was scary. === One Sunday morning we arrived in Naples, from Pompeii by train. As we walked on the main streets, we asked a man who was walking his dog, to confirm directions to the National Museum. He spoke enough English to warn us to be careful. Soon we heard a “beep, beep,” and a car pulled to the curb. The man had taken his dog home, and came to take us the remaining few blocks, he was that worried. We knew things were bad in Naples, but not this bad, or in his case, this good. === Naples has such a reputation, we were told not to drive through Naples, even on a Sunday morning. But we did. It was scary and fascinating, a paradox. We bought strawberries from children at a sidewalk stand — they appeared to be a caricature of street urchins, ready to star as the Bowery Boys, in a “Dead End Kids” movie. They seemed frightened, drew back and would not respond when we offered some candy and tried to be friendly with them. === One of the grimiest streets in Naples, Italy, was lined with tiny trees protected by a metal guard, plus a few small trees in concrete tubs. A tree looks so gorgeous in Paris, so melancholy in Naples. === Imagine this Neapolitan dichotomy — a very modern high-rise, glass-walled office building was surrounded on three sides by grimy, unkempt apartment buildings with balconies filled with laundry and the debris of living. Those office workers had an inalterable view of the poverty that seems to be so prevalent in parts of Naples. As the Neapolitans often jest, the laundry forever fluttering across the streets from balcony to balcony, is the flag of Naples.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 23, 2008 8:58 AM
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Well Jon, since I am the only Jim who has posted here, I guess you mean me. And if that is true, you are wrong. I have never complained about European politics, or anyones opinion of those systems. I have traveled extensively, including multiple times in several East European countries while the Berlin Wall still stood. I was never bashful to make my point, but I insist that a country consists of a Culture and a Border, and Government is an important portion of a culture. It is my opinion that we have no business in Iraq, trying to get them to change their Government. That is their business, not ours. My comments on anyone’s previous comment on our Government, is my right to do. I don’t care what anyone thinks or says about our government, I care when they try to change it from what I think it should be. Not from what it is, from what I want it to be. The reason I travel is to see how other people live and work, and how their system works. Our names are similar, our opinions … … …!

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 26, 2008 2:14 PM

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We stopped to snap some photos, and saw what looked like several trailers parked on a little point of land, sticking out into the Mare (Sea) Ligure. So up and up we went, then down and down and around we went, and sure enough there were a dozen trailers parked right under the “No Camping” sign, so we joined them in our RV. We bought train tickets to see all five of the Cinque Terre, then rode the train for 15 minutes to Riomaggiore the southern most of these towns. This town is in two parts, with a steep, high hill dividing the town. An English speaking gentleman, Giovanni, was tending the garden in front of his home. He told us he was born here, and rides the train for 10 minutes to get to La Spezia, where he works. Giovanni parks his car in a parking lot across the next hill, high above town, but doesn't use the car very often. A 15 minute walk along a picturesque, curious, narrow path, a niche hewn out of the rocky cliff and overhanging the Mare (Sea) Ligure, brought us from Riomaggiore to the next town to the north, Manorola. 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. We met a young couple who were doctors. They had lived in New York City, London, and now Milano, but they prefer New York City. How can anyone prefer New York City over London, Milano, or anywhere else in the world? A little California prejudice, perhaps.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 25, 2008 9:51 AM
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Our first visit to München was a couple of years before the XX Olympics in 1972. The 951-foot-tall Olympiaturm (TV tower) was already in place, and the large revolving restaurant, 630 feet above ground, permitted a view down into the stadium, the sports hall, the swimming pool, and other facilities that were then under construction. === In the tower of the Neues Rathaus in the Marienplatz, the nearly 300-foot-high Glockenspielturm (largest carillon in Germany) plays its melody and displays moving enameled copper figures, at 11:00 AM daily. === On our first visit to München we parked (half on the street and half on the sidewalk, like everyone else) on a street next to the Rathaus. When we returned a couple of hours later, we found the parking rules had changed an hour ago, and ours was the only vehicle still there. The “ticket” on the windshield was a polite note that almost said, “We know you can't read the sign, so maybe it isn't your fault, but next time, please … !” === We ate dinner in the Ratskeller, the restaurant in the cellar (keller) of City Hall (Rathaus). Along with our meal, we requested ice water to drink. After the small glasses were quickly emptied several times, the elderly waitress had a great idea and appeared at our table with a big smile and a large chunk of ice in a big pitcher of water. === Our notes mention (and we still have the menu), that $7 covered the cost of a complete steak dinner for four - but that was in 1970, quite a few years ago. === This was Sweetie’s first experience with being charged (not just a tip) a few pfennig for use of the restroom, and an additional few for washing her hands. Like most Americans, she thought the use of toilet facilities should be a service provided by the restaurant. Since she had left her purse at the table, it was a little embarrassing.

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jun 27, 2008 8:53 PM
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Across the valley from the Neuschwanstein Castle, we could see the childhood home of Ludwig II, the golden-hued Neo-Gothic Hohenschwangau Castle. As he grew up he could see the spot where he wanted to build his castle, and later through a telescope, from his bed-chamber he watched construction of Neuschwanstein - his dream come true. === To visit Neuschwanstein there is a choice: Walk up the path/stairway, take a horse-drawn carriage, or ride a bus. We've done them all. The walk is long and steep, the horse carriage is interesting, but for the most spectacular view of the castle (short of an airplane ride), the bus stops near the Marienbrücke (named for Ludwig II's mother) which spans the Pöllat gorge. It's then but a short, downhill walk from the bridge to the castle. === Besides the hot and cold running water in the kitchen, rising hot air in the chimney turns a rotisserie and this movement rotates the spit for cooking game and poultry. (As invented by Leonardo da Vinci.)

Posted by: Jim Humberd - Jul 02, 2008 11:11 AM
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Len and Kaley, I just don’t know where you travel, who you see, and where you hang around. My Sweetie and I have spent 605 nights and 87,000 miles in our RV in about 29 European countries, several islands, and we have yet to have the problem with Americans or Europeans, that you allude to. The people who we have had a disagreement that we remember, could be counted on the fingers of one hand. I think you should remember (and this is a repeat I am sure) === It's amazing how many ridiculous, stupid, ignorant, inefficient, obnoxious people you will meet, when you are in a bad mood. === And while you travel, remember “Curiosity as to how people live and work, is just as intelligent as the curiosity that leads to the study of the contents of an art museum.” === And also remember, Breathes there a man with soul so dead … ” that he is not gratified by another’s appreciation of his home, his city, and his country.” === As for getting along with people, you get what you give, nothing more, nothing less.

Posted by: jim Humberd - Jul 06, 2008 4:39 PM

Tidbit by Jim and Emmy Humberd

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