First Reactions

Observations compared to the Europe I traveled in 30 years ago:

By Leyla

BIKES!

I never would have dreamed of riding around Paris or any other European City on a bike 30 years ago but with bike paths and a concerted effort on the part of local governments to make their City’s bike friendly, it is now not only possible, but moreover, easy to obtain and ride bikes. With the Velib system we used in Paris, access was instant with an online subscription and a credit card. LIME (out of San Francisco) is doing a pilot scooter-sharing program in Paris. Torino had TO Bikes, a municipal bike sharing system but, for travelers, it required going to a tourist office to purchase either a 4 or 8 hour ride, and the bikes we saw looked rickety. MO Bikes is present in Europe. It appears similar to LIME Scooters, in that after establishing an account, you scan the code on the bike (or scooter) from your phone and then leave the bike (or scooter) anywhere. With Velib and TO Bikes, the bikes need to be returned to a docking station. So next time we visit Europe we will check to see what subscriptions we need before leaving the U.S. so we can grab a bike, or scooter, and GO!

SMOKING!

I expected that, similar to the U.S., after 30 years there would be less smoking, but sadly, that is not the case. Or perhaps it is less, but still way too much. And it’s not just middle aged and older people who are holding onto their habits. We saw lots of young people who smoke, including those we witnessed leaving a high school/college, who lit up as soon as they got out the door and onto the street. And when you are in an outdoor table at a café, there are people smoking all around you while you are eating, many of them young and fashionable.

TATTOOES!

I have an image of Europeans as being more sophisticated than Americans so it was surprising to see so many people with multiple tattoos that are not the least bit subtle. I also saw other signs of a global culture that seems to cross boundaries, assumedly through media. Many Europeans wear ugly t-shirts with American branding.

WESTERN CULTURE!

The small shops have been replaced by corporate name brands. The Marais was almost unrecognizable from what it was 30 years ago. In many parts of Europe you see the same stores you would see in any Mall in America. Sad!

FOOD!

Tourist restaurants and places selling burgers and pizza abound, but it doesn’t take much to find a more authentic place where locals gather and eat. And not unlike the U.S., if you want farm fresh food, go to an open air or farmer’s market. We never ran across one in Paris, and the one we went to in Torino was dreadful, but the one in Annecy was superb. The restaurants in France are expensive, less so in Italy.

BEAUTIFUL WOMEN!

Emily commented on how amazingly beautiful and stylish the women are, especially in Paris. They wear shoes with impossibly high heels and walk around as if they are in tennis shoes. And they ride bikes (going fast and passing us!) dressed like that. It made a huge impression on Emily. I told her we could come back to shop but on this trip, we are traveling light so did not buy one thing!