Part of the fun of visiting a new country is noticing just how different it is from back home. Often, you get to hear a new language that you’re not familiar with, as well as try a delicious cuisine that you’ll miss for months after returning home. And if you visit an entirely new continent, the list of differences you notice might become extremely long.
#41
I've only visited Ireland (and northern Ireland), but everyone is really friendly and will buy you a pint like its nothing. Also, there were a lot of kebab places in Dublin with like actual middle eastern guys. Some of the best food I ate was at those spots.
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11points
#42
Probably not the most surprising thing but something that comes to mind.. storefronts that specifically sell American junk food as a novelty. Or maybe for tourists who can't seem to survive a vacation without a twinkie.
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10points
#43
When I was in Spain last winter, pre-rona, I noticed that everyone there was gorgeous, buuuut everyone and their mom had a cigarette in their mouth. It was weird for me to see such a large portion of individuals smoking out and about in public.
9points
#44
I love this question and have so many things I want to say but no one ever reads them ha ha. There was a definite noticeable difference between how heavy everyone is in the United States versus Europe. It seems like everything in the US is bigger, the roads the buildings the toilet paper, the people, etc.
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8points
#45
Traveled to Europe with my friends back in 2018. One of my friends had broken her leg several months before our trip; she was mobile by the time we went and sometimes used a cane, but otherwise was able to get around the US perfectly fine.
We discovered quickly on this trip that at least where we were in Europe, people with physical disabilities aren’t even an afterthought. Stairs everywhere, very few elevators or ramps, crowded, uneven streets. Here’s the thing - I had lived abroad for some time many years before this trip. We’ve traveled to Europe together before. This was truly the first time I noticed how difficult it must be to get around if you’re in a wheel chair or have some other physical problem that makes mobility hard.
I never really appreciated the ADA before that trip.
Still had a blast though, we just did a lot of man handling of her up and down stairs.
ETA: I have been places in Europe with plenty of accessibility, and as some people pointed out in the comments, public buildings and important areas are accessible in many places. Seems to be just differences in how laws are enacted. Either way, doesn't change the fact that I had to help my friend over the single wooden plank that was in place between the street and sidewalk over a MASSIVE construction hole in the ground on a street in Prague. Good times.
I also wanted to add a positive to my negative: the amount of fresh fruit for sale on the street. Just phenomenal. Food in general for sale for so cheap, and it's so good. *Chef's kiss*.
We discovered quickly on this trip that at least where we were in Europe, people with physical disabilities aren’t even an afterthought. Stairs everywhere, very few elevators or ramps, crowded, uneven streets. Here’s the thing - I had lived abroad for some time many years before this trip. We’ve traveled to Europe together before. This was truly the first time I noticed how difficult it must be to get around if you’re in a wheel chair or have some other physical problem that makes mobility hard.
I never really appreciated the ADA before that trip.
Still had a blast though, we just did a lot of man handling of her up and down stairs.
ETA: I have been places in Europe with plenty of accessibility, and as some people pointed out in the comments, public buildings and important areas are accessible in many places. Seems to be just differences in how laws are enacted. Either way, doesn't change the fact that I had to help my friend over the single wooden plank that was in place between the street and sidewalk over a MASSIVE construction hole in the ground on a street in Prague. Good times.
I also wanted to add a positive to my negative: the amount of fresh fruit for sale on the street. Just phenomenal. Food in general for sale for so cheap, and it's so good. *Chef's kiss*.
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8points
#46
No ice in the drinks at restaurants. Didn’t bother me, but it took some getting used to.
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8points
#48
I went to England. They have more pubs on one street than Rotten Ronnies in the whole country, I swear.
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6points
#49
Went to a Burger King and they had "The American Meal," which was a burger, fries and a Budweiser. Tell me in what American city could you get this American Meal?
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4points
#50
Through the wonders of immigration, I'm a combination of English, irish, German and Italian ancestry. Very proud of my heritage and the home countries of my grandparents. When I visited Europe, I was surprised that, while I saw myself as a combination of each of these ethnicities, to everyone I met I was an American. Not Irish-American, Italian-American, etc. Just American.
The Italians, although they were embarrassed that I was not fluent in Italian, did great me like I was a cousin returning home. A slow cousin who had forgotten the language, but a cousin just the same.
The Italians, although they were embarrassed that I was not fluent in Italian, did great me like I was a cousin returning home. A slow cousin who had forgotten the language, but a cousin just the same.
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3points
#51
This is probably specific to France but I was surprised by the PDA. People in parks and on college campuses will lay all over each other. It was nice.
Oh and the teeny tiny size of shops and restaurants. I feel bad for people who use wheelchairs.
Oh and the teeny tiny size of shops and restaurants. I feel bad for people who use wheelchairs.
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2points
#53
This was a while ago and traveled through England and Scotland. I fully expected the old buildings, the narrow roads. I knew that I would have a tough time understanding the locals, after all, I only understand about half what is spoken in the Holy Grail.
So, here is what I did not expect:
1. A lot of the food was not very good (Shout out to the ploughman at every pub in England - those kept me alive). Let me rephrase this - I heard the food was bad but it was awful;
2. That the Scots who were on the tour with us at the Tate, would not eat the lunch served because it was steak and kidney pie;
3. We went to McDonald's afterwards (So did the Scots) because we were all hungry. The food there did not taste the same as in the US - it had an even worse after taste. I gave the woman at the register a Scottish 1 pound note and she refused it. I was dumbfounded because I was given the note as change while in London earlier that day. The Scots that were behind us started yelling at the person at the register. Still don't know what that was all about.
4. A kid on the tube was playing music and then suddenly started to run from some police - learned that was illegal; Everyone seemed to enjoy it though, well until the cops chased the kid off.
5. That in northern England and Scotland, they do not speak English in many places (think the farmer in Hot Fuzz). I grew up in Texas and some dude at the pub was talking to me. For the love of god, I couldn't understand a word he said, so I went right into a Texas Drawl and he was equally lost in what I said.
6. Squash is a drink there. We grow those in our garden here. Also, a garden is where we grow flowers and vegetables.
7. That a cricket match can be played for days.
8. I was also embarrassed by about half of the Americans there. It was a circus watching them. Saw some kid throwing a fit about having to walk EVERYWHERE.
9. That the best thing about Loch Ness is Urquhart Castle.
10. That Stonehenge is in the middle no where.
11. How particular the bar tenders were at pouring beer. The pour had to be just right. I was use to college bars where the glass is filled until the foam hits to top of the glass.
12. Queueing. It was an artform there. Our TSA could learn a few things.
13. That drunk Scots are harder to understand than sober Scots.
So, here is what I did not expect:
1. A lot of the food was not very good (Shout out to the ploughman at every pub in England - those kept me alive). Let me rephrase this - I heard the food was bad but it was awful;
2. That the Scots who were on the tour with us at the Tate, would not eat the lunch served because it was steak and kidney pie;
3. We went to McDonald's afterwards (So did the Scots) because we were all hungry. The food there did not taste the same as in the US - it had an even worse after taste. I gave the woman at the register a Scottish 1 pound note and she refused it. I was dumbfounded because I was given the note as change while in London earlier that day. The Scots that were behind us started yelling at the person at the register. Still don't know what that was all about.
4. A kid on the tube was playing music and then suddenly started to run from some police - learned that was illegal; Everyone seemed to enjoy it though, well until the cops chased the kid off.
5. That in northern England and Scotland, they do not speak English in many places (think the farmer in Hot Fuzz). I grew up in Texas and some dude at the pub was talking to me. For the love of god, I couldn't understand a word he said, so I went right into a Texas Drawl and he was equally lost in what I said.
6. Squash is a drink there. We grow those in our garden here. Also, a garden is where we grow flowers and vegetables.
7. That a cricket match can be played for days.
8. I was also embarrassed by about half of the Americans there. It was a circus watching them. Saw some kid throwing a fit about having to walk EVERYWHERE.
9. That the best thing about Loch Ness is Urquhart Castle.
10. That Stonehenge is in the middle no where.
11. How particular the bar tenders were at pouring beer. The pour had to be just right. I was use to college bars where the glass is filled until the foam hits to top of the glass.
12. Queueing. It was an artform there. Our TSA could learn a few things.
13. That drunk Scots are harder to understand than sober Scots.
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-5points
#55
I just want free water. Not bottled water. Not sparkling water (the fuq outta here). Just normal water that doesn't cost me anything.
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-17points
