Amazing FM Radio - I don't know if this is common all over Europe or just in Italy, but you can tune into an FM radio station at say 102.5, and as you drive, the frequency the radio shows changes to whatever signal is stronger, like a cell phone. So you look at the radio, and suddenly the station frequency read-out says "106.0" or "94.2" changing as you drive, delivering the same programming consistently. We can't do that because we have thousands of independently-owned FM stations in the US, not just a few national services. But when driving, I like the Italian system!
Credit Cards in Europe – When you pay for a meal let’s say at a restaurant in Europe, your credit card never leaves your sight. The waiter or manager uses a portable, hand-held device to swipe the magnetic strip on your card and voila, you sign a little receipt. There’s no chance of a waiter or the kitchen help getting an opportunity to record your number and sell it on the black market, which is common in the U.S. We need to adopt this system. At the same time, Europe is moving faster than us on “smart” credit cards… the one’s like the Chase Slate, that has an embedded chip on the back, instead of a magnetic stripe. I tried to buy some wine at a West End Theatre in London, and had to pay cash because their credit card device was brand new and won’t even read “old fashioned” magnetic credit cards like the kind I was carrying!
Smoking in Europe - Most countries have ruled that you can't smoke inside European restaurants. That's fine, but now all the smokers simply eat on the outdoor terraces and if you want to eat outside, you'll likely have someone blowing smoke in your face as you eat your pasta! Not a good solution! San Francisco has banned smoking anywhere within 25 feet of a restaurant, and that makes sense. A few things are better in California.
Bars at Italian Gas Stations - When I buy gas for my car, I'd love to be able to have a quick Scotch on the rocks to make the voyage smoother, right? Strange as it might seem, every gas station we stopped at in Italy had a bar in the cashier area, instead of just some version of a "Quicky-Mart!" Not just an espresso and wine bar, but full liquor service! Get your tank filled and get tanked up! Perfect! What are they thinking? No wonder they all drive 100 mph!
British Airways Pod Seats - In their Business Class, British Air has installed pretty cool-looking pod seats that recline to a full, flat bed surface. However, if you sit on the aisle, there is absolutely no place to put "stuff." No pocket in the seat in front of you, no side boxes, just a small drawer at your feet that you can't reach if you have your seat belt fastened. Ronna had this crummy aisle pod seat on the way to London, and she wanted to trade because the adjoining window seats have huge bins under the windows to store stuff and are more private than the aisle. She also plays with the "partition" between our seats, jokingly raising it indicating she's had enough of me! (It's up right now making her area by the window quite private!) Her seat faces back; mine forward. I inappropriately call them the "69" seats, but you get the idea.
How Big is a Tic-Tac? - We both broke up in laughter on our car journey from Cortona to Florence as we passed a huge big-rig painted with the logos of "Tic-Tac" candies. Given the diminutive size of the little morsels, Ronna cleverly remarked, "That truck must hold enough Tic-Tacs to service all of Europe!"
People Don't Thank Enough – On our Anniversary evening at Villa d'Este in Lake Como, there was a nice bottle of Champagne in our room with a congratulatory note from the manager and his business card. The next day I sent an email to the manager, thanking him for the gift. You'd think I had just given him a Papal blessing. He emailed back at how appreciative he was of our thank-you and wanted to meet me at check-out! I guess not to many people do the obvious. I guess that's why Ronna still likes to send traditional, written postal "Thank You" notes. Interesting.
European Toilet Plumbing - Every toilet we used in Europe had a bowl like we have, a seat and lid. But all the water tank plumbing and mechanics are hidden behind the bathroom wall with just a button or lever visible! That means if you have a problem with your toilet flusher, or anything having to do with the water flow, you have to tear out the wall behind the toilet to fix it. Sometimes the wall behind the toilet was made up of huge marble tiles, like at Villa d'Este. This design must have been pushed by the European building trade unions. It seems totally idiotic in normal size bathrooms in hotels.
Why Don't Europeans Like Showers - At Chateau de Bagnols they only had one room with a stand up shower... all the others had the handle-held versions that make it extra difficult to wash your hair properly. I don't quite get it.
Metric System - America HAS to get on the metric system. Virtually every other country in the world uses it. Metric is logical, easy to remember, and precise. Why is it we use a measuring system called "English" when England uses the metric system. Obama needs to issue an executive order making the change gradually over the next 10 years. Think how many new rulers and scales we'll sell.
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