I have long held the assumption that Europeans are much healthier than Americans. Why I thought this, I don’t really know. I propose it was suggested in school and in various news reports–but I can’t say for certain. Perhaps, it’s a stereotype…
What I learned in Europe was that they really aren’t that healthy. They may not be as “obese” as Americans (I think the turnstiles at public transportation stops precludes that from happening), but they smoke in droves. And I would say that smoking is more dangerous to your health than obesity (it’s probably not that much).
I’ve also read / heard that Europeans find the cupholder a strange device in cars. They say something like, “Why would you eat or drink in your car. That’s when you drive.” And for that I have a couple things to say:
The primary mode of transportation for most Europeans is walking. And they like to walk and eat. They also like to walk and drink (even booze!). Our primary mode of transportation is driving–and we too like to eat and drink while we drive.
Driving in the Europeans cities I saw was an incredible adventure. The have yet to discover painting stripes for the lanes and the whole system seems to be a rather uncontrolled panic. People swerving in and out of imaginary lanes…turning in front of cars. Every driver seemed to have one hand on the steering wheel, one hand on the shifter, and three fingers on the horn. They certainly were not friendly drivers. At any rate, it would be impossible to do anything else except drive in a situation like that.
We, however, have nice traffic laws and painted lanes that make eating and drinking possible.

Wow!
I’m back in Houston now. The trip was amazing. I had a great time with Micah and Kayla (and Bethany) in Europe. This will be the second of a long series of Europe-related posts. Get ready for the fun!
The trip home was long but uneventful. Luckily this time our luggage arrived at the same time we did. There were two interesting things of the day:
1) Airplanes + Sirens
So we take off from Philly heading toward Charlotte. We’re maybe 10 seconds into the flight, and we smell an odor–think of it as an odd chemical odor, and then this little red light starts blinking, along with a siren that could pass for an alarm clock. The light and siren are coming from the rear of the plane–right next to the emergency exit. A handful of passengers all look back to see this wonderful sight, and I thought, “I don’t think this is a good sound.”
The flight attendants rush to the front of the plane, and I start to think, “I wonder what it would be like to turn around at 1,000 feet?” Anyways, after maybe 60 seconds, the light goes black and the sound stops; a faulty smoke detector battery. Or so that’s what they said.
2) The B-Team
I didn’t ever think that the 930p flight on Saturday night is the most sought-after flight for flight attendants. Now I’m confident that I was right.
The poor crew struggled to read the flight information card (you know the one where they tell you how to fasten your seatbelt and put on the air mask). She followed the mumbly card with the wonderful line, “If you want to sleep move your elbows from the aisle so we don’t hit you. And if you want food, turn your light on so we can know that you want food. Uhhhh. Thanks.” And the written word cannot convey the twang in her voice. It was something else. And as we were leaving the plane, we were greeted with this helpful tidbit: “Don’t forget to get your bags from the overhead bins. And if your bags are below, don’t walk to the ground because you might run into the wings. They will bring your bags to the plane for you. And if you checked your bags, they will be available at the checked baggage area.” Amazing, isn’t it!

So, I’m in Florence now. It is pretty stinkin’ awesome. The food is great… (the verdict is still out on the French food…I liked it, but this is far and away better). The sites have been amazing–I’ve gotten to see things I’ve always (okay, not always) wanted to see. The weather improved today–it was finally sunny, but it still is cooler than normal…of course, Houston is not cold.
I’ve taken hundred of pictures that I plan to share when I get back.
peace.