Things I learned while I was in Europe...

The trip was an educational trip, right? Well, let me tell you it was educational in many ways, not just for the kiddos but for the teachers as well. We learned some funny things, some sad things, and some uncomfortable things... Here's a short list:

1. Italian women are boorish. We learned, however, that this is a cultural matter. Italian women are looked down upon by Italian "macho" figures, so they have to become very outspoken and rough around the edges to get their opinions heard. They forget we were tourists, and spoke to us as if they were mean Disney-like stepmothers.
2. It is cheaper to get drunk than to stay hydrated. Buying wine or beer is several euros cheaper than buying bottled water, and if you ask for "tap water" most restaurants will refuse, for they are not supposed to sell tap water. I was told by some students that they were charged for it, though.
3. There is a big difference between patio seating, indoor seating and standing at the bar. Restaurants have "cover charges" that change depending on where you seat. Apparently being "seen" is very important in Europe, so sitting at the patio under the sun will cost you much more than sitting inside. And what if you don't seat? Well, you don't pay a cover charge!
4. Italian men are prettier than French men. I don't know if it was our location within France... but MAN were Italian men absolutely gorgeous! 
5. European children are way cuter than American children... perhaps because their clothing was wayyy more expensive than my own, and their parents clearly take them to a hair salon at least twice a week to keep those curls under control and those fauxhawks trimmed.
6. It is difficult to tell gay men from straight men. Most men are metro! You can't tell if they are looking at you, or at the cute guy next to you!
7. The idea is that all gypsies are thieves. I think learning that was the one thing that upset me. Most of the people we spoke to, most of our tour guides and ever our tour director stepped feet away from gypsies as we walked up and down busy streets... it felt like they had a plague. Stereotypes are obviously as prevalent there as they are here. If you see a gypsy running, they probably stole something.
8. European bread is not always good. We had some kickass bread, and some AWFUL old bread during our vacation.
9. You gotta walk to get the good deals. The further away you get from the touristy areas, the cheaper EVERYTHING gets... food, souvenirs, water!
10. French people don't always hate Americans - out of the six countries we visited, the best attention we had at a hotel was in France. No questions asked!
11. Ice is nowhere to be found. Until Spain, I did not see ONE little tiny block of ice anywhere in Europe. It was depressing.
12.  Big cars are a thing of Americans - because everything needs to be bigger here! In Europe you can't help but see smartcars, scooters, bikes, motorcycles and tiny itty bitty cars - even my Honda Fit is too big to fit in those streets! 
13. Distances are a matter of traffic and not of actual, well, distance! A town can be ten miles away from another town, but it can take you 15 minutes or 2 hours to get there depending on the day, the time of day and even the season! Crazy!
14. Fashion is of the utmost importance. You do not see badly dressed Europeans, and all the badly dressed people are foreigners or tourists. No.joke.
15. Pasta is not always good in Italy. Trust me. Neither is pizza.