About Clare B. Dunkle

Not-So-Nice Things about Living in Europe

All sorts of things are forbidden. But if you don't speak a foreign language, you don't know what they are.

That sign in the museum would be very helpful if only you could read it.

Signs in foreign countries can be very confusing—particularly when they are in English.

The food is not what we are used to.

Some of it looks frightening.

Some of it is poisonous!

The candy is weird.

The pigeons are scary.

Seriously! They're like something out of Hitchcock.

European toilets can be an adventure.

Local customs can be upsetting.

We do not always want to learn what the museum docent is trying to teach us.

Some of it is sad.

Europeans do not baby us. They are perfectly willing to let us put our lives at risk by climbing up to crazy places...

...or by falling off the side of a mountain. We Americans think this is unfair.

Not all of the factories are up to code.

Not all of the art is universally admired.

Some of the art has seen better days.

So have some of the buildings.

So have some of the people!