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In 1867, Mark Twain wrote the famous book The Innocents Abroad, where, in his witty and sometimes cynical manner, he shared travel notes from a long trip to European countries. More than a century and a half has passed since then, and if Mark Twain lived today, he would most likely choose TikTok to express his creativity.

Here's another great example of the witty travelogue genre from Americans in Europe: the TikToker @royaventurera shared some out-of-context observations her husband had been making during their first big Euro trip. So once upon a time somewhere in Europe, far far away...

More info: TikTok

#1

Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

@royaventurera Report

Cara
Community Member
2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Brit, true, but a bit harsh on the Americans…

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    #2

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    ANTIVICTORIA
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Imagine if service workers in America had living wages and universal healthcare like Europeans instead of $2 per hour and no healthcare at all.

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    #3

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Even the French trash-tall the French. Well, the Parisians anyway.

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    The first video with Roya's husband's notes went viral with over 1.5M views on TikTok, and by popular demand, Roya produced a second video that became even more viral, garnering around 1.9M views. It cannot be said that they are all united by some common concept, rather the opposite - however, something in these completely diverse phrases about local places of interest, people, food and customs obviously resonates in the hearts of any American who has ever crossed the Atlantic in the eastern direction.

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    #4

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Jojo_hobkin
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's decreasing, same as alcohol. Although vape is increasing

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    #5

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Let’s roll
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Dam Square! I do miss my old neighbourhood from time to time.

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    #6

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    More to do with ignorance and being scared of going to the wrong place. Churches had the most money, so made the nicest buildings though.

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    What cannot be taken away from Europe is its incredible diversity, both geographical and historical. When you stand on the stones that were laid in the pavement about three thousand years ago, or look at the buildings that remember Julius Caesar or Hannibal, it is difficult to abstract from this thought. However, Americans both in the time of Mark Twain and now were very American-centric, so do not be confused by the comparison of San Francisco, founded about 250 years ago, and almost one-thousand-year-old Amsterdam. In the end, these cities really have something in common... Some kind of a common vibe, don't you think?

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    #7

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Sean
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The land of the free and home of the lawsuit.

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    #8

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

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    By the way, the comparison is also appropriate in the opposite direction - Europe has adopted too much from the U.S. over the past centuries. Even the very concept of the contemporary European Union goes back to the great French novelist Victor Hugo, who at one time, back in 1849, came up with the idea of uniting all existing European countries into the so-called "United States of Europe". Therefore, no matter how different, for example, life in Provence and Louisiana is, something in common can always be found.

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    #10

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Susie Elle
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I see you've never taken an international train in Europe

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    #11

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    @royaventurera Report

    Cara
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They were either in the UK or Benidorm…..

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    #12

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    @royaventurera Report

    Roan The Demon Kitty
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I do feel like tattoo's are somewhat cheaper in Europe, when I see Americans getting tiny minimalistic tattoo's and it costs them like $500, it floors me. If I was paying the equivalent of that for a tattoo, it'd be a pretty large ish piece! (though my artists has started charging more lately.. and his work has gone downhill, thinking of switching tbh, not because of the price, but the quality...)

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    If you are interested in the topic of cultural differences between Europe and North America, seen from the point of view of natives who moved to new and unusual conditions for them, you can, for example, check out this post of ours about a Canadian in the Netherlands, or about a woman from a small Norwegian town who once moved to California. In the meantime, please feel free to read all of these really spot-on and witty remarks from this decent gentleman and maybe add your own in case you've ever had a chance to travel across Europe.

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    #13

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You mean a handbag with a shoulder strap? Yeah, been using one of them for decades, very convenient. Many brits who use them like to refer to it as a 'manbag', given that handbag is the more normal term for a women's bag, what you would call a purse.

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    #14

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    @royaventurera Report

    LK
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's more to eating than spice! Learn to embrace the subtle flavours of food. Don't just kill your tastebuds with hot sauce.

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    #15

    Woman-Observations-Euro-Trip

    @royaventurera Report

    James016
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is no need for that much ice. I prefer having drink in the glass

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    #16

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    @royaventurera Report

    Kel_how
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Um, no, it's not. Spain is beautiful; Florida is a trash heap. And I'm American.

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    #17

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    @royaventurera Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Weird to compare a Spanish sausage with a French one (which is disgusting, BTW, and nothing whatsoever like Chorizo) . Or is there a Creole version that is actually palatable? If so, for dog's sake, American tourists, do NOT make the mistake if imagining that the French one is like the one you know.

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    #18

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    James Twong
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Europe has a beer-brewing tradition stretching back well over a thousand years with every type of beer imaginable available. IPA is an English beer. Perhaps there wasn't enough American Bud or Schlitz available.

    Heffalump
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's really revealing about our country's history that a beer that is 'ours' is called India Pale Ale.

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    Susie Elle
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My man where have you been? You can literally buy 100 different beers in the supermarket

    Agrianist
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The range of beers in Europe is huge. Goodness knows where this person went,

    XenoMurph
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Only two beers? In the entire continent. Belgium alone has... thousands.

    JuJu
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Where have they travelled to? The Vatican?

    Agrianist
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Clearly never went to Belgium or Denmark.

    sturmwesen
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    1492 breweries in Germany beg to differ

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    there's an amazing bar in edinburgh which has hundreds of beer brands

    Agrianist
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    WTF? IPA is an English beer.

    Roan The Demon Kitty
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ... that's because we drink actual beer and not dishwater ;)

    Lame Llama
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    IPA is everywhere 8n Europe some years back. I guessed we just moved on to better things.

    Julie S
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are lots of microbreweries in the UK brewing amazing beers.

    Robert Millar
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So royaventuera managed to find the only place on the planet that serves only two beers and then proceeds to tell us that he knows nothing about the european beer culture or indeed India Pale Ale, which should be made with specific ingredients, rather than the top brewed, overhopped piddle sold in America. This whole sequence has been written by somebody who has no idea about europe.

    TheStormIRide
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    well, he should go to Poland. The beer variety we have would most likely satisfy an American (they have a lot of good breweries actually)

    Jojo_hobkin
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It depend a lot from the country and restaurants. In France you usually have more wine choice than beer, but in big cities it's sometime the opposites.

    Wm Paul Robinson
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't know when this comment written. IPAs virtually (including cheekily Irish Pale Ale). The French breweries are taking on UK, Scots, Irish, German, Belgian, US and other styles of beer, with a vengence in the past few years, and from an ale snob, I have to admit they are as good as, and often better than the originals. Of course depends where and what type of bar or hotel you visit, they range kept on pumps or bottles.

    ADHD
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    oh my sweet summer child lol, we have a zillion beers older than your mass shooting country lol

    Jon Lee
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are hundreds of breweries, large and small in the UK. Most make variations of bitter with a whole range of strengths and flavours. There is also a lot of swill marketed as 'lager', but top fermented with ale yeast and never stored. I live in a very small market town where the local British Legion held a beer festival. They had some dozen or more ales plus nearly as many ciders. Fortunately it is downhill all the way to my home!

    Mama Penguin
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What? I've been to plenty of good bars and restaurants in NY that serve a range of European beers. How did this person only find two?

    Justin Thyme
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Guiness is everywhere, thankfully

    Yeeters
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    *chuckles in Pilsen, Czech republic *

    Ivy
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Depends on where you go for both continents (I’ve lived/travelled in both). But if you live in the northwest part of America/Canada, the brewery culture and beer selection is incomparable. I mean they have local artisanal beers at chain restaurants. The further east you go the more “bud light” it gets.

    Agrianist
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The US does not have the history , diversity or regard for beer as does a number of European countries, especially those in the north.

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    El Dee
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    India Pale Ale was more of a thing when I first went into pubs. NB this was a 'few' decades ago.

    Cuppa tea?
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In fairness, most restaurants will serve 3-5 mainstream brands, depending on which one will provide stuff like coasters, umbrellas, etc. But you can still find ones who serve local beers.

    Timbob
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And maybe they shouldn’t be ! We Americans always get carried away, and go much too far ?

    Vermonta
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout in my fridge. If I have a beer when I am out its always a LaBatts Blue

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    #19

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    @royaventurera Report

    Ace
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That's probably an illusion based on the fact that you can actually taste something.

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    #20

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    @royaventurera Report

    WindySwede
    Community Member
    2 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "no sir/mam, that is the sun" /s

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    #21

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    @royaventurera Report