Europe Over and Out…

 

Thursday, September 7, 2023 – We found a good breakfast spot close to the hotel and then we grabbed our backpacks from the hotel and took the subway to the airport.  Everything went smoothly except that we were stuck on the tarmac for a while, waiting to take off.  But we still had time in Dublin to catch our flight.  In the Dublin airport, we also cleared customs for the USA.  It was great when we arrived in Chicago, we went through and did not stand in customs lines.

Poached eggs and avocado toast before catching our flight

We had a great time in Europe and the one of the reasons it worked so well, is really, good public transportation.  The train system is as rule on time and the train stations easy to navigate.  Local metros, subways, and trams also worked well for getting around cities like Warsaw, Barcelona, and Lisbon.

We were impressed with the use of bikes and electric scooters in all the cities we were in.  Bike lanes are well marked and most cases separate from sidewalks.  Bike parking is available and local trains provide bike cars.  There are more electric vehicles including buses, cars, and trains.  Jorge and Dorota have an electric car.  It is not as convenient to charge it as it was for us, as they can not charge it at their flat.  Ela and Voytek (the couple in Poland) had an electric car as well.  They told me that they have free parking and that they can drive their car in the bus lane because it is electric.  Cities in Europe are giving these incentives to encourage people to buy electric.  We saw a store that sold small electric cars, scooters, and motorcycles close to our hotel in Lisbon.  Most of the time, we walked when we went places.  Most days, we walked 5 miles a day, but on several days, it was over 10 miles a day.  

Recycling and composting are encouraged.  There are always separate bins for various recyclables, food items, and trash.  Dorota and Jorge have a bin on there balcony to collect compost and the collection point is outside of the apartment building. 

When we did get items to go, there was very little plastic used.  Bags were often the compostable kind and the forks and spoons were bamboo.

It was rare that we weren’t able to communicate in English, because English is so common in big cities in Europe.  When we did have a problem, Google translate works wonders.  We even used Google translate on signs and menus.  Along with Google maps, the translate feature made traveling very easy.   

The whole adventure was easier than I anticipated.