Last summer, my husband’s company asked him to work in Luxembourg for two months.  I, of course, accompanied him.   He did such a great job, they asked him to return again in the spring and stay for one year.  Back again, we went.  The time I have spent in Europe has definitely been an adventure.  It also required quite a bit of adjustment.

Weekdays in Luxembourg were not very different than weekdays in the U.S.  I spent my days working on my StickLadySays blog and social media platforms while my husband worked long hours.  On the weekends, however, we tried to visit one of the many beautiful towns in Luxembourg or in one of the surrounding countries.  We were also able to plan longer trips by taking advantage of Luxembourg’s 26 national holidays (Yes 26!).  We have been to Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Italy, The Netherlands, and the U. K.  (both England and Scotland).

As you would imagine, Europe is very different than the U. S.   Each country has its own diverse culture, cuisine, traditions, etc.  Luxembourg, for instance, is a very small country.  It is a sovereign nation and also the last Grand Duchy in Europe.  A Grand Duchy, by the way, is a country whose Monarch is a Grand Duke.  They also have a Prime Minister.  Back in April, the Grand Duke’s father passed away.  Another day off!

The people of Luxembourg are formal and reserved toward strangers. You never call someone by their first name unless you are invited to do so.  The Luxembourgers, however,  do have close-knit relationships with their family and friends.  They enjoy socializing.  They like to party as do most Europeans.  They drink quite a bit and then sing loudly afterward usually late at night and within earshot of my bedroom window.

It has been interesting sampling the local cuisine of the many countries I have visited these past months.  You need to be a bit careful because it is not uncommon to find snails, rabbit, and even horse on the menu.  I am a bit of a picky eater.  I also only read English, not French or German.  One dish that I can always spot on the menu, no matter the country,  is Wiener Schnitzel. It seems to be a favorite dish of most Europeans.  It is essentially a breaded and fried veal cutlet.  It is served with french fries and a salad.  It is always good and always the same no matter the country.

While there may be a lot to love in Europe, there are also a lot of differences.  Not all of them are easy to live with.  I am not sure what I was expecting but reality is often very different than our preconceived notions.  One of the things that has shocked me most is how prevalent smoking is in Europe.  Apparently, the news that cigarette smoking is hazardous to your health has not made it across the pond.  Europeans smoke cigarettes anywhere and everywhere but mostly while sitting next to me at an outdoor cafe.  As an ex-smoker, I have little patience for all the second-hand smoke.  It is nearly impossible to walk down the street without being forced to inhale the smoke of someone nearby.

And another thing…  What does Europe have against air-conditioning?  Outside of the big hotels, Europeans do not use air-conditioning.  Instead, they have these strange metal blinds that come down on the outside of their windows.  They look a lot like security doors only you can tilt them to let in air and block out sun.  They leave their blinds down all day long.  At night, when it cools off, they open the blinds and turn on the fans.  As you can imagine, it rarely does the trick.  No one seems to complain about the heat.  As a matter of fact, Europeans think air-conditioning is an “American” thing.

After living as a local and traveling like a tourist, I have picked up a few tidbits worth passing on to fellow travelers.  First of all, pack comfortable shoes.  Europe is made of cobblestone and sightseeing requires miles of walking in a single day.  Second, the shops are closed on Sunday in most places, so plan your itinerary accordingly.  If you go sightseeing on a Sunday, you will be disappointed to find that the only places open are restaurants.  The last and most important piece of advice will come in handy wherever you go.  When in doubt, order the Schnitzel!