Experiences in Europe - Part 2

It was around a year back that I signed up for an exchange program. Many of my friends who had initially shown interest had backed off. And I felt a little stranded. While the thought of going back to Europe sounded interesting, the financial implications were daunting. I was going to drill a hole the size of Bombay High into my future earnings. And all this, when I wasn't even sure what job I would land , how much I would earn and so on. In the end, I decided to take the risk even though I had come to consider as incredible the idea that I would be leaving all my friends behind.

The first thing one notices about Germany is cleanliness. The next blink on the radar screen is the use of technology in simplifying the most mundane tasks. And then you notice the subtlety of German humor, the German beer and bread, the polished politeness, the almost religious following of traffic rules, the blandness of food, sometimes even the racial overtones, the high standards of living, the low cost of food, the culture of family, the contempt bordering on scorn for the old, the efficient public transport system and the fickle weather.
If you stand in front of a zebra crossing without traffic lights, even a speeding car will stop to give you the right to passage. And people do that with a smile. You will only rarely hear people honking - it is considered the equivalent of swearing. If you do money transfers [not the online version], you will also notice that the banking system here is not so fast. In most offices, one can find people almost always on time, though Friday after lunch hours are exempt from this consideration. Technology dissipation as also internet penetration is high.
The thing that makes Germany so mobile is its efficient public transport. DB, the national train company offers trains that run on time, train connections that are very methodically scheduled and train staff that are courteous and helpful. Within cities, howsoever small, one can find a backbone of buses that run with high frequency. In most cities, the bus network is supplemented by trams, metro trains and local trains. However, don't bother to think about the complex classification system for trains.

Tourism in Europe is facilitated tremendously by the unbeatable combination of great value travel offers, efficient transport systems and easily available information. For instance, we bought the two month unlimited Eurail pass. With that, we could travel in any of the 18 countries, for 2 months. The only extra payment would be for the reservation or sometimes for the supplements. While ours was a hit-and-run kind of tourism, necessitated in part by the desire to compress as many tours as possible in the 2 months, anyone who travels extensively can save enormous amount of euros using travel passes. In short, extensive travel is cheap, one time travel is costly. Sometimes, it is outrageously costly !

Speed and comfort: When we cruised in the international ICE train from Brussels to Cologne, we realised what acceleration does to body. The neck becomes a little stiff, the ears frequently block out, and you can feel your back pressed against the seat. But the ride is almost as smooth as a glide, even at such speeds. We missed sitting in the TGV trains in France, but I am sure we did get to travel at around 270kmph on that ICE. Another pleasant aspect of travel in Europe is that there are very few people in the train, unless there is some special occasion. So, empty seats are aplenty and there almost always is space to stretch out. Watch out for Italy though. Trains there can get late, they are often crowded and petty crimes are frequent.

A sense of history: Pantheon was built around 50BC and Collosseum was built around 70AD. Its a brilliant feat the Greeks have achieved by building such long lasting structures. You might argue that even Ajanta and Ellora caves have survived, but these are architectural wonders. Huge, intricate and imposing.

A pleasant climate: While the weather is unpredictable, the climate is very amenable to tourism, except during the extreme winters. The vegetation that grows in this climate varies from trees that shed their leaves to trees that remain green throughout the year. Hence the variety of colors. There is no dust in the air, and pollution levels are low, hence it is difficult to make out how long someone has been wearing some dress. So you can manage with a lighter luggage.

Various moods: Romance in Parisian lanes or Venetian gondolas, wonder at monuments like Eiffel Tower and St. Peter's, bask in nature's beauty in Switzerland, explore the mysteries of BlackForests, experience the weather beyond the Arctic Circle by going to Rovaniemi or gawk at the technological marvels. There's something that suits every taste. And there is no dearth of activities.

I guess thats an inch too long. Should end the verbal spew now.
Meanwhile, 5 more days!