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My book will get you started.
How To Europe
The Complete
Travelers Handbook
by John Bermont
The best travel guide to all of Europe.
Europe on a Shoestring
Lonely Planet
The essential timetable for rail travelers.
European Rail Timetable
Winter/Spring 2009
Thomas Cook
A comprehensive hotel and restaurant guide to scores of major cities throughout Europe.
Main Cities of Europe 2008
Michelin Guide
Shopping easy at
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That page details the item, and in some cases includes candid and critical comments
from others who have bought the item.
Amazon.com pays my site a
small commission when you click and order an item, if you put it in your shopping
cart within 24 hours based on the cookie they set on your computer. If you don't
want to make a quick decision just put it in your shopping cart, think it over,
and come back later. You benefit when buying here because Amazon.com
has a 20% to 30% discount on many items plus a free shipping
deal. The third bonus is that there is no sales tax on internet purchases in
most states. Delivery is fast
even when it is free, and returns are easy if you are not happy with the product.
You win we win. Thanks for your support!!
Have a good trip in life,
John Bermont
Note: Italicized notations by the author.
It rains. Be prepared.
Totes Clip Case
Auto Open Auto Close
Umbrella
A great lightweight water repellent windbreaker.
The Stormbreaker
by Turfer Sport
Look sharp and stay warm and dry.
Women's Wool
Walking Coat
by Lands' End
Walk on cork for all day comfort.
Women's Teva
Ventura Cork 2
Birkenstock
Arizona Two Strap
Sandal
A very helpful planning map, and worth bringing for rail travelers.
Rail Map Europe
Thomas Cook Rail Map
For traveling the rails in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
Rail Map Britain & Ireland
Thomas Cook Rail Map
You will need one or more of these plug adapters for your appliances and chargers.
Electrical Plug Adapter
USA to Continental Europe
SIMRAN PLUG ADAPTER
Converts grounded USA plugs to European plug
Grounded Adapter
USA to England & newer buildings in Ireland
Grounded Adapter
Europe to Switzerland
Grounded Transformer
USA to Continental Europe
50 Watts, 220v to 110v
Worldwide Battery Charger
with 4 AA NiMH Batteries
by Sony
Eforcity Universal USB
Car Charger Adapter
for Palm m500 and other devices.
This is an ideal combo analog/digital watch for travelers.
Casio G-Shock Watch
G100-1BV
To help find your way on the winding and poorly posted roads of Europe.
Lensatic Military Marching Compass
A GPS is worth its weight in platinum when you are driving around Europe.
Garmin Nuvi 370
Pocket Vehicle
GPS Navigator and
Personal Travel Assistant
with European Maps
This will come in very handy.
Swiss Army
LED Flashlight
Stay trimmed and neat.
Royce Leather Ladies
Travel Kit with Shaver
Dual Voltage Hair Dryer
Micro Turbo 1600W
Andis 33805
Travel Hair Setter
Dual Voltage
Remington H-1015
Compact Travel Iron
Dual Voltage for Travel
Rowenta DA-35 Latitude 35
Bring back the memories.
Nikon D60 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF Autofocus VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
The handiest tool you will ever own.
Leatherman 830039
New Wave Multitool
with Leather Sheath
Yes, available in Europe but at twice the price.
Hefty One-Zip Quart
8 Storage Bags
These 2 gallon Ziploc bags are hard to find in Europe.
Ziploc 2 gallon Bags, 12 ct
by SC Johnson
Much stronger than duct tape.
Strapping Tape
1" x 60 yards
3M Company #8957-1
To relax and sleep on the plane.
Organic Valerian Root 515mg - 100 - Capsule
|
Save money on
auto, SUV, and RV
rentals.
|
Belvilla
Holiday homes and apartments throughout Europe.
|
Premier Tax Free
Premier Tax Free provides international shoppers with an easy and fast solution to recover sales tax (Value Added Tax) throughout the world.
|
|
Chapter 23
of
HOW TO EUROPE
The Complete Travelers Handbook
Internet edition.
A page from
enjoy-europe.com
by
John Bermont
This place is a beehive. If you are flying out of Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands you might want
to pick up some last minute consumable souvenirs at one of the dozens of duty free shops in the airport.
Dutch chocolates are delicious and make great gifts.
Then again, you can gamble your money away at the airport casino.
[P1250471-SchipholDutyFreeShop.jpg]
The emptor must caveat.
SHOPPING DIFFERENCES
With higher taxes built into the price of everything and per capita income about the same
as in America, you just won't find many bargains in the western countries of Europe. In the east
you can still find good deals. In both areas you will see many unusual items, designs, materials,
and fashions not found at home.
TOURIST SHOPPING
Caution
Tourists are immediately confronted with airport duty free shops and souvenir shops.
Additionally, the folklore of flea markets gets the juices running. It is usually better to hold off on
spending sprees until you have browsed the major department stores and other stores where the
locals shop.
Duty Free Shops
There are duty free shops in major international airports, on most planes, and on board
major ferries crossing international borders. Prices of goods in these shops may be duty free, but
there are few bargains. If you are considering a major purchase, say a camera or electronic device,
plan far ahead. Write to the duty free shop, care of your European gateway city airport
(home-bound), and request a price list at least two months in advance. Compare prices with those
for the same items in your local shops or through mail order. You can also shop in the duty free
shop of your outbound airport for a last minute gift.
There are all kinds of open-face sandwiches ready-made at this counter in the train station at Duisburg,
Germany. If you want the top piece of the bun, brötchen, that will cost you another €0,10.
[P1230426-DuisbergSandwiches.jpg]
The only bargains I have seen in duty free shops are on alcoholic beverages and tobacco
products, though this depends on the duty free shop and on the country. A pretty good rule would
be that one should not enter any of the Scandinavian countries without carrying the maximum of
duty free booze, if you enjoy drinking. The same is not necessarily true for Holland where the
retail price of most spirits is less than the price in America, except for American products.
On board some ferries, bottles look like fifths and pints, but the exact
quantity is not shown on the bottle. Except in the major airports, don't expect
very good selections. The same limited number of brands show up in most
duty free shops. One lesson I have learned is do not buy brands you are not
familiar with, unless you can afford to experiment. Don't even buy new
products from known brand names. I have tasted disasters.
All goods bought in duty free shops are subject to duty, if any, when
you land at your destination. The duty saved is the duty of the country where you bought the
item.
This bookstore window display in Kraków, Poland is crammed with Harry Potter editions. I guess that
somebody likes pigeon guano all over the sidewalk, or they have a cat who will be feasting on
one of these plump squabs for dinner. Ksiazka is Polish for book.
[P1200204-KrakowBookstore.jpg]
Souvenir Shops
After you land you are confronted by shops almost from the moment you're off the plane.
After clearing passport and customs control the first hall you see will probably be lined with all
kinds of stores. Don't expect any bargains. You might want to invest in a roller dolly for your
suitcase if you've just discovered that it is too heavy.
High prices for stuff made in Brazil or Hong Kong can be found in the eighty thousand
souvenir shops swarming around the tourist centers. These places are stocked with junque, but do
have some useful items like Heineken T-shirts.
Consumer protection legislation is not as thorough in Europe as in America. Trinkets that
appear to be of local origin may be imports from Pakistan and available at home in your
five-and-dime for half the price. Items are identified with country of origin only when they want
you to know. In Greece and the eastern European countries most of the craft work is locally
made. Street markets with no overhead are the best places to shop.
When shopping for trinkets, offer a price lower than that marked. Sometimes a
shopkeeper will accommodate you. If you like an item but you think it costs too much, say so.
That is the easy indirect way to get some negotiations started.
This is an amazing store in Vilnius, Lithuainia. I bought a heart shaped amber charm for Stephanie in here.
[P1190172-VilniusAmberShop.jpg]
Flea Markets
Some guide books on Europe boast of the great buys available at the Paris Flea Market and the
Amsterdam Flea Market. Those were the old days. These places are now among the biggest
rip-offs. The only customers are tourists. For bargains, go where the local folks shop.
There are scores of outdoor markets in Europe where the greenbacks are not grabbed so
readily as in Paris and Amsterdam. Inquire at tourist offices. Look for small markets which are not
so institutionalized. Permanent, roll-away, or knockdown structures occupy most of the acreage
in the overpriced markets, while the cheaper markets feature merchandise displayed on old boxes
or lying on the ground. For a real out of this world shopping experience go to Amsterdam on Queen's Day.
Another of my pages is a photo tour of Queen's Day
in 2008, an annual event in Amsterdam that I don't ever want to miss again.
On Queen's Day in Holland people lay their junque out to sell. Here is a sale on a sidewalk
in Amsterdam.
[GarageSale-AmsterdamStyle.jpg]
Flea markets are becoming more popular in Germany but are usually held at intermittent
times, say every month or so at certain locations, usually a parking lot near a large shopping area
and usually on a Sunday. These German Flohmarkts usually have a large number of vendors from
Poland selling all manner of goods, some of which look like throw-outs from the Russian army.
When buying items
at flea markets, start negotiating way below the asking price. Even though the vendor sees you as
a rich American tourist, there's no need to throw money at him. If something catches your fancy
buy it now because you'll never see it again.
If you are a serious seeker of cheap curiosities the best place to start is by buying one of the
Travel Keys books by Peter B. Manston. His encyclopedic pocket size
Manston's Flea Markets, Antique Fairs, and Auctions of Germany will get you started.
This is out of print but used editions are available on Amazon.com. Peter has similar books on Britain,
France, and Italy.
Oh boy! -- an open air market in Varna, Bulgaria. You can find
almost any household item in these markets, plus some unusual foods.
[2306-VarnaFleaMarket.jpg]
Street Vendors
There are a few
places which still have the classical fellow who comes up to you on the street with an armload of
wrist watches up his sleeve. If you buy a famous brand name from one of these vendors, it's
certainly a forgery. If it keeps running long enough for you to take it home with you, U. S.
Customs can confiscate it.
In Lisbon, I was approached at least once a day by chaps trying to sell me a "gold ring."
Each ring looked identical, and each probably would have given me a case of green finger.
In eastern Europe there are a large number of street vendors who have set up tables in
town squares or on busy boulevards. Books are the most common items of merchandise in Kiev
and some other cities. In Budapest, one street used to be lined with women selling embroidered
cloths. It looked like a human clothesline and disappeared quickly when a policeman appeared. I
bought two books of beautiful Russian stamps from an enterprising fellow in the main square of
Warsaw and some brass inlaid wooden boxes from another. At first it seemed rather blasphemous
to be dealing in such a beautiful place but I couldn't pass up those bargains. Distilled spirits are
another common item. I bought a half liter of Stolichnaya vodka for a dollar from one vendor in
Bulgaria. The same bottle in a store in L'viv, Ukraine cost me 25¢ (L'viv is spelled L'vov on many
maps).
The Shakespeare & Co. bookstore is a landmark in Paris, France. I lived a few blocks away and
often found myself prowling around in here.
[DSC0074-ShakespeareCo.jpg]
Postcards and Posters
You'll find a great variety of postcards: art reproductions, photos of cathedrals, nudes, and
watercolors of 19th century street scenes. Prices of similar cards can vary considerably from shop
to shop. The best prices can usually be found on the side streets and in open-air markets. Many
cafes in Holland have a rack of free postcards, though they may not be to your taste.
If you are planning to buy posters on the street, maybe buy a mailing tube at an office
supply store. Tubes are usually available at museums for the most expensive prints but generally
not at poster stores or from the dealers along the Seine River in Paris. Tubes can be crushed in the mail.
One defense is to stuff them as full as possible before mailing them home.
The City Galerie enclosed shopping
center in Aschaffenburg has 50 specialty
shops, four department stores, and plenty
of covered parking. Most stores in Germany
close at 2pm on Saturday, except once a month, so get up and
shop early.
[2303-AschaffenburgCityGalerie.jpg]
Shopping for a hat? This store in Copenhagen, Denmark has a wide selection. That smart number in front row center
is listed for DKR 1595. That's about $297 in the money you earn in the USA. But tax is included in the Danish price. Whew!
Just slick some plastic on them. Look at those welcome emblems.
[P1110137-CopenhagenHatShop.jpg]
REAL SHOPPING
Department Stores
A visit to a major city isn't complete without a shopping trip through the major department
stores and downtown specialty shops. Here you'll find the culture of modern civilization,
descendants of the crude tools and pottery you went to see in the museums. Even if you're not
buying, go and take a look.
For instance, visit the Kaufhof in Munich, the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps in Paris,
the NK and Åhléns in Stockholm, Harrods in London, de Bijenkorf in Amsterdam, and
El Corte Inglés in Madrid to name a few. Other major cities in each country have branch stores of the same name. Some of
everything can be seen in these major department stores, and they often have a supermarket in the
basement and a good cheap restaurant on the top floor with a good view of the city. My favorite department store
is BHV (the "bay hash vay") on rue de Rivoli across from the Hôtel de
Ville in Paris. The basement is a fascinating hardware store. Handyman types will find an
incredible assortment here, and in other hardware stores throughout Europe.
Crowds gather outside the El Corte Inglés department
store in Madrid, Spain for the annual "Cortylandia"
window display. Christmas shopping in Europe is just as
maddening as it is at home. [2314-MadridElCorte.jpg]
You can almost always find a clerk in
the big department stores who speaks English.
In some stores, clerks wear name badges with
miniature flags of the nations whose language
they speak. Don't look for the American flag
though. Look for the British Union Jack.
Browse through clothing stores,
sporting goods stores, bookstores, and
furniture stores for unusual and useful items that suit your fancy and are not found in the United
States.
The beautiful Galleries Lafayette department
store in Paris, France is an experience not to miss. Have fun! Like many department stores
throughout Europe there are several restaurants and cafes, one with a
bird's eye view of the north side of Paris. This is the interior Christmas display. The exterior was
equally impressive.
[DSC0737-GalleriesLafayette.jpg]
The Stockmann department store in Tallinn, Estonia is well stocked. I had a great breakfast of
herring, salmon, and salad in the Stockmann cafe. Buffet items are weighed at the register and sold by the amount you take.
The foreign exchange office in this store gives good rates.
[P1160009-TallinnStockmann.jpg]
First Floor
Note that in stores and hotels and
offices all over Europe, the "first floor" is what
we call the second floor. Don't stand there
confused when you walk in asking for gloves
and are directed up to the first floor. The floor
at ground level has various names, depending
on the country. Many large department stores
have one or two floors below ground level.
This is usually the bargain basement and/or a
grocery store.
The large and specialty stores will ship
purchases home so you don't have to carry
them. When they do this the VAT, value added tax,
which is already included in the posted price
can be refunded to you, but a shipping charge is added which approximates the amount of the tax.
Getting your VAT returned is not a work of joy. See chapter 24.
Potten & Pannen (Pots & Pans) in Prague is open on Monday from noon to 6 pm, Tuesday through Friday
from 9 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm, and closed on Sunday. The Czech Republic
is famous for its beautiful cut stemware. We brought home some champagne glasses.
[2302]
Grocery Stores
Grocery shopping can range from modern supermarkets to shop
hopping for bread, meat, dairy products, and fresh produce in a half dozen
provincial-type shops and open-air markets. There are some advantages to
the provincial way of life, but you can eat up a whole afternoon just buying
a sack of groceries. Goods, especially bread, are usually fresher at the
individual shops. But open hours are limited and the quantity of goods is limited. Shop early.
Enclosed shopping malls are becoming more common in Europe. These usually include a super
market and/or various specialty food shops. Super markets are springing up everywhere and the
days of the small shops might be numbered.
A typical Holland fish shop in Haarlem, Netherlands. I just love raw herring, known to the Dutch as haring.
[P1240451-HaarlemFishShop.jpg]
You'll notice some differences as you shop. For example, fresh produce may be selected
for you by the shopkeeper, or by an attendant in large supermarkets. You can't always paw over
the fruits and vegetables to get an unblemished, perfectly ripe item. In some stores milk and eggs
are often left out at room temperature, not kept in refrigerated cases. Room temperature in many
stores is often quite cold. The Dutch dairy products shops are a treat. Each cheese can be tasted
before you buy. One of my favorites is boeren kaas, "farmer's cheese."
In the basement supermarket of a large
Stockholm, Sweden department store, take
a number for service at the meat, fish, or
cheese counters, or help yourself to
packaged products just like home. Notice that the woman in the foreground has brought her own rolling
shopping bag, fairly common in Europe.
[2313-StockholmMeatMarket.jpg]
Bring your kid when you
go to a German meat counter and
the toddler will be given a small
piece of sausage or a hot dog. Yes,
they are fully cooked so you can
eat them "raw." Stephanie had a free lunch on many of our shopping trips.
In the eastern countries,
the situation is different. I've seen
scores of people standing in
stores in some cities waiting for whatever they can get at government controlled prices.
Meanwhile at the farmers market, all sorts of meats and vegetables are for sale at free market
prices.
At the indoor farmer's market meat is left out on butcher block
tables for your selection in Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine.
[2320-KievMarket.jpg]
The butcher shops are hardly different from the meat counters in some delicatessens at
home. Meat is left open and unwrapped in glass cases, sometimes refrigerated. Point to the item
you want, or try to pronounce it. Same goes for the fish shops, though the fish is always on ice.
One problem with all these butcher and baker shops is the waiting lines, or mobs. When
you walk in, look around and note the people who are present. Keep your eye over both
shoulders checking out new arrivals to make sure that no one makes an end run to the counter.
During busy shopping hours, there may be ten customers for each shopkeeper. Keep inching
forward or you could be in there all afternoon. If there's a large mob in a store, look around for
the "take-a-number" dispenser. These are becoming more common.
You wanted to buy a dozen eggs? Sorry, they come in cartons of ten in Holland.
[2317-HollandEggCarton.jpg]
Usually in Europe you must bag your own
groceries, in your own bag. If you didn't bring a bag, the
store will usually sell you a sturdy plastic one for the
equivalent of about 25¢. It can carry about 15 bottles of beer. Then you have a panic job of
bagging your groceries before those of the next customer come shooting down the ramp. Don't
expect consideration, much less a smile, from the cashier.
A small market like this one in San Sebastian, Spain can offer all the provisions you
need for the next couple of days. In another shop I saw Nivara D.O. crianza for €2,59
(about $3.60) per bottle. Mighty fine drinking for a mighty fine price.
[P1030125-SanSebastianMarket.jpg]
As is typical, this drugstore in Tallinn, Estonia has its open hours posted on the front door,
and has the names and addresses of other drugstores in case this one is closed. In most cities
there is a rotating shift of drugstores open or available around the clock. The neon green cross
is the standard sign of drugstores. This one also displays the age-old symbol of the medical profession,
the caduceus, a winged staff enveloped by two snakes.
[P1150478-TallinnApteek.jpg]
Warranties
Items purchased outside the United States
are not covered by warranties issued by American
manufacturers or distributors of those products.
And there is a small chance that foreign purchased
products do not meet United States safety
standards. They may even be inferior goods with
forged brand labels from our friends in China.
On the other hand, manufacturers and
stores in Europe can bend over backwards to
make the customer happy. I bought a used bicycle
in Holland from a bike dealer. About six months later, the crank hub broke off. The frame was
completely ruined. I went to the bike shop and was told to bring the bike in and the manufacturer
would repair it. I did and they did, except that they gave me a completely new frame and
reassembled the bike. Cost? Nada. That's the Sparta bicycle company in Holland for you, the kind
of company you wish there were more of. I never heard of any other firm which would completely
rebuild a broken item for free. And mine was years old when I bought it second hand. That was
the third bike that I bought in Holland.
BARGAINS
Although almost everything costs more in Europe, there are a few items to be had at a
lower price than at home.
Elizabeth's favorite souvenir of the places
she visits is a locally painted ceramic plate to
hang on the wall. Here she is in the amazing Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey
negotiating a new find. Of course
she also bought a carpet and that nice
leather backpack. A gang of brazen
gypsies nearly had their hands in her
backpack as we walked on a busy
boulevard. I couldn't believe it as
Elizabeth suddenly started swinging at
these girls on the street without warning. I
didn't know what had transpired. The
gypsies didn't succeed in getting anything,
and they jumped into a waiting car and
were off before I could get a good picture.
[2308-IstanbulBazaar.jpg]
Where To Buy
Prices are normally lower in the country of origin, and lower yet in the city where made or
at the factory itself. One notable example of this is Swedish table crystal and decorative handmade
glass articles. These are sold at about one-fourth of the American retail price at factory
showrooms. The major brands are Boda, Kosta, and Orrefors, which are also the names of the
towns in southern Sweden where the glass is made. A number of other towns between Vaxjo and
Kalmar are also in this business. The items on sale are seconds, but are hardly distinguishable from
those on display in fashionable American stores.
Cut glass is also a specialty in the Czech Republic and the prices are very good, even on
major boulevards in Praha (Prague). Other glass items are also well priced. I bought a couple of
glass laboratory condensers for a couple dollars each in a side-street shop. Eastern and
southern Europe have more bargains because the price of nearly everything is lower in those areas.
Not only are the prices lower but the selection is much greater for Swiss watches and
Swiss army knives when you shop in Switzerland. Stephanie and I got knives for ourselves and
for gifts in Geneva. Elizabeth bought a watch on our trip south from Germany. It's a no-brainer.
Freebees
Beer coasters from around Europe.
[2330-BeerCoasters.jpg ]
There are a few "free" souvenirs. One item that I indulge in is the paper coasters used in
bars and cafes throughout Europe. Each carries the emblem of the house brew. There is usually a
stack of them within easy reach on the bar or on the table. Or take the wet one under your own
glass. If you're a label saver, ask your waiter to steam the label off your dinner wine bottle.
Usually he will accommodate you. If he balks take the bottle back to your hotel room and do it yourself.
Matches are also a nice free souvenir when you find them.
Most matches in Europe, even book matches, are wooden.
I do not take towels from
hotels, but I do liberate ash trays
from restaurants. I ask for the
glass and ceramic ones but I just
pocket the plastic ones. At one of
my favorite restaurants in
Amsterdam, the Luden, I asked the waitress
for one of their nice ashtrays. She
went to the kitchen to check on it
and came back with a comment
that they are running low on them
and couldn't let me have it. Later,
the maître d' came by as I was admiring the candle holder. I wasn't going to ask, but she told me
that I couldn't have it, and then volunteered the ashtray! Thanks. On my way out our waitress said
that she was sorry that I could not take the ashtray. I smiled.
If you enjoy cigars, stop in any Dutch tobacco shop for a
selection of fine Sumatra smokes. These little "Wilde Senoritas" come from
the Jan van der Pigge shop in Haarlem. They are 100% pure tobacco. "Roken is dodelijk"
means "Smoking is deadly."
[2318-WildeSenioritas.jpg]
CAVEAT SHOPPING
Embargoed
Some items for sale overseas are prohibited from
entry to the United States, or require a permit for entry. A few examples are: firearms, fruits,
plants, meats, uncured cheeses, drug paraphernalia, and a long list of other items. Violations can
be expensive and embarrassing.
All goods from some countries are prohibited. Cuban cigars are sold throughout Europe
but you cannot bring them home because of an Executive Order signed by President John F. Kennedy
way back in 1962. That was after he stocked up with thousands of Cuban cigars.
Beautiful and expensive Iranian carpets are sold in Istanbul but
are not admitted to the USA because of Executive Order No. 12613 signed by President
Ronald Reagan in 1987. Iran has been a PITA for decades.
WMF stores are located throughout Germany. You can spend some time
shopping for kitchenware here. They have
thousands of things that you never knew you needed. These are German goods
so you know they are not cheap. Other
manufacturers also have their own retail shops.
[2301-WMFStore.jpg]
Forged Labels
Forgery of trade marks is a serious
problem for producers of high fashion wear, tennies, entertainment goods,
computer software, and other overpriced items.
When you return home, US Customs
can confiscate any forged or copied item. Chapter 25 will introduce
you to regulations of the US Customs Service.
Unusual Offers
While it was still communist, Elizabeth
and I visited Budapest for a week. We did the city tour, bought some souvenirs, and splurged for
dinner a couple of times. At lunch in one restaurant we admired the coffee cups. They included a
small "hat" to place over the cup to keep the coffee hot. Elizabeth asked where she could buy
these and after some discussion between the waitress and the manager, he offered to sell them to
us.
We bought a set of six, but before leaving the restaurant a rather portly gentleman
appeared from the kitchen. He was the owner and had come out to look around. We didn't know
it at the time we made the deal but it seemed that the manager had sold something that was not
his. He already had our money, and we had most of the coffee set in our day bags. But, Elizabeth
had rejected one cup due to a defect and she wanted a good one. We waited some 20 minutes for
a good cup to appear. Finally, from a nook near the stairs, the manager signaled us to leave and
discreetly put the last cup in my conveniently unzipped day bag as we walked past him out of
sight of the owner. I guess it could have been jail time for all of us if we had blinked.
All beer, booze, and wine sold in Sweden is sold by the government monopoly Systembolaget. This can be a problem for
congruent connoisseurs of fine spirits traveling on a budget. The Systembolaget operates on the premise that
every drinker is also a millionaire. Therefore, bring your beverages from the duty free shop on the ferry
like every self-respecting tax-dodging Swede. Then you won't have to search all over Stockholm for one of these
stores with restricted hours.
[P1130256-Systembolaget.jpg]
In Holland you can buy beer and wine in every grocery store. This is the beer display in a small market
in Haarlem, Netherlands. If you had a bushel of wheat you could make bread. You could also make beer.
After giving this momentous question two seconds of thought I decide that I am thirsty. Beer is food, also.
[P1240453-BeerDisplay.jpg]
Wine
Buying wine and returning it to the USA is a worthwhile diversion as you travel in Europe.
It is relatively easy to find wine shops
in the major cities which will help you select some good souvenirs and package them for your
return flight. But you can no longer bring open market wine in carry-on luggage, since August 2006.
You must now put your wine in checked luggage, and I do not
guarantee that it will arrive or arrive in one piece. See
chapter 6 for the latest airline
carry-on luggage rules.
Many states in the USA restrict or prohibit entry of alcoholic beverages. Those are the states
with the most churches. Even though Jesus made wine you better be careful that you don't commit
a felony by bringing some ruby liquids into these states. Review chapter 25, "Passing
Customs," for more information.
We were driving by so I stopped in Burgundy
again to taste and buy. This region has a
magnet out for me. Stephanie shot this as I
waited for my wine purchase paperwork. A
certificate is issued when you buy en vrac (in
bulk). You can buy 10 or 20 liter containers
from the merchant, or bring your own bucket. Get free
labels, and buy bottles and corks separately if
you want to bottle it and put some away.
Drinking French wine helps you speak French. Oui!!
These are my summer driving clothes in Europe.
[2310-WinePurchase.jpg]
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