Hi everyone. I’m back home.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I took an extended vacation this month. I spent a week in London visiting friends and seeing the sights. I also spent a week in France, mainly in Paris and the surrounding area. It was an incredible trip.

A couple of my observations:

1) The Europeans are FAR ahead of America on the “green” front. Of course their cars are all much more compact than ours. I knew that before I traveled over there. But there are other differences as well. For instance, in two weeks time, I never once entered a public bathroom no matter the size of the business or age of the building that didn’t have water faucets that ran on sensors and hand dryers. I didn’t see ONE paper towel.

2) It would be very difficult get around in either London or Paris if you had a disability. Unlike America, their sidewalks are not equipped to handle wheelchairs. Most of their buildings (at least private buildings) are old and not handicap accessible. Many of their streets and sidewalks are cobblestone which would be hard on anyone with a walking disability. And, their metro stations often have staircases with no escalators or elevators and trains that require one to at times make a big step up. We are much further ahead on this front than Europe.

3) There is still a very strong anti-American sentiment in parts of Europe, particularly Paris. I encountered frequently, with people still making negative comments about former President Bush. However, they are in LOVE with President Obama.

4) The recession didn’t seem nearly as evident in either London or Paris as it does here. Granted the cost of the trip from hotels to airline tickets was down considerably from a year ago. But, shopping is a different story. In America, all stores seem to be in constant “sale” mode, with stores shouting out 25%, 50% and 75% off prices. I found very little of that in any store while I was overseas.

5) Theater tickets in London are a GREAT deal. We saw “Wicked” for a very reasonable price. Tickets in New York are still outrageous.

6) Finally, no matter how enchanting both cities are (and they are)… they still can’t beat home. The Star City was a welcome site after 14 days away.

Just a few of my observations. I have attached a few pictures and we’re working on putting together a slide show.

London

Paris

Versailles