The Vilnius Series… Traveling from Frankfurt to Vilnius and first impressions… (part two)

On June 18th, it was finally time to be on our way to Vilnius. Bill took Charlie and Noyzi to the Hundepension. I made a video of that… It’s kind of cute, because the dogs were pretty excited to be going. Noyzi is especially delighted whenever he gets a chance to ride in the car. Charlie doesn’t like getting in the car, but he does seem to enjoy the Hundepension, and being looked after by Natascha.

Just a couple of minutes of street dog cuteness.

Once the dogs were taken care of, I did the usual Wednesday chores and packed a couple of bags. Then, at about 1:00 PM, a friendly cabbie came to fetch us for our ride to Frankfurt Airport. We were sitting in the back of the cab, and I got a comment from one of my older sister’s friends. It was someone she knew when she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco… a Moroccan guy I think still has a crush on her.

I guess the cabbie overheard me say “Morocco”, because he asked us if we spoke Spanish. It so happens, Bill and I both studied Spanish for years, but neither of us speak it very well at all. I know… I know… typical Americans. 🙄 Anyway, the cab driver said he was from Morocco. He spoke Spanish, French, German, Arabic, and Berber… We were able to communicate with him using our rudimentary German skills. The guy was very cordial and seemed quite pleased when Bill gave him a nice tip and a five star review. As we say in Armenia, “Apres!”

Check in at the Lufthansa business class desk was a breeze. No one was in line, so we walked right up and dropped off our bags. Then, after a super quick trip through security, we headed to the crowded business class Lufthansa lounge, where there were few seats to be had, other than stools at a table at the back of the room. I took the opportunity to take obnoxious selfies.

About 90 minutes later, we went to our gate. The flight was almost full, although no one was sitting in the row in front of us. That was nice. No one reclined in my lap! I got a kick out of the flight attendant’s glasses. They were round and green, with wide, quirky frames, and they really suited her. She had the kind of face and haircut that looked good with those glasses. If I’d been wearing them, I would look like I’d dropped in from outer space, or something. She was very nice to us, and kept us refreshed during the whole 100 minute flight. I took a few photos, but got caught in a reflection or two…

Lufthansa offered us some food, which wasn’t too terrible. On the flight over, Bill and I both had ham and asparagus. I don’t remember what the other choice was, but the ham and asparagus weren’t too bad. As airline food goes, Lufthansa usually does alright. They even gave us Neuhaus Belgian chocolates at the end! Fancy! Years ago, I used to sell Neuhaus chocolates. They are excellent, and in fact, Bill often order them on special occasions.

We landed in Vilnius at about 6:15 PM or so. Vilnius is an hour ahead of Frankfurt. Our bags appeared very quickly, and soon we were in a cab, speeding toward Lithuania’s lovely capital city. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer flight. Way to go, Lufthansa!

Once we got to the Grand Hotel Vilnius, Bill tipped the driver, who was shocked by his largesse. We learned on this trip that tipping is not much of a thing in Lithuania. The locals do definitely appreciate tips, but they aren’t necessarily expected. I find that a very refreshing attitude.

A doorman took our bags, and we headed to the reception desk, where a lovely young woman found our reservation and asked me for my Hilton Honors number. Remember in the previous post, I wrote that the reservation was under my name, because booking directly with the hotel would be more expensive because of the flights. I am a Hilton Honors member, but I don’t think I’ve ever used my number for anything. When we stay in Hilton properties, Bill usually does the booking, because his job has led him to do a lot of business with Hilton.

I wasn’t expecting to use the number, either, since I booked through Expedia. I had read that Hilton doesn’t take the number for third party bookings. Nevertheless, she asked for the number, and I couldn’t find it. I had one ad from Hilton in my email, and my member number wasn’t on it. And Bill couldn’t use his, because the reservation wasn’t booked under his name. She advised us to drop it off later, if we found it, then gave us glasses of sparkling wine as she showed us to our deluxe room with a balcony…

It was a bit chilly when we arrived, and we were a little tired, so we decided to head down to the bar area for a drink and a light dinner. We shared a bottle of white wine from South Africa, and Bill had a tuna salad, while I had salmon soup. The hotel has a restaurant called Telegrafas, which supposedly gets high marks. We didn’t eat dinner in the restaurant, mainly because I didn’t like the chairs. We did eat breakfast in there a couple of days. I wouldn’t call it a particularly special looking restaurant, although they do have a cool glass covered view of the city’s old wall in the floor.

*The bread was warm and served with truffle butter. They were nice enough to bring me a plain butter, since I don’t like truffles.*

Once we were finished with dinner, we decided to go to bed. It was still pretty light out at about 10:00 PM. But then, after all of these years in Europe, I’ve gotten pretty used to long summer nights, even though technically, it was still late spring until the solstice, which happened on my birthday!

*The cathedral from our balcony, taken with my fancy Canon camera…*

Ten things I learned (this time) in Belgium and The Netherlands…

Here it is… my usual ten things I learned post. I like to do these lists after I take a trip, to remind me that travel isn’t just about changing scenery; it’s also about making discoveries and becoming smarter. I also find that people tend to like these more concise posts about my travels. So, here goes… ten things I learned in Belgium and The Netherlands!

10. There’s some really good food in Mons, Belgium. Bill and I were pleasantly surprised by the number of good restaurants in Mons, as well as the variety of different cuisines. They had everything from sushi to cous cous!

9. Delhaize– a grocery store in Belgium– owns Food Lion in the United States. When we were in Mons, I noticed a grocery store called Delhaize, which had a logo that looked like the one used for Food Lion grocery stores in the United States. Well, it turns out Food Lion was purchased by Delhaize in 1974!

8. Germany shut down all of its nuclear power plants as of 2023. This tidbit came up as we were passing what appeared to be a functioning nuclear power plant in Germany. I took a picture of it and included it in one of my posts. A German friend explained that nukes are “out” in Germany. I’m not sure what was going on with the place we passed, though. It sure looked like a nuclear power plant that was functioning. And it was located in Germany.

7. There is a concentration camp near the Dutch town of Den Bosch. I found this out as I was writing about our visit to Den Bosch and learned that from 1943-44, the Germans ran a concentration camp there known as Herzogenbusch.

6. Tipping is not much of a thing in The Netherlands. I probably knew this after an earlier visit, but it became clear again when we visited this time. Bill tried to round up a bill at a restaurant and the lady who took his money asked him if he was sure. Same thing when we checked out of The Duke Suites. There seemed to be no expectation of a tip. It was quite nice.

5. Some businesses don’t take foreign based credit cards in The Netherlands. This issue is slowly being resolved now, but we did run into a business that couldn’t take our American credit cards. If you don’t have an EU issued credit card, you may want to carry some cash with you, just in case. Mastercard/Maestro seems to be the preferred card in The Netherlands.

4. Facebook ads can lead a person to beautiful places… I found The Duke Suites through a Facebook ad. I’m so glad I did. We had a fantastic time there, even though we aren’t golfers.

3. Dutch beers are tiny. Okay, so I kind of knew this, already. But when you live in Germany, where you can buy draft beers by the half liter or more, it can be a shock to order one in The Netherlands and have it come in a .33 liter glass!

2. If we ever go back to Mons, we’ll stay in a different hotel. Self-explanatory.

And finally number 1… Sometimes visiting lesser known places can turn into unforgettable experiences… I had never heard of Nistelrode when I discovered The Duke Suites. It’s certainly not a place that is high on most Americans’ radar. But I’m glad we did visit there, because that place made our 22nd wedding anniversary very special and unforgettable. I hope we can spend more time in Holland. It is a very beautiful country with wonderful people!

BeNeLux, churches, Military

Wandering around Mons… Day one (part two)

Tuesday morning, Bill and I woke at the crack of dawn, dressed, and made our way down to the breakfast room at the B&B Hotel Mons Centre. On that first morning, there were lots of people in the breakfast room. I got a kick out of checking out all of the uniforms. I saw folks from Norway, Germany, and Estonia (I think), as well as some Americans.

One thing I’ve noticed, having spent most of my life around military types, is that they all have a certain way of carrying themselves. I have sort of a love/hate relationship with the military. My father was a career Air Force officer, and I have many friends and relatives who have served. Bill was a career Army officer. I’ve been around these folks forever, and some of them are among the finest people I’ve ever met. But then, some are not so great. On that morning, I was feeling pride for the military– not just the US version, but for servicemembers from all countries. They all have a common thread, no matter where they come from.

As for the buffet breakfast– it cost 17 euros a person. Personally, I didn’t think it was worth that much, although they did at least offer fresh baguettes. The rest was pretty mediocre– watery orange juice, scrambled eggs that tasted reconstituted, canned baked beans, mushrooms (yeeech), and either sausages or bacon. They also had cold cuts, cheeses, fruit, yogurt, and a little machine that made pancakes. Yes, there was coffee, too… from a machine. I pretty much ate the same thing every day.

A bus took the conference participants to the work site, so once we were finished with breakfast, Bill caught the bus, and I went back to bed for a couple of hours. I would try to read, as I’ve been struggling to finish a book I’ve been working on for awhile. Invariably, I’d fall asleep. Then, later in the morning, I’d get up, get dressed again, and walk around Mons. Every day, I went to a different area.

Since Tuesday was our first full day in Mons, I kept things basic on the first day. I stopped at the Saint Elisabeth Church, a huge building on the main drag, on the first morning, and actually prayed. I don’t pray very often, but given what happened in the United States this month, I felt like it wouldn’t hurt to offer a word to God Almighty. As for the rest of it, you can see that Christmas decorations are already going up. My German friend tells me the carnival started on November 8 and will run until December 8. It’s pretty impressive.

Below you can see photos:

*I ended up going down these steps later in the week.*

As the hour drew closer to noon, I walked around the Grand Place, trying to decide where I wanted to have lunch. It’s always awkward for me to eat lunch alone in a restaurant, especially when I’m in a country that isn’t my home and I don’t speak the language. I really should have studied French or German in school, instead of Spanish.

In any case, I ended up having lunch at La Pizzarella, a pizza restaurant in the Grand Place. I would link to it, but it looks like their Web site is down. This restaurant doesn’t get the best reviews on Trip Advisor, but I didn’t have a terrible experience. A lady invited me to sit down at a two top and I ordered tortellini stuffed with smoked salmon, and washed down with wonderful Chimay Blue beer. They played French pop on the sound system, and the only negative thing about it was the woman sitting near me who sang along with it, off key. I know that sounds snobby, but I am a singer with perfect pitch, so off key singing is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

*I like how Belgian restaurants often serve bread with butter.*

By the time I was finished with my leisurely lunch repast, it was afternoon. I paid the waitress at the cash register, then walked outside to sunshine. After strolling around the Grand Place some more, I headed back toward the hotel, stopping once again in the church to get some sunnier photos. I love how so many churches in Europe are open for people to enjoy, even when it’s not Sunday.

A couple of hours later, Bill came back from his conference. We hung out in the hotel room for a little while, and then went looking for dinner. We ended up at a Lebanese place that we really enjoyed. However, a couple of nights later, one of Bill’s colleagues said that he found an even better Lebanese place. Maybe if we ever visit Mons again, we can visit it. There seemed to be a lot of Lebanese restaurants in that town…

I had grilled quail, while Bill had a lentil dish with hummus and a goat cheese salad. The waiter was very charming and spoke English quite well. Bill gave him a large (for Belgium) tip– 17 euros. The guy asked if he was sure, and Bill said he was… and the guy went “Thank YOU!!!!” It was pretty funny and worth the money to get that reaction.

*I enjoyed the quail , potatoes, and salad, but I think if I went back, I’d have chicken.*

After dinner, we made our way back to the hotel for night number two. I neglected to bring conditioner with me, and the hotel provided a shampoo/conditioner mix that irritated my scalp. So, on Wednesday, I made plans to visit a Belgian grocery store. More on that in the next post.

beaches, Champagne Bucket trips, Iceland, tours

Our first Icelandic adventure: The last day with Ivar… (part ten)

It was still beautiful and sunny when we arrived at the lovely Hotel Búðir in Búðir, Iceland on the late afternoon of September 3. I was enchanted by the hotel’s setting, alone on a lava field, at the westernmost tip of the Snaefellsnes peninsula. The landscape had changed again, as we were right on the water, having passed a few mountains with waterfalls to get to this isolated haven. Just up the hill, there was what appeared to be a charming black church. If I hadn’t been so exhausted from the day’s many activities, I think I might have wanted to walk up there for a look. Maybe I should have worked up the gumption to do it, anyway.

It turns out this hotel is pretty famous for being one of Iceland’s most beautiful places to stay. I must agree that it really is a beautiful, restful place, mainly for the gorgeous surroundings. I also found the hotel to be very restful. It’s the kind of place where one might hole up and just sleep, read books, or watch the tides come in and out as sheep graze peacefully, completely free to wander. In fact, one sheep even came around and peeked into the window by the bar area. I wish I’d been quick enough to get a photo.

Ivar said Iceland Luxury Tours once had a client who only wanted them to drive him to the little black church for three hours and then pick him up again. They were puzzled by the request, but did it. It turned out the guy was getting married there. When we arrived at the hotel, I heard Ivar ask about a wake up service. I think it was in case the northern lights appeared. September is when they start becoming visible, and the hotel is clearly in a great place to view them. I don’t think they appeared on the night we were there.

We checked into our “superior double” and made dinner reservations, then enjoyed a glass of wine in the bar, before we had a pleasant dinner in an almost empty restaurant. Well, it was almost empty until about thirty minutes into our reservation, when a large party showed up for a set dinner. I wasn’t sorry about that. The dining room was pretty quiet, especially compared to the bustling restaurant at Hotel Geysir the night before!

Below are some photos from our afternoon and evening at Hotel Búðir…

I wish I could report that we had beautiful weather the next morning. Unfortunately, it was raining again when we awoke, and the previously sunny outdoors was cold, foggy, and wet. We went down to the dining room for breakfast, then packed up for our last full day with our guide, who would be taking us back to the Saga Hotel in Reykjavik at the end of the day. I think Hotel Búðir was my favorite of the hotels where we stayed. I think I would have enjoyed an extra night there. Maybe we’ll have a chance to return.

I made it down to the lobby before Bill did. Ivar had just walked in, and when he saw me, he grabbed my bags and took them to the Land Cruiser. He asked me where my rain jacket was. I said it was in the Land Cruiser. He offered to get it for me, and I said I’d be okay… Boy did that turn out to be a crazy statement. Bill checked out of the lovely hotel, and we made our way back to our journey.

A short time later, we stopped at a huge monument for Bárður Snæfellsás. Ivar patiently told us the story about this mythical being, but to be very honest, I was focused on the sideways rain and wind that had picked up. The story of the troll can be found at the above link… as well as a nice, sunny picture. I got a rainy picture.

*The statue is very impressive, but the rain and wind were pretty brutal.*

After we visited the monument, we went to an overlook that offered more views of the stormy sea… I also got a very short video clip of the sea, but I think I’ll save it for a composite Iceland video.

I got fairly wet at that stop. Then after about twenty minutes, we went to another stop near a lighthouse, which led to a visit to Djúpalónssandur, a beach where a trawler wrecked in 1948. Remnants of the wreckage are still on the beach. However, by the time we got there, the rain and wind were such that one could lean back and be supported by the air. It was positively miserable climbing down to the beach and then back up again.

I got thoroughly soaked, and I told Bill that I didn’t want to spend another day climbing in and out of the Land Cruiser, getting wetter and crankier. I’m not sure if Ivar heard me over the howling wind, but even he seemed to realize that trying to tour these sites in that weather wasn’t going to be pleasant or educational for any of us. So we spent most of the day driving in the car, with the exception of one special impromptu stop, which I’ll get to… Below are some photos from Djúpalónssandur. I can’t deny that even when the weather sucks, it is a beautiful place.

*Wreckage is still on the beach from a trawler that crashed in 1948.*

As we drove around the peninsula, we visited small fishing villages, stopping in one for a bathroom break. At one point, I mentioned that we hadn’t yet seen a rainbow. About five minutes later, as if by magic, an incredible rainbow appeared. I got many pictures! But before we saw the rainbow, I got even more evidence of the powerful wind. In the below photos, you can see a man standing alone. It was some guy with long hair… he was standing in the wind, letting his long hair blow in the wind like a flag!

Below are some pictures of the small fishing village where we stopped before we saw our rainbow…. You can see that besides natural beauty and friendly people, Iceland also has a “cool factor”– cool in the vernacular sense, that is.

Soon we were traveling by the wild Atlantic Ocean, and I mentioned the lack of rainbows as the sun peeked from behind the clouds. Ask and ye shall receive! The rainbow stuck around for a long time– I’d say, at least a half hour. It was incredible! It almost felt like a grand finale to our tour outside of Reykjavik.

Soon we came upon a sign for a shark museum. Ivar had never been to that particular tourist attraction, but the weather was getting rougher and we could have used another potty break. So we made our way there, and soon found ourselves at the Bjarnarhofn Shark Museum learning about Greenland sharks about how people used to die from eating their meat because they were full of urea. Eventually, people learned that the meat could be safely eaten if the shark was properly prepared through fermentation.

A young woman who had an engaging manner and a very American sounding accent explained the whole story to us, and before we knew it, Bill and I were tasting the delicacy, known as Hakarl. I even got Bill on video. It starts with stormy seas, shows him gamely eating Hakarl, then ends with another small waterfall.

The most memorable part of tasting the shark meat was the slight hit of ammonia on the aftertaste. If you can get over that, it’s not too bad at all. And we lived to tell the tale!

If the weather had been better, we could have gone into the area where they ferment the shark meat, which the proprietors of the museum say they get when Greenland sharks are accidentally caught and killed. Although they used to hunt the sharks, they no longer do. Still, they had plenty of products for sale in their little gift shop. The wind was so strong, however, that we could barely open the door to leave the premises! I liked Iceland, but I think that weather would drive me batty!

Once we were finished with the shark museum, it was time to head more toward Reykjavik. We continued toward the city, stopping at a cute little restaurant called Vegamot Biludidal (crossroads). I can see by its Trip Advisor reviews that many other people enjoyed it as much as we did. I really enjoyed my barbecued chicken, while Bill had the local fish soup. I wish I could have either of those dishes today… especially if someone else prepared them. 😉

After lunch, it was pretty clear our incredible tour with Ivar was winding down. Soon, we were back in Reykjavik, and Ivar was pointing out a few more points of interest, offering advice for what to do on Thursday and Friday, our last two days before we flew home last Saturday. Here are a few more photos from the last minutes in the Land Cruiser…

By mid afternoon, we were once again in front of the Hotel Reykjavik Saga. Ivar unloaded our bags and helped us take them into the hotel. We shook hands and Bill handed him a hand written thank you note and a large wad of Icelandic bills. I don’t know how much the tip was. I hope it was enough… although Ivar did tell us ahead of time that tipping is entirely optional and discretionary in Iceland.

As Americans, it’s ingrained in us to tip… and many of us fret about how much it should be and how to present it without being tacky. Personally, I would prefer to do away with the practice and just see to it that everyone is paid fairly for the work they do. Having worked as a waitress in the United States, I know that will probably never happen in my lifetime. Too many people in the service industry prefer things the way they are. But then the whole tipping drama spills over to other countries, who don’t want to feel like they have to tip for everything. I hasten to add that I certainly don’t fault Bill for tipping Ivar, because he absolutely deserved an extra something for all he did for us. Plus, he was genuinely very knowledgable, kind, and nice to be with. I felt like he became a friend. I was sorry to say goodbye.

When we checked into the Saga Hotel, we were given the same room we had at the beginning of our trip– 237. I’m not sure if that was by luck or design. In any case, we retired to the room and I didn’t venture out again. Bill went out to get us slices of Sbarro pizza from the local market and we relaxed and watched TV. On Thursday, we would have our last day of service with Iceland Luxury Tours… a trip to the Sky Lagoon. More on that in the next post.

Hessen, Sundays

Noyzi visits his SECOND Biergarten…

We had such beautiful weather, yesterday, that we just couldn’t abide staying home. But, once again, it was later in the day when we decided to go out for awhile. I started throwing out suggestions of places that were an hour or so away from our house, but then we wondered about Noyzi, who has become very fond of coming with us when we go out somewhere. Bill then remembered a Biergarten located near us that we’d never been to previously. His good friend from work had been there and recommended it, and Google said it was just 13 minutes away by car.

I was sold on that suggestion, so we headed out to Hockenberger Mühle, a restaurant and Biergarten about seven kilometers north of us. Noyzi was all too thrilled to jump up into the back of the Volvo. It’s funny how we used to have to pick him up and put him in. Now, he just leaps in with no problem.

When we got to the Biergarten, we found it very well populated with people who were wise enough to make reservations. Nevertheless, we were able to score a parking spot in a small field across the two lane road approaching the restaurant. The Hockenberger Mühle was tucked away in a corner, with the Biergarten mostly covered by a permanent roof and/or large umbrellas.

An obviously hardworking man seated us with another couple, who turned out to be good company. They had arrived at the Biergarten, courtesy of their bikes. The male half of the couple had taken a nasty spill before their arrival, and had a pretty banged up looking leg. Nevertheless, they were very friendly and talkative, and quite tolerant of Noyzi, who was nervously looking around and occasionally barking. We explained to the couple that Noyzi is a street dog from Kosovo and he’s still learning how to act in public. They were understanding and told us about friends of theirs who had adopted a dog from Romania. That seems to be the “in” thing to do in Germany, these days. I would be happy to adopt a more local dog myself, but the shelters don’t seem to want to let Americans affiliated with the military adopt, thanks to some of the irresponsible actions of our countrymen.

The Biergarten was very busy, and there were many bikers, as there is a bike trail nearby. I also noticed several large, well dressed families who looked like they might have just come from church. The German couple who were sharing the table with us said it looked like maybe some of the kids with them had just had their first communions.

Bill decided to have a tuna salad. I had a Schnitzel and fries. Ordinarily, I might have opted for something less fried, but I was preoccupied with Noyzi and didn’t have the chance to study the menu more carefully. I do like Schnitzels on occasion, but they’re kind of entry level. Oftentimes, I can’t finish them, although I managed to do it yesterday. Bill had a Dunkelweizen beer, and I had my usual Hefeweizen.

After the biker couple departed, we had some time alone at the table. A couple more people showed up with big dogs, both of which were better behaved than Noyzi was (although he really wasn’t bad at all). We did get a few side eyes from some folks. One guy was at the table next to us and kept giving me looks, but I noticed he could barely keep his food in his mouth and he smoked several cigarettes. So, I guess we’re about even, in terms of table manners. 😀

I went looking for the ladies room and stumbled across the restaurant’s playground for kids, plus more tables, which were all occupied. Bill called for the check, but it took awhile for them to bring it to us. Meanwhile, we were joined by more bikers– this time, it was a gay male couple. They were nice enough, but I did think it was funny that they asked if we were there on vacation. I mean, there we were with our big ass street dog… Did they think we flew him over to Germany for a week’s break? They knew where we lived when we explained we live in Breckenheim.

Then, when Bill went to pay the check, he got the numbers mixed up and tried to give the server way more money than she needed. She protested, and after Bill finally got the check paid, one of the men said, “In Germany, a ten percent tip is enough.”

I kind of stifled a laugh and said, “Oh, we know not to tip like Americans here… ”

I don’t think the guy realized what had happened. Bill thought the bill said 53 euros, when it was 35. Anyway, after that little cultural exchange, we were feeling ready to go home to the peace and quiet of our backyard. Noyzi did reasonably well, although he’s still pretty nervous in public. Every time we take him out, though, he gets a little bit better. Plus, he’s a great ice breaker.

We would love to go back to that Biergarten some other time, or maybe eat in the restaurant, which looked pretty charming. Next time, we’ll make a reservation, though, if the weather is fine.

Here are some photos from our brief excursion… A couple were taken in the pretty countryside near our house. We don’t have nearly as much pretty country where we are now, but there’s a little bit to satisfy the part of me that really misses horses. There are also some really cute little villages to drive through, but they are so congested!

books

Want to know what it’s like to work at a hotel? Read Heads in Beds…

It’s time for my first new book review of 2018. If you follow this blog, you probably already know that I am a follower of certain pages on Facebook. I like to read The Bitchy Waiter (who also has a book that I haven’t yet read) and The Angry Bartender. I read Sanctimommy and STFU Parents, too. In fact, all of those pages have served as inspiration for some of my blog posts. It only stands to reason that I like to read books about people who work in the service industry. When you work in service, you work with people. People are interesting in so many ways.

I’m not exactly sure how I found Jacob Tomsky’s 2012 book Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality. I think I saw the book mentioned in a news article about hotels. I have to admit I was attracted by the title, too. I love a good salacious tell all. I bought Tomsky’s book in November, but didn’t start reading it until last month, when we were in a hotel in Berlin. Because I’ve been busy with holiday stuff, another book, and frankly too much wine at dinner, it’s taken me awhile to get through Heads in Beds. Honestly, I think reading on an iPad also slows me down. There was a time when I would have zipped right through this, had I only not been distracted by Facebook.

Author Jacob Tomsky, who calls himself “Thomas” in his book, never intended to get into the hotel industry. He grew up a military brat and endured its nomadic lifestyle. Perhaps the chaos of being a child of a servicemember left him with an attraction to more chaos. Tomsky got his start in the hospitality business in valet parking, but soon moved onward and upward. He had a degree in philosophy and a lack of direction… and apparently, lots of people like that end up working for hotels. Starting at a large establishment in New Orleans, Tomsky learned all of the tricks of the trade. He’s done everything from supervising housekeeping to parking your car. Along the way, he’s picked up a lot of colorful stories about co-workers and customers.

Tomsky’s writing has a bit of a smart-assed edge that works well as he describes being berated by hotel guests and “trained” by doormen and bellhops who survive on tips. From New Orleans, Tomsky worked his way north to New York City, where apparently being called obscene nicknames by a co-worker is a term of endearment.

I have to admit I enjoyed Tomsky’s irreverent tone, especially as he passes along tips on how to get more out of a hotel stay. I can’t say I’ll be employing many of his tips, mainly because I’m not that shameless or demanding. But I did find his suggestions interesting. For instance, I never knew that minibar charges are among the most disputed on a hotel bill. Apparently, all you have to do is ask and many hotels will remove the charges, even if you did succumb to temptation. Same thing goes for movie charges. Just claim you made a mistake or the movie quit halfway through. According to Tomsky, you’ll probably be watching for free.

I was intrigued by Tomsky’s housekeeping tips. I never knew that furniture polish does a great job cleaning mirrors. I suppose next time I visit a hotel, I’ll check to see if there’s a lemony fresh essence in the bathroom. Also, people who bring their own pillows to a hotel, which I have done on more than one occasion, are apparently frowned upon. Good thing I mostly grew out of that habit.

Tips are everything in the hotel biz. A well-timed tip can help you get whatever you want. Need a late checkout? Fork over some cash. Ever wonder why the bellman grabs your bags even if you don’t need help? They work for tips. According to Tomsky, there’s even a special cue to summon them. A lot of people don’t carry cash anymore, which is a real bummer for elevator operators, doormen, and bellmen. Tomsky reminds readers that those guys are supporting families on their tips. Don’t have cash for a tip? Just be really nice. Being pleasant can pay dividends when you’re dealing with hotel workers, although cash is definitely preferable. Personally, I don’t like the tipping system, but that’s simply the way things are in America. Money talks, and when you’re dealing with people who are in the service industry, it’s often the best way to make a statement.

Tomsky liberally swears in his writing, which is okay with me as long as the swearing doesn’t make the writing boring. Like, if every other word is an “f” bomb, I would consider that bad writing. In Tomsky’s case, the “f” bomb works. If you’ve ever spent any time working in the service industry, you know that a lot of those jobs really can drive a person to some bad habits like smoking, drinking, snorting cocaine, and yes, swearing. I figure a few well-placed “fucks” lend some authenticity to Tomsky’s stories. Let’s face it. A lot of people are assholes. That’s why I no longer work in the service industry and won’t unless I have to do it to survive. And even then, I might consider something drastic before I’d willingly wait tables again.

Now that I’ve read Tomsky’s book, any illusions I had that hotel clerks have an easy job have all but dissipated. However, Tomsky reveals that there are some nice rewards that come with the job. For instance, Tomsky got to meet Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys. He was a regular guest at the New York City hotel where Tomsky worked. Tomsky also ran into his fair share of prostitutes and sleazy businessmen cheating on their wives. The job gave Tomsky, clearly a natural storyteller, a huge trove of entertaining stories for his book. Those stories have propelled Tomsky into a vocation for which he is clearly suited.

I really enjoyed Heads in Beds. Jacob Tomsky is funny, and I appreciated how he humanizes the hard working folks in the hotel biz. Tomsky seems like the kind of person I’d enjoy knowing. And so, because I like Tomsky and his book, I will recommend it with a solid five out of five star rating. However, if liberal swearing offends you, I would recommend proceeding with caution.

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Tipping is tacky…

It really is. That being said, I understand tipping is the way it is in the United States. If you work in the service industry in America, tipping can make or break you. Unfortunately, in the United States, it has become customary for customers to fortify low wages. And… just as unfortunately, many Americans assume tipping is customary everywhere and try to force that practice on other cultures.

Today’s blog post is inspired by a comment I read on a Facebook page I follow called Bitchy Waiter. I follow that page because I was once myself a waitress in the United States. Although I haven’t worked as a waitress since 2002, I still occasionally have nightmares about waiting tables. Believe me, I am very sympathetic to wait staff, especially in the United States. I always tip generously when I’m home. However, while tips are often appreciated in other countries, they aren’t always necessary. Sometimes they are even offensive.

This was a post I read today on Bitchy Waiter…

A little voice inside my head told me I shouldn’t read the comments. Unfortunately, I ignored it…

Person after person wrote something along the lines of “20%! Same as I do in America!” or “No idea!” One person even wrote “A deodorant stick.” I usually don’t comment on this kind of stuff because it’s generally a waste of time. But today, I felt like I had to leave a comment for one person who seemed especially hellbent on being an “ugly American”. Have a look.

The original poster insists that he should tip 20% because “he’s a good tipper” and not tipping at least 20% would be “insulting”…

While many servers in European countries appreciate tips, tipping is not as important in Europe as it is in America. Many servers in Europe actually go to school to learn how to wait tables. It’s a real profession… which isn’t to say that waiting tables isn’t a profession in the United States, as much as it is to remind people that many Europeans take pride in hospitality. They are also paid a living wage.

As most Americans know, while there are many professional servers in the United States, it’s not something that everybody goes to school to learn how to do. It’s also not necessarily a job that most people grow up wanting to do, even if there are some folks who get into the profession and stay in it their whole lives.

Unfortunately, many people in the United States look down on servers, though I can personally attest to how difficult the job is. Many people think servers are “unskilled”. Because so many places in the States don’t even pay their servers as little as minimum wage, servers in the States are forced to rely on tips to make money. But that is NOT the case everywhere and Americans should not assume that it is.

I have been to Italy several times. I’m now at a point at which I couldn’t tell you exactly how many times I’ve visited. I have learned that tipping in restaurants is NOT a thing in Italy, although it is becoming more common thanks to Americans who insist on engaging in the practice. In Italy, you are typically charged a servizio, which is the service charge. You may also pay the coperto, which is the cover charge. That’s for the tablecloth, silverware, etc. If you received good service and you want to round up the bill, fine. But even then, in Italy, you’d typically pay a cashier and not your server. So even if you wanted to tip, it would be awkward. It’s not common to leave money on the table in Europe and, if you do, staffers might think you left it there accidentally. Or worse, they might think you are pitying them.

I guess what set me off about the comments above is that the original poster was concerned about not insulting servers in Italy, so he’s gonna tip the way he would in his country. However, in his bid not to feel like he’s being insulting, he’s forgotten that he doesn’t get to determine whether or not he’s coming across as insulting. Just like beauty, rude behavior is in the eye of the beholder. You don’t get to determine whether or not your behavior is offensive to someone else. Sadly, I think a lot of Americans have no clue that our culture is not the end all be all. It’s not the benchmark of “normal” for the whole world. In fact, many Europeans seem to think American culture is actually pretty weird. And when an American comes to another country and presumes to foist US customs on the locals, it is insulting, offensive, and potentially very damaging.

Getting back to my title for this post. To be honest, excessive tipping truly is, in my opinion, very tacky. I can remember waiting tables in a nice restaurant, getting paid $2.13 an hour by my employer, but actually making about $12 an hour or more due to tips. Honestly, making money was my focus in those days, as it was for most of my colleagues. We were not really that concerned with seeing that our guests enjoyed their meals and the luxurious experience of dining out as much as we were with getting them in and out of the restaurant so we could make bank. And customers, likewise, use tips as a way to demean or punish the servers.

I remember one evening, a gentleman sat at one of my tables and said, “If you take care of us, we’ll take care of you.” By the time I ran into this guy, I already knew that if someone was graceless enough to let me know from the get go that he expected me to kiss his ass and was dangling cash in front of me like a person would tease a pet, it was going to be a tough night. And, sure enough, I don’t remember that guy being particularly generous. I do remember he was very demanding, though… and very tacky. He assumed he needed to get me to do my job by promising cash instead of expecting me to do it because I had some pride in my work.

Here’s another example. Bill and I have cruised with SeaDream Yacht Club three times. It’s considered a “luxury” cruiseline. Tipping is “not expected”. Those who choose to offer money to the crew are requested to donate to the crew fund so the money goes to everyone. Although this is the stated policy in SeaDream’s literature, I know for a fact that there are a lot of people who tip anyway. I have seen them on the last day, surreptitiously passing envelopes full of cash to crew members. The tippers probably don’t see anything wrong with this practice; but in my mind, it makes it harder for crew members to pay equal attention to everyone. It’s also not fair to those crew members who don’t have the good fortune to impress a generous passenger with deep pockets.

By contrast, next week, Bill and I will be boarding Hebridean Princess, a luxury vessel owned by Hebridean Island Cruises. Hebridean operates a strict “no tipping” policy. They don’t even have a crew fund that I am aware of. Instead of demanding tips from their guests, Hebridean Island Cruises simply price their voyages high enough that they can properly pay their staff. When passengers get on board, they are truly guests. There is no pressure to spend money because you’ve already spent a mint to get on the ship. And although many people see tips as truly “to insure prompt service”, I have yet to be disappointed by the service on Hebridean Princess. Everyone is uniformly service oriented to each passenger. They do their jobs professionally, and passengers simply enjoy what they’ve paid for ahead of time. Although I can’t find the exact wording of why Hebridean outlaws tipping, I do remember that it was basically because the management considered tipping to be awkward and potentially embarrassing. Frankly, I think they’re correct.

It’s hard to be graceful about tipping, although there are a few tricks (palming a bill and shaking hands is one). Tips are “gratuities”, which means they are gifts given for a job well done. But in the United States, service people expect gratuities regardless. That promotes an attitude of entitlement, which is hardly gracious or hospitable. Therefore, the wait staff focuses on turning tables instead of seeing that their guests enjoy the experience of dining out. If you don’t believe me, visit any Olive Garden or Outback Steakhouse and let me know if you’re allowed to simply enjoy your food without being prompted to either order more or GTFO. No wonder there are so many overweight Americans.

Indeed, on the Facebook post I referenced here asking what one should tip in Italy, one guy wrote this.

Nothing. They tip like shit when they are here. And stay too long. Lol.

You know why the Italians “tip like shit”? Because they are doing what they do in their own country. Tipping isn’t as much of a thing in Europe and they expect that servers in a place like the United States will actually get paid by their employers. And they “stay too long” because dining out is supposed to be a pleasant experience in Europe. You’re out to enjoy yourself and enjoy food, not pay a server a living wage. Contrast that attitude to the United States, where people are sensitive about staying too long in a restaurant because they know servers need to turn their tables.

On that Facebook thread, I read so many comments from Americans, most of whom have probably never been abroad, either complaining about foreigners not tipping well or insisting that they need to tip 20% or more to servers in other countries. You know what? If you are an American server and you expect your foreign customers to know American tipping customs, perhaps you should do the same when you visit another country. Learn a little about what is expected and behave accordingly. Contrary to popular belief, America is not necessarily the greatest place in the whole world. Sometimes, we Americans could learn a little something from other cultures.

anecdotes

Big cruise ships vs. small ones…

Tiny SeaDream 1 next to a gigantic P&O ship in Antigua…

My husband Bill and I have done seven cruises, six of which were on very small ships. Our very first cruise was on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas, which is one of their oldest and smallest vessels. I think Vision of the Seas carries about 2400 people max, which makes her pretty small for a Royal Caribbean ship. Compare Vision of the Seas to Royal Caribbean’s enormous Oasis of the Seas, which carries over 5000 people, and Vision of the Seas seems positively dainty.

Bill and I enjoyed our first cruise on a big cruise ship, but we didn’t like the huge crowds and nickel and diming that went on all the time. Though there’s plenty of do on a big ship and it’s easy to escape the crowds if you are so inclined, we determined that we liked the idea of small ships and all inclusive cruising better. So we tried SeaDream Yacht Club and, to date, have been on three SeaDream cruises. Either of SeaDream’s mega yachts only carries 112 passengers at a time. So the staff gets to know your name. So do the other passengers.

Later, we tried Hebridean Island Cruises, which is an even smaller ship. Only 49 passengers are aboard at a time. That means even more personal attention and even more inclusiveness.

Bill and I had a great time on our most recent cruise, but once we disembarked, I couldn’t help thinking I’d like to try another cruise line. There are several I’m interested in. One I’ve been wanting to try for years is Un-Cruise Adventures, which is an American line. If we hadn’t moved to Germany, we might have cruised with them this year instead of Hebridean. I’ve also been wanting to try Seabourn for a long time. Azamara has kind of piqued my interest, too. So has Paul Gauguin Cruises, though I doubt we’ll be trying one of those until we’re back in the States. It takes way too long to get to Tahiti from Germany! None of these cruise lines have ships that are super huge, but most of them are smaller than anything you’d find on a mainstream line.

Some people love the really huge ships with many restaurants, shopping venues, waterslides, rock climbing walls, Waverunners, and the like. Me? I like a ship that has really good food, all inclusive pricing, and excellent service. I also like ships that don’t pressure me to tip. One thing I like about Hebridean is that they operate on a strict non tipping policy. SeaDream also doesn’t pressure passengers to tip. Instead, those who want to tip are encouraged to donate to the crew fund. The only exception is when you use the spa, where tips are expected.

Don’t get me wrong. When I go out to eat or get personal services, I tip. I have waited tables before and understand how it is, especially in the United States. However, I find tipping rather awkward. I never know how much to tip or how to go about doing it gracefully. I would rather cruise lines (and restaurants, for that matter) pay their people appropriately. I know it’ll probably never be popular practice in the United States not to tip because servers like being in charge of what they can earn. But I think the people who employ servers should be paying them and not putting that duty off to the customer. I thought this when I was a server myself, too. I would seriously rather pay higher fares than deal with tipping. I remember being on Vision of the Seas and noticing the video about tipping on the ship’s television channel. I thought it was really tacky.

Another thing I liked about the smaller ships is that a lot of times, what you pay up front is what you pay. At the end of a SeaDream cruise, we usually have a bill. It’s never been as big as it was when we cruised on Royal Caribbean. When we’ve been on Hebridean Princess, we have never had a bill at the end. We don’t even give them a credit card when we board. I like that.

I’m not sure when our next cruise will be. Bill has said more than once that he wants to try river barging. I am definitely up for that. That means an even smaller boat. I think most barges only carry about a dozen people. Tipping is also expected and you don’t tend to cover as many miles on a barge.

There are drawbacks to small ship cruising. For one thing, smaller ships don’t tend to be as stable as the big ships are. You can end up getting pretty seasick on the small ships. I never have on Hebridean Princess because they mostly stick to the lochs, which are usually pretty calm. They also anchor at night. I have gotten very seasick on SeaDream 1 on more than one occasion, often in the middle of the night when they move to the next port.

Another drawback is that it can be hard to escape people who get on your nerves. If you happen to be on a cruise where a large group has booked, you can end up feeling a little like an afterthought. Big groups on small boats can overwhelm the ambience a bit. If there’s someone you clash with, it can be hard to avoid them. On the other hand, the small ship also allows for very personal attention and service. For instance, I got a big kick out of one of the bartenders on Hebridean Princess going out of his way to make me a Brandy Alexander. That probably wouldn’t happen on a huge ship.

Anyway… my guess is that the next cruise we book will be a barge somewhere in France or perhaps Ireland. Things will get even smaller! But I haven’t ruled out Seabourn or another SeaDream cruise. I may even get crazy and try another line. We’ll see.

Tiny SeaDream one in the foreground and a huge Celebrity behind it. Actually, this photo makes me want to book a SeaDream cruise…

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A whirlwind trip to Austria, Italy, and probably Switzerland, part 6

I went to the mall yesterday. I mostly went there to give the housekeeper a chance to clean the room. But I soon found myself in an enormous store two or three times the size of the Real in Jettingen. I wandered the aisles and ended up buying a decanter and two wine glasses from the Czech Republic… and, of course, I had to buy wine too. If there’s one thing I noticed about this particular store, it’s that if you want to buy a lot of wine cheap, you can definitely do it there. You can pretty much buy anything you want in that store. But if you don’t find what you need, you can wander among the other stores and maybe find something you can’t live without.

Italian mall, all decked out for Christmas.

Italian McDonald’s, complete with fancy ordering computer.

And its own birthday room and climbing wall… This ain’t your hometown Mickey D’s!

And a dentist office in the mall. I probably shouldn’t laugh, since my Texas dentist was in a mall.

I saw maybe one or two bottles of wine that cost over twenty euros. The rest were ridiculously cheap. I had trouble determining which one I would purchase. I brought one back from the South Tyrol region. Then I went to lunch at the hotel’s restaurant. It was quite fabulous. I had lasagne and a glass of wine. It was probably the best I’ve had in years.

Killer lasagne…

I paid 12,50 euros for lasagne, bread, and wine. It was worth it. So good! And I could tell the locals like eating there, too. Later last night, Bill and I went there for dinner and had a fantastic meal for 61 euros.

Bill had wild boar with potatoes and eggplant…

I had branzino, which was expertly prepared for me table side.

No bones! And delicious!

Naturally, we were talked into dessert… This was some kind of sinful cream cake that Bill ordered. Again, it was prepared table side.

And once again, I had creme brûlée. It was prepared in the kitchen, probably because it involved fire. Look closely at the picture and you can see that it was served flaming.

After dinner, limoncello… and it was delicious! Look at Bill’s face! Mine was also registering surprise at how good it was.

It was a successful stop… so successful that I had lunch there today.

I figured out that tipping is not a thing here. The way things are organized in a lot of Italian restaurants, it kind of isn’t conducive to tipping, anyway. It’s hard for me since I used to wait tables. But anyway, I’m not gonna worry about it. I’m just going to enjoy the food and wine. If I can’t have a pretty view, I can have delicious lasagne, right?

Tonight, we will find somewhere else to have dinner. But if we couldn’t, the hotel restaurant is pretty damn good. One redeeming quality of this particular hotel.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: tipping