Two rookies saved by European kindness

I'd like to take Susan's advice and report some positive experiences when traveling through Europe. Now I recognize that these incidents were not in Rome or Barcelona where many posts have indicated theft problems but still it shows how kind people can be. In 1976 my buddy and I decided to take our first trip to Europe and with only a few bags, backpacks, and Eurailpasses we ventured off. The very first day in Amsterdam a young guy tapped me on the shoulder and warned me that he could see my passport in my back pocket and I should consider changing its location or it wouldn't be there long. Great advice for the rookies! The next week in Copenhagen we must have dropped a wallet on the bus because as we were departing for the train station we realized that the wallet containing cash, train passes, passport, and plane tickets was missing. Long story short, the lady we were renting the room from called the bus depot to see if anyone had turned in a missing wallet. Why, yes they had. So, since the route to the bus depot was complicated, the lady, at midnight, in her housecoat, led us through the bus transfer process to reclaim our valuables; absolutely nothing missing. How lucky can we be? It gets better.

Now my buddy suggests that we put all the valuables in one large wallet and he'll carry it attached with a strap around his neck. Good idea, maybe. But I forget how excited this guy gets when meeting the German women in Munich. So, he decides to call one of his new girlfriends using a pay phone and sure enough he takes off the attached wallet and must have left it in the phone booth. Later that evening we were enjoying ourselves in a local beer hall when I kidded him about losing everything in Copenhagen. He asked if I knew where the wallet was now and I knew he must be joking--surely it hadn't disappeared again. But it had. Retracing our steps we ended back at the phone booth where miraculously a note was taped to the rear of the booth. Bottom line, "if you would like your wallet you can find us at this address in Munich." Apparently a construction worker found our "lifeline" and held it for us and left the note. Once again, all was returned intact. Yes, we tipped the people who helped us but they reluctantly accepted our offer. I hope we didn't offend them.

Now we are older and wiser, hopefully, and not as naive and careless. But these are only a few of the reasons we love Europe and try to return each year. My wife and I will be riverboating again this summer, returning to what another friend refers to as the "Disneyland for adults."

Bill

Bill, I found the same thing in Northern Europe where the economy is not so bad, but in Southern Europe there seems to be more poverty and therefore more crime (pickpockets) - not that it's an excuse - just an observation.

That was a great story Bill .... thanks for sharing a heart-warming story. :)

Your last name doesn't happen to by Bryson does it? It reminds me of his adventures in Europe in his book, "Neither Here Nor There".

While your story is nice and heartwarming Bill, it was 32 years ago. When I first started traveling to Europe (England, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg) in 1987-1996 people were a lot more friendly than they were in my more recent trips there 1998-2005 Germany, Hungary, & Italy). I actually had folks working in the Tourist Offices in Italy turn their backs and refuse to even talk to me. Not to say everyone was unfriendly, we did find a few on Sicily and in the Lake District that went out of their way to be friendly, but in the cities (Rome, Naples, Venice, Palermo, Salerno, & Verona) they were very unfriendly once we spoke. In the Venice Tourist Office, the guy actually told me I should have booked a tour in the U.S. if I wanted to see more of the city, that there was nothing to sign up for locally.

I think the economy now, our government's policies, and the general lack of morals and manners in the younger generation all lead to the less than friendly attitudes, to downright theivery that this board is so full of toward the tourists. And now this latest incident for the poor old man in Rome that was drugged and killed, will certainly make me more wary of even talking to strangers.

I've had my share of good samaritans too, on my trip to Holland, I had the map in my hand looking for our hotel, a young man of about 19 or 20 noticed my searching, (he did not speak English) but looked at the map and knew right where the hotel was, he ended up walking us directly to the hotel because he couldn't figure out how to give me directions and explain that the entrance was down an alleyway. Then on my trip from Vienna to Budapest on the train, I ended up in a compartment with an older gentlemen that was kind of stand-offish at first, but after about a half hour I was going to step outside in the passageway to smoke, and he stopped me, telling me I should smoke in the compartment (it would be a fine to smoke in the passageway). After that he talked non-stop for the 3 hour trip to Budapest, telling me lots of Hungarian history, culture, and inventors. Upon arrival he walked with me to the taxi stand (wouldn't hear of my going alone) he talked to the taxi driver in Hungarian explaining where my hotel was, asking how much the fare would be and whether he would take Austrian money. Then turned to me and relayed the conversation in English telling me not to let the driver try to charge me more than the agreed on amount, and advising me to be careful walking about by myself, even though Budapest was safe, there are always unsavory folks in every city.

But I don't think it is just in Europe either, I wouldn't travel alone at night in downtown Los Angeles either.

That was a great story Bill .... thanks for sharing a heart-warming story. :)

 

Your last name doesn't happen to by Bryson does it? It reminds me of his adventures in Europe in his book, "Neither Here Nor There".

No author here but I should probably read that book. Thanks.

Bill