Maybe there was a dedicated thread for this already, but fuck it. Since it must be drawing really close by now, any updates on the route? Don't have to be in massive detail, just interested how and what and in what order.

Also:

- do you guys even own sweaters for cold(ish) weather? March is typically a bizarro month in Western Europe...can be 20 degrees, but just as well can be 5. Hard to pack for that I can imagine.

Things I think (never having actually BEEN in the states) will semi-freak you (perhaps mostly Shiny) out:

- lack of SUV's...haha kidding. But I do like to think that every American drives an SUV
- historical city centres. Probably don't look anything like US city centres.
- smoking is for now still allowed in bars that don't serve food in Belgium. Not sure about Holland tho - Arathorn?
- red light districts
- no one carrying guns in the streets (kidding again...KINDA)
- no Mexicans. Lots of Morrocons and Turkish peeps tho!
- drinking from 16 on
- shitty small roads
- local sense of distance
- I'm assuming general level of food quality? But I'm sure there are great restaurants in the US too

So I'm expecting cowboy boots, shirt, hat and 'howdy partners' all around.

Yeah...please don't do that.

heh... Frankfurt -> Antwerp -> Amsterdam -> Paris -> Frankfurt.

Shiny's never been to Europe, but I lived in Germany from 16-18 years old, so I'm pretty cognizant of the differences. Anyway, work time, I'll let Shiny post more (whenever she wakes up).

Lies! You will act like an ugly American when you're here, I demand it!!

I can send a PM of the dates.. prefer not to post that in an internet-accessible place.

Shiny doesn't smoke, and I barely smoke, so the smoking thing mostly just means we'll probably have to avoid bars since Shiny has bad reactions.

Oh, I was under the impression one of you smoked...in that case, it's easier for me to, since I don't smoke either. I'll probably try to drag you to places where you can smoke tho, since some are authentic 'bruin cafés' (aka 'brown' bars). They are called that for their old-school wooden furniture. Often shoddy and outdated.

Places kinda like these (altho this in is Brussels)

That's cool, I have no problem with it. I smoke like a pack every other week or so.. so yea, I guess I smoke, but not much. Not like when I smoked a pack a day for 10 years. I have no problem with smoke, even if it's dense, but Shiny's lungs are less forgiving, unfortunately.

Haha - I will have to think on bringing my cowboy boots for poor Ox. But no I generally will not wear that type of stuff. However, most of my sweatshirts are University of Texas related or Dallas Cowboys. I do have a few hoodies from concerts though I think.

As for smoke filled bars - well - it CAN be an issue but I am always willing to go and I mean it is a bar - if it is too much we slam a drink or whatever and go to the next less smoky one.

As for guns well - that honestly will be an adjustments lmao - but I'm not worried - I mean the police at least carry them right?

As for the rest - I am not worried - We will be on trains or cabs/buses so I don't care of the streets are awful.

Wonder if we will get to see any of you besides Ox?

Sure, just drive down to Estonia, and i'll wave at you behind the barbed-wire fence

Smoking is pretty much prohibited in every leisure establishment here unless they have a dedicated room for it.

meh, people are damned Nazis about cigarettes. I don't like that the government can dictate what a restaurant owner can do in their own restaurant. In my opinion, most restaurant (or whatever) owners would be smart enough to see that having smoke-free sections would be of benefit.... people that hate smoke would visit places that don't allow it, or have it segregated... so basically, the government is legislating something that would probably solve itself. And screwing smokers in the process.

And yes, smoking is 'bad' and caries a large societal cost, yadda yadda... but it's legal. Make it illegal if you want, that's fine (wouldn't work anyway), but legislating 'you can't smoke in a public place or 500meters in front of a door' is ridiculous. I've heard non-smokers complain about the smell. Y'know... the smell of dirty bodies offends me, as does cheap perfume or excessively overused aftershave. But i'm not running to the government to complain.

So anyway... I'm looking forward to Europe. I want some good food, good beer, I want to hear people speak in foreign languages other than Spanish, I want to experience cities that are thousands of years old... oh yea, it'll be awesome. I'm also interested in seeing Shiny's reactions to these things.

I think that a large part of no smoking was aimed at protecting the health of employees as well.

What Peltz says.

Oh and if you can let me know when you're meeting with Ox, i'll try to make an effort of perhaps meeting you guys as well. Might be hard with work, the kids and stuff, but you never know

Unless Ox suspects i'm a double agent, trying to uncover his (not so secret) identity

I actually was planning to get my butt down to Belgium for a drink or two but i'm in worse money-situation than i expected. I also WAS supposed to go Amsterdam for a kickboxing tournament but they cancelled that, thankfully for my wallet.

Feel like im missing out bigtime thought. :*(

Would have been fun seeing some sights together too. Although i'd probably go off ahead and lose myself as usual, doing sight-seeing recon. lol

I'm not going to save you from Belgian smokers, dude.. you're on your own. I hear those bastards are tough.

I'd love to meet up with you guys, though our time in Belgium is limited. Hell, our time everywhere is limited. We're already cramming a lot of stuff into a pretty small time frame. Anyway, I'm gonna PM J when we'll be in Belgium so he can say hi if he so desires.

Will see if i can fix something, possibly make it a family trip (because the misses gave me the evil eye when i mentioned me going away for the day).

I'll tell her that if i fail to meet you in antwerp, we'll have to come to America