Most Embarrassing Travel Moments
Part of the fun of travel is the ridiculous spots we find ourselves in due to a language barrier, cultural misunderstanding, or just bad luck. Do you dare to share your most embarrassing European travel moment?
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Paris Metro
I had that same experience with the metro doors with me as well! Luckily my husband was there to bail me out!
Kate
USA 10/17/2008
Trapped! in Montparnasse...
It was my first time visiting Paris and I had just arrived by train into Gare Montparnasse. I had to transfer to the Metro and, though my French is poor, I smoothly navigated the crowds and purchased the correct ticket. I was feeling pretty good about myself as I waited in line to use my ticket at the gate and head underground. The gate was not a simple turnstile as are common on American public transportation. It was a set of 5-foot sliding doors that parted long enough for someone to get through, and then shut tight until the next customer inserted their ticket. When it was my turn, I stuck my ticket in the slot and the doors opened and I proceeded through. The trick is, the doors only open long enough to let a BODY through before they slam shut, and I was wearing a large hiking backpack! The doors clamped tight onto my backpack and I was stuck with a long line of commuters behind me! I couldn't even get my arms out of the straps! After struggling for a minute, the doors magically opened and I was free. It turned out that the girl behind me had inserted her ticket, and that's why the doors opened. But now the timing of the doors was off because they allowed my backpack to go through, so when the girl tried to get through they slammed shut on HER backpack! Luckily I was able to use pry them open for her and things were back to normal at Montparnasse.
Paul
Chicago, IL USA 09/20/2008
While going up an escalator in London, I had two rolling suitcases. I put the biggest one on the escalator along with my left foot, thinking the suitcase that was behind me would just follow...but it got stuck on something, causing half of my body to ascend, and the other half being pulled in the opposite direction. Eventually, it came unstuck, but the people on the escalator were getting a good laugh. When I saw them laughing, I burst into laughter too, shrugging.
One time I went out to a buffet dinner in the US with two non-americans, and before we sat down, I excused myself to the restroom. When I got back, they were still sitting there, looking around like they had no idea what was going on. I said "Didn't you get your food?" And they looked at me blankly and said, "where are the waitresses?" I never thought to tell them that they could get the food themselves. Oops.
Cait
Washington DC, USA 09/10/2008
No Scams Here!
My poor grandmother just didn't know what to do in Paris! As we approached the Eiffel Tower one afternoon, I warned her about scam artists around the base: "If someone asks if you speak English, pretend you don't. Pretend you're German." Sure enough, a few minutes later here came a man asking if we spoke English. Grandma panicked and shouted "No!", which sent in to gales of giggles & the would-be scammer running. "Shut up," Grandma said, "it worked, didn't it?"
Amanda <email>
Corpus Christi, TX USA 08/22/2008
On our first vacation to Florida my boyfriend accidentally lifted my dress while we were dancing. I tripped on my heel and started to fall. He reached out and tried to hold me up. I slid through his arms and up went my dress. I was mortified!
Anne
Denver, USA 08/15/2008
Americans - decent tourists
Americans (some of them, that is) must be the only people who worry about "Ugly X" sightings and make it a point to disparage their countrymen and feel superior doing so. I doubt that the Germans or the Italians, for instance, who deserve their well-known, unflattering reputations as tourists, give a fig about what others think of them. Actually, taken all-in-all, the Americans come off pretty well, at least in my experience.
USA 07/16/2008
Ugly American Sighting
We got on our train, a Eurostar, going from Firenze to Venezia. My seat was a single, near the end of the car. Someone had covered my seat with several huge screaming pink suitcases. My husband had to drag them off my seat and into the luggage rack area, where we saw a few more screaming pink suitcases. I looked at a luggage tag to see who would be a**hole enough to travel with so much luggage and also who would be so inconsiderate on a packed train to cover up someone else's reserved seat. Yup, someone from "Sugar Land, Texas." My husband said he knew it, no European would do such things. When we got off the train in Venezia, we loitered to see what someone with so much luggage looked like. We saw a fat middle-aged guy wearing shorts and a baseball cap pull up outside our train car with three luggage carts. We had our man. I think he was traveling with his wife. Sheez.
Claire
Minn. USA 07/10/2008
Finland
Had to comment on the lady who said her dark hair and eyes were unusual in Finland and caused people to stare. What is she talking about? The Finns are not known for being blonde/blue eyed like other parts of Scandinavia. Finland shares more in history, language and customs with Russia than with the other countries in the area. Dark hair and eyes are VERY common.
Covina, Ca USA 06/16/2008
Can you spare me a dime...
We recently took a two week Transatlantic cruise and then spent a week in Italy afterwards. Packing for both parts of the trip was a challenge, as I was determined to limit myself to a carryon.
I decided to bring cotton "broomstick" skirts with me. One of them was a multi-color, patchwork skirt.
As I was wearing this skirt, I noticed several of the guards in the Uffizi Gallery giving me odd looks. It took me a while to figure out that I was dressed rather like a street begger! Yikes! I don't think the guards thought I was a begger, they just couldn't figure out why the crazy American was dressed like one!
Needless to say, I've retired that skirt from my travel wardrobe!
Denise <email>
Kirkland, wa USA 06/05/2008
Don't Leave Your Platform
Our train to Munich pulled into Salzburg
on time and as advertised but seemed to move pass our assigned platform. We
hurried down to the next platform,
jumped on, and we were on our way. Not quite!
When the conductor started to punch our ticket, she exclaimed, "Munich? No, Innsbruck." Seems the long train pulling into Salzburg with one engine at the front and another in the middle uncoupled. Our part of the train that we ran to continued on nonstop to Innsbruck and the second half (boarding at our assigned platform, continued going to Munich.
After a pretty two hour sidetrip to Innsbruck, we purchased another ticket to Munich and arrived no worse for the wear but with a better understanding of it doesn't hurt to show the conductor your ticket before boarding just to make sure!
Preston Malcom
McDonough, GA USA 05/27/2008
Rick Steves is Watching!
This was the last day of a 10 day trip to Paris with our 3 kids. We'd done all the RSs auidioguides and walking tours and I'd been spewing RSs quotes all week. We were sitting on the steps behind Versailles after trekking all the way back from the Hamlet enjoying the view on our last night. I was reading something from the RSs tour, I forget what it was. My 18 year old had enough and felt the need to make a smart remark (teenagers!) "Hey Mom, I'm sitting on the second step, I'll bet RSs tells you to sit on the top step for the best view. Wonder if he's watching me?" At that point the young guy sitting near us on the step whips out his RSs book from his backpack and holds it toward my son and says "RSs is always watching you!". We all had a good laugh! What a fitting end to our trip!
Nancy <email>
Mars, PA USA 05/24/2008
No shoes on train seats allowed!
Speaking of not putting your shoes on train seats, me and a friend were on an overnight train from Venice to Zagreb. The train was arranged so two seats faced two seats, so was easy to put the feet up. I took off my shoes and decided that the seat across from me would be a nifty place to set them. Suddenly I heard a very annoyed "Uh-uh, no, NO" from across the aisle and a very irritable older woman was pointing at my shoes and demanding that I remove them from the seat. Meekly I did so. I swear I never even thought twice about whether I was supposed to put my shoes there...I just did it!
USA 05/20/2008
Monkey Business on Gibraltar
While visiting Gibraltar, we took the tour up the Rock of Gibraltar face. The face is home to the Barbary Apes - the only primates that live on the European contient. These apes are wild, and are totally unafraid of human beings. Indeed, they jump on you, looking for food. We stopped at the first view point, and were astounded at these apes in and amongst the tourist group we were in. One British lady, wearing a lovely, rather loose - fitting tank top, was stopped dead in her tracks when an ape jumped up and perched itself on her shoulder. With out missing a trick, the ape immediately plunged his hand down the front of her shirt, frantically searching her shirt, bra and so forth for food. The poor woman was mortified, red-faced, standing absolutley still, not knowing whether to scream, run, cry or laugh. From the outside, the ape's hand movements in her shirt looked like two kids fighting under a blanket! The entire group was roaring with laugther. The poor apopletic woman was finally released from trauma when her little buddy scampered off for more chow somewhere else. We had tears streaming down our cheeks, and were unable to breathe for several minutes as we recovered our composure, and continued with the tour.
Any one for a banana?
Paul Barnhill <email>
Virginia Beach, VA USA 04/19/2008
friendly ghost
While taking a ghost and ghoul tour in Edinborough, our guide took us through a few rooms that were underground. While in one room the guide proceeded to tell us how haunted the room is. As she was telling us the story, my friend tapped me on the back to tell me something. I thought it was a ghost and screamed. A chain reaction formed throughout the group resulting in EVERYONE screaming and trying to rush out of the room at the same time (some even fell and were trampled upon!) After we regrouped ourselves the guide askedwhat happened. I said soemthing tapped me on the shoulder (still thought it was a ghost!) Just at that moment my friend stepped forward and took responsibilty...but she ddn't know it was her that set me off! She was just as scared as all the rest of us! At the end of the tour as we were exiting underground they had someone jump out wearing a mask to scare us. At that point none of us jumped, we already had our excitment!
Kate B <email>
Winnipeg, Canada 04/11/2008
Spanish Steps Slip
On our last evening in Rome, my sister and I decided to check out the Spanish Steps just as the sun was setting. The Spanish Steps are rather steep and very slick, and both of us were wearing grip-less flip flops. You guessed it...just as we were commenting to each other about how treacherous the steps looked, we both slipped and fell simultaneously in front of countless people in our skirts. It was mortifying, and most everyone had a good-natured laugh at us, but moments like these were the most memorable of all.
Kate
Fairfield, ND USA 04/08/2008
American History 101
Another note---know some basic American history! On my first trip to Europe, my sister and I went with a tour group, which included a bus tour in each city. In London, the tour guide would ask us questions about American history and virtually no one---including myself, I admit---knew the answers! I wasn't exactly embarrassed but I wished that I could have demonstrated that some Americans really do care about their heritage. Also, reading about the history and culture of the places you are going to see makes it much more fun and interesting.
Kate
Fairfield, ND USA 04/08/2008
The Prision Gate
Several years ago while traveling with family members on a Sunday in East Anglia, England we came across an old castle that had been converted to a prison. We decided to go for the castle tour not realizing it was still a working prison. We got in line and saw the people in front of us with their driver's licenses being checked at that gate. As we got closer we pulled out our passports. When the guard got to us he asked, "Who are you here to see?" Little did we know, we were at the wrong entrance. We had ended up on visiting day at the prison. We quickly went to the other entry and enjoyed a lot of laughter on that one!
Maryann
Sacramento, USA 04/03/2008
Picnic Gone Wrong
While visiting the wonderful Naschmarkt (nibbles market) in Vienna, my husband and I picked up a few treats for lunch. We bought some wonderful pickled garlic & cheese stuffed olives that would be part of our picnic lunch. The vendor poured fresh olive oil all over it to preserve until meal time. So we wrapped it up & went on our way to see the world famous Lipizzan horses at the Spanish Riding School. Right as it was our turn to purchase tickets my husband noticed the Euro he was holding was absolutely soaked in oil! Apparently, the container had opened and spilled all over (including into a medium sized puddle on the beautiful marble floors!) I immediately ran to the cafe and asked for a towel or cloth. The waitress was annoyed at my demanding tone, so she handed me about 3 napkins (uh thanks, but I don't think that'll do it!!) By the time I got back folks had tracked olive oil all over the foyer. What a mess! After explaining to the ticket lady what happened, we paid & left quickly praying that we didn't have to exit through the lobby!
Lauren <email>
Fort Walton Bch, FL USA 04/02/2008
Mind your language ...
While visiting friends in France my brother tried out the French he learned in school to impress a girl he just met. What he wanted to tell her was that she is "la plus belle" (the most beautiful), what actually came across his lips was that she is "la poubelle" (the trash can). This story is haunting him to this day - 30 years later ...
Beatrix
Calgary, Canada 03/29/2008
Rio mis-adventures
MY college bud and I went to Rio de Janeiro for the Copacabana carnival as a birthday present to me. After we put down our luggages at the condo we rented for the next 10 days, we ventured outside to have lunch. This was the day when locals and tourists alike dance on the street in every corner where there is music. But we were very hungry that our minds were set on finding where to eat lunch as it was already 4:30pm and after a very long overnight trip from L.A. via Miami. We did not know we have to dance when they ask us to, so we got sprayed with foam all over our heads and clothes, everyone was looking at us like we were criminals. It was our first time there and all the books and guides we read mentioned nothing about it. Since they don't know us anyway, we just smiled and pretend nothing happened. We did some dancing after the hearty meal.
A couple of days later, we decided to go where the locals were, we passed by a local restaurant. We have a limited understanding of spanish, but since brazil is portuguese, we tried so very hard to understand the menu. What my bud did was walk around the restaurant and looked at customers to see what they were eating. We found this man eating something that looks so good we called the waiter to order what it was. Note that he does not speak english nor spanish. After we pointed out the dish, he kept on saying no no no no. We found out later from a customer who spoke little english that the man was the owner and what he was having was a special dish cooked just for him. When told, the owner gladly shared his food with us and even gave us a free drink. We went back there three more times during our stay.
And do you want to know the story about their coffee? I am an early riser and I went to McDonalds for breakfast only to find out that they open at 10:30a.m. I passed by a small restaurant so I sat down and ordered coffee. When he gave this small glass with only a few drops of coffee in it, I asked if is this it? So I motioned for him to pour more which he did. Little did I know that that coffee was so strong I stayed awake the next two days.
My bud and I have been to many places in Europe and Central America. All of our travels have this mis-adventures it always made our trip so very memorable. My bud and I made plans to do more of this type of vacations we are planning to go to Peru next!
Cocoy <email>
CA USA 03/28/2008
Falling Down
When I was little, my parents took me and my sister to Paris for Spring Break. It was fantastic! Anyway, we went to Pizza Pino's (a very good restuarant), and had a lovely dinner. After we were done, I lead the way to the exit. However I did not see the three marble steps and consequently fell down them. Out of shock and some pain from a scraped knee, I started to cry. Suddenly we were surrounded by what seemed like everyone in the place. They ushered me to a chair, gave me some ice in a napkin and asked my dad in rapid french if they need to call an ambulance. My dad, using the French he had learned in college, told I would be fine and an ambluance would not be needed. I was only 7, but I was mortified by all the attention a scraped knee was attracting!
Anne
TX USA 03/23/2008
Driving
Nothing like successfully driving throughout northern Italy and even in Florence without a scratch on the car only to scrape the fender on the wall of a parking garage in Heidelberg to deflate ones ego... The word I have to type in below is very apropos. Crabby. That is how I felt after scraping that &%*$ fender.
Nancy
Taylor, TX USA 03/21/2008
It's a Beautiful Day, But...
We were at Schiphol Airport (Netherlands) a couple of years ago and were heading to Haarlem by train after an overnight flight during which we hadn't slept at all. We changed trains in Amsterdam for the short trip, 15 minutes or so, to Haarlem.
After AT LEAST half an hour I realized that we should be there and started looking up station names on my map. A very kind conductor realized I was getting concerned and asked where we were going. His reply was 'I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that it is a beautiful day, and we are in a beautiful part of Holland. The bad news is that this train is heading for Germany'.
He was kind enough to write on our tickets what had happened (I am guessing it was the Dutch version of 'help these idiots get off at the right stop' and put on a train going the opposite direction.
We almost did the same thing a few months later. I crush my masculine pride and ask a conductor before boarding now...
Gary
Dover, DE USA 03/19/2008
Don't leave without me
My wife, another couple, and I were on a train on the way to visit some friends in a small town in Germany. We were busy talking when the train stopped and (we didn't know it at the time)all the people left the train. We continued to talk, heard an announcement in German, and continued discussing are travel plans. We heard 2 more annoucements in German, but really didn't pay attention to them. Shortly, the conductor came up to us and motioned that we had to leave the train. We got off, not understanding why as we thought the train went straight through to the town we wanted to go to. As we departed the train, we saw a train right if front of the one we had just left leaving. We then watched as the train we had been on was shunted off to the side and parked. A kindly police officer had been watching us on the train platform, and,while somewhat smiling, asked us where we were going. When we informed her, she stated that the train we had just watch leave was the one that was going there. We weren't told that we had to switch trains in this town to get to where we wanted to go. We found out that the next train would be leaving in an hour or so. We made the most of our "layover" and had a few beers at an outdoor biergarten and laughed about what we had just done.
Mark
Lakeville, MN USA 03/08/2008
laundry line
Grand Hotel, Portovenere, Italy. I had just threaded my freshly rinsed dainties onto one of those stretchy travel clotheslines ... chair-to-chair on our balcony, when the entire thing slipped from the chair backs and launched itself over the wall and down five floors to the street below. The balcony extended over the street, so I couldn't see where my laundry had landed, but I watched in shock as a village signore, clearly heading for an afternoon visit with his friends in the nearby park, stopped, bent over, and stood up, stretching out my clothesline and its contents. He looked around but not up, pocketed everything, and continued his stroll.
I wouldn't have minded shopping for new underwear in Italy, but that clothesline would have been hard to replace there, so off I went to retrieve my property. To his credit, the gentleman did not appear at all suprised when a middle-aged American lady, who had perhaps had a bit too much Mediterranean sun and wine at lunch, approached him, saying "signore, e il mio!" while making stretching gestures with her hands. He withdrew the clothesline and dainties from his pocket and handed them over with a slight bow, saying politely, "prego".
Carla Thomas
Oak Harbor, WA USA 03/08/2008
Friendly Finns
On my first trip through Europe a friend and I hopped a speed cruiser ship from Helsinki to Tallinn, Estonia and back. Upon arriving in Tallinn we got in line at customs to have our passports stamped. My friend stepped up to the custom official who began to yell at her in Estonian, confused she took her passport back and walked through the gates. I got yelled at the same way but understood enough to realize i was in the EU only line.
Upon passing through customs with stamped passport in hand we realized that my friend had received no stamp and had in fact just walked through customs without anyone noticing. More or less she "snuck" into the country. she sure received one heck of a speech from the Finnish customs agent when she tried to leave Estonia without an entry stamp.
On teh speed ship back to Helsinki the extreme speed of the ship made me quite naseous so to calm myself I fell asleep. I awoke to an elderly Finnish man leaning over me laughing, in broken english he told me I had been snoring, quite loudly, but that the men loved to watch me snoring because it was so "cute" to see a young girl snoring. I was horrified until I realized that they stared at everything I did everywhere I went in Finland because my dark hair and eyes were so unusual to them.
Jocelyn
VA USA 03/07/2008
Frog radios and bat trees
I was finishing a study abroad trip in England in December, and was buying Christmas presents for friends back home. At a street market, I found an adorable frog shower radio. I went to purchase it, and the woman asked me if I needed "bat trees." She kept repeating it as I tried to figure out if she thought I needed bat-somethings to go along with the frog. A minute later, an American friend who'd spent a lot more time in the UK, joined me and "translated." The poor woman was asking if I needed batteries for the radio.
Laurie
Phoenix, AZ USA 02/07/2008
Blue Eggs
Blue "eggs." That is one of the best ones I have seen here!!!!
Steve
Richmond, Virgin USA 01/24/2008
beautiful blue eggs
When I was 17, I was touring Germany with my best friend and, being the flirtatious young miss I was, I decided to tell our handsome bus driver that he had beautiful blue eyes. (Which he really did.)
So, in my best German, I told him "Sie haben schone blaue eier".
At which point he, my best friend (fluent in German, unlike me) and every German around busted out in raucous laughter.
Wiping her eyes in mirth, my friend then told me that I had mistaken the word for eyes (augen) with the word for eggs (eier), ...thus ostensibly telling the driver, he had beautiful blue balls ("eier" also being slang for that!). Eek. I took the ribbing as good naturedly as I could, but everyone asked me about my liking for blue eggs for the rest of the trip.
karlakp
Austin, TX USA 01/18/2008
Lost in Translation
While dining in a small locals restaurant in Northern Spain. The waiter, not speeking any english, found a translation card and brought it to us so we could decipher the menu. My mother-in-law thinking the translation card was a menu tried ordering from it. Saying, "I will have the avacado" as if avacado is an entree anywhere.
Kim
Colorado Springs, CO USA 12/28/2007
Train
A few years ago, I was getting re-married in Switzerland. I got my 72 yr. mother to go since she'd never been to Europe. We flew into London 1st,then onto Belgium. She had been constipated for several days and had taken several laxatives. While we were waiting for our train to leave in Brussels I got off the train leaving mother alone. As I was talking to a fellow American at the train station, with hundreds of people walking by toilet paper along with feces falls out from under the train. Getting back on the train she then tells me she finally relieved herself. To this day I still kid her about this, even giving her a sign that says only use the toilet when the train is moving.
Tim Gallenstein
Golden, Co USA 12/04/2007
Riding the bus in Madrid
I got on my first bus in Madrid and after finding out the fare, proceeded to put a coin in (what I thought was) the coin slot. The driver started talking too quickly for me to understand, apparently quite flustered. Turns out, you are supposed to lay your coins down on a surface next to the driver, and the slot is not for coins but for some type of card. I don´t know what he was saying to me and I was afraid I´d broken the machine. Finally I understood, ¨don´t worry¨ so I took a seat. Fortunately there were no passengers on the bus, but I was still embarrassed for the rest of the ride.
Alex
Denver, CO USA 12/01/2007
Kindly Italian
Thanks, Chris! This re-affirms my thinking that there are wonderful, thoughtful people everywhere. We hear alot about the negatives and rip offs, but not enough of the experience you had.
Steve
Richmond, VA USA 11/18/2007
Lost In Milan
After many hours of travel; sleeping with my head on a American Airlines 777 dinner tray from Chicago, circumnavigating the maze of terminals and security at Heathrow, and being delayed several hours waiting for my Alitalia flight to depart I had finally arrived at Milan Malpensa. Now anyone who has been to Malpensa knows that it is far from being in Milan. You need to take an express train from Malpensa to Milan proper, speaking little (well none really) Italian I managed to find the station for the express train in the terminal, buy a ticket, and embark on my journey into Milan. Now the train goes into Stazione Centrale, which was no where near where my hotel was, so looking at the map I had purchased at the Borders before I left I decided on what would be a good stop for me to get off that would be closer to my hotel. Or so I though. I got off at that stop...and it was like I had stepped into 28 Days Later. It was only 8:30 local time but the station was deserted. Not a single person in the station...just some trash gently blowing across the floor. I ended on out of the station and started walking in a direction, dragging my suitcase behind me on the cobbled streets of Milan. I wandered around a couple blocks before I decided to look at my map again...the spiderweb of streets that make up Milan are almost impossible to comprehend, especially someone who comes from a relatively gridded city like Chicago. The problem was I knew where I needed to go on the map but I had no idea where I was. I strolled aimlessly a few more blocks until I saw an older Italian man out walking his dog. Using the few Italians words I know I spit out "Dove Via Butti?" and he began spitting out directions to my hotel in Italian...finishing with "Capice?" I shook my head in pretend comprehension, but he could tell I didn't understand. So he told me again..."Capice?" I said "Si" and proceeded to walk in the direction that he had been motioning. He must of realized that I still had no idea where I was going because minutes later he was back by my side leading me to my hotel. We kept walking, kept walking, kept walking...and finally we arrived at my
hotel. I left the gentleman with a handshake and a "Grazie Millie" I wanted to say thank you again to that man who guided to me to my hotel that night in Milan, if it wasn't for you I think I would still be wandering the neighborhoods of Milan.
Chris
Chicago, USA 11/12/2007
Italian Dinner Misunderstanding
During my honeymoon, we were lucky to see Italy which was my first foreign travel experience. The first night, we decided to eat at a restaurant in the suburbs of Rome. I wanted pasta and my husband wanted meat so we ordered accordingly. Well, I got my plate first, and my poor husband watched clueless as I ate, but his food didn't come. Then, I finished, and his food arrived. We didn't understand "first" & "second" plates! I'm sure the locals got a kick out of that one.
Sasha
Germantown, MD USA 09/26/2007
Italian Elevators
After few days Italy, one begins to just assume that everything mechanical is broken. In Rome, I complained just about everyday about the elevator at our hotel being out of service. The poor door man kept having to check it and saying it was working fine. Then in Sorrento I had the same experience with the hotel's elevator there. From the outside I was pressing the foor indicator lights thinking they we were pressure sensitive or something. We walked up and down a lot of stairs for no good reason...
Francis Saffell
Springfield, OR USA 09/01/2007
Get that wording correct
Many years ago, while stationed in Italy, several of my friends and I were looking forward to visiting the casino in Venice. We had lost our way on the road and I was chosen to ask for directions seeing as how I had a better command of the language. We stopped the car and I asked an elderly women where the casino was. This elderly lady screamed at me and we almost got the car blasted with her umbrella. My fellow passengers asked me what that was all about but I didn't know. Further down the road I asked an elderly man the same question again in Italian and he started laughing. Once again the guys asked me whats going on. I told them perhaps the locals were strange!We never did find the casino. It wasn't until years later that I leared that the word casino, as we Americans pronounce it, means a house of ill repute. OOOPS!!!!
Pete Panozzo <email>
West Chicago, IL USA 09/01/2007
most embarrasing moments
We were in Normandy in June 2007 for the big 60th D-Day celebrations. On the outskirts of Grandcamp-Maisy, we stopped to look at a spectacular new World Peace statue. Three people were also looking at it, and one of the men asked me what I thought of it. I told him it was spectacular but too large for the small roundabout where it was placed. He then introduced himself, gave me his card identifying him as the National Assembly member for that area and proudly said he was responsible for getting the statue for the community. My husband and our good friend are still razzing me about my diplomatic skills!
Cary Miller <email>
Hayden, ID USA 08/31/2007
Morons at the Tower
Hi. While at the Eiffel Tower last year, we were waiting in line for the lift to the top near midnight in June. My wife and I were there for our 25th wedding anniversary. These two twenty-somethings had waaaaaaaayyyyyyy too much to drink, and were making all sorts of comments - loudly - about the various women in line. Turns out they were Australian. The Aussies continued to run their mouths until I told them point blank to shut the hell up, which they did, more or less.
Paul Barhill
Virginia Beach, VA USA 08/17/2007
St. Peter's Basilica
I frequently travel with my mother who recently turned 71. When we were getting ready to go to Italy I had to work hard to get her to say "i-talian" versus "I-talians." I probably give her too much credit for just being ignorant and hoping she'll learn, but when we went to St. Peter's I was admiring the beauty of the building and art as we entered the very acoustically gifted building. I assumed that the way the sound carried was part of why people were being so quiet. My mom walked back over to me while I was standing before the Pieta and said is a very normal voice, "These catholics overdo everything." I can't even describe how embarrassed I was, trying to figure out if I could pretend I didn't know her.
Linda <email>
Portland, OR USA 08/14/2007
Insert Foot in Mouth
We were stationed in Aviano Italy for 6 years and during the first year I had fallen in love with a local funiture store (Ovvio) I saved up the money and courage to purchase a set of loveseats and chair. On the day I went to place my order there was the same woman I had encounted on past trips to the store. She was very unfriendly and seemed to dislike Americans, so when I walked in and saw that I would have to speak to her about my order I became very nervous. I had practiced what I wanted to say in perfect Italian, however when I opened my mouth, all that came out was "I don't speak Spanish" in Spanish. I just wanted to die right there!! She looked at me just the way I felt. Like a "stupid American" Needless to say, I waited for another day for my purchase.
Erin Wilson <email>
Moore, OK USA 08/05/2007
our favorite dead dictator
When I was in my early twenties, I travelled to Italy with three friends. We all spoke some French (learned in school) and figured if we added vowels to the ends of French words, we'd be able to communicate adequately with Italians who spoke no English. Early in our trip, we wanted to ask the elderly proprietress of a cheap, cavernous hotel where the shower was. We knew that the French word for shower is "douche," so taking it from there, we carefully formulated our question in Italo-French and tried it out on the proprietress. She burst out laughing. We didn't realize we we'd asked "Is Il Ducce here?"
Karen Klingon
New York City, NY USA 07/13/2007
Once, two of my friends and I decided to take an 11 day voyage from Geneva to Milan, Florence, Venice, Vatican, Rome, back to Nice [not enough time for each city, I know]. On our first stop in Geneva, we went to this small hostel, where we 3 shared a 3-person room. There were 2 sinks, and something that appeared to be a toilet, but there was no privacy. My 2 roomies [1 guy and 1 girl] refused to use it. I, on the other hand, felt the need to go mmmmm somewhere around 2:30. I tried to pee while they were sleeping and I woke them up. Come to find out, that's where you wash your feet.
Alyson
TN USA 07/06/2007
Careful Listening
Sally, I did the same thing as your husband! Arriving in Venice on the night train from Vienna, we were leaving luggage at the station. The attendant was explaining something to me, and I said, "I am sorry, I don't speak Italian." He gave me a bemused expression, and my travel buddy looked at me and said, "He was speaking English." I didn't expect it, so I didn't hear it.
Alice
Stoughton, WI USA 07/05/2007
Not Quite Authenic Italian Food...
Last summer I was traveling with two guy friends across Europe for 31 days. Late in our trip, we were busy exploring Orvieto in Italy and decided to take a break for dinner. Bent on eating cheap, we wandered from menu to menu- checking each cafe and resturant for the cheapest price. The winner was a small cafe with 4 euro meals to everyone elses 8 and up. The guys were sold but I was a little dubious at the price difference. I couldn't help but make some references to the movie "National Lampoon's European Vacation" (there's a french cafe scene where the family gets frozen meals) as we sat down to order. We waited for our food and I persisted in making jokes like, "I think I heard the microwave ding- our food must be ready". Pretty soon our waitress brought our pasta- in disposable white trays. We stared at eachother flabbergasted. Lifting the trays we could see the microwave directions written in Italian on the bottom. We choked down our frozen meals (one of them was still frozen in the center!) and a good deal of laughter. We weren't exactly travel savvy Americans. If something sounds too good to be true...it probably is!
Jennifer <email>
San Gabriel, CA USA 06/17/2007
Careful listening
During our first trip to Italy several years ago, my husband learned "some Italian" so we would be polite. I learned to read some Italian so we could navigate and order in restaurants.
We were in Pisa on a very, very hot and humid day. We took the train from Florence for a day trip. We'd walked to the leaning tower from the train station which was a bit of a hike, but not bad.
After a long morning and lunch in the hot sun we did not have the energy to walk back to the train. After a few minutes of hunting for the tabachi shop to get bus tickets, my husband found a police officer. He practiced his italian phrases for asking directions and then very bravely we walked over and asked how to find the tabachi shop. The police officer replied that we were to "go down that street turn left and the shop would be on the right." My poor husband turned to me after walking away and said he didn't understand a word he'd been told. I told him exactly what we'd been told. He looked at me with a perplexed expression and asked how I knew that. I replied, "he answered you in English." Hubby had been so intent in concentrating to understand the directions in Italian, he didn't notice the English.
Sally D <email>
Littleton, CO USA 06/12/2007
A funny thing happened on the way to Sorrento
While in Sorrento, a friend of the owner of the B&B we were staying in drove us into town. He spoke ZERO English. No problem! As we approached the town of Sorrento, Alfredo inserted a CD, rolled the windows down on his new BMW, and cranked up the volume. We were driving slowly through the heavy traffic down the main drag of town, surrounded by English speaking British and American tourists. The stereo is playing a high energy techno groove. But then the lyrics started: a young woman screaming, "I'M HORNY! HORNY HORNY HORNY!"
Of course it's doubtful that our new Italian friend Alfredo had any clue what the lyric meant. We died laughing!
John <email>
Fort Worth, TX USA 06/08/2007
Speaking up on an Italian train
While traveling through Europe for the first time with my wife, we found ourselves packing into an Italian train passing through Milan. I was dying to strike up a conversation, but since I don't speak Italian, I didn't. Pulling into Milan train station, one of the passengers leaves our car and in perfect English wishes us a safe journey. Now I'm really kicking myself for not speaking up. There are a bunch of college students, someone must speak English? So I gather my courage as the train is departing the station and ask some of the passengers if that are students at the university in Milan. Safe question right? Wrong. No one speaks English. All they understood was "Milan", and we just left that station! They assumed we just missed our stop and they are now starting to panic. Everyone in the car is asking us questions at the same time in Italian. Now they are all panicking. We no doubt are now receiving good advice on how to get off the train and navigate back to our stop. This activity reaches a fevered pitch and nothing we can say in English is going to calm things down. It seems like anything, particularly anything with the word Milan in it makes it worse. This goes on for what seems like forever, before we pass a few stations the commotion settles down. We ended up sitting and looking at our hands the rest of the train trip in fear that if we spoke the train car would erupt again.
Thankfully the rest of experiences with speaking up have turned out pretty well, even in Italy.
Dave <email>
Solon, OH USA 06/07/2007
western joys
Travelling for the first time to England in 2004, I needed to go to the toilet desparately at Singapore Airport. I was astonished to see that I had to squat to use the toilets. Well after finishing I headed back to the waiting area and proceded to tell the other passengers about it when a young lady then informed me that the western toilets were the other way. I had a chuckle and remembered that when we traveled to Greece 2 years later.
Matina Bayley <email>
Adelaide, SA Australia 05/05/2007
Paris Ugly American Moment
We were standing far back in line to get Metro tickets in Paris (the kiosk was broken) when this loud voice with a Texas twang shouted out "All We Want to Do is Get Tickets to 'Noter Dame'! (He mis-pronounced Notre-Dame probably thinking he was going to a basketball game at the university not a church) to the man in the ticket booth. My companion and I without exchanging a word slunk away and took a taxi. We didn't want to face anyone in that group with an American accent after that outburst.
Will O'Glen <email>
San Jose, CA USA 04/10/2007
French Friends
I was traveling to Carmargue with my french (elderly) friends. Monsieur kept asking in french for me to stop but there was nothing and I continued on. Finally I pulled up to a gate only to find that the building was closed also. He kept insisting that help in loosen the seat belt. Next I know he is out of the car and urinating. It had taken me a good 20 minutes to realize what his need for stopping was!
Anne Horsman <email>
Columbus, Ohio USA 03/22/2007
Eiffel Tower....
We just returned from a trip to Paris with our 4 young children. One day we were at the Eiffel Tower on the second level waiting for the lift to take us back down. We were still a bit jet-lagged, so I sat down to wait on a bench with my 3 year old daughter and 6 month old baby. My husband entertained our sons- ages 7 and 5 to pass the time. Behind us in line was a Finnish couple. They kept commenting on our family- "Wow, how can you have that many kids so fast! Are they Swedish? No, Americans. Boy, that mother sure looks tired", and other things- none of which was really rude but they went on and on. Well, my husband speaks Finnish fluently and he finally turned to them and said with a big smile on his face "Yes, we are a little tired. Children sure can keep you busy but they are having fun. It is a great experience for them to see Paris," and a few other joking comments. The Finns stood their with their mouths WIDE open! Of course, they assumed that no one could understand them so they said whatever they wanted to. The elevator arrived and they still stood there mortified and embarassed...they stepped back and did not even get on the same lift but waited for the next one. We had a good laugh about it- but there is a lesson to be learned....Be careful about what you say around others in Europe because chances are people (or some person nearby) can understand you even if it doesn't appear that way! ....P.S. Parisians were so nice and kind to us!
Shauna
Utah USA 03/19/2007
Are we both speaking English??
I wanted to explore my Irish roots my whole life. On my first trip, just after landing at Dublin airport, my friend and I hailed a cab and headed into town. We were so excited, and the cabbie engaged us in conversation about our trip and plans. I thought I was pretty familiar with the Irish brogue, but this first encounter with the real thing was a bit of a workout. When in the course of inquiring about our plans the cabbie asked if we were planning on going to "the Teeter," I stalled, running through my guidebooks in my mind. I couldn't think of any monuments or sightseeing spots called The Teeter, so I just kind of shrugged. Cabbie asks which one we're going to, and now I'm cornered. Pal starts to giggle uncontrollably. I stall, struggling for an answer. Finally I ask, "what's the Teeter?" Cabbie looks at me like I'm recently arrived from Mars, pal goes into fits of laughter, and I finally figure out that this native Dubliner is reasonably inquiring whether the uncultured Yanks intend to take in any of performances at one the many theaters (NOT "teeters"!) for which Dublin is known round the world. My tongue may be able to approximate an Irish brogue, but my ears never did quite get the hang of it!
Molly
San Francisco, CA USA 03/16/2007
Language faux pas
I thought I was doing pretty well speaking my high school French in Paris. One day on a recent trip I bought my favorite baba au rhum from a patisserie and was happily eating it while strolling along a beautiful street on the Left Bank. However, some of the rum sauce dripped all over my hands and pocketbook, making a sticky mess. So I went into a cafe and asked a woman who worked there for a napkin, preferably a wet one. She screamed at me that I was "fou" (crazy) and only later did I realize that "napkin" has two meanings and God knows what I was asking for when I asked for a "wet" one!
Dorothy
New York, NY USA 03/14/2007
How's your French?
WARNING TO ALL - Brush up on your French after hearing this.... I was visiting a friend in St Tropez, and he took me out to see some sights - I asked how one referred to the humidity, (that was so oppressive)in french. He told me,and later, back at his family's home when we were meeting his large extended family, I thought I'd wow them all with my grasp of their language... Well, I got a withering look from my friend who later told me that I just announced to them all that I was 'in heat'.
Gwen
Edmonton, AB Canada 03/11/2007
London Local pic
We had just visited Westminister Abbey were entering the tube entrance and I decided to take a quick picture before we left that area. While getting my shot ready, a local (with red spiked hair and chains) thought I was taking a picture of him and started yelling at me. My husband saw him coming towards us and started walking off like he didn't know me, I took one look at the man and followed my hubby's lead. Safely on the tube, I reviewed the photo I got....it looks like the man is smiling and waving at me!
Heather
WI USA 02/25/2007
Scary Polish/Russian massage
We were being shown around Warsaw by an associate, who kept talking about her masseuse Sergei all week. Sure enough toward the end of our stay she shared the good news : she had arranged for Sergei to massage us at his own home! Reluctantly we followed her up the decrepit stairs to his flat, where he ushered me into a room. While it had a proper table, the décor was decidedly un-spa like. Being Russian, he had decorated with Soviet memorabilia, swords and knives. I took off my pants and top, leaving on my bra, undies and socks. He started working on my shoulders and I thought "OK, not bad, just like at home" but then he flung my bra off and started the most painful massage I've ever endured. He didn't speak any English, mainly Russian with a bit of Polish. I speak English and a bit of French. Finally he stops, and comes at me with some device that looks like a block of wood with light bulbs plugged into it. He manages in English to say "Eet eez my method". I forcefully said "nyet, nyet", the woman who took us to see him walks in and talks to him and says to me "Sergei says "don't you want to be beautiful" and shows me marks on her abdomen that look like light bulb burns. I said no, I don't want to be beautiful and avoided the method. Then I endured some bone cracking which was a bit scary. He finished it off by cracking my back by lifting me off my feet from behind (while I was still topless). I kept telling myself "Europeans think of nudity differently". Finally the massage was over and I was getting dressed-Sergei lights up a cigarette!
It was scary/fun/horrible/interesting/strange, all at the same time, but a pretty good travel story.
Incidentally, I had to pay for that experience the equivalent of $20 CAD, and then Sergei announced there was no time for anybody else to be massaged.
Ange
Peterborough, ON Canada 02/19/2007
Pisa Italy Photographs
I took photographs of the leaning tower of Pisa but straightened them in my view finder without realizing it. Upon printing photos I was suprised,amused but disappointed.
JS
CA USA 02/17/2007
Ugly Americans
During our guided tour of Versailles in November, our tour guide had a rough time with a group of young American schoolgirls. They were probebly late teens. They were late getting their tickets which made us late getting started. The tour guide went out to try to hurry them along and one of them snapped at her. She was very upset and I felt horrible being an American at that point.
Lisa
Texas USA 02/08/2007
Ugly (and embarassing) Americans
This message board brought back several memories. In Italy last November, my traveling companions and I took a day tour to Pompeii. Our tour guide spoke German, Italian, English and Spanish and translated for the different groups of passengers as we traveled. Once in Naples, we took on another tour guide for our group who appeared to be a retired professor. Many of his comments included words like fantastic, beautiful, etc. to describe of Naples and Pompeii. A group of (ugly)Americans included a woman who felt it necessary to keep snidely commenting on his use of adjectives. While, I think she was quiet enough not to be heard by the guide, it was embarassing to me. The worst was yet to come, however. On the trip home, one of the men in her group started spouting off loudly. He had an opinion about everything including the Tomkat wedding that was scheduled for the next day. Being wrong about nearly everything he was saying didn't even slow him down. But he saved the best for last. His final opinion was this: "I've got this thing figured out. The Italians keep saying stuff is ancient so they don't have to paint anything." A light came on for me then. If only the Romans bought about 5000 gallons of white paint, the Coliseum would look as good as new! Not only was his ignorance of the cost of maintaining and preserving all of Italy's art and antiquities apalling, but his complaining about the country and its people in front of a guide who spoke fluent English as well as several other languages was extremely embarrassing. My only hope is that the guide has seen enough polite, thoughtful and considerate Americans not to have a bad opinion of all of us.
Marhanal
NC USA 02/07/2007
Table Manners
I was traveling in Germany several years backwith my aunt and uncle who were in their late 60s and early 70s. The first morning we were there, we went to the dining room for breakfast and there were only coffee cups on the table except for one very large plastic cup. We got our meal and when we sat down I saw my uncle had filled the cup with milk. It was, of course, the container for table trash. He continued to drink as if it was the proper thing to do but didn't make that mistake again.
Marhanal
NC USA 02/07/2007
DRIVING
A few years ago we were traveling in Germany with a rental car. I had just merged onto an autobahn and was driving along in the right lane. I noticed a large bus behind me and every so often, the driver would blink his lights at me. I checked everything and did not notice anything wrong and I was traveling with the traffic. He continued to do this for 4-5 times and I was beginning to get a little flustered. Eventually a car pulled up beside me and the passenger hollered something at me in German. By then I was so flustered that I hollered back in English "I don't speak English". It was only after then that I realized my left turn signal was still blinking. I still chuckle when I think of that incident.
Fred
vancouver, WA USA 02/06/2007
table manners
When in Germany, my sister and I noted that restaurants frequently have a small canister on the table. We didn't think much of it, and, as one does in the U.S., left our trash -paper napkins, tea bag envelopes, cracker wrappers, etc.- on the table. After a few days, we noticed that the neat Europeans dispose of all of their trash as they use it, in the canister. The staff empties it when they clear the table. We were mortified when we thought of the terrible mess we left our tables in! (Now, we wonder why Americans don't do the same thing. It really does look quite sloppy to have litter all over the table).
Dr. B.
Portland, OR USA 01/28/2007
The Great Hotel Switch
Back in the mid-80's my wife and I were traveling with our two sons, ages 13 and 11. We had a rental car and had found our way ( with many traffic problems) to our hotel on the outskirts of Rome. I had made arrangements via mail, and about a week before we left the States, I sent them a check for the entire amount of our stay. When we dragged our luggage into the hotel, we were told that since we had not used a credit card, our check was not accepted & they were fully booked. they had no room for us. I was furious. After arguing with the clerk for about a half hour, I told the boys to take the luggage over to some sofas in the reception area because we would be sleeping there that night. "DAAAAAAAD! Are you serious?" My wife was ready to shrink into her shoes, but I pressed on. When the boys hesitated with the luggage, I took it over to the sofas, and began to unload the suitcases. It wasn't long, and the manager appeared. He told me that he had located a room in a hotel down the street for a price lower than what he charged. I told him that I would go with him to the new hotel to inspect the new room. If it was unacceptable, I would return to sleep in his lobby. When we got to the new hotel, he had a hurried conversation with the manager, and they showed me to our SIUTE!! It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a sitting area. Breakfast was included!!! All of this cost about 1/2 of what we were going to pay for a room with two double beds. Needless to say, we accepted the new "room." To this day, the rest of the family counts this as their most humiliating experience. That is saying a lot, because I am prone to having lots of fun at times. I, however, count it as one of my greatest coups!!!
Steve
Hudsonville, MI USA 01/27/2007
Italian Reservation goof
I had been studying Italian and mustered the courage to call a hotel in Italy to request a room. All was going well until the hotel proprietor asked when we would arrive. I responded "Alle tre nel pomodoro." The proprietor started laughing as I had said that we would arrive at 3 in the tomato instead of 3 in the afternoon (pomeriggio.)
Sean <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 01/13/2007
Airplane Restroom
I travel to Germany often and on one flight to Munich from California I got up to use the restroom. I looked to see which restroom was free (the engines make it impossible to knock and hear a response -that's why those nice little signs on the door are there. Plus, no light comes on if you don't lock the door right?). I open the door and to my (and his surprise) a man was using the facilities. I almost died, but I think he must've been more humiliated! Bet he never forgot to lock the door to an airplane bathroom again!
Nancy
SF, CA USA 12/05/2006
i was at a nude beach in france, and i went over to a person wearing a large shade hat and fully clothed and asked for the time. The person turned around and It was my old science teacher, Mrs jones. I was completely nude. I was stunned for a few seconds, then I turned and ran. It was one of the most embarrasing moments of my entire life.
jacob
clovis, ca USA 11/30/2006
Oops in Vienna
My wife and I were in Vienna in the dead of winter, and I was wearing white long underwear and dark wool pants. I went to the toilet in a cafe; it was a squat john so I rolled my pants up above my knees so as not to contact the wet floor. Two or three blocks down the street my wife started laughing at me. I was walking down a Vienna street with my wool pants still rolled up knee-high and the white long underwear in full view. Oops!
Charles A. Robinson <email>
Lodi, CA USA 11/25/2006
International dialing/true story
My wife and I were arrived early on a Tuesday in Fussen, and before touring Ludwig's castles, we decided to take Rick's advice and make reservations in Gimmelwald, Switerland for Thursday night.
I speak no German, and was a complete novice with the international telephone system. After dialing a seemingly endly string of numbers,I was gratified to hear the phone ringing. The woman on the other end answered in a burst of German. Undeterred, I asked in my best guidebook German if she spoke English.
There was the sound of the phone being placed on a table, the rustled of feet, and then a very clear, "Hallo, may I help you?"
"My wife and I would like a room on Thursday, please."
"IMPOSSIBLE!" came the emphatic reply.
My heart sunk, and I pleaded, "Are you quite certain you have absolutely no room?"
The curt reply came, "Sir, this is the Fussen Crematorium!"
Thomas <email>
Tacoma, wa USA 11/22/2006
menthol toothpaste?
I was staying at a host family's home in Tirana, Albania a few years ago. I was getting ready for bed and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. When I got there I realized I had forgotten my toothpaste, but they had a tube in the cabinet so I squeezed a little on my toothbrush and started brushing. My mouth immediately filled with foam and my tongue went numb! I spit and rinsed and spit and rinsed several times before I was composed enough to look at the tube. Right in front of me, in plain English, the tube said "shave cream, contains menthol." My host family got a HUGE kick out of it, to say the least!
Rebecca
Houston, TX USA 11/15/2006
Misplaced American in Istanbul
I was sitting on a roof top terrace in Istanbul having breakfast looking out upon the Blue Mosque, with the sun rising in the sea behind. I could hear a group of Americans talking very loudly at the table next to mine. A woman was telling the group that she had been cheated by a local merchant the day before. She had gone to a small store and wanted to purchase a bottle of water for .50 Turkish Lira. She only had American dollars and gave the merchant a 5 dollar bill. The merchant, of course, gave her the correct exchange rate (1.5) of Turkish Lira for change--I could surmise all this from her story. After all, this is Turkey and that is their currency. Not every merchant has change in every currency handed them. She was outraged to get "strange looking" money in return and demanded her 5 dollar bill back and made a big indignant scene in the store as she thrust the bottle of water at the store keeper angrily. "He tried to cheat me!" she kept telling the group of about 6 Americans, hanging on to her emphatic words. I was deeply saddened and felt some embarassment that someone from my country could be so rude and thoughtless. I travel to build bridges and this woman was a determined bridge burner. Very sad. It would have been a major scene to go over and crash their conversation, but I considered it and decided to let it go...where do you start with someone so far removed from any cultural sensitivity, or just basic common sense? Obviously a group that hadn't read Europe Through The Back Door. Luckily, I don't run into too many Ugly Americans on the road, but this woman qualified, big time..
Mary
Santa Cruz, CA USA 10/21/2006
We took my Parents to Ireland, but spent 2 days in London enroute. We ate at an Italian Restaurant in Paddington. My Father, Wife, and I ordered an Italian Beer. My Mother ordered a "red beer" (1 part tomato juice to 3 parts beer) Our waiter didn't understand. I explained that it was a beer with tomato juice. He brought 3 beers, and 1 can of tomato juice. My Mother wondered where her beer was. We summoned the waiter, and asked if she was old enough to have a beer. He said he thought she ordered tomato juice. I explained that she liked to have here beer with tomato juice in it. He said: "really?" My mother was really embarrassed, but we are still laughing over this incident, and will probably be remembered as one of the more humerous events of our trip!
Dan
WA USA 10/13/2006
So focused on the moment
Last year my girl friend and I mutually left our positions (with others lined up several months later) and back packed across Europe. Charmed and druken in Prague I proposed and we traveled to Italy for our ceremony (after a 3 day wait.)
In our small Florence hotel the wonderful desk attendant provided us with upgraded suite accompdations (large even by US standards) and, even though it was late and the kitchen was closed, sent us up fresh bread, cheese, and wine on a silver rolling cart with candles. As is so often the case on a wedding night a brief snack replinished our energy and we proceeded on to the (I'm sure) somewhat noisy part of our evening. I paced time watching the flickering of candles across the other side of our room. So romantic. After a while, sheer darkness enveloped us and my wife drifted off to sleep.
Hungry again I stumbled out of bed knowing there was one more glass of wine and some cheese left on the now dark cart. Except it wasn't there......seems the front desk man was kind enough to remove the tray for us whilst still not disturbing. I wonder at exactly which moment those candles went out of view.......
Mike
Kodiak, Alaska USA 10/11/2006
Meeting at the beach
In over twenty years of holidaying around France my wife and I had never met any one we knew from home. This year that changed. I was walking along a beach when I heard a female voice say "Hello Mr****". As a teacher this was enough to strike terror. As the beach was "clothes optional" I was nude. It was a former pupil who was working for the summer in that part of France before continuing her studies at a nearby university. Two of her female French friends had taken her to the beach to get "a proper suntan". I am not sure if it ws more or less embarrassing that she was also nude. We chatted for several minutes and our lack of clothes really didn't matter at all. I just couldn't help wondering how it would have worked out if it had been a current pupil with their parents.
Vic
London, UK 09/25/2006
sign language faux pas
When I was sixteen I went on a school trip to Paris. On our first day, we decided to eat at a little brasserie. Through broken English, the waiter asked us how our meal was. I do not speak any French but decided that my American sign language would have to suffice. I held up my hand for, OK! He choked back laughter and ran from the table and into the kitchen. A few seconds pass and there is a chorus of laughter from the kitchen. Since we were the only ones in the restaurant, it was quite noticeable. After much prodding, my group leader said that I told the waiter that I wanted to sleep with him. Ahhhh, to be young and naive.
Kimberly
Houston, TX USA 09/20/2006
Language
When we visited Trieste, we expected the lack of American tourists there to result in a severe language barrier. We were wrong.
After disembarking from the bus near Miramare Castle, we couldn't find the entrance. I approached a waiter at an outdoor restaurant and asked in my best tourist Italian, "Scusi, Io sono Americano. Do've e Castello di Miramare, per favore?" In virtually perfect English he replied, "Yes, sir, it's right up that path", pointing to the entrance. At least I tried...
Tom Iarossi <email>
San Diego, CA USA 09/10/2006
Wine spitzer
Some high school buddies came to visit me when I was living in West Berlin in 1980. We went out to dinner and, being 17 years old, were pretty tickled to be able to order wine with the meal. We got a carafe and had a nice time. Toward the end, someone said something funny that got me laughing - with a mouthful of red wine. The inability to laugh out loud and my friends' laughing at my predicament made it even worse. Finally I grabbed for the nearly empty carafe to spit the wine back in, but a friend snatched it away and offered me a tiny ashtray. Well, that was even funnier and I totally lost it, spewing wine down the front of my white shirt. We were a few blocks from home, so I told them to get the tab and rushed out.
Paul <email>
Virginia Beach, VA USA 08/16/2006
Travel in USSR
While traveling on Aeroflot in USSR in 1989 with my wife and a Russian friend, I withnessed my wife's generosity backfire. On our flight from Moscow to Tashkent we were served boiled chicken and sausages. We lost out appetites. My wife turned to three uniformed men seated behind us and offered all our sausages. The men gruffly declined her offer. She thought the poor soldiers needed food. At the end of the flight, the three men got up and put on their coats, displaying the ranks of two majors and a general.
John Walling <email>
Seattle, WA USA 08/14/2006
Sleeping in the train station
While backpacking through Europe in 1976: My sister, friend and I arrived at the train station near Mont Saint Michel France in the middle of the night. Since we had to wait for the local bus to reach our final destination we asked for directions to the waiting lounge. We found a small, rustic shack along the platform in the general direction the stationmaster had pointed. We sat down at the table and chairs in the middle of the room and my two companions immediately assumed the "kindergarten position" with their head on the table fast asleep.
I managed to stay awake and as the dawn broke, a couple of men came in to look around and then left. After about the 7th or 8th person came in and left, I noticed some were dropping off their lunch boxes!! We had inadvertently wandered into the workman's building but they were all much too gracious to wake the crazy sleeping American girls.
I woke my companions, we gathered our backpacks to leave, and apologized profusely to the CROWD of workmen standing outside on the platform!
Mary <email>
Seattle - Wallingford, WA USA 08/14/2006
My Mother or My Boobs
I was traveling down the coast of the Baja pennisula and was staying in a small village. My mother was coming down to pay me a visit and I was telling in my hap-hazard Spanish that my mama was coming down to see me. Every time I told someone that my mama was coming down to visit I got smiles and giggles. Finally someone in the village basically "signed" what I was saying and it was that my boobs were coming down to visit. I guess there's two pronunciations of the word mama and I was using the very wrong one.
Sarah
Seattle, USA 08/14/2006
Don't make assumptions about people based on their appearances.
Thirty years ago, I was spending a few days in a beautiful small city on the Black Sea in northern Turkey. I was befriended by a prince of a fellow who was eager to meet an American and show me around his beautiful seaside town. Late in the day, we encountered a man whom he knew. This middle aged man had 10 days growth of beard and did not groom himself with the kind of attention to detail that we customarily do. He was wearing a light-colored, grey-blue, old fashioned, poorly fit, utility uniform and a matching cap with a shiny, black, patent leather bill. They spoke warmly to each other in Turkish for awhile. My friend turned to me and said, "Mister Jack, guess who this man is! Guess who he is! Just guess!" If anyone ever asks you such an open-ended question like this, say the most non-committal thing you can think of. Unfortunately I wasn't nearly crafty or wary enough. I looked him up and down and thought, "movie usher? Hot water heater installation man? Ticket taker?" Finally I said, "Bus driver!?" After a few moments of very awkward silence during which I clearly saw in their faces that I had apparently made a very big faux pas, my companion looked at me with a disappointed, if not fed up, expression and said almost scoldingly, "No! He's the Mayor of this city!" There was nothing I could do or say to dig myself out of the hole I'd put myself in. I had humiliated myself utterly.
Jack
Seattle, WA USA 08/14/2006
Wine bottle story
Some years ago my wife and I traveled to Italy on a guided tour. On the evening of "Rome by night", the bus kept making short stops at various attractions. My wife and I decided to get a bottle of wine to drink later at hotel room. At the Spanish Steps I found a little liquor store, with an older proprietor who spoke no English.. I only had a few minutes to purchase and didn't have time to research bottles, so I spotted a bottle of Mateus and bought it. I was a bit late getting back to the bus and as I walked into the bus, the young Italian guide turned to me, and in front of the entire bus, in a loud and scolding voice (accent and hand gestures): "Why do you buy Portuguese wine, when here in Italy we have the best wine in the world". I crawled into my seat silently.
Jim
Boston, USA 08/14/2006
Train rides in Germany
I was in Germany last year '05. And we were on the train from Frankfurt to Munich. We are used to American trains where the doors open automatically. Well we got to our stop and just stood there like dummies waiting for the door to open. All of this with a line of people behind us. Finally, a lady yelled at us in German. We finally figured out that she was telling us to press the button to open the door. We did and it was like a stampede to get out. Luckily we were at the last stop or they would have really been mad with us. Dumb!! Also, when we were traveling with our friends from Munich to Passau my friend had her feet on the seat in front of her. Two older German women started yelling at her in German and jestering that if she wanted to put her dirty shoes on the seat that she should put a newspaper down. They even got the paper for her and showed her what they were talking about. It was pretty funny. She finally decided to just put her feet down.
Kim
Brooklyn, NY USA 08/08/2006
Nice memory
I was a guest of the London Magic Circle, a magic club and my name card was on shiney heavy card stock, and I thought nice keepsake so threw it on desk. In the middle of night I grabbed key card for trip to toliet across hall in underwear
taking care of business I noticed key card was magic card , glad I was wearing underwear !!!
Brangwin <email>
bellevue, wa USA 08/07/2006
Troubles in the bathroom
So i went to Paris, Rome and Barcelona a few months ago. I normally go alone, but offered my mom to come along and she could not wait. So we were walking up a side street to the Spanish Steps in Rome when we decided to stop in to a small cafe for lunch. We sat down had something to eat and were sitting there talking when I said, "I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom." So I go to the bathroom and it was an old door with a Skeleton Key. I just closed the door and hoped no one would come in. I didn't lock the door. I go back and sit and now it's mom's turn. My mom, I love her, but she can be a little absent ditzy. So a few minutes pass and she's still in there. Another 5 minutes pass and now I am starting to wonder what the heck she is doing. Another minute goes by and I get a tap on my shoulder from a Italian. He says, "Your wife?" I reply, "No, that's my mom." He says, "Oh, sorry. She locked in the bathroom." I burst out in to laughter just knowing the person she is. Mom's is OK now a little scarred from the experience, haha.
Chris
Pittsburgh, PA USA 07/24/2006
Restaurant Follies
My friend and I were dining at a typical Italiam restaurant in Rome and eating at a table on the sidewalk, after going to the bathroom all the way in rear of the restaurant I got back to the table only to realize that I had tucked my skirt into my thong and mooned the entire restaurant as well as staff!
Also, our first night there I got up to use the restroom and asked a waitress in my best italian accent where the bathroom was, apparently she thought that I could speak Italian and said some things to me in Italian. I nodded like I knew what she was talking about and followed her gesture. Apparently she told me to watch my step because I fell down some stairs in the middle of the restaurant...thats what I get for perfecting my italian accent!
Chelsea
Sugarloaf, ME USA 07/20/2006
funny and embarrassing
while i was in paris and my moms friend was driving us back to the airport she got caught talking on her cell phone by the french police. in france it is illegal to talk on your cell phone while driving. we were pulled over. so the police had to go back to their car and get some papers. when they came back me and my sister (age 14 and 6) made funny faces at them. we stuck out our tounges crossed our eyes etc. that day we also learned that its not aloud to make faces at the police. the police told my moms friend to "keep your children under control!" my mom said in french oh no they are just americans! i was really funny but i wouldn't try playing sweet and sour while your in france
USA 07/10/2006
shoes on train seat
I can't remember if it was in Switzerland or France, but I was almost fined for putting my (shoed) foot on the seat. I know this is a rude thing to do, but I also know I've gotten away with it in the US--not in Europe!
June
USA 07/03/2006
missed train stop
My husband and I also had an embarrassing train moment. We were travelling from Switzerland through Germany, and when the train approached Stuttgart (our connection), we got our luggage and stepped into the hallway to find an exit. We passed a door almost immediately, but it was painted red and had a circle with an "x" through it, so we assumed it was an emergency exit and moved on. The train slowed, stopped, and started again, and we were still looking for a non-emergency exit! When we asked the conductor to show us an exit, he pointed to the "emergency" door--apparently the warning to not use the door applied only to when the train was in motion. Our mistake cost us about 2 and 1/2 hours of travel time, so beware! You may be the only person exiting the train, and the stops are not long, so know where you are going.
June
USA 07/03/2006
Feet on Seat ettiquette
As a response to Karyn Custer-Jankowski about the feet on seat thing, i think the reason the man undid his shoes is because in Europe, well at least Switzerland (in places quite close to Milan) you are allowed to put your feet on the seat, except you have to take your shoes off to do this.
Kira <email>
Sydney, NSE Australia 06/30/2006
Streaking
Ya'll think THAT"S embarrassing? Try this one! Here we are newly married just 36 hours and on our honeymoon in London. We'd found a nice little Hotel in Paddington run by an Italian. Checked in to the room and decided on a shower before heading out on the town. Our room had a tiny hallway, triangular in shape that entered into either the bathroom, the room it's self or the lobby of the hotel. My naked bride had gone in to use the loo and shower and I followed minutes later naked as the day I was born, all ready for a shower except no towels! After leaving the room w/o key or clothes we found ourselves locked out of our room! The only option was to hide the little wife in the bathroom and make a run for the lobby front desk and ring the bell then run back. The lobby was luckily empty. But so was the front desk. Hence we are sort of stuck! After repeated sprints to the desk to ring the bell the Italian finally stuck his headout of the window at the desk to find me RED FACED and Bare ASSED! After much ado, hemming, hawing and generally having a laugh at our expence, he said "And next you'll want me to wipe your butts!" Thank you no, just let us back in our room and quit looking at my WIFE!
Bill
Nashville, TN USA 06/29/2006
Trains
I was on a late night train going from Zurich to Heidelberg. I had had a wonderful journey chatting with a Swiss and several other European gentlemen, all of whom got off at Stuttgart. The Heidelberg stop was coming up, so I gathered my luggage and moved to the little vestibule by the doors. At this point the train was almost empty, the last stop being Frankfort, just down the line. I was the only one on my car getting off at Heidelberg. The train stops, and I stood there waiting for the doors to open. And stood there. And stood there. I knew the train stops aren't long, and wondered why the doors were not opening. Finally I asked the only remaing passenger in the car, who had been kind of looking at me funny, "Why are the doors not opening?" He got up rather quickly, pushed a button by the side of the door, and said, "You must push the green button." The doors opened (probably just in time to save me from a side trip to Frankfort in the middle of the night!), and I thanked him profusely as I jumped off. I'm sure this was clearly marked on the little sign by the button, but I don't read German. I could just hear him telling his friends about the stupid American he encountered on the train!
I have been on trains all over Europe, but apparently this was the first time I have been the first/only person trying to get off at any given stop. It could have been worse, but I felt like an idiot for not knowing such a simple thing!
Linda <email>
Chicago, IL USA 06/26/2006
My Symphonic Performance
I was on a 6 hour train ride from Napoli to Cinque Terre with a compartment full of stylish Italians, & after many days of trecking about, I was in need of a little rest. After the second hour on the train, I gave in & fell asleep. I didn't realize how exhausted I was until a loud, disturbing noise woke me. But this was no ordinary sound - oh no - with my mouth wide open & drool all over my face, I realized that I had been serenading these stylish Italians with my symphonic snoring!!!! Talk about embarrassing! Needless to say, I never gave another symphonic performance on any other train after that!
Jen
La Habra, CA USA 06/12/2006
Scrumpy Jack
My Husband, a Staffordshire friend, and I enjoyed a very nice meal at the Holly Bush Inn in Salt, Staffordshire, England.Afterwards, we went to their lovely beer garden in the back of the pub.My husband had accidentally ordered a cider, when he preferred a beer. I offered to drink the cider, though I am not a fan. It was called Scrumpy Jack. Later, when I headed to the ladies room, I had to go down several stone steps and I had unwisely worn heels. I had a terrible fall down the steps, tearing up one shin awfully. I tried to escape unnoticed, but a barrage of elderly, kind Brits stood by me with tissues for my bloodied shin. My husband and our friend teased me about the cider I had drunk. I did send a e-mail to the Holly Bush Inn telling them how much I enjoyed their pub. They sent me a postacard telling me to come again, but keep off the Scrumpy Jack. I don't even like cider.
Lorretta <email>
Houston, TX USA 05/18/2006
Large mistake
I was eating gelato in Rome when a large woman walked up to me and started speaking rapid Italian. I mistook her for the woman I had bought the ice cream from and said "Si es molto grosso" thinking this meant it was very good. She promptly slapped me and stormed away. I was later told I had said she was fat. What a day! At least it was good ice cream.
Jim
Denver, CO USA 05/15/2006
Fainting in Anne's bedroom
I fainted in Anne's bedroom, in the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam last month.
I had wanted to see that place for decades and finally I was there! We went in the evening to avoid long lines. I think it was the emotional reaction I had that caused me to keel over.
The staff could not have been kinder. They got me some water, helped me up, and even stamped our tickets special so we could return the next day and re-take the tour at no further expense.
They also told me that there are
2-3 'faints' a week there, usually 'older women'! Maybe it's because we read the Diary soon after the War was over and were so emotionally impressed by it?
Daisy
USA 05/11/2006
The dingers on the bus
I was on a red double decker bus in London with my husband, and our stop was approaching so we went downstairs to make sure we didn't miss it.
We were standing near the doors in the middle of the bus where there are no seats and I was leaning on one of the poles with my hands wrapped around it. There was a fairly loud "ding whoop, ding whoop" sound that just kept going on and on and I was wondering what on earth it could be.
I looked up to see the bus driver looking towards the back of the bus and gesturing. I kept looking behind me thinking he was looking at someone else. Everytime I looked up he was looking at me and pointing and finally I shook my head at him and ducked behind someone so he couldn't see me. That is when he yelled out "move your hand!".
My hand had been pushing against the "next stop" button that is set specifically low for people in wheelchairs (hence the different noise too) and I had no idea! My face absolutely flamed and thankfully ours was the very next stop.
The rest of the bus must have thought I was cracked (or a tourist:))
My husband, bless him, nearly wet himself laughing and has not let me live it down.
Renate
Australia 04/26/2006
Language Barrier
We were in Rottenburg enjoying a nice meal when the waiter came to our table to ask how we were enjoying our meal. My wife, who knew just a little german, wanted to try her hand at the language. 'Es tut mir leit', she said rather than 'Schmeck mir gut', that what she meant to say. The former means I'm sorry in German, or the litteral translation of 'it does me pain.' We admired her for trying, but I think my son and I should have tutored her more.
Rob <email>
Kennewick, Wa USA 04/24/2006
Ice Cream
A few years ago while traveling in Rome my husband and I stopped at an outdoor cafe in the Piazza del Popolo one evening to have an ice cream. My husband is of Italian ancestry and was always addressed in Italian. He is also good with languages but must have been worn out that night. I on the other hand know just enough to be trouble. I wanted choclate and he wanted strawberry. When the waiter approaced my husband looked at me blankly having forgotten the word for strawberry. I piped up that he wanted fagiolo. The waiter looked at me blankly for a minute while I repeated myself. The he laughed and told me, in English, sorry madam but we don't have bean ice cream. We all burst into laughter and then my hubby remembered what he wanted was fragola.
Daneal
Tucson, AZ USA 04/15/2006
Leave the Bermuda shorts in Bermuda
At last, my first day in Paris, the weather was warm and sunny. I unpacked my luggage before my wife so I told her I was going out to the street to take in some of the neighborhood charm. There I was, in the middle of Paris, wearing my Bermuda shorts! What did I know, that's how we travel. I looked around and didn't see anyone wearing shorts, or sneakers for that matter. No one said a word, they didn't have to. I ran back to my room and put on dress slacks and shoes, that's how I dressed the rest of the trip.
Daniel Johnson <email>
Rochester, New York USA 04/12/2006
Embarassing
Italy; train trip from Milan to Florence. Not just embarrassing - HUMILIATING as well!! Our first moments in Italy were scarred when as a short person who often puts her feet up on seats to relax, I had my one footresting onthe edge of the train window and my other on the seat (note - we had also just gotten off our 9 hour flight from Chicago to Milan, so I was terribly cramped and looking ahead to another 2 hour trip on the train!!) After about one hour, the "gentleman" (and I use the term loosely) sitting across from me angrily put his feet up, undid his shoes (which I had not done) and started yelling at me in Italian! He got a few English words out, "Bad American", "Go back to your own country, Go Back!" Not a nice experience. I turned quite red and got very hot. I was so humiliated! Do not put your feet up in Italy, keep them on the floor - this is a huge no-no there. I had to learn the hard way! Luckily, the rest of the trip was pure delight and we even had a very PRO-American waiter on Piazza Navona! YAY!
Karyn Custer-Jankowski
Valparaiso, IN USA 04/09/2006
Alcohol
The drinking laws in Europe are very confusing, and have caused me to embarass myself more than once. I first ordered wine at a restaurant in Italy at the age of twelve, but in Spain, at my aunt's wedding reception, at the age of fifteen, I attempted to take a cocktail off the tray of the waiter, who quickly reprimanded me and offered me a soda. My dad took a picture of me trying to fool the waiter. Oddly enough, later that night I ordered drinks from the bar.
SK
In USA 04/05/2006
They make mistakes too !!
Since most comments are about mistakes in Europe I'll share one of my German friends. In US he was hungry and so was friend so they ordered large Pizzas for both. waiter questioned Large. he said yes, 2 ( bit piturbed ) expecting 2- 10 inch pizzas. Suprised to se 2, 22" Pizzas arrive.
USA 04/01/2006
They don't make 'em like the used to
After waking up early in our hotel room on our first morning in Paris, my fiancee and I made our way down the hall to the tiny elevador that would take us down to the lobby. As we entered the elevador I looked over at my fiancee, who still looked a little sleepy-eyed, and thought I'd give her a little shock to wake her up. As the doors shut and the elevador began to decend I jumped as high as I could and came crashing down with a loud bang. It worked, she was indeed shocked and unfortunately so was the elevador. It froze up and we spent the entire morning stuck between the 3rd and 4th floors listening to the shouts of hotel staff and guests alike. I'm pretty sure I am the only tourist to visit Paris with his new fiancee and not get laid the entire trip.
USA 03/31/2006
Little shelf
I had to go to toilet at train station and found a new module type and my mouth was a little agape to see this huge steal toilet with no seat that looked like a wishing well !! I left my jacket on shelf and took care of major business ... finishing I looked for sink and realized shelf was automatic sink and my jacket set it off and now had 10 pounds of water in it luckly I was near home and dryer. (FYI laundry mats are often not so easy to find my German friend knew of none in his town of 40,000 so plan on sinks in some countrys )
John Brangwin <email>
Bellevue, WA USA 03/30/2006
Backpack Blunder
A few friends from home came to visit me while I was studying in Brighton, England last semester. Since they were staying in London, I thought it generous to ask if any would like a day trip down to Brighton. I would be their leader because I had mastered the English train system (or so I thought).
On the way back from our day trip, my friend and I were taking a short train from my uni to the Brighton train station. There were no seats, so we just stood in the area next to the door. When we arrived in Brighton, I realized that a strap on my backpack had been shut in the door! The passengers exited from the doors on the opposite end. So I frantically searched for someone to help me free my backpack. When a conductor came, he looked at me and said, "Frankly love, I don't know what the hell to do about this."
He had to call for assistance and pull an emergency lever. It just goes to show that no matter how much you try to play the smart and savy traveler, there is always the possibility for blunder! Oh well, another embarassing and funny story for the books!
Julie <email>
Baton Rouge, LA USA 03/12/2006
Upon arrival at my hotel in Venice I was given a card that I was told would activate the lights in the room. They said to insert the card in the slot once I entered the room. I treated it like a room key and thought I should just slip the card in and take it right out. I did this, the lights came on and I was happy. Then a couple minutes later the lights when out. I tried slipping the card in and out again and once again the lights soon went out. This went on for several more tries. I started looking all over the room, flipping every switch and pulling every cord, including the one in the bathroom, not knowing what it was connected to. I even went outside the room and reentered several times to see if that helped.
Soon the phone rang and the voice asked me if I was having a problem. I said yes and asked how they knew. I was quite impressed that they somehow knew of my plight with the lights. They then asked what my emergency was and I told them it wasn't really an emergency it was more of an annoyance. They asked why I had pulled the cord then. I told them I had no idea what they were talking about. We went round and round for a few minutes until I explained the lights would not stay on, they told me to put the card in and leave it there while I was in the room, and they then explained that the cord I pulled in the bathroom was for emergencies.
I thought it was more hysterical than embarrassing. It felt like some kind of Charlie Chaplin moment with sound.
Michigan USA 03/09/2006
Bus rides
I went to Dublin with two friends and we had the bad idea of dining at a pub and ordering chicken curry. The next day we weren't feeling very well but we had planned to go to Killkenny for the day. I wasn't feeling great but thought that I needed to make the most of my stay in Ireland so I decided to go on and take the bus to Killkenny. About 15 min before we got there I started feeling sick and extremely nauseated. It happened all so fast that I didn't have time to warn anybody, not even myself, and I ended up vomiting all over me, my friend, and the lady sitting in the front seat who, by the way, was wearing a white jacket. I was soooo embarassed. I kept telling the lady I was sorry but she didn't even look at me. At least we were just about to get to Killkenny.
Mex 03/06/2006
Those rug salesman are PERSISTANT
Back to the TOPIC of embarassing moments, I got a "bad kabob" in Instanbul and went running down the street looking for any reasonable place to throw up (plant container, yay!). Afterwards, I realized the rug salesman next door had been watching, and they graciously invited me in to their washroom to freshen up. They asked if I was ok. "Yes, thank you" I said, only half meaning it. I knew the plant container was only the beginning. "Are you sure you're ok?" "Oh yes." "Ah" one of them said, "Would you like to look at some rugs?" My husband said I should have asked to see their finest silk.
christy
SANTA CRUZ , CA USA 02/04/2006
Toilet Embarrassment
I as on a transatlantic flight from Manchester to Newark. Lucky for me I got upgraded to First Class. The loos were at the front of the cabin and the door to the loo would have been in full view of everybody. The "occupied" light on the loo was off, so I made my way to it.. I pushed the door open and there to my horror was a guy sitting on the loo, a roll of loo paper in his hand.. I will never to this day forget the look of terror on his face! I shrieked "oh my god, I am so sorry" at the top of my voice. The man glared at me and slammed the door shut. I "cringed" my way back to my seat. Of course everybody in the cabin knew what had happened. That guy must have stayed in there for another hour at least! Must have taken a lot of courage for him to come out at all. When he finally emerged, I hid as best I could. I came face to face with him again at the luggage Carousel. If looks could kill, I'd be long gone. I would say at a guess, that he never used an aircraft toilet again. If he did, he hopefully made sure he locked it!!
Nora
New York, NY USA 01/27/2006
The London
I was minding my own business (alone) and on the Tube for the first time. I was feeling quite confident in my abilities of navigation and getting around London. I had entered through Pinner Green which was a area in NW London. When I got to London I went to leave from one area and go into another. This required my ticket. I was watching people who appeared to just walk through the turnstile which open up and are as high as the chest and down to the mid thigh. Well, what I didn't see was the fact that they put their ticket in this machine reader thingy for it to open for them. I thought they were just walking through. It was my turn and I just started walking through the turnstile and nearly landed on my butt when it wouldnt open for me. I pushed agasint it again and coudln't figure out why it was opening for everyone but me. Then, someone behind me said, "You need to put your ticket in over there love, then it will open for you" I was so embarrassed.
Nora
Surprise, AZ USA 01/24/2006
Venice airport mixup
Mom and I got a very cheap flight to Venice, took a bus into the city and enjoyed ourselves for 5 days. When it came time to go home, we took the airport bus from the bus plaza. When we got to the airport, we asked which terminal was the correct one for Ryanair. Imagine our consternation when the info lady pointed out that we were in the wrong airport! We had to take a taxi to Treviso Airport, which cost 60 Euro! So much for cheap flights when you don't pay much attention!
The next time, though, we got it right.
Martha
USA 01/23/2006
Don't drink wine like beer in Vienna
As an 19 year old in Vienna over 10 years ago, I learned the hard way that, at the Vienna wine-bars (Heurigen), the alcohol content is 3 to 4 times as strong as American beer. After a pitcher of wine, I threw up all over the table, all over myself, and all over the entrance to this beautiful retaurant. Very, very embarassing. Luckily, I don't remember much of it.
Steve
Chicago, Ill USA 01/06/2006
Gas and thanks
I was in Ulm with my brother and mom, (We had gotten lost trying to make it Rothenburg, so took a side stop) When we ordered dinner, we asked for water to drink. (We were on a very tight budget.)He asked "Would you like it with gas?" My mom that it was "Would you like it with a glass?" It went on that way for 5 minutes, including hand-motions on the waiters part. We finally got our non-gased water. (W/ gas means carbonated water.)
Another time, when we were picking up our car in Friedrichshafen, Germany, I decided to say my first german word to a native. A simple "Thanks" (Danke) I had been studying the phrasebook the whole flight, and new tourist-deutsch pretty fluently. But I mistakenly though Danke was pronounced Dang-key. I hate to think about what that might have meant!!
Brooklin <email>
Simi Valley, CA USA 01/06/2006
Toilet Tip
My most embarrassing moment really wasn't TOO bad. It could have been worse...
I was in a train trekking across England... and when the on-board "toilet" finally was un-occupied... I went in...
As I was finishing, the door opened up and a guy was standing there! Turns out... in some trains, you need to hit an "occupied" button to let others know.
It was a bit embarrassing, but I got over it quickly. Vacations across the world are meant to create such funny situations-- It's part of the fun!
Just a friendly warning, though!
Tony Reed <email>
Albuquerque, NM USA 01/03/2006