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In many regions of Germany (Bavaria for example) shops are closed on Sundays, but not cafes and restaurants. Sunday is a day of rest and socializing, also for the sales personnel. Shopping can be done on six other days.
In many regions of Germany (Bavaria for example) shops are closed on Sundays, but not cafes and restaurants. Sunday is a day of rest and socializing, also for the sales personnel. Shopping can be done on six other days.
Shhhh, people here don't want to hear that. European countries always have festivals and 24 hour a day, 7 day a week stuff going on.
Shhhh, people here don't want to hear that. European countries always have festivals and 24 hour a day, 7 day a week stuff going on.
Well, shopping is not the only kind of fun there is. Every Saturay and Sunday morning you can see tons of people with backpacks at the railway station, heading out into the Alps. Now, THAT is real fun!
Well, shopping is not the only kind of fun there is. Every Saturay and Sunday morning you can see tons of people with backpacks at the railway station, heading out into the Alps. Now, THAT is real fun!
I know that, but look at the original premise of the thread.
The Alps would just be boring landscape. Now, a festival at one of the peaks, that's the good life.
Well, shopping is not the only kind of fun there is. Every Saturay and Sunday morning you can see tons of people with backpacks at the railway station, heading out into the Alps. Now, THAT is real fun!
True, and you can see hordes of people on weekends heading off to go hiking in the Appalachians and the Rockies and the Ouachitas and Ozarks and any other number of mountainous areas in the US too. The only difference is they're usually driving to a state park to park, not gathering at the railway station.
You should visit the Appalachians or Rockies, or heck, just about anywhere in the US where there are mountains or streams or rivers or canyons, during the summer time - count the cars on the highway with canoes or bikes or gear strapped to the top, headed for the mountains. Good times, good times!
The US has some amazing state and national parks and they are extremely popular destinations.
Either way, it's all good. Both countries offer some spectacular scenery and hiking trails.
The point is that grocery shopping is much less boring in many parts of the world. But if you like the one we got here, there is nothing wrong with that. Just keep in mind what I'm saying is this is boring, that's all. I am not saying it has to change. Many people like boring.
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Why, yes, in 65 years on this planet, I have heard of Farmer's Markets. In fact, if you looked at my link to my city, you'd see that we have one in the summer. I go there on occasion; it's always the same stuff, and sometimes you can get better prices for the exact same thing, e.g. locally grown sweet corn, at the local chain grocery store. Nor do I need a jar of honey every week, etc. I really don't need to go to the grocery store for entertainment. I feel sorry for anyone that does. We also garden in the summer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
Yeah, we had some consultant here "suggest" we support a year round farmer's market with individual vendor's stalls. Support meant that the Town would rent the building, manage it and offer free space.
I, of course, threw a turd into the punchbowl when I innocently asked what would be sold Dec.-April. I just got a stupid look from the boosters. They'd never thought of that. The idea has kinda died.
A year-round farmer's market was discussed around here, too, indoor at the county fairgrounds. DH said, "isn't that called a grocery store?"
True, and you can see hordes of people on weekends heading off to go hiking in the Appalachians and the Rockies and the Ouachitas and Ozarks and any other number of mountainous areas in the US too. The only difference is they're usually driving to a state park to park, not gathering at the railway station.
You should visit the Appalachians or Rockies, or heck, just about anywhere in the US where there are mountains or streams or rivers or canyons, during the summer time - count the cars on the highway with canoes or bikes or gear strapped to the top, headed for the mountains. Good times, good times!
The US has some amazing state and national parks and they are extremely popular destinations.
Either way, it's all good. Both countries offer some spectacular scenery and hiking trails.
I've been at the Grand Canyon and in the Rockies (Brekenridge, CO) in spring a few years ago. It was fantastic. I have a lot of criticisms for America, but boring is one thing it is most definitely not!
The notion that grocery shopping has to be some special kind of fun is new to me though
Yeah, we had some consultant here "suggest" we support a year round farmer's market with individual vendor's stalls. Support meant that the Town would rent the building, manage it and offer free space.
I, of course, threw a turd into the punchbowl when I innocently asked what would be sold Dec.-April. I just got a stupid look from the boosters. They'd never thought of that. The idea has kinda died.
My town actually began an indoor "artisan market" in our community center this January to April to give us sonething to do/a place to come together during the winter. It was highly successful. They had farmers from PA selling fresh eggs and beef jerky, a local homemade pasta store had a table selling pasta and sauce, local women who have a business making little (delicious!) pies, someone selling various dried fruits and nuts, jewelry store tables, etc. Not a "farmers market" obviously because little fresh produce is grown locally around here in the cold but it was a really successful thing. Always crowded. Most vendors sold out of their stuff within a few hours. It was cool, I enjoyed it.
Well, we do have an outdoor farmer's market with a wide variety of produce all year round (thank you, SoCal climate!) and I go there weekly for strawberries (far better than anything you can ever buy at the supermarket), delicious inexpensive oranges, vegetables (the asparagus and snap peas are wonderful right now) and a few other things. I buy the raw, local honey and occasionally the almonds. But as an entertainment destination??--no. In fact, I avoid the whole end of the market where vendors nag the shoppers to try their overpriced baked goods, peanuts, salsa, and jam, the stands of baskets, purses, jewelry, and hats, and most particularly the live music, which is of a genre I particularly loathe. I just want to go and buy my produce and go home, thank you very much.
Val (if you're still reading this), at the risk of coming off like a concern troll, may I offer you some honest advice? The reason you get hostility on a thread like this is that your posts come off, intended or not, as deliberately confrontational. You titled this thread "Is America 'boring' compared to other countries?" It's phrased as a question, like you're trying to create a reasoned discussion, but then the entire body of your first post is basically just "Yes, America is boring compared to other countries." I suspect that you're trying to do that "I'm just asking questions" thing where you're trying to plant doubt in people's heads by raising a pointed question when you really mean to promote a particular point of view, which is a dishonest rhetorical trick, but in this case you forgot to go all the way with the trick and just ended up unloading with an expression of your real agenda. Even if you stick with the trick, you'll get hostility, because people have seen the trick many times before and are offended by the implied challenge to their ideals. But in this case, you got perhaps more than average because you didn't commit to it.
Aaaaaanyway, to address the topic at hand: I personally do prefer the feel of Europe to that of the U.S., all in all. But I suspect some of that may be because I haven't traveled extensively in Europe. I've heard from some people (mind you, not all) who are more well-traveled than I that Europe tends to run together after a while. See, the cool thing about the U.S. is that far from being homogeneous, it's incredibly diverse. Seattle is nothing like Los Angeles is nothing like Boston is nothing like Denver. There's something for everybody. Want a 24/7, debauched party? There's New Orleans. How about a city as urban is it gets, with sidewalks so packed at times that you can't navigate them? New York. How about a multipolar city with nexuses of dense, walkable activity that are so distinct they could be separate cities themselves? Los Angeles. A monumental city with a sense of austere importance and a European flair? You can try DC. And it's not just the major cities that offer these distinct experiences. Some of the best travel experiences I've had were in places like Savannah, Key West, the Finger Lakes in upstate New York, Vermont. Is there a lot of nothingness connecting these places? Sure, but the nothingness can be awesome, too -- people travel halfway around the world to see America's wilderness and roadside kitsch. In my experience, that's what foreign visitors are often most interested in experiencing.
Sometimes people discuss this topic and someone says: "Well, what about New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Miami, New Orleans, Chicago, Portland, Las Vegas, DC? Those aren't boring." And the response will be, "Well, those aren't typical." But aren't they? I just named 10 cities with millions upon millions upon millions of people and even more visitors. All these places (even LA!) have strong walkable elements, great nightlife, arts and culture (excepting Vegas -- sorry Vegas -- which makes up for it in other ways), absolutely awesome food scenes. How many countries can say they have 10 cities of that caliber? Sure, the U.S. has a larger population and is less dense than Western Europe, but who cares? It's the third-largest country by area in the world. The only two larger countries, Russia and Canada, are much less dense.
Whenever you see this question, it boils down to this: Why is the U.S. less like Europe than Europe? Well, because all places are different and we should appreciate that difference. And I say this as a supporter of density and urbanism who believes it's important to promote that in America.
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Always crowded. Most vendors sold out of their stuff within a few hours. It was cool, I enjoyed it.
