kiv,

The French will very much appreciate your making an attempt to speak their language, so many people can't be bothered!

Do not worry at all about your footwear. I wear SAS shoes mostly; Mary Janes which still look fairly industrial and lace-ups which are fairly dire (to me). As one poster suggested, I wear dressier shoes if I know I don't have to walk much.

I can almost 100% guarantee no one will look at your legs or shoes. If someone notices you are having any difficulty, I can again almost 100% guarantee that people will go out of their way to
make you feel comfortable.

Come and have a wonderful time!

She laughed and said, "Ah! English! I was wondering what language you spoke!" Her husband saved the day and had an extra ANKUNFTSZEIT and gave it to me. It has become one of my prized souvenirs of all time.>>

he carried pieces of paper saying "ANKUNFSZEIT" in his pocket?

somehow it doesn't seem very in keeping with the german character to have so many parking machines out of order!

I must remember that next time i'm in Germany. thanks for the tip.

Again...thanks to everyone...love all the posts & info. I'm really enjoying my French lessons & yes..it is most difficult but love the program I'm using as it makes me listen to French phrases & respond either by speaking the correct response or writing the correct response in a flash card type manner. I find myself dreaming the words I'm learning, as well as conjugating verbs in my mind...so I'm just hopeful that I will be able to carry on a "baby" conversation with the locals but I anticipate a lot of big smiles at my attempts!

oh annhig, no, he had an extra ANKUNFSZEIT placard in the car. It's a little placard with a paper clock that says when you parked your car.

It was the first time in all the times I've parked in Germany that the machine was out of order.

Kiv, you're a smart traveler. This effort you're making now will pay off big time. Even if you don't speak perfectly, when someone makes the effort, it makes a difference.

There's only two places I can think of that don't let you in wearing 'sneakers' in London - the Ritz and the American Bar at The Savoy.

Can't stand those places personally, full of brash businessmen and hookers in miniature dresses, so if, like me, you are happy to avoid them, all will be well. Not even a triple Michelin starred restaurant in London would turn you away.

I was indignant for you when I head that your friend told you that tie shoes were unacceptable, not fashionable enough, etc., I wanted to call her a few names, but since you are traveling with her, you must be a good enough friend to know that she has enough good points to make up for this snottiness.

However, when she starts on the shoe thing, ask her how she will feel when you can't keep up or fall in that silly fashionable footwear. I traveled with a certain relative who is very fussy about the "right" clothing. We did a day trip to a nearby city which included walking tour, time on our own and then dinner in a swanky restaurant. Everyone knew about the walking bit and had comfortable shoes, but this relative (R) insisted that she was going to wear high heel shoes to be proper for the restaurant. I suggested that she wear walking shoes for the tour part, leave the heels on the bus, and then change shoes on the way to the restaurant. Oh, no, that wouldn't do as walking shoes would not be proper with her dress.

I didn't finish, but suffice to say, the day was a bust due to improper footwear. (R had to hold someone's arm the whole time and then said her ankle hurt on the uneven sidewalk and she could not complete the walking part.)

I wear SAS walking shoes, usually the black ones, because I wear orthotics since I have plantar fascitis. If I decide I don't want to wear the orthotics, I can get away with it for a while--a few days maybe--but eventually my foot starts hurting.

Occasionally, if I want to look more elegant, I just wear a sandal. That works for an evening, but I'd never consider wearing anything but walking shoes the rest of the time.

Interesting that your friend says this. It's crazy.

P.S. Nobody in Europe cares what you wear. Nobody!

as a matter of interest, do brits start threads on the american thread about what to wear in the US?

annhig: I've never seen one . . .

>>as a matter of interest, do brits start threads on the american thread about what to wear in the US?<<

Come come, ann: flip-flops, Union Jack shorts, a "Fat Slags" T-shirt and knotted hanky are <i>bon ton</i> anywhere, as any fule kno.

I have put a picture on my profile.

It shows us fitting in, local style, South Carolina last month

Come come, ann: flip-flops, Union Jack shorts, a "Fat Slags" T-shirt and knotted hanky are bon ton anywhere, as any fule kno.>>

how did you know, Patrick? you've been peeking!

Dickie - the lighting's a bit difficult, is that you?

My son on the dock, dressed as Scream.

On Hallo " rip the neighbours off for all the chocolate they have" ween.

His English accent ensured he cleared up all the tricks on Edisto Island.

Dickie - sounds fun.

did he share any of the chocolate with his old dad?

On the US board, we do get a lot of questions about what to wear, but mostly it is weather-related. You know, people doing a road trip through CA and NV that included SF, CA coast, and LV. No one ever seems concerned about blending in or offending us, just being too cold or too hot.

People should wear what they are comfortable wearing. That's the bottom line.

We all have different levels of comfort. Personally, when I go on vacation I wear nice clothes. Unless I'm out walking my dog, I dress well. Not that I'm into designer duds or am a fashionista but I'm more comfortable if I'm wearing nice looking clothes. Plus, at some point my husband will insist upon taking my picture.

I keep in mind the time that some friends went on vacation to Europe and they had lots of pic of him and someone else by whatever iconic site was available. Finally I asked my friend who the guy in the baseball cap and t-shirt was. It turned out it was his wife.

I don't worry about offending anyone, I just like to be comfortable and for me, that means dressing appropriately or having clothes that I would be comfortable wearing to a nice establishment.

@lsky, you sound like my friend...she is always dressing according to what she thinks would be appropriate...but to me it always seems like she is "playing dress-up" but that's what she is comfortable in & she cares more about what people think of her outward appearance more than the inward stuff..not sure why but she does. I was more concerned about offending anyone, which I would never want to do. She was fairly insistent that Europeans are not like most California's, especially like me who have lived in beach communities that are definitely more casual than most.

I'm still so glad to hear that during the day I don't have anything to worry about & can certainly dress up for any special occasions in the evening, when walking won't be such an issue.