annettafly, don't feel singled out by your "nemesis." She's EVERYONE's nemesis - THE Last Word on (home country). A real pill. I bet lots here were happy to see you and that other nice person give back as good as you got.

In Rome I got my soft and hard "ch" sounds mixed up and ordered fish ice cream.

"historytraveler on Apr 5, 12 at 8:46pm
I think it should be in the lounge and I'm a bit surprised that the topic is focused on Americans. In the past twenty years, I've witnessed just one " crazy American" experience but apparently old stereotypes still exist. Such behavior has little to do with one's nationality and more to with one's attitude,lack of sensitivity or just plain ignorance"

I agree. I'm American and have overheard all kinds of ridiculous things said and asked overseas by non-Americans. I speak and understand several languages. It's not just an American thing. Plus, here at home in L.A., tourist land, I have been asked and have heard all kinds of ridiculous things from plenty of foreign tourists. Happy Travels!

One of my worst tourist experiences occurred outside of Rio de Janeiro many years ago -- a fight between Japanese (could have been Chinese, but I was at the back of the bus). Torrential rains in Rio; we decided to take a bus tour to the mountains, where it wasn't raining to see an old presidential palace. Our tour guide spoke five languages -- I was soooo impressed. The bus made a loo (shopping) stop, and the Americans in the best forward bus seats (panoramic view) left the bus, to find on their return that the Japanese/Chinese people had settled into their seats. Much yelling going on. For some reason (maybe sheer numbers), the Easterners won; one of the Americans started singing America the Beautiful at the top of his voice. Surreal.

Really? Oh no! I'm unprepared. I've got to find "what to wear in Venice". Planned on just dressing as myself. So---Detroitwear won't go over in Venice, huh?

annettafly: <i>do we think my nemesis on the Cinque Terre topic is finished insulting me, or are there more negative American lables that I've yet to be called?</i>"

Unfortunately the brat on your Italy thread . . . IS American. An expat that insults <u>everybody</u>.

"orangetravelcat on Apr 6, 12 at 3:17pm
I started a thread on things non-American tourists do, in case anyone gets tired of the usual American bashing and would like to expand to tourists of other nationalities"

LOL! I've been tired of the American bashing for three decades. It became stale a long time ago, as far as I'm concerned.

Happy Travels!

Iceland was the first foreign country I visited over 40 years ago and we wanted to see some of the countryside but there were no cars to be rented from Reykjavik, at that time of year, so we took a tour. The land is so harsh and exotic that astronauts used to train there because it is the terrain that most resemebled the Moon in Earth. Nothing grows naturally because of the composition of the soil from the lava.

The tour guide gave the obligatory facts and figures and asked if there were any questions. From the back of the bus in a deep southern accent came, "Yeah, how much does this bus weigh?"

It was a question far beyond anything Kierkegaard or Wittgenstein could have posed or answered.

Oh,Adu, that is priceless!

Back for another good laugh---and got it---before heading to bed. I'm beginning to recognize your names from other posts in past 2 months. So much helpful info and good advice---from StCirq on an old post ('09) what to wear; Dayenu letting me know the vaporetti do go in both direction from both sides of the Canal; PalenQ, LucieV, Annahig, Ellenem, Jean. And Janisj, yes, I had heard that expats could be worse than exsmokers. YA THINK!?! Goodnight or good morning all.

Adu, our first foreign was also Iceland and also more than 40 years ago - 44 at the end of this month to be exact. Could we have been on the same tour? Did you fly over on a turbo-prop on your way to Luxembourg?

St Cirq:

There was also a couple on the bus who claimed that they were on their honeymoon but looked like the children of the Director of Recreation at Auschitz.

Basing, was that you asking the question from the back of the bus? I do not recall if were given leather helmets or not on the leg from Reykjavik to Luxembourg.

But I was the semi-ugly American. When we landed in Reykjavik I realized that I did not have any Icelandic Krona and this fellow graciously lent me enough money to get into the city. Of course, I offered to pay him back. The next day, I sent an envelope to him but forgot to include the money, which I did the following day with the hope that he did not think all Americans were as stupid as I was.

"chartley on Apr 6, 12 at 9:11am
The reason this thread is about crazy American tourists is because Fodor's is an American site, and most of the people who post here are Americans"

Well, I started on Lonely Planet and there was plenty of this kind of talk on non-American Lonely Planet, and regularly, which is one reason why I came over to Fodors. The comments got real tiring. Happy Travels!

Adu - couldn't have been me. You mentioned a southern accent and I still speak like the Brooklyn boy that I am. Can't mistake the two. On the other hand, we were on our honeymoon but I hope we looked better than the couple you described-----on the other hand....

We Brooklyn kids have to stick together.

annettafly: if it makes you feel better, when I encounter everyone's nemesis, I remind myself that this is a person who lives in paradise, but spends all her time scolding people on Fodors.

There is something seriously wrong with that picture.

An Australian I know claims to have heard a man outside Winchester Cathedral saying to his wife "OK, honey, you do the inside and I'll do the outside". I think we all know the mentality, irrespective of nationality.

And this is a genuine letter to a local paper in England (admittedly about 40 years ago):
<i>We went to France for our holidays and took six large sliced loaves of bread with us. We still had one left after thirteen days. It was still good to eat. This is a tribute to a Leicester bakery.</i>

Patrick -- you'll have to ask your Aussie friend if the American man was unusually tall (6'4") with an adorable and hyper 4 year old boy. You don't have to ask if the wife was pretty though! We have had that conversation outside Winchester Cathedral (and Edinburgh Castle and a few more). Sometimes divide and conquer is the only strategy we had with our little one. We are getting better as he gets older and have been back to Winchester!

Oveheard while we were wandering through the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland admiring the tulips on an admittedly chilly chilly April afternoon:

"Why couldn't they do this in August when the weather's better?"

in a frighteningly nasal whine.

As a Brit I have to cringe at most of the things I've said and done on holiday. To keep away the stress of the holiday I now take off my watch and wander around with a grin on my face. I wear glasses to restaurants so I can take them off as I try to workout what is being said to me and I have had the pleasure of traveling with people who speak the local language who explain the terrible/humorous things the local say and as you say it every country.

However, you guys are right you do tend to pick up English (as a native speaker) out of a crowd of noise.

Still I remember a beautiful evening in Pienza on a terrace with the stars on a piece of black velvet above and the distant cities twinkling down the valley, the smell of the warm afternoon still filling the air a fine meal just being finished as a Texan female twang is heard speaking to a waiter we know can only speak Italian "If you didn't know that I ordered sparkling water why the f@@@ didn't you say".

The silence on the terrace of some 40 people was not enhanced when she shouted "well?".