Dear Beverley, <BR>Thank you very much for the excellent information. I was thinking about the nightwatchman tour in Rothenburg (I really love Rothenburg- have been there more than 20 times!!!) because my family and I never took part in the nightwatchman tour. Now that I know that there won't be any food and not even proper diet coke we will definitely avoid this tour. By the way: Have you ever done the morningwatchman tour? <BR> <BR>Lots of love, <BR>Mr. Stubbins.

<BR>Dan makes a particularly salient point. It's all very well saying what's good and what's not for Europe and Europeans but let us (the Europeans) decide. I for one, love having Pizza Huts and McD's et al in Scotland. If suddenly they were to all be taken away as some sort of half-assed beautification 'back-to-our-roots' programme then I would be well annoyed. Are we not allowed to have convenience because it spoils our history and culture? <BR> <BR>It's almost as if people see Europe as one great vacation resort, rather like DisneyWorld, with the Europeans as the 'dancing bears' where we exist only to dress up in local apparel for the benefit of tourists <BR> <BR>When i visit America (my favourite country by a factor too high to compute) i dont expect people to be running about with Bowie knives and blasting away at buffalo. I also dont get annoyed at people watching television or driving Buicks or being treated with penicillin - all of which were Scots or Scottish or invented by Scots. The world is changing people, change with it.

Tony, you were only partly right about the U.S. There is way too much blasting away still going on here - its just not aimed at buffalo anymore. However, if you do want to see some of that type, visit the South where I live. Sometimes it seems that people here want to live in the Old West and carry guns in holsters around everywhere they go. <BR> <BR>I certainly wouldn't want them to take away my Chinese restaurants either and only allow them where there are lots of Asian immigrants.

Wow! I have to cringe along with Lee Simmons. For me, though, the painful fart of this is not that American stores are appearing in Europe, but that American tourists can be so dull-minded and arrogant as to think that if Europeans don't do things in an American way or don't serve American products that they're somehow inferior. Good grief! Reminds me of one time I was sitting in a restaurant at either Orly or Ch de Gaulle. It was my last day in France after living there for a few years. Next to me was a man and woman, Americans. The man started shouting angrily at the waiter because he didn't speak English. As if the waiter was being rude for not speaking English. Unfortunately, I exploded, too, but not at the waiter who wound up enjoying the whole mess that ensued. <BR>I propose to those who want their coke and "real American products" that they look around the US and see how well we are adapted to providing the French or the Austrians what they might have the same arrogance to demand... when's the last time you saw little Suzy the waitress down at HoJo's answer a German tourist's question in German? Ought not to demand what you can't deliver! <BR> <BR>

I feel certain that this message was meant as sarcasm...surely! I live in a small town in Arkansas (home of the Wal-Mart empire) and can tell you that Wal-Mart stores destroy most local merchants. No one can compete, and I can't stand the thought of the charming Romantic Road being invaded by this giant! And most certainly the part about Rothenburg's nightwatchman tour is meant in fun. I was unable to go on it this past summer and was disappointed, but I walked most of the wall around the city and loved it - and I didn't eat or drink anything while doing it! Just my 2 cents worth... <BR>

Joel - i think a point you make is flawed slighty. Allow me to elaborate: THE language of the world is English, it's just lucky for you (and me) that English is our primary language. Don't start with the well-worn rant about having to learn other languages - you could take that to extremes and complain when people don't learn Western Samoan in France or Portuguese in China. The world has to communicate so, with a little help from the British (who thought they ruled the world last century) and latterly from the Americans who, lets face it, have the single most important economy on this planet, the world has adopted English as a common language. That's not to say you shouldn't make an attempt to speak the indiginous language of wherever you happen to be visiting or berate a waiter for not speaking English (although rather odd - a waiter at an international airport in Europe not being able to speak English?) <BR>In mainland Europe the children learn English from a VERY early age so I think your argument is skewed slightly. you can't expect countries where the main langauge is English to learn another langauge in the same way as a non-English-speaking country would learn English.

This is true. WalMart is opening in Germany as Beverley said. I don't understand the fuss about really and don't understand why so many replies have been posted. But then again the replies aren't about WalMart but about US in Europe. As a European I despair at some, the vocal minority, of US citizens who wear Hawaii Shirts and shout at unsuspecting locals when they have the tenacity not to speak English. Some posting on Fodors often warn of the French being ungrateful to US support in the past, and deride the supposed fact Diet Coke tastes different or warn of Dachau, because there are no refreshments on offer. DACHAU IS A PLACE OF DEATH AND REMEMBRANCE, NOT A CONVENIENCE STORE! <BR>Anyway on Wal-Mart, I greet their presence here. It will make home-hgrown supermarkets wake up to customer service. Something which is not American, but common business-sense.