"More European than Europe"
 

While flying this weekend, I was reading a Condé Nast Traveler (the August 2004 issue) on the plane. In it, there was an article about the Channel Islands, not Jersey & Guernsey but the islands off the coast of Southern California.

There was an accompanying quote, from a woman well-known to many of you here, saying that (in her opinion of course) a particular city in this area is "more European than Europe."

Any guesses?

I haven't a guess as to who said that quote, but was she talking about Avalon? I think it feels very much like Monterosso in the Cinque Terre (without the Italians and the pesto, of course!).

Solvang!

This little Danish village looks like it came out of a fairytale book. Very touristy, but worth at least one visit if passing through the area. Here is a link with some good photos of the town: http://www.solvangca.com/

Whoever it was I hope they've actually BEEN to Europe and sseen something besides the Cannes Film Festival.

TopMan, knowing who she is, I'm sure she had been to Europe a lot.

I can't tell you who she is because she lived in this city she was talking about and some of you would probably know that.

I read the article--I believe she was talking about Santa Barbara. But no Fodor's connection rang a bell. I'll have to look at it again. Maybe I haven't been posting here long enough to know. . .

FWIW, not that anyone really cares, but my grandfather used to be a sponge-diver in the Channel Islands!

Just had to share this family quirk.

Santa Barbara was the city mentioned, wasn't it Julia Childs (god rest)?

I used to live in that area, in Santa Monica, and never would call Solvang more European than Europe.

I know where it is but don't feel that way myself, and I used to have friends who lived there and visited it a lot. I never thought of it being European. ... oh, I see someone said Santa Barbara.

I don't think of any place in Southern California as feeling European. I mean, I used to date soccer players a lot and play darts and drink Bass Ale at Ye Old King's Head because I lived in Santa Monica where there is a big expat British community, but it's not European feeling.

She lived in Europe, didn't she, so I guess she would know more what feels European to her from that viewpoint.

I think anyone who says something as stupid as "more European than Europe" just doesn't get it.

While we're at it, it's about as stupid as people saying "he gave 150% of his effort". Huh?

And excuse me, but Solvang? I don't think I've ever found any place in Europe as touristy and tacky as that place! What's European about it? The Disney style dresses the shop workers wear?

I agree with Christina and Patrick. I've lived in Europe for a year and Santa Monica for over 10 years and have been to Santa Barbara and Solvang. Reminds me of what my friend David Westheimer used to say, "There's no accounting for tatse."

SAN FRANCISCO is the closest large city we have in the US that will give you a flovor of being in a foreign, exciting city. After that there is FRESNO.....

Okay, having been to Copenhagen, I would never compare a tourist attraction (and yes, tourist trap) like the village of Solvang to it or any other European city on any serious level.

But Capo has asked us to guess where this town on the central California coast might be. Solvang is, by far, the most over-the-top attempt to re-create a European town in the area. If someone who has traveled extensively in Europe could say a town in California is "More European than Europe", then I'm taking it to be said in a rather light-hearted or perhaps sarcastic way.

So, Christina I must have seen you at the Kings Head. It is a nice little pub/restaurant where alot of the xpats of Britain hang out to feel at home. Now they have a shop next door where they sell HobNobs and the like.

I can't believe anyone would say Avalon is remotely European like.

This isn't a debate as to whether it is true or not (well I guess now it is here on Fodors) but simply referring the text in a travel magazine article (which I happened to have read also).

Uhhhhh..are we inferring that Europe has absolutely and positively NO places that are

"touristy"

"tourist traps"

places on the water with a casino and high-priced boats moored

people who wear Disney-like costumes upon which all those Disney costumes were ultimately based

places that charge exhorbitant prices

Of course, we know that NONE of these things has ever occurred in Europe...if they do, then perhaps we can say those places are more American than America!

Montreal, for example, feels European, but calling someplace "more European than Europe" is silly.

I suspect the reference was just conversational hyperbole--the type of thing we all say colloquially, but that looks really idiotic in print. So of course the reporter picked that quote!

Oui! It was Julia Child talking about Santa Barbara. When she died, it was in her home there. I found that an intriguing comment since Santa Barbara is a place I've always wanted to visit.

According to the website below, she moved to Santa Barbara in late 2001 from Cambridge, Massachusetts, returning to the general area where she was born (Pasadena.)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/08/13/obit.child.ap/

<i>I suspect the reference was just conversational hyperbole . . . So of course the reporter picked that quote!</i>

Touche, elle! Merci.