Hello from Copenhagen, Hamburg, Brussels A London
Date: 9/18/99 8:00:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Typing this from the Usit Cafe across from the Victoria
Station in London. Will be in England for quite few days.

Just when was feeling that I would have asked Copenhagen to
marry me, if she were a woman, I came to Brussels. I have
seen lots of lovely places on this trip, but Brussels stole
my heart, I think. TOM, GIGI, plan a trip here and include
the Scan countries, or some other combination. Go to the
Grand Market/Square at night, feast on the sights and
people, take a side street from there, ANY, eat a
restaurant, and then walk and walk, and, if the weather is
nice, ask yourself if you have EVER seen a lovelier place.
I mean it, including Tallinn, Bergen, Stockholm,
Copenhagen. However, I will exclude huge cities like
Berlin, Moscow, and perhaps also those in Southern Europe
from this comparison, but include Prague and Budapest and
all else.

Back on my Euroline bus pass, I took the bus from
Copenhagen to Hamburg, from there to Brussels overnight,
arriving there at noon. I was there about 10 hours, 6 of it
walking and enjoying. Because the hostels were full and the
Chunnel train Eurostar was not working on the day I
arrived, due to rail-worker strike in Belgium and, I was
told also in London, I wanted out, not to be stranded
there. The busses were also all full, but finally I got on
the midnight bus, my 2nd night without sleep.  Then came
the surprise. The bus could get on the Eurostar Chunnel
train from Calais, France. The vehicle Eurostar is like a
long continuous tunnel. After each bus, a gate closes, thus
isolating each bus in its own compartment. We stayed in the
bus but could only feel movement as we could not see beyond
the tunnel walls that constituted the vehicle train. We
only felt typical train movements and jerks, that is all.
But before we got on, the French police wanted to x-ray all
bags, the British scrutinize all passports, and indeed they
held 2 people at the station. While the Chunnel ride itself
was much faster than the ferry, there were so many regular
delays and waiting that I wonder how much time one really
saves. This said, the whole system is a marvel of
engineering and support organization.

1. Tourism in Scandinavia. As you know, I consider tourism
organization in Australia and New Zealand as the best. I
expected something similar in Scan countries. Indeed, they
are a bit better than the ones in Eastern Europe, not as
spontaneous and useful as the rest of the Western European
countries I have visited. For example, the Tourism Desk in
Copenhagen is outside the building and was closed already
at 4:30 in the afternoon. Two Japanese girls guided me to
the hostel. In Norway things were even worse. For example,
most people arrive in Bergen via 'the train. There is no
info desk at the station. It is about a quarter mile in the
city. Now imagine someone arriving at the station, likely
in need of money change and info. No such luck, for there
is also no change desk. But these are really calculated
omissions, I decided. The train office will state that if
you want to change money, they will do this for you, by
charging 25 Kronen (about $5 for each transaction, PLUS
give you a rate that is about .5 points below the bank
rate. If you change $100, the difference is the cost of a
hostel night. There are other ways they go about this. You
want to pee? Pay .75 cents. Oh you are a smoker? Pay $7.50
PER PACK, etc. etc. I decided that Norway is more expensive
than the countries known to be expensive.

2. Living in Europe. The UN has rated Canada as 'the most
liveable country on earth' for the second time. Switzerland
and Australia, etc. are also up there. In our case, I did
not see a rating for the USA but I am sure we rank above
Cambodia and Rwanda. Every European city I visited is
probably Superior to any city in USA, because European
cities are vibrant, sociable, interacting, casual, fun,
safe, and tolerant, especially the ones in Scandinavia.
BUT, they are also practically out of question as a
long-term habitat for us, regardless how attractive we
might find them. In Denmark, 25 percent VAT is added to ail
prices. So, for example, if you want to develop your
24-frame film, you will be asked to pay $25, about 1/2 to
3/5 th more than in USA. Of course, the VAT enables Denmark
to provide free health-care, etc. to its citizens. But we
would not see such benefits if we were living there. So
enjoy these countries for a few days and then return to
earthier destinations.

3. Prices. In Russia, public transport is pennies, a cup of
coffee 18 cents, a pack of Camels 60 cents, Marlboro 80
cents. Everything else is comparative a good meal A FEW
Dollars. In East Europe cigarettes rise to $1 to $1.25, in
Germany $2.50, in Swiss $3, in Norway $7.50.