FLYMSY

During the winter, I find buildings in many parts of Europe ( airports, hotel lobbies, department stores, etc.) to be stiflingly warm. As far as cold drinks from a machine during the summer, I find them to be barely cool. At the cafés that I've been to, when I ask for ice, they'll bring a glass with two very small cubes. I always ask for more.

I remember one summer at the beginning of August at the Bodensee in Germany. It was 88 F during the day. I couldn't open the window in my hotel room at night because the mosquitos were ferocious and didn't want to close it because the room was so hot. A miserable few nights during which I had to grin & bear it.

Another time, I had a friend from Europe visiting at my home in Louisiana in mid-August. On her first full day, we drove to the post office and I was going to run in to drop off a letter. I started to get out of the car leaving the AC running because it was in the upper 90s with humidity to match. She stopped me and asked what I was doing. I asked what she meant and she said that I was letting the car run with the AC and that it wasn't good for the environment. I said that I was just going to be a minute and didn't want her to get hot. She insisted that I turn it off which I did. We then went to a farmers market outside and spent about 20 minutes there. When we left her clothes were soaking wet. From that day forward, she never complained about the AC in my home or car, even if I left it on when I ran into a shop for a quick errand. She didn't want to go back to the outdoor market the entire time she was here and even started asking if places were going to have air conditioning. I was quite amused with her change in attitude.

As some have already said, it all depends on what you are used to. There really is no right or wrong in these scenarios. I think the OP could have made her points more diplomatically, but I, also, don't think that she needs to be endlessly ripped on. IMO, the point has been made.

Mauibaby2008

I think some of y'all are being a bit harsh-

Personally, I hate having beverages without ice. It seems that us Americans are obsessed with it- first world thing, huh?

I know in South America it's very common to have an area with room temperature sodas, and a cooler next to it with cold sodas- the cold ones are more expensive.

<3 Ice

Analise

Ask for a glass of ice. Problem solved.

Yes, there is. Complainers. Go to a supermarket and buy a cold drink in a bottle or can. They have them everywhere. Coke is an import and will be expensive. Buy bottled water with or without bubbles. They're chilled in the local grocery store.

Don't travel in the summer. I'd never travel to southern Europe in the summer because of the lack of air conditioning. So travel in the other 3 seasons.

Single beds are also in hotels in major cities. So sleep on your own in a single bed. I don't like how thin the pillows sometimes are so I always ask for extra pillows. I'm not going to avoid travel because the room isn't perfect.

Again, go to supermarket and buy what you want if where you go, there isn't a sufficient number of vending machines for your comfort.

Ignorance is bliss I suspect? Travel more and you'll discover that some of the best bottled water comes from Maine.

The increased level of stereotyping on this thread makes me wonder how many of you actually travel and meet people in your travels. Scary....

LondonElite

Coke syrup is made and the final drink mixed and bottled in various countries in Europe. It is the truly ubiquitous product.

STBCypriot

I'm an American currently living in Cyprus and have lived in a few other European countries in addition to Russia and I can say this about AC in this part of the world: A lot of Europeans and practically all Russians believe that AC is bad for your health. That is one reason that they don't use it. Another is that electricity in Europe is much more expensive than in the US and AC uses a lot of electricity. In Cyprus, I pay 0.23 Euros per kilowatt hour (down from a max of 0.28 Euros/kwhr 2 years ago). I don't use AC much at all - I have fans and I open my windows. But in August when the heat and humidity get unbearable, I will put the AC on a bit.

YuropFlyer

Of course AC is bad for your health, if the temperature difference is too big, and especially if you change from inside to outside and vice versa frequently.

Outside 30C, inside 25C, no issues, never feeling bad.

Outside 35C, inside 15C (think Singapore), my stomach will always turn bad. And good-day sneezing, headache etc.

LondonElite

Terrible for your sinuses!

librarygal

I am back with more feedback:

People say I should have asked for ice. I did and they just stared at me.

Other people said I should just buy my soda from a grocery store. I did find them in the refrigerated section but they were warm (just slightly below room temps)

If someone in Europe restaurants and shops could bring this machine into the business- they would make a fortune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V-yphI7JPk

Rebelyell

I have had the same experience as library gal. Many places simply don't have ice. And the so-called "coolers" keep the drinks maybe two degrees below room temperature.

I live with it. But I would certainly enjoy my travels more if I could get plentiful ice and really cold drinks.

Analise

Did you ask politely for a glass filled with just ice and tried to ask in the language of the country you were visiting? I included "politely" because you seem exasperated about it.

Did you look throughout the entire grocery store because every major grocery store I've been (including my trips in France, Germany, the UK, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland) has had bottles of water and soda in a refrigerated case. Like you, I don't like warm drinks so I seek out cold bottles.

Rebelyell

Analise, it's just a cultural difference. In the U.S. coolers are set just slightly above freezing, so when we get a drink it is really, really cold and refreshing. Many Europeans clearly prefer their drinks only slightly chilled.

If a European were to come to the U.S. and order a bottle of wine at a restaurant he would likely find that the white wines are served at a much lower temperature than in Europe while red wines are served at room temperature (not cellar temperture). Both would likely be annoying to some Europeans.

LondonElite

In all of my years of travelling in all parts of Europe, I've always been given a glass full of ice when I've asked for it. I just don't understand whe this went wrong.

BuildingMyBento

While I was teaching in southern China (as an aside, there's no heating in Shenzhen, where I lived), everyday one student would leave on my desk a carton of unrefrigerated milk and a warm container of yoghurt already pierced by a straw. Not to mention, whenever I'd ask someone for a cup of water, the dubious plastic cup it was offered in almost always collapsed into itself because it was always hot water. A/Cs weren't admired for their cooling abilities either.

I understand that there are cultural differences, but I still yearn for (potable) ice.

mmack

And now Europeans are getting fat too....

Analise

I'm not making any judgments about how Europeans enjoy their drinks. To each his or her own. I merely made suggestions to the OP about how to obtain cold drinks based on what I've done in my travels throughout the years including our recent trip to Europe just last week. To be upset about how local residents enjoy their drinks is silly IMHO.