Observations

1. When staying at a campground, one is completely willing to interact anonymously with others in nothing but a terry robe and a hair towel if you are walking to and from the showers; however one is not willing to go to the office and purchase a laundry token in a terry robe and hair towel. Hum.....

2. This is our 3rd trip to Europe, but the first without benefit of a food boat (otherwise known as a cruise ship). We are on our own to feed ourselves for each meal. It seems very clear now why Americans are larger than their European counterparts. Portion sizes. Every meal is the size of an appetizer. Products in the grocery store look like the sizes you find at the convenience store.

Perhaps, I'll have to get over my former waitress phobia of splitting an entrée. Yes, servers do think you are cheap when you only order 1 entrée. It's pure math, 15%-20% of a smaller check means less income. Restaurants have tried smaller sizes, I'm just not sure how successful they have been.

Also it's just harder to be larger here. Getting anywhere is not easy. It all requires walking or walking to public transportation. Exercise just happens. We are a product of our own success. Cheap food, a myriad ways of entertainment that don't require movement, and easy ways to get around town. Being thin here is a product of lifestyle...they don't work at it. Americans have to work at it.