We have just returned home after two and a half weeks in Europe on a Viking River Cruise (Paris to the Swiss Alps). It feels odd to be back. I enjoyed getting away from the societal turmoil and political chaos that characterizes America today.

Nevertheless, I have some observations on our time in Europe. Ten of them, to be precise. Here they are: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

1. No Comments from Europe

First, let me reassure you that no one in Europe mentioned any of the political upheaval here in America. Aside from one question from a tour guide during a break, we never had a conversation or answered a question about Trump or his minions. It’s as if the folks there either don’t want to know or just assume that what they have heard is true and move ahead.

2. Welcome Everywhere in Europe

Second, we never felt unwanted or unwelcome  because we’re Americans. We traveled from Paris to Luxembourg and Germany to France, ending in Switzerland. The people everywhere in Europe treated us with grace and courtesy regardless of what opinions they might hold.

3. Passport Control and Border Protection

Third, despite government budget cuts, moving in and out of the United States was smooth and easy. Passport control operated as efficiently as always. The process has been automated, which eliminates many of the delays that could sometimes occur. I do miss getting my passport stamped, though. I always enjoyed the chunk-chunk of the stamp and the country markers filling up the pages of my passport.

Only once, at Heathrow on the flight home, did a security guard seem overzealous, treating my Viking magazine and a portfolio of papers as if they were weapons-grade material. She ran her wand over all the edges several times, before deciding that the papers were not, apparently, about to explode.

4. Vive May 1!

Fourth. May 1 is Labor Day in France; a very important holiday. Everything is closed. Everything. I thought this would be a good opportunity to visit the tombs of the French kings and queens in the basilica at St. Denis (which would make a great Viking excursion) but that, too, was closed. We opted for a hop-on hop-off boat on the Seine. It was the perfect thing to do on a warm sunny day.

We hopped off at the Jardin des Plantes, which I expected to be a well-groomed, artfully planted garden, much like Boston’s Public Garden but bigger. Alas, what we saw was an overgrown, under-tended mess with very few flowers and very little color. Did the gardens look like this when the summer Olympics were being held? Not recommended.

5. Unspeakable Sidewalks in Paris

Fifth. I have been to Paris several times starting in the eighties but on this trip, I thought the sidewalks were dirty and, to be gracious, unhygienic. The concept of picking up after your dog—or even curbing the dog—appears not universally accepted by Parisians.

Also, I noticed that many, many dogs had peed against the walls of buildings so that it streamed across the sidewalks and dried there. They must, I thought, be very large dogs with capacious bladders. And then I realized they were probably not dogs at all. Parisian men must think the city’s walls are their urinal. I guess the men are as difficult to train as Parisian dogs. I did not take photos.

I knew that all this filth gets carried into hotel rooms on the shoes of oblivious pedestrians so I made a point of wearing flip-flops in the room at all times.

6. The New Notre Dame

Sixth. We visited Paris’s rebuilt Notre Dame Cathedral on Sunday morning during Mass. On the one hand, the service meant we couldn’t wander wherever we wanted in the cathedral but had to move along the edges. On the other hand, the bells were ringing, the organ was playing and the choir was singing. That was a very special experience.

Listen to the Bells of Notre Dame

When I looked up at the transept ceiling where the spire crashed through, I almost cried. The thought of all that beauty being destroyed was painful. I am happy to report that the newly restored building is as gorgeous and as inspiring as you have read and/or seen on the news.

7. Meals for Tourists 

Seventh. I realize that restaurants catering to the tourist crowds offer what tourists want. But not everyone in Paris wants to eat soupe a l’oignon, just as not everyone in Germany seeks out wurst and some visitors to Switzerland are not interested in fondue. A little menu variety can be welcome.

We did try the onion soup in Reims after visiting the Gothic cathedral. The bistro we visited just outside the front doors served us tepid soup with congealed cheese. After that, I went with other choices, most of which were excellent.

8. Shop in the European Union

Eighth. Go shopping in an EU country if you can, instead of in Switzerland. The difference in cost is significant. Switzerland is a wealthy country and cities like Zurich and Geneva flaunt the finest of shops, selling gorgeous jewelry, designer clothing, fine scarves, expensive pens and shoes that cost more than some people earn in a month. You will find no discount outlets there.

In Geneva, a line of people waited on the sidewalk for the Rolex store to open. I think that says it all.

9. Underwhelmed in Versailles

Ninth. Finally, after many years, I visited Versailles. Was I impressed by its monumentality? Of course. How could anyone not marvel at the enormous palace and the extensive gardens. It was a weekend, so the fountains were spraying everywhere. If you have a shred of imagination, you can see the eighteenth-century noblemen and women strolling along the paths, taking the air and eating cake.

Did I like it? Ah, that’s a different story.

On the whole, I tend to think that more is more and prefer the baroque to the brutalist. Yet, I couldn’t help thinking that Versailles was more gaudy display than good taste. Gold on top of gold on top of gold is neither art nor beauty: it’s just more. I prefer the artistry of the Prinz Bishop’s Residence in Wurzburg to the calculated pageantry and royal pomp of Versailles.

10. The Best Two Days in Europe

Tenth. The best two days of our trip were in Switzerland. On the first, we rode the Glacier Express, the world’s slowest express train, in a private car reserved for Viking passengers. This train takes you through Alpine valleys, past snow-capped peaks, and alongside glacial rivers. There’s a photo-worthy view everywhere you look. And the dinner is delicious.

On the second, we took a cogwheel train from Zermatt, where it was snowing, up the Gornergrat to the observation decks at 3,089 meters (10,285 feet).

There the clouds parted to reveal a panorama of mountain peaks and glaciers. Along with others, we waited and hoped for the clouds to blow on by and show us the Matterhorn. But the mountain was shy that day, gathering the clouds around her like snowy skirts and allowing us to see only about two thirds of the mountain.

We went inside for a while, hoping that the sky would have cleared by the time we came out to reveal the whole peak. Instead, we emerged to find that the clouds had returned en masse, obscuring everything and the morning’s light snow had become heavy. We went back down.

Back to Normal at Home

We had a great time, as we always do on a Viking River Cruise, although we were glad to leave Europe behind and come back home. So is our cat, Mookie, who missed us and wants two weeks worth of head scratches and belly rubs to make up for our time away. We are glad to oblige.