WHAT ARE EU DOING

The culture of Italy and Greece is very different from the culture of the Colorado State Fair. We just had culture shock. And not by the former.

Rivers and Roads

7 planes later and we are back in the United States after a dreamy trip abroad. My stand-in sister was getting married in the heel of Italy and it was an occasion of a lifetime to get to celebrate her. We did all the things that you would do on a trip to Italy–eat, drink, laugh, cry, dance, and try to walk around cobblestone streets in heels.

Jesse and I have a history of turning vacations into energy-intensive adventure trips that leave us more tired than when we started, so we wanted to make this one different. We tried… and succeeded on most fronts other than our plane schedule. We had to pull one all-nighter and travel to the airport before the sun was up in the morning on several occasions.

The leg to Greece started the night of the wedding. One moment we were on the dance floor, the next we were in different clothes, hurdled into a van and driving to an airport two hours away. Alas, our flight was delayed, so we deliriously sat in the airport as the sun peeked over the horizon. After getting to our island hotel, we were greeted with a beautiful view, a gentle breeze, and a bottle of champagne. We slept that whole afternoon.

We spent one day getting lost in the meandering tiny town streets and another exploring more remote beaches and historic sites. The roads of Greece were big enough for a single vehicle most of the time and any passing required one car pulling off the road, but the Greeks whizzed around the island like F1 drivers. It was a place designed for scooters and mopeds. Their scooters were as powerful as our motorcycles and you had to have a special license, but we did get them to give us an ATV—so that was our trusty steed for a day.

Now that we are back in the US, the Ford f350s, 4-lane town roads, and the fried Oreos on a stick remind us that we live in a place developed long after those towns in Europe.

I miss it already.

EUROPE PHOTO ALBUM

Things You Didn’t Notice

DO DOLLARS MAKE SENSE

In the process of exchanging money, I was struck by how weird the term dollar is. Where did it come from? Why did it stay? Having the same currency across the European Union was convenient. I was curious how the term “Euro” came to be since it seemed so literal and practical. It turns out that it was chosen by an open submission contest and a vote (though not without much debate). Did we, when a new nation, choose to name our money “dollar” over something creative and self-promoting like “Usays”?

Turns out, the ‘Dollar’ is an anglicized form of ‘thaler’, the Germanic name given to coins first minted in 1519 from silver mined locally in Joachimsthal in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). Thaler is referencing the last part of the town name. What a random thing to name our money after. The dollar sign makes a little more sense. It is a result of the layering of U over S and leaving out the bottom part of the U.

What we call our money is as unique as our countries themselves and the values of the culture that created them. These values are reflected in our language for money:

What I gathered is that money is made up. Someone somewhere decided that this named thing has exchangeable value. The endurance of that thing depends on the strength and unity of the organization backing it. So my next question is…what is stopping a North American “Ica” from being formed with Mexico, Canada, and others? That is beyond my sociopolitical wherewithal… but fun to ponder.

Refresh

• Health: Greece and Italy both have a blue zone. Ikaria and Sardinia. What makes them so special? I am looking at you… Mediterranean diet.

• Transportation: See how your city bike-ability ranks in this PeopleForBikes database. Take a step further and check out their amazing resources for helping promote safe biking in your community and find a bike advocacy group near you.

• Mentality: Here are some fascinating differences between Americans and Europeans. Where do you fall on this spectrum?

• Community: The development of Venice and its lack of roads is a product of refugee ingenuity. Check out how this boat-bound community came to fruition here.

Mouthwatering

MEDITERRANEAN REMIX

In the spirit of our travels, we came back and immediately made this delicious pesto-themed salad. After letting it marinate for a day, I could not put it down.

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas

• 1 large cucumber

• 1 pack cherry tomatoes

• 2 cups edamame

• 1/3 cup pesto

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 3/4 of a pack of mozzarella pearls

• Salt + everything but the bagel seasoning

Game Time

I’ve been trying to ride the Olympics high by watching the Paralympics. And to say it has been tough would be an understatement. The coverage of the Paralympics has been mostly in the wee hours of the morning and without purchasing Peacock, I am living off of recaps. But the stories are incredible.

Learn about the classification systems that allow athletes to compete as equitably as possible even with different abilities. Join me in being amazed at just how deep the human spirit runs.

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