Conversations in Europe

On our two week trip to Scandinavia, the Baltic States, Germany and Poland we had the chance to talk to people from all over Europe about a variety of hot topics currently being discussed in the USA and everywhere else. From the culture of each country to healthcare to Ukraine and gun violence we had constructive conversations learning about what others think and sharing about how things are in the US as well. Here are some of the things we discussed while on our journey.

The Ukraine and Russian War

Throughout the World and especially in the Baltics and Poland the War in Ukraine is one of the most talked about topics we found. Throughout Europe on governmental buildings, on homes and everywhere in between there are Ukrainian flags flying and signs of support for Ukraine. Countries such as Poland have proudly taken in Ukrainian refuges from this terrible and unjust war. In Poland our guide let us know that the Polish people themselves have been signing up to take in themselves as many refuges as they can in their own homes. The Polish have been through years of brutal takeovers in recent history. They were taken over by NAZI Germany and then for years ruled by the brutality of the Soviet Union. So they know first hand what is going on in Ukraine. In the main cathedral in Gdansk, Poland there was an exhibit showing the suffering in Ukraine and the chance to donate to help those in need. They strongly support Ukraine due to their own experiences. In Latvia and Lithuania those we spoke with also feel strongly about the war in Ukraine and shared stories they remembered from Soviet times.

In Latvia our guide told us that she was young when communism was falling but remembers her father going to the capital of Riga to try to hold off the Russian tanks. She watched a news program and witnessed the news anchor being forcibly removed by the Soviets. You can still see bullet holes in some buildings from that fighting. In Latvia there is a definite unease and fear about what could come next for them and their country. There is the same fear and frustration we found in Lithuania. They cannot believe in 2022 we are going back in time to re-enact history we have already fought hard to get away from in the past. With the current sanctions Lithuania is blocking some goods being sent to Kaliningrad that is not attached to the Russian mainland. This is further causing tension. While we were entering port in Lithuania we saw the Lithuanian Navy going out into the Baltic to patrol. Our guide in Estonia also did not like what was happening but did not seem quite as worried about a possible war as their Baltic neighbors.

In Scandinavia they are horrified about what is going on but not overly worried about a looming war. Finland and Sweden are re-assured by now working to join NATO that occurred while we were in Finland. While we were in Hamina, Finland (around 30-40 miles from the Russian border) we talked with some locals who just consider Russia their neighbor and don’t really have much feeling either way towards them. In general Germany and all the countries are very focused on the fuel issues and inflation they are dealing with much like we are as well. Fuel costs are much more expensive over there than it even here. We will have to see how all this plays out but for our friends over in Europe and in Ukraine I hope this ends sooner than later.

Healthcare and Paid Leave

A big topic that we talked to people about was healthcare in Europe and especially Scandinavia compared to what we have in the United States. Here is what we discussed in the different countries we visited.

Finland

While in Helsinki we had the chance to have a very good conversation with our guide about what their healthcare system is like in Finland. She said like we have found in much of Europe they have a Public and Private system of Healthcare. They have a public system that is available to everyone in the country at pretty much no cost to anyone. I asked how much a heart bypass surgery that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars without insurance here would cost there and she said probably around $50 or so as there are small deductible amounts they have to pay. They also have private doctors and hospitals available if you do not want to wait in the public system for non-life threatening procedures if there is a waiting time. You can buy private insurance that costs much less than our insurance there as well. Companies offer private health insurance as well. She said the public program will reimburse you for some of the private costs but not all of it. So in this system with or without a job you will have access to care and you have the opportunity to go private if you want to. In regards to paid leave each parent is given a long amount of paid leave when you have a child and they can give the other parent some of their time if you would like. For vacation time everyone is guaranteed several weeks of vacation time and working hours in the country are 37 hours a week. Taxes are higher in Finland with the average rate being 30% with some much higher. In Scandinavia they have an attitude of if the community is doing well I am willing to pay to make others better. I had a few people mention that to me as their general attitude. They do not worry quite as much about the taxes as we might here. Finland is consistently rated as one of the happiest countries in the world year after year.

Denmark

In Denmark we also talked to the guide about there healthcare system and general system they have in their country. Our guide was originally from France so she was able to tell us some about both systems. In Denmark they once again have a public and private system. You can go to either public or private but you will pay more for the private system of course. Like in Finland you can purchase private insurance and many companies offer it to their employees. Our guide said that private insurance cost around $500 per six months but can vary. I asked her about waiting times for healthcare as that is something usually mentioned in the healthcare debate and she said in general the healthcare in Denmark is very efficient and there are short waiting times. Recently a family member went into an emergency room for a gash on his finger that was not a critical issue and they had him in within 15 minutes and taken care of. She said in France things are not so efficient and there can be some waiting times compared to Denmark’s system. They are also given several weeks of guaranteed vacation time and parents have paid family leave. Prices are for sure more expensive in Denmark but wages are also higher with most living a good quality of life. Countries like Denmark are capitalist countries with many successful businesses but they have a high social safety net and polices in place. Our guide was very surprised at the costs we have for our system and was not yearning to have what we have that is for sure. We went into a McDonalds in Denmark for a quick cheap place to eat the price of a big mac was 32 Danish Krones (around $4.50). So it is a bit more expensive than one in the US but not too bad. I also noticed there were probably 20+ people working behind the counter and in the kitchen so they were very well staffed. I’ve found that to be the same in many McDonalds we have visited for a quick meal while abroad. Taxes are for sure higher in Denmark than here but like Finland they work to make sure the community is healthy and are more willing to pay the higher taxes.

Other countries we visited

In the other countries we visited we mainly discussed Russia and those items but they also mentioned they have Public/Private systems, paid family leave and guaranteed time off.

Gun Violence in the US

Our guide in Finland told me she didn’t want to offend me but was shocked at the gun violence and the number of guns people own in the US. She just couldn’t believe a country as developed as the United States would have so much violence. A lady from Australia with us agreed that in her country they also cannot believe what is going on in “The States”. They both mentioned that in their countries they have guns used for hunting and other things but not to the extent as in the US. I told her I am a gun owner as well but we do have a major issue in our country. I told her most gun owners are law abiding good citizens but when it comes to mental healthcare its just not affordable or available for many. We discussed that we do need some common sense gun laws that tighten background checks but the big issue is the lack of care and the unhappiness in the country. I told them I am not against gun ownership but we have to make some changes in our country to try to stop what is going on today.

Germany’s response to WWII and NAZIs

We visited Berlin for the first time on this trip and WWII and the Cold War were big topics that were discussed on the tour. There are still bullet holes in the German Capital “Reichstag” building and in some of the oldest museums in the city. Much of the city was destroyed during WWII and then was torn apart during the Cold War with East and West Berlin. I found the Germans are not running from their past but do what they can to apologize for what happened and memorialize it so it will not occur again. There is a large Holocaust memorial just a few blocks away from their capital building, there is a memorial to the book burning that took place before WWII and countless other memorials. The former SS headquarters is now just a green space park but in the park there is a museum in the park called the Topography of Terror that tells the story of what happened there. They un-earthed the foundation of the former SS building and tell more of the story there. Just feet away sits an original portion of the Berlin Wall. There are bricks on the ground that show where the Berlin Wall separated the city throughout Berlin. Our guide said that most Germans still carry the shame of what happened in the 1930s and 1940s and they want to remember the past so it will never happen again. On the train back to our cruise ship our second guide told us a story about his hometown where some people attacked some Roma people and the town got a bad reputation of being a “NAZI” town. He was just a kid when that happened but he said he tells that story so we will all remember what happened there in Germany and to not ever let it happen again and do things like some did in his town. Germany seems to be doing all they can to not relive what happened there not that long ago.

Texas Questions

I was asked a variety of questions about Texas when different people found out I was from Texas. They were having a heat wave in Europe with temperatures in the high 70s and 80s. For us in Texas that is a good day but they do not usually have air conditioning that far North. I mentioned the temperatures back in Houston and they said “Well its at least dry since Texas is a desert”. I let them know Houston is more of a swamp like climate more similar to Louisiana and I explained the wide variety of climate Texas has from desert to plains to pine forests to the swamps and coast. They were very surprised of that as in the movies Texas is usually depicted as a vast desert. Another interesting question from our guide in Estonia was “If we truly have long horned cattle and are they safe?”. She was not sure if we let them wander the range and into the cities. I let her know we do have long horned cattle but they are fenced in so in no danger of being hit by cars most of the time. There are a lot of misconceptions about Texas abroad and I always do my best to help them learn about Texas while abroad.

Other Topics discussed

On this trip I did not get the common question I usually get from people asking is the US workplace really as brutal as is portrayed to be and why do we take so little time away from work? We mainly just learned about the different countries cultures and histories. Some of the countries we visited like Denmark and Sweden were once super powers in their day holding vast amounts of territory world wide and holding colonies like Denmark did. Others had a very troubled history having been occupied and destroyed during WWII and by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Cities like Gdansk, Poland and Hamburg, Germany were heavily destroyed during WWII. Today they have mostly built back including their Old Towns. They are beautiful cities despite all that had occurred in the past. In Hamburg they left one church that was destroyed by bombing in ruins as a memorial to the bombings in WWII. The tall bell tower still stands charred from the bombs. A good museum on the war was in the basement.

A topic mentioned by some of our fellow cruisers was how clean things were in Europe compared to US cities. The public transportation was very clean as was the streets. You can see graffiti in cities but there isn’t the garbage you might find in cities in the US.

In Conclusion

Our trip once again allowed us to learn a lot about other countries and people. Its always eye-opening when you travel abroad with an open mind to see what is good and bad elsewhere. Not everything works perfectly overseas just as not everything is perfect (or bad) back home. I always encourage others to learn and if they can travel and talk to people to get an idea of what makes other places tick. Also answer questions about your own country to help break down stereotypes. This trip was another great learning experience and I look forward to more in the future!