Back from vacation in Italy (and a day in Switzerland). What thoughts do I bring back with me? Beautiful views, climate or language? NO! My main thought after this trip: Is there a ketchup shortage in parts of Europe?
At the Burger King we went to in Switzerland, you had to pay extra for a tiny ketchup packet. After paying the equivalent of 51 dollars (for two kids meals, a burger and nuggets), we couldn’t afford the ketchup. First time in my life I had to tell my kids, “I’m sorry, we can’t afford ketchup.”
And then at the airport McDonald’s in Italy, when our family of 4 asked for ketchup, the clerk gave us one tiny package. We asked for more and he brought up one more package. We gave up at that point as the line was long behind us.
So don’t listen to all those people who tell you to bring blue jeans over from the states. Apparently, Americans should be bringing suitcases full of ketchup. That’s where your money is – at least in southern Europe.
Just got back from 10 days in Europe-9 in Germany, 1 day in Iceland. Northern Europe is the same thing-ketchup dispensed with a medicine dropper, and then on top of that, you gotta pay! Also, forget getting ice in your drink, won’t happen, dude. Now the Vikings in Iceland, however, they at least have a bottle of ketchup on the restaurant table-and you don’t have to put extra kroner in to get it!
Iceland is like Sweden then. We have those medicine cups and free ketchup. All you can squirt! 🙂 It must be a paradise when the Swiss visit.
You get used to the no-ice thing. Especially in Scandinavia. I actually saw that our local store started selling bags of ice near the ice cream section for the first time ever. I don’t think anyone is buying it because there are only about 6 bags, but it’s a step.