What do you miss when you get home?

I miss the wonderful food, the historical sites (history all around), great and functional public transport, and the kindness of strangers. And just the feeling of being there.

I miss most of all the great transportation that really is what makes Europe so liveable- the trains, subways. It's a rude shock to come back to LA and be so car-dependent. I especially miss the sound of the "horn" that warns of the closing doors on the Paris Metro. It is music to my ears.

Jo, I miss the sense of freedom that I have when on holidays. I no longer have to worry about going back to work, but at home I'm faced with the usual routine of work around the house and other mundane chores. I also miss the visits with people that I meet along the way, both "locals" and other travellers. Some that I've met have been very interesting!

I miss the sound of church bells-they are good for the soul! I think when I travel it seems I have an easier time just living in the moment so I miss having that carefree feeling. I also miss "just being there"!

I miss buffet breakfasts and croissants spun out of air and butter, amazing meals, wandering around Paris and seeing wonderful neighborhoods. Imiss the adventure of getting up each day and going out explore the Old World!

I miss the spontaneity and break from routine of travelling. I find once I am back home I quickly fall into my usual routine of just working etc. I think when you travel you totally live in the moment and take every opportunity offered to you. You try new foods, you talk to strangers and you are constantly curious. When I am at home I find it easy to just let the days drift by and before I know it I am another year closer to the grave! So, I guess I miss the mindset that goes with travelling. I really want to try and bring some of that into my everyday life.

I miss the quiet cobblestone streets. I miss NOT hearing loud car stereos travelling down the road. I miss the walking trails everywhere. Most of all, I miss the bread! OH, and the beer! :)

I miss the street artists... the "Mind the Gap" announcements on the London Tube... the wide variety of markets (I get really 'travelsick' for Covent Garden)... Oh dear, now I have to look at lots of pictures....

I miss the friendliness of western Ireland. I miss seeing something that was built 250 years before America was discovered. I miss the quiet beauty of a view that's been enjoyed for generations. I miss the cleanliness of some of Europe and the pride people take in where they live. I also miss the joy of traveling to new and exciting places.

I miss the freedom of getting up and thinking "what exciting thing are we going to do today?" instead of looking around the house and thinking "ugh, I really need to vacuum/dust/reorganize." I miss the history of the place, being surrounded by lots of old buildings and just soaking it all in. And I miss being able to walk or use public transportation and get wherever I need to go. I can walk to the drugstore from my house, and even that takes almost an hour round-trip.

I miss the efficient trains - it's great to walk to a train station, hop on a train, and be in a new destination by afternoon. I also miss chocolate croissants for breakfast and walking enough during the day that I don't have to worry about the extra calories.

I miss the street life, i.e. human beings out on the streets and interacting, sitting in a street cafe, on a bench under a tree in a pedestrian zone (those ZTLs are wonderful for pedestrians!) ... And yes, I miss those church bells, too. .... I also miss coffee and German bread but fortunately, I've found my sources for those right here in town. Though I do miss being able to go out and get really fresh bread and "Broetchen" for breakfast. No baker is open that early around here.

Not being on vacation.

COFFEE and local wines !!

When I return home, I miss the train rides, seeing and experiencing new places. Oh and did I say the trains. I do not understand why we do not have train routes interlaced as they do in Europe. One can hop a train in A'Dam and go all the way through Russia and down to the boot in Italy. Yes, we have Amtrak but it does not compare to the rails in Europe. I do not miss nescafe. LOL

I miss the medieval churches, the quiet canals and kind people in Amsterdam, the excitement of seeing new things every day, the rich desserts that I can't seem to find in the States, and my friends in Europe.

having a glass of wine every day at lunch without the "oh no, I can't...I have to go back to work" feeling!! Oh I miss so much...I miss the food, beer and wine. I also miss the coffee (opposite of most from the other thread about missing from home). I miss the ambiance and beauty of many of the places we visited. I miss that complete disconnect you feel from your normal life. Including sitting in a cafe and listening but not hearing anything you can make sense of. Which is such quality time for my husband and I because we only have each other to entertain. (which becomes a negative after too many days on the road ;) ) I miss the public transportation. The ease and efficiency of whisking around countries. I miss the voice of the announcer on the local trains along the Rhein..."Next-a halt, St. Goar". I miss the way history slaps you in the face every where you turn.

I miss walking into a boulangerie early in the morning and being surrounded by those wonderful smells. Holding that warm baguette in your hands thinking that I can't wait to step outside to break off a piece of heaven and enjoy that melt-in-your-mouth buttery crispness. Yes, I've been known to walk around the block devouring an entire baguette only to show up at the same boulangerie minutes later to place my "real" order. The street markets...let's face it, the local Krogers or Safe-Way would be alot more fun if they could hire that guy who makes those fantastic churros at the Bastille Market. Yes, the great public transportation system (let's all be sure to thank Gov't Motors for helping to kill U.S. inner-city public trans.), all of that marvelous architecture, the ability to walk off the street and in minutes be engaged by "Las Meninas" at the Prado, having my "history" habit filled on a daily basis during my very long walks. I love cycling through the countyside and sampling wine or hard cider from the actual growers and buying a bottle to complement that picnic lunch comprised of all the goodies I purchased at the village I just road through. True, there's nowhere like home, but I'm looking forward to finally owning that little house near Verdun. I'll be in Chicago next week, anyone know where I can get a great cannoli?

We used to miss the BBC. Their news coverage is so broad! But our cable now carries it, so we can get a "fix" whenever we want. We do miss the British weather forcasts- sunny with a chance of rain, clouds clearing early with sunny spells, cool, warm, calm, brezzy- and that is just one day's forcast for one location!!!!! LOL!!! : )

The vino. Or I should say, the vino at affordable prices.

Ed (Huntington): for cannoli and other amazing Italian goods, check out D'Amatos on west Grand. The original storefront is under construction at the moment, but they have opened up temporary digs across the street.

The motorini roaring by my closed window in the middle of the night down a normally quiet street in Siena.

Cafe con leche (leche caliente). Every cup freshly made for me not sitting in a pot for 20 minutes!

I miss waking up at my friend's place in Reading, to the sound of classical music and the radio announcer's smooth voice and British accent. I miss the traditional bedding in hotels in Germany, and the buffet breakfasts. The landscapes across Europe, Gijon which feels like home to me whenever I go, and the ocean and the wild storms off the northern coast of Spain. I could go on and on...

Aside from the culture and geography, long train rides on the ICE seeing that lovely German countryside and the North German Plain, train rides in France, I miss the English teas, the espresso in France, the Broetchen...das deutsche Fruehstueck...Berliner Weisse, Wurstsalat, and, as Toni accurately point out, "mind the gap," the socialisation when taking public transportation in England, that public transportation is an institution in western and central Europe.

I miss the seemingly endless and well organised walking trails through the countryside that are so accessible from anywhere, so one can wander all day,and when one is tired of wandering, there's usually a bus stop nearby, or a cafe. I miss the ease of life in Europe, how everything seems to be more on a human scale and not all about housing developements, strip malls, and expressways.

I suffer the airplane ride over the Big Blue (I know, I have a tough life) just to hear the church bells - Magnificent! My travel partners know to zip it up when the bells start to ring...Ahhhh.........The chimes letting you know the next train/metro car is on it's way (along with the accompanying garbled announcement).........The public transportation - including the ability to walk everywhere. I won't even bother with the food, drink, history, etc.......Ditto everyone before me...

I miss everything that everyone else has mentioned! But when I returned from my very first overseas trip to Europe, I looked around at Apache Jct., Arizona and said to myself, the parking lots and the strip malls and the box-like stucco buildings, and said, "It's so plain!, I can't stand it it's so plain!" A week later I was stuck at a street light looked to the right, and there was a fountain/statue store with all of these fountains bubbling. The next week I went and bought a little fountain, and got some potted plants to put around my patio like they have around the little street cafe's over there. I still miss all that old-world stuff like crazy though.

I've been home two weeks and, of course, I miss the freedom from the routine. I miss the anticipation I felt every morning before heading out for the day. I miss being surrounded with history...especially architecture...living in a suburb with cookie cutter houses is just plain boring! I miss the local wines every night with dinner. I miss the food!!!! I miss the feeling of being there.

I'm glad you bought the fountain. I live in a tiny apartment on the ground floor, and while all the other apartments have nicely made wooden decks, I have a sort of grotto, but it's got some cool architectural features, so I fixed it up like a tiny old european cafe with alot of plants and some German wine bottles, and it reminds me of how small outdoor spaces are used in Europe. I get alot of inspiration from my travels, and they help keep my happy memories alive. Of course, I'd rather BE there, but my little weinkeller is cool, too.