Don't Touch!

I mentioned a few posts back that my tour group in Madeira, Portugal last month was filled with Brits and I said there'd be more to come on them. Well, that time has come! The British folks on my tour were largely nice, older people who did a lot of travelling to far-flung places. They were seasoned travelers, but some of the stuff they did was a little odd to me as an American. First, they would use me (the lone American) as a sounding board to criticize their fellow countrymen/women. I guess they figured since I didn't have a dog in that fight, I was the person to confide in. One guy complained  to me about another guy having a beer at 11 in the morning when we stopped at a location. One woman complained to me about another woman who she thought talked too much. (Honestly, I thought they ALL talked too much and I said this to the Portuguese tour guide during a moment when just the two of us were in an elevator together. He said something like, "They have a lot to say." And I responded with, "Do they? Really?" He laughed. 

There was one British woman who was traveling with a friend she hadn't seen in a long time and she would shove you out of the way to get to this other woman if they became separated. It was so bizarre. I started making sure I was far away from both of them to avoid being anywhere near the shover because I didn't want to have to let the Detroit out and go off on her ass. 

But my complaints about the group were few and far between. They really were lovely people and I had a great time in Portugal with them. Yes, a little of them went a long way, but they were funny and I learned some British expressions like a mozzie bite is a mosquito bite and a cozzie is a swimming costume (aka a bathing suit). They were very interested to know what I thought about Trump and Biden (and tell me how they loved Obama when he was in office--yeah, didn't we all). The last thing I wanted to do on vacation was talk about American politics, but I answered their questions as best I could without being annoying. 

One subject that came up while talking with one of the British ladies was about Americans touching people when we talk to them. The British woman I was talking with mentioned Trump touching the Queen when he wasn't supposed to during his visit when he was POTUS. Yeah, Americans like to touch folks when we talk to them (not all, of course). I did it when I was talking to our tour guide once, like a pat on the back. It's a cultural thing. Plus, I think it's ridiculous not to touch someone because they're royalty and untouchable. Give me a break. (Again, I'm an American, so I don't get the whole Royal Family thing. I think the monarchy is outdated and largely irrelevant, but I digress.) There was minor controversy this week with Emmanuel Marcon's wife trying to take Queen Consort Camilla's hand last week during a ceremony in France and how Camilla refused the gesture. Maybe Camilla felt she didn't want to be touched because she's married to the King of England and that's a no-no. Can't blame the Americans for that one since Marcon's wife is French, but I guess the same standards apply. Look, don't touch, folks. Insert eye roll here. 

The picture below is from the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens I visited during my trip. A lovely place and well worth the scary cable car ride to visit.