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51 replies

lemmy.zip

to be fair, when european goes to us, they also don't mean nebraska. we europeans like to trashtalk their geographical knowledge, but how many of us score 100% in a blind map game? i guess not that many...

https://www.geoguessr.com/vgp/3003

36
piefed.social

US-ian here. Haven't seen that quiz before. Scored 100% just now on US states and 100% on the European countries quiz. But I like geography and have traveled somewhat more than the OP map.

I feel like a lot of American travelers weirdly think more about going to Europe in terms of cities rather than countries. It's expensive to go and they may only get one trip. So their friends tell them to go appreciate the biggest historic landmark, a church, a museum (top 3 artworks only), and a restaurant in Rome, then go to Paris and repeat, to London and repeat, maybe to Madrid or Barcelona and repeat. Adventurous ones visit Prague or Venice! Maybe spend 2 nights somewhere to really immerse themselves in the culture. Then they complain back home about how crowded and hectic Europe is and they never go back. It's no wonder, they spent half their time in taxis, airports and discount airline flights.

18
lemmy.world

I feel like a lot of American travelers weirdly think more about going to Europe in terms of cities rather than countries.

So, the same way European travelers think about cities rather than states? New York, Miami, San Francisco, LA, etc. Some of them might get to Las Vegas, Chicago, or Seattle. Of course, I mean back when they used to come here.

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Gold_E_Loxreply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

for me, i just want to see the natural beauty, Yellowstone, redwoods, monument valley. i do not care about seeing an American city.

but I'll never actually want to go there cause I'll probably be kidnapped on the street by government goons.

5

You shouldn't say never, but yeah, don't come now. Don't make plans for it, because who knows when/if things will ever be better.

2

So, the same way European travelers think about cities rather than states? New York, Miami, San Francisco, LA, etc. Some of them might get to Las Vegas, Chicago, or Seattle. Of course, I mean back when they used to come here.

Exactly. And I'm with @[email protected], I think there is so much natural beauty in this country, it's a shame to miss that.
Hoping for the days when it will be safe again for everyone.

3

Well that is the sensible thing to do.
I know of people who like biking and decided to do it there.
The stories I've heard from them when they passed little villages full of junkies, homeless and crime.
They really were shocked.

2

49% on placing, 43% on naming. For europe it's 71% on placing and 55% on naming.

Though i should note that for several states and countries i only remeber them due to having looked at public transport networks in some major city and finding that notable.

2

54% of success I don't know if an American would get something like that in the EU, but I can't boast either

2
sh.itjust.works

And those countries can be replaced by a few cities in each.

Claim: "I was in Europe!"
Truth: Visited Barcelona
Result: Insists on pronouncing it Barthelona for the rest of their life

16
midwest.social

Yeah, you could just post like, a map of New Hork and maybe DC and be like "Europers think this is the US."

8
Jmdatcsreply
lemmy.world

I had coworkers from Europe visiting the U.S. asking for advice on places to go that thought you could hit New York, Disney World, New Orleans, and San Francisco in a long weekend renting a car.

5
midwest.social

Best story like this, my aunt has famiky from Sweeden, she barely sees them, but they came to visit them in her home in Indiana.

Then they wanted to just, bop on over to visit my cousin (Aunt's daughter), who lived in Colorado at the time.

Like, this isn't Europe where everything is a 3-4 hour drive or train ride away... Indiana to Colorado is like a 17 hour drive.

3

I had to explain to an Indian co-worker that San Francisco and San Jose are still an hour apart, minimum, and that going to San Diego is a whole ass 8 hours if you're lucky.

I had similar news when he was planning a visit to Austin and asked about the Texas Coast

3

i mean it's not like it's even feasible to visit most other parts of the US, you kinda have to go to a big city unless you enjoy spending your vacation driving for hours on end..

3
rose56reply
lemmy.zip

Yet we visit Romania l, Bulgaria, Latvia, Serbia and so on.

2

Romania so good the made Romania II, now we call the first one Romania I to clarify.

13

I live close to the border.
We Belgians often visit them to get our supply of cheese, their only food source and take pictures of their windmills in which they all live.
We try not to look like tourists so we put on our wooden clogs as we stroll through the tulips.

3
midwest.social

We like to go to England on the way though to toss some tea bags in the ocean and remind them who is in charge.

2

no you ignorant american, you can't do that in THEIR waters, that only makes them stronger!

3

I've been to Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Czechoslovakia (back when that was a country). Although I wasn't visiting Germany, but living there.

4

I don't understand your post. Are you telling us how special you are because you've visited many European countries? Are you saying that you are not like other Americans because you can name these countries? Why do you think it's important for us to know this information?

-6
warbondreply
lemmy.world

Shouldn't it be that those are the only countries Americans can name?

8

I imagine it applies to the subset that travels to Europe.

I wonder what share of the population or each country can find their own country in a world map.

3

In my experience, most would recognize the names of the countries, but at least half could not label them on a blank map. Our schools usually teach this around ages 10-14 and most people haven't cared since then.

6

The white dot between France and Spain is Andorra and the one nearest France and Italy is Monaco. I feel like both of them should be filled in, especially Monaco.

1
lemmy.world

Weird. I had to look up some numbers because I expected to see Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands on this map. They are really easy to get to and navigate as an American, but I guess a lot of people do think of warmer climates for vacations.

3

I had to look up some numbers because I expected to see (...) the Netherlands on this map

Nah, Amsterdam was probably too tiny for this map.

1

Average European:

"I've been to America!"

The America: USA, Canada, maybe Brazil

...well, as an average European, I have not been to America.

3

Sure, why would Americans want to visit some of their longest standing allied nations and the Mediterranean? Where English is either the native language or spoken by the majority of people in high tourism areas? Where some portion of their families are most likely from?

That being said, no trip to Europe would be complete for me without going to at least one Scandinavian country. I met the woman who is now my wife a few months before I was meant to take a trip across Europe and ended up canceling my plans to take a shorter domestic trip with her instead. But I was going to fly in to England, take a train across France to Italy, then across Switzerland and Germany to the Netherlands before flying back to the States. No regrets staying with my wife instead taking the trip, but I do wish we'd have been able to go later. So far, though, I've never been. And since we have a 2 year old and are trying for another, we're still likely years from such travel.

2
lemmy.ca

Sure, many Americans go to the Vatican. But I don't think San Merino is such a popular destination.

1