I realized why I've been feeling so disappointed upon arrival in the last few cities. I think I am falling victim to the Hollywood Complex - that is, I have been expecting to get off the train
and see Hollywood's "Europe."

I tend to have such grandiose notions about how overwhelmingly quaint
and old Europe will be, and what I am realizing is that Europe's charm
lies largely in its subtlety. Yes it's old, yes there are quaint
aspects to it. However, the cities can be just as large, and the people
are just as busy. They don't try to be quaint and charming and
picturesque, and on the surface they don't seem to be, but after a day of strolling the streets you realize there is something different.

I feel like overly high expectations, and my own imagination,
can destroy the beauty in Europe. I tend to look too hard for it, or expect it
to be as loud as the things that make the United States awesome.

But Europe is not the United States, and it is definitely not what Hollywood makes it out to be.

It takes a little while to really see what makes each European city different, and I
think a lot of the travelers doing the "one day in 10 cities" tour
miss out on some of that. As I was thinking about that today, I began
to really appreciate the time I have to really explore each city, to
see what the places I'm visiting are all about.