Enjoy Living Abroad
  • Start Here
  • My Blog
  • My Travel Books
    • GREAT MED COMFORT FOOD BOOK
    • MOVING TO SEVILLE
    • EASTERN EUROPE BY RAIL
    • PACK LIGHT 2023
    • Seville's New Normal 2023
    • STARTING EXPAT LIFE
    • 101 EXPAT TIPS
  • Med Comfort Food Tour
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • Dive Bars
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing
    • The Expat Lifestyle
    • Enjoy the Best of Seville
  • About
  • Contact

​


​WELCOME! 

​
  ​

Where Were All the Good Germans?

2/2/2017

26 Comments

 
When I was a teenager, a student at a nearby high school asked his history teacher the inevitable question about why good Germans did nothing while the Nazis rose to power.
 
The teacher, Ron Jones, hit on a creative way to demonstrate the answer.
 
His classroom experiment began the next Monday with a description of the role of discipline in fascism. To illustrate his point, he had students adopt more formal postures and manners. The kids loved the game. Jones praised community over individuality and started treating his students like an elite group. They adopted a secret hallway salute that represented a symbolic wave. 
​
The Wave / Where were all the good Germans? / Karen McCann / enjoylivingabroad.com
Several movies and TV shows have been made from the story. This photo is from a 2010 musical stage production.

​The response was astonishing.
 
In days, most students were exhibiting blind obedience to Jones and a superior, sometimes hostile attitude toward non-members. Worse, Jones found himself acting more and more like a dictator. On Thursday Jones told the students that the project wasn’t a class exercise but a real-life movement in support of a political candidate. The kids were more enthusiastic than ever. On Friday, they eagerly assembled to meet their new leader.
 
Jones revealed there was no leader and no movement. He explained that in less than a week they’d been duped into acting like fascists. He played a video of Germans marching in disciplined ranks saluting Adolf Hitler.
 
The kids were shocked speechless. Lesson learned. Where were all the good Germans? Just look in the mirror.

The Wave / Die Welle / Where were all the good Germans? / Karen McCann / enjoylivingabroad.com
A scene from the 2008 German film version, Die Welle (The Wave)
 
​I’ve always been a bit haunted by that story, knowing that it was only by the sheer luck of school districting boundaries that I wasn’t a member of Jones’s class. Would I have been transformed into a fascist in less than a week? I like to think that I would have been smarter and stronger than that. But I can’t be sure. Jones conducted his experiment at a high school in Stanford University’s hometown of Palo Alto. These were above-average students living an hour south of San Francisco in the spring of 1968, during the full flowering of the resist-authority sixties — and almost no one questioned, protested, or refused to participate.
 
Three years later and a few miles up the road, Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo performed a similar, more notorious experiment. “I was interested in what happens if you put good people in an evil place,” he said. “Does the situation outside of you, the institution, come to control your behavior? Or do the things inside you — your attitude, your values, your morality — allow you to rise above a negative environment?”

Twenty-four male students, chosen out of more than seventy applicants as the most psychologically fit, were randomly assigned as prisoners and guards for a two-week stint in a mock jailhouse constructed in the basement of the university’s psychology building. Zimbardo designed the experiment to make the prisoners feel disoriented, depersonalized, and helpless, told the guards not to physically harm anyone, and sat back to see what would happen.

Stanford Prison Experiment / Where were all the good Germans? / Karen McCann / enjoylivingabroad.com
Photo of "guards" and "prisoners" during the Stanford Prison Experiment

I probably don’t need to tell you that events soon spiraled out of control. 

​Those playing guards became increasingly abusive, yelling invective, putting the other boys in hoods and chains and solitary confinement, punishing infractions with sleep deprivation, isolation, and loss of “privileges” such as clothing, mattresses, and use of the toilet. Zimbardo, like Jones, got caught up in his role; he allowed the cruelty to continue, even when some prisoners “went crazy” and had to be released.
 
On day five Zimbardo’s girlfriend, graduate student Christina Maslach, saw what was going on and raised such strenuous objections that the experiment was shut down the next day. More than 50 people had observed the prison conditions, yet Maslach was the only one who questioned its morality. Today the story is taught in psych classes throughout America and is the subject of a recent award-winning (and chilling) film.


​After Zimbardo’s prison study went public, universities across America rushed to institute ethics regulations that would prevent such experiments from being conducted on students in the future. And rightly so. But we have learned something valuable from this science-project-run-amok: When normal is re-defined, our behavior tends to change with it.
 
This is no surprise. In fact, it's one of the reasons we travel: to place ourselves in new situations that make us think, feel, and act differently. Landscapes of breathtaking beauty can restore our sense of wellbeing. Standing in places where great evil was done raises uncomfortable but vital questions about human nature. Seeing successful social experiments in Estonia and Finland is inspiring. Studying history’s worst failures — Hitler, Stalin, and Vlad the Impaler, to name but a few — reminds us that our collective happiness depends on finding better, more humane ways to treat each other.
 
The world is constantly engaged in social experiments. Can we spot the failures? Will we know when it’s time to speak up and say, “Stop the madness!” as Maslach did? Or will we accept what’s happening, like the 50 good people who watched those boys being abused and did nothing? To find that answer, we first need to ask ourselves this: how is the new normal changing us?

IS THIS THE DAWNING OF THE AGE OF ESTONIA?
THE DEVIL'S FOOTPRINT
WHAT I AM NOT DOING ON VALENTINE'S DAY
Sign up for my blog here
Buy my books on Amazon
26 Comments
julio Sánchez
2/3/2017 09:00:00 am

very good. A good explanation of how we humans are and how we react.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/3/2017 05:03:28 pm

As you say, Julio, these studies provide a really fascinating glimpse into human nature. It's a bit scary to realize what we are all capable of, given changes in our circumstances.

Reply
Laura Symes
2/3/2017 10:28:29 am

A timely article. Simple answers have an appeal, people want to be in the 'in' group and power inevitably corrupts. Totalitarianism could take over any society if enough 'good' people do not speak up and protest. That might involve putting your own life and that of your children in danger -how many of us would really do that? I think the vast majority would keep quiet and hope not to be noticed. If such a thing happened today it would be much worse than in the 1930s. The Nazis understood the power of propaganda -'the bigger the lie, the more people will believe it'. Can you imagine if they had had the power of the Internet and social media. 'Fake news' would be an understatement.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/3/2017 05:15:34 pm

So true, Laura. Totalitarian and fascist thinking is terrifying in any age, and more so now with the power of the Internet and social media. With all the fake news around today, it pays to be vigilant with our own fact checking; among the most widely respected, non-partisan fact checking sites are Politifact, Factcheck.org, and Open Secrets.

Reply
Noreen Flannery
2/3/2017 01:35:18 pm

Karen
Like many I am finding myself overwhelmed with requests to call my rep or Senator, donate to the next really really important cause. "Stop this pipeline, let these immigrants in, do something about his hair." I find myself on somedays just turning if all off, watching a movie, turning a blind eye. Maybe you and Rich can come up with tips on being social activists and still making the best casserole this side of the Mississippi. Be well Noreen

Reply
Karen McCann
2/3/2017 05:19:33 pm

Noreen, Rich and I go on frequent "news fasts" to give our minds and hearts a break. It's the only way we can cope. I have given up any aspirations to make the best casserole this side of the Mississippi, but I am still hoping to achieve some degree of mental equilibrium. I'll let you know if/when that happens. Namaste, Karen

Reply
Stephanie Weber
2/3/2017 02:52:57 pm

The question is which is the evil to be avoided... the Nancy Pelosi and far left with their uni-think telling us that rather than discuss and debate we should shout down those who think differently ... the BDS movement wilt its riots and brown shirt tactics ...or ... the new president who is saying we should live the US Constitution.

Reply
Sine Thieme
2/3/2017 04:47:00 pm

"the new president who is saying we should live the US Constitution...." You mean that president who has demonstrably never even read the constitution? Who goes out of his way to boast how he doesn't need to read history because he "is smart" and "can make a deal"? The president who without shame stands in front of a wall of fallen soldiers - so secretive on their mission to defend our country and the constitution they died anonymously - and fails to honor their sacrifice and instead whines about the turnout at his inauguration? Who as his chief advisor chose someone who has repeatedly spouted neo-Nazi views in the past? Who on a daily basis threatens the free press when he doesn't like what he hears? that president? Give me a break.

Reply
Sine Thieme
2/3/2017 04:52:19 pm

And by the way, I am German. The Nancy Pelosi's of the world didn't bring about the biggest disaster in world history, the one my parents' generation felt forever ashamed of. The thin-skinned narcissistic self-aggrandizing loud-talking minority-bashing conspiracy-theory-loving man with the combover did.

Nancy Solak
2/3/2017 04:24:10 pm

Similar to Noreen, one day I'm too paralyzed to do anything politically constructive and other days I'm ready to rise up and speak my mind. Even after verbally pushing back against racist remarks, I beat myself up for how I could've done it better, perhaps gentler. I think most dark side conformity grows out of fear. How can we help others be less fearful? Great column, Karen. You raise a lot of important and pertinent questions. Thank you.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/4/2017 07:28:41 am

You're not alone, Nancy. With sweeping political change destabilizing so much of the modern world, it's hard for anyone to maintain a sense of balance these days. We can't expect ourselves to come up with a perfect response every time; we simply do the best we can to spread love and sanity, take positive action and deep breaths, and keep plenty of wine and chocolate on hand to share with friends as needed. We will get through this together.

Reply
Sine Thieme link
2/3/2017 04:39:51 pm

I had heard about these stories and always had the same niggling feeling as you as to what i would have done. It seems so easy in theory to say you will be the one to dissent, but like you I can't be sure.

The best part of your article is what you left unsaid: In the current political environment, we need strong people to dissent. Because way too many people who should know better are enabling an insane - yes, I said it, insane - leader of the free world. And by doing one outrageous thing after the other, he is redefining the new normal.

I think there was another experiment along similar lines, where people we instructed to inflict physical harm on others, but only gradually getting worse. It started with something very benign, but then got dialed up gradually. In the end, the tormentors committed unspeakable cruelty, which they never would have to begin with, but had slowly gotten used to by accepting the new normal.

That's what's happening in this country today.

And that is why I'm busy knitting pussy hats with my daughters these days:-)

Reply
Karen McCann
2/3/2017 05:47:20 pm

You're so right about that experiment, Sine; as a matter of fact a friend brought it up at lunch today. Back in the sixties, the Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures famously demonstrated that when instructed by a "teacher", especially one wearing a white lab coat, people would apply what they thought were increasingly intense electric shocks to other people (who were in fact faking).

Milgram and his colleagues predicted that that participants would soon refuse to continue, but that didn't happen. "Stark authority was pitted against the subjects' [participants'] strongest moral imperatives against hurting others, and, with the subjects' [participants'] ears ringing with the screams of the victims, authority won more often than not," Milgram said. "Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process."

It is a astonishing what we are capable of. And as Milgrim pointed out, "Relatively few people have the resources needed to resist authority." Important to remember!

Reply
Marilyn Christenson
2/3/2017 05:15:36 pm

Let us all remember that we are all connected and one human race. Travel reminds me that is a truth.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/3/2017 05:49:33 pm

So true, Marilyn. In the final analysis, there is no "us" and "them," there is only "us." And travel helps us remember that. As Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

Reply
Jackie Smith link
2/3/2017 06:43:36 pm

After each visit I make to the Holocaust Museum I ask myself, "How did 'they' let that happen?" The last 10 days have left me asking, "Are 'we' letting that happen?" or am I being swayed by FB, traditional media, and other sources. An excellent post Karen - and yet another thing to think about. (Although we are in Hawaii and going and sticking my head in the sand has been another idea I've been pondering the last few days).

Reply
Karen McCann
2/3/2017 06:55:44 pm

Jackie, these are the tough questions we are all wrestling with. But since you are in Hawaii right now, I say relax and let the islands work their magic. Time enough to gear up and do the heavy thinking when you get home. Enjoy!

Reply
Hilary Colvin
2/4/2017 02:51:08 am

Yet another fascinating post, followed up by more intriguing reader comments. As I read the article by you Karen, all I could think of was the movie I saw regarding the Milgram experiment and the very uncomfortable questions it made me ask myself. I certainly hope I would have stopped, and put my foot down upon hearing those screams. And then Sine brought it up in her post. Ironic. Let's hope we all have the courage to stand by what is humane, and ethical, despite what the masses do or say. Thank goodness I have traveled enough to have a broader picture. Thank you Karen and thank you Sine. My mother came to the US from Germany in 1950, and there is no better or kinder person I know.

Reply
Sine Thieme
2/4/2017 03:34:53 am

Thank you Hilary, for sharing the name of that experiment! And also about your mother. She must have been of my mother's generation. That's just the thing - my grandparents were also the kindest people I knew, and yet they silently (and fearfully) stood by as their government committed unspeakable acts. What I would have done in their shoes is a question that will never leave me in peace.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/4/2017 07:36:32 am

Hilary and Sine, my great grandfather came to the US from Germany in the late 19th century. Having German ancestors always makes me think about what might have happened if that generation of my family had made different choices. I'll never know whether we might have wound up on the wrong side of history in that situation. And that's a powerful motivator to be thoughtful and proactive in coping with the big issues of our own time.

Alicia Bay Laurel link
2/4/2017 06:48:19 am

Thank you for this very timely article, Karen.

Reply
Alicia Bay Laurel link
2/4/2017 06:53:42 am

P.S. The Summer of Love was in 1967. There will be a 50th anniversary music festival in Golden Gate Park the weekend of June 3 and 4th.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/4/2017 07:38:31 am

Glad you liked the story, Alicia, and thanks for the correction. I have made an adjustment to the story. Will you be participating in the 50th anniversary music festival? I'll bet that'll be something wonderful.

Reply
Andy Strote
2/4/2017 07:56:33 pm

When I see a "good Germans" article I have to answer. I'll try to keep it brief. Some background: I was born in Germany in the early 50s. Both my parents and their parents lived through the war in Germany. My father lost his older brother on the Russian front, body never recovered. My father was enlisted as a child soldier towards the end of the war to work at a munitions plant. There was an explosion, and his legs were filled with shrapnel. Only his mother's connection at the hospital saved them. My mother's boyfriend, before she met my dad, died in the war. I have their letters back and forth. My mother and her family made it through the war, but nearly starved to death right afterwards. For a year, they lived on turnips, all there was available. She never ate turnips the rest of her life.
So, back to good Germans. From what my parents had told me, in the early years, they were overwhelmed and at the same time in a weird sense of patriotism, supportive because Germany felt hard done by the heavy reparations after WW1. But as things turned ugly, say between 1937 and 1939, they realized they were heading for trouble. However, Hitler kept everyone distracted by German make-work and infrastructure programs. The country became prosperous. The 1936 Olympics were a huge success. In 1939, the war was launched under false pretences. By this time, the govt controlled the media, so the big lie worked. Why was there so little resistance? Simple. You would be rounded up and killed, no trial, not many questions. The population was subdued. My grandfather (father's side) was an architect building stone autobahn bridges. His labourers were Polish POWs. He brought them food from his extensive garden because the rations weren't enough to sustain the hard labour required to build the bridges. (They are magnificent btw, saw them again two years ago). For bringing his own food, he was put into a work camp for 3 months as punishment.

So, now look at the USA. Recently news reporters who were rounded up at a recent Trump demonstration were charged with "crimes" that could be punishable with up to 10 years jail. Look at the obvious damage being done to the American constitution. People are speaking up, but not much can be done to stop what's going on.

Last thing. People have asked me how the Germans didn't know what was happening to Jews, gypsies, gays and others being rounded up. For most of the war, they truly didn't know. They knew they were being rounded up, but not killed. Most of these concentration camps were deep in rural areas, and people were kept away. However, later, word did get out. But, people kept their heads down. Did you want to risk your life and that of your family to say anything?

In the past, I always felt that as soon as you invoked Hitler into any modern argument, you've already lost, because you don't really understand what happened then. But now.... I think we're getting really close.

Last thing. When my parents decided to leave Germany just after I was born, they looked at several countries. Not South Africa because of apartheid. Not South America – didn't speak Spanish or Portuguese. Not Australia – couldn't afford the fare. Not USA because of the treatment of African Americans. So, Canada it was, and that's how I ended up in Toronto.

Reply
Sine
2/6/2017 03:16:21 pm

Andy - thank you for the background info. I'm a bit younger than you, but other than that more or less my story is the same, and what my parents told us (though they didn't like to talk about it). Still, you do wonder how it could be that everyone was so afraid all at the same time. It's the same as happened in East Germany - once the government gets people informing on each other and you no longer know who to trust, everyone keeps quiet. By the way, about Canada - great article yesterday in the NYT about Canada and its open immigration policy (which was not nearly as open to all races in the 1950s). We (U.S.) are at risk of losing the best and brightest immigrants to Canada who welcomes them with open arms.

Reply
Karen McCann
2/6/2017 06:17:25 pm

Andy, thank you for this wonderful perspective on the questions raised in my post. It's true that it's easy to escalate an argument out of all proportion with references to Hitler, and yet we still have the obligation to study current events in light of the darker parts of the past. Dealing with fascism in any form is tricky, frightening, and high-stakes. I'm so glad you were willing to help us understand the past a bit better as we go forward.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    ​Winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Award for Travel
    Picture
    Picture
    #1 Amazon Bestseller in Tourist Destinations, Travel Tips, Gastronomy Essays, and Senior Travel

    Welcome!

    This blog is a promotion-free zone.

    As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only write about things that interest me and that I believe might prove useful for you all to know about. Whew! I wanted to clear that up before we went any further. Thanks for listening.
    Picture
    Karen McCann
    TO I'm an American travel writer based in Seville, Spain.

    Wanderlust has taken me to more than 60 countries. Every week I provide travel tips and adventure stories to inspire your journeys and let you have more fun — and better food — on the road


    Don't miss out!
    SIGN UP HERE
    to be notified when I publish new posts.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    BLOG ARCHIVES 

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    CATEGORIES

    All
    100 Days On The Road
    1950s Sci-Fi
    2020
    2021 Holiday Tips
    2021 Puzzle Craze
    2024
    32 Years Together
    3 Food Tribes
    7 Best Travel Tips
    Acupuncture
    Address To A Haggis
    Adriatic Sea
    AirBnB
    Air Travel
    Air Travel Myths
    Albania
    Albanian Farm Food
    Alicia Bay Laurel
    Ali Kali
    Amazon
    American Resistance France
    American Taboos
    A Month Of Italy
    Amsterdam
    Animal Artists
    Anthony Hopkins
    Anxious Traveler
    Apocalypse Chow
    Apps
    Arizona
    Armadillos
    Artichokes
    Artificial Intelligence
    Artwalk
    Atomic Bunker Museum
    Attention Test
    Austria
    Authentic Travel
    Automation = Apocalypse?
    A Year Of Travel
    Bagpipe Music
    Balsamic Vinegar
    Baltasar
    Banana Bread
    Bari
    Barletta
    Barrio Abierto
    Bathroom
    Batman
    Bears
    Beastly Spasm
    Becherovka
    Bed Bugs
    Beer
    Belgrade
    Best Apps 2016
    Best Foodie City
    Best & Worst
    Bet
    Better Homes And Gardens Cook Book
    Betty Soskin
    Betty White
    Bev's Peach Pie
    Bey's Soup
    Bhutan
    Bigfoot Museum
    Big Rail Trip 2016
    Biohazard Bag
    Biosphere 2
    Bird
    Black Angels
    Blogger Robots
    Blogs & Websites
    Bong Appétit
    Book Club
    Book Cover
    Books
    Bookstores
    Bosnia
    Botiza
    Brain-enhanced Chimps
    Brains Of The Pig
    Breakfast In Seville
    Bucharest
    Budapest
    Budget
    Bulgaria
    Bull's Head
    Burgos
    Burns Supper
    Buzzworthy Words
    CA
    Cabalgata
    CA Cheese Trail
    Ca ‘de Anime
    Caganer
    Cagliari
    Calvin Trillin
    Camels
    Carbon-Conscious Rail Travel
    Car Crazy
    Cars Vs. Trains
    Castle Houska
    České Budějovice
    České Budějovice
    Chained Wallet
    Chakra Stone
    Chef Lenny The Lizard
    Chickens
    Chocolate Nativity Scene
    Chocolatour
    Chris Brady
    Christmas
    Christmas In Seville
    Christmas Traditions
    Chulalongkorn University
    Clara Bensen
    Climate Change
    Coca-Cola
    Coffee
    Collywobbles
    Comfort Food
    Communism Museum
    Compassion
    Cooking With Weed
    Coping With Pandemic
    Coronavirus
    Coronavirus & Travel
    Costa Women
    Covid Insurance
    Covid Weddings
    Cowgirls & Cowboys
    Cows Come Home
    Crete
    Croatia
    Cruz De Mayo In Seville
    Cuba: 10 Tips
    Cuba: Legendary Snafu
    Curated Reality
    Czech Please
    Czech Republic
    Dan Brown's Inspiration
    Dance
    Dancing In The Fountain
    Dancing In The Foutnain
    Dancing On Bars
    Dark Tourism
    Date Nights
    Debunking Travel Myths
    Detours & Delays
    Devil's Museum
    Digital Nomad Visas
    Diners
    Disappointing Destinations
    Disaster Survival Tips
    Dive Bars
    Dive Bars Of Italy
    Dive Bars Of Seville
    Doga (Dog Yoga)
    Dog-friendly Bars
    Dogs
    Doing Good
    Doing It
    Donna Red Wing
    Dragon
    Dragonpit
    Drink-Ease
    Driverless Cars
    Duck Plaza
    Duquesa De Alba
    Earthquakes
    EatWith
    Emergency Measures
    Emergency Preparedness
    Empathy Museum
    Endangered
    Enjoy Moving Abroad
    Entrails Soup
    Epiphany
    E-readers
    Erratic Boulder
    Estonia
    Eurail
    European Dinner Plate
    European Food
    European Pandemic
    Evernote
    Exercise On The Road
    Expat In Dark Times
    Expats In America2.0
    Expect Delays
    Eye-popping Landmarks
    Failure Museum
    Fake Art Masterpieces
    Fake Wallet
    Family
    Family Reunion
    Farruquito
    Fellini
    Finland
    First Aid Kit
    Five Meals A Day
    Flat-Earthers
    Flea Market
    Flophouses
    Fondu
    Food Fetishes
    Food Photo Secrets
    Food Tours
    Foreign
    Foreigners
    Forgetfulness
    Fork In The Road
    Fountain
    Free Wi-Fi Finder
    French Bistro
    French Women Don't Get Fat
    Fried Flies
    Full Catastrophe Living
    Fully Vaccinated!
    Galileo Offline
    Game Of Thrones
    Gaslighting
    Gates Of Hell
    Gazpacho Recipe
    Genoa
    Genova
    George Floyd Protests
    George Takei
    Georgia
    Georgian Grey Bear
    Germany
    Ghost Stories
    Gin Joints
    Glass Wall Of Tourism
    Gluten-free Italian Recipes
    Going Spiral
    Good News
    Good Samaritan Scammer
    Google-glass
    Google Translate
    ​Gourounopoula
    Gps
    Grandma Cooper
    Granola Recipe
    Grapes
    Gratitude
    Greece
    Greek Coffee
    Greek Coffee Culture
    Greek Wines
    Group Tours
    Grumpiness Course
    Grumpiness Seminar
    Guest Blog
    Guest Etiquette
    Guests
    Haggis
    Halloween
    Handyman's Guide
    Hannibal Lecter
    Happiest Cities In US
    Happiest Jobs In US
    Happiness Course
    Harvard
    Harvey Milk
    Helsinki
    Heraklion
    Herzeg Novi
    Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy291cb11256
    Holiday Lights
    Holiday Shopping
    Holidays In Seville
    Holiday Survival Guide
    Hollidays
    Holy Grail
    Home For The Holidays
    Home Improvements
    HonorSnacks
    Horse
    Hospitals
    Hot As Hades
    Houseguest
    House Hunting
    House Of The Spirits
    Houska Castle
    How Normal Am I?
    How To Meet People
    Hrad Houska
    Human Towers
    Hungary
    Hydration
    Hygge
    Iberian Lynx
    Ibrik
    Icloud
    Ikaria
    Ikaria Solution
    Immigrants
    India
    Indiana Jones
    In Search Of America Tour
    Ipad
    IPhone Photos
    Irail
    Italy
    Jacket
    Jaén
    Jan The Beachcomber
    Japan
    Jet Lag
    Jet Lag Apps
    John The Baptist
    Jo Maeder
    Joseph Campbell
    Joya Shoes
    July 4th In USA
    Justice Course
    Kalamata
    Katka Lapelosa
    Keep Going!
    Kgb
    Kgb Muzeum
    Kindle
    King Wenceslas
    Kitchen For The Mind
    Korçë
    Kotor
    Koyono Jacket
    Krakow
    Krakow's Dragon
    Ladies Room
    Lady And The Tramp
    La Font De La Figuera
    Laptop Ban
    Larissa Olenicoff
    Latvia
    Laughter Project
    Lederhosen
    Legal
    Legal Marijuana
    Legend
    Lesbos Refugees
    LGBT Rights
    Library
    Lindsay Lake
    Lithuania
    Little White Lie
    Little Women
    Live Longer
    Live To 100
    Local Food
    Lockdown Survival Tips
    Longevity
    Lord Peter Wimsey
    Low-Tech Travel Tips
    Lübeck
    Lucky Grapes
    Lucky Red Underwear
    Luggage
    Luggage-free Travel
    Luggage-Free Travel? Try It
    Lviv
    Lynne And Tim Martin
    Madrid
    Magellan
    Maps
    Marijuana
    Mars One
    Mask War
    Matrimony
    Mbt Shoes
    Meal Schedules
    Meal Sharing
    Meaning Of Home
    Mediterranean Dive Bars
    Memory Course
    Menlo Park Library
    Mentally Unpack Your Bags
    Mermaids
    Metropol Parasol Building
    Me Worry?
    Miracle Tile Of Vilnius
    Mobilize America
    Money
    Money Handling
    Monster Of Milpitas
    Montenegro
    Mood Food
    Most Dangerous Woman In America
    Moussaka
    Museum Of Communism
    Muskrat Love
    My Octopus Teacher
    Mystery Spot
    Naples
    Napoli
    National Lampoon's European Vacation
    Nativity Scene
    Nepal
    New
    Newark Of Italy
    New Orleans
    New Roaring 20s
    New Year's Eve
    New Year's Eve Abroad
    New Year's In Seville
    New York Times
    No Cancelling The Holidays
    No-Jet-Lag
    Nomad Eating
    NORCs
    Not A Good Week
    Nutters Tour
    Obatzda
    Offbeat Roadside Attractions
    Off The Grid
    Olive Oil
    Optimism & Survival
    Orichiette Pasta
    Outhouse
    Overlook Effect
    Pack For 4 Months
    Packing
    Packing Demonstration
    Packing For 161 Days
    Packing Tips
    Pad Thai Cooking Class
    Paella
    Painting
    Painting Disasters
    Palacio De Las Dueñas
    Palermo
    Pandemic Endgame
    Pandemic Humor
    Pandemic Infodemic
    Pandemic Makes Us Better
    Pandemic Solutions
    Pandemic Travel
    Pandemic Travel Story
    Parlor Games On The Road
    Parma
    Parma Ham
    Parmigiano-Reggiano
    Passport Issue
    Pasta
    Pasta Recipe
    Patriotism. US
    Peaceful Resistance
    Pécs
    Peruvian Pavilion
    Pesto Sauce
    Photography
    Picking Tapas Bars
    PIzza
    Platter Of Salome
    Plaza De España
    Plaza De Pato
    Plumbing Nightmare
    Podgorica
    Poet Billy Collins
    Poltergeist
    Pop-culture Museum
    Pope Benedict
    Pop-up Restaurants
    Post-pandemic Predictions
    Post-pandemic Travel
    Prague
    Predictions
    Print On Demand
    Propaganda Museum
    Pub Culture
    Public Library
    Purgatory
    Purpose-driven Travel
    Pussyhats
    Quarantine
    Quarantine Bar Hopping
    Quarantine Mini-Vacation
    Quarantine Nostalgia?
    Quarantine Thanksgiving
    Queen's Gambit
    Quirky Travel Pix
    Ramona Langley
    Reading Group
    Ready To Move Abroad?
    Rebounding Seville
    Recipe
    Recombobulation
    Recycling
    Red Underwear
    Rennes-le-Chateau
    Reptilians
    Republic Of Užupis
    Rescue Dogs
    Residency Visas
    Resistance School
    Resistance Summer 2017
    Retire Abroad
    Retire Where?
    Revisited
    Reyes Magos In Seville
    Rfidblocking Rogue Money Clipb4d0c62eac
    Rich Interview 2020
    Rich-on-packing
    Riga
    Risotto
    Road House
    Roadhouses
    Roadrunner
    Roadside Attractions
    Robert Mugabe
    Rocket Scientists
    Rodeo
    Rolling Stones
    Romania
    Romería Del Rocío In Seville
    Romesco Sauce Recipe
    Rooster Recipe
    Rosie The Riveter
    Ross Williams
    Rural Romania
    Ruse
    Russian Mafia
    Sacramento
    San Anselmo Flooding
    San Ildefonso Church
    San Jose
    Sarajevo
    Sardinia
    Sassari
    Science Museum
    Scottevest
    Scottevest 8-pocket Pants
    Second Breakfast Seville
    Secret Supper Clubs
    Security On The Road
    Seinfeld Episode
    Semana Santa
    Senior Gypsies
    Senior Nomads
    Sephardic Search
    Serbia
    Setas
    Seville
    Seville 2022 Update
    Seville Dining Customs
    Seville Holidays
    Seville Holidays 2021
    Seville In Pandemic
    Seville In Winter
    Seville's Best Tapas 2021
    Seville's Tapas Bars
    Sex Shops
    Shackleton Ad A Myth
    Shared Dining
    Shoe Bomb
    Shoes
    Shoestring Travel
    Šiauliai
    Sicilian Grandmothers
    Siestas
    Silicon Valley
    Singularity
    Six-word Stories
    Skunk Remedy
    Skype Wifi7994daf88f
    Sleep/Insomnia
    Slovakia
    Smart Pigeons
    Snack Foods
    Snail
    Snail Museum
    Snail On The Rails
    Snails In Slime LIght
    Snail Slime Skin Cream
    Snakes
    Snowed In
    Social Distancing
    Sofia
    Sophia Loren
    SOS File
    Space Tourism
    Space Travel For Pets
    Spaghetti
    Spain
    Spain Savvy
    Spain's Cold Soups
    Spam
    Spicy Shrimp In Mango Salsa Recipe
    Spiritual Path To Resistance
    Spiritual Weightlifter
    Springtime For Hitler
    Stanford Prison Experiment
    Staycation
    Stephen King
    Still Expecting Delays
    Stockholm Disaster
    Stone Lifter
    Strange
    Strawberries
    St. Tecla
    Suitcase
    Survival Food
    Survival Songs
    Survive October 2020
    Surviving Catastrophes
    Surviving Pandemic Holidays
    Swiss Cheese Solution
    Switzerland
    Symbolic Thinking
    Tango Lessons
    Tapas
    Tapenade Recipe
    Tapeo
    Taxi
    Tblisi
    Temple
    Thanksgiving Games
    The Balkans
    The Big Tomato
    The Blonde Gypsy
    The Exorcist
    The Joy Of Eating
    The Mothership
    The Next Big Thing
    The Other Turkey
    The Power Of Myth
    The Producers
    The Return 2021
    Thessaloniki
    The Wave
    Three Kings
    Time Travel
    Toad Jam
    Track My Tour
    Train Lag
    Train Travel
    Transylvania
    Travel
    Travel As Political Act
    Travel Boosts Your Brain
    Travel Clothes
    Travel Companions
    Travel Destinations
    Travel Experiments
    Travel Fashion
    Travel Photography Tricks
    Travel Photos
    Travel Prep For Pandemic
    Travel Vest
    Travel With
    Triposo
    True Cross
    Tsa
    Twelve Days Of Christmas
    Tyrolian Alps
    Uber
    Uc Berkeley
    UFOs & Ghosts 2020
    Ukraine
    Ultra-Light Luggage
    Underrated Extras
    Upotonek
    Valdepeñas
    Valencia
    Vampires
    Veliko Tarnovo
    Verona
    Vest
    Victoria Twead
    Vilnius
    Virgin Of The Napkin
    Virtual Tax March
    Visitors
    Vodka
    Vodka & Pickles
    Voodoo Cooking
    Wall Street Journal
    Wandering Earl
    Warsaw
    Washington
    Water
    Watermelon Gazpacho
    Weasel Coffee
    Wedding Disaster
    Weird At The Holidays
    Weird Gifts
    Wenceslas Square
    What
    Whiskey Every Day
    Wild Goat Recipe
    Winchester Mystery House
    Winner
    Winter In Seville
    Wireless Generation
    Wolf's Lair
    Women Of Seville
    Working Abroad
    World Chocolate
    Worst
    Worst Travel Moment
    Wow Finish To Long Trip
    Writing
    Xe Currency
    Yodeling
    Yoga
    Zagreb
    Zigzag Fountain953a67c066
    Zimbabwe
    Zombie Viruses
    Zurich

  • Start Here
  • My Blog
  • My Travel Books
    • GREAT MED COMFORT FOOD BOOK
    • MOVING TO SEVILLE
    • EASTERN EUROPE BY RAIL
    • PACK LIGHT 2023
    • Seville's New Normal 2023
    • STARTING EXPAT LIFE
    • 101 EXPAT TIPS
  • Med Comfort Food Tour
  • Mediterranean Recipes
  • Dive Bars
  • Travel Tips
    • Packing
    • The Expat Lifestyle
    • Enjoy the Best of Seville
  • About
  • Contact