# Best things from Europe



## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Following on from the 'Best things from America' thread here is the same idea but, for Europe.
Over to you guys
Cheers
John


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## Njaco (Jun 17, 2013)

smallpox


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## evangilder (Jun 17, 2013)

Beatles, Stones, The Who and a number of early Rock and Roll bands. German Beer, castles/chateaus. Jet engines. I could probably think of more.


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## B-17engineer (Jun 17, 2013)

The Tank


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## Bucksnort101 (Jun 17, 2013)

Guinness and Haggis, wait, not Haggis, what was I thinking. A Guinness is good for you.


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

My first offers are :-

Rudolf Diesel (1858 - 1913). I am a great fan of diesel engines and this is the man who started it all.

The world's first functional engine supercharger was made by Scottish engineer Dugald Clerk, who used it for the first two-stroke engine in 1878. My Mini S has a supercharger and I love the power delivery. Thank you Mr Clerk


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## Bucksnort101 (Jun 17, 2013)

Pizza!!!!


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## GrauGeist (Jun 17, 2013)

My ancestors


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## A4K (Jun 17, 2013)

The different cultures and languages. Love it here!


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Carnaby Street.
The Lambretta
Moto Guzzi, Triumph, BSA, Laverda motorbikes.
A just system of law.
Navigation (slight mistake finding some countries but, we'll gloss over that)


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## B-17engineer (Jun 17, 2013)

Bucksnort101 said:


> Pizza!!!!



Fun fact:

Pizza was based off the Chinese Green Onion pancake, when Marco Polo came back he missed the Green Onion Pancake so much he had a chef try to recreate it. They did not succeed and Marco suggested the filling be put on top and after have other ingredients like cheese added the pizza was created.


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

A4K said:


> The different cultures and languages. Love it here!



NZ or Hungary


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## Lucky13 (Jun 17, 2013)

Vikings!!

(What you mean they were unruly hooligans!!??)


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## stona (Jun 17, 2013)

The sandwich.

Steve


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## Lucky13 (Jun 17, 2013)

Mosquito, Blenheim, Hampden, Stirling, Halifax, Lancaster....Jaguar, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Lola, Lotus.....


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## Bucksnort101 (Jun 17, 2013)

Monty Python


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## Njaco (Jun 17, 2013)

I still say smallpox. If Europeans hadn't brought something to wipe out the indigenous population, then we wouldn't be here! 

as for pizza, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous until only about 150 years ago....


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## Marcel (Jun 17, 2013)

The flight to the USA?


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Blackadder Fawlty Towers.


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFMpySg_UrM_


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vafxnkWndI_

Dad's Army


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfY7QAR14Ko_

Steptoe Son#


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGpV6y1O9UY_

Bottom


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLvS_w9gy8g_

At least we can laugh at ourselves


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## Bucksnort101 (Jun 17, 2013)

Oh yeah, Fawlty Towers, that was classic. Wish there were more episodes. I always liked the beginning of the show when the letters on the Fawlty Towers sign were switched around to spell something else, the one that comes to mind is "Flowery Twats" 
My favorite episode was "The Germans", with the "talking Moose head" and Basil doing the goose step. "Don't mention the war, I did once but I think I got away with it"


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## B-17engineer (Jun 17, 2013)

Njaco said:


> I still say smallpox. If Europeans hadn't brought something to wipe out the indigenous population, then we wouldn't be here!
> 
> as for pizza, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous until only about 150 years ago....



Rightfully so, Tomatoes are f****** nasty


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Freedom for your dog


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## Matt308 (Jun 17, 2013)

The originators of my favorite expletive... Pluck Yew!!!


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Matt308 said:


> The originators of my favorite expletive... Pluck Yew!!!



Pluck Yew ? sounds a bit Chinese to me Matt.... 

'**** off' is more British and a universal word for many situations...
For instance a very large 250bhp outboard motor would be called a '**** off motor'

There are more...of course....


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## Bucksnort101 (Jun 17, 2013)

Readie said:


> Pluck Yew ? sounds a bit Chinese to me Matt....
> 
> '**** off' is more British and a universal word for many situations...
> For instance a very large 250bhp outboard motor would be called a '**** off motor'
> ...



More useless trivia "Yew is the type of wood the British, and others, preferred to build thier longbows with. Story goes the french would cut off captures archers and cut thier middle fingers off. Hence the term "Pluck Yew" being used by fully fingered British archers to intimidate the French. Snopes say this is not true, but it makes for a good story.

Now my only question is, did the french actually say "I fart in your general direction" whilst catapulting cattle over the fortress walls at the British?


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## rtwpsom2 (Jun 17, 2013)

Nutella (drool).


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## rochie (Jun 17, 2013)

foie gras !!!!

love-erly if expensive


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Bucksnort101 said:


> More useless trivia "Yew is the type of wood the British, and others, preferred to build thier longbows with. Story goes the french would cut off captures archers and cut thier middle fingers off. Hence the term "Pluck Yew" being used by fully fingered British archers to intimidate the French. Snopes say this is not true, but it makes for a good story.
> 
> Now my only question is, did the french actually say "I fart in your general direction" whilst catapulting cattle over the fortress walls at the British?




Second question first. Only in Monty Pythons Holy Grail film.... the French were more likely to eat the cattle than chuck them at us in real life 

The middle finger salute is considered rather rude, but you are right where it originated from... 

Finger (gesture) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Airframes (Jun 17, 2013)

Beat things from Europe?
The list is far to long for the available space on the forum - but I'll start with all those ships which went to other parts of the globe, thereby enabling other places to have 'good things' - eventually.


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## Readie (Jun 17, 2013)

Airframes said:


> Beat things from Europe?



Rock N Roll Terry


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## Torch (Jun 17, 2013)

Huge supply of "like new" WW2 MAS rifles...........Kidding....Pain au chocolate,pommes frites,curry wurst,Bouillabaise,baguette, Vin Rose du Bandol,Jaeger schnitzel,Rouladen,Porsche,Italian exotics,Mercedes,Beemers,Sophie Loren,Laverda,Gilera,Champagne,Cognac,Pastis,Lasagna


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## tomo pauk (Jun 17, 2013)

Iron Maiden (band, not the machine), Nikola Tesla, Da Vinci, Gugliermo Marconi, Catherina Zeta Jones, Ms. Sklodowska-Curie, VW Golf, Mini Morris, Fiat 500 600, BMW, RR, Dubrovnik...

French Revolution.


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## Glider (Jun 17, 2013)

Football


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## Marcel (Jun 17, 2013)

In no particular order:

- Me
- The train
- The car
- The sportscar
- Swedish women
- Leffe Blond


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## B-17engineer (Jun 17, 2013)

Marcel said:


> In no particular order:
> 
> *- Me*
> - The train
> ...


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 17, 2013)

Scotch
Trench Coat
Kate Beckinsale


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jun 18, 2013)

German Beer
Heavy Metal Music (arguably it was invented in good old England)
Mercedes Benz
Volkswagen Beetle
Jaguar
Guiness
Castles (and great old history that makes for amazing vacations and trips that I will never forget in my life.)
The best cheeses in the world.
Overall it Europe is a foodies wet dream. 
Topless Beeches
Football


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## Capt. Vick (Jun 18, 2013)

Czech Beer, Sausage, some other stuff


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## Lucky13 (Jun 18, 2013)

Knights Templar, Hospitallers (Knights of St. John) and the Teutonic.....


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## Thorlifter (Jun 18, 2013)

Schnitzel, Bratwurst, I'll 2nd the Swedish women!!!, German beer, but the best thing has got to be the most beautiful car EVER invented!!!


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## Matt308 (Jun 18, 2013)

Glider said:


> Football



The beautiful game.


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## Lucky13 (Jun 18, 2013)

H*LL NO!!! The Lamborghini Miura is a MUCH better looking car....


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## Thorlifter (Jun 18, 2013)

Ok, you take your Miura and I'll take my Countach and we will both be happy!


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## Marcel (Jun 18, 2013)

Aston Martin DB5?


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## Readie (Jun 18, 2013)

Never mind Italian cars..what you really want is this Anglo American brute...







A REAL beauty.


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## Readie (Jun 18, 2013)

Anyway...where were we? ah, yes.. the best things from Europe.

The thing I like most is the amount of cultural change you can experience within a few hundred miles...if you pick the right route of course.
Food, architecture,history, heritage and list goes on.

A sense of identity is important for everyone...and we have that here even in these Federal Europe days.


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## CORSNING (Jun 18, 2013)

I agree with Readie, but then there's also Sophia Loren.


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 18, 2013)

Jaguar XJ-220


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## Torch (Jun 18, 2013)

I have dibs on mentioning Sophie first.the list of Italian beauties is long,i'll toss in Brigitte Bardot for the French..


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## CORSNING (Jun 18, 2013)

You the man Torch. But can we keep Brigitte for ourselves until the weekend?


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 18, 2013)

I've always been a sucker for Elizabeth Hurley myself.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jun 19, 2013)

Readie said:


> Anyway...where were we? ah, yes.. the best things from Europe.
> 
> The thing I like most is the amount of cultural change you can experience within a few hundred miles...if you pick the right route of course.
> Food, architecture,history, heritage and list goes on.
> ...



I agree, and that is something I miss about living in Europe.


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## Readie (Jun 19, 2013)

Torch said:


> I have dibs on mentioning Sophie first.the list of Italian beauties is long,i'll toss in Brigitte Bardot for the French..



Dianna Rigg.


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## A4K (Jun 19, 2013)

DerAdlerIstGelandet said:


> I agree, and that is something I miss about living in Europe.



...and why I moved back here from Oz. NZ and Oz are great for weather and scenery, but we have nowhere near the cultural diversity and history of Europe... I do love it here! (In Europe John  )


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## Lucky13 (Jun 19, 2013)

Them there Norwegian fjords!


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## Readie (Jun 19, 2013)

'...and why I moved back here from Oz. NZ and Oz are great for weather and scenery, but we have nowhere near the cultural diversity and history of Europe... I do love it here! (In Europe John )'

Sorry for the confusion old chap...I wasn't sure whether you were Hungarian living in NZ or vice versa. 
Anyway, that is all nicely cleared up.

Europe has a huge amount to offer, as does everywhere in the world I guess.
I'm a little tired of the poor weather in successive UK summers but, that is all.
Its easy to find to sun, in the south of France / Spain.


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## A4K (Jun 19, 2013)

Readie said:


> '...Sorry for the confusion old chap...I wasn't sure whether you were Hungarian living in NZ or vice versa.



No worries mate, hardly know myself these days! Lived in 6 countries so far and may be headed for the 7th (Ireland) in just over a month! 


As for sun, plenty here in Hungary. 37 °C today, 21 last night!


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## Matt308 (Jun 20, 2013)

Porn stars teaching sex ed in school! I wanna be young and european! Wahoo!

Private school considers porn star sex-ed teachers- The Heart Beat - MSN Living


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## Bucksnort101 (Jun 20, 2013)

Ibuprofen!!!!! I think that invention is so great I'm gonna take a handfull right now for my aching back!


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## Readie (Jun 20, 2013)

Bucksnort101 said:


> Ibuprofen!!!!! I think that invention is so great I'm gonna take a handfull right now for my aching back!



Not too big a hand full if you value your heart BN.


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## Readie (Jun 20, 2013)

A4K said:


> No worries mate, hardly know myself these days! Lived in 6 countries so far and may be headed for the 7th (Ireland) in just over a month!



I like Eire. The countryside is lovely and people friendly. Out of the cities Its the only place I could leave my motorbike unlocked and it wouldn't get nicked.
Guinness tastes best from a Waterford crystal glass too


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## Airframes (Jun 20, 2013)

And liver and kidneys!
I see Jan is pining for the fjords ............


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## Readie (Jun 20, 2013)

Airframes said:


> And liver and kidneys!
> I see Jan is pining for the fjords ............



Underneath that gruff northern exterior you do care Terrance


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## Readie (Jun 21, 2013)

All those lovely varities of cold meat and mustard.


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## Matt308 (Jun 21, 2013)

How about locally bought bread done by artisans.


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## Readie (Jun 21, 2013)

'How about locally bought bread done by artisans.'

Defo Matt. That is one of the pleasures of France, fresh baguettes, cheese and wine.
The supermarket bread here is shite and a lot of folks have taken up home bread baking inspired by the TV cook Paul Hollywood.


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## Matt308 (Jun 21, 2013)

Yeah people here in the states have no idea what a good loaf of fresh bread, cheese and beer might make for a change in meal preferences. Add some fruit/veggies and I'm a happy man.


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## Lucky13 (Jun 21, 2013)

That world famous Swedish Smorgasbord!


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## N4521U (Jun 21, 2013)

Readie said:


> All those lovely varities of cold meat and mustard.



There's that mustard again!

Give me a Russian Piroshky!........... with a little hot mustard to clear the nose!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jun 22, 2013)

Readie said:


> 'How about locally bought bread done by artisans.'
> 
> Defo Matt. That is one of the pleasures of France, fresh baguettes, cheese and wine.
> The supermarket bread here is shite and a lot of folks have taken up home bread baking inspired by the TV cook Paul Hollywood.



French Baguette is amazing. Whenever me and my wife would go to France, we would buy a bunch of Baguettes and different Cheeses and meats. Put them in the cooler. Just drive around the country side. When we got hungry, pull over, sit in the grass or on the beach and just eat bread and cheese. 

I miss living in a place where you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for real cheese. (Real cheese is not sliced American cheese bought in Walmart).


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jun 22, 2013)

Matt308 said:


> Yeah people here in the states have no idea what a good loaf of fresh bread, cheese and beer might make for a change in meal preferences. Add some fruit/veggies and I'm a happy man.



I agree. It is probably one of the things I miss the most. Going to the local town bakery, getting fresh breads (and not that shitty sliced loaf crap), then stoping by the butcher, getting fresh salamis and cold cut meats, and then going to the cheese store and getting wedges of real cheese. Appenzeller, Cave Cheese, Bree, Scharfer Max, etc...

Oh and not having to pay an arm and leg for it. 

Same with wine. 

It seems to me that people in America think that a good cheese, bread or wine has to be expensive. Even the domestic ones. Why????


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## nuuumannn (Jun 22, 2013)

> If Europeans hadn't brought something to wipe out the indigenous population, then we wouldn't be here!



The TRUE meaning of Thanksgiving! 

The Supergroup! Cream, ABBA, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd et al...


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## N4521U (Jun 22, 2013)

The "Europeans" brought gifts for Every indigenous group they came across!!!!! And if That didn't work...


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 22, 2013)

Wait, real cheese does not come from a can???????


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## rochie (Jun 22, 2013)

vikingBerserker said:


> Wait, real cheese does not come from a can???????



no from a tube........


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## Readie (Jun 22, 2013)

'French Baguette is amazing. Whenever me and my wife would go to France, we would buy a bunch of Baguettes and different Cheeses and meats. Put them in the cooler. Just drive around the country side. When we got hungry, pull over, sit in the grass or on the beach and just eat bread and cheese'

Chris, that is exactly what we do too. I have to include sparkling water as well.
Can't beat it eh


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## Lucky13 (Jun 22, 2013)

Sparky aqua vera!!?? Do you drink with pointy pinky as well? If water was to be drunk with fart gas, they'd....never mind!


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## Readie (Jun 22, 2013)

Sparkling water with a slice of lemon and/or lime is very refreshing. The French lemon sorbet is too...
Can't wait to get away from the rain and head down to Nice


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## Lucky13 (Jun 22, 2013)

Them there proper, real classic cafe racers!


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## Readie (Jun 22, 2013)

Eh ?... have you been at the sherry ?


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## Lucky13 (Jun 22, 2013)

Don't touch sherry old boy.....


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## Readie (Jun 22, 2013)

Quite right old bean..not before the suns gone over the yardarm eh


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## Lucky13 (Jun 22, 2013)

True! What!?

60's music, the Mersey Beat and so on....!


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## Readie (Jun 22, 2013)

Its nearly time to raise the first glass old sport...

I would say 'bottoms up' but, you Scottish Swedes may get the wrong idea


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## Lucky13 (Jun 22, 2013)

Not like you ladyboys down south!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Jun 22, 2013)

Readie said:


> Sparkling water with a slice of lemon and/or lime is very refreshing. The French lemon sorbet is too...
> Can't wait to get away from the rain and head down to Nice



I agree as well. Especially in the summer time.


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## Readie (Jun 22, 2013)

I tied some bottles of water on the fromt bumper of my car last summer. We drove from Roscoff to Bordeaux and the wind cooled the water a treat. Just the job in 30 degrees


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## Lucky13 (Jun 22, 2013)

Not under the wings of a Spitfire??


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## Matt308 (Jun 22, 2013)

Readie said:


> I tied some bottles of water on the fromt bumper of my car last summer. We drove from Roscoff to Bordeaux and the wind cooled the water a treat. Just the job in 30 degrees



What... Redneck Englishmen in France!? Say it isn't so...


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## yulzari (Jun 23, 2013)

Readie said:


> I tied some bottles of water on the fromt bumper of my car last summer. We drove from Roscoff to Bordeaux and the wind cooled the water a treat. Just the job in 30 degrees



This summer you only need to tie the empty bottles to the front bumper. They will soon be full of cold water............


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## Readie (Jun 23, 2013)

'What... Redneck Englishmen in France!? Say it isn't so... '

Matt, even this most English of Englishmen loves la belle France. Its the place where I'm happiest after England 

The French have a soft spot for 'Le Anglais' and always make sure we get home after our hoilday.... hahaha.

John,
I had a canvas water bag contraption that I used to dangle from the front of my cars to cool water on a hot summers day.
Some git nicked it and I haven't found another so, I am reduced to crudely tieing plastic water bottles on the front.
Works more or less the same.
I think the French think we are as mad as balloons and give a shrug as we roar past on the peage.
130 km officer? oh, I thought it was 130 mph...


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## Lucky13 (Jun 23, 2013)

The Orient Express...


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## Torch (Jun 23, 2013)

The smell of fresh crepes being cooked on a stand on a southern French beach,Framboise ice cream...


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## Matt308 (Jun 23, 2013)

Ms. Alizee


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6omsDyFNlk_


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## Lucky13 (Jun 24, 2013)

Aaah....remember her! 

Cute French women, with an accent.... 

Stockholm archipelago, with its 30,000+ islands....


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## Glider (Jun 24, 2013)

Cricket a real game not that Baseball which all europeans know is basically rounders using two hands


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## A4K (Jun 24, 2013)

Matt308 said:


> Ms. Alizee
> 
> 
> _View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6omsDyFNlk_




Bugger Ireland, I'M OFF TO FRANCE!!


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## Lucky13 (Jun 24, 2013)

Cricket!!?? 

Isn't that the ball tossing game, with a point system, that nobody understand?


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## A4K (Jun 24, 2013)

Great game actually Jan, especially if played on the beach with a tennis ball instead of that bloody hard bugger normally used!


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## rochie (Jun 24, 2013)

Lucky13 said:


> Cricket!!??
> 
> Isn't that the ball tossing game, with a point system, that nobody understand?



not been here long enough old fruit if one does not understand Cricket !


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## Torch (Jun 24, 2013)

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRU86izWA_M_


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## Lucky13 (Jun 24, 2013)

Far too posh game for me, by the looks of it!  My knowledge about.......that game, is limited to that I've heard about the 'ashes'.....then I left for the pub, to watch rugby....


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## Readie (Jun 24, 2013)

Lucky13 said:


> Far too posh game for me, by the looks of it!  My knowledge about.......that game, is limited to that I've heard about the 'ashes'.....then I left for the pub, to watch rugby....



Cricket is a subtle game of feint and skills that are not immediately obvious to the a non cricket playing countryman like you old bean.
Cricketing metaphors pepper the English language to make it even more confusing, especially to our pals over the pond


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## tomo pauk (Jun 24, 2013)

Mike Grgich (born Miljenko Grgić), a Croat that emigrated in the USA, and later beat the French in their own game.

Mike Grgich - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Glider (Jun 24, 2013)

Readie said:


> Cricket is a subtle game of feint and skills that are not immediately obvious to the a non cricket playing countryman like you old bean.
> Cricketing metaphors pepper the English language to make it even more confusing, especially to our pals over the pond


As as a good slice of courage, anyone who has played at silly mid on or off will agree.


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## Lucky13 (Jun 24, 2013)

In other words, rugby is more of a MAN sport that cricket.....still don't understand why they need showers on the grounds, only time they'll break out in sweat, is when they read the stock exchange, have mismatch socks or a splinter in their finger, pretty much like them there.....footballers, or whatever Terry called them...


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## Readie (Jun 24, 2013)

Lucky13 said:


> In other words, rugby is more of a MAN sport that cricket.....still don't understand why they need showers on the grounds, only time they'll break out in sweat, is when they read the stock exchange, have mismatch socks or a splinter in their finger, pretty much like them there.....footballers, or whatever Terry called them...



Dear oh dear. 
Terrance, education is needed here


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## A4K (Jun 24, 2013)

Lucky13 said:


> Far too posh game for me, by the looks....



Who, Alizée? 



Lucky13 said:


> ...My knowledge about.......that game, is limited to that I've heard about the 'ashes'.....



There used to be a 'black humour' joke about that in NZ (my apologies in advance to any Jewish members!):

-Why did the Jews take on the Germans at Cricket?
-to see if they could win back the ashes...


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 24, 2013)

Readie said:


> Cricket is a subtle game of feint and skills that are not immediately obvious to the a non cricket playing countryman like you old bean.
> Cricketing metaphors pepper the English language to make it even more confusing, especially to our pals over the pond



A-Fricken-Men!!!!!!


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## Matt308 (Jun 24, 2013)

vikingBerserker said:


> A-Fricken-Men!!!!!!



I don't know that play...


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## N4521U (Jun 24, 2013)

bockwurst


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## Readie (Jun 25, 2013)

Yep, German cold meats are good. The 'wursts make a nice meal with a tasty salad, fresh bread and relishes.
The only cold meat I'm not overly keen on are the very very spicy, very garlic or fatty ones.


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## Readie (Jun 25, 2013)

'I don't know that play...'

Amen Corner were a '60's British pop group. 'If paradise is half as nice' ( as the heaven mustard takes me too)


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