American mom shocked by one striking difference in European parenting style: ‘This is how kids learn'
In the TikTok video, Monroe — who has three kids of her own — noticed that 'The culture around kids here is so different than it is in the States. The kids are just everywhere, they're part of everything.'
The mom explained that while she was dining at a restaurant in Cascais, Portugal, she noticed a large group of kids, ranging in age, playing soccer in an open area next to the establishment, and said that she heard what sounded like at least four different languages being spoken.
'There was one older kid who was actively translating for the other kids,' she recalled. 'It's so interesting to me because the language barrier isn't even really a barrier. Especially for kids, they don't care.'
Monroe also said the parents were just enjoying wine and bread inside the restaurant, and appeared to be leaving the kids to their own fun.
Meanwhile, in America — parents often shove screens in front of kids' faces to keep them occupied and quiet.
Of course, anytime there's a Europe versus the US comparison — people online love to chime in with their opinions.
'Love how Americans discover the world,' one snarky commenter wrote.
'This is how kids learn to socialize. How do they learn it in the States?' asked someone else.
'American living in Greece here… kids are everywhere and with the family all the time. Kids sleep at the tavernas on the chairs till 1 am …. Life is so different than being in the states,' a comment explained.
'I don't feel, as a parent in the U.S., that my kids are as welcomed in public spaces as I observed them being welcomed in Portugal,' the mom said, agreeing with many commenters in a follow-up video.
This video is the latest in a string of anti-tourist sentiments from European locals.
However, a recent poll of European tourism experts revealed that while people from different European countries generally tend to perceive Americans as annoying, rude and entitled, there are some things they can appreciate about travelers from across the pond.
Experts from several countries, like Italy and Greece, noted that their countrymen especially appreciate generous American tipping culture — there's a first.
In France, they appreciate Americans' eagerness for their country. 'Even after two hours, they [Americans] remain enthusiastic and eager for more,' Marie-Cécile Ruault-Marmande of the National Museum of Pre-History in the Dordogne gushed.
'They appreciate very detailed explanations, exhibiting a great capacity for amazement.'
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Travel + Leisure
7 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
How My Family Fell in Love With Ireland's Grand Hotels, Falconry, and the World's Best Bread and Butter
The older I get, the less shame I have. I'll think nothing of, say, falling asleep sitting upright on a bench at Dublin's National Botanic Garden, the day after an overnight flight from New York. (Jet lag, my old enemy, slayer of vacations.) 'Is it okay if we leave you here to nap for a while?' my husband, Caleb, asked. He and his mom, Suzanne, a lifelong gardener, had some herbaceous borders they wanted to investigate. Caleb and I are in our mid 50s; Suzanne is 79. She had flown to Dublin nonstop from Texas, but showed no signs of flagging. For our first family vacation in years, Caleb and I wanted to take Suzanne to Ireland, a country we had visited before and loved. I put myself in charge of booking our accommodations, and picked splurgy hotels. I told myself that Suzanne, being older, would be gratified by the comforts of these high-end properties. But of course, when I fantasized about the trip, the person I imagined enjoying those thick mattresses, rainfall showerheads, and no-brakes breakfast buffets was me. From left: The entry hall of Dublin's Merrion hotel; the hotel's garden. After arriving in Dublin, we checked in to the Merrion , which occupies four 18th-century town houses in the city center. ('One of the greats,' a travel-writing friend commented when I posted a photo of the hotel on Instagram.) Guest relations executive Alexandra Gingell, whom Suzanne immediately befriended, gave us a tour. I was especially eager to see the Merrion's famous art collection, a near-comprehensive survey of Irish painters. (The hotel even has an afternoon tea with pastries inspired by the works on the walls.) Gingell pointed out highlights, including the visionary landscapes of Jack B. Yeats, the poet's younger brother, and the semiabstract still lifes of William Scott, a favorite of mine. Over the next two days, Gingell would stop to chat with us whenever we passed through the lobby, making sure we had everything we needed and giving us recommendations; by the time we checked out, she and Suzanne were exchanging hugs. Dublin is an inherently cozy city. Its Georgian streets look like they've stepped out of a Christmas movie, and the Merrion is similarly cosseting. But the hotel never feels stuffy or claustrophobic, thanks to a springlike palette and a garden courtyard that fills the guest rooms and public spaces with light. On our first night, the three of us met a Dubliner friend for dinner in the Garden Room , which overlooks the courtyard and its statue of James Joyce. The low ceilings, deep banquettes, and intimate acoustics made conversation easy for Suzanne, who has hearing loss. The gallery hall at Dromoland Castle. 'I love being taken care of,' she told Timothy, our waiter, as he offered her an extra cushion for her back. 'That's what I'm here for,' he replied. After two nights in Dublin, we rented a car and drove southwest, to County Kerry. This was the rural Ireland I had longed to return to: green (it's a cliché to call Ireland green, but is there a word more accurate?), tranquil, seemingly populated only by sheep, who'll move out of the road at their own pace, thank you very much. We pulled up to our hotel, just outside the town of Kenmare, at dusk. With its illuminated windows and pathways, Sheen Falls Lodge beckoned like a fairy-tale village. Caleb and I had a suite with French doors that opened onto a view of the namesake falls, where the river Sheen tumbles down layers of rock into Kenmare Bay. I stretched out on the sofa to read in front of the fireplace and within minutes had drifted off to the murmur of the water. The author, right, with his husband and mother-in-law. Sheen Falls Lodge is only a few miles outside the Ring of Kerry, the 111-mile loop that traces the coastline of the relaveragh Peninsula. The Ring is so spectacularly scenic that in summer the road is backed up with tour buses. It was now September, and we were pleased to be missing the crowds. Still, we inched along. It took us most of a day to make it only a quarter of the way around. Was this the best vantage from which to see the lorn, majestic island Skellig Michael (otherwise known as the home of middle-aged Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi )? No, wait: the view was even better a few hundred feet down the road. Happily, there were plenty of places to eat and take bathroom breaks along the way—the Lobster Bar & Restaurant in Waterville, we discovered, serves a terrific seafood pie. But by late afternoon, it became apparent to me that it's possible to max out on beauty. On Valentia Island, I let Caleb and Suzanne take in what must have been our 19th cliffside stop while I waited in the car. When we got back to Sheen Falls, not a little exhausted, the attentive Brian Richards, a member of the concierge team, thankfully offered to drive us into Kenmare for dinner so we could avoid any parking hassles. It was a relief, the next day, when the three of us agreed not to do any sightseeing whatsoever, and to instead meld into our Sheen Falls surroundings and each pick an activity available on the property. Caleb and I spent the morning, a misty one, with resident falconer Liam Kerry, who introduced us to Archie, an African spotted eagle-owl, and Erin, a Harris's hawk. (No, I'm not really flinching in the photos of Erin landing on my glove, ready to rip into a piece of raw chicken, her enormous, muscular wings flapping a little too close for comfort. It just looks like I am.) Later, as Caleb did some bird-watching on the grounds, Suzanne hiked the property's winding trails, and I briefly splashed around the indoor pool before sinking into the Jacuzzi. We ended our trip at Dromoland Castle , in County Clare, not far from Shannon Airport. As Jane O'Brien, the hotel historian, told us on a tour of the property, the land on which the castle stands belonged to the O'Brien family, which traces its lineage back to Brian Boru, Ireland's high king in the early 11th century. A first castle stood on the site as early as 1014; the one we were staying in dates from the early 1700s. Caleb and I stayed in a two-story suite, where all the romance and grandeur of medieval life was intact: it occupied a turret, with a living room below and a bedroom above. There were also castle-y quirks, like the fact that the hallways twisted and turned so much I kept getting lost. Since I value my sleep, I avoided Googling the words 'Dromoland Castle ghosts.' I didn't want to know. Horseback riding at Sheen Falls. O'Brien showed us the property's walled Renaissance garden, ablaze with deep red and burnished yellow blooms well into fall. Even I, botanical-garden napper, was impressed. 'What do you think of Dromoland?' I asked Suzanne. 'It's a happy fantasy,' she said. As our tour ended, she ducked into the spa for a facial and emerged glowing. That night we put on our least rumpled clothes for a chandelier-lit meal at the hotel's restaurant Earl of Thomond. The food was inventive, and a little witty. My incredibly tender salmon came with a peeled zucchini; when I cut into it, I found that it had been hollowed out and filled with yet more salmon. (I confess that the food that eclipsed all others on this trip, in this and all the other restaurants we visited, was Irish bread and butter. Caleb and I are now Kerrygold converts.) On our last day we headed an hour north, to a rocky region called the Burren, where limestone emerges from the ground in wavelike formations. At the Burren Perfumery, a homey complex of cottages seemingly in the middle of nowhere, we stocked up on souvenirs—naturally scented soaps and lotions with names like Atlantic Coast and Lost Garden—then decamped for lunch in its sunny tearooms. The menu is built around smoked mackerel, which is caught by a local fisherman and, I quickly discovered, puts all other smoked fish to shame. Soon our table overflowed with plates: more sweet brown soda bread and Irish butter, Irish cheeses, pickles, rhubarb salad. The simplest meal of our trip turned out to be the best. Back at Dromoland Castle that night, we tried to decide which of our three hotels had been our favorite. It was a three-way tie: each had charmed us in its own way. Nine months later, Caleb was visiting Suzanne at her home in Fort Worth. She was eager to show him some new potted plants on her back patio. 'Those are the ones we saw in Dublin,' she said, pointing to three varieties of coleus. She had been inspired at the botanical garden—while I was sleeping. A version of this story first appeared in the August 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline 'The Full Irish .'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Moment offers advanced infotainment for over 500 train sets in Europe
Moment, an entertainment and onboard service solutions provider, has announced that it has equipped more than 500 train sets in Europe with onboard infotainment systems. Through its entertainment offerings, Moment has established itself as a partner for leading European train companies such as TGV Inoui, OUIGO France and Spain, Lyria, Intercités, and SNCF Grand Voyageur lounges. Additionally, the company is poised to reveal an upcoming significant partnership. Moment's infotainment platform, reaching more than 135 million passengers annually, serves as an entertainment and information hub that passengers can access on their own devices during travel. Content such as films, documentaries, news, games, and music is stored in advance on onboard servers, ensuring passengers can access these offerings without interruption during their trip, even without an internet connection. This innovation transforms the journey experience by allowing operators to present a wide array of digital offerings from start to finish, complementing the existing Wi-Fi service. Moment's solutions are designed to be mobile-optimised, featuring fast loading times and a dark mode for a comfortable viewing experience. The company's offerings are not limited to entertainment; they also include travel information, onboard menus, digital retail experiences, and advertising opportunities. Moment CEO and co-founder Tanguy Morel said: 'In a transport sector undergoing major transformation, delivering high-quality digital services to passengers with elevated expectations is crucial. 'Moment works hand in hand with operators to develop iconic passenger experiences featuring an evolving range of services, from entertainment to shopping and information, meeting the needs of all passenger profiles. The agility of our technology provides a reliable solution.' With the rail market poised for significant growth, Moment's platform is well-positioned to meet the increasing demand for enhanced passenger services. The company has plans to expand globally, with new international offices set to open in Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Singapore, and Miami. "Moment offers advanced infotainment for over 500 train sets in Europe" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Why sweating might get you pulled over at airport security
In travel news this week: five Americans living in France and loving it, inside the cockpit of a self-landing plane, plus sweaty secrets of the TSA security checkpoints. It's been a sizzling summer so far in the United States and Europe, but there's one lesser-known side effect of all these high temperatures. Heavy perspiration can earn you a pat-down at airport security, particularly if it's pooling in intimate pouches. Ever had the machine go off and the security officer had to wave over you with the magic wand? Moistness might well have been the problem. We asked the TSA to explain why this happens. 'Added moisture from a person's body can alter the density of clothing, so it is possible perspiration may cause our Advanced Imaging Technology machines to alarm,' a spokesperson said. 'If this occurs, the passenger may need to undergo additional screening, such as a pat-down in the area of the body where the AIT alarmed, to ensure there is no threat.' Sweatiness or otherwise, TSA lines will move a little faster from now on, since on Tuesday TSA removed the requirement for all passengers to take off shoes at airport security checkpoints. Our video has the details. The 3.4 ounce liquid rule remains in place, but there is one TSA-approved hack that allows travelers to bring a bottle of water past the scanners. It takes a little planning, but your beverage will undoubtedly be refreshing. Here's how it works. To help you navigate high temperatures this summer — and know when extra hydration is important — CNN has produced a US heat-risk tracker. See how things are looking in your area right now. 'I had the dream of France … But the dream was not as easy as I thought at all,' says Colorado woman Jennie Vercouteren, who moved with her husband, Ward, to the French Pyrenees in 2016. The pair entered the property management business and, while things got off to a shaky start, Vercouteren says, 'We don't regret making the decision. I love how beautiful and calm life here is.' The Zuerchers, a Florida couple in their early 60s who recently moved to Nice, in the south of France, agree. 'Nice is what Florida wishes it was,' is Pennie Zuercher's take on the French city. 'Every country has its issues,' Geoff says, 'so we're not walking around with rose-colored glasses like France is perfect, but it really fits us.' Proving that a fresh start can be made at any age, California woman Carole Carson says that relocating to France at the age of 80 saved her life. She now writes for her hometown paper back in Nevada City, California, and has published four novels. 'Something about being freed from expectations of who I was based on who I'd always been, allowed me to be the writer I'd always wanted to be …' she says. 'I was free to recreate myself once again.' One word of caution, though, given all our talk of high temperatures. Western Europe just had its hottest June on record and air conditioning is still very rare in the region's homes. Here's why. CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean is a certified pilot, but on a recent trip he let go of the controls to allow the plane to land itself. This revolutionary new self-landing system is being installed in some private planes. Think you could land a plane without breaking a sweat? No? Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have this guide to 16 products that make dealing with perspiration easier. Might be handy for your next airport trip, too. The pope is staying cool on his summer vacation in this hilltop town. Pontiffs have kicked back here for centuries. He saw her in Yellowstone and thought, 'I'm going to marry that girl.' And he did. Japan's panda capital is losing its pandas. What happens next? He fell into a crevasse while exploring a glacier. Then his Chihuahua saved the day.
