LOST IN THE TRANSLATION : The big woman

            Whenever we have traveled to a European Country, I try to at least know some of the language. I thought my High School Spanish would help me in Spain, but I had learned Mexican not Spanish.  I took German at the university, but that was long ago. So, I took to guide books that would teach me the important phrases: hello, good-by, toilet, please, wine, etc.

            It is true that most folks in Europe took English in school and know it. Most people will help us out in our native tongue. The French and the Italians seem to be the most helpful ... or not.

            We had made a huge circle around five European countries by car. The plan was to fly from Verona to Paris and then home. We stayed the night in Verona and in the morning took our rental car back. At the rental office, I asked how to get to the boarding area. The kind young man said, "big woman". He repeated this several times. I gave up. What did it mean? Outside the office we looked up and there it was, a likely 60 foot tall advertisment -- a "very big woman". That helped.