The Four Essential Travel Phrases

Language has always fascinated me. In fact, one of my school reports says (and it is probably the most positive comment on any of them) that I have a "linguistic bent", though for years I laboured under the misapprehension that this referred to something kinky.

Nevertheless, apart from now being fluent in Spanish (English, I'm still working on), which has allowed me to be able to, more or less, read Italian and Portugese, I am somewhat competent still in French and German, which I - long ago - learned in school.

Just for my own amusement; languages of my friends, or sometimes work or travel, I took it upon myself to learn a few essential niceties in Greek, Russian, Finnish and Arabic.

In Spanish, "please" and "thank you" are hardly used at all and nowhere, to my knowledge, are these words used as frequently and unsincerely as they are in the English language, but it does make a HUGE difference to the way one is treated abroad if you just make the effort to, at least, be polite in the language of your hosts.

But why not be daring? Go a step further and learn four phrases!

The phrases they thought every traveller should know are:

* Where is my room?
* Where is the beach?
* Where is the bar?
* Don't touch me there!

Personally, I can think of a few more useful phrases, but this is a start. The writer of the Canarian blog where I found the link, says, "If we speak of the tourists who come to the Canary Islands, then it is worth knowing the first two phrases, but they don't need the third, because they find the the bars all by themselves." (Don't they just?)

They preferred not to comment on the last phrase, but I will. Sadly, if you are a British woman, of almost any age, appearance, build or status, you will need it.

The Spanish versions can be found here.

The Four Essential Travel Phrases Via: De Cuando ...