A Hydration Revelation: Water Wisdom from Europe
Years ago I heard a group exercise teacher at the gym shout to the class I was in: “Hydrate!” That is the first time I remember being ordered to drink water and having it described in such a way.During the long Pandemic shutdown, all water was shut off to public water fountains where I live. That was a no-brainer. We were suddenly obsessed with germs from any source. Now, the water flows, but the only places I see public water fountains are at the gym and in airports. I’ve quickly learned from my fellow (mostly millennial) gym-goers to bring my non-disposable water bottle to fill up at the gym fountains. Walking around with a disposable plastic water bottle can earn me a side-eye and an inaudible, “really, lady?” The shift has changed my behavior, but now I’m constantly keeping track of my expensive non-disposable bottles. It’s a tiny bit inconvenient to my generation of boomers who perfected convenience, but we’re adapting, and it’s all good.So what to do as a tourist who might forget my bottle along the way with a sudden new routine, on and off of tour buses, trains, in and out of hotels and trams Especially in the eco-conscious lowlands of Northern Europe? Even my millennial travel companion didn’t carry one. Maybe I don’t get out enough at home, but I was blown away by many water and waste management solutions in Europe this month. The European Union Parliament knows how to hydrate the droves of tourists. Before the tour, one can visit the fancy water machine with eco-friendly disposable cups. When I first spied the water machine in the Parliament building, I had to take a…
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