Europe is an aging superstar, still wearing the failing finery that once held the attention of the whole world, losing its identity to demented memory loss, reacting in a hostile way to unrecognised new family members, and so out of touch with its past, it’s become a bumbling shambles of blurred personality and confused rambling. Desperate facelifts sit among the wrinkled, haggard mess, showing as nothing but scars of failed attempts at rejuvenation.

A year of being back on the European continent has confirmed that I will never come back here unless it’s for a brief holiday. I feel a deep pity for the millions of immigrants who have left behind rich and cultural homes to seek a better life on the bitter, fetid shores of Europe. Their hearts must bleed for the lives, families, and histories they have left behind for the hermogenized, flat remnants of what Europe still calls its culture.

The continent has become so paranoid and hostile, so keen to fit in, and yet so eager to please, that it’s lost all sense of what it is to be unique or independent. One city feels like the next; one high street could be picked up and placed from one country to another, without even the people walking on it looking out of place.

Fading Beauty

There are shadows of the greatness of the rich, artistic history of Europe still visible, but they’re quickly being swallowed by degradation and the flat glass of capitalism and progress. The quiet moments, romantic corners, and delicate intricacies that I remembered Europe for seem to have disappeared beneath a swathe of trash, or unearthed and pillaged by a ‘hidden gems of (European city)’ viral post.

It no longer feels like Europe can be explored and discovered. Every nook and cranny has been dug into, and nothing is new, and nobody is trying to keep things humble. Europe feels like a combination between a drug ghetto and gap-year-Disneyland.

The beauty of Europe lies in its old majesty and rich history, but they are scaffold that is crumbling under the oppressive weight of a homogenized culture, suspicion, and a lack of innovation.

No Innovation in Emulation

From one country to the next, the people of Europe feel indistinguishable. In some mannerisms, they differed. The Viennese, for instance, were abhorrent, rude, and cold, whereas the Hungarians were just rude, cold, but also wildly racist.

But, on the whole, the people of Europe seem to have dropped their cultural tells for a kind of ‘one size fits all’ personality. They dress the same, listen to the same music, consume the same political talk points, and watch the same media. It’s created a dull experience, traveling from one country to the next.

I found myself stuck in repeated conversations about the same menial things no matter where I went. Trump, Palestine, work, immigration, and economic struggle, of which there are vast amounts in Europe, were among the only topics.

There was rarely anything culture-specific or personal. I found myself listening to different people, in different places, spouting the same conversation points, with the same opinions, no matter where I went. They’re all getting fed the same lines, and none of them have come up with anything of their own.

Now, I know this may just be because I haven’t found the right people, but to listen to the same thinkpieces come out of so many different people was depressing.

People have become so uninterested in their own culture, and so wound up in the one they’re being fed through their phones, that they no longer develop an opinion on the world that exists around them. They have lost interest in their histories, politics, arts, foods, loves, and hates. It appears people only care about the next newsbreak and trending online talking point. Cultural populations have been blinkered to what makes them unique, and the essence of their people.

As a result, we’ve ended up with a continent that looks the same, sounds the same, and has no idea of its own identity.

The Fall of An Empire

Perhaps it’s because there is little space for the arts in a modern world of AI, tech, and business, but it seems like there is nothing new being produced in Europe. The place doesn’t feel exciting, or full of life and possibility. People are tired, resigned, and browbeaten by the world around them.

Europe, for better or worse, was once the hub of innovation, be it technical or artistic. We pioneered the industrial revolution, sailed across the seas, wrote incredible works, painted masterpieces, and built cities that even now, centuries later, are marvels. But that drive to create and improve seems to have died.

There seems to be so little interest in producing something of wonder or exploring and discovering left in people. There is no excitement in the ‘tomorrow’, or the possibilities of change. It seems as though people are simply waiting for the next day to roll around so they can prepare for another.

Life in Europe is stagnant, of course. It’s a crumbling empire that has seen its peak, and will never again come close. Every year, the once great continent sees more of its wealth disappear, and its relevance slowly slips. There is no great future for Europe on the world stage, sitting at the feet of giants like China, Russia, and even the imploding US. As the first world moves on, old Europe sits and quietly withers.

I feel like this subtle but obvious European eventuality is mirrored in the collective attitudes of many of its people. There is a bleak acceptance. Every year, Europe’s great foundations fall.

In the UK, the healthcare and public transport systems, once the best in the world, have collapsed. The fruits of mass colonisation are reaped by the countries that spread their tendrils far into foreign soil, resulting in far-right political kickbacks. Education systems feed people into careers where jobs are being replaced and made redundant before their studies are even finished, and welfare states are unwilling to cater to the resulting jobless.

Europe feels helpless and uninspired because it is an old dog that’s had its day. There is little to invigorate or excite. Until there is a revolution that overthrows the archaic and calcified governments and corporations, there will be little to light a fire in the hearts of the people.

The Grace Of Plates

No matter how bad things get in Europe, there is something that will always keep it dear in my heart. When the world has been turned to a sheet of nuclear glass, and little remains but mutants, radioactive fallout, and endless winter, someone, somewhere, in Europe will be making something indescribably delicious.

Pulling together tomatoes with teeth, the tentacles of an octopus the size of a ship, and olive oil that glows in the dark, in the tunnels beneath Paris, a Euopean will be making a salad that will make you taste the rolling fields of Italy, the sunshine of the meditraranian, and the clink of a cold white wine glass. The Europeans know how to make good food, and that will never fade.

The range, from the grilled pork skewers and yoghurt of Greece to the monstrous Franceschina of Portugal, European mastery of flavours and ingredients is a marvel. Wines and oils, cheese and meats, wines and liquors, all make Europe somewhere I will still recommend people visit.

Wined and Dined

Europe is a place that can be eaten around without ever tiring, and without putting on too much weight. One of my most wonderful memories of the last year is taking a bus from the center of Vienna with Eda to the wine hills just outside of the city.

We started at the top, basking in the silence of the countryside, warmed by the gentle midday sun, and sat at our first vineyard. Over the next few hours, we slowly trundled from cellar to cellar, sitting among fellow boozers, overlooking the city, and sipping ice-cold, fresh white wines, grown on the very vines we relaxed among.

When we were hungry, we ordered fresh bread, patés, cheeses, cured meats, and homemade butter. We gradually made our way through fields, listening for the next vineyard by the sound of chatter and clinking glasses. As the sun began to set, we found ourselves in an old Viennese town filled with old taverns and food spots.

We had our final half-liter of local wine in the waning evening hours. We ate again and, sunblushed, full of delicious wine and fresh food, we hopped on a cheap bus back home. Food and wine are the core of Europe, and they will never die.

De-Developing

I think the stark difference for me stems from having lived in several, what’s referred to as, ‘developing’ countries for the past few years. They may have weaker infrastructure, and politically they’re often tumultuous, but they are still actively and visibly developing.

There is a future ahead in all of them as they forge their paths, for better or worse. Times are often hard, and the people struggle, but there is a promise of change and movement. Defining culture is core to their progress. Europe is so far on the other side of that; it’s only declining.

Europe has had its day. It developed, expanded, colonized, and revolutionised. Now, what does it have to do? Other main players in the game will ensure that Europe will never step foot in the ring with the big dogs again. We’ve stagnated, and now the only thing left to do is rot.

The fall of an empire is a slow process. As bad leadership, reducing borders, and foreign pressure build, a great nation built on wealth and success slowly fades. There is no more development for Europe without a complete reset to nothing. That’s not happening in my lifetime.

It’s All A Matter of Taste

Of course, this is only coming from me. I know many people who have come to Europe and can’t imagine themselves living anywhere else. The old cobbled streets, wonky houses, packed shoebox-sized cafes, and hipster-saturated all-night techno clubs are a dream for some.

There are many things about Europe that I love. Vibrant arts and history on almost every corner. Sipping a cold beer, surrounded by a bustling square that only needs a slight squint to imagine centuries before. The vast array of exhibitions and events on offer. Wide, grassy parks in almost every city. Towns and villages that feel like they’ve been forgotten by the rest of time. Countryside that is greener and richer than any I’ve seen. And, the food and drink, by god.

Perhaps the sour taste Europe has left in my mouth is due to the current political climate that hangs over its neck like a guillotine. Maybe the wonderful place I remember hitchhiking around almost a decade ago for so long has become tarnished due to age and experience. I think maybe I am just a little depressed, and everything is slightly less enjoyable when those moments roll around.

I plan to leave and not return for anything more than a holiday. I’ve found my life here to be significantly degraded compared to what I have become accustomed to. But, it’s good to know that now. It settles a small curious voice in the back of my mind, questioning if my search for somewhere better might be right on my old doorstep.