Waverly Labs Ambassador Interpreter Review: The world just got smaller - iMore - Translation

Source: Jaclyn Kilani / iMore

The future has arrived — that was the thought I had the first time I used the Waverly Labs Ambassador Interpreter. This gadget is like something out of Star Trek. You set the app up on your smartphone, put the earphone in your ear, and just like that, you're communicating in a new language. The Interpreter can translate 20 different prominent languages in 42 different dialects. This is a game changer, especially for someone like me who loves to travel the world.

So far I have had a chance to test this unit out in English, Spanish, and Arabic. It worked well in all three languages, although it's a little stronger in the Spanish to English translations, perhaps because these two languages have similar Latin roots. Regardless, I was able to communicate adequately in all three languages with people of several different nationalities. I noticed lots of advantages and a few disadvantages to using this device — all of these are outlined below.

Waverly Labs Ambassador Interpreter review:

Ambassador Interpreter

Bottom line: The Ambassador Interpreter by Waverly Labs will change the way you travel. It erases communication barriers in 20 different languages, and it's all contained in an easy-to-use earbud.

The Good

• Works beautifully
• Easy to set up and use
• Includes a wide array of languages and dialects
• Translates into my ear so only I can hear it
• Includes text translation in case I didn't understand the first time

The Bad

• Requires me to re-pair earbuds each time
• There's no history of translation logs
• Translation is not always 100% accurate

Ambassador Interpreter: Price and availability

Source: Jaclyn Kilani / iMore

The Ambassador Interpreter is currently only available as a direct purchase from the manufacturer. This is a new product invention that is not yet available from mainstream retailers. One advantage of this is that Waverly Labs has a good return and exchange policy, so you can trust that any product you receive from them will be backed by a solid warranty. It's currently available for $179, which is a great deal since you receive two interpreter ear-pieces that are meant to be used by two different people. I think this product is worth more than its modest price tag.

Ambassador Interpreter: The triple language challenge

Source: Jaclyn Kilani / iMore

Aside from the obvious cool factor, I appreciate the fact that the Ambassador Interpreter system is super easy to set up and use. Once the app was downloaded, I paired the earbuds to my iPhone 12 Pro Max the same way I would pair any wireless earphones. From there, I just chose which mode I wanted to use (Listen, Converse, or Lecture) and the translator started murmuring the translation in my ear in real time. It also translated all speech into a written translation on the iPhone, so I could read as well as hear what was being said. Very simple and straightforward.

At first I used the Listen mode in Spanish only. I set it up in Colombian Spanish and told my (Colombian) husband to speak to me in Spanish. Since I am fluent in Spanish, I was able to judge the quality of the translation. The translation in Spanish was almost perfect if my husband spoke clearly. If he spoke super fast or ran the words together, the Ambassador Interpreter would request that he repeat himself. I was curious how the translation would stack up against an automatic translator like the Google Translator app, so I tested them against each other. The translations were very similar, but due to the dialects that the Ambassador Interpreter has installed, the Waverly Labs device was able to more closely translate Colombian slang, while Google stuck to a very direct, generic translation. All in all, the Ambassador Interpreter won against Google Translate because they do have the local dialects and colloquialisms installed into the device.

I remember having the hardest time of it when I got lost on the Paris Metro years ago; what a difference this device would have made!

My next experiment was to try it out in Converse Mode to see how it worked with an Arabic to English translation and vice versa. My mother in law is half Syrian (how's that for multicultural?), but she doesn't speak a word of English, so it was an interesting exchange. We both wore one Ambassador Interperter earphone; mine was set to translate her Arabic speech to English, and hers was set to translate English to Arabic. Everything we said came out as a text translation in the Ambassador Interpreter app. We talked about the weather in Syria and our favorite foods. It was a fun experience, and very strange since we usually only communicate in Spanish.

According to my mother-in-law and some Syrian cousins who also tried out the device, the Arabic translation from English is not as accurate as the English to Spanish translation, but it allowed us all to communicate with each other just fine. I am super excited to use this device for traveling. I remember having the hardest time of it when I got lost on the Paris train years ago — what a difference this device would have made! It will also be invaluable for my husband's upcoming trip to Syria. He has no language in common with the Syrian side of his family, so this device will make it possible to communicate with his extended family in a way that would have been otherwise impossible without someone to serve as translator.

Finally, I did try out the "Lecture" mode, which allows you to speak using the device to translate for you on the iPhone or a Bluetooth speaker. This is excellent if you need to lecture or make presentations in a second language. Your business can save a load of money by using an Ambassador Interpreter instead of hiring a live interpreter. I can imagine a lot of scenarios where this feature would be incredibly useful in business environments.

Ambassador Interpreter: What's not so good

Source: Jaclyn Kilani / iMore

As I mentioned in the previous section, the translation from Arabic to English (and vice versa) was not as accurate as the translations between Spanish and English. This is likely due to the fact that Spanish and English are simply more similar to each other than English and Arabic, which have roots in completely different regions and languages. Another reason for this may be that there is no "Syrian" dialect in the Ambassador Interpreter, whereas we did have a specific "Colombian" dialect of Spanish. I assume that if I were speaking with someone from Lebanon using the Lebanese dialect, the translation would likely be more accurate. Either way, we were able to communicate and understand each other in Arabic, so that's the point of the Interpreter in the first place. The app and devices are continuously updated, so this aspect will likely be improved over time.

The translation from Arabic to English (and vice versa) was not as accurate as the translation between Spanish and English.

I also noticed that I have to re-pair the earbuds in the Bluetooth settings panel every time I use them. This is not a huge deal, but it's something to point out, since most of my Bluetooth earphones connect automatically after the first pairing. I haven't tried to troubleshoot this problem with Waverly Labs; perhaps it is an easy fix. Regardless, it does not affect the usage or effectiveness of the product.

Finally, I'd like to see a way to record logs of translations and conversations. If I were using the Ambassador Interpreters for work purposes, I think a translation log history would come in handy in case I forgot some part of the conversation, or if I just wanted to review it at a later time. Perhaps the manufacturer will add this feature in the future.

Ambassador Interpreter: Competition

Source: Time kettle

The Ambassador Interpreter is an innovative new product, and there are few products in the marketplace right now to contend with it. The only other comparable products I can find are the WT2 Plus AI Realtime Translator Earbuds from Timekettle. The WT2 offers a similar service, translation earbuds that work with a specialized smartphone app. These have the capability to translate 40 different languages - more than the Ambassador Interpreter - but they are also $70 more expensive.

Ambassador Interpreter: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if ...

• You travel a lot for pleasure or work.
• You work on a regular basis with people who speak different languages.
• You're learning a second language.
• You have family members from different parts of the world.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You've never left your hometown and don't plan to.
• You've never met anyone that speaks a different language.
• You need a detailed history of each translation.

4.5 out of 5

World travelers, international businesses, and intercultural families can all reap huge benefits from this smart device. For business travel alone, this inexpensive device is much more affordable than a live translator. I personally plan to use it during my travels, and my husband plans to use it to speak to long-distance family members in other parts of the world. The translations are accurate and fast, with both spoken and written translations to make sure everyone stays on the same page. With Listen, Converse, and Lecture modes, there are a lot of different ways to use the Ambassador Interpreter, and a lot of different situations that call for this type of technology. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.

Waverly Labs Ambassador Interpreter

Bottom line: The world just got smaller. Make business interactions and international travel more convenient with this nifty automatic translator. With 20 different languages and 42 different dialects, there are few places in the world where the Ambassador Interpreter won't come in mighty handy.

Lost in Translation on AIRCR – CR Fashion Book - CR Fashion Book - Translation

In 1999’s On the Natural History of Destruction, W. G. Sebald writes about the annihilation of German cities and nationalistic identities post World War II. Immediately following this crushingly expansive destruction was a period of rebuilding, where new ideas and a new feeling of moral responsibility could take root. What couldn’t be fully addressed psychologically was done so architecturally, through the reconstruction of Germany’s (specifically Berlin’s) public spaces. A particularly sentimental example of this kind of structural undertaking is Berlin’s recently shuttered Tegel Airport.

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ROMAN GOEBEL

ROMAN GOEBEL

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ROMAN GOEBEL

Tegel’s mottled concrete facade and musty interior welcomed those partial to a nostalgic, stress-free traveling experience. Contemporary additions such as cheap, tiled flooring and the introduction in 2018 of low-cost party airlines like Ryanair and easyJet only marginally interrupted the building’s ascetic ambiance. For most travelers, watching Tegel’s looming, two-tiered tower come into view as they approached their drop-off inspired feelings of comfort and belonging. Indeed, in the 2017 statewide senate parliament elections, Berliners were asked in a referendum if they wanted to keep Tegel operating, despite the projected opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (which finally happened in October 2020). The people voted yes—much to the horror of politicians and policy-makers.

The airport’s beginnings as a purely functional stopgap are consistent with the memory it holds for most who walked its halls. During the Berlin Blockade in 1948, the French military authorities in charge of Tegel ordered its expansion into a modest military base and airport, with one unique feature—a 7,966-foot runway, then the longest in Europe. At the time of its opening, Tegel connected West Berlin to the rest of the world, and continued to do so when the Berlin Wall went up in 1961. It played a substantial role in the economic rehabilitation of West Germany, while East Germany, still under Soviet rule, remained mired in regressive post-war regulations.

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ROMAN GOEBEL

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ROMAN GOEBEL

Tegel served commercial airlines through the 1950s and onwards, though only those headquartered in the UK, US, and France (three of the major victors of WWII) were permitted. From the ’50s through 1990, most flights out of TXL were to big cities within those nations. Restricted though it was for West Germans, travel outside of the country was even less viable for inhabitants of East Germany, especially once the Berlin Wall was built.

The brutalist style and functionality of Tegel is what has endeared it to international aesthetes for the past 50 years. The airport’s current structure was conceived in 1965 by architects Meinhard von Gerkan and Volkwin Marg. This was the duo’s first public commission (they won a competition to build the airport based on an untested design). Their relative inexperience was likely at the root of their simple, efficacious blueprint for Tegel’s central building—an octagonal terminal with negative space at its center and airplane gates arranged like tentacles on each facet of its exterior. Visitors moved through a looping internal passageway, with arriving passengers only one hundred feet from their departure gate. This meant you could be dropped off and reach your terminal with rare haste, or be picked up less than twenty minutes after you landed, something unheard of in most major modern airports.

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ROMAN GOEBEL

ROMAN GOEBEL

In tandem with the demolition of the Berlin Wall (starting in 1989 and concluding in 1991), and the subsequent reunification of Germany, Tegel and all other West Berlin airports’ travel restrictions were lifted. Lufthansa, KLM, American Airlines, Swissair, TWA, and United Airlines initiated flights to Berlin, among a number of other international airlines. Tegel grew to become a symbol of a bygone era of German efficiency. Situated as it is in the middle of the city, its contemporary context is one of centrality and interconnectedness. Tegel served not just as a symbol of unity, but as an anti-capitalist answer to the modern airport—devoid of the luxury retail enticements and restaurants designed for tedious multi-hour layovers that most present day airports (and travelers) favor. Much more than an airport, Tegel is likely to hold architectural, emotional, and social significance in whatever form it takes in the future.

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PHOTOGRAPHER ROMAN GOEBEL

CREATIVE DIRECTION CARINE ROITFELD

CREATIVE CONSULTING EDOUARD RISSELET

GUEST EDITOR HONEY DIJON

STYLIST NIKI PAULS

HAIR RUBY HOWES

CASTING GIULIA MASSULLO

TALENT CHRISTOPHER ROSENTHAL @ DSM MANAGEMENT, NIELS TRISPEL @ SUCCESS MODELS, NAYME HASSANY @ TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER SASHA BARTUR for @CRSTUDIO

PRODUCTION JOSI MÜLLER

Capita Translation and Interpreting Outperforms Group in 2020 - Slator - Translation

On March 17, 2021, multibillion-dollar UK outsourcing company Capita plc released financial results for the full-year 2020.

The outsourcing giant runs its own translation and interpreting division, known as Capita TI, which is part of Capita’s Specialist Services division. Specialist Services comprises nine, non-core businesses that Capita describes as being outside their growth markets “and/or have little in common with our other divisions.”

Capita plc is not in the habit of disclosing the financial results for Capita TI specifically, and Capita TI typically files its own results separately during the year. However, the parent company does provide a divisional drilldown, and breaks out the results for Specialist Services as a whole.

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Specialist Services contributed GBP 196.5m (USD 269.3m) to total company revenues of GBP 3.3bn (USD 4.5bn) in 2020. Specialist Services revenues fell by around one-third during the year, contributing to total company declines of 10% year-on-year.

Capita said the decline in Specialist Services revenues was linked to “contract losses, as a result of a combination of conscious exits and projects coming to an end.” Contract losses were “only partially offset by contract wins and new transactional revenue streams.”

Against this backdrop, Capita TI emerged as a standout performer among the Specialist Services businesses, with Capita plc pointing out that “with the exception of insurance, Page One, and translation and interpretation, most businesses saw a downturn in revenue.”

Capita TI Managing Director Antonio Tejada told Slator that “Capita TI’s revenue stayed in line with 2019.” Regulatory filings for Capita TI show that the business generated GBP 15.9m (USD 21.8m) in 2019.

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Growth in Remote Interpreting

“Translation and Localization services revenue grew by 5%, supported by a strong performance from our US customers,” Tejada said, specifying that Translation had performed well in the UK and the US in particular, “which has supported a significant YoY increase in EBITDA.”

On the interpreting side, Tejada told Slator that Capita TI observed an “early decline in face-to-face interpreting, due to the pandemic,” but saw “significant growth of remote interpreting via its platform, Capita LiveLINK,” which experienced more than 150% volume growth.

The MD pointed to multi-year technology investment as having been a “critical factor to both service our customers within the new environment set out by Covid and deliver bottom-line growth.”

Capita plc’s results also outlined the role of technology in allowing Capita TI to “increase their support to the NHS and police throughout the pandemic, for example interpretation services via Zoom or MS Teams using their SmartMate and LiveLINK platforms.”

Commenting on the results, Tejada said: “I am very pleased with how the business performed in a very challenging year.” Indeed, Capita TI’s performance in 2020 is in stark contrast to divisional and company-level revenue declines.

Capita announced in February 2020 that all nine of its Specialist Services businesses were up for sale, and Capita had hoped to off-load the division to one bidder for a total price tag of, at least, GBP 200m (USD 270m).

Nearly a year later, in January 2021, it was reported that Capita decided to press pause on the planned sale as it rode out the pandemic.

As Slator observed previously, the Capita TI division could be an interesting target for rival LSPs looking to enter the UK market or expand their local presence should Capita opt for a breakup of the nine divisions if and when the sale process resumes.

English to Hindi translation: 5 best websites and apps to translate text from English to Hindi or vice versa - 91mobiles - Translation

Hindi to English or English to Hindi translation is available through several web tools and apps out there. We’ve picked the best among them. Our recommended English to Hindi translator apps and websites work on any device of your choice, including Android mobile phones, iPhones, Windows laptop/ PC, and Apple Mac. Additionally, the options are completely free to use. A handful of them can also translate text from English to Hindi and vice versa from images and documents, saving the time for you to input them manually. That said, the translator apps/ websites, not just the ones we’re recommending, mostly translates word by word and not grammatically, hence there are chances of errors occurring. So, use these English to Hindi translator tools just to get a rough idea. One shouldn’t rely on them. Here’s a quick look at the best English to Hindi translator tools you can use right now:

Table of Contents

5 Best websites for English to Hindi or Hindi to English translation

1. Easy Hindi Typing

Easy Hindi Typing is another web tool that can translate English to Hindi or Hindi to English. There are separate tabs for both. In the Hindi to English translate tab, you can write in Hinglish and the website will automatically translate it to Hindi. To see its English translation, click on the green Translate button on the screen. You can then edit, copy, and download translated text. The website supports more regional languages than Google Translate. You can translate text from/ to Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Marathi, Telugu, and Gujarati, among others using the Easy Hindi Typing website.

Click here to use Easy Hindi Typing

2. Translate

Translate solves the problem of grammatical errors. The web tool comes with both machine and human translation skills. You can start with machine translation to translate your text from Hindi to English or vice versa. It’s completely free to use and can be used to translate text from images as well. If you’re not sure whether the translated text is correct or not, you can use Translate’s human translation. The website claims that the native and bilingual translators will be working on your texts to conduct the same meaning and emotional impact from the source language. The first 50 words are free for new users, following which you’ll be charged $0.7 (~Rs 51) for every word checked by Translate’s professionals.

Click here to use Translate

3. Google Translate

Arguably the most popular platform for translation – not just for Hindi to English and vice versa. Google Translate supports over 100 languages, including Spanish, French, Bengali, and Chinese. The platform is completely free to use and offer translation in real-time. You can write, speak, or upload a document to translate English to Hindi or Hindi to English using Google Translate. While the platform can automatically detect the language you want to translate, the translation is set at English by default. If you want to change that, click on the ‘down’ icon to select the language from the drop-down menu. Google Translate also allows you to copy, share, and edit the translated text. As for privacy, Google claims that it does not use any of your content for any purpose except to provide you with the service.

Click here to use Google Translate

4. Typing Baba

Typing Baba web tool for Hindi to English or English to Hindi translation is pretty simple and straightforward. All you have to do is go to the website –> select the source language (by default it’s English, but you can click on the Switch icon to make it Hindi) –> and start typing. Once you’ve added the text, just click on the ‘Translate’ button. Your translated text will appear in the box below. You can copy the text, save it on your device, and give the print command directly from the website. Having said that, the translated text can’t be edited. Another limitation of Typing Baba is that you can only translate 2,000 words at a time. The web tool also doesn’t support text translation from images and speak to translate either. Use Typing Baba for its simplicity.

Click here to use Typing Baba

5. LingvaNex

If you love Typing Baba UI but want a slightly higher word limit, try LingvaNex. The website can translate up to 10,000 words at a time. The LingvaNex UI is also pretty simple. The webpage comes with two boxes: the one on the left is the source box where you can type in your text, while the right one shows the translation. You can change the language from the drop-down menu, which appears when you click on the ‘down’ icon. Additionally, the web tool comes with a built-in dictionary to look up the meaning of a word without leaving the page. LingvaNex also supports translation by voice.

Click here to use LingvaNex

5 Best apps for English to Hindi or Hindi to English translation

1. Google Translate

You can also use the Google Translate app on your Android mobile phone or iPhone to translate English to Hindi or the other way around. The app comes with pretty much the same features as the website, including multiple language support and speech translation. Additionally, the Google Translate app features the ability to translate text from live images, using the camera. There is a ‘Conversation’ feature, which as the name would suggest, listens to the conversation and translates it into the text in real-time. You can also use the feature to translate a sentence to a language not known by you. Once the sentence is translated, it’s spoken aloud by a computer-generated voice coming from the phone so you know how it’s read. The Google Translate app also works offline by downloading the offline translation file.

Download Google Translate on Android | iPhone

2. Hi Translate

The Hi Translate app is rated among the most favourite translators for both text and images. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices. Hi Translate supports up to 100 languages, more than Google Translate, including Hindi to English and vice versa. You can manually enter the text to get the translation results or point the phone’s camera to any image or signboard to see what it means in your mother tongue. The Android version of Hi Translate supports cross-application translation, which means you can use it with any app to read/ write in almost any language. In addition to this, the app also comes with real-time text translation, voice translation, and offline translation.

Download Hi Translate on Android | iPhone

3. Microsoft Translator

You can rely on the Microsoft Translator app as well for all your translations, including English to Hindi. While the app supports over 60 languages, which is less than Google Translate, it’s completely free to use and works offline as well. You can type, speak, or upload a document using the camera icon to translate the text. Other features of the Microsoft Translator include two-way conversations (with up to 100 people at once), phrasebooks, pronunciation guides, Android Wear support, and alternate translations. The app is available for download on both Android and iOS devices via Google Play Store and App Store respectively.

Download Microsoft Translator on Android | iPhone

4. Translate Now

Translate Now is another app that you can rely on for all your Hindi to English or Hindi to English translation. The app’s features are not as vast as Google Translate or Microsoft Translator, but it should get the job done. The Translate Now setup process is pretty simple and straightforward, in the sense that it doesn’t require many permissions. You can either write or paste the text on the app to translate it into your preferred language. The translated text can be copied or shared, but can’t be edited.

Download Translate Now on Android | iPhone

5. Translate Hindi to English

You can learn as well as translate text from Hindi to English using this app. Available for both Android mobile phones and iPhones, the Translate Hindi to English app supports translator, dictionary, learning, lesson, game, and news. The lesson section allows daily learning of the English language. Additionally, you can check your progress with a test. The dictionary section, which works both offline and online, helps you learn the meaning of new words every day.

Download Translate Hindi to English Translate on Android | iPhone

The Line of Duty dictionary of police acronyms - from AC-12 to VPN - Manchester Evening News - Dictionary

Line of Duty made a much welcomed, and highly-anticipated, return to TV screens last weekend.

With the new series set 18 months since we last saw them, a lot of things have changed at AC-12.

But our favourite characters - Superintendent Ted Hastings, Detective Sergeant Steve Arnott and Detective Inspector Kate Fleming - were all back, even if Kate has jumped over to the MIT.

What hasn't changed, however, is the frequent use of police acronyms - and there hasn't even been an intense interrogation scene yet.

Viewers were left baffled during episode one with the frequent use of CHIS.

The acronym, which stands for Covert Human Intelligence Sources, was used a lot during the debut episode as Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Davidson, played by Kelly Macdonald, arrived on the scene as the head of an unsolved, high-profile murder case.

DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald) (Image: BBC/World Productions)

Social media was flooded with comments and the BBC even addressed the confusion - as the credits rolled on the first of seven episodes - with a voice over saying: "CHIS, if you're wondering, is a covert human intelligence source."

So, to try keep you in the loop as much as possible for any upcoming scenes, here's an A-Z of some of the police acronyms that may arise in the rest of the series.

From OCG to UCO, you'll need to have all these at the ready if you really want to understand the action:

AC-12: Anti-corruption unit 12

ACC: Assistant chief constable

AFO: Authorised firearms officer

ANPR : Automatic Number Plate Recognition

ARVs: Armed Response Vehicles

CHIS: Covert Human Intelligence Source

COM: Covert operations manager

DI: Detective Inspector

DIR: Digital Interview Recording

FI: Forensic Investigator

I.P. Address: Internet Protocol address

IOPC: Independent Officer for Police Conduct

I.R: Incident Report

MIT: Murder Investigation Team

MOPI: Management of police information

OCG : Organised Crime Group

PACE : Police and Criminal Evidence Act

PNC: Police National Computer

REG 15 : Regulation 15 notice of misconduct/gross misconduct

RIPA : Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

RTC: Road Traffic Collision

SFC: Strategic Firearms Commander

SCG: Serious Crime Group

Sitrep - Situation Report

TA: Tactical Advisor

UCO: Undercover Operative

VO: Visiting Order

VPN: Virtual Private Network

Read More

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Translation initiative – The Middlebury Campus - Middlebury Campus - Translation

The Campus is excited to launch a new translation initiative with the aim of making its articles and content accessible to a broader community of readers whose preferred language is not English. Tapping into Middlebury’s robust language programs, the initiative involves translating important articles and op-eds into other languages on a weekly basis. 

The Campus is looking to hire a Senior Translation Editor who will work closely with the leadership team to develop a translation framework, weekly workflows and translation team. 

Initially, the Senior Translation Editor will be responsible for the following tasks: 

• Recruiting a team of translators in a variety of different languages, who will be responsible for translating at least one Middlebury Campus article per week
• Liaising with Middlebury language departments, study abroad coordinators and first-year students to market the position and gauge interest
• Researching what processes and frameworks to implement to ensure that articles are translated in an accurate, grammatically correct and ethical way
• Coordinating with the Middlebury Campus leadership to create a plan for the translations team in future semesters

The newly hired Translation Editor(s) should have fluency in at least one foreign language. Experience overseeing teams or projects is preferred but not required. Interested candidates should submit a brief statement (200-300 words) to Editor in Chief Bochu Ding ([email protected]) detailing the candidate’s interest in this position, relevant experience and how they would approach this project. 

COLUMN SIX | On the road and lost in translation | - The Voice of Pelham - Translation

For more than 30 years, my wife, Valerie, and I have owned camper vans that we keep in Europe. This all began when we bought a VW Westfalia in St. Catharines and took delivery of the vehicle in Belgium as part of a now-defunct European delivery program that VW and other manufacturers offered. We traveled in the van for eight months and shipped it home, where we enjoyed it for many years, traveling coast-to-coast over time. We found the camper experience in Europe so appealing, though, that we soon bought a used vehicle in Germany that we stored with friends in France to use when we vacationed there. When that one wore out, we bought another and stored it at a campsite just outside of Marseille, in the south of France. The proprietor would pick us up at the airport and drive us the 15 minutes to his camp, where the van would be ready to go. Having our accommodation and transportation waiting for us meant that whenever we could take advantage of a cheap flight to Europe, we could enjoy a vagabond vacation, preparing our own food and traveling at our own pace while staying at Europe’s lavish and convenient campsites.

Camping in Europe is an unexpectedly luxurious experience. We have stayed at campgrounds that have fine restaurants, multiple pools, spas, shopping malls, hair salons, and discos. Many feature live entertainment in the evening, and all of them have takeaway food, access to local baked goods, and spotlessly clean and beautifully appointed washrooms, showers, and laundry facilities. There are destinations for all tastes and itineraries, from beachfront locations to city centres, from remote getaways to kid-friendly resorts.

Our travels in our campers over the years have taken us from England to Turkey, from Portugal to Slovenia, with stops at just about everywhere in between. One of the main deterrents for people we have talked with about our camper travel has always been language. “How do you manage without speaking the language?” “What if you need something or get lost and don’t speak Greek or Slovenian or German or Portuguese?” Frankly, we’ve never found it a problem. If you’re willing to make an effort with whatever few words you have in another tongue, or have some ability with charades, most people will meet you at least halfway and try to communicate.

We always carry bikes on the back of the van to make it easy to get from the campground to the local markets or sights. We enjoyed an hour-long conversation with a bike enthusiast in Croatia that took the form of pointing at various bicycle components and pantomiming our satisfaction or displeasure with each. When we ran out of steam on that theme, the conversation descended into naming rock groups we enjoyed in common. He’d say, “Beatles!” with a big grin and thumbs up, and I’d say, “Grateful Dead!” to which he would hum a few bars of Truckin’ while thrashing an air guitar. Our interchange will not bring world peace, but it was hugely satisfying to be able to reach each other even in this ridiculous way without being able to speak a word of each other’s language.

The Westfalia camper van that started it all. GREEN FAMILY

I have had other memorable moments with language. Back when Steve Bauer was the pride of Canadian cycling and competing near the front of the Tour de France, we were in Italy where we avidly watched his thrilling rides whenever we were near a television. Our enthusiasm was noted by some Italian cycling fans in a campground outside of Sienna, and when they discovered we were Canadian, became animated in their interest in Steve Bauer. I don’t know Steve, though I’ve met him as he grew up down the street from me, and I wanted to convey this to the Italians in order to share a little of his glory. But the concept was far too complex for my pathetic Italian vocabulary and all I could think of was to say that he was my friend. As it turned out I told the Italian cycling fans that he was my lover. Luckily, after much hilarity, they managed to explain my mistake and bought me a birra.

Perhaps my finest linguistic moment was in the lovely little southern French village of Frontignan. Valerie and I had ridden into town from one of our favorite campsites on the Mediterranean beach at Frontignan Plage to enjoy the lively weekly market. After wandering through the glorious produce section and fragrant cheese stalls, filling our bike paniers with all manner of good food, Valerie spotted an artisanal woodworker selling little toy trains with detachable carriages. Just the thing for a nephew back home. So while she negotiated the purchase of an engine and several freight cars, I strolled to the next door stall of a man repairing shoes. He was evidently an institution at the market, because his stall was surrounded by gossiping men smoking cigarettes and chattering like squirrels. My French is not bad, so long as I confine myself to ordering meals in a restaurant or simple conversations about the weather. One of the gathered men beckoned me over and in English far worse than my French asked if I spoke English. My standard reply is, “a little” and that seemed to satisfy him because he then asked if I could translate something for him. His favorite music group was an English band called “Throbbing Gristle” and could I tell him what it meant in French. I won’t go into how I managed to convey the essentials to him, but he and his buddies all nodded sagely at my explanation and indicated that it was just as they thought.

He and his buddies all nodded sagely at my explanation and indicated that it was just as they thought

While I take pride in my efforts on that occasion, I have had the odd disaster. We celebrated Val’s 40th birthday with a three-hour lunch in a three-star Michelin restaurant near Lyon called Troisgros. Staggering from the excesses of that meal and glowing from the incredible dining experience, we drove our camper into the countryside to a beautiful rural campsite on the banks of the upper Seine River, where it is not much more than a stream. After parking the van and setting up our campsite, I produced a bottle of champagne to continue the celebration. Our array of glassware in the camper was pretty utilitarian and the champagne deserved better, so I headed up to the campground café to borrow proper champagne flutes.

The place was lively at that time of day, and when I made my request to the woman behind the bar, she got everyone’s attention by asking in a very loud voice, “Mais oui, monsieur… but what is the occasion?”

Knowing that my French vocabulary could handle this, I said with great confidence, “It is my wife’s 14th birthday!” The bar erupted in cheers and congratulations and wishes for good luck. I bowed sheepishly and, clutching my champagne flutes, fled. Travel teaches you many things, but not least among them is humility.

We’ve bought tires in Greek, fished with a guide in Czech, had my bike repaired in Slovenian, had a haircut and shave in Croatian, bought shoes in Spanish, and reported a theft in French… not to mention ordering meals, buying groceries and gas, negotiating campsites, and enjoying the odd simple conversation about sports, music, and life. Language can be a barrier, but with willingness, a sense of humour, and the ability to put your self-consciousness on the shelf, communication, in spite of that barrier, can be surprisingly rewarding. ◆