IT’S ELECTRIC!!!

In America, there is a standard plug for all outlets.  Everyone knows that the plugs in Europe are different from the plugs in America (right? you did know that?).  Matt explained the difference between the 110 and 220 in appliances and how some appliances will work with an adapter and some will only work with the converter.  He told me I was not allowed to plug anything in without getting approval first!  Instead of waiting for approval on everything, he taught me where to look for the information (110,220 or dual).  If it is 110 only (this is standard in most American appliances) it must be plugged into the converter.  If it is 110/220 (or dual voltage) you can just use a plug adapter.  If it is 220, you should just be able to plug it in.  Sounds simple enough, right??

One of the first purchases for the house was adapters.  This would make the American plugs work in the Italian outlets.  While we were shopping for these, we realized there were lots of different choices.  So we bought 5 of one kind and 5 of the other kind. We have two converters.  One is designated for the television, surround sound, and DVD (would have been the Wii but I didn’t bring it).  The other one is going to be designated for the kitchen for the coffee pot, the crock pot, the blender for making my weight watcher smoothies. (I am down 13.5 pounds!).

In our house, we have two different size outlets.  Some of the outlets the prongs are closer together and the rest the prongs are wider apart.  While we bought 10 adapters, only 5 actually fit our outlets.  I went back to the exchange to buy adapters that will make American plugs work in the wider European outlets.  But they don’t carry these.  The guy said to plug the one adapter (American to small European) into the other adapter (small European to big European).  Immediately this made me think of Clark and the Christmas lights! 

Because of the craziness with the adapters/converters I decided things like an iron, the toaster, and a hair dryer  worth buying new ones that are 220.  It would make life easier.  But I was wrong!

The new appliances have a DIFFERENT size plug!  So now I have to find an adapter that takes the narrow but thick prongs and becomes big European!  I was flabbergasted by the variety in the outlets, the plugs, and the adapters!  I just assumed that there would be a standard European outlet but I was definitely wrong!!

Those pictures are from the Internet.  I was too lazy to go and take my own pictures.  This is just a taste of the MANY different adapters we have!