Here
we are, February 2 as I write this, (02-02-2020) two days after Brexit. If you
want to know where we stand on the issue, let me just say that on
Brexit day I wore a T-shirt with the Scottish Lion Rampant on it
along with a partial quote of the Scottish 1320 Declaration of
Arbroath: “For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never
will we on any conditions be brought under English rule...”.
So
there!
Actually,
the story of the Declaration of Arbroath is quite fascinating but
we’ll save that for another day.
And
in other news...
We,
along with our friends at European Incoming, have been doing our
heads in finalizing what we consider to be possibly the best tour we
have ever put together. It has a little bit of everything and it
should all be in place and out to you this first week of February.
Apologies
for being slow with it. Trying to get the right hotels and events in
the right order – and the right price – is always a great pain,
but this one has been a right royal pain in the backside. And at the
forefront of it all, the locations we use have to understand what we
want for you, the customers. Trying to convince some of these wizards
that 10 to 12 people is not a huge ‘bed ‘em, board ‘em and boot
‘em out’ mob is a bit like banging your head against a wall,
however, we are just about there and will hopefully have information
for you inside a week.
Before
Britain walked out...
Once
upon a long time ago, before Britain had joined the EU, there were
border controls between the two Irelands, complete with armed
British Infantry lurking about. Not only at the border but in the
towns and cities, behind hedges, trees and flying about in
helicopters. Let’s hope that never returns. It is a major concern.
No
keys in the border doors...
For
us, and our groups, it was always a great novelty flitting about
Europe. For example, there is a main road between Luxembourg and
Belgium, one side in Luxembourg, the other side in Belgium. On the
Belgium side there is a long stretch containing petrol stations. But
none on the Luxembourg side because their petrol prices are
ridiculously high. Those stations are exceptionally busy with
Luxembourg vehicles filling up at the beginning and end of the week.
Traveling
from country to country you might see a small roadside sign telling
you that you are entering The Netherlands, France, Spain, etc. For
those of us who get the evil eye crossing into either Canada or the
US it is a refreshing novelty to zip through Europe unburdened by
‘security’.
And
no European wars...
No
sign anywhere of the centuries old animosity and bloodshed between
the Germans, the Austrians, The French, Belgiuns and all the other
former ‘belligerents’. Same with the Balkan countries. Free
passage and trade today between the Serbs, the Croats, Albanians,
Montenegrins, Bosnians, Slovaks, and Macedonians.
That
alone is enough reason for the EU to exist and enough reason to fear
the anti-immigrant movement and plain racism gaining strength
everywhere.
Pulling
away from different people and places and adopting the “I can do it
alone” attitude flies in the face of logic, of common sense and of
John Donne’s “No Man is an Island” poem of 1624. (Google it up
if you want to hear a voice from the past speaking to us about
today.)
OK,
enough of our personal feelings. Time to get off the soap box.
Hope
to be back to you later this week.
