Europe

What is Europe and why the UK isn't in it.

Having spent the last ten days or so traveling to, staying and traveling back, through parts of Europe I am prompted to reflect a little on what Europe means - starting with the conclusion, I think it's to do with landmass and that the UK suffers from being an Island or maybe it's just insular in outlook rather than geography !

I went to the Italian lakes and in getting there by car, went through Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Switzerland, narrowly missing Germany. This wasn't an attempt to do as many countries as I could, but just the way the roads go. Did you know that the EU introduced euroroutes, spot them on a road signpost they have an E in front, and we actually have them going through Britain but the UK government don't sign them. Anyway what it means is that the shortest or quickest routes your satnav chooses may well pass through several countries.

This is easy because you don't have to stop and get on a ferry as you do when leaving the UK. People on the mainland can now just drive or stay on the same train. The Euro and the Schengen agreement also mean things are simpler, through language still varies and each country does have it's own style and culture. What's interesting is that mainland Europeans, unlike the perhaps reluctant UK Europeans, are quite happy. Indeed around the border areas there are many people who live in one country but work in the next and shop or do leisure things in any one they feel like. Indeed I understand that several tax jurisdictions recognise these people with special tax rules.

This trip as I said was to the Italian Lakes and I was based on Lake Maggiore and here it gets more complicated, that Lake is part in Italy but part in Switzerland, as is the Lake Logano. Travelling round those lakes took me in and out of Switzerland and Italy often. No doubt once upon a time ie last war, these borders were real and closed, but there are actually towns where the border is down the middle and a little bit of Italy completely surrounded by Switzerland. Petrol seems cheaper in Switzerland, at least that must be why on the Swiss side of every border with Italy there are several petrol stations and none on the Italian side, guess where the residents fill up !

Now Switzerland is not in the Euro, nor part of Schengen but being practical the borders are generally open, though the employment in the Swiss and also Italian Border Forces apparently still is healthy, though it seems to be mainly looking at cars as they pass slowly and occasionally stopping someone.

Just by looking at the car number plates, it seems the various populations are mixing well and being practical Europeans, the national boundaries don't really make a lot of sense nor much difference.

I understand the political differences but one connected continent does make sense. Maybe our governments of whatever hues, just don't like changes, as change might reduce their power, (oh cynical Malcolm), never mind about what really works. I am positive about the Euro, maybe if we had joined sometime ago the pound would have come in at a reasonable rate.

Which takes us back to the beginning, if you didn't have to get on a boat or plane, then you may feel more European, as it is I traveled over a thousand miles and the only people who wanted to see my passport was the UK customs - how about a nice big Channel Bridge you just drive over, ............... they have one between Denmark and Sweden, I might go and have a look at that next !