I’m sure glad we took the opportunity to enjoy some incredible overseas vacations, providing stored up memories of Italy, Spain, Portugal and France. For those who couldn’t go or delayed the privilege, you might have left it too late to experience the wonderful people, customs and sights thanks to what is being called “overtourism.”
It’s hard to believe that after all the money spent to attract tourists, from Bali to Barcelona they tell us they have had enough of crowds, bad behaviour and no respect for local customs. Cinque Terre says it will fine tourists €2,000 if caught wearing flip-flops.
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Holidays when you can experience other cultures can be pretty exciting, yet most of us admit that its always nice to be home again. I bet Kingdon Ward was happy to be back in England after a plant hunting trip to the border of Burma and Assam in 1926.
I’ve just finished reading a book he wrote about traipsing through steaming, leech-infested jungle and up into snowbound treeline looking for new Rhododendrons and Primulas – for six months away from civilization among hill tribes who could not converse.
Now that’s experiencing other cultures. A good read, by the way.
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And speaking of travel, YYC and our WestJet people must be looking at a very sober year thanks to the huge decline in flights to the U.S.
But it must also be tough for those businesses south of the border that have been happy to take our money. Mr. Trump just doesn’t think things through. The consequences of killing off a lot of trade will bite him on the backside pretty soon as there must be a lot of Americans hurting and embarrassed over his antics. Certainly, all Roman Catholics must be angry about his larking around shortly after the death of the Pope.
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I have to wonder how so many Americans were hoodwinked into electing a Made America Great Again flag waver, when it was already the strongest, richest and most generous country in the world.
And Nero fiddled.
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Guess the decision has been made. My last statement from ConnectFirst was headed Servus Credit Union, so I guess after a long period since the two joined forces, the name of ConnectFirst – always a bit of a tongue twister – has been dropped.
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A University of Calgary team is researching a better material to pave our roads with. Great – they certainly suffer from cracks, lumps and bumps. Potholes we all have to try and dodge, now I must complain about the hurried patch jobs. Holes are to be avoided but higher than surface lumps are just as lumpy-bumpy.
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It was headlined that our Premier had said Albertans had lost hope. Not this proud Canadian. No matter how we like to complain, this is still the best city in the best province in the whole darn world to live in. And blessed with wonderful people.
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Final words: It is much safer to obey than to govern. ~ Thomas À Kempis
