I think the thing that we’ve been most affected by with Covid 19 has been the lack of foreign travel. I know. People have died. People have lost loved ones. Careers and jobs have been lost.
All lamentable and regrettable – all caused by inept government and the fallout from Brexit.
It was wonderful then to play the travel equivalent of Russian roulette and choose a short city break – in Lisbon, Portugal and hope that me, Tricia and daughter Ruby can travel unscathed by Covid 19.
We chose Lisbon, as friends rave about the place and the flights and accommodation were relatively inexpensive, compared with a week in some cottage in an English national park, with guarantees perhaps that gammon wouldn’t be a daily sight.
Good choice it turned out to be too, as the people were welcoming, the food and city travel inexpensive with a climate to die for. No rain in 5 days and an average daily temperature of 24 degrees.
Lisbon city centre itself is mighty impressive – shabby in parts, plastered with graffiti but quiet at night and safe.
There were no language barriers as everyone in Lisbon speaks English and French, and Tricia, my wife, a polyglot, struck up conversations in broken Portuguese and fluent French with locals, with me nodding sagely from a distance, pretending I understood all the intricacies of each conversation.
My own lack of prowess in foreign languages is a shortcoming, given that wife can speak about four languages well and son, James, is studying French at degree level in Cardiff and Toulouse. Ruby, my daughter in Year 11, is no slouch in Spanish and we’re hoping she pursues that at A level and degree.
You see, I don’t see people in terms of borders.
Frankly, Brexit embarrasses this family as does the electorate’s choice of Prime Minister. We got talking too today to two couples from Dublin and Philadelphia and both expressed incredulity and felt pity for the UK’s predicament.
Johnson is a Poundland Trump and Priti Patel, our current Home Secretary, I feel, brings shame on our shores, as someone so fervently nationalistic.
I personally feel aggrieved that our freedom of movement, and that of our children, has been curtailed by the absolute clusterfuck of Brexit and I think, when this period of history is studied by future generations, there will be questions about why we allowed an advisory referendum to fuck up our futures.
Now you might be asking – who is this jumped up web designer and copywriter spouting politics? It has nothing to do with SEO, marketing, content or digital design.
To be honest though, I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to nailing politics to this company flag.
If my views on Tories and Brexit offend you, it’s quite simple – don’t use me for my services. I do have principles and won’t take money from rabid right wingers.
I do hope too that the Labour Party forms an alliance with the SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru and Lib Dems to oust these charlatans from office.
We might then see some decency in government, instead of English coasts and rivers becoming dumping grounds for turdy water companies, with a return to the EU.
Brexit, you know, has cost more to the UK than Covid 19.
But you won’t see that on the front of the Daily Mail, the leader column of the Express or the side of a fucking bus.
Lisbon, we loved you, and hopefully we will return for our mandatory, permissible 90 days. And soon, we hope.
