Almost vacation

The vacation season dawns, office stress peaks. Sometimes you wonder what vacation is actually good for. You work your ass off to get everything done before you leave, and when you return there is a pile waiting for you that immediately ruins all vacation fun. Moreover, it is not out of the question that breakdowns occur during the vacation itself.

My work bag goes with me on the trip. During the first week of vacation, I monitor my incoming messages and pick up urgent matters myself. My family knows this and they also know that it is good to accept this behavior. After all, it is only after a week that I myself accept that I am on vacation. That's why I take three weeks, I still have two weeks left after that first bad week.

Traveling in a changing world
In recent years we have been trying to settle down in comfortable surroundings within hours of departure. Nice room, nice wellness and above all good food and drinks. This year we are going to try it in the Black Forest because we want to avoid France, on our way to Italy. Because of the Olympics and because of the terrorism threat. Bummer, because France has been very good to us in recent years. Even more so for the French themselves. The latter certainly has something to do with the fact that we can speak English to each other and no longer have to fiddle with hands and feet. Wandering through the Bordeaux region or Burgundy, wonderful. Very different from the images we see of protesting political leftists in Paris, fearing that Macron has given power away to the far right. Go on vacation people.

I'm curious to see what it's like in Germany. The AfD has not come to a position where they have enticed Scholz to step down. Although the movement to the right is unmistakable. You need not fear that my vacation is politically colored. I am mainly interested in how the country is, how the people are. I think Germany has changed a lot. I used to look up to them, I feel less so now. Mind you, I will be happy if the Netherlands can beat them in the European Football Championship. It strikes me that the composition of the German team reflects society. The increased diversity is a blessing. But the bottom of society in Germany has it harder than ever before in my lifetime. "Wir schaffen das" is a winged statement that Merkel would never make with today's insight.

The Italy of Melosi
Melosi's Italy is a case in point. She has put her country on the European map. An adored Roman wowed me a few weeks ago that I was well wrong in telling him I was going to vacation in Italy. Northern Italy he does not consider Italian. This man has lived in Holland for years, how can he still be so fanatical about the dichotomy of his motherland? We'll see, I'll ask some Italians about their feelings on this. I don't expect much, most people live their lives. That's why we love to vacation there. Italians live their Italian life and like to include us visitors in this. They are proud of their region, of their culture, of their food and drink.

We still have a few more weeks of hard work to do, but take comfort in the fact that it is now close. The work stress that is gone for a while will give way to vacation stress. Total relaxation we will not find. But we should return with new ideas, additional life experience, new knowledge about other cultures, customs and history.

Happy vacations in advance.