Out and About Costa Blanca Magazine - June 2021 Issue -188

36 | OUT AND ABOUT COSTA BLANCA
Walsh’s Wisdom
Is this Germany
or Austria or Italy
When last June the state of emergency
was relaxed in Spain my wife and
I decided to tour Europe. Covid-19
mania still gripped the 27 nations making up
the European Union but undeterred we loaded
our car and set off.
Approaching the French border was a white
knuckle ride. We were prepared for border
controls, questioning and perhaps Covid tests.
In truth, there was nothing of the kind. There
was no visible frontier save a small bland road
sign that disclosed our having arrived in France.
So far so good as we blithe spirits carried on
to Perpignan and then our first overnight stay
in Avignon in France. There, everything was
perfectly normal with not a hearse to be seen.
There was a pause for reflection as nearing
France’s border with Switzerland I spotted a
liveried Duane patrol car. Woohoo, the Customs
officers had spotted our Spanish registered car.
My fears were realised when after tailing us
for 20km the blue lights went on and we went
off – directed off the motorway into a service
area police checkpoint.
Even when you are ‘innocent of all charges’,
being pulled in and checked out by heavily
armed French cops causes unease. The outcome
was that our right to roam being clarified we
sailed on with the cops best wishes still making
a grand impression.
Our route took us into Switzerland through
which frontier we crossed unmolested; we
weren’t even stopped. But, we were pulled up
WALSH’S WISDOM
short when on making an intended overnight
hotel stop we were quoted €200 no haggling.
‘It is Switzerland,’ the receptionist smiled.
‘No, it is Germany,’ I grinned and off we
sallied and two hours of road works later we
wanderers were warmly welcomed in a small
German border town and we saved €130 for our
pleasing overnighter.
Although the German-Austrian Anschluss
(reunification) was 82-years behind us there
are no border controls between Germany
and Austria. Each time we crossed from one
country to another my wife and I asked: ‘is this
Germany or Austria?’
‘Austria,’ the bartender smiled as he pointed
down the road and the bridge crossing the River
Inn. ‘In Germany, they still wear masks.’
Ausfart! We happy pair gaily motored on
our way and discovered the most charming
of hotels just a short bus ride from Salzburg.
Unlike the great Mozart who was born in the
lovely Austrian city, we two got on fine with the
authorities.
Several days later we turned off the sound of
music and after swooping over the Brenner Pass
we arrived in Italy, again without indication
that we had crossed yet another national border.
What a pizza experience that was as we toured
and photographed ourselves in Verona and the
following day in Genoa.
It was whilst driving through Italy’s ancient
port that we did confront the full force of the
law. Exiting a fuel fill-up station I failed to see
If you have a book or indeed any writing needs contact Michael by emailing him at keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com
Michael Walsh Heart to Heart Poetry, Amazon Books.
Email: keyboardcosmetics@gmail.com
AMAZON ‘TOP 100
BOOKS OF THE YEAR’
Website: www.mikewalshwritingservices.wordpress.com