It’s hard to look back on 2024 and not feel a shiver down the spine. It certainly begs the critical questions, “What? Why? What? But why?” Geopolitical crisis has been heaped upon geopolitical crisis, democracy seems to be in decline almost everywhere, while kleptocrats and billionaires run amok with equal impunity at the expense of the rest of us. It is hard to look forward at the start of this new year with optimism.
A lunatic still sits in the Kremlin forcing immense suffering on Ukraine. His good friend, a narcissist bigot and convicted felon, is about to re-enter the White House. The far right is surging in Europe. The centre right willing to break the cordon sanitaire, because that has worked so well historically. Adding to the horror of Gaza, there are armed conflicts all over the world. Thirty five in Africa alone.
The climate crisis continues unabated, actual action sacrificed at the altar of profit and political shortsightedness. We visited the wonderful city of Valencia last year, will the horrific flooding that swept away so many lives make a difference? Not if previous climate-related disasters are a benchmark. It’s harder than ever to travel and not see the impact of climate change and environmental degradation, or the role of tourism in it.
Only Syria, with a late attempt to rebalance the scales, provides a flicker of hope. Time will tell if that too will be extinguished. Given the backdrop, it seems flippant to discuss the joys of travel. Yet, when you leave the global and zoom to the local, reality often feels very different. During our travels this year we have rubbed shoulders with people who have rarely been less than friendly, hospitable and (mostly) honest.
There were a couple of pickpockets in Palma de Mallorca who almost stole my wallet who hopefully didn’t make Santa’s ‘nice’ list, but such experiences have been vanishingly rare in my travels over the past four decades. I could offer dozens of experiences where people have gone out of their way to help a lost and confused traveller. That said, there are more countries than ever on my ‘don’t visit’ list. Luckily, Belgium is not one of them.
We’ve been living in Brussels for almost three and a half years. While I know I must try harder to ‘love’ my home town, it remains a frustrating place to live. I frequently have to fight the urge to leave on the next available plane, train or automobile (great film). The abysmal weather doesn’t help, because on a bright sunny day even Brussels can feel warm and welcoming. Art Nouveau glories are one of Brussels’ highlights.
I’ve given up trying to understand the politics – both in Brussels and nationally – but the fact that we haven’t had a government for more than six months and no one can tell the difference, is all anyone needs to know. Visits to our former homes of The Hague and Berlin, have only underscored the fact that my relationship with Brussels needs work.
Ignore the politics and the other composite parts of Belgium have much to recommend them. This was the year we discovered the Belgian coast. It started in “the queen of the Belgian seaside resorts”, Ostend, celebrating the life of James Ensor; continued in historic Nieuwpoort; and ended with a walk through Beaufort Sculpture Park. Cycling has taken me to new places in Wallonia and Flanders, but Wallonia still needs more exploration.
Spain remains the European country we are most drawn to, and increasingly to its once less travelled corners like Galicia. A couple of weeks last summer on the Coast of Death visiting Muxia and Finisterre was blissful. Further south, Vigo was a revelation, while inland, Ourense was a delight despite 35ºC temperatures. Our trip to Mallorca, Alicante and Murcia is still to be posted.
France is just next door and an evergreen place to visit. A first trip to Strasbourg defied expectation. A city that feels both French and German, Strasbourg comes with a well-preserved historical centre and a cutting edge cultural scene. Stops en route home in the less well known Champagne region on the Marne near Châlons-en-Champagne, and in the Jura’s Dole, reinforced the lure of France. Please don’t vote in Le Pen.
We spent more time in the UK this year, the weather was rarely great but compensated for by not having a Tory government for the first time in 14 years. Highlights included Worcester and Stan Laurel’s Ulverston. Walking in the Malvern Hills, Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District, followed by a beer in a traditional pub, was comforting. London remains a world class city, thanks in no small part to its progressive mayor.
While 2025 promises to be a rollercoaster of a year, away from the headlines and general sense of trepidation, travel can and does allow for a different perspective. The new year in Belgium has begun with strong winds, grey clouds and the imminent threat of rain. If that isn’t an incentive to travel I don’t know what is.
Is a trip downunder on the cards for 2025??? 😉
It feels like it might be time to leave Europe for a bit, but probably not in 1st half of the year. HNY to you both.