Being a bit of a multicultural dog, I am interested in the whole concept of a Europe without frontiers. Sadly, I am starting to think it is a myth. We drove over the border Belgium to France the other day. If the whole EU thing is working as intended, apart from the odd welcome sign you shouldn’t be able to notice a different. Of course, there are different speed limits, road signs and number plates. Then there is the language difference. These however are nothing to the fact there were actually customs officials slowing everyone down and stopping some cars as they crossed the border. This makes it seem just a tiny bit unreasonable that over the years everyone has pointed the finger at the United Kingdom for retaining border control in both passports and customs. I don’t know what the French are concerned will be entering their country from Belgium, we are a pretty innocent bunch. I know they have put border controls in place between France and Italy because they are upset about their citizens going over the border to buy cheaper cigarettes in Italy, whilst having been happy to encourage all the English day-trippers to come to France to buy cheaper cigarettes there. Oh, the European ideal; clearly it is alive and well and is particularly flourishing in France. I wonder how long it will be before the whole lot falls apart.
On a more mundane note, I am getting particularly concerned about the weather. I could get used to it being so nice. A bit of rain would do the garden good and for that matter make sure my water bowl can be topped up, but I have grown quite accustomed to sunshine all day, every day. I like it. I can go in and out of the house whenever I choose and no one complains about the mud.