DATELINE MONDAY 17TH AUGUST 2020

Good morning on this mid-August Monday morning, I hope you are well and not too damp, it is humid for sure, which is not surprising as it has been hot and raining a lot. OK it’s enough with the rain, the gardens have had a good soaking, it is now time to bring back the sunbathing weather.

I do totally get the reason why people want to go abroad to Spain, Malta, Greece, Portugal and Turkey as well as the South of France, from May – October when you wake up in one of the aforementioned countries the sun is shining and it shines nonstop all day, then in the evening it is still shorts and t shirt weather for al fresco dining. However this year is bonkers the risk travellers take is mad, what must be like to potentially arrive at your chosen destination only to be told there is a lockdown in force that was announced an hour ago, beaches are closed, pools are closed, bars and restaurants are closed. You are told you have to stay in your hotel room for 14 days and then when you get back to the UK you have another 14 days of quarantine. As much as I would like to top up my tan this year I'm staying put. Oh and yes I am missing the travel element of my job very much indeed, however to be stuck in a hotel room for 14 days then stuck at home for another 14 days, I don’t think so.

And now for the good news, a peace deal between Israel and the UAE has been signed, it is rumoured that a peace deal between Israel, Oman and Bahrain is likely to follow and again the leaders of Iran and other hard line states in the Middle East will say it is a shameful deal. Any Peace Treaty is a good deal. Golda Meir served as Israel’s fourth prime minister from1969 till 1974 once said “peace will come between Israel and its’ Arab neighbours only when they love their children more that they hate us”

MM and Company news update

Germany

Valentina of Cam on Site DMC part of GermanyInsight the DMC we represent that covers the whole of Germany has sent me a link to her video clip of Berlin. This week it features Berlin Airports https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f_WfopGXb8&t=45s the old airport that is now not used as an airport any more the space has been given back to the city of Berlin it has acres and acres of amazing event space. Then there is the existing airport which is tiny, the clip also features the brand new airport that should have been opened several years ago but it had a few challenges, Valentina tells me it WILL open in October.