DATELINE MONDAY 21ST FEBRUARY 2022

Happy calmer and somewhat more serene Monday morning greetings from the windblown, debris strewn streets of London W10, I hope you are well and not too badly effected by storm Dudley and Eunice.

On Friday the gusts of wind were truly biblical, the awesome power of nature had to be experienced, if Swiss Cottage was located on the edge of this green and pleasant Island with a sea view I would have been one of the nutters to walk along the promenade to witness the waves crashing over the sea walls. Obviously as the continental shelf had not suffered a significant shift on Friday I had to accept it was a walk along the high street. To be honest I didn’t really need to go out to the shops I just had to, it was an experience, the winds were so strong it was a struggle to walk against the wind. I managed 😊

More COVID Common sense

Photo by saiko3p/iStock/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images)

International travellers to France will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of departure, so long as the person is fully vaccinated. The change went into effect on Saturday, February 12. France has announced it would be easing is mask-wearing rules starting February 28. Masks from that date will no longer be required in venues that also require entrants to be fully vaccinated

In the UK Boris has announced that COVID Freedom Day will soon be here and when that happens there will be no need to isolate if you test positive for COVID and all restrictions will be gone.

Clearly The Word is coming to terms with the fact that living with COVID is just another one of those things.

Talking of COVID I simply must publicly send my goods wishes for a quick and full recovery from COVID to Her Majesty The Queen, Our Queen.

Congratulations to the UK Curling team Silver and Gold medals in Beijing in the nick of time as they say.

MM and Company news update

Prague

Daniel and the ITC DMC team in Prague are delighted to tell you that Jet2 has renewed its routes from Prague to Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Leeds. In March Jet 2 will be flying from Prague to Glasgow.

When you ask Daniel and the ITC Prague DMC team to arrange a Prague City experience they would I am certain include The Charles Bridge, The Old Prague Town Hall and Astronomical Clock, the ITC DMC team would for sure suggest a visit to the old Jewish Quarter of Prague as well as possible a visit to the Medieval underground city underneath the streets of Prague. Daniel always suggests a trip out of Prague to visit Karlštejn Castle. It is a large Gothic castle founded in 1348 by Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor-elect and King of Bohemia. The castle served as a place for safekeeping the Imperial Regalia as well as the Bohemian Crown Jewels, holy relics, and other royal treasures. It is only about 30 kilometres southwest of Prague in the Beroun District of the Central Bohemian Region, above the market town of the same name. Karlštejn is one of the most famous and most frequently visited castles in the Czech Republic. As of 2019, it was the 5th most visited castle with more than 200,000 visitors per year.

Whilst ITC DMC recommend a trip out to Karlštejn Castle there is usually far too much to do in the walkable town centre of Prague that the castle gets missed out.

France

Pascal and the team at NACARA DMC France and Monaco have told us that COVID common sense is happening in France as well. Pascal tells us that travellers to France will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of departure, so long as the person is fully vaccinated. The change went into effect on Saturday, February 12. France has announced it would be easing is mask-wearing rules starting February 28. Masks from that date will no longer be required in venues that also require entrants to be fully vaccinated

That’s it you are now fully up to date