Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Hot or cold - it's all relative. Going walkabout. Tourism problems. What is an industry?

 This morning Granddaughter Number One sent me a screenshot of the satnav screen in her father’s car when he set off for work earlier in the morning. It registered a temperature of -5°. Granted he lives in one of the highest spots of Oldham but that temperature seems a bit extreme. Mind you, last Thursday someone told me that there had been gritters out on her street, also in one of the high spots of the town, obviously expecting frost. Then there’s my Italian friend posting pictures of herself all wrapped up in wooly hat and gloves and scarf, declaring: “Fa freddo ma non ho paura!” Basically, “I’m not afraid of the cold!”


And here in Figueira we still have blue sky and sunshine, and it’s warm enough for me to have bought a t-shirt to run in as my hooded running top is too thick. There’s a cool breeze in the morning first thing and yesterday as I crossed paths with someone walking in the opposite direction to my run she smiled and said, “Muito frio” -very cold. And just now in the lift, coming down from the breakfast room, a couple got in a couple of floors down, and the lady looked at my bare arms and asked, “Não tem frio?” - Aren’t you cold? Her husband told her, “É inglesa!” My Englishness must be evident and apparently explains every kind of odd behaviour. They were both muffled up in puffer jackets, ready for all eventualities. We had a little chat about the weather and I was complimented on my Portuguese. Little do they know how much I bluff my way around. 


Yesterday I walked out in the late morning sunshine, going from the old fort at the mouth of the river




to the lighthouse at the end of the mole, which is made up of huge concrete block. 




The anglers were out in force. There were a few other tourists as well as me, strolling in the sunshine. Not too many tourists though! Summer here must be a different story.


I read recently that they plan to restrict the numbers of visitors to Pompeii in Italy. Unrestricted access is causing too much wear and tear on the remains. Lots pf places seem to be realising that tourism, a major source of income for so many destinations, is in fact something of a mixed blessing now that everyone wants to travel to exotic places. And then this rather obscene photo popped up with a statement about Venice banning huge cruise boats! 


It needs no further comment! 


I find myself reflecting more and more on the strangeness of the modern world. Here is the start of an article about university tuition fees going up:


“One of Britain’s most globally successful industries is under financial pressure. More than a third of higher education institutions are running at a loss, a handful are at risk of government bailout and some have had to shed staff and courses. While Labour’s recent decision to allow a small increase in university tuition fees in England to £9,535 a year is not a complete solution, it sent a signal that the government is listening to the sector.”


I’m not going to rant about the unfairness of today’s students having to graduate with a huge debt. Rather I want to express my surprise at university education being described as a “globally successful industry”. Schools and universities and hospitals and the like should not be regarded as industries. Well, private ones are, of course, run on a profit-making basis but public services should be funded institutions, available to all of us. Maybe I’m an unrealistic idealist! 


Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!

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