One of my first big travels in Europe was to Salamanca, Spain for a month long Spanish course when I was 17 years old. With a friend, we travelled by train from Holland through Paris, Irun, Madrid to Salamanca. I cannot remember how long this took, just that we needed to change train in the middle of the night in Irun for a Spanish train that has different tracks widths from the rest of Europe. We must have taken two days for the whole journey. We arrived at Salamanca train station in the afternoon, in August, with probably 40 degrees. I do remember that it was so hot that the train between Madrid and Salamanca kept all doors to the outside open for some air to circulate. Arriving, we must have had some kind of map that guided us to walk with our backpacks from the train station to our university residence (one hour) and get our room there for three. Another friend joined soon after. There was no telephone, no internet, no airco, no communication with our parents. I cannot remember how we got local pesetas, traveller cheques?
Now in 2019, I went to Salamanca again. With an all electric car. Guided by Waze (a navigation app) and the Tesla navigation on its huge screen. I stopped at hotels throughout France and Spain to enjoy many great places and food along the Atlantic coast.
This time, I did not need to show my passport once. I pay in the same Euro currency everywhere. I use my bank card or credit card without any fees. I am in contact with my friends through Whatsapp, Facebook or Telegram or calling them, for free. I charge my car batteries for free. I book hotels the day before I arrive via internet. I can check what facilities these hotels offer and what other guests thought about it.
During the whole trip, my wife is talking to her friends inTurkey, Morroco, Spain, France and The Netherlands all the time through Whatsapp. In the middle of nowhere. For free. Technology, the incredible wealth creation in the last decades in Europe and the advances of the European Union made this possible.
I could have gone by plane to my final destination (Malaga) for two to three hundred Euros. A trip that only the rich aristocracy could have done a century ago, still taking days.
Why are we so angry about our world, our politicians?