Travel report 2023

 

“You don’t mind if I join you, do you?” was the question posed by a guest as I sat eating my evening meal with Simon, my coach driver, in Waterford city on day three of a 10-day German-speaking Ireland & Britain tour. “Very considerate of you to ask” I replied, “but actually we’re having our well-earned meal and some down time after the long day and if…”. Well, before I could finish my sentence the guest sat himself down with his creamy pint of Guinness at our table. “Guten Appetit!” he wished us. Simon looked none too pleased and the conversation which had been flowing trickled to a stop. Normally guides and their drivers, although they’ve been working together the whole day, need time at the evening meal to unwind and discuss what happened during the day, what the plan is for the next day, and generally to get to know each other. It was my first tour with Simon, who comes from just outside Belfast. Based on Ireland’s history of conflict, and not knowing which side of the fence the other stood on or which foot the other dug with (Which foot do you dig with?) we both talked about everything under the sun apart from politics and we were getting on fine. “So, Simon, what do you think: Wouldn’t it be better when Ireland is united like Germany is?” our guest asked. I glanced at Simon, innerly thinking This is it, he’s going to have to show his hand now. Simon looked straight at me, took a deep breath and emphatically said “No”! OK, I thought, he’s from the other side and we’ve another 7 days to work together before each of us return to our respective communities and carry on with our lives. After Waterford we crossed over to Wales and travelled onto England and Scotland. No word about politics, until one evening another guest joined us at evening meal. The same procedure as in Waterford and so we carried on eating until the guest asked: “So, Robert, you know, it would be better for Ireland to rejoin Britain, wouldn’t it?” This time it was I who nearly choked on my food and, as Simon glanced at me, I looked at Simon, looked at the guest, took a deep breath and answered emphatically “No!”. So now you might think, two grown men working together with diametrically opposed political views, that isn’t going to work. But it actually did, Simon detouring in Glasgow to show me Celtic Park, home of Glasgow Celtic FC, showing me parts of Belfast I’d never have dared venture into on my own, both of us having the craic. We learned that we had both taken part in the Maracycle, an over 200-mile bike ride between the island's two largest cities, designed to promote reconciliation and understanding between the different communities. It was one of the best tours I guided, based on each of us tolerating and respecting the other.

If you have any questions about my work as a tour guide, or if you would like to book me as a language teacher and travel companion for an educational holiday, please contact me, preferably by e-mail: office@robrao.eu