Keep smoking!

 

Smoke from Eyjafjallajökull, a volcano in Iceland that started spewing lava a few days ago, has paralysed almost all air traffic in the northern part of Europe. The huge, and apparently, invisible cloud of volcanic ash could be a serious threat to passenger planes and so the authorities have decided to close a big chunk of European airspace.

Terrible?

No. I might be becoming a cynic but I smile every time I hear new pieces of news about this situation. Of course I feel sorry for all those who can’t get back home or make an important visit but this media panic at the sight of empty airports, quiet skies and grounded aeroplanes is exaggerated. People seem to have forgotten that people travelled before the aeroplane, and we still do have trains, ferries, coaches and so on; so there are alternatives.

I think I’d be great if airtravel was next to impossible for months to come. It could result in lowering of train ticket prices and rising awareness of other modes of transport. I have for some time now wanted to make a journey from here to Poland but it was simply too expensive. Now things might change – trains may get cheaper or there may be no other way to go :)

Many people, I’m sure, would welcome going back to the romantic times when travelling meant travelling and not just getting from A to B.

So, Eyjafjallajökull, keep smoking!