Northerner
Guest
Some people like to moan about the EU but it does have some advantages. The main one of course is being able to travel through several countries and not be changing money and paying commission charges at every border. It will be a sad day for travelers if the Euro is abandoned.
Equally important must be the European Health Insurance Card. Would we have this if we weren't in the EU?
Four days ago we were driving along the Algarve, destination Sagres and eventually Lisbon. We spotted a supermarket on the road just past Lagos and my wife nipped out to get some bread. Unbeknownst to me, she tripped on an upturned cobblestone and fell. Unfortunately there was a line of small bollards protecting the entrance and she went face down on one of them. She smashed her nose very badly and had other minor scrapes and there was blood everywhere as you can imagine.
The supermarket was very helpful, phoned for an ambulance and found a roll of soft tissue to stem the bleeding.
The ambulance took her to Lagos (this was Friday) where she was examined and x-rayed. It turned out that she needed surgery by a rhinoplasty expert and the nearest one was in Portimao, a few kilometres down the road. It was arranged for the surgery to be done there the next morning so, at 0800 hours, I had her at the hospital. She was seen quite quickly and put through all the pre-op checks and had the surgery later that afternoon. She stayed in overnight and I collected her on Sunday afternoon and, in view of her requirements, found a very good site that is absolutely immaculate and has a disabled shower room where she can shower in private whilst sitting down.
She had a check this morning but they want to leave the plugs in her nose until Thursday. Lisbon is now off the agenda but we're definitely coming back next year to complete the trip.
The Portuguese health service has been superb. So far I've paid €21 for the first part of the treatment at Lagos and €11 for some antibiotics. When I get the bill for the operation I expect it to be a hundred or maybe two hundred Euro, I've really no idea but it's irrelevant as, when I return home I shall send the bills to the DHSS in Newcastle and they'll refund me with the lot.
So there you are. The next time you want to whinge about the EU, consider that it does have some big advantages, least of all no wars for a few decades!
Finally, her nose, which was squashed and bent sideways, is now straight. She has a splint on it and in a few weeks it should be as it was before. She can't have anything hot as it causes bleeding and she can't chew solids at present as she has difficulty swallowing, but we always look on the bright side and it could have been a lot worse. A blow like that on the wrong part of the brain or head could have killed her or left her paralysed.
Equally important must be the European Health Insurance Card. Would we have this if we weren't in the EU?
Four days ago we were driving along the Algarve, destination Sagres and eventually Lisbon. We spotted a supermarket on the road just past Lagos and my wife nipped out to get some bread. Unbeknownst to me, she tripped on an upturned cobblestone and fell. Unfortunately there was a line of small bollards protecting the entrance and she went face down on one of them. She smashed her nose very badly and had other minor scrapes and there was blood everywhere as you can imagine.
The supermarket was very helpful, phoned for an ambulance and found a roll of soft tissue to stem the bleeding.
The ambulance took her to Lagos (this was Friday) where she was examined and x-rayed. It turned out that she needed surgery by a rhinoplasty expert and the nearest one was in Portimao, a few kilometres down the road. It was arranged for the surgery to be done there the next morning so, at 0800 hours, I had her at the hospital. She was seen quite quickly and put through all the pre-op checks and had the surgery later that afternoon. She stayed in overnight and I collected her on Sunday afternoon and, in view of her requirements, found a very good site that is absolutely immaculate and has a disabled shower room where she can shower in private whilst sitting down.
She had a check this morning but they want to leave the plugs in her nose until Thursday. Lisbon is now off the agenda but we're definitely coming back next year to complete the trip.
The Portuguese health service has been superb. So far I've paid €21 for the first part of the treatment at Lagos and €11 for some antibiotics. When I get the bill for the operation I expect it to be a hundred or maybe two hundred Euro, I've really no idea but it's irrelevant as, when I return home I shall send the bills to the DHSS in Newcastle and they'll refund me with the lot.
So there you are. The next time you want to whinge about the EU, consider that it does have some big advantages, least of all no wars for a few decades!
Finally, her nose, which was squashed and bent sideways, is now straight. She has a splint on it and in a few weeks it should be as it was before. She can't have anything hot as it causes bleeding and she can't chew solids at present as she has difficulty swallowing, but we always look on the bright side and it could have been a lot worse. A blow like that on the wrong part of the brain or head could have killed her or left her paralysed.
