June 19, 2013 at 8:20 PM

Back in Aotearoa   

Here we are back in Aotearoa, God’s own. We arrived back a couple of days ago leaving behind spring to go into autumn. It’s good to be home.

We spent the last week of our France/England trip in Old Blighty and I have to say that since our previous visit a few years ago it looks pretty good after the upgrade for the Olympics.

London seems to be cleaner, the traffic flows well and business seems to be thriving on the back of the relentless tourism industry.

The Underground and over-ground train systems are fantastic, graffiti free and on time with GPS tracking information on ETA.

Further north, the little villages of the Cotswolds look prosperous, maintaining their charm, with many buildings and town centres having been fully restored recently.

Capital of Culture

We hardly recognised Liverpool. It’s modern looking with new apartment buildings and vibrant shopping centres.

I think it’s due to the injection of funds from the European Capital of Culture status. One lucky city is designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension.

Preparing a European Capital of Culture is an opportunity for the city to generate considerable cultural, social and economic benefits and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale.

Clever Business Names

I had to laugh at some of the clever business names in England and France.

Here are a few.

The Slug and Lettuce, Le Chat Qui Pêche (The Fishing Cat), Fish & Chips by Fins and Trotters (the business owners, ha!), Prêt à Manger (Ready to eat) and Eye Level Optometrists.

A gym franchise had written on their street sandwich boards “Sorry, we’re open. No excuses”.

Outdoor Food   

There’s a new trend emerging called “street food” which is high quality takeaways and desserts sold at outdoor food markets.

One stall owner was selling Haggis Toasties.

Now that’s upmarket!

Booming

Despite the negative economic reports coming out of the European Union, along with rising unemployment, it’s still a great place to visit and business in the tourism industry seems to be booming.

17th Century Energy Saver

Couldn’t resist this one. Notice the modern energy saver bulb in a 17th century lamp. Ha!

To catch up on the rest of our insights on European Business, check out the rest of our blog.

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