Non-EU

I have lived in two countries that have chosen not to join EU. Of course, I have lived long enough to remember the time when there was no EU, and every time you travelled it was duty-free heaven. Cheap booze and cheap tobacco, what could be better than that? Plus I remember the time when you could order a seat in the back of the plane, a smoking seat. Those were the times!

Personally I like the idea of EU, having a union makes fighting against each other more difficult, and a world without wars would be utopia. Will never happen, but the forming of EU is a start, just like the federation of the American states.

However, I do like the duty-free bit. And I had forgotten I'm sorry to say, since I used to travel myself a lot and had a never-ending supply of stuff, that when I came to Switzerland a pack of ciggies cost around 5 francs, and now it's up to 8. Almost to the limit where I cringe every time I have to pay. So to my delight I realized I have neighbours who travel! I dunno what took me so long. Maybe because I'm used to rely on me and myself only.

The last couple of weeks I had packs from Tenerife for 3.50 a pack, and from oh-I-dunno-where-he-was for 5.20 a pack. Maybe not so good in my strive to reduce, but heckuvalot better for my purse. Money over health?