I am about to Take Flight to Cologne, Germany. This is my nineth time of visiting and each time I stay at a different hotel as Germany has wonderful old characterful hotels and I like the idea of getting to know new places to sleep in the characterful, cobbled back streets of the old town. I always visit Cologne during the same season and have experienced snow and frost and warm barmy temperatures, but this year my attention will not be directed to the weather. Since my last visit in 2014 the Syrian refugee crisis has arisen and Cologne has been at the front of some of the adverse publicity. I have always found Germany to be one of the safest European countries to visit and despite these alarmist media reports have no addional concerns or fears about travelling to Cologne on this occasion. Indeed, it was only after a girl friend asked if I would feel safe following the recent disturbances did the issue arise in my mind.

This weekend the New York Times ran an extensive article about safety and travel arguing the traveller should become reliably informed, but then adding sometimes reliable information is not available : http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/travel/zika-virus-terrorism-travel-safety.html?_r=0

Fear is so frequently a barrier to many women’s travel ambitions. Time to Take Flight and solace in Winston Churchill’s most famous quotes: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”