Ja beauty Wunderbar Germany is open again. Neujahr!
In the best booster of all, the UK has been recategorised as a ‘high-risk area by Germany’.
It sounds scary but it is in fact one down from ‘an area of Covid concern’ which meant temporary banned entry.
A high risk worth taking
Over to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office who gave us all a late-night pep.
They said: ‘From 23:00 GMT on 3 January 2022 the UK is designated a high-risk area.
‘You may enter Germany from the UK for any travel purpose if you are fully vaccinated.’
Right, if you’re not why not (and I need a note signed by a parent)?
And you rightly won’t be treated like the rest of the staff.
Jab, jab, jab
They go on: ‘This means that travellers arriving from the UK, who are not fully vaccinated, are subject to 10-day quarantine, and test and release is available after 5 days.
“Fully vaccinated and recovered individuals are exempt from this requirement, once they have uploaded their proof of status on the pre-departure digital registration portal.
Yes, it’s not untrammelled entry but der baby steps.
And we’ll need a negative PCR test result that is no more than 48 hours old at the point of departure, if travelling to Germany via plane, train, bus or ferry.
Our prayers are answered
It sounds as if our Christmas prayers have been answered.
And I think I know who has been behind this.
Yes, the most connected man in Travel only got in touch with Jesus himself last year.
And I asked him if he would get the show back on.
Jesus prophecy
By Jesus, of course, I mean Frederik Mayet who I interviewed last year ahead of the renewal of the Oberammergau Passionsspiele this year.
I had, of course, done my prep work in the Bavarian town on my Top Flight For Schools trip to Ehrwald in the Austrian Tyrol.
And Frederik assured me that he has been growing his beard assiduously since the lockdown in preparation for his big part.
All of which I recognise as the mark of a holy man as I’d done.
By growing a beardie on the same on the Camino to Santiago.
Oberammergau
And so you can plan for your Oberammergau either independently.
Or as we discovered on a quick browse through agents McCabe Pilgrimages.
They are offering a one-week, two-centre holiday combining a choice of Austrian resort hotels with the 2020 Oberammergau Passion Play.
With prices starting at £1,670.
Germany, here we come
Jesus won’t be the only Second Coming to Germany in 2022.
We aim to be back too having kept in touch right through 2021 with our German friends.
While Daddy’s Little Girl aims to fulfil her trip to Berlin (we might just follow on).
Ja, it’s a beauty, and Ja Wunderbar Germany is open again.
And we’re open to clink steins, look into our pals’ eyes and bark Prost.
Just like I’ve been doing since I first fell in love with Germany 37 years ago.
And yes, if it’s good enough for our Teuton pals, then what’s keeping notre amis en France?
