Nothing is as it seems in Liechtenstein; quiet, tiny, beautiful, very prosperous, and ruled by a monarch who lives in a fairy-tale castle on top of a hill. But when I visited 20 years ago I wondered why the same lawyer with a German name was the diplomatic representative of ten small African nations, whilst his wife represented several more. There have been a few scandals and a clean-up since, but in 2017 Liechtenstein banks still managed wealth equivalent to $8million per resident, that’s $300 billion in total.
Anyway, still a pretty place for a bike ride, and we appreciated the peaceful overnight campsite en route from Italy to the UK. Earlier, driving into the country from Austria, the border guard waved us to stop; my son and I noticed, but my wife, who was driving, did not. Rather than calling the cops as we sailed unchecked into the country, he just sat down again. I’d love to say he went back to his newspaper, but he was out of view by then.
The music is myself on electronics, Soprano Saxophone and Wind Controller, with my good friend Bas Kooman adding some spicy guitar. Check out his wonderful music on Spotify under Bas Kooman and Seb Mankoo
2 Comments
Great ride Dave and very entertaining subtitles! I have to admit, there were a few things I didn't know about Liechtenstein. But as you manage to cross the country in 8 minutes, I would say: let's invade the place, have a beer and distribute the $300 billion among the residents of Europe (that is, including the UK!)
Another nice trek, and backing track. I suppose without wealthy folks there would be no wealth management companies, and Liechtenstein might be more like the decaying cities in America that have lost the influence of wealth. Hard to say. Either way, Liechtenstein looks quite clean, organized, and safe.