Hi Joe,

I have entered the USA twice. Once at Atlanta where there were two customs/immigration officers for about ten jumbo jets full of passengers. Fortunately we had a long stopover time.

This Xmas I entered via Washington D.C.(Dulles) Loads of staff and through reasonably quickly. I was fingerprinted and photographed by the Department of Homeland Security. I had a couple of speeches to make to different audiences and each time I said I would like to thank everyone we had met for the terrific hospitality we had received whilst in America(true!!). Then I said I'd like to start with the Department of Homeland Security and each time I got a huge laugh (I'm pleased to say!)

I suppose what annoyed me was that when we left via Dulles - it must have been the most chaotic airport I have ever seen. I use Malaga frequently and I shall never criticise the authorities there ever again. There were dozens, nay hundreds, of un-attended bags lying around and no-one seemed bothered at all.

I suspect the Czechs/Poles are still suffering the effects of the Cold War. Certainly having entered Hungary a couple of times it was noticeable that we had changed from the "New" Europe to the "Old" one. This was before they came part of the EU.

Finally I can understand the reason for Andorra - but I cannot imagine why people want to visit it except to smoke and drink and fill up with fuel.

The road from Pas de La Casa to La Seu d'Urgell (France to Spain)is simply supermarkets and petrol stations. And little else. Each patch of ground is used for growing tobacco (including the centre of roundabouts) and the large American firms have huge factories for making cigarettes.

Interestingly, there are large signs in the supermarkets saying "We do not use Andorran tobacco". They sell the tobacco to the firms who then burn it because it is crap!! It is what the locals call black tobacco - think old fashioned Gauloises or Ducados in Spain. And then they import tobacco from elsewhere.

Crazy.