With so much betting happening online, players should try out different games instead of sticking to just one, as luck alone is not enough.
Every player does not easily understand all the special terminology found in casinos. Knowing all the terms and rules should come first for all members of the site. Several European countries pass additional guidelines to ensure people have an easy and safe way to gamble.
While all parts of the EU set their own gambling rules, you can find places in most countries that are safe for casino gambling.
Where Gambling Rules Make Sense
Various steps have been used by the EU to come up with the rules we see in action today. In some industries, the government has more say in what happens, but in other cases, it lets the companies make their own decisions.
People were able to keep up with what was happening more easily because the study looked mainly at news on Telegram. Such rules and ways of dealing with people help casinos handle most of the problems that can come up when people gamble at the casino.
Standout Examples: Denmark, Malta, Sweden
Take Denmark, for example. Spillemyndigheden ensures the rules are followed, trains players on responsible gambling, shares information on how to play safely, and can check a casino’s license at once.
Anyone playing at a gambling site should look to see if it is run properly, make sure they know what kind of protection they have, and find out where they can get help if something goes wrong. While things like this seem simple in theory, not every jurisdiction can handle them the same way.
Due to its reputation as the online gambling capital in Europe, Malta is seen as easy-going and responsible. Among other things, the MGA developed some of the earliest guidelines for fair gaming and how to combat fraud.
A casino with a Maltese license most often demonstrates the presence of a proper legal framework for its work. Little things can always be improved, but you can still build a product that is reliable.
Not long ago, Sweden and the Netherlands made changes to their online gambling rules to ensure greater safety for gamblers. For example, Sweden’s Spelinspektionen set up Spelpaus to help people block all betting on licensed sites at the same instant. Because the approach is so easy to understand, it helps more people trust it and manage problems related to gambling.
Balancing Regulation and Market Freedom
There are times when problems arise while building software. Although progress has been made, several concerns are still bothering people. There are people who think that since gambling laws in Sweden are strict, some individuals may decide to visit gambling sites in other countries.
Since the Netherlands is now giving out more licenses. ensuring everyone gets a fair selection is now a challenge. A change in mood can make daily activities more difficult for a person. The adoption of tougher hard and fast rules might encourage companies to collaborate less, instead starting to compete more strongly.
If you focus on the way the asterisks join the different sections, it might become clear who is leading in each section. Make sure to read the bonus rules ahead of time to avoid any surprises.
When bonuses are given out according to a set rule, it becomes easier for the company to be managed. If you pay attention to small points, it will be easier to learn a language.
In Closing
Gambling means putting your money on a thing and hoping that luck will be on your side to see how things go. No one should change a law because things happen to go their way. they should make changes intentionally. Many countries in Europe have made rules to make sure online casinos are safer and fair for people who play on them. It is understood that, in Nordic countries, if your main goal is helping people learn or making things easy for all, you usually do pretty well. We work on the idea that everyone deserves to be treated the same way.
Thus, they start to feel more comfortable in their own skin. Because people trust and respect each other in the industries, companies are usually more willing to team up with each other. In fact, simple rules help everyone have a good time, no matter who comes out on top or at the bottom.
Africa’s leading entertainment company, MultiChoice, has announced that all Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Champions League and Europa League matches of the 2024/25 football season will be broadcast live on SuperSport channels, available on DStv and GOtv.
The 2024/205 Premier League season will kick off on DStv and GOtv on August 10, with the Community Shield fixture between Premier League champions Manchester City and FA Cup winners, Manchester United at Wembley. The match will be live on SuperSport Football, (DStv ch 203 And GOtv ch 66) at 3pm.
According to the Executive Head of Marketing, MultiChoice West Africa, Tope Oshunkeye, the company is committed to providing Nigerians all the action, live, as it unfolds across the biggest football stadiums in Europe, throughout the season.
“The Premier League, La Liga and Serie A command huge followership among football fans in Nigeria, who are already looking forward to the new European football season. Like we have been doing for over 20 years, SuperSport will bring all action of the 2024/25 football season to Nigerians on DStv and GOtv, starting with the Community Shield on August 10. The UEFA Champions League’s new format means more matches for the big clubs, and all the matches, including Europa League, and Conference League, will be available to our customers on SuperSport channels. Also part of our broadcast schedule for the season is FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches,” he said.
Champions League group stage matches will commence September 17-19, with the final set for Munich’s Fuball Arena, Germany, on May 31, 2025. Race for the 2025 Premier League title will begin on Friday, August 16, with Manchester United welcoming Fulham to Old Trafford. The match will be live on the SuperSport Premier League channel.
The peak of the opening week fixtures will take place at West London on Sunday, August 18, when Chelsea welcome the champions, Manchester City to Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United will host Liverpool on matchday three; the first North London derby of the season will be at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in week four; while the Gunners will travel to the Etihad on matchday five to take on Manchester City.
Liverpool will host Chelsea at Anfield in week eight, Arsenal will welcome Liverpool to the Emirates in week nine, and Chelsea will travel to Old Trafford in week ten. All the big fixtures will be broadcast live on the SuperSport Premier League channel.
La Liga action would kick off on Thursday, August 15 with Atletico Bilbao vs Getafe, live on SuperSport La Liga (DStv ch 204 and GOtv ch 62). On Sunday, August 18, Barcelona will travel to Valencia in the biggest match of the opening weekend. Real Madrid will also start the defense of their title away at Mallorca, while Atletico Madrid will visit the Estadio de la Ceramica to play Villarreal.
The first Madrid derby between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will be held in week eight, with the first El Classico of the season to be held on the weekend of October 27 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
To understand the outcome of the elections to the European Parliament (EP) it is necessary to see the election in the context of (1) national politics (2) global politics and (3) societal transformation. The extreme-right may be at the moment of consolidation in Europe but, arguably, they are also at their highpoint; they are a diverse and volatile group of parties and movements with limited capacity to govern.
Significant moment in the post-war history of Europe
The recent elections to the European Parliament represent a significant moment in the post-war history of Europe. The growing electoral appeal of the extreme right presents a major challenge for liberal democracy and for the European Union (EU). The era of stability that saw the emergence and consolidation of the EU is now over. The question, however, is how significant the extreme right is and whether we should be worried that what we are witnessing is a dangerous drift towards authoritarianism in Europe in a context of greater instability.
Some contextualization is important. The results of the election, largely expected, can be read in different ways. While ever more voters – and in this instance, a surprisingly large number of younger voters especially in Germany – supported extreme right-wing parties, the majority of Europeans did not. As is well known, European Parliament elections do not have the same impact as national elections. However, despite the drift to the radical right, it seems that the center ground has prevailed, despite a significant challenge. This does not mean that we can be complacent and think nothing has changed. The extreme right has made significant gains. The Alternative for Germany (AfD), won the second-largest number of votes in Germany, after the center-right opposition. However, the extreme right is not a cohesive bloc, especially in terms of representation in the European Parliament, where it does not speak with one voice.
The Nordic countries, which all experienced a rise in radical right parties, voted for predominately left-green. There is a wide variety of parties across Europe that advocate authoritarianism, from right-wing populist parties to more radical right-wing ones to the harder neo-fascist extreme right. It is a volatile spectrum of forces that has captured much of the ground from established parties of the left and the right, but they are not all neo-fascists.
What is the outlook for the extreme-right in European countries?
My sense of the current situation is that we are probably witnessing the high point of the extreme right. It may be the case that the extreme right has also reached the point of consolidation, but in view of the volatility of the parties and their electoral support, that is by no means self-evident. Perhaps more clear-cut is the normalization of their political concerns – anti-migration, anti-Green, and anti-EU. However, this normalization is as likely to take place on the national level of the major parties of the right and left who adapt their policies to the extreme right. This may be the ultimate testimony of their influence, leading to a more general drift towards right-wing ideology but not necessarily a shift to the extreme-right taking over. The exception here is Hungary, but then the Fidesz party is more an example of right-wing populism than extreme-right.
If we look at the EU and the wider European area, including the United Kingdom (UK), it is arguably the case that Europe as a whole is more united than divided and that the real divisions are within national countries. Yet, many countries have stepped back from the brink. Poland and Spain have clearly rejected the extreme right in recent national elections. The outcome of the general election in the UK next month will almost certainly lead to a landslide Labour government.
Ireland does not have any significant extreme-right-wing parties. It has instead Sinn Fein, a left-inclined populist party that also is the placeholder for potential radical right-wing voters. Despite the electoral success in the Netherlands of Geert Wilder’s Party For Freedom (PVV) which is more of a right-wing populist party than Extreme Right as such, he was not able to enter government.
France is perhaps the most troubled country. Its large agricultural sector, the source of much discontent, is under threat and probably unsustainable in its present organization. The overall picture is that the extreme right has limited capacity for government while having considerable ideological influence as their agendas are becoming increasingly normalized. The lesson of the monumental failure of Brexit is also all too clearly visible. A product of radical right-wing politics, it has been a demonstrable failure and a warning to others not to follow.
Why is the extreme-right on the rise?
There are two additional considerations. The rise of the extreme right must also be seen in the context of major societal structural change and in the context of global politics. Europe, like much of the rest of the world, is undergoing major societal upheaval as a result of the double transition to the digital economy and the green economy, a transition that is occurring in the context of climate change and now insecurity due to the need for increased military expenditure for defense against Russia. This is all unfolding in the context of major demographic shifts and the collapse of the possibility of an inclusive society. The nation has become a zone of struggle and division.
The other context is the global one whereby the world, at least the Northern Hemisphere, is re-aligning into two blocs, the Western liberal democracies and authoritarian states in Asia, with Russia and China at the center of these. In this shift in the balance of world power, there is much instability and uncertainty. Ukraine and Donald Trump in the United States (US) are such instances of global volatility and reference points for the extreme right, but with unclear consequences how these will play out. If Trump is re-elected later this year, the extreme right in Europe as elsewhere will find a new source of legitimation; if Russia succeeds in overwhelming Ukraine, the largely pro-Russia extremist parties will gain additional leverage.
What happens if the rise of extreme rights is successful?
The success of the extreme-right can be attributed to their ability to express all kinds of social grievances without offering solutions. They are receptacles of discontent that are particularly attractive to voters of authoritarian dispositions. They appeal especially both to those who tend to see their situation as unfavorable – due to falling standards of living, rising cost of living, housing crisis, stagnant wages, and loss of social status – and to those who are prone to resentment regardless of their situation.
The extreme-right is a product of inchoate anger which easily combines with a cultural backlash against anything that is representative of progress. A characteristic of the politics of resentment is that it is not fixed but is volatile and unpredictable. These parties with their focus on the figure of the migrants are more adept at mobilizing discontent than left-wing parties or those of the center since they don’t have to grapple with the problem of solidarity and the challenges of the Green transition. And there is the simple reality that European societies need migrant workers.
My overall conclusion is that the results of the European Parliament elections are in line with the general rise of the extreme right but this is not a cataclysmic moment; future trends are likely to see the continued influence of the extreme right through the normalization of populist politics as the center parties adapt to them. But there are also countertrends and we may be witnessing the high point of the extreme right. If there is a cause for concern, it is less likely that we will see a takeover by the extreme right than a failure of governance by the center in the wake of what is increasingly looking like a crisis of governability.
Driven by a desire for positive impact, Martine Marjorie Fiedler, who has been assisting Nigerian and other African migrants in Europe has decided to run for the European Parliament elections taking place June 9th in France.
Fiedler, who has spent considerable time in Nigeria and courted some the entertainment industry’s biggest artistes like Davido, Dakore Egbuson and others, said that her transition from entertainment to humanitarian efforts is politics-driven
According to her she has been inspired by experiences in Nigeria and Europe to address societal issues on a larger scale.
“Through my work in migration and humanitarian issues within Europe, I have gained firsthand insight into the challenges faced by vulnerable populations.
“This experience fuels my unwavering dedication to bringing about positive legislative change that uplifts and includes those in need. My vision is rooted in sincerity and a deep desire to make a meaningful impact, ensuring that all members of society feel valued and interconnected,” she said.
According to the candidate, her encounter with undocumented Africans in Paris shaped her commitment to diversity and humanitarian causes. This was further fueled by witnessing struggles and aspirations of migrants, highlighting importance of empathy.
“With my background in the entertainment and media industry, I am driven by a deep desire to catalyse a positive change in our society. As a candidate with Volt France in the European elections, I am committed to promote more collaborative international relations and support the development of Africa. My objective is to promote an equitable partnership between Europe and Africa, by focusing on sustainable development, human rights and social inclusion.
“I will plead for increased diplomatic engagement with African countries, promoting open dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation, fair and equitable economic partnerships, encouraging responsible investments and fair trade aand the strengthening of the economic capacities of African nations and increasing development aid to promote development sustainable,” Fiedler added.
She also states that she would collaborate with international organisations to empower local communities and promote socio-economic development, the joint fight against climate change and the promotion of practices sustainable, recognizing the shared responsibility of Europe and Africa.
Before venturing into politics, Fiedler worked as a court interpreter, Entertainment Executive, Artiste manager, and Creative director. She is aso the founder of Future Et AL which focuses on working with undocumented Africans, and highlighting the need for a human rights-centric approach to international relations
It will take China more than 10 years to compete with the likes of United States-based Boeing and European aircraft maker Airbus, an aviation expert has said.
Speaking in an online interview at the weekend, Chief Executive Officer, Dassault Systems, Bernard Charles, said it would take more time for China to meet up because of the complex nature of the aerospace industry.
Besides, he said it requires sufficient investment by well-established companies to accumulate knowledge and technology to build reliable commercial aircraft.
The expert said any country hoping to take over from Boeing and Airbus should be ready to devote more time and invest in technology.
Charles said Boeing and Airbus dominate the aircraft manufacturing space along with some smaller players like Brazil’s Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier.
He said: “I think it will take China one or two generations of aeroplanes to have a truly worldwide competitive product.”
Dassault Systems sells software to plane makers that help them digitalise their businesses. The idea is that by embracing more technology into daily operations, those manufacturers can bring down the cost of the jets, use resources more efficiently and ramp up production to meet demand.
Europe’s share markets drooped back into the red on Thursday, as investor worries about slowing global growth in the face of rising U.S. interest rates and trade tensions outweighed crucial Brexit progress.
Chinese markets had extended their slump in Asia amid the trade war with the United States, and with Wall Street closed later for Thanksgiving and trading therefore lighter than normal, Europe followed suit.
The region had plenty of concerns of its own. Italy was back under pressure in both stock and bond markets as sparring resumed over its budget plans, while a batch of disappointing company earnings added to the gloom.
The dollar also edged lower for a second day as traders sold the greenback going into Thanksgiving and after Wall Street had seen Apple shares, which have slumped $280 billion in recent weeks, fail with an attempted rebound.
“I think that the recent moves in equities have largely been about big tech catching up with the rest of the market,” said Eoin Murray, the head of investment at Hermes Investment Management.
“Post the (global market) wobbles at the end of January, it has really only been big tech that has run off into the stratosphere … So this is simply big tech coming back down to earth.”
Europe’s tech duly sector lost another 1 percent, but it wasn’t the worst performer. Banks fell as much as 1.6 percent weaker and mining companies and other resources firms dropped nearly 2 percent before clawing some ground back.
The falls also reflected the bitter Sino-U.S. trade war, encouraging investors to take money off the table before U.S. President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, meet in Argentina next week.
The focus is on whether they can make any progress on their trade feud. Singapore, considered as a bellwether for international trade, became the latest to warn about the potential impact of the tensions on Thursday.
“Risks in the global economy are tilted to the downside,” said Loh Khum Yean, the city state’s permanent secretary for trade and industry.
With no U.S. trading to look forward later, traders contented themselves by watching Europe’s Brexit drama continue to unfold.
Sterling jumped back up to $1.29 and 88.50 pence per euro after London and Brussels agreed on a text setting out their post-split ties that EU leaders are expected to endorse at a summit on Sunday.
Passersby walk past in front of an electronic stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan, September 28, 2018.
Just over four months before Britain’s departure from the EU, Brexit negotiations and political uncertainty in Britain remain the key drivers for the pound, and many analysts are cautious about its prospects.
“With the UK and EU rushing to dot i’s and cross t’s on a Brexit deal, there’s some support for sterling at the moment and some upward pressure on the front end of the rates market,” said Societe Generale strategist Kit Juckes.
“Though it won’t take long before we refocus on the challenge facing the Prime Minister in getting House of Commons support for her Brexit deal,” he added.
The Brexit text had also seen the euro rise against the dollar which meant the single currency barely budged when ECB meeting minutes showed its policymakers were keen to affirm their plans to cut stimulus at the end of the year.
South Africa’s central bank triggered far more action though, as a tight decision to hike interest rate in what had already been a hard to call meeting sent its currency, the rand, up more than 1 percent.
Back in emerging economy share markets, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan had ended little changed after recovering from an initial wobble.
The index has managed to hold up so far in November after three straight monthly declines, but is on track for its worst annual performance since 2011.
Japan’s Nikkei had finished almost 0.7 per cent higher but the ongoing trade and tech jitters saw Chinese shares close 0.4 per cent in the red.
“Investors are still wary about whether they’ll see further lows, given none of the issues that drove the recent correction have dissipated,” said Shane Oliver, Sydney-based head of investment strategy at AMP.
The Russian presidential election had an excellent turnout, especially among young people, with many voting for the first time on March 18, Janice Atkinson, the vice president of the Europe of Nations and Freedom group in the European Parliament, said Monday.
On Sunday, Russia held its presidential election.
About three-quarters of all voters backed the re-election of Russian President Vladimir Putin according to preliminary CEC figures.
“What struck me was the amount of young people that were voting, and those that were voting for the first time. A lot of proudness among those people…
“You’re going out and doing your civic duty, so I was very heartened by that. You had an excellent turnout.
“We’d love to have that in the UK. On average we get 60 to 65 per cent at the general election,” Atkinson told reporters.
Atkinson also praised the turnout in Crimea, which rejoined Russia in March 2014 via a referendum.
“It was interesting to see the turnout here. I think in the end it was about 80 per cent. Putin got a fantastic turnout in Crimea, which I think says an awful lot,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson compared the Russian presidential election to the elections in the United Kingdom, stating that the UK should adopt electronic voting systems similar to those used by Russia to save time.
“It all seemed to work very well – your electronic voting system. We don’t have that in the UK. We have a piece of paper and it’s ‘mark the box,’ and it takes hours and hours to count.
“So I think the way forward is electronic systems in my country,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson added that voter fraud could be prevented in the UK if it used Russia’s system of providing identification before casting a ballot.
The number of ballot paper processing systems was doubled to almost 13,000 for Sunday’s election, with around 1,000 touch-screen voting systems installed.
About one-third of voters used these electronic voting systems.
After dominating the Nigerian highlife scene in 2016, Humblesmith is off on tour to Europe and America, beginning this month.
Already booked for the next five months indifferent cities, the highlife musician is ready to give his fans across the world a performance of their life.
The European tour which started on February 9 and is expected to end on March 17, will see Humblesmith perform in Malta, Amsterdam, Vienna (Austria), Napoli (Italy), Switzerland, Verona (Italy), Istanbul (Turkey). Other cities on the artiste’s itinerary yet to be fully confirmed are Rogio Emila (Italy), Stuttgart (Germany), Hungary, Sweden, Cyprus and Finland.
And between March 18 and April 20, Humblesmith will tour London, Liverpool, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds. He will also be in the United States of America from May 1 to May 31, where he will be performing to his fans.
Humblesmith who is signed to N-Tyze Entertainment has dropped three songs and one video this year already, Beautiful Lagos, Boogati Featuring Timaya and Attracta. He also teamed up with ace photographer TY Bello, to create a ‘Coming-to-America’ themed photoshoot which has since gone viral on the internet.
Italian police on Thursday said they freed a 13-year-old Romanian girl with absentee parents who was kept illiterate, undernourished and forced into begging and prostitution by other family members.
According to a police statement, the girl was freed in December 2014, when officers spotted 67year old man in a car parked outside a Rome supermarket soliciting sex from the teen.
It said that she was taken to a police station and later placed in foster care.
Police said that they waited to announce the girl’s release to allow investigations to take place.
“The girl was raised with the sole objective of enlarging her family’s wealth and both her and her sisters were forced to beg and were beaten with a belt.
“They were left outside naked and soaked with cold water if they did not follow the orders,’’ police said.
Police said that the family lived in a trailer park but did not give additional details about their identity.
In Italy, trailer parks are mostly inhabited by Roma one of the poorest and most marginalised groups in Italian society.
Police said that the teen’s parents abandoned her after moving to America.
In September, a judge ordered the arrest of the girl’s grandmother and three aunts for charges that included exploiting underage prostitution, forgery and organised crime activity.
However, they were not all immediately apprehended at the time.
“The grandmother and one aunt had fled to Romania but were caught following the issuance of a European arrest warrant.
“The former has already been extradited to Rome, while procedures for the aunt will take another few months,’’ Italian police said.
Mark Lutz, a Dutch, and his wife, Els Lefere, a Belgian, have just been married for about two years.
Lutz used to be a cyclist, participating in cycling competitions such as Tour de France and many others on the circuit while his wife used to be in the glamorous job of being an air hostess.
As soulmates, they had the dream and passion of touring the world. After marriage, in the course of a discussion, the idea of world tour cropped up. They could not resist the temptation of striking out into the unknown in search of new experience, new culture and to meet new people.
It took courage to engage on such journey, but the couple were bent on actualizing their dream. Els quit her job, while Mark bided farewell to competitive cycling.
So, at the beginning of the year, they and their dog embarked on this one in a lifetime experience. And in this month of July, seven months later, passing through about 10 countries, they are in Nigeria.
Els talked about herself, husband and the world trip: “We got married two years ago and then we got talking about going on a world tour.”
According to her, the idea came from a conversation: “We don’t remember really. We just remember that one of us, just mentioned it and the other one said yes.
“So, there was no discussion about. It was just an idea and we started talking about it and once we started talking about it, it became real. So we just did it. From then, we started thinking how it was going to happen.
“We had many choices. We decided to take our dog which is a large one, a little bit over 30 kg. So, flying was not an option. It would be too stressful for the dog. He could do a flight or two, but not continuously. Public transport would be a problem because not every body would want to take a dog into a bus or a taxi, or whatever, and they were not going to accept us with the dog either. So, it was obvious for us that we needed to do everything by road.
The heater, freezer and bed area
“We had to pick a vehicle. We started goggling around, reading experiences of other people. Since we were two and a half, two adults and a big dog, we needed to be in a vehicle that would be big enough.
“We had personal criteria like, we wanted to fix a bed, not the one you had to put on and off every day since we planned to travel a long time.
“My husband is tall. So, he wanted to be able to stand up and one very important one, since we decided to start with Africa, it needed to be a vehicle that is possibly repairable in Africa.
“It needed to be an old one. And then, we started looking again, trying to match all these criteria. And we went to the gathering of long-time travellers and we saw a lot of the same types that we are having now being converted into motor homes.
“So, we thought, if so many people were doing that, if so many people were picking the model of this type, then it was probably a good idea. So, we started, looking for that. All of a sudden, there was one for sale in the village we lived in. So, we went to have a look. It was a large old Mercedes Benz truck.
“We had a look. We went inside and then looked at each other. It was what we wanted. The next day we bought it. The only problem was that we needed a truck driver’s licence which we didn’t have.
The kitchen
“We bought the truck before having the licence. We had to arrange that, but we’ve been on the road now for a bit over six months and think it has been a really good choice. One advantage is that it wasn’t expensive, another one is that it was already converted.”
Els said the discussion and planning stage took about a year before they took off.
“Since we started talking about it, I think it took us about a year. All the preparation almost happened in the last three weeks. We were very bad in preparing. For example, our apartment was rented out. We found somebody to rent it, two weeks before we left.
“We were supposed to leave on December 27 last year which was a very bad idea because it was between Christmas and New Year. So, it made us leave our home for the renter to move in. We just stuffed our things in the truck, and put on our things in the basement and with other people.
“Then, we went to Mark’s mother who lives 10 kilometres away. And she was very happy to have us. We parked in front of her house and took the extra time to bring out our things and sort them out again to decide which things to take or not to take. We left on January 2.
“It was in the middle of the winter, very cold. Initially, we wanted to visit some friends in Austria and Switzerland, but arriving in France, it was so freezingly cold that the drinking water of the dog was freezing inside the bus at night. We had a heater in the bus. During the day, it was not a problem. The night was cold. We decided to skip Austria and head south for a warmer weather.
“We drove through France, visited some friends and went to Southern France which gave us a little bit of warmth. We were basically free camping all the time. We quickly went to Spain. In Valencia, we had friends that we wanted to visit on the road and then in Malaga, South of Spain, we had friends also. One stupid thing that happened: I was too late applying for a new passport in Belgium. We left home without my passport and I needed it for Morocco. It was sent to me in Malaga through that friend of mine. While we waited, we did a little tour which was really nice. It was still cold but less cold than in France.
“Basically, the idea was to do Africa, and the plan was not to plan. So, we did not plan. We basically decided to see what would happen along the road, and then decide. If there was a country we couldn’t do, then we just went around it. That was the idea initially. Now we know it is not as simple.
“The idea was actually not to have a plan. We went into Morocco actually not knowing what to do there. We went into Mauritania not knowing what to do there. It always happens that way based on our interaction with people along the road.
“They actually advise us on where to go and where not to go. It makes us more flexible because the more fixed a route plan is, the more you will want to stick to it. It makes you unsure and insecure when you deviate from it.
“It is a good idea because it makes us so flexible. It makes us choose how long we stay in a place. We can decide to go left instead of right, even when everybody is going right or the other way round.”
Asked when they intend to complete the trip, Els said they had earlier planned to complete the journey within a year, but it was not possible.
“We thought we would make it in one year, but I think it is not going to happen because we are almost seven months away,and we are still in Nigeria. If you want to go to South Africa and then go up again through the East African countries, it is really going to take us more than one year. It is not a problem. It is not going to stop us because the year is over. We will just continue. That is the plan.
“We came into Morocco and you expect to be in Africa, but Morocco is very westernized compared to many of the African countries. It was all new really and very safe. There were lots of fruits and vegetables to buy and cook. Almost everything that we can think of in Europe.
“Since it was very comfortable and the weather was getting better and better, we stayed two and half months because Morocco gave us standard visa for free for three months which you can even double. We almost did three months. My husband, Mark, was especially eager to move on.
“The next country was Mauritania. We had a lot of cow boys stories about the no-man’s-land between Western Sahara and Mauritania. So, many people, especially those who have not done the route, somehow, they like to make you afraid.
“ I think we talked a lot about border-crossing experience with fellow travellers and we all agreed that if you go there, expecting that it is going to be amazingly difficult, it will be. If you go there, saying this is going to be interesting again, let’s see what happens, it usually turns out to be easy. So, the no-man’s-land between Morocco and Mauritania appeared to be no problem at all because we were very well informed and followed the rules that we were told.
“We spent an little longer time at the Mauritanian border, but then we have a vehicle, we have our home with us. What we usually do when they try to be difficult is just to turn off the engine, open the door in the back and I will start cooking. That is what I do. For them, it is obvious; we are not in a hurry. If they allow us, we take the chair outside. And that is when most of the time, they will say, now you can go.
“ Mauritania is fine. It was hot with a lot of sand, and then we stayed to arrange the next visa to Senegal.
“Senegal was abolishing the paying visa. We just had to wait a few days, and then we crossed. Senegal is good and people were very kind to us. They are big in tourism and very welcoming. Everybody wanted something from you, but they were used to seeing tourists. That was obvious.
“Then we had to decide whether we were going through Mali or Gambia and Guinea. We chose to go to Mali. In Bamako, we arranged visas again. And then we went to Burkina Faso. It was completely new. There was so much green vegetation after the sandy Sahara.
“From Burkina Faso, we went to Ghana. There was a lot of rain there. Since we did not plan anything, we arrived West Africa in the middle of the rainy season. We decided that if it was too bad and the road was going to be difficult, we would just wait until the end of the rainy season. We met some very nice people who were helping us to get to the next country.
“After Ghana, we were in Togo, then the Benin Republic and now we are here in Nigeria.”
Asked whether they had an unpleasant experience, she said: “We had a problem getting into the Benin Republic. We had a letter from Nigeria. Benin Republic was asking us for a letter to be able to apply for a visa just to pass through which we did not have. Before getting the exit stamp of Togo and we were talking with this officer, he took us to the Benin Republic side to ask if we could get through the Benin Republic with the Nigerian invitation letter though we would just be crossing.
“ We asked the officer to join us to go and ask because we wouldn’t want to get the exit stamp of Togo because we would not be able to go back. So, the Togolese officer went with us and asked the officer from the Benin Republic side and the officer said yes. Okay, so we went back, got the exit stamp and back to the Republic of Benin side. That was when they said no, it was not possible. So, after about an hour, they said no.
“Luckily, we went back to the Togo side and they annulled our exit stamp. We went back to Lome to arrange for the visa. They were not really aggressive, it was just bad information.
“We decided to start with Africa. I knew I was going to feel well in Africa. My husband was more distant because he had never been to Africa. We just kept an open mind. The purpose of our journey was to meet people and have new experience. Actually it is not a good way to put it since there are really many African countries.”
The couple linked another couple that were on a tour round the world, Mr. Nick Lubout and his partner, Marjolijn Polman. They met in Lome and decided to do four countries, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon together before splitting.
For Mark and Els, it is going to be a long journey through Africa, but would, within this period, see the country in its true form and enjoy its rich culture.
