The Voice Box

THE RISE AND FALL OF THE EURO As someone who welcomed the EURO, I view with alarm the stories and the prediction of its end. Since the recession, most countries have had their difficulties, but the eurozone seem to be the group which remains forever in the spotlight. Will the euro survive? I hope so. I definitely enjoy using one currency as I move around Europe. And I will certainly not welcome the idea going back to the days when each country had their own individual currency. I hope whatever the economic problems are at present, somehow the zone would be able to come up with the correct financial strategy to resolve their difficulties. Let us hope that my optimism is not misplaced. And as we move into 2012, we shall hear less bickering among member countries. Considering the rapid expansion of the EU, nobody expected a rose garden. But long term, and unselfish committment, is definitely needed at the moment.

A COLD DAY IN BERLIN Berlin is one my favourite cities in Europe. And yet unlike Nice and Barcelona, it belongs to the colder end of the spectrum. Every now and then, I head that way in the middle of the winter to examine the life . A few weeks ago I did just that. But this time, my main intention was to view the recently reopened main glasshouse of the Berlin Botanical Garden. And yes, it was impressive. As a plant lover, I am always curious about the way Botanical Gardens in Europe present themselves. Faced with the limitations of the four seasons in their zone, it is an unenvious task to design an indoor garden to impress, and yet survive. Somehow, they always do. This time I noticed the weather, but only on the way in, revealing the day temperature of minus 3 Centigrade falling to a minus 6 degrees in the late evening. This made it much colder than the London that I had left behind. Also noticeable was the presence of snow everywhere. And yet I mannaged to do all my inten...