January 9, 2023

On questions at the border

I need to see your faces, intoned the Portuguese border guard.

Embarrassed to have forgotten, we pulled our masks down.

What is the purpose of your visit? Where are you staying? How long?

An elastically lengthening silence followed while he stared at our passports, flicking carefully through stamped pages and consulting his screen.

Then, finally, came the kicker:

You know you can't stay in Schengen longer than 90 days, yes?

Yes, we both said, firmly.

Thanks to Brexit, British citizens no longer have freedom of movement within the EU.

We leave Madeira on day 89.