CHAPTER 124

Original (published in Evergreen News): 2009-09-17

Rewritten: 2026-01-23

Looking back on our European trip 17 years ago, the world has been turned upside down. Comparing then with now, the air of nobility remains, but the spirit and backbone seem to have vanished.

Back in 2009, the two of us were captivated by Europe’s former glory. Born in Asia, living in the Americas, traveling through Europe—how many lives afford such an experience?

For our generation, thanks to material conditions, many have found themselves in such circumstances. Those better off could even travel the entire globe, venturing to places far more remote.

Yet even with the means, traveling in Europe was not easy to accomplish. Living standards were high and expenses steep, but thinking of its splendor—magnificent, resplendent, poetic, and picturesque—we felt that one ought to witness it at least once in a lifetime.

Lun had been living in a residential home for over three years and had adapted well. Still, we steeled ourselves to leave Canada for three weeks, unable to visit him. For the two of us, that was already our limit.

Touring all of Europe was too vast an undertaking to even dream of, but setting foot in Western Europe—seeing it in passing (in truth, riding a tour bus)—was just about manageable. The “professional amateur tour guide” (my wife) had planned for years, spending heavily. Our younger son had just turned seventeen and was still willing to follow us over hills and valleys. At an age when he had begun to develop some appreciation, a family trip to Europe seemed a good way to broaden our horizons together.

We dare say it broadened horizons, but would not presume to speak of “vision” or “insight.” Horizons are external—stretching the frame a little wider. Through travel, spending time and money, this can be achieved. Insight, however, requires seeing accurately and clearly; it demands training and lived experience. What it costs is mental and emotional effort, and it cannot be rushed.

We joined a European tour group, starting from London. A brief stay in the British capital—our first visit—felt strangely familiar, reminiscent of Hong Kong’s Central and Sheung Wan districts. Brussels in Belgium was a blend of old and new. Heidelberg along Germany’s Rhine River (a birthplace of early Protestant discourse). Lausanne in Switzerland was like a fairy-tale city; we bought a hand-wound pocket watch. In Italy we took in Florence, Venice, Rome, and the Vatican—so dazzling it almost took my breath away. Outside the Colosseum we encountered a witch-like woman with a gloomy gaze—she was a beggar. In Nice, in southern France, the city squares were rose-tinted, graceful like a young girl. We stayed one night in Lyon, then moved on to Paris—of course visiting the Arc de Triomphe. Unsatisfied, we longed to return. After disbanding back in London, we stayed two more nights near the British Museum.

Belgium’s small nation boasts a grand square—the Grand Place—that fully embodies the European spirit. Though its scale does not rival that of larger European powers, every brick and stone is exquisitely crafted. Important religious and political historic buildings surround the square, with stone-paved lanes radiating outward and interweaving. Restaurants and shops line the streets, drawing tourists; it is colorful and bustling, with residents and visitors mingling together.

Human culture and architecture, old and new combined, make the landscape ever more beautiful. Europeans are immersed in an ocean of art; their taste and style are self-contained and refined. European civilization is an amalgamation of religion, monarchy, wealth, art, and time—fully revealing their pursuit of luxury and brilliance, with artistic achievement reaching its zenith. France’s elegance, ancient Rome’s imperial might, the beauty of the Rhine and Switzerland, the bustle of London’s streets—these impressions remain unforgettable, impossible to sum up in a few words. (End)

(Postscript: Observing the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, I saw the overall chaotic and inconsistent responses across Europe and US America, which exposed the inadequacy of this civilization and left me deeply disappointed—instantly extinguishing any desire to travel in Europe again. Coupled with the recent farce over the contest for Greenland, it was simply an eyesore. Western civilization, it seems, is in decline.)