The #border between Belgium and The Netherlands is still closed because of #coronavirus. There haven't been border checks since the sixties. It makes my heart ache seeing pictures like this.

The two countries share much of the same heritage and are very integrated, quite literally like in Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog.

In Baarle, the border goes through buildings.

My home country Germany is also very integrated with both The Netherlands and Belgium (insert your favourite World War I & II jokes...). In Dinxperlo, there is a retirement home with a connecting bridge over the (invisible) border.

In Kerkrade in the seventies, the border was already just a small hump in the middle of the road. Today its just a road.

And I haven't even started geeking out about #NeutralMoresnet (I leave that gem of history to explore for whoever finds this thread)

And sorry I forgot about Luxembourg...

I hope that we'll soon get back to normality. For me that means visiting my parents and my friends on the other side of the border whenever I want. Or doing a cycling tour to from @uitMaastricht to Belgium and back. How about you? What is normality for you?

Asking for normality to return doesn't mean I do not urge everyone to #StayHome . Especially as numbers starting to drop. #houvol