The Passport Chronicles in The View from the Terrace

We are planning a visit to The Netherlands in April and I am beginning to wonder if someone up there doesn’t want us to go.

To visit Amsterdam has been a dream of mine for several years now. I want to visit the Van Gogh gallery and also to see the Anne Frank house. Last year we received some money from an old life insurance policy and I decided that it was time to go. I am not getting any younger and my health isn’t getting any better so let’s do it. Hubby agreed but then life intervened and with one thing and another I didn’t get around to arranging it. Then a few weeks ago a Dutch friend from our John Denver club arranged an event not too far from Amsterdam in mid April. It seemed like an omen. Not only could I visit the gallery and museum but see old friends and the bulbs would be out, perfect timing.

I hadn’t reckoned with fate. First I couldn’t find my passport. I haven’t used it since 2002 and I thought it was safely in a drawer but, no, it wasn’t, nor was it anywhere else. Never mind it had expired anyway so it just meant when I renewed it I would have to get it countersigned. The person who signs basically to say I am who I say I am has to be a professional person. Unfortunately none of our local friends or neighbours were in the right professions but the man at the post office said he would do it, he’s known us for years.

It was all arranged then out of the blue the post office announced it was closing and Nigel said he couldn’t do it. I think there must be more to it than that as he still could have done even if he had now left the job, but he said no.

I couldn’t think of anyone else so I would have to pay the doctor to do it. My then GP signed my last passport. It costs £18 but at least it would be done. I asked Hubby to make an appointment for me as he was visiting anyway and he did. A week later, on the morning of the appointment I found he made it with a different doctor who doesn’t know me because mine was booked up for a while. When I rang to check they said he couldn’t do it but when I explained it was getting urgent my own doctor agreed to fit me in.

I arrived for my appointment, everything was fine but she hadn’t got her passport with her so couldn’t fill in the number, could I call back the following week! Time was passing by but I waited, then yesterday I went to collect it, only to be told that she couldn’t do it either as she didn’t know me well enough. My last GP left last year but I have seen this one several times over a period of 2 years so I thought that would be OK. Eventually they agreed that as the nurse at the surgery knows me well she could do it and can I call to collect it today.

I do hope everything works out this time as we only have a few weeks to apply for the passport and book flights and hotels. I never thought it could be this difficult to get a passport renewed.

Last updated October 28, 2016