David Jack - A Summer in Europe
David Jack treated members to a wonderful account of five weeks travelling through Europe, entitled "Europe, Politics and Art." He opened with a nod to his other passion — chairing a swimming trust that sponsored eight of New Zealand's Commonwealth Games swimmers, six of whom have won medals.
The journey began in Spain. In Valencia, David admired the audacious architecture built into a diverted, U-shaped riverbed, home to the city's art gallery and performance spaces. Barcelona followed, with Gaudí's Sagrada Família — now the world's tallest church — leaving a lasting impression. Booked well in advance, the visit revealed the genius behind Gaudí's catenary-curve design, painstakingly rebuilt after Civil War damage. David also toured Casa Milà, and galleries devoted to Picasso's early works and the paintings of Joan Miró.
From Spain, David and Liz cycled part of France's Canal du Midi, an engineering marvel linking the Atlantic and Mediterranean through aqueducts, tunnels and ingenious water-gates. The south of France surprised them with its deep love of rugby — including a chance meeting with former All Black Malachi Fekitoa, now playing at Béziers, and a waiter who cheerfully insisted "Richie McCaw was offside."
Scandinavia offered a striking contrast: Sweden's "old money" elegance in Stockholm and Uppsala, against Oslo's bold, oil-funded modern architecture. David was captivated by Viking burial treasures, the Munch Museum, and the Fram Museum, where the famed polar vessel prompted a candid comparison of Amundsen's meticulous planning against Scott's ill-fated expedition.
A week in London brought the changing of the guard, opera at the Royal Opera House (attended, in true Kiwi style, in shorts and carrying suitcases), an Agatha Christie play, and the Imperial War Museum's sobering account of the 1943 wartime conferences at Yalta. David reflected on London's remarkable integration of immigrant communities, alongside rising political tension over immigration and heavy security in the city centre.
A technical fault added an unplanned day in San Francisco, where David encountered driverless "Waymo" taxis, ballot boxes on the street, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art's recreation of a famous 1870s Paris salon.
Throughout, David wove in sharp observations. Technology is advancing fast — robot taxis, silent electric cars, and electric tourist boats — though Norway now struggles to generate enough power for its electrified fleet. Cash is vanishing in favour of simple card payments, and decision-making abroad struck him as refreshingly decisive: Britain extended drinking hours overnight for a major football match, while France banned alcohol to spare its hospitals.
His closing reflections turned homeward. London's relentless high-rise construction made him question New Zealand's planning capacity, while his son's work in infrastructure investment — where superannuation funds now bankroll vast windfarms — underscored the scale of overseas energy investment compared with New Zealand's more cautious approach.
David's warm and wide-ranging talk was a reminder of the many benefits of travel: broadening the mind, sparking new ideas, and offering fresh perspective on our own country.
