They wanted to know what she would serve. There was a pause on the line before the American said she and her husband couldn't possibly eat British beef and they would have to cancel. The hostess quickly offered to chuck the beef, and organic chicken became the centerpiece of the meal. Last month, The Guardian newspaper reported that Easter tourism was down 75 percent. The biggest problem, really, is limited access to the countryside in some parts of Britain and a few places in the Netherlands.
Travelers have every right to be confused.
For years, there have been news reports about deaths from mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Europeans seem to be coming to terms with mad cow disease. Other Europeans say they continue to eat meat because stringent rules are in place to keep infected cows out of the food supply. All cows more than 30 months old must be tested before slaughter. Mad cow disease has not been found in cows under 30 months.