We'd love to go on that hike We have also done a fair share of hiking this summer. The Teapot Hill seem to be a bit special though. We'd love to go there. So you are one of those who work in the ICU wards. I have heard enough stories about the daily life there to know that I do not want to get Covid-19. Take care. /Ake
Waving Back! Thanks Andrea. I agree also with everything you say here. It's comforting at least to know that such strange and difficult times indeed are shared, and that we are not alone. Me and mine are all well thanks, and I hope you and yours are too. I look forward to reading about the resurgences in travel when we all start travelling again, hopefully soon. Take care too.
Strange Days Indeed Thank you for your very positive and honest travel blog during these strange times. Even though we are thousands of miles away here in the UK, so much of what you say also rings true here. I also noticed a strong comeback in nature, particularly with the birds singing, as the traffic and cars slowed down. I have also come to appreciate the smaller, subtler things in life. And I completely agree with you on your wishes for there to be no more sensational news coverage, I think many of us have come to a similar conclusion. Great blog Andrea, and thanks for the encouragement that we will all hopefully be travelling again soon, in the not-too-distant future 😊
Waving to you from across the pond! Hi Alex! Hope you and yours are keeping well. These are strange and difficult times, eh? I am learning the new normal and finding I can cope fairly well as my life already embraced social distancing. I do miss my extended family and friends, there have been milestone birthdays and illnesses I would normally attend, but cannot now. A simple hug seems almost foreign. And lastly I’m missing travel. As I’m sure all TBloggers are. I don’t even dare plan anything as to not jinx it. Take care, and thanks for the lovely feedback on my blog! Cheers.
Glad you are making the best of the situation And thanks for your service! Like you, I don't have a problem with social distancing, I have always been a bit of a loner anyway. But things are not so bad here. Borders between Holland and Germany have remained open throughout and social restrictions have been less strict then elsewhere (except for Sweden, where it's even less strict), plus living on the countryside there is more freedom anyhow. We have a huge garden, so plenty to do. In fact, nothing much has changed for me. I even managed to go down to Germany and visit my girlfriend, and she returned to Holland with me after, leaving only yesterday. It's good you are hiking around nature (and that you have that possibility), it all looks very beautiful.
Hi Ralf! Glad to hear you are making the best of the situation. I assumed the travel restrictions were stricter in Europe, so it’s a surprise that you can move around as you are. I agree, being in the countryside and working on a garden makes it feel like nothing is wrong. I love it. I do feel bad for those cooped up in the city apartments. After I completed my 14 day travel quarantine I did some vineyard work at my parents farm. Now that I’m back at work I cannot risk another visit/stay with them. In Canada, especially here in BC the crisis was managed very well and restrictions are now being lifted. I still can’t get used to lineups outside every store. It feels very communist!
Teapots... People seem to know when to push back against an overbearing government. I think that is happening now in the States. The police can't arrest everyone!
As always, prolific writing I am in Kyiv now. It started as business last year and has turned into a life. I also thought about return to the USA with the pandemic, but decided my fate is with winds and I feel comfortable with my choices. Love you're hiking daily to keep sanity. BC is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Peace and purpose. Take care.
Hi Eric! Thanks so much for the well wishes. Same to you. It sounds like you made the best choice to stay in Kyiv rather than return to the US at this point. Sometimes fate just helps things along. Be sure to stay safe.
When you are in travel quarantine you are forced to peer deep into your freezer, past the dried out fish fingers, and ta-da! Margaritas! ISO like this is a piece of cake!
Loved the teapots Andrea, great to hear from you - you never fail to raise a smile. Much respect for all you are doing at present - you had Ali wringing her hands with guilt. Stay safe and fingers-crossed that this will not be a very (very) lengthy merry-go-round. What weird-fish would want to remove the teapots? So glad they prevailed. Best wishes from sleepy (long may it stay that way) Tad Lo, Andy n Ali.
Well hello you guys! Thanks for checking in, I’m glad to hear all is well on your end of the pond. Please stay safe in jolly ol’ and enjoy these days of ISO. Future travel awaits. Cheers!
I cried when I read this blog Hi Andrea. Although it is some years since I worked in ER, I do remember the tragedies and the sadness. Thank you for posting this blog.
Thank you for all your service those many years. I stand by and watch as the most dedicated ER staff work diligently on the sick criminals I bring them. Their compassion and top notch care always makes me tear up. Health care workers are a special breed and deserve all the accolades. Bless them all.
front lines PS, thank you for fighting the good fight on the front lines. I have several friends and relatives working in ERs and have heard first hand how their lives have changed and the emotional and physical challenges they are facing. Take care of you.
Oh yes! Bless all the ER and hospital staff. I watch them up close every shift and they are exhausted but still fighting the good fight. Honestly such amazing, dedicated people. The stuff they do. They are my heroes.
together, apart Greetings from rural, mountainous Colorado where we wait patiently for the snow to peel off and open up higher places. Normally we would be running off to the Utah high desert while looking forward to trips to Costa Rica and Italy instead of making beautiful tomato seedlings and canceling reservations all over the globe. What would we give for stern, virile glances from Trudeau right now, the thought makes me swoon both intellectually and politically. Alas we have more than one plague to deal with right now. Every plane traveling from LA and Phoenix to anywhere typically flies through our airspace, now only a contrail or two in the sky during the day - I think the stories of what happens when Earth's 7.8 billion idiot children stay home for a while are amazing - in some places we can witness a post-human world while we're still in it. Fascinating. Sending best wishes from your neighbor to the south! Alisa :)
Well Hello! So glad to hear from you and so pleased you have hunkered down with your tomato plants for the time being. Stay safe! Costa Rica and Italy will always be there. I think we all are being given a gentle reminder that there is no place like home! Who knew Mother Earth was actually the Wizard if Oz?!
Writing the hell out of it..... A good description of things we are all dealing with. I am a social butterfly but have been surprised how easy it has been staying home and reflecting on our world. It is fantastic watching the pollution clear up and animals roam free. Thank you for sharing the story about teapot hill. How lovely. I hope to see that some day.
I’ve thought of you both during this crisis. Wasn’t sure if you were working. Glad to hear you are doing well and finding the time off not too isolating. I do hope you come visit Canada one day. I’ll take you up ol’ Teapot Hill for sure!
If there is no one around to see it, did it really happen? The intrigue of this virus it is that it cannot be seen, heard, smelt, touched or tasted. It hides, ambushes and strikes the unwary, the unlucky, the vulnerable, the non-isolating, the many. Yet its greatest strength is it is uncertain...we do not know when it will pounce, whether a vaccine will be found, whether we or future generations will be around to say if it truly happened. So...as the Number One choice for music at funerals in the UK tells us...don't grumble...just purse your lips and whistle...Always look on the bright side of life! Hang in there Andrea and keep up the essential work. You are a Champion.
I always knew you were a fellow Monty Python fan! I’ve found myself whistling that very tune when the chips are down. Hope you and the missus Denise are staying safe...and Dancing!!!
This Canadian girl's passion for travel comes from two very adventurous parents. My brother and I spent most of our youth traveling all over North America in the family campervan, airplane & boat - going as far west as the Hawaiian islands, as far north as Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Sea...and as far south as Mexico and beyond, doing lots of adventurey stuff...canoeing, surfing, fishing, camping, hiking, skiing, exploring, jellyfish poking...it was the best childhood ever!
Nowadays most of my vaycay-time is spent in and around "Los Cabos" on the tip of beautiful Baja California Sur, Mexico. ... full info
Ake Och Emma
Ake Dahllof and Emma Holmbro
We'd love to go on that hike
We have also done a fair share of hiking this summer. The Teapot Hill seem to be a bit special though. We'd love to go there. So you are one of those who work in the ICU wards. I have heard enough stories about the daily life there to know that I do not want to get Covid-19. Take care. /Ake