Travelling During the Pandemic

I never thought we’d be travelling during the pandemic. But we did. We just got back from Toronto visiting our younger daughter, Robyn, and family. It was so wonderful seeing her, our son-in-law, and two granddaughters. We hadn’t seen them since Christmas, 2019.

We had a great time. Even swam in a beautiful lake near Georgian Bay.

Saint-Marie Among the Hurons

Travelling during the pandemic also meant being careful about where we went. One place we visited was the 17th century Jesuit settlement, Saint-Marie Among the Hurons Though the site is largely outdoors, the guides and visitors all wore masks. A fascinating history lesson. For example, we learned that the grave of one of the Jesuits, who’d been made a saint, had been dug up so that the Catholic Church could use his bones in one of their churches. Apparently, the Catholic church needed a holy relic in order to conduct mass.

• 

• 

Symphony in the Barn

When Robyn suggested going to a Symphony in a Barn two hours outside of Toronto, we didn’t hesitate. We didn’t have to wear masks, except for using the portable restrooms as the audience sat outside and the symphony played Beethoven in the barn.

Flying During Covid

Travelling during the pandemic also meant flying to Toronto and back. A stressful experience. Though Robert and I had been fully vaccinated, we wore our masks in public places. It’s mandated at the airport and on the plane, except when you’re eating. I’m pleased with the rules as we’re not out of the woods yet. We can still get the virus and get ill, but we’ve been told, we won’t get sick enough to get hospitalized or die. So, that’s good but I still don’t want to take unnecessary chances.

I had bronchitis a number of times as a child and my lungs are scarred, so there’s that. Plus, I don’t want to be a silent carrier and infect those I love. We’ve been blessed to have some family in our bubble, our older daughter and family also live on Vancouver Island, not far from our home.

Boeing 737 Max

We had a direct flight from Comox to Toronto and that was manageable, but coming home was another story. WestJet sent me an email before departure from Toronto, that our first flight, with a change of planes in Calgary, would be on a Boeing 737 Max, the plane that was taken out of commission after two major airplane crashes overseas. We could rebook if we wanted to at no extra charge. Of course, I was nervous. I immediately Googled the plane and read what I could about the safety measures that had been put in place since the aircraft was returned to service. Still, I wasn’t convinced.

I phoned two pilot friends, both now retired but ones who had kept up to date on airline news. One said he had two sons who’d flown them recently and that he wouldn’t hesitate to fly on a Boeing 737 Max. He said the reason it had crashed was because the plane had been flown by poorly trained pilots. He reassured me that Canadian and American pilots are rigorously trained. When I asked him why China hadn’t approved this aircraft for their airlines, he said it had more to do with politics than safety. I don’t know if that’s true, but it made sense to me.

Interestingly, the plane flew to Calgary only one-quarter full. I assume it wasn’t just because of Covid. Many would’ve been understandabley afraid to fly on that aircraft because of its past failures.

Mask Fatigue

The other challenge was taking two planes to get home. It meant a very long walk between gates in Calgary. It wouldn’t have been so bad if we could’ve done it without wearing masks. By the time we reached Comox and got to our car, we’d been wearing our masks for close to eight hours.

While We Were Travelling

But while we were travelling, I had some lovely reviews of Lilacs in the Dust Bowl, the sequel to Sunflowers Under Fire, posted by Rosie Amber’s Book Review. She and her team of book reviewers have been wonderful about spreading the word about my story.

Back Home, the Numbers are Rising Again

Now that we’re home, I can get going on book three of Lukia’s Family Saga. Happy to be writing again, but Covid cases in British Columbia are on the rise. Very very frustrating. I wish more people would take this virus seriously, and take precautions, but I also appreciate that not everyone is convinced that the vaccine, masks and social distancing are necessary.

I’m just hoping and praying that enough people will follow the science so we can get back to normal again.

What about you? What are your thoughts? How is it in your neck of the woods?