I have very sadly had to face up to reality and cancel my cycling trip in France next month. I was really looking forward to it, and I feel bad for the company who organized the tour, but it’s just too risky. Not that I’m particularly afraid of catching Covid-19, but it’s the potential logistical problems that make it too hard – having to self isolate here, having to self isolate there, will insurance cover me? – and that’s without actually getting sick. In many ways it would be a fascinating time to travel, but La présidente de la république announcing a few days ago that an epidemic in France is now inevitable, meant the writing has been on the wall for me. Am now going to have to spend the next few days cancelling everything I so painstakingly organized some months ago – train tickets, hotels, airport transfers. What a nightmare.
My attention now turns to the overseas trip that we had organized for the month following. Yes, this was going to be my year of getting away from it all, as I’ve been being nagged by my bosses to use up my stash of leave. That trip includes a cruise so that’s a high risk activity right there. This may end up being my year of staying home, working too hard and getting sick, instead. Yay! Mind you, if we’re going to get lambasted for going to work with a runny nose, as that poor Australian GP has, I may end up hardly going to work at all. With my hayfever, a runny nose is a permanent feature.
Strange times. But at least we have plenty of toilet paper.