In Transit - Phase 2

I was exhausted from lack of sleep on Monday night so managed to stay awake until about 9 and slept until about 7.

The hotel had the same system for breakfast as it had for dinner and this was what was in the breakfast bag. In with the croissant was a hash brown and some scrambled eggs, so I had to go back downstairs to heat it in the microwave.

Anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about instant coffee, but I was desperate for some caffeine.

There was some sun so I went for a short walk around the neighbourhood.

It looks like it was a regular neighbourhood that got inundated by hotels because of its proximity to Heathrow.

The geraniums certainly don't grow as well here.

At the end of a small residential street, a green space, with trails and benches.

Taxi to the airport. I was there 2 hours before an international flight and there was no line up to check in or to get through security.

Heathrow Terminal 2 was empty. There was a W.H. Smith open, for books and snacks with only 3 people allowed in at a time.

Normally this screen is 4 panels wide and is handling the flights that will be departing in a 40 minute period. Today, less than one panel covering a 3 hour period.

The plane was already there, being loaded in a very leisurely manner, not the usual frantic pace. I wondered if it had come in yesterday as I believe Air Canada is only doing one flight a day to London right now.

We were called up to board one at a time. We were asked if we felt at all ill before boarding. There was very little contact with the flight attendants (they did the safety demonstration, handed out this meal, picked up the garbage, handed out a snack box and picked up that garbage.) The flight attendants wore masks and some wore full coverings. Before landing we were reminded that we had to self quarantine for 14 days if we were returning home.

Ice, in the sea, off the coast of Labrador.

Before getting to customs in Toronto we were asked to fill out a form with the address of where we would be self quaranteening and our contact information. The customs officer asked where I would be self quaranteening.

After the customs check a nurse asked about symptoms; "do you feel unwell, have a fever, have a cough...." and gave me this information sheet. Canada is certainly taking this more seriously than the UK.

Simon picked me up and we picked up Rasta on the way home. Rick and Caryn had shopped for me and also left flowers on the table.

In transit - Phase 1

I went to bed last night at 10pm and set the alarm for 4:30am. I woke at 3:30am and that was it, I was awake. So I got up and had time for a cup of coffee and breakfast before the final packing, washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

I even had time to take pictures of the sunrise. Something I see very rarely,

not being a morning person.

Nikki arrived right on time and we barrelled down a nearly empty highway to Larnaca. It was too cool to have the top down but still Nikki was great company and a nippy little car. It was a much nicer send off than going by taxi and very kind of her.

At the airport by 7am and into the first line. To pay for the ticket. I was in this one for about an hour.

A totally empty airport, we were the only flight going out.. At 8am they opened this area and we lined up for another hour to get our boarding passes and check our baggage. Always about 6 ft between us and most of us were wearing masks.

Security took no time and then we were at the gate to wait for about an hour and a half. Nothing was open; no restaurants, no bars, no kiosks, no duty free, no play areas, everything tarped or taped off.

This was the only thing offered. Glad I had breakfast.

Close to boarding time and no sign of the plane. Then we all received a text and there was a gate change. Seriously? A whole empty airport to choose from and you sent us from one side of the building to the other.?

It was made even more redundant when it turned out the plane wasn't coming to the gate anyway. We had all stayed an appropriate distance apart in lines and in the waiting area and then we were packed on to a bus and driven to, what I believe was the old Larnaca airport (next door to the new one).

It was like an aircraft parking lot out there but ours was the plane surrounded by vehicles.

Still way closer together than any of us were really comfortable with (it is amazing how you get used to physical distancing and become uncomfortable in a proximity to others that previously felt fine) we went up the stairs and found our seats. As we passed the flight attendants we were handed plastic gloves and masks (if we didn't already have one) and told we had to wear them for the duration of the flight. We could also help ourselves to a bottle of water as there would be no inflight service.  The seats were in groups of 3 so 2 of us sat in that row with an empty seat between us.

Taxiing back to the new airport to take off, we passed a flock of flamingos

and the terminal totally devoid of aircraft.

It was the quietest flight I have ever been on. The empty seats between did not encourage conversation, the masks did not encourage conversation, all of us had been up very early and there was the pervading sense that all was "not normal".This was a "repatriation" or "rescue" flight. We were not heading off on holiday or returning home from holiday, we were going home to quarantine and adjust to the new normal there.

We flew over Nicosia. At the top left of the photo is the Turkish flag created on the hill facing the city. A constant reminder that Turkey now has possession of part of the city and the north of the Island.

Surprise, surprise - London was 8 degrees with low cloud and light rain.

At Heathrow the physical distancing was marked out around the baggage carousels.

The baggage hall at Heathrow is usually pandemonium. It is the 7th busiest airport in the world. Today, we were the only plane in.

What I found amazing was, that, in neither Larnaca, nor Heathrow, was I asked if I had any symptoms nor if I was transiting through to Canada, nor if I had a quarantine plan if I was staying in England. Watching the BBC and reading about all the restrictions I expected some accountability . At Heathrow I never even spoke to a person, going through border control by scanning my passport.

I took a taxi to the hotel, just off the airport property. There are signs all over the place about physical distancing and "stay home", only one person in the elevator at a time.

The restaurant is closed so between 5 and 8 you can go down to the entrance to the kitchen and choose one of two salads, and one of five main courses and take them up to your room. That is a green salad, vegetable curry and basmati rice and a glass of Pinot Noir - 18 pounds.

Pissouri, Cyprus - last day.

At about 11 a.m. I got a phone call from the Canadian Consulate. When asked, I told Rhea I was feeling rather anxious as I hadn't heard about my flight tomorrow yet. She told me she would nudge Aegean Airlines. Called me back and told me they would be calling. Within the hour I got a call from the airline and the information that I had a guaranteed seat but no ticket or confirmation number or anything. I had to be at the airport for 7 a.m. to get the ticket (as would everyone else on the flight).
The problem was that there is currently a curfew in Cyprus: 9pm to 6am. Nikki would have to leave her house at 5 or 5:30 to then pick me up and drive to Larnaca. Another call to Rhea resulted in her emailing special permission for the trip, for both Nikki and I and telling us that if we were stopped the Consul, Rita, was available by phone. I have really been impressed with the service and concern from the Canadian Consul in Cyprus.
I sent this info to my travel agent and I now have a hotel at Heathrow booked and an Air Canada flight on Wednesday. Fingers crossed this will all go according to plan.

Nikki and John picked up lunch at Two Friends (I had my last Moussaka) and we ate outside at Bodil's table as it is big enough for us to keep a good distance from each other. The rest of my day was spent with laundry, packing, organizing, cleaning and a little bit of reading on the balcony.

Early evening from the balcony. I will miss the sheer size of the view

and the sea.

Guest photographers: Nicola and Mick

Pieces cut and ironed for Nicola's next quilt

Mick sent me a photo of a previous guest at Annie's House, when the courtyard had a wooden fence.

I will try and document the trip home. I am curious as to how flying and airports will be different during this strange, worldwide health crisis.

Pissouri, Cyprus - last walk

I did a load of laundry and delivered some of my excess food to Kay and Jimmy (I had shopped anticipating another 2 weeks here at least). Then I set out on what I anticipate will be my last walk in Cyprus.

Up the ruined road. Every time I climb up this I wonder if it is worse. There were 2 earthquakes in Cyprus last week (I didn't feel either) and I shouldn't think they help.

These have taken over the ditches and banks at the sides of the roads.

Through the Leptos development and out on to the track that goes down to the Beach. The grasses are very dry now.

Looking down and towards Sunrise I could see someone walking a path that I had seen from the house but hadn't known how to get on to. I decided to try it on my way back.

I sat, sipped my water, ate a cookie and just soaked up the view, then turned back.

This was the start of that other path, down into a valley next to the development I live in.

This area was a slightly different ecosystem, with some different plants

Looking down at the track, through the fields that I had come up, last week.

The Glads are still in flower here

and

there were some Orchids

The path was pretty clear, from use,

through long grass.

To quote Mick "You can see our house from there, its the one with the red roof"

There were some mountain goat parts along the side of the hill

and a nasty scramble into and out of a straight sided cement drainage ditch but it was nice to make it a circular walk rather than out and back.

After lunch I did some more work on the Kouklia, museum, painting.

It might be finished, I will see what I think tomorrow.