Category Archives: Pandemic Travels

Summer sojourn in London during the Plague

I live alone. I am not part of a social bubble with another person. Working from home each day, I can often go the entire week without meeting anyone in real life apart from the shop assistants in Marks and Spencer when I am on a yellow stickered luxury food items mission. These foods don’t require any effort other than to place them in the oven (and if truth be told I would never be able to assemble a scallop bake on my own). It’s been like this for most of the year. It’s been annoying and difficult while remaining reasonably manageable.

However in July I threw caution to the wind, and booked a flight to London for a three day trip. Having witnessed how toxic judgement can be towards people who choose to bend the rules to accommodate their personal situation, I kept this trip off social media at the time. I was unwilling to deal with other people’s reactions. Particularly from people who had either a garden or who lived with another human being. On my trip, I would follow the rules by washing my hands; socially distancing, wearing a mask and continuing my self-isolated life as normal when I returned. My conscience was clear, but I wasn’t going to trumpet my travel plans.
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Should I stay or should I go?

It’s now seven months since the soggy lockdown was introduced. This initial stage – pre official lockdown – was when we were all sent home, told to work from there, and to maintain physical distancing from people outside your household. As I packed up my laptop and mouse on that happy Thursday, I was expecting to be back in the office in the Wastelands by April 1st.  I wonder how that bag of apples I left in my locker is faring?

Two weeks from now it will be seven months since the hard lockdown came into force. It seems like a decade ago. Back then I had a trip to Latvia and Lithuania planned for Friday 20th March. Sensibly I postponed this trip to the distant mists of the future, to a time when we’d be back gamboling through Fairview Park, with the global pandemic but a distant memory – September. September was last month. Both countries were – at the time – on Ireland’s green lists. This meant that I’d be spared the consequence of self-isolating for two weeks upon my return to Ireland.

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Weekender in Kilkenny

Kilkenny castle

Last week I was suffering from cabin fever. I have been quite conscientious about getting out and about in Dublin for walks during the Plague, and at this stage I could probably become a tour guide for Dublin with little training – if tourists ever come back to Dublin that is. By last Thursday however my patience was running thin. Would I ever go anywhere again? During normal times this would be the point where I’d log on to the website of Satan’s favourite airline and book a flight on a blue and yellow airplane, to go somewhere last minute for the weekend. Obviously this was no longer possible. I decided a train trip would be a suitable alternative. My destination was to be Kilkenny.

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Travel sickness

I am sitting at my workstation, gamely pretending to work. In actual fact, I am staring out the window at the Luke Kelly statue, swearing vengeance.

Later today there will be further announcements regarding updated recommendations from NPHET (National Public Health Emergency Team. New restrictions on movement and public gatherings are expected. There has been a recent spike in corona cases (200 on Saturday – the largest daily number since early May) and outbreaks in meat-processing plants and direct provision centres (the inhuman, degrading places where Ireland places asylum seekers – often for years – while their cases are being processed). The outbreaks in the meat plants and DP centres has already led to localised lockdown in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly. The virus is spreading in the community again. The shutters will be coming down, Action must be taken. (click link below for next page)

Day 25 The Coronavirus Diaries – my daily routine

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As the lockdown continues, I have developed a routine for my weekdays. The fact that I am doing a full week’s work from home necessitates this. I have to be ready, alert and active by 9am each day, and remain focused until 5pm every evening. As I have nothing else to talk about at the moment, it seemed like a good time to record this wash, rinse, repeat cycle, for posterity. Continue reading Day 25 The Coronavirus Diaries – my daily routine

From a distance: The Coronavirus Diaries – Day 15.

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This past fortnight has seen me walking far more consistently than I have done previously. In addition however, I am  spending far more time in my flat in the Dockalnds. I have noticed some things since I have started to socially and physically distance myself from other people. These are a few random observations that are probably not connected and they are certainly not important. But I’ll record them for posterity. Continue reading From a distance: The Coronavirus Diaries – Day 15.

From a distance – The Coronavirus Diaries – day 14. The walks.

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Thursday, March 26th marks two weeks since the announcement that normal life was suspended, in an attempt to ward off the horrific consequences of the Coronavirus pandemic that have been witnessed in northern Italy. Since then, the restrictions have become tighter – now only essential businesses are allowed to remain open (although there is debate over what constitutes an ‘essential business’). Thankfully the supermarket and chemist shop are categorised thus – I do like a face to face encounter. Continue reading From a distance – The Coronavirus Diaries – day 14. The walks.

From a distance – Day 8: The Coronavirus Diaries and a trip to the theatre

covid1Thursday was the day that I had planned to travel to Latvia and Lithuania for the first time. With the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic running amok, my plans were altered last week as soon as Ryanair announced that it would not be charging passengers to rebook flights for later in the year. Here’s hoping that by August this incredibly weird, semi-lockdown experience might have passed. Continue reading From a distance – Day 8: The Coronavirus Diaries and a trip to the theatre

From a distance, Day 3: The Coronavirus Diary

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On Thursday an email was circulated at work, advising all staff that they would be required to work from home until April 1st at the earliest. It coincided with the request from the government for people to socially distance from each other; to avoid crowded places; for schools, creches, museums, theatres, sports events to close and for people to be extra diligent in washing their hands. All to combat the spread of the virus named after a Mexican beer. Continue reading From a distance, Day 3: The Coronavirus Diary