It’s been about 34 months since Scott and I boarded an airplane for Europe. That trip was to the United Kingdom. It’s been 46 months since we went to Continental Europe. Soon that drought will end.

We are looking forward to seeing our son and daughter-in-law after a very long time.

We will fly into Geneva via Montreal, then will take two weeks to visit around western Switzerland while based in Geneva, Zermatt and Basel. Then we will head to Germany for a few days in Cologne or Köln, and a week in Frankfurt with a side trip to visit Kloster Eberbach. We will be away for almost four weeks.

Planning this trip involved a lot of anxiety as we tried to keep up to date on the ever changing rules for Covid-19, not just in Canada, but also in Switzerland and Germany. And of course, every country has had different rules. As I write, the rules are still changing. Most of the rules for testing have eased up which means we won’t need to buy test kits or find out where to get tested before leaving or returning. On the other hand, the reduction of protective measures has also resulted in increased infections, notably, in Switzerland and Germany. We are going to have to continue to be careful.

Meanwhile, I need to remember how to pack for travelling. My travel-ready preparations cannot be relied upon. Medications in my first aid kit are past their expiry dates, dust covers my travel wardrobe, and I cannot remember where I stored some items.