A return to normal

I don't know quite where the time goes, but it's already two weeks since I posted a blog, and yet I'm hard put to remember what I've been doing in that time. I know we've been very busy: two family birthdays and a lot of heen en weer (to and fro) trips between Rotterdam and  Zeeland seeing to the two boats. 

Fortunately, Corona virus restrictions have been largely lifted here, so we've been able to have family get togethers. I'm very relieved to know that none of my family or friends has been ill, and if they've had the virus, they haven't been aware of suffering from anything more than normal fluey symptoms.  I must admit, we all wonder whether we might have had a bit of it, even me. 

Early in March, I was suffering from what I took to be hay fever as I had a dry cough and some trouble breathing along with the usual sneezing, but I didn't have any other symptoms. Nightly applications of good old-fashioned Vick's Vaporub did wonders and within a week or so it was over, so I don't know whether it was allergies or not. However, I'm guessing lots of people may have had it without ever realising. 

Our health authority isn't even doing daily reporting anymore. We're just getting weekly updates, and I can see that in our part of the country, there haven't been any cases at all since 24 June. There are still quite a few in Rotterdam, though. Actually as of the beginning of June, anyone who suspects they might have it can be tested and the number of positive tests has gone up slightly, but the hospitalisations and demises have gone down. That said, we still have to keep the ander half meter (one and a half metres) distance and we see the signs everywhere reminding us of its importance. 

We also still have to wear masks on public transport, and I see a lot more people wearing them at the shops now, which are busier than they were earlier. For the older and the more vulnerable souls, I think this is quite wise, and I do it myself at the larger city stores. Hand sanitiser bottles and paper towelling are also still the norm at the trolley stalls. Mind you, I wouldn't mind if they kept that even after the Corona worry is over. I've kept hand gel in my bag for several years now, but it's helpful to have it made available.

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All this aside, it's lovely to see the return to normal life again, and I'm heartened to see barges and cruisers taking to the water too. The photo above is from the end of a quay where there is normally a beautiful old tjalk (see photo below). Since it's not there now, I'm guessing the owners have taken it off on a trip and almost daily now I see cruisers and all kinds of pleasure boats out on the water. In all honesty, it's probably the safest way to take a holiday as you're on your own personal, moving island.

In the photo above the last paragraph, I was standing at the end of the quay
opposite.

We've also noticed that the local camper site has been completely full recently, something that's never happened before. We counted 46 campers on a recent evening walk, so I have a feeling people are keeping their travels fairly local. Most of the registration numbers on the site were from Belgium, which for them is just a quick nip over the border (and I mean just over the border). Perhaps this 'toe-dipping' into the Netherlands has satisfied their need for going 'abroad'!

This was my favourite in the camper park. The tent was reached by
a ladder on the other side. Brilliant!

As for us, we hope to take a couple of long weekends away in the coming weeks, perhaps to northern France, but for the most part we'll be staying in the Netherlands, I think. Any flights out of the country are likely to be packed and we don't do 'packed' well at the best of times. For us, it's just as much fun to stay on the Hennie H for a weekend because it already feels like a holiday. We did just that this last weekend and loved it. The weather was perfect and the family came on Sunday for my daughter's birthday picnic.

I'll just be watching the weather tomorrow to get a feel for the rest of the summer. It's St Swithun's day and what we used to call Apple Christening day when I was a child. The story goes that whatever the weather is on July the 15th will be how it remains for the next 40 days. The forecast here is for rain, so I hope it's sunny somewhere else just to foil St Swithun's fun!

Have a great week allemaal, keep well and have fun in the sun!