Thursday 4 March 2021

Travel Plans

A couple of unusual photos today. We took a slightly different walking route a few days ago and I spotted these old calculating machines in the window of an accountant's office. The top one I know is a comptometer - I am just old enough to have worked in an office with someone who was originally a comptometer operator, and still had one on her desk as she found it quicker for some types of calculation than an electronic calculator. This was a probably about ten years before PCs became commonplace in offices. 

I felt fine after my vaccine with no side effects at all on Tuesday, then yesterday it hit me with tiredness so that I spent the day blundering around with a foggy brain and general wobbliness. Today I am back to feeling fine again. 

We have been in holiday planning mode lately. We realised that our original plans for this year were not going to work out, but wanted to have something to look forward to so booked a short break at Brighton (one of TG's favourite places) during summer half term at the beginning of June. We have also booked a week by the sea at Tenby in Wales in August. Somehow M and I have never been to Wales together, though we both spent holidays there when we were younger. The last time I went was to an academic conference over twenty years ago, and none of the girls have ever been. It will be nice to visit a different part of the UK.  

Over the last couple of days we have also started developing a plan for next year, by which time we are assuming that international travel will be possible again. We had been hoping to visit Canada sometime over the next couple of years, and we also want to replace our cancelled trip to Disney World. M suggested that maybe we could combine the two, and after much calculating and budgeting it looks as though a combined Canada / US holiday will work. The plan is to fly to Toronto and spend a few days there, followed by a few more days at a lakeside resort a couple of hours away. Then we will fly down to New York for 3 days. After that M will fly home, and TG and I will fly down to Orlando where H will join us for our Disney trip. M thought about coming to Florida with us, but came to the conclusion that he really wouldn't enjoy it enough to be worth the cost. For TG and myself in particular it will be an amazing adventure if it works out. Even just planning and discussing possibilities seems an act of faith that the end of the pandemic is in sight. Here's hoping it really is! 

7 comments:

elli said...

That does sound like a wonderful travel plan for next year! Here's hoping and praying we get a proper grip on C19 ...

Here, I feel we are at such a precarious spot, culturally and politically and virally! We need to take great care over not opening back up too soon ...!! Sigh. Lots of prayers ...

I do hope, too, that you all will be able to do your in-country travel this year.

Penelope P. said...

What a lovely, positive post. Dave and I went to Tenby for a few days a couple of years ago. We absolutely loved it! Lots of lovely not too difficult walks and interesting independent shops and cafes .We also loved Toronto. How exciting! I ,too, am praying that all goes well and the world will open back up.
My big news is that I’ve just managed to book vaccinations for Dave and I on Wednesday next week! I can’t believe how exciting this is, not least because we will need to drive to Bournemouth so will be by the sea, and I haven’t left the village since December! PennyL

Penelope P. said...

Just reread my comment. It should say Dave and me, not Dave and I. My mother in law would be appalled, it was her ‘pet hate’. She could never understand how people could get it so wrong, and was forever correcting her many grand children. It’s a memory that we all share as a family, which is rather nice!

https://pixie-mum.blogspot.com/ said...

We visited Tenby a couple of years ago, there is the most amazing tiny secondhand bookshop near the NT merchant’s house, recommend both. As is our habit in holiday we went to Evening Prayer at Tenby parish church in the centre of town. DH and I made the congregation up to four worshippers in the largest parish church in Wales.

We didn’t realise just how far west Tenby was, timing online for the journey from London was way out, worth the long drive so we may return.

Kathryn said...

Penelope, I hope the US manages to regain its balance on all fronts, and that it will not be too long before you can open up safely.

Kathryn said...

Penny, I am married to the apostrophe police so I totally understand. Wonderful news about the vaccines - enjoy your excursion to Bournemouth! I think the last time I went to Tenby I was about ten so I remember nothing except that there was a beach. It looks lovely and I'm looking forward to exploring.

Kathryn said...

PixieMum, thank you for the tip. I will make a point of exploring both the bookshop and the merchant's house. Yes, I hadn't realised quite how far it was into Wales when I started looking and it is going to be a bit of a trek. It is going to be another electric vehicle charging adventure too!