Cruising and Covid

Hello All,

I think this is the longest period of time that I have gone without writing to you! My apologies for the delay. The world has been a bit topsy turvy. And Bob and I went on a very delayed adventure! It started out as a vacation…..

Many of you know I love tulips. They are happy flowers; they just make me smile. So in 2019 Bob and I made a decision to go on a riverboat cruise so I could fulfill a bucket list trip to the Netherlands to see fields and fields of tulips. As you know Bob, he did extensive research about the time of year, which cruise line, which tours and we booked our boat trip. In addition, we bookended the trip starting with a two-day stay in Switzerland and ending with an extra two days in Amsterdam so that we could visit as many places and tulip locations as possible. In 2020 our trip was postponed because of the Covid pandemic. In 2021 our trip was postponed because of the Covid pandemic. So EUREKA – in 2022 we pack our bags, have all of our required Covid tests done, and head out for this magical tour – with one of Bob’s sisters and her husband.

So “just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale – a tale of a fateful trip – that started from this tropic port (while not quite tropic, since it was quite cold!) – aboard this (not so quite) tiny ship. The mate was a mighty sailing man – the skipper brave and sure – (more than) five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour (more like a eight day riverboat) tour.” Are you singing along now?

Well, the sailing never got rough – the Rhine is a remarkably beautiful, smooth and pleasant ride! Let’s just say, that the “tour” did not go exactly as planned! We walked a lot in the beautiful city of Lucerne for two days – then got on the boat. On day three, Bob developed tendonitis in his Achilles tendon, and to the cabin he goes to stay! (Thank goodness the ship had a rolling walker we could borrow – probably something to do with the age demographic of all of us passengers!) Then our brother-in-law “fell” second – Covid! So off the boat my in-laws go! Then Bob’s sister later tested positive for Covid! Then Bob got Covid – right as we cross the border to the land of windmills and tulips! Stars above!

Then they were quarantining in Germany – we were quarantining in the Netherlands. Amazingly I remained negative through all of this – but got to quarantine too – because evidently if you ride together, you hide together! Two different countries – two different testing protocols – both with mandatory five-day quarantines, and then longer if you continue to test positive! Which all three of them did! Then TEN days in a hotel room! At ten days, they could get certificates of recovery so we could fly home – because you either need to show a negative test or have a certificate of recovery to get back into the United States!

And I never got to see a tulip field! Not even flying out! (Bob said the plane turned right instead of left!)

So our 12 day tour turned into a 19 day adventure! So, of course, I had to make it funny – so at the end of this blog I have added excerpts from the text updates to my family (blood and adopted) if you would like a giggle or two. (If you want to see them in their entirety, just let me know.) Or you can avoid them altogether!

We did learn a lot. We actually coexisted in a hotel room for ten days with only three English speaking TV channels (all news) and no movie channels – and didn’t kill each other (as evidenced by this blog). And we actually still like each other! We were well taken care of by the hotel staff – even when we didn’t see them. (There is a whole story there!) We tried to learn Dutch and German – but failed miserably – there are way too many consonants and not enough vowels. I have a new appreciation for croissants and some sort of chocolate pastry I never learned the name of, little popsicle stick forks/knives/spoons (completely biodegradable), paper water bottles (very cool and environmentally friendly), my Kindle reader, and friendly/helpful people. We also got to witness how welcoming other countries were of Ukrainian citizens – it was up close and personal in Europe. And we also realized, that no matter how far this trip went asunder, we are very blessed people!

BTW – all three of them are doing fine!

I will do better about bugging you on a more routine basis! My apologies for the prolonged absence.

And remember – you have a choice about the attitude you embrace each day!

Phyl

Monday April 11th

#1 – Well, here is the next exciting update! Bob is still in pain and using a walker. D, our brother-in-law, just tested positive for Covid so he and P will be escorted off the riverboat to a hotel. They have to quarantine at least 5 days…..and they have to test negative within 24 hours of the flight home. So at the moment, I am the last one standing. Ahhh! It is like a good suspense novel! Will Bob or I test positive too? Will I really get to see the tulips? How will I get Bob through the airport? More news as available!

#2 – We have not been kicked off the boat yet, so we must still be okay.

Tuesday April 12 – Spoke too soon! Bob is now positive! So we in quarantine on the boat. We will be taken off the boat in Amsterdam. Have no idea how we will be proceeding. They are working on where to quarantine us. The Ritz would be lovely. I won’t get to see tulips.

Wednesday April 13 – We will be on the boat until 10:00 a.m……Bob has a cough and sinus congestion, but overall feels okay. He is hydrating with beer. I am fine.

Thursday April 14th –

#1- Next update in the Covid journey. We were moved off the boat very quickly and efficiently. I saw one pot of tulips on the dock where the riverboat stopped…..and not another single one through the city to the hotel. I would have taken a picture if I had realized that was my only view of some. Meals will be left outside the door. No daily room service because people are not allowed in the rooms. They will bring towels and leave them outside the door. We have been assigned a “host”.

#2 – We have not heard from the host yet. Bob did call the medical network service and spoke to a doctor in France. (I had to Google how to call internationally.)

Our meals are the chef’s choice, served in all disposable bowls with little wooden popsicle utensils. And there are no movie channels at all. We do have a BBC news channel. Dear God – we may be insane by Friday!

#3 -We just got a call from our host. She was delightful. She noted the area apothecaries (drug stores) are running low of tylenol and cough suppressors – though she is going to try and find us some.

Friday April 15th – Day 4 of quarantine (or what we are now calling a slow brain death from boredom) and day 3 of the Amsterdam experience. We watched what is the contemporary version of the Passion Play last night – spoken and sung 100% in Dutch. Bob figured out which one played Jesus halfway through the show. Jesus was cute. Judas drove a motorcycle and sang well. I, on the other hand, have spent some time in the bathroom with the joystick faucet trying to figure out how to keep the water from going from frigid to scalding. One of the new friends we met on the boat is trying to figure out who she can bribe to go to Walmart and buy us coloring books or something. We are not even sure there is a Walmart here! We may be plotting a prison, whoops, hotel breakout! Our biggest excitement is the meal drop offs! Literally they drop the bags off, knock on the door, and then they must run like hell…..because no matter how quickly we get to the door, we have not seen a single soul in the hallway! We are planning new ways to catch them in the act!

Saturday April 16th – It’s Saturday! We got eggs for breakfast and quiche for lunch. And they have wild potato chips here – today’s was cheese and onion – previously we got paprika! And I think they believe Americans love Snickers bars – we have quite a collection of them.

Sunday April 17th –

#1 – Happy Easter! It is day 6 of quarantine and day 5 of the Amsterdam experience (or what Bob is now calling captivity). I thought I would give you a few updates. I saw one of our elusive food bag people last night! I raced to the door and she had already hightailed it halfway down the hall. I yelled hello and thank you – and she ran faster! Our dinner last night was salmon, and, of course, it was the hottest meal we have been served. Had to call room service to bring me a salad instead. This required multiple levels of approval because it was not on the “safety people” menu. I actually got it on a real plate with real silverware. Bob would not let me keep the silverware. I think he was worried I would actually harm myself, stab him, or hold a food person hostage to negotiate for our release! I don’t think I would have made it far with a passport, fork, knife, and a real napkin! So I guess I am forked! This morning’s breakfast was 2 hard boiled eggs and rolls. Bob said peeling the eggs was included in the entertainment package!

#2 – It’s an Easter miracle! The food bag young man dropped off the bags, knocked on the door, and then stayed 6 feet back to tell me to enjoy lunch! We now have so many Snickers bars we could play a game of Jenga!

Monday April 18th – Day 7 of quarantine and day 6 of the Amsterdam experience. They have fully indoctrinated us now. We answer knocks on the door like Pavlov’s dogs. We think meals served at lukewarm temperatures are normal. (Though there is something quite wrong about eating lukewarm eggs.) I have a new love of croissants though! Bob loves the orange juice. And thank God we are in a hotel that serves Cokes. Bob and I also laughed a lot this morning as we discussed my need to shave my legs. I have decided that I will soon have quills that can be used as defensive mechanisms. The shower on the boat was too small to maneuver in – the shower in the hotel is huge and slick as a greased pig. I am scared I would fall and break a hip if I tried shaving my legs. Bob said he could probably drag me out of the shower close to the door and then cover me with a towel until help arrives. It sounds quite bad that we were howling in laughter as we contemplated strategies! So quills it is! All in jest! We are blessed to be in a safe location with food and shelter. As we watch the news on Ukraine – which is reported much more regularly than in the US – we know we are blessed. Prayers for Ukraine.

Tuesday April 19th – Day 8 of quarantine and day 7 of the Amsterdam experience. Bob remains Covi positive. Bob finally cracked through the electronic issues, and he got Netflix working! Woohoo! We watched an episode of Witcher then crashed from the excitement of the day!

Wednesday April 20th – Brain tickle test done – we are on our way home!