Dear Friends,
COVID-19 has destroyed and completely disrupted many lives. Jane and I have been very lucky to have remained healthy and only had our lives inconvenienced. We were able to complete our 2020 winter visit to Villefranche-sur-mer in February 2020, just as COVID-19 was beginning to be widely known. We were not able to visit Villefranche again until October 2021. Our trip last fall was great. It was a time when the delta variant was sort of under control and before the omicron variant was enveloping the world. We felt quite safe. The community transmission was low. We each had our three shots. We could eat and be with people outside.
We had our plans for coming to Villefranche from the end of December 2021 to the end of February 2022. As the omicron variant caused huge spikes in cases in both the United States and France, we began to doubt whether we would be able to visit Villefranche this winter. By the time we were suppose to leave Minneapolis on December 28, the CDC was recommending no international travel. Others, however, were saying go. One of Jane's doctors said of course you should go. We were not sure that he didn't mean, you better go now because you already have one foot in the grave. After consulting with our children, who also encouraged us to go, we decide to jump into the abyss.
We already had our air reservations and had rented our apartment. After Christmas, we packed our bags and made a reservation for the required COVID test to enter France. We already had our CDC cards showing all three vaccinations. We girded our loins and headed to the airport. We got checked in and went through security. The airport was rather crowded but all were masked. The trauma so far was minimal. We went into the Delta club. It was packed with people. Some were wearing masks. Some were pulling their masks down as they ate or drank and then replacing them. Some had pulled their masks down presumably to eat or drink and then decided to leave them there for the rest of their time in the club. It drove us crazy. We wanted to say to them what the hell are you doing - put your mask back on and wear it properly. We were not as aggressive as I sometimes think we should have been.
As our anxiety at being around so many people, some of which were clearly just not wearing their masks, a delay in our departure was announced. It was only a short delay and would not jeopardize our connection in Amsterdam. Not long after that an additional substantial delay was announced. There was no way we would make our connection in Amsterdam nor any other connection from Amsterdam to Nice. I suggested to the Delta representative that he put us on the flight to Paris as it was on time, and there was a connection we could make to Nice. He let me know that it was not possible because of the difficulty working with Air France. We know from personal experience over many years that for some reason the technical people at Delta and Air France have never been able to make their systems talk very well to each other, or maybe they just don't care.
The Delta representative told me that I did not have to worry that their "Viper" system would reroute us once we were in the air. I had no confidence in Viper and said I would prefer to go home and try again tomorrow as there was room on the exact same flights the next day. He reluctantly agreed and made the changes. We got almost exactly the same seats on the Minneapolis to Amsterdam flight so we were happy. Delta kept our bags which was of some concern, but there was nothing we could do. As it turned out they made it to Nice with us. We returned home, happy to get out of the crowded Delta club and knowing that we would not be stuck in a hotel or airport somewhere of Viper's choosing. As it turns out Delta ultimately cancelled the flight due to a mechanical problem.
The rule at the time was that your negative COVID test had to be done no more than 48 hours before your flight left. If our flight were to leave Minneapolis on time the next day, all would be fine. But if it were more than 1.5 hours late, our test would be invalid. I immediately went to the CVS website where I had booked our original tests, at no cost, but there was nothing available - same for many other sites. All I could find were places that wanted money to do the test. A place in the parking ramp at the airport would do a test for $100 each and have the results in 40 minutes. I made the appointments and of course paid the fee. We arrived at the airport an extra hour early, dreading the crowds again. The test system was very efficient. We took the tests. Fortunately, we got negative results. We received the paper work and were on our way.
The crowds were smaller than the day before but still too big and still with some people believing that they had the right to put everybody else at risk by wearing their masks under their noses or on their chins even though they had not taken a bite or had a drink for quite awhile. We were actually rather relieved once we got on the plane. Since it was going to Amsterdam, everybody on board had to be fully vaccinated and have a recent negative test. Also the mask compliance seemed much better.
The Minneapolis flight left on time, and we arrived in Amsterdam without incident. The Amsterdam airport was a little crowded but not too bad and the mask compliance was quite good. We went to the KLM club between flights. It was not crowded. It was also set up with much more space between tables, etc. We felt much more comfortable.
The flight to Nice from Amsterdam also went off without a problem. We were reminded how nice it is to have an airline the feeds you not just something edible but good food. The box snack was a good roll, hard boiled egg, smoked salmon, herbed cream cheese, plain yogurt and a fruit cup with real fruit. There was also real milk to go with the coffee. Why can't Delta do something like that?
On arrival in Nice it was sunny, 60 degrees and not dry. Much of the trauma we had suffered being near all those other people rapidly dissipated. Maybe this view from our apartment had something to do with that fact.
