TRAVEL

 

60 days

 

 

Å være midt i smørøyet

Translation: To be in the middle of the butter melting in the porridge.
Meaning: To be in a great place, find yourself in a favourable position

 

It’s been 60 days since Norway outlined measures in order to stop the spread of COVID-19; swift action, making the health of the nation its priority. (March 12th)

The Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg addressed the nation. “Today, Norway will take its strongest-ever peacetime measures…These are very invasive measures”. The Norwegian Directorate of Health shared their decision to close schools. And anyone who had come from outside the Nordic countries, was told to be in quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in Norway, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. By Monday 16th March, Norway essentially ‘shut itself down’ and borders were closed.

The day before, we had flown back from the U.K. We booked an SAS ticket to Norway, three flights; To Copenhagen, then Oslo and on to Kristiansand. We were aware of the rise in the number of Coronavirus cases in China, Iran and Italy. The first death had already happened in the U.K. The first full lockdown in Europe had been introduced in Italy. Many other countries were now imposing travel restrictions, closing borders or introducing various screening procedures.

We boarded all three planes with two tiny travel sized hand gels and a packet of Percy Pigs. We didn’t think too much more about it.

So we went into home quarantine, ‘holed up in Hisøy’, an island separated from the mainland by the River Nidelv. A friend asked us, “if someone had told you six months ago, that you would be in quarantine in Norway, because of a global pandemic, would you have believed them?! Quarantine days passed and morphed into days of self isolation.

Thinking back to mid March, it was the end of an era in travel. Many airlines are already casualties of the economic downturn. Others are grounded. Some people have been stranded for weeks in other countries. Have you had to change your travel plans?

We had been so excited when we first got to Norway. It was another chance to travel in a new place and learn about another culture. We had thought “Here’s to another adventure!” And so we went, into the freezing cold of the Norwegian winter. We arrived at a holiday cabin, our temporary accommodation by a river, on this beautiful island, on Norway’s south peninsula. PKP started his new, temporary job. I started to research trips to the Northern Lights and fjords.

No one could have predicted all of this.

But we’ve been lucky. We’ve felt quietly confident that we were waiting this out in a good place; happy to be hiding out in Hisøy. Our stunning view each day, has been across the waters of the Galtesund, between Hisøy and Tromøy islands.

The Prime Minister continued to calmly and clearly give information. As a result, everyone went about their life in a relaxed manner, largely respecting social distancing. Supermarkets and pharmacies continued to run as normal. There were no queues outside stores or people panic buying. Shelves were stocked. At the time of writing there are now 8,099 positive cases in Norway, with 219 lives lost. More than 100,000 people were temporarily laid off work due to the shutdown. The government took measures to guarantee their wages for several weeks.

There’s been no curfew. Everyone has been afforded the freedom to walk wherever they wanted, whenever they wanted to. Exercise was encouraged. So we’ve strolled by the river or we would walk to a nearby beach. In recent evenings, we’ve got to see sensational sunsets. And we experienced some of the Norwegian traditions at Easter.

But we couldn’t take the “Kolbjørn”, the boat which has provided transportation across this harbour for over 100 years between Tyholmen, Norodden and Kolbjørnsvik. All but essential travel was declared ‘off limits’. The Northern Lights and fjords would have to wait.

We haven’t freaked out, in part because we are somewhere so isolated and also because we have had to adapt to ‘a new normal’ many times over, dealing with the threat of disease, terrorism and crime in places we have lived. You make adjustments. Of course this situation is unparalleled, something else completely.

More than anything, we have felt thankful that we have what we need. We are mindful that many people are facing huge challenges. PKP worked from home for eight weeks.

Now Norway looks ahead. Schools will re-open tomorrow. Many small businesses have already been welcoming their clients. Events of up to 50 people are now permitted across the country. And the best news of all for me, is that cinemas will re-open too.

Some holiday companies are beginning to advertise. Travel might be possible after all. Somehow, in the midst of all of this, our Norway adventure continues.

That begs so many questions.

For quite a while no-one has been contemplating travel. No one knows what the future of travel will look like. How will hotels adapt? Will airlines offer fantastic fares to entice customers? Or will flights be far more expensive than before, as companies begin to recoup losses and cover operation costs, with fewer passengers?

Are you in lockdown? Which restrictions have been lifted?

What are your thoughts, on the future of travel?

 

 

© Maggie M / Mother City Time