View this email in your browser

Destinations Detours and Dreams August 2021

Behind The Scenes

My July felt almost "normal", like the before times. I gathered with a small group of friends in a back yard, something we used to do relatively regularly but hadn't been able to in a long time. I had a couple of travel writing assignments. And I actually travelled - flew in a plane, rented a car, stayed in a hotel.

As new COVID-19 case numbers dropped, vaccination rates increased, and the strain on the health care system eased, restrictions, although not fully lifted, have lessened in both my home province of Manitoba and neighbouring Ontario. My husband Rick and I are fully vaccinated. My daughter and son-in-law also recently reached fully vaccinated status. We seized the opportunity to visit them in southern Ontario. We met our almost fifteen-month-old granddaughter in person for the first time. We've read stories together and watched the amazing things in the world go by (dogs, cars, birds) and listened to her imitate their sounds. We've sung songs and rhymes. We've had snuggles and tickles. We also met our six-year-old step-grandson for the first time. Together, we've read stories, played cards, and built structures. He tried to teach a hopeless grandmother how to play video games.

As I write this, Rick and I are still in Ontario and enjoying time with our daughter and son-in-law and their family. We're due to return home in less than a week. It will be hard to say goodbye. Once again, we will be thankful for video chats.

When we headed to the airport to begin this trip, I didn't know what to expect of the flying experience. And it was different. There were masks and physical distancing (mostly). Packaged handouts on the flights (we had two flights to get to our destination) included sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer. But overall, it felt more familiar than foreign. The airports were less busy than one would have experienced in the height of summer two years ago, but neither were they dead. Our flights were almost full. Travel has started to pick up, but the increase in flight schedules is only beginning. Air Canada had three direct flights a day between Winnipeg and Toronto in July. That goes up to four in August and five in September.

One of the things that was different about this flight experience for us had nothing to do with the pandemic. Over the last year and a half, Rick's mobility has decreased. This was the first time we've travelled with him using a walker. Everything worked well, even with our connection in Toronto.

A Peek Ahead

When I return home, I will likely write about the experience of travelling for the first time since the pandemic, but there won't be other travel stories coming from this trip. This trip was all about family. I often try to squeeze in some more "touristy" activities into all my trips, but this time I wanted no distractions from my precious family time.

I don't know what other travels may lie ahead. Possibly some short jaunts in Manitoba, but that will depend. My husband will start his weekly injection treatments to slow down nerve degeneration. We need to see how he handles and adjusts to that.

In the meantime, I have some other stories and updates to older posts still in the works.

July Destinations Detours and Dreams Stories

Manitoba Legislature Statues And Colonialism

A tour of the statues on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building prompts thoughts about the impact of Canadian colonialism on Indigenous peoples

Review: Tripvia GPS-Guided Audio Tours

A review of Tripvia GPS-guided audio tours

Explore Gaudi Architecture In Barcelona

The architecture of Barcelona, Spain is dominated by the works of Antoni Gaudí, many of which are top tourist attractions and UNESCO World Heritage Sites

From The Archives

Canada's Oldest Chinatown

Victoria, British Columbia is home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown

Donna Janke is the author of Destinations Detours and Dreams, where you can find travel stories from near and far, the familiar and the obscure, the beautiful and the bizarre, with a focus on history, gardens, nature, art, architecture, culture and the snowbird life. She tells her stories through a combination of narrative, photos and personal reflection. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here.

Follow on the social media networks below.

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram