Back to up above! Traveling with Covid on the Easterweekend 12 April 2020.

time flies, the world 2020 went upside down. For me literally. Covid brought me from the continents situated in "down under" back to up above, Europe It simply was time to come home. Having travelled the world, and. borders closing... Well.. many might have said in April.. going back to italy? Now? And I harvested quite a bit of sceptical reactions. Nonetheless. I don't know about you but when it comes hard on hard I want to be at the place I love and where I wish to spend my future and where I wished to contribute to whatever might become necessary in case the cov19 situation would have developed even more threatening than it seemed. I simply HAD TO come home to my flat and my place. It was such a clear knowledge, the kind of knowledge one only can comprehend when having experienced similar. Organizing travel though was not the easiest task. In the beginning I even considered to stay until my just prolonged visa would end. However with the closure of more and more borders, a logdown that came as well over New Zealand and a place of quarantine where it simply did not match at all... The decision making process was easily done. But as often when you are traveling things sorted out themselves, as soon as the decision was clear and taken. I was able to take one of the very last repatriation flights which would lead to the longest travel time within my long journey: 8 hours rental car, overnightstay on the airport parkingspot,boarding in the evening, 26 hours flight to Frankfurt, running to get luggage to catch the connecting flight to Italy,1,5 hours flight to Rome, well.. there it became complicated, felt 10 additional forms had to be filled in and out and explicitely been described on where to go, where coming from with each mean of transport of the last days, and then the info: if you came from international flights you are not allowed to take the train, only taxi, rental car, or a relative or person who lives in the same household. I had been told in advance it would not be any problem. However, reality showed itself differently. Back into the airport building (again 3 papers to be filled out ) and checking for flights to a nearer airport. Verona was closed, In consequence only Milan remained as an option. 3 hours waiting in the airport in Rome.

The person who sold me the ticket was so great to give me a first class one for the same price. Maybe because to catch the previous plane I had to give up on the first class ticket still visibile in their system. (After all the travelhours and stressfull previous days I had done that investion into myself.) Not that it helped for any lounge since everything was closed. Boarding to the flight. Enjoying the massage chair of the first class of Alitalia and sleeping for the first time in 35 hours since I did not manage on the repat flight.

Arriving at Milan. Waiting for the taxi and from Milan to my flat. It was honey for my soul to see the beautyful lakescenery back and with the knowledge and the right to be and to feel home... I have seen a lot of beautyful places during my journey... But there is no place like home. So I said Welcome Home to myself for once.