Except for everybody wearing masks, I do not see any material difference between traveling now and pre-pandemic. There are not that many people traveling, but close to that. First time in a year and a half, I didn’t need to present a copy of my marriage certificate, just the passport, and the vaccination card. That’s all that was required for boarding, and the same thing in Helsinki – my passport and vaccination card. The border control office even joked like in old times about me visiting “for just a couple of days” and about being torn between two countries.
The food was close to normal (almost), and the new cameras on the aircraft are just OMG!!!
First time since 2019, I was able to take the train from the airport to the city, and like never before, Boris waited for me not inside the station but on the platform (he asked me to call and tell him which train I would take).
The weather is beautiful, and it does not feel like the cold everybody was scaring me with. The fall foliage is breathtaking!
We went on a bike ride while it was still sunny. That was a new route through the parks, and the city center, and along the seashore. I loved it. The only bad part was that Boris fell off the bike and scratched his face at one point, trying to avoid a collision. Yea… it had to happen today when we didn’t even have time yet to kiss properly (what was at the railway station does not count).
Hettie's Reflections 