Visiting Europe during Corona
In recent years, I, Anita van Maanen, have written extensively about our own private trips to faraway destinations, such as Tanzania, Japan/Hawaii and Singapore.
This year, as a family, we had planned another wonderful trip, this time to Mauritius and Réunion. We've had to put this trip on hold for now and hope to be able to make it next year.
As Europe started to ‘open up’ again, and being as keen to travel as all four of us are, we started looking at the possibilities within Europe. One thing was certain: we wanted to get away. I'd missed the simple act of packing my suitcase so incredibly much. Being able to go out on inspections, with a client or privately... normally, I'd pack my suitcase at least once a month, and now it had been about 6 months. I think I'm one of the few people who looks forward to packing a suitcase again, but it's really true, it makes me happy. The thought of travelling again already makes me happy. I packed in no time, and I prefer to do it for all of us.
I'd like to take you on our journey through a series of blogs and will share some great tips about the various cities and destinations. Such as my favourite hotels and restaurants, as well as tips for wonderful incentive trips.
A bespoke itinerary
So where did we go then? Besides enjoying ourselves, we also wanted to experience as much as possible of what it was like in Europe, what limitations we would encounter, and what it would be like to fly again. This was so we could provide our clients with accurate and up-to-date information. For us, private and business always go hand in hand when we travel. I also had a few hotel inspections planned in the various cities.
Well, after some head-scratching, we decided to spend one night in Strasbourg, two nights in Lucerne, three nights on Lake Como, three nights in Monte Carlo, and then fly from Nice to Ibiza (my favourite island). Two of our sons' friends would join us here. Our boys would then fly back home from Ibiza, and we would return to Nice to drive back to the Netherlands over a couple of days.
Starting point Strasbourg
No sooner said than done. On Wednesday morning, we took our time driving to Strasbourg. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay at our favourite hotel (Hotel Régent Petit France) as they are closed until at least September 2020 and located in Le Petit France, (Venice of the North), so we stayed at their sister hotel. Le Petit France and the area around the magnificent cathedral are normally incredibly busy, but not now...! There were certainly tourists, but what a difference compared to last year when I was there.
Strasbourg is a city I know well. Many conferences and events are organised here. After all, it is also the second city of the European Parliament. It is also a very suitable environment for an incentive trip! There are good restaurants, beautiful sights and fun activities to organise. Think, for example, of a wine tour via the wine route between Strasbourg and Colmar and/or a boat trip through Le Petit France. It is surprisingly beautiful on that wine route with its picturesque villages situated between the hills of Alsace/the Vosges. It is a magnificent area, with vines as far as the eye can see. Planning a wine tasting along the way in an old wine farm, accompanied by some delicious cheese and choucroute….!
For our evening in Strasbourg, I had booked our favourite restaurant, Maison des Tanneurs, so we could eat authentic choucroute garnie. Maison des Tanneurs is located in such an authentic half-timbered house from the 16e yuck, a restaurant has been located there since the last century. Booking is a must, by the way! It's always busy there, although it wasn't as bad this year.
Getting used to the corona measures
It was so quiet in the hotel that wearing a face mask wasn't really necessary when walking around the hotel. The staff behind reception were wearing one, however.
At the Maison de Tanneurs restaurant, we encountered the requirement to wear face masks for the first time. The entrance was via the garden gate, and we missed seeing the masks on a table, so we walked onto the garden terrace. We were already near our table (as we discovered a little later), but were sent back to the entrance to put on a mask there, then take those few steps back towards our table and sit down, after which we could remove the mask.
Naturally, we respected the guidelines everywhere, but it felt a bit over the top, as we were now walking the same route three times, two of which were without masks. This was the start of what was yet to come in the following weeks, and we discussed amongst ourselves what still awaited us, but until now, travelling with some restrictions had been quite manageable.
The food was fantastic as always, a lovely bottle of Alsace wine to go with it, and the boys had a beer. We were happy to be out and about together again, and so we toasted to that!
In my next blog, I'll be taking you to our second holiday destination, Switzerland. Curious how people in Switzerland How are you dealing with the situation surrounding Corona? Keep our blog page and our Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram keep an eye on the channels then definitely!