French President makes announcement today.

[angela miller]

French President Macron made a comment on a Sunday morning news program today  that there is a plan to open Tourism in May to people who have been vaccinated, specifically mentioned the United States.Hopes for tourism this summer.

[dogs4fun]

Progress 😄

[djh1959]

I cannot understand why anyone would want to go to France, or anywhere in Europe, at this time.

 

They are in such a terrible way, even the fully vaccinated can still catch covid and bring it home to vulnerable people in their country.

 

I really hope the French president does not open the borders to anyone.

[Canal archive]

Don’t say that, we still have our barge holiday booked on the Nivernais in July. We can of course drive there through the tunnel, so no air travel. If all goes well we will raise a glass to all on CC whilst enjoying some excellent cheeses but no snails, yuk. CA 

we don’t mind isolating on our return.

Edited April 19, 2021 by Canal archive

[ljandgb]

There is mounting evidence that those who are vaccinated do not transmit the disease, but I agree that until we have proof it is best to be cautious and  mask, social distance, etc.

 

We just got back from Morocco, and I have to say I'm not sure I'd travel again any time soon.  Besides the fact that so many restaurants, shops, sights, etc, were closed, our plane tickets were up in the air even during the trip.  After receiving change notices from Air France every other day (with even what day we would be returning changing within a 3 day window), our return flight finally settled the day before we left for Morocco, with a 17 hour overnight layover in Paris.  We canceled that flight and found one on Royal Air Maroc 2 days into the trip.  Two days later all flights from Morocco to Paris were canceled anyways, so we'd have been forced to find new flights regardless.  That uncertainty was an aspect of travel I'm not used to and did not enjoy.

[Roz]

How much longer are we supposed to live like this?  I'm about ready to blow a gasket.  This isn't living, we're merely existing.

[sharkster77]

@Roz I have accepted the fact that we've given up one year of retirement, but it looks like we'll be giving up a second year.  I cringe when I read speculation that travel may not be semi-normal until 2023!!!!  The Lord gave us only so many years of life on this planet---we cannot afford to spend too many more in suspended animation!!

[Canal archive]

Roz we have the most amazing weather at the moment especially for April, I have just been sitting in the garden it’s cleared a lot of my angst about this awful disease that has impacted on all of us so very much. We also have Great Tits nesting in one of our nest boxes, the sheer speed that they enter the box I’m surprised they don't impale their beaks on the back wall. CA

[ssawjo]

2 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

@Roz I have accepted the fact that we've given up one year of retirement, but it looks like we'll be giving up a second year.  I cringe when I read speculation that travel may not be semi-normal until 2023!!!!  The Lord gave us only so many years of life on this planet---we cannot afford to spend too many more in suspended animation!!

Wow, our sentiments exactly, and well said. None of us are getting any younger.  I have made plans out to 2023 but will probably have canceled our 2021/early 2022 trips. 

[Roz]

2 hours ago, sharkster77 said:

@Roz I have accepted the fact that we've given up one year of retirement, but it looks like we'll be giving up a second year.  I cringe when I read speculation that travel may not be semi-normal until 2023!!!!  The Lord gave us only so many years of life on this planet---we cannot afford to spend too many more in suspended animation!!

 

I'm so glad I decided not to retire until next year.  Everything I'd planned to do when I retire would have been on hold.  The other day someone told me the travel industry won't be back to pre-Covid levels until 2025, and to just be patient.  Just be patient?  As you've pointed out, we don't have unlimited time and good health.  Most of us want to get out there while we can.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Roz we have the most amazing weather at the moment especially for April, I have just been sitting in the garden it’s cleared a lot of my angst about this awful disease that has impacted on all of us so very much. We also have Great Tits nesting in one of our nest boxes, the sheer speed that they enter the box I’m surprised they don't impale their beaks on the back wall. CA

We currently have snow......

[sharkster77]

I lost my best friend when he was in his early 60's, and lost an extremely well respected colleague FOUR MONTHS before his retirement date.  As a result, we decided as soon as I retired (4 yrs ago) that we will travel NOW, while we are both healthy and can afford to.  We did Ireland, Iceland, and a river cruise in three consecutive years (not including short domestic getaways), and now have been on hold for 1+ years.  

 

Enough is enough.  It's why I have no sympathy or patience for COVID/mask/distancing/vaccine refusers.  Let's KNOCK IT OFF and conquer this thing!!

 

(please excuse my grumpy old man rant)

Edited April 19, 2021 by sharkster77

[Lois R]

No need to apologize🙂

[Daisi]

21 minutes ago, sharkster77 said:

I lost my best friend when he was in his early 60's, and lost an extremely well respected colleague FOUR MONTHS before his retirement date.  As a result, we decided as soon as I retired (4 yrs ago) that we will travel NOW, while we are both healthy and can afford to.  We did Ireland, Iceland, and a river cruise in three consecutive years (not including short domestic getaways), and now have been on hold for 1+ years.  

 

Enough is enough.  It's why I have no sympathy or patience for COVID/mask/distancing/vaccine refusers.  Let's KNOCK IT OFF and conquer this thing!!

 

(please excuse my grumpy old man rant)

 

We were the same, but most of my friends also passed quite young between 15 - 35 as well.  We learned very early to take every day as it comes, but we also saved hard in order to retire early to travel.  The only benefit we are getting now, is instead of the expense of touring this year, we are cleaning out the house and getting ready to put it up for sale.  This will be a bonus, as prices are going through the roof here.  We have done a lot of touring around the eastern regions of both Canada & the USA, so if anything happens tomorrow, we can say we had a good time, even if it was a short time.  Our trip to Europe was for our 30th anniversary, so it was special...would love to repeat it, but if we can't, well at least we saw something.

 

37 minutes ago, Coral said:

We currently have snow......

 

 

Yes, and you are supposed to be sending it this way... please hold on to it, we just got the ice off my garden. 🙂

 

[gnome12]

51 minutes ago, Daisi said:

 

We were the same, but most of my friends also passed quite young between 15 - 35 as well.  We learned very early to take every day as it comes, but we also saved hard in order to retire early to travel.  The only benefit we are getting now, is instead of the expense of touring this year, we are cleaning out the house and getting ready to put it up for sale.  This will be a bonus, as prices are going through the roof here.  We have done a lot of touring around the eastern regions of both Canada & the USA, so if anything happens tomorrow, we can say we had a good time, even if it was a short time.  Our trip to Europe was for our 30th anniversary, so it was special...would love to repeat it, but if we can't, well at least we saw something.

 

 

 

Yes, and you are supposed to be sending it this way... please hold on to it, we just got the ice off my garden. 🙂

 

Even here in Toronto, among the warmer areas of Ontario, we are expecting some snow from Tuesday night into Wednesday.

[Canal archive]

My brother in law worked for Ford all his working life in various different rolls. When he retired he had everything worked out then he had a stroke okay not an horrendous one but it certainly made him sit up and think. When he had completely recovered he went out and treated himself to his beautiful red Mustang. So watch out for other things beside COVID. CA

[Host Jazzbeau]

Lets get back to the reason for this thread:  optimism that tourism in France will open up this summer.  That is really good news for my September Mediterranean cruise plans [if France leads, will Spain and Italy follow?]

[notamermaid]

Greece is actually a step ahead of France: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/greece-opens-vaccinated-tourists/index.html

 

Does not help us river cruisers but makes for a great step to get back to Mediterranean cruises.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

You’ll have to wait but I will report from the Nivernais. CA

[Coral]

5 hours ago, Daisi said:

 

Yes, and you are supposed to be sending it this way... please hold on to it, we just got the ice off my garden. 🙂

 

It looked like a snow globe today. The snow has not stuck to the ground yet but flurries everywhere. We will get more snow by tomorrow morning. It was 88 F over Easter. Welcome to spring where I live.

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Greece is actually a step ahead of France: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/greece-opens-vaccinated-tourists/index.html

 

Does not help us river cruisers but makes for a great step to get back to Mediterranean cruises.

 

notamermaid

 

And I just saw a rumor that Italy is looking to follow France.  So yes, river cruises in Germany are a 'horse of a different color,' 🙁 but my cruise from Mallorca across several Mediterranean Islands to Sicily and Malta is looking better. 😀

[Lois R]

15 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Greece is actually a step ahead of France: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/greece-opens-vaccinated-tourists/index.html

 

Does not help us river cruisers but makes for a great step to get back to Mediterranean cruises.

 

notamermaid

 

Good morning🙂....I booked a cruise out of Greece for July.......will see how everything goes!

[Squawkman]

Will Portugal follow? Hoping for our mid November Douro cruise.

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, Squawkman said:

Will Portugal follow? Hoping for our mid November Douro cruise.

Portugal is eager to reopen [tried to very early on, at least for Portuguese-Americans wanting to visit family], so as soon as their numbers look good I would assume so.

[gnome12]

As of yesterday, the CDC had all of Europe at Level 4. If the state department adjusts their travel advisories to more closely follow those of the CDC, as they are expected to do, all of Europe (as well as many other countries around the world) will become Do Not Travel.

 

For the hell of it, I looked to see what countries the CDC has as Level 1: Low Risk

Australia, China, Greenland, Laos, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam.