News from my travels

It all started normally, with sketching at the airport. This time, I opted for the early afternoon flight, so I wouldn't have to get up at 3am. But I was restless all morning, thinking I would be there already if I had taken the early flight!

Airport was busy, but not too bad. Mask wearing was pretty good, except for the ground staff at the gate and one of the cabin crew. I call them nose showers, but there's probably a better term?

The watercolours I brought with me in 2 small palettes.

I had ordered a dinner from the hotel, but the caterer let them down. I was the first person in months to ask for dinner at the hotel, as all the restaurants have reopened. But since I was visiting my elderly parents, I didn't fancy going to busy cafés and restaurants. The pandemic situation had changed so much over the previous couple of weeks, with the omicron variant sending everyone into a tailspin. So it was cup noodles for me that first night! And rosé in a cup! Plus cheese squares. I'm not fussy!

And I had a little time to practise watercolours from a photo I took in St Stephen's Green last week! Loving the Etchr sketchbook with cold press paper in this portrait format (B5, is it?). Perfect for travelling.

I enjoyed Tuesday and Wednesday with my parents. Weather was miserable, but they were glad to see me and I was happy to help with the little jobs, bringing some joy into their lives.

Then on the Wednesday evening, I got the dreaded message from the Irish Health Service Executive telling me that I was a close contact. No information as to who, when, where. I was so grateful to Magguy for driving me back to my hotel. I stopped at the deli first to stock up on food that you can cook with a kettle! And more rosé! I needed that to calm my nerves, as there were so many questions, but very few answers.

After finding out what I needed to do, not easy when you're abroad, even if you're in your hometown, and preparing a list, I needed a soothing cup of linden tea. I had no symptoms, so in theory, antigen test was enough, but doing 3 tests two days apart would not have made it possible for me to see my parents again, nor to make my flight back home to Dublin! So I opted for a PCR test, available by appointment at the drive-in centre at St Luc hospital, about a 20/30-minute walk from my town-centre hotel.

Confinement Day 1

A pain au chocolat and matcha latte to start the day! 9am, and I've already done an antigen test (negative!), talked to my mother to tell her what happened, got food from the deli to keep me going for the day and the biggest matcha latte to cheer myself up.

I managed to book my PCR test for the next day, so now I could settle into the day, and sketch the room. Simple, but comfortable!

And sketch my food. Sure, what else would I be doing? Nice sushi and a chocolate mousse. And the sockets and switches in front of me look so interesting all of a sudden.

3 pm, time for a cougnou, a local Christmas treat - it's supposed to look like baby Jesus wrapped in his blanket. It's a sweet brioche with sugar and raisins. I had forgotten how tasty they were!

And then I sketched it again with different tools at the different stages of being eaten! I had a lot of time available!

And when I looked out the window, there was a man on a cherry picker adjusting the lights projecting onto these weird floating Christmas decorations above the road. I was so lucky to have so much to entertain me! Great truck, plus people waiting to cross the street, and bicycles for hire! Considering the prospect of being stuck in this room for a good while if things went bad, I considered myself lucky that I had 2 sketchbooks and plenty of art supplies with me!

Dinner was a simple but tasty salad I had got from the deli that morning. Roasted pumpkin, beetroot, lentils, curry pasta. Very nice!

Confinement Day 2. Didn't sleep too bad, considering. Got my food for the day and my matcha latte and drew my breakfast.

10-am appointment for a PCR test. I walked to the Drive-In centre in St Luc in Bouges. I was there well ahead of time so I had time to sketch before anyone arrived. Thankfully I had my big boots and heavy coat. It was outdoors under a tunnel tent, and I had a while to wait. The lady after me was bringing her 3-year-old daughter, whose kindergarten teacher had tested positive. This was going to be her 2nd of 3 PCR tests before she could go back to school! If she could do it, so could I!! And I had to smile during the uncomfortable 20 seconds of having the swab poked up my nose, because I knew she was watching me with the intensity that you find only in children and sketchers! I then walked back to my hotel room.

My lunch was the same as day 1, so I didn't sketch it!

But I became very interested in the work going across the way on the new bus station, being built on top of the existing train station! They were placing glass panels in a yellow-cream colour matching the old station. A very slow process, giving me plenty of time to sketch it.

Later on that day, as the stress was mounting around me, I felt the need to experiment some more with my White Nights "Greens" palette which I put together for an upcoming workshop. I didn't sketch my dinner either, as it was the same again. On top of all my food and room sketching,  I had two online workshops to keep me occupied in the time I was in my hotel room (Separate posts coming up soon). I don't think I would have stayed sane if it wasn't for sketching!

I got the good news later on the third morning that I was negative - Did an extra antigen test just to be on the safe side. So I was able to see my parents again. What a relief!

And I was able to fly home the next day! I am always happy to fly home, but this time, it was extra sweet!

I had luggage and I was at the airport before the bag drop opened. So I sketched for a bit. Until the next person arrived, and I chatted with her - a lovely young Belgian woman, who had relocated to Ireland with her family only a few months ago. Can't believe I've been in Ireland 35 years! I can't be that old!!!

Enough time to get a matcha latte before my flight!

The light over Wales was fantastic. The camera captures it better than my pencils! But I think it gives a sense of the peace I felt in me after a very stressful week.