Happy Birthday Taddy

 

It's the 30th June 2021 and we're getting ready to go cruising.  That's a simple enough plan but the world has changed around us.  For a start, we're 3 months late.  That's because it was illegal for us to leave the UK in April.  Second, we can't go anywhere yet because the Belgian government requires us to quarantine for a week before we do.  Our very presence here seems to be against the rules.  Finally, we can only stay 90 days because our fellow countrymen decided that was progress.  A few years ago, we took our ability to do these things for granted.  The new restrictions seem so incredible that we're leaning not to take things for granted.  We're also learning that you have to work hard to get what you want and take some risks.

The Belgian government, like the UK, is working to get people vaccinated.  So far they've achieved 34% which is a bit more then 2/3 of the UK's 49%.  And with an infection rate of about half the UK's, they look with alarm at the rising case rate in the UK.  Two years ago, a blanket ban on arrivals would have seemed disproportionate and cause an outcry.  It's still disproportionate but has attracted little comment.  But given the environment, I can see why Belgian politicians did it.  

Politicians speak but it's up to public servants to implement.  And closing borders really isn't practical within Europe.  And Belgium isn't even great at publicising policy.  Government web pages in Dutch added the UK to the banned list from 26th June.  The English versions simply asked for testing + quarantine.  We studied it all and then completed the online passenger location form that Belgium asks of all visitors.  This will settle it, I said.  If they don't want us, they can say.  But nothing was said.  We decided the best way to do it was in plain sight.  We were armed with vaccination certificates and current test results.  We set off for Folkestone thinking (and accepting) that we might be turned away by French border control.  But he didn't ask where we going (or even if we had illegal pork pies - no comment).  And we were on the train without any problems.  The border to Belgium has no control but our UK number plates make us obvious to cameras and passing police cars.  We arrive happily at our beloved boat after 9 months.  She looks beautiful - she'd been cleaned and friends had left a snack lunch on the door step.  The phones beeped with text messages in response to our location forms.  Welcome to Belgium, please go for a covid test now and quarantine for 7 days.  They followed up today with phone calls.  Nobody has suggested we shouldn't be here so that's FINE.

Quarantine on our boat is no hardship even though I fancy a nice Belgian beer about now.  There's plenty of work to be done and plenty of time to do it.  Our first sad job was to put away dog bowls and bed that have been sitting here waiting for a hound that didn't return.  The boat really seems to lack something today and it's probably and oversized daft animal blocking the gangways.

We really should be partying today.  Sorting out the ship's papers, I realised that it's 10 years today since she was launched.  No party but I think she's glad to have us back again.

So that's it for now.  A few days of cleaning and minor jobs before yet another test next Tuesday.  After that we're free to head off - towards Ostend and along the coast to Diksmuide where we're going to be picked up by a crane - I'll explain another day.

Incidentally, there's a number of Brits quarantining on boats here.  Our immediate neighbours hit 7 days yesterday and have just passed us on the their way to the pub looking very smug.