Week 3-4 Covid Lockdown Letters
This series of weekly letters is designed to support, distract and share first hand experience from Austria during the time of the Covid-19 lockdown. You can see previous letters here and here.
With the end of March merging quickly into April, and my regular monthly round up winging its way to inboxes, these two weeks have melted into each other.
It seems to be the way of these strange days - that are becoming less strange the longer they last.
What life is like in Austria during Lockdown
The sunshine is slowly coming back, warming up our morning walks through empty parks. Parks filled with runners who look surprised at themselves for their sudden passion for exercise.
Where children's play areas are lightly cordoned off with flapping plastic barriers - but police cars slowly roll down the sandy wide footpaths, eyeballing groups that edge towards too large, moving on people who linger too long.
We've built new habits, new rhythms, new ways to 'see' each other without breaking the lockdown limits.
Socially distanced Romeo & Juliet catchups
I've found myself inexplicably baking and cooking more than I ever have in my life.
It's like I've been given a free pass to catch up on the adult skills I skipped in favour of travelling, working and being a career woman in my twenties.
But now, taking the time, having patience to learn and to fail, and fuckup recipes, and be triumphant in victory of a dish that we devour is proving soothing and satisfying in its own right.
To me, it feels like slowly building an arsenal of skills, of patience that will hopefully serve me in the long term. Starting the habit of making pancakes on the weekend, being able to whip up some hummus for a snack attack, all these little things that I think will stay with me, long after the crisis passes.
Like everyone, I tried baking banana bread - and utterly ruined my first attempt, which didn't rise at all. But the second - the second one was a delight. We nibbled at it throughout the week, and the simplicity of making my own coffee, sitting in our kitchen/lounge, and enjoying a slice made me so so grateful for the small joys and comfort we are still lucky enough to have.
This weeks victory was for sure conquering butter chicken at home - a comfort dish we regularly order out at least once a week. The mystery of it unwrapped, I feel confident that - given enough time - I can do this, I can whip up comfort food when needed. (This video definitely helped though!).
What about Work?
A lot of friends and colleagues in my industry have lost jobs around now, as the reality kicks in. Many have seen their businesses plummet, or shut completely, and all I can think is - the people have always mattered more than the job.
All of our careers have uncertain futures, but the connections I have from working in touring, travel blogging and guiding are some of the best humans to work and travel with.
So right now it sucks, but being an optimist, I'm seeing the positive - people offerring support for each other, banding together to support hostels, share job opportunities with each other and reflect on how we can do better in future to make travel as accessible and sustainable as possible.
I have a LOT of thoughts about how Slow Travel and staying close to home is likely to be an emerging trend (unsurprising as a slow travel blogger haha) but in respect of the current uncertainty, am going to let them brew a little longer before sharing.
What I do know for sure - we have passed through the 'golden age' of travel 'influencers' posting vapid beauty shots from glam locations, supporting brands that have a destructive impact on the planet.
Getting through this means questioning everything that came before - and how we can do better, for travellers and for the impacted communities of destinations. You only need to see the stunning images of Venice without tourists to understand that we cannot go back to what it was, and we will find a way to revive the very important economics of tourism, with better awareness of how to manage it without destroying what's important.
Getty images via the
Good Reads and Distractions for the week(s)!
So first, let me begin with a question inspired by this Twitter thread, listing the simple, petty things I'm missing from life before Lockdown.
What petty things are you missing the most? They have to be really trivial - “hugging mum” for EG much too meaningful. I’ll start:
- eastenders
- flat whites
- pretending I’m a natural blonde
Okay next person
— Pandora Sykes (@PINsykes) March 30, 2020
For me it's things like;
Morning chat with my fave baristas
Putting outfits together everyday
Judging people for being loud on a tram
Watching old rich Austrian ladies be rude in Spar
Tell me the petty things you're missing in the comments!
After my romcom book binge last week, this weeks good reads and reccs are a little more varied for you.
Of course, we binged Tiger King like everyone else looking for an escape from reality by watching the ludicrous horror of a strange subset of society who keep tigers caged.
'It’s so crazy that a convicted drug trafficker from Florida who is allegedly the inspiration for Al Pacino’s Scarface is the least remarkable person on the show.'This article is a great follow up to the nutso reality and content proliferation off the back of it.
This Atlantic piece, takes a harder view and questions the ethics of a show that should be about tigers, but covers everything else in the name of storytelling. 'Tiger King is also the latest and most acute iteration of a Netflix trend toward extreme storytelling, the more unfathomable and ethically dubious, the better.'
This post from Alexandra Franzen really resonated this week. 'When everyone online is screaming for attention, a noisy cluster of never-ending pixels, cultivate the opposite. Be the quiet leader. Speak with discernment. Say more with fewer words.'
Ann Patchett is one of my favourite writers, so inhaling her latest, The Dutch House, was an easy joy. Centred around the lives of two siblings who grew up in an improbably beautiful mansion, until their lives take an unexpected turn. Its gorgeously written, the characters as infuriating as they are recognisable and the story itself has enough intrigue to have you doing that thing where you accidentally stay up til midnight reading.
Right this is a weird one, but extremely diverting from the current moment, and a story I still can't quite believe really happened. The fatal hike that became a Nazi propaganda tool.
And for something a liiiiiitle lighter, after a lot of chat on Instagram about time handling techniques, I whipped up this quickie video to make my YouTube debut, sharing my process for planning the week and reducing decision making. Basically my survivial tactic from years of stress and overwhelm to manage my workload. You can check it out here, please be kind!
*Heads up! The following articles are Corona-adjacent topics, so if you want to steer clear, this of your official warning*
This piece about a family in New York, suffering in a claustrophobic apartment through Corona has haunted me all week. Thankfully, things seem to be improving, but sheesh. I Know the Day We Got It.
Unbelievable luck, or horror movie waiting to happen? A couple on their dream honeymoon find themselves stuck in a luxury resort as Corona descends onto the Maldives. 'The resort comprises the entirety of its speck of an island. There is nowhere to go. The couple reign like benign yet captive sovereigns over their islet. 'They were the last couple in Paradise. Now they're Stranded.
As ever, Lola so eloquently expresses what we're all going through in the travel industry. How do you cope when your entire industry evaporates overnight? She spoke on this topic (albeit in slightly different context) at an event I attended last year, and I always appreciate her generous insight and wise advice. Basically want her to be my creator-fairy-godmother!
How you can Help Now + Handy Resources
As so much of this weeks focus has been on travel, I thought I'd shout out some ways you can support the industry during the crisis - if you have the means.
This is a fab campaign to #adoptahostel to get them through this dry patch where no one can travel. You can buy a voucher or make a donation to help keep a hostel afloat. Check the details here.
My friends at the Keep Eco Residence Salzburg have opened up their hotel restaurant for takeaway meals of deliciously good vegan food. If you're in Salzy definitely give it a try!
In the coming weeks and months, restrictions on travel within Austria will likely be lifted, and plenty of small local businesses in tourism-reliant regions will be eager for us to visit them. Get in early and nab yourself a voucher or flexi booking at some of your favourite hotels and destinations. I'm for sure wanting to return to Graz, maybe have a lovely meal at Magda's Hotel in Vienna and am hoping in autumn to return to gorgeous countryside Styria and stay at one of the lush Therme Resorts as soon as we're allowed! <----- stay tuned for more from me about supporting slow travel within Austria soon!
If like many of us, you find yourself without work or funds right now, that's ok too! Not everyone is in the financial position to book hols just yet, but you can still offer support to some of your favourite travel brands and places - like their posts, comment on their articles, recommend them to friends or just share your stories about your visit there on social media to help them out. It really does make a difference
For up to date advice in English on all the latest for Corona I've found this daily update from our friends at Metropole super helpful.
That's it for this week, I hope you and your are keeping calm and staying home. We're getting there you guys!