After so many years of not being willing or able to take proper holidays, this year was going to be one of adventures - not round the world cruise style adventures, but a whole week, maybe even a fortnight, away from home, probably in Scotland. I was going to book some AirBnBs, then keep an eye on the weather, and if things looked good sling the tent in the car boot and extend our time away.
Needless to say, things haven't worked out that way.
The year started well - an overnight trip to Manchester visiting my younger daughter, and a few nights in Norfolk at the end of February. But even then, people were worried about coronavirus, and talking about a lockdown.
Since then, everything feels like it's been put on hold and I'm back to my standard staycation plans. By this I don't mean going to Cornwall or Scotland; that's a holiday for me. By 'staycation' I mean staying home, pottering round the garden, and just going out for day trips.
I've done this before but this year is noticeably different. For starters, of course, there were so many weeks through Spring when we just weren't allowed to go anywhere. Then, as restrictions were gradually lifted, I wasn't too sure about going out to places that might be crowded - I live too far from the seaside to nip there for an afternoon, but I've seen many photos of local beauty spots as busy as south coast beaches. So we stuck to local places which we know have wide footpaths, excellent for social distancing. Then, when the first rush for tickets died down, we visited local National Trust properties - Calke, Kedleston, Hardwick and, a little further afield, Belton - and privately-owned Chatsworth. Their gardens and parks have proved invaluable for getting outside and taking exercise, and I'm now trying to work two days out each week into my diary. It's not like I really have that much else happening.
One thing I have missed this year is going to festivals. I'd had tickets booked for a small folk festival, Tangled Roots, and had hoped to be able to visit Timber 'forest' festival and Hay and Edinburgh book festivals. Fortunately most have put a mix of old and new content out online, so it's possible to pretend I've been.
Better safe than sorry has been my motto throughout this whole crisis - going into lockdown earlier than the government insisted, doing all shopping by mail order or click and collect, not eating out but sticking to the occasional takeaway - and so for now, and quite a while to come, I'll stick to the sort of place where I can walk quietly, away from crowds.
I'm still hoping there might be chance of an autumn getaway - to an isolated moorland cottage, or a cabin deep in a forest, somewhere new to walk and take in different views - but if that doesn't happen, I'll survive.
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