Meanwhile in England

When I planned to visit England late last year, I had a much different plan than what actually occurred. I had planned to stay with my new partner, a charming Englishman I met in Thailand. We had planned on occasionally taking short trips around Europe together. Then Coronavirus came to Europe and those plans were scrapped due to lockdowns and travel restrictions.

York, England June 20, 2020 Photo by Nicole Bergstrom

London Just Prior to Lockdown

I went to London in mid March for a meeting regarding sustainable practices for business travel. My hotel and the meeting place were located in the Soho area of the city. It was still as busy as usual.

The bookstore was still alive in England

On this last trip to London I stopped in a Foyles Bookstore. 

I used to be a book hoarder. I have purchased thousands of books in my time both hardcover and paperback. My favorite genres include classic literature, biographies fiction and nonfiction. 

Spending a day in a bookstore is something I really miss. When I was living in Mt. Kisco, New York, my husband and I would take the children on the occasional Saturday or Sunday to the Borders store in town. We loved browsing the books and attending small events sponsored by the store. We loved the fact that we could browse without the pressure to buy, which led to buying most of the time anyway. 

In the last few years, online retailers like Amazon and e books have phased the brick and mortar bookstore out in America.

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Foyles Bookstore in Soho, London. March 11, 2020 Photos by Nicole Bergstrom

Riding out Covid-19

Since the end of March, I have been on lockdown in Northern England at my partner’s home. For two months, there were strict stay at home guidelines.

According to a recent New York Times article, my American passport will not allow me to enter the EU and other countries for the foreseeable future. Even though I have spent the past four months in the UK, my USA passport will determine where I can and cannot travel.

Once the stay at home order was relaxed, I went out to explore some local place of interest.

A Visit to Conisbrough Castle

I love castles. During my previous visit to England, I visited Windsor Castle. On one pleasant Monday in early May, I walked the perimeter of this 12th century castle. This is the castle that inspired Sir Walter Scott to write his 1819 novel Ivanhoe.

Lovely York

Last Saturday I spent the day walking around York with my partner. This is a popular tourist destination in Northern England. The city has many historical landmarks, plus the area called the Shambles has many shops and restaurants.

Recently, it has been announced that restaurants, pubs, movie theaters and hotels will reopen July 5th in England. It will be wonderful to see this lovely country wake back up. I am looking forward to exploring more of England this summer.

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