Author: Nora

It’s 4am and I’m sitting in my little London hotel room looking out into a treed square of white Georgian houses in South Kensington. I’m bursting to tell you about my travels and its only been half a day plus a lot of getting here. I’m conscious it’s already 2pm in Oz and I need to post this story by 4.30pm……. so for this one, dear readers, the edit might be rubbish but let me share the story of getting to London from Melbourne after 2 plus years of lockdown and with Covid still sneaking around the world.

Let’s start at the very beginning… I probably bored you stupid with my last story about the 3 months it’s taken for the Australian Passport office to issue me with a new passport in the wrong name… or at least my 10 year’s ago married name… So when I arrived at Melbourne airport with my ticket in Vitins and  my International Vaccination certificate and New passport in Vitins- Sykes.. yes I too was a hyphen once…and being an anxious person I expected the worst.. I wouldn’t be allowed on the plane…

First travel  lesson…No one cared! But that played out after a 6 hour delay in my aircraft leaving Melbourne airport…scheduled at 11am… took off 5pm…. what does an intrepid traveller do when such  a dilemma strikes.. find the nearest bar/ restaurant/ lounge, which had me comfortably drinking wine and eating pasta for a couple of hours…..which is where I met Ben….

The lounge at the airport Parkroyal was set up for socially distanced dining which equated to some of the chairs being removed, so when Ben asked to sit at my table, I looked at this scruffy hobo eccentric and reluctantly agreed.  I stole glances at this grey-haired, ratty bearded little man with glasses, reading  a battered book  while sniffling in between soup slurping and decided I didn’t like him..it doesn’t take much when one sniffles in a time of Covid! But the hours are long and so we chatted. It turns out Ben is a doctor at the Hobart hospital, but an inveterate traveller, he was off for a 3 week stint on a small ship taking people to the Arctic circle…Ok ..this is interesting.. I forgot about the sniffles for a moment…… He’s the ships doctor for those 3 weeks for the scientists, photographers and conservationists who would be heading around Scandinavia and then the Arctic. From London he would be heading to Aberdeen to board the ship. Hours passed, stories exchanged, laughter and farewells.

I wandered into the International area of the airport but check- in didn’t open for another 2 hours….except a lovely Qantas man said I looked lost and could  he help. Clutching my swag of documents and steering my rebel suitcases, he called me to the counter and immediately checked me in. ” OH! You have 2 different names” he said… Oh here we go, I shuddered… ” That must be fun!” his parting line.. “Have a nice flight….!!!”

An energy bomb hit me as I wandered into immigration and customs.. I’m going to London! My International Vaccination Certificate QR code had worked, all my docs. were Ok...Have a nice flight! Oh I will!! So for the next 3 hours I walked around duty free and international departures..my racetrack. Most stores are defunct now..closed after the pandemic.. so if you’re thinking of buying Armani, Gucci or Cartier at the airport you’re out of luck… but at my end of the market I could grab a coffee from Brunetti and keep on walking!

A full flight… and yep you’ve guessed it.. there’s Ben the Sniffler and yep…. he’s sitting in the next seat to me! But with masks firmly in place he tells me not to worry about the sniffles.. they’re benign.. he was Covid tested yesterday. (Incidentally if you’re flying to a country requiring a covid negative test, Melbourne airport has a big testing centre that delivers results for PCR in an hour) Ben and I chat away comfortably, 2 traveller friends. Were joined in the Window seat by a 30 something woman with long red hair and a pretty summer dress..no track pants for Adele…. There’s a technical fault so were delayed for another hour, but as the engines finally roar and after 2 long Covid years I’m TRAVELLING OVERSEAS..23 hours in a tiny box, breathing stale air, with 300 masked mad people like me!!

Adele, Ben and Nora become a travelling team..I love how quickly connections form and momentary friendships are made. We travel. We connect. Then we drift away….

Adele is going to Oxford for 3 years to do a Phd! Christ,  she’s amazing..stay tuned for this one…. her field, in my language, is something like spacial geo astro mapping to save the planet..Honestly after 23 hours I still have absolutely no idea  what she does, but its clever.

Now let me report plane food is 10 times worse than pre-pandemic… you may emerge from the capsule hungry or with indigestion. Fruit, clearly is not recognised as a food group by QANTAS… but the row 50 Economy class company was wonderful, the films great and a valium got me 5 hours sleep. Darwin “international” airport is hilarious and in a quiet back corner of the 2×2 ( inches that is) lounge, the 3 amigos took it in turns to demonstrate yoga stretches, star jumps and in my case, yawning in 5 different ways. We’re delayed in Darwin for another hour.

Back on the plane we follow the little map on the screen.. oh look there’s Kabul.. we’re flying straight over it! Oh look there’s the Ukraine and Kiev…. phew that was a bit close but we swerved, did a wide angle to avoid this war zone…nice one pilot!

Finally, drained but excited, we hover over Heathrow.. we hovered for another hour….unable to land because it was so busy..Ben missed his flight to Aberdeen but the Qantas purser was scrabbling around trying to get new flights for all the transit passengers. Finally, we were able to land..it was late afternoon London time instead of the scheduled 5 am but I was ecstatic! The plane spewed out its cargo and I readied myself for more long waits and lots of British stiff upper lip bureaucracy. Not so… an E passport check took 3 seconds, no one asked me for my International Vaxx Caertificate!!!!! You’re joking!!! The pain and tears of getting all these documents together…I raced up to an official – looking man standing watching queues sift through Immigration… I thrust the International Vaxx certificate under his nose. ” Excuse me where do I have to show this IVC? ” ” Oh miss I’m just security, but there’s no one here to have a gander. Exit’s that way”

John Cleese where are you? So it took 10 minutes from getting off the plane, collecting my luggage and officially entering the UK.

Next Heathrow express to London. Carting my suitcases I find a kiosk selling train tickets. The Transport man is flustered. The credit card machine is cranky.. do we have cash? An African – American man with a beautiful smile heads off to find an ATM. A tired older woman with her husband in a wheelchair is trying to find the car and driver she booked to take them to Brighton. The Transport man asks me to just wait a little longer while he runs off to find the driver. While we wait, we chat. The couple were in Spain visiting their grandchildren but can’t wait for a good cup of tea at home in Cambridge.  Our American friend rejoins us, cash in hand but our transport man is still missing.. so we chat. He’s from New York, here to see his kids in Milton Keynes.the transport man returns.  Finally success, we are on our way.

It’s like coming home to enter the tiny hallway of the New Linden Hotel. The window boxes neatly planted with spring flowers, new staff but the same friendly service. Within moments I’ve shed my layers, suitcases and anxiety and showered, in clean summery clothes, I head into the sunshine of Kensington Gardens, stopping to pick up a lunch picnic at Pret a Manger. It’s glorious.. that freshly mown grass smell, (gardens not lunch!) rampant crazy English dogs with equally crazy English owners. The gardens are stunning- Daffodils are finished and now tulips, cherry blossom and lilacs bloom.  A bevy of gardeners run around. The English have a way of enjoying sunshine gently. They sit in deck chairs and read. They set up a little easel under the trees and sketch or paint. It’s simple and effortless.

I sit on the grass and eat my lunch, take in the activity and yet calm around me. I’m in the middle of one of the biggest cities of the world and yet find stillness. No masks in sight. People stroll, take meetings while walking the park. Nannies chase children and chat to each other in language from afar.

I made it. I’m back in London with 5 weeks of adventures before me. I’m blessed.

Ten sleeps. I’m like a hyperactive child waiting for the holiday to begin…are we there yet? Two suitcases lie yawning on the floor beside my bed and every day or so another shoe, hairbrush or Covid test kit gets thrown into the overflowing pile. It’s one thing to pack a capsule wardrobe and quite another to have asthma inhalers, masks and sanitizer as travelling companions….. Yes folks I’m heading to the UK next week..23 hours entrusting Qantas to deliver me safely and healthily at Heathrow with only a short refuel in Darwin… Australia to England…. a great flight that I did in 2019 too..so much easier than going to Dubai or Singapore and having to transit. But it feels a very different trip and already I know that the world has changed, and the world of travel has changed with it.

Are you planning an overseas adventure? Here’s what I’ve learned so far…..

1. Double the Preparation time for your trip…then add some more!

I allowed 3 months to renew my Australian passport because I needed to update a name change..the last remaining document in my married name. I divorced 9 years ago and have used my maiden name since then..time to tidy up this anomaly. Wrong. All government departments.. (and I ended up having to deal with 4 of them) are under pressure and time-frames have blown out. They are understaffed, sick with Covid, training new people and dealing with the flood victims in NSW and Queensland on top of nutters like myself who want to walk the Scottish highlands when there are perfectly decent hills here in Oz. One piece of paper, I was told by one government department, would take 20 months to be generated! I’ll deal with that when I get back!

I won’t try to explain the ” Yes Minister” feel to my 3 month escapade with government policies. Sum total? I have a new 10 year passport at a cost of $350 in my old married name, while I am actually divorced. After 3 months I’ve run out of time and needed an Australian passport to get out of the country.  Consequently, My International Vaccination Certificate- (You MUST have one of these..not the domestic certificate) is also in my married name!… passport and International Vaxx Certificate have to be in the same name. My British passport is in my maiden name so….I need a statutory declaration to say that there’s only one of me but I seem to collect names like some people collect frig magnets!

I honestly feel like changing my name to Wilhelmina Popcorn after all the fuss!

Now in your world, you probably have one life-long name that will cause no dramas.. in which case just apply on line for an International Vaccination Certificate…very easy.. it spits one out is 3 seconds!….

2. Travel Insurance

I always get travel insurance and never had to claim, but this time, at 72 years old and in a time of Covid..Omicron..B12 variant, I looked more closely at the fine print of different policies. A friend had visited a travel agent and was quoted $1600 for travel insurance….. buyers beware!. When you google and compare different policies, really spend the time to read them thoroughly. Age and health status obviously affect the price. Many policies do not cover Covid related claims. The good ones will cover all medical, cancellations, loss of luggage, documentation etc. Mine also allows $300 for extra pet boarding in case I need to stay in the UK because of covid!  Some policies state that if the government say of Britain, locks down the country because of covid many policy items cannot be claimed. The travel insurance policy document is complex and I suggest you prepare a list of queries to discuss with the insurer before signing on. My policy ended up costing around $360 for 6 weeks cover. It isn’t the cheapest available. Make sure covid related expenses are covered in whatever policy you select. I was really annoyed that I couldn’t get a discount because I don’t want insurance for a camera or DRONE! Yep Drone cover is standard in many travel  insurance policies!

3. The Medical Kit

I spent a good amount of time chatting with my doctor about what to take with me. Of course they sell covid test kits, masks, ventolin and panadol in the UK and Australia has a reciprocal medical arrangements with Medicare and the NHS..but the anxious voice inside me whispered…take Everything!!! So next to the duty free perfume in my suitcase will be 10 Rapid Antigen Tests, a pack of masks, a squillion small sanitizers..mine smell of eucalyptus.. seriously! And then there 60 days supply of my meds. for high blood pressure (yes I hear you……….. lady I know a quick way to reduce your high blood pressure…Don’t go overseas!)

I also have basic panadol, sudafed, asthma meds and the rest will play out as it will.. there’s being prepared and being paranoid….!

4. Accommodation

My trip takes in England and Scotland… I’m staying in each place for about a week. London and a hotel near Hyde park that I love to stay in. On to my home turf of Nottingham where I stay in a hotel dating back to the 18th century in the Lace market area. Then on to a cottage in Skipton, Yorkshire and a catch up with my dear friend Julia, who you may remember from her wonderful Viva70 articles about herbal medicine and well being. After a week of Yorkshire wanderings with Julia, I head to Edinburgh and a hotel near the castle, where I meet up with Lesley, a friend from Australia. For 2 weeks Lesley and I travel to Skye, Mull, Iona, Inverness, Fyfe and join a 5 day Rabbies tour of the Highlands. Then I fly back to London.

So accommodation in a time of Covid? I’ve stuck to hotels rather than B and B’s assuming, probably incorrectly, that hotels are required to adhere to safe cleaning practices. My stays are a week long so I’m not hopping from one place to another so minimizing the number of places I stay. Accommodation is less available than in previous years. Many B and B’s have closed over the last 2 years. While booking, it was harder to find accommodation. Some hotels in London wanted to be paid in full on booking. Others were more relaxed and take the full payment 2 days before you arrive. One funny little request from the Yorkshire cottage chain..Please bring your own towels because of Covid! I asked if I also needed to supply sheets? ”  Oh no luv..we give you sheets.” I didn’t question the logic!

In Edinburgh and London accommodation is expensive..more so than in 2019 when I was last there. So expect to pay more. In fact everything is more expensive than 2 years ago. Britain is expecting an inflation rate nearing 9% by the end of the year.

And finally…..

This may sound like gloomy picture of overseas travel in 2022..is that right? And the answer, leaping  out of my mouth is a “ Hell No!!”

For all the waiting, bureaucracy and frustration I am over the moon about stepping on that big plane again..smelling that plastic scented air when boarding and that stale, stinky air of cattle class 23 hours later. I can’t wait to arrive at Heathrow at 5am London time, when the airport is still and only a few sad, sleepy airport staff shuffle around doing their work, while I grin like a crazy woman from ear to ear. I can’t wait to ride a London cab and rattle through Hyde Park as dawn breaks to unload at my hotel. I can’t wait to have the stern – faced Russian hotel receptionist admonish me for arriving early, when check in is at 2pm..but breakfast is being served downstairs if I’m hungry and they’ll store my bags so I can walk to Kensington gardens and check out Diana’s sunken garden.

Who knows how it will all play out… this travel need of mine.. this pilgrimage to my homeland..all I know is that after a 2 year hiatus and at the age of 72, it HAS to play out..no more tinkering at the edges of life..just walk forward and embrace whatever awaits! Stay tuned…..

A what? What’s a forest apartment? Inner City? How do you grow forests on a building? You mean climbing plants, not forests? The mind boggles and being a person always attracted to creative, boggling minds I had to check this one out.

I came across the Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) concept in the work of architects from the Boeri Studios. (Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca and Giovanni La Varra) They have built a pair of inner city apartment towers in Milan in an area being rehabilitated. The smallest tower has 18 floors, 76 metres tall and the largest 26 floors and 110 metres high.

The tower blocks were opened in 2014 and contain more than 900 trees, 500 shrubs and 1,500 perennial plants on the terraces of the two towers. The blocks are residential apartments and the development also houses an 11 story office block. Boeri says that the forest towers concept was inspired by a novel by written by Italo Calvino about a forest dwelling man.

Why is this architecture so ground-breaking? Over the years our awareness of the role of plants in mitigating smog and producing oxygen has grown. We are seeing vertical gardens embraced in city apartments and the shrivelled cacti on a city balcony is hopefully, becoming a thing of the past!  Atrium and vertical gardens can be incorporated and retrofitted into office design for many years now.

But the Bosco Verticale has taken this concept to a new level. These tree packed high-rises help cities built for density, adding more beautiful housing while contributing to air quality and quality of life. Trees and plants are a most efficient and cost effective way to absorb the high levels of carbon dioxide generated in cities and another way to help combat climate change.

The 20,000 trees and plants in these buildings will convert approximately 44,000 pounds of carbon each year. Creating biodiversity is another benefit of this type of architecture, with more than 90 species of birds and insects already attracted to life at the Bosco Verticale.

Plants and trees are also used to moderate temperatures in the buildings in all seasons, shading the interiors from the sun and blocking harsh winds. The vegetation also protects the building and its inhabitants from noise and dust pollution so characteristic of inner- city life.

The Bosco Verticale development is self- sufficient by using renewable energy from solar and filtered waste water feeds the plants.

Given the weight of the urban forest the architects used steel reinforced concrete balconies to with stand winds. Balconies are designed to be 28cm thick and with 1.30 metre parapets.

Bosco Verticale is the first model of urban density of nature in a city and has won awards including the International High-Rise Award 2014. Many other such developments are being built in China and Europe.

6 years after completion the penthouse apartment on the 26 floor is offered for sale to buyers. The price is in excess of $17.5m

As I walked around a new apartment development in East Melbourne the other day, all these ideas collided. The East Melbourne apartment faces the much coveted Fitzroy gardens. Inner city apartments facing water or public parks are at a premium and prices are astronomical. The top floor East Melbourne apartment was selling for $8m!

It makes so much sense to create apartment developments with their own in-built gardens, forests, climate control and a level of sustainability that is no longer optional if we are to survive. As more forest apartments are built technologies will improve and the cost come down to create these very beautiful and forward thinking, sustainable apartments. I’d move in tomorrow? Would you?

Words by Nora Vitins. Images by Wikipedia, Unsplash and Boeri Studio newsletter.