όμικρον

Unlike “normal” people who perhaps follow Champions League, I find myself constantly reloading Our World in Data’s Covid-19 data explorer. Though the numbers have plateaued in South Africa where the omicron variant was first detected, both Denmark and the UK are currently seeing an explosive growth in the number of new cases, and one cannot help but wondering when Sweden will join almost every other country in Europe in the fourth, or whatever, wave it now is.

As such, with new tickets booked for the March edition of the Cyprus Marathon, and Northumberland Ultra before that in late February, I am back wondering what sudden border closures and testing requirements that lie ahead. While the UK is somewhat of a wild card due to Brexit, I should say that I am fairly optimistic about travelling within Europe and, with the excellent travel insurance that I have found that covers all costs related to any hotel quarantine, I think I am ready to gamble.

Were it not for my parental obligations, I would even consider travelling overseas. For instance, right now, prices seem to be very affordable for accommodation in Thailand, but it would not feel right to bring the kids into this crazy world of outdoor mask mandates and deep nasal swabs. Instead, I simply find myself making a South-East Asia classic with cauliflower, ginger and lime for dinner.