2020 Hindsight (And what’s up with 2021?)

I used to look forward to writing these blog posts that lay out what our plans are for the coming year. It was all so exciting and fresh, so much to look forward to in the coming year! For our travels in 2020, I wrote two of them! Thanks, coronavirus! This year is more of a retrospective. As you will see, we don’t have a clear picture yet of what our 2021 will look like.

In spite of a worldwide pandemic swirling around us, we still managed to do a fair amount of traveling this year, visiting a dozen countries in all, nine of them new to our travels. That was well short of our planned “20 in 2020” but hey, we all know about those Jell-O plans, right? Still, we traveled just over 8,000 miles, visiting countries on two continents. We traveled as far south as Tafroute, Morocco and as far north as Poel Island in Germany on the Baltic Sea.

We started our year off traveling to Morocco at the end of January. We loved Morocco, and especially our time with Karen and Myles of “The Motoroamers”. By the time we returned to Europe, it was early March and the coronavirus had taken over the world. We stopped in Spain long enough to retrieve a package and meet up with Jay and Julie from “Our Tour”. We look back on our time with them as the last “innocent” days before the reality of a changed world really hit us.
As we left Spain in early March, we made a beeline for the little aire in Sens, France, where we spent our first lockdown. We, like everyone else, struggled to come to terms with a strange and terrifying new world. In the end, we considered ourselves very, very fortunate to have landed is such a lovely place, with every amenity we might need, including two grocery stores just across the street. We mostly had the place to ourselves and we were very happy here. We look back on our lockdown as one of our happiest times, because given the circumstances, we felt very safe and secure.

Once things started to open up for travel, we hit the road. In between stays in the countryside, beside the sea and along lazy rivers, we managed to visit some fabulous world-class cities.

As soon as lockdown was over and we could travel, Germany was the first country we visited. We spent a lovely couple of weeks easing back into our travels along the lazy Mosel river. After visiting Salzburg, Vienna and Prague, we came back into Germany and headed to the shores of the Baltic Sea. Our stay here on Poel Island was as far north as we got in 2020. We were trying to outrun a heatwave and we did pretty well here. We stayed in this spot for two weeks, and overall in Germany, lazing along the rivers and enjoying the Romantic Road, for nearly six weeks. It’s a great place to spend a summer.
We spent two weeks in Austria, retracing the steps of Maria and the Von Trapp children throughout the city of Salzburg. We spent time in Vienna, entering a museum for the first time since lockdown. The Leopold was showing an exhibit of Egon Schiele’s work, one of Steven’s favorite artists, so we had to see it. We also returned to the scene of one of my favorite teenage memories, a tour of the famous Schonbrunn palace. It was as beautiful as I remember.
The Czech Republic was our fourth new country in 2020 and we absolutely loved it. We took a wonderful food tour and spent a lot of time eating at restaurants. It did dawn on us that few folks were not wearing masks or taking any kind of precautions, so we didn’t stay long, just a week, and we moved on. It’s a place we hope to return to when the world is a healthier place.
It was hard to tear ourselves away from the lovely marina on Poel Island on the Baltic Sea, but we finally did, and we traveled directly to Groningen in the Netherlands. Here we met up with friends Paddy and Dulcinea and enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the exciting university town. We loved the vibe of the place and know they will be happy there for a long while. From there, we visited Edam and Amsterdam before moving south to Gouda and on to Kinderdijk. We loved the Netherlands.
Though we spent less than 24 hours in Belgium, we managed to eat a fantastic array of stews and indulge in a fabulous Belgian waffle. I am not a big fan of waffles, but if I lived in Belgium, I would become one. It was one of the best things I have eaten!
After Belgium, we returned to France to get a new inspection sticker for Bijou, as well as a couple of other maintenance items done. Our next stop was Switzerland, but since we had been in Belgium, we had to wait 14 days before entering. While visiting Switzerland we spent time with friends and also visited my high school in Lugano. For me, this was a highlight of my time in Europe.
Our stop in Venice was the only one we would make in Italy. We hope to spend quite a bit of time there when things are safer, but since it was right on our way to our winter destination, we figured why not stop. We had a fabulous time, indulging (again!) in fabulous food and drink. It was here we came to understand that the second wave of Covid was well underway.
Before making our way to our winter home, we took four days to visit Lake Bled in Slovenia. It was stunning and we’re so glad we took the time to visit.

For the most part, other than the three-month lockdown we spent in France from March 16 through June 15, we have been able to travel freely with few restrictions related to Covid-19. It was when we arrived in Italy we knew things were starting to change. While making reservations at the campground in Venice, we had to provide a list of places we had been in the previous two weeks. While we were in Venice, masks became mandatory throughout Italy both indoors and out. The only place they were not required was in your own home.

By the time we reached Croatia, the second wave of Covid-19 was in full swing. In response, countries all around us began to implement strict measures, including closing borders to all but essential travelers. We are by no means essential. At the time, Croatia was still open for business and we enjoyed visiting the local sites and restaurants, but this soon changed. At the end of November, bars and restaurants closed and just this week travel has been restricted to the county in which we reside. For us, that is Krk Island.

Our first stop in Croatia was Vrsar. It’s where we rented a little cottage and moved out of Bijou. We have not lived in her since, which kind of makes me sad. I miss her.

There goes our New Year’s Eve, we had planned to travel to Split and celebrate with our friends Brad and Oksana. That’s not going to happen, as this latest restriction is set to last until January 8th, but who really knows.

As for our travel plans in 2021, being non-essential, there are not many places we can go in Bijou. We could repatriate to Ireland or we could put her in storage and return to the U.S. Neither of these options is appealing at the moment. The other option is to stay right here in Croatia and hope that freedom of movement is allowed after the holidays. There are a ton of things to do and see in Croatia, so that is what we have decided to do, at least until things start opening up again for tourism and travel.

I am only allowed to stay in Croatia for 90 days so in theory I should leave on January 13. So that we can stay here legally, we submitted all the paperwork to get an extension in Croatia, basically a temporary residence visa. Ordinarily Steven wouldn’t have to worry about residency because he is an EU citizen, but he is essentially sponsoring me, so he also had to fill out paperwork.

We had to have our marriage certificate translated into Croatian and provide a few other bits and bobs of information. We made three trips to the police station here in Krk, the first to find out what they needed from us, the second to turn it all in and a day later to get our temporary residency papers.The whole thing was free and we are now legal to stay here. We’re not sure how long this lasts because there is no expiration date on the papers, but we plan to be long gone before anyone would bother questioning our status. Fingers crossed.

The local police station in Krk Town. There was a line the first time we visited, and we waited over an hour and a half just to get information. That’s because a lawyer was in there handling the immigration cases for several people at one time. The next two times we came here we didn’t wait at all.

On the vaccine front, Steven and I plan to get it as soon as it becomes available to us in the next few weeks. Not only do we want to be safe, we also want to be ready for what may be required of travelers in the future. The vax could be a crucial element, particularly with regards to flying.

So as it stands now, we anticipate staying in Croatia until travel is once again allowed throughout the EU. We have re-upped to stay put in our little cottage by the sea. Ultimately our goal this year is to get to Norway. How and when that happens is anyone’s guess. As we know more, you will know more.

In the meantime, Steven and I wish you a Happy New Year!


Up Next: Steven’s Favorite Photos (and videos!) of 2020


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27 Comments

  1. Melissa

    As always, good to hear from you. Times are certainly different and difficult but we will get through it! Stay safe, healthy and enjoy Croatia! Here’s hoping 2021 will be a happy and healthy one🥳

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you, Melissa! We appreciate you coming along for the strange ride and for taking time to comment. Fingers crossed that 2021 will be a better year for us all!

  2. Dolores Tanner

    And a Happy New Year to you both!!!
    You know it is a little silly that I think of you guys and worry about your situation and what in the world is happening… Then get the blog and you are just fine! Lots of paperwork, but a lovely little cottage by the sea is not a bad place to have to stay in place
    Plans change, life throws pitch balls into the works, things turn as they will….
    We are having a lovely, clear, sunny, crisp day here in Central Oregon. Happy in my home.
    Take Care and God Blesd

    1. 2chouters

      Delores, it makes me feel very happy that we are in the thoughts of others. In spite of the beauty of coastal Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, we are living a fairly lonely life right now. Good thing we like each other, right? 🙂 We appreciate you taking time to comment and are happy to know you are safe and snuggly in your home. Oregon is one of our favorite places! See you in the New Year!

  3. Janet Corneail

    I love reading your blog. You are fortunate to be in your little cottage. We are feeling trapped here in Michigan. Normally we would be traveling in our RV someplace much warmer! For now we are staying put until a vaccine becomes available. Our blog may take a year off!

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you for your kind words, Janet. We love Michigan and look forward to returning there someday. I know it is bitterly cold, but if you’re snuggled up at home, it’s got to be so pretty when the snow comes. I love snow and rarely get to be in it. I lived in Alaska years ago and watching the snowfall with the fireplace blazing was my happy place. But you are right, a little cottage by the Adriatic Sea is pretty wonderful, too. Happy New Year to you and yours!

  4. Jodee Gravel

    Love the postcards!! What a year – one none of us could have predicted. It’s a blessing you both had your traveling chops so you could make the best of limitations and restrictions. Also a mixed blessing that you were able to visit so many places without the usual crowds! Good eating doesn’t hurt either 🙂 I was hoping you could re-up at your little seaside cottage and am excited you’ll be there until free movement returns. Happy Happy New Year to you both!

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks, Jodee! Yes, we are here for the long haul. At least another month. But I so miss being in Bijou. We have vowed to move back to her at the end of January even if we don’t travel. That said, the cottage is still a better deal than a pitch! So never say never. We think of you guys often and hope you are doing well. We miss you. So stay safe and have a very happy new year!

  5. Miriam Charna

    Wishing you both Happy New Year and safe travels. Sending greetings from NYC, where my husband and I are in quarantine. Cannot wait until we can once again travel to Europe and everywhere else, too. Stay well!

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you, Miriam! Happy New Year to you, too! It’s difficult for us to keep up with what’s going on at a state level, but I think you’ve been in lockdown in NYC since last March? Ugh, no wonder you are ready to travel! I think it might be a little while longer before travel really opens up. We often wonder what this resort would look like full – 2800 people instead of 8. LOL, I can’t even imagine!

  6. Connie Farquhar

    Happy New Year Linda and Steven! I really enjoyed the postcard pictures. I’m glad you were able to do the traveling you did do and to share your adventures and pictures with us. Can’t wait to see your next post with Steven’s photos.

    1. 2chouters

      Happy New Year to you and Larry! I hope you are getting settled into your new home for the new year! As usual, Steven has put together a good batch of favorites for his end of the year retrospective, so stay tuned!

  7. Bill Joyce

    Just like you, our travels were not as we planned this year. Now we are holed up in our park model in Arizona, where everything we need is close by. We are cooking more and trying new recipes. We added an Instant Pot in November and it is a keeper. Diane’s youngest sister, the doctor, is getting her first vaccine shot on Tuesday.

    1. 2chouters

      Hey, Bill, good to hear from you! I suppose now you look back on the park model purchase as being an extra great decision! How wonderful to have a place to stay safe. When we first moved to Europe, the Instant Pot was among our first purchases! I had one before and left it with our son in Bellingham, and he’s using it now. Even though space is extremely limited in Bijou, the IP (Fifi) gets a place in the closet. 🙂 Happy New Year to you and Diane!

  8. Heather Pendergast

    Hi Steven & Linda thank you for your blog I have enjoyed them so much I feel like I am travelling around those wonderful places with you. Happy New Year to you both and stay safe xxxx

  9. Julie

    Great recap of an extraordinary year. You guys have got so much travelling done despite the circumstances, so you deserve a chance to stop and relax for a while. Great that you managed to get an extension to stay too, we might need something similar for future winters 😉
    I also look back on our time in Cadiz as BC (before Covid), I can’t believe how much the world has changed since we had those tiny shrimp fritters with all those eyes! Have a great New Year in your cottage by the sea and I hope our paths cross again one day soon. Ju x

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks, Julie! We got lucky in our travels, and yeah, we were ready to slow down a bit. I know, however, that after the holidays we’re going to be ready to go..somewhere…anywhere! I’m so happy you and Jay made it back to Zagan and that all is well on that front. You barely made it out! Happy New Year to you and Jay and we’ll keep our eyes open for an opportunity to meet up once again!

    1. 2chouters

      Indeed! You and Steve also seemed to be traveling a bit this year, you’re about the only ones I see moving about! I hope Steve is doing better and that he is recovering from his eye trauma. What a weird thing that was to happen! Happy New Year to you both!

    1. 2chouters

      Right? Not only because of the travel itself but also because of the lack of other people! I’d rather have a safe world to travel in, but I’m happy we were in a place where we could still enjoy at least some travels. Hope you are enjoying Tucson for the holidays! Happy New Year!

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you, yes, we have our fingers crossed that things will start to open up soon. At the very least we’d like to continue traveling in Croatia! Happy New Year to you guys!

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks, Tracy. Happy New Year to you and Lee, glad to read you got some holiday time with Oliver and his parents! Being away from family has been the hardest part of our decision to stay in Europe. I surely hope 2021 doesn’t disappoint us! 🙂 Stay safe!

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