Germany and Malta, May, 2022

  I had two COVID tests kits with me and needed to have a negative result within a day of my departure in order to get back into the US.   Today’s was a test run. It was a good thing- I’d fat-fingered my last name in the app   and had to jump through some hoops to fix it, and I ended up sitting in the floor with my phone propped up and the test kit on the floor so the “proctor” could see everything.   Negative- huge sigh of relief. I visited two museums, starting with the Egyptian Collection, which I didn’t even know existed until a few days ago.  It was magnificent- well- organized, well-documented and good descriptions in German and English.  It also brought in the influences of the Nubians and the Assyrians and continued through a few hundred years into the Christian era.  Helpful directions ("just a few steps to your left"). Detail from the statue shown above- the archaeologist had to deface it with his name and other information! An exhibit of art...

  I’d seen some instructions that the COVID test had to be within 24 hours of scheduled flight time (11:30 the next morning)   and some saying any time the day before was OK.   I decided to be cautious and wait till T minus 24 hours so I walked to the train station hoping to get a Sunday London Times.   The newsstand wasn’t open yet so I picked up the Suddeutsche Zeitung from a vending machine and enjoyed it out on my balcony.   There was   a lot of interesting material in it and I was pleasantly surprised how much of it I picked up with a little help from my German-English dictionary app. Today’s   was the real COVID test.   With trepidation I got on the app and put the second test kit in front of me.   The process was a lot easier after yesterday’s practice run but it felt like waiting on the results of a pregnancy test.   Watch it like a hawk as the test solution with the nose swab samples creeps up to the top of the test strip, see...

  United had already sent me an e-mail announcing that my flight was taking off at 12:10 instead of 11:30 this morning so I did a video workout after breakfast and then finished packing.   I arrived at the airport 2 hours before boarding time which seemed like plenty, but I’m not sure I would have made it without being able to use the Priority check-in and security lines. They still ask the questions about whether your luggage has been under your control, whether anyone has given you anything to take on board… at check-in and then as I neared the gate area.   Both the check-in agent and the Border Control agent asked what happened to my passport.   Border Control wanted some documentation of when I entered the EU to verify that I hadn’t stayed longer than permitted.   Happily, he accepted my Tripit app itinerary on my phone and I was on my way. I spent a lot of time walking around trying to get a refund of the 18% tax imbedded in the cost of the things I’d bou...