Where were you when..?

One month into lockdown, I reflect on my last trip abroad before life drastically changed.

We turn on the radio on our way to the airport. It’s a talkshow and the theme of the day seems to be uncertainty. Coronavirus cases in Italy continue to rise and its people face lockdown. What’s unknown is how the virus might effect the rest of Europe at this time. The UK policy seems to be ‘business as usual’. We nervously check the foreign office advice daily and were perhaps a little surprised to find ourselves on our way to Valencia. 

It was the 9th March on a packed plane. Everyone was excited to arrive away from the gloomy British weather to the Vitamin D heatwave ahead of us. Coronavirus wasn’t mentioned at the airport except for the few occasional signs. It was like the elephant in the room. 

We had arrived in Valencia where the celebration of Las Fallas Festival was underway. This is a month long fiesta involving pyrotechnics, large scale cartoon like sculptures and impromptu firework displays. Everyday at 2pm, thousands of people flock to the centre of the city in front of the City Hall for Mascaleta. This tradition lasts throughout Las Fallas where over 200 kilos of gunpowder are set alight creating a groundbreaking show of sound. To me, it seemed like the impending outbreak was long forgotten as people watched side by side, confined to the crowd and sense of tradition. 

The next day, following a large scale outbreak in Madrid, Las Fallas was suspended. For the next couple of days, we kept our distance as things slowly ground to a halt. The streets began to quieten, the figures were dismantled and restaurants shut their doors. 

On our final day in Valencia, we walked through the now eerily quiet central square where just days ago thousands had gathered. In a symbol of solidarity and hope, the centrepiece of the Fallas festival (a meditating woman) was given a face mask. The stark contrast made me face up to the reality that this was going to have a large impact on my life and the lives of many others. 

When we arrived at the airport to return to England, flights were being cancelled before our eyes. The plane was half empty. Face masks and gloves were now worn by many and anxious frowns had replaced the excited smiles from five days previously. It was a bumpy landing and a sense of uncertainty approached as we arrived not knowing what to expect. Surprisingly, in the UK airport nothing had changed and no information was given.

On the 14th March, Spain announced its lockdown and flights from the UK were turned around mid air. Strict measures were announced about leaving your home and social distancing. Every day I watched the death toll rise in Spain and wondered whether the UK would be next.

A month later, sat in lockdown, it seems a long time before we will be able to travel again. Valencia stands as a ‘where were you when?’ moment in my life as the reality and severity of a once in a lifetime global pandemic truly hit us all.