Sunday, 23 August 2020

22nd – 23rd of August – Departure

While my post announcing this tip notes it starts the 23rd, the time of departure meant it would be much easier for me to start on the 22nd by booking a room in a hotel room near the airport. In these times it meant that I could get a room at the hotel at the airport at a reasonable price so I wouldn’t have to get up before 5 to have a chance at getting to the airport in time. 

On checking in in the evening I was confronted with “I have upgraded you to a superior room, I hope you don’t mind”. Sigh – I guess I’ll just have to live with that. I went up to the room on the top floor of the hotel (on the 15th floor) but unfortunately it turned out to not have a view of the airport itself (definitely complaint-worthy!). 

Looking down in the center of the hotel. Symmetry!

The view from the top floor of the hotel. Completely unacceptable!

I was informed that the cold breakfast would be out from 0400 and the hot would be out from 0630. I was fine with that, but when coming down to the restaurant at around 0600 I realized that everything had already been put out! So I got to have a nice breakfast before checking out from the hotel and getting to the terminal and handing over my baggage. 

The flight was uneventful but arriving at Torshavn it was overcast and with slight rain, but in spite of the unstable weather we managed to arrive at 0900, 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. 

After receiving out bags we were led to a testing area where all were tested for Covid-19. A long q-tip was rubbed down our throat (also tests your gag reflex and yes, mine still works!) and we were asked to isolate ourselves until we receive the result of the test. Basically, they would get in touch with us as soon as possible but we could consider ourselves negative if we didn’t hear anything before noon tomorrow. 

I grabbed my booked taxi and went to my hotel. Arriving at 1000 I was there before the normal check-in time but I asked if it would be possible to get a room anyway. I was faced with the choice of checking in now and getting a double bed with two single mattresses, or wait a few hours and get another room with a double bed with a single mattress, so I decided to wait. 

I sat in their breakfast restaurant in the far corner and had a bit to drink. After a bit I considered going for a walk but at the same moment the receptionist came over and let me know that the room was ready for me. So, as I was asked at the airport I went to my room and stayed there for the day, watching TV to kill time. For everybody’s safety, obviously. It went well until reaching the evening when I was starting to get a bit hungry and I realized that I hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast at the hotel. Getting late I was considering trying to find a place that wouldn’t have much contact with others, and I was about to make up my mind when around 2100 I received a text informing me that neither I nor anyone else on the flight had been tested positive. 

So… Time for food! 

A quick pizza later I was back in the room and continued what I was doing so well: relaxing.

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