Our first full day of vacation is dedicated to getting to our destination. We’ve mostly packed our bags the day before, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to do before getting on the plane. We had to move the cats, and, while they might be less than a tenth our size, they require at least five times more luggage. Between packing, transporting and setting up the cats at their five-star resort (my aunt’s house) and getting the house ready for our departure, almost half the day was behind us. Still, I expect the first day to be the busiest of the next four weeks and, with the second half being all about sitting, waiting, eating, and being ferried around, I would not call it strenuous.
For all the talk about flight delays, mile-long security lines, and terrible airport experiences, I must say that it doesn’t seem to apply to Quebec City. Our security line was four people long, meaning there were two people ahead of Karine and me. We were clearly instructed to leave everything in our bags except the laptop and liquids. We followed the instructions, half expecting our bags to be with all of the radio-opaque items like iPads and cable bags, which usually results in a search, but to our delight, no bags were searched, and we flew through security. From the moment I paid for the cab, we were sitting in the lounge, and only ten minutes had gone by. I’m not saying this is the experience everyone has, but ours was smooth and flawless—a rare surprise when travelling.
It’s been a while since we’ve needed to wear a face mask. My original understanding is that you need to wear a mask at all times (except when eating) from the moment you step into the airport until you exit the airport at your destination. While not the most fun rule, it was easy to understand. It turns out, in Canada, the rules are different. You must wear a mask when going through security, boarding, while on the plane, and while deplaning. Other than at those specific times, it’s mask-optional. While I appreciate the added comfort, I wish the rules were easier to understand. Large signs indicating that masks are required upon entering the zone would be of tremendous help. Turns out the signs do exist, but you’ll find them online, on the “COVID-19 information posters for air travellers” page on Transport Canada’s website. Quebec City Airport requires you to bring your own signs, which is somewhat unusual for an airport.
One thing that hasn’t changed since I started travelling and wasn’t affected one bit by the pandemic: airlines are and will remain the undisputed champion of optimism. You and 200 other people are in front of the gate; nobody has boarded yet. We’re minutes from the scheduled departure time, and the gate agent will come on the PA to announce a slight 15-minute delay. Everybody knows that the plane will be departing an hour late by the sheer fact that it’ll take more than half an hour to get every ass in the seats. Yet, the ethereal optimist gate agent, Mr. Glass, is half-full from the moment a single drop of liquid is in the darn glass, will reassure everyone that it’ll be a short 15-minute delay. He’ll even do it in at least two languages. Yet, pretty much everyone waiting knows it’ll be an hour delay if we don’t have to wait for a connecting passenger. Frankly, I don’t think it’s a big deal to be realistic and admit it’ll be a long while. On a transatlantic trip, I’ll be sitting on my ass for many hours, so adding one doesn’t make that big of a difference.
At the end of our first day, the plane took off, we had a fairly decent meal with a good amount of wine and slept two-thirds of the way, dreaming of the warm weather awaiting us at our destination.