Looking back from Cafe Philo in Monflanquin

View from Cafe Philo

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 It's the last day of May. I left home May 7. It does not seem that long ago.  When we finally got to the Chopin Airport in Warsaw May 17, the agent told us we could not get on the plane to Toulouse because we did not have the correct Covid Test. We needed a PCR test rather than the rapid Covid Test we had taken in New York City.   I stared at the agent. I stared at Bill. To the agent, I presented my vaccination card. No, France does not care about your vaccinations.  I stared at Bill and the agent again.  It occurred to me to ask for the manager of Air France.  She arrived with the same story. If we boarded the plane without the PCR Test,  Air France would be fined. Well, we can't have that,  I thought.  Clearly, we would now miss our flight and be obliged to find a Covid testing facility in Warsaw. I pictured me and Bill, already overtired, hauling our suitcases all over Warsaw in search of a health center. Luckily and amazingly, we found a Covid testing center across from the departure gates in a Marriot Courtyard Hotel.   We filled out confusing Polish forms, got jabbed, and looked forward to getting the results online in 24 hours. In the meantime, we needed a place to spend the night. I rebooked our flight by phone as there is no Air France desk at the Chopin Airport.  The person who handed me the confusing Polish health center forms showed me how to call Air France with my American cell phone.  Rebooking turned out to be super easy and free of charge.  Now, where to stay? We asked about rates at the Marriot Courtyard and immediately reserved a room for the night.  Once installed in our room, we felt comfortable and safe and grudgingly accepted we would not be flying to France until the following day. We ordered room service which I never do, but now deemed a necessity as Covid restrictions in Poland, prevented us from dining in restaurants.  We spent the day reading, watching Netflix, and looking for our test results online.  Fortunately, we got them around dinner time and printed them at the hotel's business center. We dined wearing blankets on the hotel's terrace.  That afternoon, I insisted on walking around the deserted airport for exercise. At the one open coffee spot, I engaged in conversation with the barista. I don't know how but the subject of Jews in Poland came up. According to the barista, Poland does not acknowledge Jews. They are culturally invisible.  They don't exist. She told us she herself is Jewish.  I decided if I were further detained at the airport, I would come back to interview her. 

More about Cafe Philo in my next post......