The decision has been made, and I no longer have to wonder about how to manage not getting coronavirus while on a plane. Today I logged onto the website of my travel agent where I saw this message:

Owing to the evolving COVID-19 situation and government travel advisories and restrictions, Trafalgar, Insight Vacations, Costsaver, Brendan Vacations and Luxury Gold are temporarily suspending operations in Europe, the UK, the Middle East, Asia and Argentina of all guided vacations commencing from 13 March 2020 until 30 April 2020.

All guests currently booked on a guided vacation during this temporary suspension may change their travel dates or destination. We can assist you with your new date or destination for any time in 2020 or 2021, with a full credit of all monies paid for the land portion of the trip redeemable against your revised journey to any destination.

So, I’m sorry to say that I won’t be going to Russia in April after all. I guess it’s a good thing that I bought travel insurance for this trip! I never dreamed, however, that the trip would be cancelled because of a pandemic.

As an alternative, I considered going to North Carolina to hear former student Joey Fala play at Easter, but he told me services at Duke University and Chapel of the Cross have been cancelled, so there was no point in coming.

And when I called my sister-in-law in Atlanta to ask if I should still come, she said that any attraction they would like to show me would likely be closed. The shelves in the grocery stores are not only empty of toilet paper and hand sanitizer but apparently the meat counter was also sold out!

Luckily, organist Monica Czausz arrived in Hawaii this afternoon, and I took her to. Central Union Church to see the Aeolian-Skinner organ and to meet its organist, Margaret Lloyd. She will be playing a concert here on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 pm.

We had a little time before dinner so I took her to see the Beckerath organ at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu.

I took her to Rangoon, a Burmese restaurant only a block away from my condo, where we had tea leaf salad, coconut curry with beef, and shrimp and vegetable cups. Mmmm…. delicious!

Tomorrow I host a “meet and greet” heavy pupu reception with the board members of the American Guild of Organists. We are in for a fun weekend!