Berlin, Before The Storm

I was just sent to Berlin to train some new hires for the company I work for. I arrived in the afternoon and was able to spend some time with my friend Jude. We talked about how crazy different life was back in Florence, and how much of a shock it was for me coming from Florence and getting off the plane in Berlin. It was honestly like stepping into another world – from everyone wearing masks on the plane coming from Italy – to only the Italians wearing masks in the airport in Berlin. It was honestly a bit unsettling, and although Jude told me in advance that everything was honestly just ‘normal’ in Berlin still – it still caught me by surprise and was a bit uncomfortable. Walking from the bus stop to the apartment – even though no masks were to be found – still felt unnerving and heavy. Perhaps a lot of people were just at work, but there was a weight in the air I hadn’t felt before during previous trips to Berlin.

We hung out at his place and I told him about the new Canon 300MM f2.8L IS I lens I had just taken a road trip to purchase down in Puglia a few months ago. This conversation led us to wanting to take photos of the moon, so I gave him some tips about how to get the best results – even with a lens that wasn’t so intense (or expensive). It always makes me happy to be able to teach someone something new, and I had a great time with him just experimenting with different techniques to see what worked best.

The next morning I went to the office to start my day, and after a few hours of work I received word that Italy was locking down its borders in 3 days due to the pandemic. I had to take an emergency flight back to Florence which was one of the most stressful experiences of my life.

Thankfully the same day I was able to find space on a flight going back to the same day. I told my coworkers goodbye and headed for the airport. When I got to the airport it was just me and 20 other Italians that were waiting in line to board the plane at the gate – and we were still the only people in the airport wearing our masks. I was the first one on the plane, and as everyone else boarded the plane we all spread out so we wouldn’t sit near each other because it made sense – not that it was required.

The next morning I went to the office to start my day, and after a few hours of work I received word that Italy was locking down its borders in 3 days due to the pandemic. I had to take an emergency flight back to Florence which was one of the most stressful experiences of my life.

Thankfully the same day I was able to find space on a flight going back to the same day. I told my coworkers goodbye and headed for the airport. When I got to the airport it was just me and 20 other Italians that were waiting in line to board the plane at the gate. I was the first one on the plane. We all put our masks on and boarded the plane spread out so we wouldn’t sit near each other. 

Where it got crazy though was when we landed in Bologna. Exiting the plane we had to go through what felt like E.T. decontamination chambers, and people in HAZMAT suits scanned us to make sure we weren’t infected. After I went through that I had to fill out forms specifying exactly where I was coming from, where I was going to next, and what method of transportation I was using. I also had to write down my phone number, emergency contact, etc. At the next checkpoint police officers checked my documents and let me through. 

I then proceeded to get on a bus that took me to Bologna Centrale train station. At the entrance of the train station my documents were checked again, and I had to fill out new papers for my new destination which was the Florence Train Station. Once I filled out my documents again I proceeded inside to wait for my train. It was honestly so surreal – I only saw maybe 10-15 people at the train station over the course of my nearly two hours there waiting for my train, not including the numerous police officers. It seriously felt illegal to be there. While waiting for my train, police officers came by to check my documents twice to make sure all was in order. Thankfully when I got to Florence my documents weren’t checked again when I exited the station, but the city was an absolute ghost town. 

There was a couple staying at my place that were watching Banksy for me while I was away, and they weren’t sure what to do because Veneto had gone into a Red zone and was completely shut down already. Thankfully they were able to make it back since they were renting an apartment there. I honestly can’t believe all of this is happening, and how fast it’s all happening. 

If you’re reading this – I really hope you’re safe!

<3 Scott