A day on a European river cruise (with hints and tips)

Travel and Leisure

Most folks that I talk to don't know what river cruising is like. They might have a familiarity with ocean cruising, but that doesn't even come close to the experience on Europe's waterways. We've been on four river cruises (Uniworld, Vantage, Gate 1, and Emerald) and feel comfortable saying that for the most part, they operate the same on a day-to-day basis. So to help you with some questions that you newbies might have, I'll detail what a typical day is like for you, and some hints and tips we've learned along the way. Disclaimer: of course there will be differences here and there; e.g. in Vienna, the ship docks a short coach ride from the centre of the city, or you might elect to take the optional trip to Salzburg instead of staying in Linz. And on the Douro, since you only cruise during the day, that experience is not at all like the rest of European river cruising; some have reported that the places the ship docks for the evening have very little to offer. The day I'll outline below is what you'll experience for 70+% of your days on the ship, when you've docked in a somewhat larger city.

Morning & Breakfast

European-style breakfast in Brussels

Good morning and welcome to your new port-of-call! Hopefully, you've managed to get some rest overnight, as you have a big day ahead. For most, this will mean starting with a leisurely buffet breakfast in the main dining room around 8 am or so; full American-style breakfast options will be available, as well as all sorts of pastries, various cheeses and cold cuts, cereals and fruit. There will be an "early-riser" continental breakfast available in the ship's lounge around 6 am for those that are super eager to get moving. We've never gone into town that early, but the access to something to eat has come in handy when we've had trouble coping with the timezone change (she sends me down the hall for a banana and tea). A tip for those that get hungry easily, is to grab a muffin or an extra piece of fruit from the buffet for a mid-morning boost of energy; I like to make a mini bun-wich from some meats, cheese and a freshly baked roll. We bring along assorted ziplock bags so that your snack doesn't end up smushed all over your stuff in your day bag.

Included walking tour

The ship will usually moor a stone's
throw away from the Old Town

After breakfast, there's enough time to get yourself sorted out for the day; pack your napsack with water, camera, and other essentials, grab your audio device (usually in a charging cradle on the desk or in the closet) and tour lanyard. As you leave the ship, you'll be given a numbered passcard; this is to be handed back in each time you return to the ship, so they can account for your presence. Some operators are using scanners to swipe your badge instead. Onshore, you'll meet the group you've been assigned to and a local tour guide will take you on an hour or so's walk through town. At some point you would have been given the option to participate in the "slow walkers" group, if you were so inclined. This tour group would take the same route, but just at a much more leisurely pace than the rest. Typically, these tours start at the ship around 9:30-10 am, and end before lunch in the middle of town. The guide walks through town, describing the sights with historical context; because you have your audio device, you can hear the guide, but don't necessarily need to be beside them. 

Touring in Regensberg

With a transmitter range of about 30 metres, if you spot a good scene or photo opportunity, you can easily pause to grab your shot, then rejoin the group. You will be given the option to follow the tour guide back to the ship, or you can stay and continue exploring. Most folks tend to wander off on their own; if you're in a larger centre, this is a great time to pull out your Rick Steves free audio tour to get more in-depth insight. Tip: it's pretty safe anywhere your cruise will go to, but take off your nametag lanyard after you've left your tour group; you're still likely to look like a tourist, but perhaps you'll appear less like a target for the unscrupulous.

Lunch

Cheap wiener schnitzel

Since most of the time the ship is docked so close to the old town areas, it makes economic sense to go back to the ship for your mid-day meal. It's also an opportunity for you to change out your wardrobe - e.g. maybe the mid-day sun has burned off the morning mist, and now it's time to shed your jacket and put on some shorts? For lunch onboard, some operators serve a 3-course affair, whereas others offer it buffet-style; some like Emerald offered both. Sometimes there will be the same menu items available in the rear lounge, presented in self-serve chafing dishes, for an easier and quicker lunch option. Of course, you can find a local meal in town, and I would recommend this in places like Vienna or Strasbourg, where the ship is not close by. Tip: when seeking out a meal in town, take a few minutes to walk away from the main pedestrian strasse (also noted as "straße"... the ß replaces ss on some signs etc.); you will find better food at a lower price when you are a block or two from the tourist zone. 

Afternoon

This is where you have a blank slate for most itineraries. Some "Deluxe" operators will have another included excursion planned for you, but for others, you've got the entire afternoon to do as you please. Hopefully, you've figured out what you plan on doing the day before (more on that later). We try to hit the other recommended attractions and must-sees, before strolling the High Street and heading back to the ship. I like to buy a couple of local beers along the way (at a fraction of the price of a beer onboard), and enjoy them on the deck or in our room (if the view is not blocked by another ship). When you re-board the ship, don't forget to hand in your passcards/swipe your badge!

Belgium is for beer!

Likely, you've met some other travellers, and you'll end up swapping stories on what you saw and found on your day's excursion. If you're feeling peckish, there will likely be a snack available either in the lounge or at the back of the ship. We usually end up with an hour or two back on the ship relaxing, and then have some time to freshen up before heading to the cocktail lounge. FYI, drinks in the lounge will carry a charge, unless you are on a Deluxe, truly all-inclusive cruise. You can also use this time for pre-planning the next day's free time - Tripadvisor and other travel sites are good resources for this. An important thing to consider: will you need to download an app or some data to help you navigate or make better use of your time tomorrow? Now is the time to do this, before the ship starts moving, and you lose Wi-Fi. e.g. for larger cities, we like to use Google's offline map feature, and download the data while the ship's connectivity is at its best. More on using your smartphone here.

Port Talk & Dinner

Cruise Director port talk

Each evening, around 6:30 pm, the Cruise Director will give a port briefing for tomorrow's destination. They will outline the day's itinerary, and timing for specific and important events, like when the ship will depart. Optional tours will be described as well, giving those who would like to participate a chance to sign up last minute. On your embarkation day, the welcome reception often includes free cocktails, as well as on the Captain's Dinner evening. Sometimes they hand out maps of the town for tomorrow; if you don't get one, don't worry, as they will have copies at the concierge desk in the morning. There will be a brief Q&A, where things like regional tipping and local attractions are discussed. At the end, the Cruise Director will signal that is time to head to the dining room for a full 4 or 5-course meal. Wine and beer flows freely during dinner; I appreciate a nice bottle of wine, and usually the wine selection is fine for my palate. Tip for those frugal travellers like me: get the serving staff to top-up your wine glass before leaving the dining room and heading to the cocktail lounge. In our case, she doesn't drink, but I get them to fill "her" glass as well.

Evening

Evening stroll around Köln

Occasionally, the ship will stay docked overnight or will depart late, and you will have time again after dinner to explore the town, or grab a pint with the locals in a nearby pub. Some of the best photos from our trips are the ones at night, where the buildings are lit up from below. Photographer's tip: you can use your iPhone to capture some of these images, but try to rest it on a stable surface to avoid blur, and make sure you turn off the flash. If you have a newer iPhone, you should familiarize yourself with the new Night Mode feature that will greatly enhance your low light shots. More often however, you'll start sailing in the evening, sometimes during dinner, so pay attention to when that will be in the port talk. You don't want to be the couple that decided to have a local meal in town, only to arrive back at the dock with no ship to board! Back in the lounge, there will be some sort of local entertainment (don't expect ocean liner-style), or in some cases, a game night run by the Activity Host. We've had quite a bit of fun on these nights, and won some minor prizes for our efforts!

Book bikes ahead of time

Activities usually wind down in the lounge by 9 or 9:30 pm, and most folks head back to their staterooms for some much needed rest. But before your head hits the pillow, if you haven't done so already, we recommend taking some time to review where you will be, and using Google and sites like Tripadvisor, plan out your free time for the next day (see note earlier about downloading - once the ship is in motion, typically Wi-Fi is out). We spent hours in the Speyer Technik Museum, but would never have heard of it if we didn't do some research. Did you want to use the bicycles for touring later tomorrow afternoon? You might need to book those the day/evening before. Or if so equipped, maybe you want to reserve some time in the spa for a massage after tomorrow's 10,000+ steps in town?

That's your day on a river cruise... good night!

Back to River Cruising 101    

Upgrading your travel stuff... cheap!

Travel and Leisure

I must be bored. Or at least not very busy in my other hobby/part-time job of working as an Extra in TV & film. Even though our next trip is still quite some time from now, I find myself thinking about what could I improve upon before we fly to Europe again. 

Facebook Marketplace offers suggestions base on your past views

Enter Facebook. Yep, the dreaded F-word. But in recent years, I have found Facebook Marketplace to be a treasure trove for getting little things here and there, and it's especially useful for picking up wardrobe items that I want/need for working on camera. It's also great for getting rid of stuff that you haven't used or worn in few years. But here's why FB Marketplace is good for this: it tracks what you are interested in, and suggests things when they come up for sale. e.g. If you search for and click on say, Helly Hansen women's jackets, it will start to suggest listings to you. In the image above, you can see that it found a new listing for HH women's jacket. 

Some of my best/recent acquisitions for travel wardrobe have been found on FB Marketplace. Like this Fjallraven jacket I found a few weeks ago. If you're not familiar with this brand, they are a Swedish manufacturer that makes quality hiking and travel gear. Unfortunately, their clothing and kit is quite expensive, which makes for good bargain hunting on FB Marketplace. Like new, and at only $60, this was a steal compared to paying retail at over $300. Why is this an upgrade? Well, I had an Arc'teryx jacket that was very similar, but didn't have enough, erm, space for a thick sweater or mid-layer underneath. This one also tucks the hood into the collar, which I prefer. It's perfect for late spring and early fall European trips (we leave late September). I ended up selling the Arc’teryx one for $75 (for which I had originally paid $70 from another FB seller)!

Another awesome deal I found last year on FB Marketplace, was this like new travel backpack! See, before the pandemic, we had booked flights and Airbnbs for France. Normally, I'd use a carry on-sized, 4-wheeled spinner for a trip where we might be going on a river cruise, for example. But with this itinerary, we would have been spending a fair bit of time traversing small towns, with uneven pavement and cobblestone streets. I decided back then to start looking for travel backpacks for both of us, and this like new Osprey Porter 46 showed up for $60! Very highly rated, and with a regular retail price of over $200, this was a great FB Marketplace find. And then I found a Rick Steves convertible backpack for her, on Facebook as well, in a forum called "Buy Nothing"; it's a group for folks in your neighbourhood where people give away stuff rather than it ending up in the landfill. Yep, that's right... a like new travel backpack for free!

Source: MEC.ca

I wrote recently how I also upgraded my travel footwear, buying some Arc'teryx approach shoes that will be great for those shoulder season trips where we might encounter inclement weather. Actually, on that same shopping outing, we stopped into MEC (it is our local outdoor gear store, similar to REI in the States), and I found a better pair of shoes for warmer weather destinations. Yes, I did have a comfy pair of somewhat stylish, Spanish-made, Fluchos shoes, but after using them this past summer on some easy hiking trails, I found they lacked the support I require for my bad knee(s). So when I tried these Timberland hybrid hiking shoes on, I knew I had found a better solution for warm destinations. While not a FB Marketplace purchase, I still have Facebook to thank, as it presented me with the ad, indicating further markdowns at MEC... they ended up being only $40!

Another find, was this MEC crossbody bag, which I will be using to replace my other day-touring bag (which has turned into my camera bag). This particular bag is no longer produced, so finding a clean one in like new condition is a bit of a score. Again, FB Marketplace comes through again... $20. Why am I calling this an upgrade? I found that the last time we went to Europe, my other bag was just a little too small; once I had packed the essentials in for a the day's outing, I found there wasn't room for a small snack (nicked from the hotel breakfast bar). It will also double as my personal item on the plane; large enough for my iPad, headphones and other items I like to have close by, but small enough to fit under the seat during the flight, but not take up my legroom. Also, this one has a convenient handle on the top, when I've got my Osprey Porter 46 taking both of my shoulders.

 

Who knows what I'll find next? With 8 months to go until we travel to Europe again, I'm sure I'll find something!

Immortalized forever on social media

Retirement Life

It still surprises me, when I bump into someone I haven't seen in a while, and they say, "Hey! I saw you (in a commercial/on TV/in a movie) the other day." I mean it is to be expected, as I've been doing this for almost five years now, and sometimes the scene or advertisement will get some eyeballs. But for the most part, the Background work I do, you'd really need to know what to watch for in order to see or recognise me.

Here's a good example of a typical scene when working as Background. This is from Sandra Bullock's new Netflix movie called "The Unforgivable". Another guy and I are standing outside the office, where Sandy is meeting with the parents who are taking care of her sister. They exit the room, and for the briefest millisecond of a moment, you can catch me standing outside. Believe it or not, this is actually what they wanted, because after the first rehearsal, the AD comes over and says, "Can you shift a little to your left? Perfect!" But anyone but me, they'd never know that I was intentionally placed there!

Then there are the days when you know that you're going to be "featured" in a scene. It's pretty easy to tell, especially when you can see your reflection in the camera lens! This one was another Netflix movie "The Perfection" - it's a pretty creepy movie actually, but you never really know what they are about when you are filming these scenes.

But most of the time, we're working on TV shows filmed here in BC that most people I know aren't going to watch (Riverdale, Supergirl, etc.). However, when the BC goverment commercial runs for a month during the local news and during Hockey Night in Canada, people were bound to notice me (grandpa at the end).

 

And then there's the time when a fellow BG said, "Hey, you're on Shannon Dang's twitter feed!" Of course, I'm just a blur in the background, but it was funny that someone recognised me from that. But speaking of feeds, my wife and I were sitting in the ferry lineup this past summer, and she was scrolling through her Facebook feed, when this came across:

The strange thing about this one, is that we had shot those scenes over four years ago, and I only got paid for the day session photo and video shoot. i.e. I did not get a buyout or residuals for use. But I guess because the company that these were for (Destination Canada) is partnering with Expedia for this, maybe they don't have to pay anything for usage? I had finally gotten over it, when this appeared on MY facebook feed:

And the final weird one, is that if you were to google image search my thumbnail to the right, you'd get a hit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, listing me as and extra on Helstrom! So just like that, I'll exist forever on the internet - Marvel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! 

Time to start travelling again!

Travel and Leisure

Ok, well maybe "booking" is the appropriate verb here. Now that we have had our two shots, and the world is starting to catch up, it looks like we might start to be able to do some European travel again. So while I was browsing the travel deals that come into my inbox daily, I noticed a Travelzoo promo for Emerald Waterways river cruises that looked pretty good! For those of you who haven't looked into river cruising, it can be ludicrously expensive, but sales do come up, and it can often come into the price range for "normal" European travel.

Let me explain. First of all, we don't normally travel in 4-5 star hotels, and eat 5-course meals for dinner. But if we were to travel to most places in Western Europe, we'd be probably paying $200/night¹ for a hotel, and then meals for both of us would likely be at least another $100 (conservatively), plus another $100 for transit/taxis and tours/attractions. So we would be looking at $400 a night, or $200 per person for each night we'd stay in Europe. Sure, regional differences will make that go up and down; it would be hard to get by on that in Paris or Zurich, versus you might only spend half that in Porto or Zagreb. But the $200 figure is a good baseline that I like to use for a discount fare on river cruises; i.e. if I see anything that comes remotely close to that, it's time to take the offer seriously.

What? For some of you reading this, you are thinking that I am probably on crack right now. European river cruising for $200 per night? Yet we've done it, and all it required is some flexibility on dates and routes, and watching the inbox for deals to come along. In truth, we actually have gone on two cruises where we sailed for $159/night - Essential Holland with Vantage Deluxe Travel, and Budapest to Regensburg w/ Prague with Gate 1. And we're not talking about being in the dark staterooms on the bottom of mediocre ships, cruising in the shoulder season. No, this was peak times, and we were in French balcony rooms on the middle or top deck, and the Vantage MS River Voyager was definitely a Deluxe² calibre of ship. Update: Gate 1 has picked up the lease on the River Voyager, and re-branded her as the Monarch Queen.  

Emerald Panorama Balcony Suite (image credit: emeraldcruises.co.uk)

The one cruise I have been watching out for is the Lower Danube, typically starting in Budapest and ending in Giurgiu, Romania, with a short bus trip to Bucharest to catch your flight home. So when this deal rolled across my inbox and that route was included, I quickly did the calculations, and it was coming close to my pull-the-trigger $200 threshold. The Travelzoo promo code didn't give exactly 50% off, since the discount didn't apply to the port charges and taxes, as well as the one hotel night in Bucharest; the final per night price came down to around $270 per person. Emerald also includes some extras that we didn’t used to factor in, like onboard and shoreside tips. I'd never seen this itinerary go on sale at a reasonable price, and since we've saved so much money not travelling during the pandemic, I figured the overage was within my Scottish financial reach. 

Now that I've pulled the trigger on a September 2022 river cruise, I was curious as to what the other guys are charging for this cruise. I had a tough time trying to get pricing to match up for the same type of cruise with a good sampling of other operators (e.g. without pre- and post-excursions, flights, etc.), so I picked a very popular Rhine river cruise that sails Amsterdam to Basel over 7 nights. Pretty much every operator offers this cruise, and while there are tons of them, I narrowed it down to the three Deluxe (5-star) big guns, and some other First Class (4-star) ones. For each operator, I checked their website for the current list price for a Cat D or C panorama window/French balcony stateroom, then deducted any promotional offer from that. 

The shocker of course, is Crystal (edit: now defunct), as their list price for this cruise shows on their site at $14,998! But since they are pretty much always selling at 2-for-1, I've adjusted that as their list price in the table. Even though it's not the trip I booked, the Emerald Travelzoo promo code³ brought their price down to the cheapest. But you're thinking, "So $2,100 divided by 7 nights, that's still $300 per night?" And you'd be right, but with some patience and if you’re flexible on dates and route, there's still room to go down. Sign up for discount sites like Travelzoo.com and RiverCruise.com as well as the regular updates from the major cruise operators. That's where your flexibility comes in - if you like the route and dates offered, you can often save even more; I sometimes see the Gate 1 Travelzoo promo knock 50% off their already competitive prices! Update: you would also see cruise deals for Vantage Deluxe pop up on Travelzoo, but with their recent issues, I would not suggest booking with them going forward. If you would like to read about how these lines compared to our original Uniworld trip, click here.

Now I know there are those that will say, "Uniworld is all-inclusive" or "you leave your wallet at home with Tauck", and while these statements are true, all the other operators I've compared with are nearly all-inclusive. There is always one free included tour or excursion everyday, Wi-Fi is also free, and wine, beer and soft drinks are included at dinner (and sometimes at lunch). Some do require that you pay tips at the end, which for a 7-night cruise is around $120 per person. Yes, drinks at the bar during non-meal hours are expensive, but really, how many cocktails are you able to suck back between the time you get back from your afternoon city exploring, and dinner? In my comparison above, it would be hard for me to justify almost $3,000 difference to sail with Uniworld (BTW, our first river cruise was down the Rhine with Uniworld, but it was long ago, when she was a travel agent, and we got a special price). But I salute those of you who can afford the high-end, Deluxe cruise operators - maybe someday we will find ourselves travelling with the upper echelons as well. But for now, I'm happy to save some money and sail on First-Class ships.

¹ all prices discussed in this post are USD or approximated USD equivalent.

² With river cruising, Deluxe is classified as the highest level of service, and First Class is one notch below that.

³ Travelzoo promo sold out as of time of writing.

Want to read my other posts about river cruising? Click here.

What to expect on set

Background

My first day on set was a bit of a trial by fire. It was a big indoor scene on Supergirl, with at least 150 x BGs, and for some reason, I was singled out to play with the actors! I mentioned to the other two BGs that this was my first day, and they gave me a couple of tips like, "don't look directly at the camera", and "repeat your action the same each time, unless someone tells you differently". They gave me the basics of the timing, (we go on 'Background!'), the place where we start (First Mark) and the end mark, and the other terms that the Assistant Director (AD) yells out (Action, Cut, Reset, etc.)

That stunned look of a BG newbie

Anyhow, as we were setting up the shot, we chatted with an attractive young woman, that I wasn't quite sure what her role was (later learning that she was the stand-in). We rehearsed the scene, where I come from another room and walk up to our group and shake the actors' hands. So when we go to shoot the first time, I come around the corner, and there is this beautiful woman who has of course replaced the stand-in now, and I am so surprised that I barely remembered what to do! Obviously, she was a professional, and gracefully introduced me into the scene. The 1st AD gave us a little tweaking here and there, but otherwise, the day came out without me making any colossal blunders.

Luckily for new BGs, that is not how everyone's first day goes; most BG are not involved with the actors' actions in the scene. Typically, you'll be walking onto set with some or the rest of the BGs, and asked to stand off to the side to wait for either a 3rd AD or sometimes the BG wrangler to assign you an action. There will be a lot of crew around, sometimes two or three camera setups, lighting rigs and cables everywhere (watch your step!). When someone does assign you to an action (try to get their name), don't be afraid to clarify what they want you to do. e.g. "So after this guy walks by, I count 3 beats, and cross behind the actors? Or do you need me to walk in front and wipe the camera?" (It is definitely not the norm, but sometimes they want a busy scene, and have the BG passing between the camera and the actors).

Crew adjusting the camera on a recent commercial shoot

After a rehearsal with "second team" (the stand-ins), the actors, or "first team" will be called to set for their rehearsal. When the director is a happy, they will call for "finals", or final makeup and hair touches for the actors. Then everyone takes their first positions, and the AD yells, "Pictures up!" - this is usually accompanied by something like "Give me a bell" (in studio) or "Lock it up" (on location). That's the cue for the locations team to calm the set down; crew working with tools have to stop, HVAC systems are turned off, and all off-camera crew have to clear the set. "Roll sound!" or less frequently "Turnover!" (British) is the last step before the AD yells "Background!", which is your cue to start your assigned movement. "Action!" starts the scene for the actors. Keep doing what you were instructed to do until you are off-camera or you hear "Cut!"; most of the time you can start heading back to your first mark then, or when you hear "Reset!"

After the first take, they might mix it up, and have you doing something different. Otherwise, you simply keep doing the exact same thing on each take until the scene is finished. If possible, pay attention to the dialog, or watch for other visual cues; sometimes they will shoot a "pick-up", and start the scene half way through, and you'll need to start from a 2nd mark. Also, if you are paired with another BG, introduce yourself, and get their name as well. Sometimes, after getting a break or a run to Crafty, they are looking for that person, and no one knows who it is. Anyhow, typically after an hour or so of shooting from alternate angles and with different lenses, that scene will finish, and you'll move onto a new scene.

Sometimes, it ends up being more Foreground than Background

As a BG, your job is to be on camera, but be immediately forgettable. Just the other day, a couple was supposed to be dancing, but they literally polka-ed right onto the dance floor; needless to say, the AD had to get them to tone down their entrance. For the most part, just act naturally. Conversations are all mimed; unless specifically asked, talking is a no-no. Even whispering causes problems for the sound department, and as a courtesy to the crew trying to work, resist the temptation to talk amongst the BG between takes. Bearing that in mind, Background is intended to be part of the scene and so make sure that you are aware of where the camera is pointing; a quote I heard one day on set was, "If the camera can't see you, then you're not doing your job". Try not to get "stacked" behind other BG; offset yourself so that you you are not hidden from the camera. "Open up" your face-to-face conversations, so that the camera gets a partial quarter-view of you rather than a profile shot.

The 3rd AD will likely give you all the guidance that you need; e.g. "can you walk a little faster", "give it another 3 or 4 beats before you leave", or one one of my favourites, "how about if you banana out over to that spot". Sometimes, they leave it up to the BG to make the scene, and will simply state, "you're in a busy office - we need lots of movement back here". All you have to do, is look for gaps or breaks in the action, and pass through that area, naturally of course. A frequent tip you will hear in BG, is that you should do whatever the last person told you to do. e.g. the 3rd might have you walk down the hallway, but then the AD asks you to stand and pretend to talk to the woman at the reception desk; you do the latter. Finally, when the cameras are not rolling, try to stay out of the way of the crew as they move about, trying to set up for the next shot.

BG should never leave set unless the 3rd or a wrangler sends you back to holding. Once in a while, the camera or a lighting rig will be where you are supposed to be, and the camera operator sends you away; good practice would be tell to the wrangler that you received direction from them to "relax". Similarly, if there's a long period of shooting, and you need to empty your bladder, wait for a break in the action and ask the 3rd or a wrangler if there's enough time to "10-1" (ten-one), or if #2 is your calling, then "10-2". Crafty runs should typically wait until you have been officially "relaxed" back to BG holding.

It may seem like a lot of information, and the first few times you step onto set it may seem a little daunting, but it will become familiar quite quickly. Even though every day on set is different, there is a certain pattern to things and it will become second nature eventually; you can literally go from being a newbie to a veteran BG in a handful of days. If you listen carefully and pay attention to what is happening around you, it is the easiest non-job there is.

The novelty of standing next to Jessica Biel wears off... after a couple of hours!

Oh and one last thing. It probably won't happen very often that you are on the set with an A-list star, but if by chance that does happen, you should not try to speak to them. When they are waiting between takes, it is highly likely that they are trying to get into the moment, rehearsing their lines in their head. Now is not the time to try and get a selfie with them.

The second safest place is...

TV and Film during COVID-19 

Who would have thought that we'd be into the fall, and still struggling through a global pandemic? But here we are, and as we try to gain some sense of normalcy to our lives, most of us have gone back to work. In my case, that meant waiting for the TV and Film industry to start back up here in Vancouver. A little known fact, is that our government and health experts did not actually mandate the closure of film productions, so they technically could have started up whenever they wanted.

However, given the investment that goes into making a TV series or movie, the producers wanted to make sure that they had the right pandemic protocols in place. i.e. if a principal actor were to get sick, they would have to delay production until they are cleared to work again, costing thousands and thousands of dollars. So while they worked out the new normal for filming, we all sat idly by, and watched the slow-motion train wreck happening in the US. 

Fast-forward to late-summer, and BC TV & film is back in production; yes, our infection rates are climbing, but still nowhere near the numbers we are seeing South of the border. In fact, the relatively good control over COVID-19 has caused some productions to move from the US to Vancouver, and as of mid-October, there are 61 productions in progress! This actually exceeds pre-pandemic levels, and it has a lot to do with how well people, in general, are responding to the government and healthcare leaders' guidelines for safety.

So when my agent contacted me and asked if I'd like some continuity days on The Good Doctor, I didn't hesitate to say yes. But unlike Canadian productions, these US shows have stepped up their COVID-19 game, and everyone who is on camera, gets tested up to, and sometimes exceeding three times a week! And it's not the pre-frontal lobotomy that you've heard about on the news; no, it's called a "bi-lateral nasal collection". It is, as it sounds, a swab that they take from each nostril, where the nurse gently spins it in the first couple of cms for about 5 seconds each. That's it. A couple days later, you get an email with your negative result, or in the case of a positive one, a call from your friendly CDC representative, telling you that you have contracted coronavirus.

Plexiglass partitions in Background Holding

At the studio, there are tons of new safety measures. Everyone checks in at the "wellness station" where they ask you the typical questions about your contact with out-of-country travellers, general health, and then take your temperature. "Zones" are created, which are not physical spaces per se, but rather the virtual teams of people that are say, in front of the camera when rolling, on set but not while rolling, and those who do not enter the studio area, etc. Zone boundaries are established to try and minimize contact across zones - e.g. A Green zone worker can't even enter the studio. Information is collected if you ride in a shuttle, should contact tracing be required. Sanitizer stations and masks are available everywhere, and plexiglass partitions are place on tables and areas to separate potential airborne transmission. When you do go to set, you still wear your mask up until the point that they are ready to shoot, and put them back on as soon as the director yells, "cut!". 

Even Buddy got back to work recently!

A couple of weeks later, I got booked for 5 weeks on a new show called Kung Fu. Not only would I get tested regularly, they were going to pay me to stay home on days that I was not going to be on set! Specifically designated into a small group of around 20 Background performers, we were not to go out and work on other productions, nor would we go to fitness classes etc. Fast forward to today, after six weeks (they asked me to extend for another week), I've been tested 22 times! And while there has been a surge in the "second wave" of the pandemic here, I feel quite safe on set with all the new protocols, and knowing that everyone around me is getting tested regularly. Are there still risks? Sure, but I can't stay at home all day, every day. So that's why our TV & Film sets are the second safest places to be during a global pandemic.

Staycation road trip #2

 COVID-19

Well, it would seem that we really are in this for the long haul. I mean, I knew that things were not going to be working themselves out back in the late spring, when I cancelled our flights to France. But we still need to have a little recreation in our lives, so we decided on another tour of BC, this time a little closer to home.

There are amazing places to see throughout BC, but due to our mountainous geography, some spots do require quite a bit of driving to get to. As such, we opted for the short loop, heading up past Whistler, clockwise to Kamloops, and back via Highway 1 to Harrison Hot Springs, before returning home.

As with our last road trip, we made like out-of-country tourists, and tried to stop at virtually every major viewpoint, attraction, or rest stop. Unfortunately, the California and Washington State wildfires were sending smoke our direction, and for the first leg of our trip, views were partially obscured.

Shannon Falls

One thing that both of us have never done, is zip lining; so on our way through Whistler, we did the Ziptrek tour on Whistler Mountain. As we had just entered the off-season, the lifts were no longer running to take us up to Olympic Station, so a Jeep drove us up to the start of our "EcoTour". We followed a marked trail down into the forest, where eventually we met up with our first zip line. The technician clips us onto the cable, gives a brief safety talk, and then you simply step off the platform!

The zip lines are very fun and exciting, but are only 30-45 seconds long each, and our tour had us on three lines. You end up spending most of your time walking on the trail, and up over this very cool, elevated walkway and suspension bridges in the trees. It was a great way to spend a couple of hours, and break up the short drive to our first overnight stop. Along the way to Pemberton, I recommend you stop at Nairn Falls - it's a decent 20 minute walk from the parking area to the falls area, but worth it, in my opinion.

Nairn Falls

While looking for a place to stay in or near Pemberton, I came across an interesting AirBnB listing for a refurbished Airstream trailer! For those who don't know what they are, Airstreams are an iconic travel trailer that started in the post-war era, and were built with aluminum skins, looking like retro airliners. This one has been significantly upgraded with modern finishings, and attached to running water and a septic system.

With a separate bath house, an screened gazebo, and a fire-pit area (propane), it was a fantastic "glamping" stay for two nights while we explored a bit of what Pemberton had to offer. 

Smoke shrouds the views along Lillooet Lake

With September starting to bring cooler nights, the nearby campgrounds were almost completely empty, and Provincial Parks were all but devoid of visitors (mid-week).

Another activity for us in Pemberton was horseback riding - I hadn't been on a horse since the late 90s, where I was on a game farm in Zimbabwe. Our two steeds for the afternoon were Two-Socks and Blackjack, and we had a leisurely, 2-hour of the beautiful Pemberton Valley. A note to other city-slickers: 2 hours is plenty on your first ride - we could barely walk after getting down off our horses!

The highway East of Pemberton is referred to as The Duffey Lake Road - it's a windy, sometimes narrow, section of Highway 99 that takes you through mountain vistas and along beautiful lakes and rivers. Again, since the wildfire smoke obscured the distant views, we didn't get the amazing experience most travellers get along this amazing stretch of road.

Once you reach Lillooet, the landscape changes to wide open river valleys, where the lush forest gives way to semi-arid, almost desert-like conditions. A friend from London once commented that the landscape reminded her of the hills in Tuscany, but I don't see that resemblance. Anyhow, after two days visiting my parents in Kamloops, we set off for our return, taking the long route down Highway 1, through the Fraser Canyon. 

The original, now abandoned Alexandra Bridge

The new Alexandra Bridge further down the Fraser River

Again, stopping a few times down the road on our way back South, we ended up arriving at our next, 2-night stop, Harrison Hot Springs. It's a tiny little town on the tip of huge Harrison Lake; being the off-season, things were pretty quiet in town.

There's a short hike to a neat spot called Sandy Cove, which is accessible right from the town promenade. We only encountered a 1/2 dozen or so other hikers, but it's a little bit treacherous in some places, so others may have turned back. We also went on a nice walk through the forest just outside of town, but besides that, we didn't get up to much before heading back to Vancouver. 

All in all, not a bad little jaunt around our corner of BC; probably our last till early 2021, when we head up to Sun Peaks for a brief ski getaway.