That morning on my way to work I took a picture of the relatively empty platforms at Ottignies station; from the perspective of a year later, it looks pretty crowded.Back in those days, three months of lockdown seemed an inconceivable prospect. It's now five months since October...
Meanwhile the numbers for Belgium remain stubbornly in much the same place they have been since mid-December, with the mini-surge of late February having subsided. Vaccinations are still moving slowly, but surely; I went to the dentist for a checkup this afternoon, an appointment that had been postponed from yesterday because he was getting his jab done. My mother in Dublin also got hers yesterday.
I managed a couple more walks in Brussels last week with diplomatic contacts.
I haven't mentioned it much, but votes are rolling in for nominations in this year's Hugo Awards, a process that I am overseeing. We have managed to get a decent software solution in place for actually counting them using the peculiar system introduced four years ago. My current reading, however, is dominated by the extra long BSFA Award shortlist. Some good books there; one or two that aren't.
Anyway, we are promised that vaccination will accelerate next month, and that non-essential travel will be authorised after Easter. Here's hoping.