Four years today since the first Covid lockdown ...

In recent weeks, I have travelled across Europe by train and immediate precautions are very few and far between.  A handful of people (and that's a tiny proportion) still wear masks.  Some signage remains in place - mostly worn and faded, and ignored even when it isn't. Many trains busy and lots of people using trains.  "Normal Life" has returned, though I don't have a scientific control - I did not make the same trip prior to 2020 to make a valid comparison.

But yet some things ARE different and I know them to be so from past times.

* Almost all trains have power points on them, and free WiFi with reasonable (useable) connectivity.   Sitting in a bay of 8 people on a regional train, I noted that six were concentrating on their smartphones.  One (myself) on a laptop and the eighth person asleep in the corner.  No-one reading a newspaper or book, no-one talking to the person beside them.

* Ticket checks in the majority of cases now done by QR code (yeah, not actually the normal QR - the rail industry special). with stations for the most part open.  All the way from Catania to Paris without going though a ticket gate. Paris departure for UK a special case. No check at St Pancras as we exited.  Ticket gate at Paddington refused our passes but the gate guard let us through with seconds to spare. Gates at Chippenham open.

* Very limited catering on trains. "Worst cup of coffee ever on a train" says Lisa - I think it was from Salerno to Bolzano. Standard premier food on Eurostar was actually very suitable.

* Lots more fuss in checking in for Eurostar, passports checked much more than in the past.  Three documents needed by each of us - passport, Interrail ticket and reservation.  Full credit to Eurostar staff on departure in both London and Paris for picking out that we were struggling physically and fast-tracking us, and also for the transfer to an earlier train on the way from Paris as we checked in in very good time on Monday morning

* Planning ahead through the Interrail App and Rail Europe as opposed to printed timetables in the past.

* Back in the UK, the use of GWR services feels much more down market and much less reliable than it used to be

* Graffiti - prevalent over almost all of Europe and in a way I cannot recall in the past.

* Incredibly, we now have an all day, every day timetable on the Swindon to Westbury line.  We have lost a train at lunchtime which helped fill the longest gap, and we gained and then lost an early train to Swindon.  But importantly we now have a later evening return (round trip) service every day all year.   The service has never been as reliable as we would like, but it's been a major concern of late and remains so.

Thoughts, anyone?