By the time of the annual Atlantique Jazz Festival in early October, no one was quite sure what sort of COVID restrictions might suddenly be put in place in France or Canada, where cases were climbing and lockdowns seemed imminent. Undeterred, we decided to see how far we could get, and were rewarded by reaching our destination on nearly empty planes and trains. After six months of outings only for groceries, it was well worth the required two-week quarantine upon our return to Toronto. See the festival review on http://www.jazzword.com

The usually bustling port of Brest was quiet due to COVID restrictions — closed businesses, no cruise ships, no maritime cargo to move — but Paris seemed especially odd on a mild evening in Montparnasse.