Dear Reader,

WHERE was I? Ah, yes, Portugal had just been put back on the quarantine list, meaning you must self-isolate for 14 days upon return to the UK from there — and our bags were packed for a short break in the Algarve.

Some nifty footwork was required to change our trip, but the choices weren’t exactly limitless. With time running out, we secured cheap EasyJet flights to Pisa, hired a car and headed down the Tuscan coast in the direction of Grosseto, accompanied by 32c heat and bags of relief.

But, first, there was Gatwick’s North Terminal standing defiantly in our way.

What a shambles. Only one security conveyor belt was in operation, resulting in a 45-minute queue, during which there was no attempt at social distancing.

Then it was a sprint to the gate, where an EasyJet official said I could not board the plane wearing a cotton face mask.

It had to be a disposable one. This is the rule — even in fashionconscious Italy — but it was news to me. ‘I don’t have a throw-away one,’ I said, as the gate was closing. At which point, a kind member of the airport’s cleaning team whipped out a freshly minted one and we were soon whizzing across the Channel at 35,000ft.

On arrival in Pisa, there was a sign saying that ‘by order of the Ministry of Health, we check the body temperature of all passengers coming from international flights.’

They didn’t — just as no one wanted to see the official forms we had filled out as instructed by the Italian authorities.

The inconsistencies of travel in 2020 were soon assuaged by the glories of Tuscany — and what a wonderful time of year to be there.

Much the same can be said about Cyprus — our cover story this week — which is having its moment in the sun as one of the most inviting destinations in these tricky times.

Mind you, London (pictured) has a story to tell, too, with hotels slashing prices — as we explain on Page 59.

No form-filling in the capital — and fetching face masks are de rigueur there.