Not everything is grounded just now and the clearer skies have been a Godsend to pigeons and their fanciers.
Pigeon fancying sounds like it should be the preserve of old men in anoraks.
But try saying that to sporting hard men Mike Tyson and Duncan Ferguson.
Iron Mike, the self-styled ‘baddest man on the planet’ is even said to have thrown his first punch at 10 after a thug ripped the head off his pigeon.
Struggling for sports to report on during lockdown…
Britain’s award-winning radio station talkSPORT https://talksport.com has been turning its attention to the Sport of Wings.
And educating us in the ways of birds – it transpires that pigeon-fancying originated in the Lowlands of Belgium.
They came in useful during the First World War www.visitflanders.com and In Flanders fields to carry messages.
But had in truth been a sporting pursuit since the mid-19th century and was taken up and developed after the war.
And why do we think that these are perfect circumstances for new pigeon racing records.
Well, it’s said that pigeons find their way back the 100-1,000kms distances through sound.
And there are fewer distractions in the skies right now.
For more on pigeon fancying (and they are the perfect social distancers) then visit https://www.rpra.org/about-rpra/getting-started/.
Now Venice’s St Mark’s Square, Dam Square, Amsterdam, New York’s Washington Square and London’s Trafalgar Square may be renowned for their pigeons.
And here are some thoughts that will make you coo with delight.
In https://www.visit-venice-italy.com, www.nycvb.com and https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2020/03/28/old-new-york-hamilton/amp/, www.iamsterdam.com, Pictures of Amsterdam and https://www.visitlondon.com and The London life.
But if you want to hear some other birdies twittering then try www.visittobago.gov.tt and https://www.google.ie/amp/s/jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2020/03/17/ready-steady-goat-racing-in-tobago/amp/.