The borders were closed last night. The French teacher is on the phone in an emotional state. Her husband had driven their son to London for a university interview. They opted to drive rather than fly. They were supposed to be coming through the Eurotunnel at lunchtime today. Will they or won't they be allowed back ?
It's supposed to get into the balmy 20's tomorrow but this morning dawns wet and chilly. It goes without saying that Sophie is keen to head off into the downpour. She's also keen to ensure that our rain drenched walk is long and slow. One of those days when every clump of grass has to be sniffed and pondered. One of those days when dog owners see the benefit of C-A-T-S.
At the small waterfall two mallards attract the divas attention. They take off in a panic. Sophie considers chasing them but it finally dawns on her that they've gone. She opts instead for a paddle and a long noisy drink.
The presence of so much water on our morning promenade does little to impart an air of sophisticated elegance to my companions fur. Bedraggled might be the best description. Sadly, the cafe is closed so our morning shared croissant routine has been put on hold.
E-mails galore from hotels and restaurants telling me how they're working to ensure maximum safety and hygiene. 48 of them today. I ask 'The Font' whether we've ever stayed in some of the hotels that have mailed us. In some cases it must have been a long time ago. This frozen food store announces that as a safety measure trolleys and baskets will no longer be available :-
La mise à disposition des paniers et chariots sera momentanément indisponible. Pensez à vous munir de vos propres sacs. Pour ceux qui auraient oublié, des sacs restent disponibles à la vente. Par ailleurs à titre préventif, nos collaborateurs ne pratiqueront plus la mise en sac de vos courses.
- Le paiement par carte restant le moyen qui limite le plus les échanges, nous vous remercions de le privilégier. Nous vous rappelons que tous nos terminaux de paiement sont équipés du sans contact.
Seems you can now travel through airports with 12 oz bottles of hand gel : https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/03/tsa_admits_liqu.html
14 comments:
Oh, I was wondering about the cafe. You may end up like us in Tokyo, heating up frozen croissants from Picardo, although I doubt that would satisfy either of you. I hope the French teacher's flock made it safely through the tunnel and back to France. I can relate - my son called this morning to let me know his school is closing the dorms and needs everyone to leave, including the international students. We now have him on a flight out of Columbus on Thursday. I think that should be fine, but my husband just told me that Japan may begin requiring quarantine for anyone flying in from Europe. If that happens, I wonder if the Abe/Trump bond will be strong enough to keep the same thing from happening for people coming from the US?
I'm smiling on learning that the French word for a supermarket trolley is apparently a 'chariot'.
Savouring the daily outings with the dog is going to become an increasingly important part of the day for all of us dog owners.
I'm told by someone at Notre Dame that there were 70k US students from Europe heading back to the US between Friday of last week and yesterday. Most of them through Heathrow. On arrival the lines at JFK for screening were a thing to behold. Just what you need after 9 hours in the air !icard does some things really well. Others less so. Croissants fall into the less so category.
Sophie is delighted. She's getting mega long walks down the hill to the stream and the mud twice a day.
I should add that she is sleeping like a log at night. Not even the amorous cats disturb her.
Hari OM
Well, there has to be some silver lining to the mayhem, right?! YAM xx
An opthamalogist friend here was doing exams with a mask on, and disinfecting everything. One patient came in coughing like mad. She asked the patient to wear a mask, but the patient refused! “It’s just bronchitis.” As if the staff and the other patients in the waiting room wanted to get bronchitis, especially at this moment. And so it isn’t enough to ask people to stay home if sick and to wash their hands religiously, because they won’t. My friend, whose husband is a radiologist, says the hospital here has plenty of beds, all non-urgent appointments/surgeries are canceled, but the ER is busy. A scanner is being moved to a place with a separate entrance, so virus suspects can go there without mingling with other ER patients.
Interestingly, the lockdown exceptions include going out for physical activity. So I guess we can go for a run in the vineyards. I think that would be safe anyway, hunters aside (is hunting over yet?). On le Monde, it looks like you can go out for "besoins des animaux de compagnie," but you need an attestation! Angus, look it up and print it out. You never know when a gendarme will come trundling through your little village. It seems it would be evident when one is out walking one's dog, and certainly preferable to size up the situation without requiring a possible germ-laden form, but will fear of germs outweigh the French love of forms?
The supermarket yesterday was busy, and the checkout line took an hour, but people were quiet and polite and patient. Most shopping carts were well under full--a sign people weren't going overboard.
We bought seeds to plant vegetables. Who knows how long this will last?
I still don't know whether my husband will be able to come home. He is Belgian and in Belgium but lives in France. Will the French let him, non-French, return? Will there be flights?
So much anxiety, on so many levels.
We've been thinking about you and your husbands trip to Belgium. The line from Hamlet ' sorrows come not singly but in battalions ' seems to sum up what's going on. I know it can be of little comfort but do know that there are people out there you don't know who have you and your family in their thoughts.
My office closed yesterday until at least April 1st. All the patients understood, however there is always one - And one patient insists on having "non-emergency treatment" that he has put off for nearly 2 years. So, I am going in on Friday to work with the doctor. At least I'll be getting paid, unlike so many who aren't.
I hope the the French teacher's husband and family were able to return home.
The idea of a supermarket trolley being a "chariot" made me smile too - and it conjures up visions of Roman charioteers, whips flaying, marauding down the aisles! Like some of the locals hereabouts - minus the whips!
It's a miserable start to our lockdown, and has been raining and cold for the past twenty four hours. Yesterday Inca and I didn't get our walk, so today, if it stops raining, we'll have to make up for it by exploring a little further. I've not yet read of any restrictions on dog walking, although the original instruction was to stay close to home.
I, too hope the French teacher's family make it back safely, and that her son had a successful interview. It should be easier coming back by car through the Tunnel. Everyone will just be advised (or made?) to stay in their cars.
I realized that I wrote "Picard" with a Japanese accent! The crowds at the airport last week were appalling - like a human petri dish. I trust that Haneda on Friday night will be much more civilized.
Indeed we have you in our thoughts, and we do hope that your husband returns. I am so sorry about all of this.
It is such an interesting time. It is interesting to see what businesses are doing to help people. Canada has semi-closed it's boarders but citizens are allowed back in. Hope it is something similar for your neighbour.
It's nice having dogs that don't like water on their backs.
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