4 April 2020 – Lockdown Day 23

       

Fig Tree Walk – 4 April 2019

                        

Friday 3 April

Bright and sunny morning, just what we need to cheer us up

For the past few days we have been greeted with low cloud, grey skies and rain.  So it was a real pleasure to open the curtains and find the sun shining.

The coronavirus stats are published each day, and once again both are rising.   So it was no surprise to hear at lunchtime that the state of emergency in Spain has been extended to 26 April, another two weeks.   I don’t have a problem with this extension.  Given the current rates of infection and deaths I think we are all more than happy to avoid physical contact outside the house.

What does surprise me is that there appears to be no real discussion about not being allowed out of the house to exercise.   I say “appears” because we do not read the Spanish press, nor watch the Spanish TV.   But there is a lot of translated Spanish news on Facebook.   And to date I have never seen anyone even suggest that it might be a good idea to be allowed a short period of outdoor exercise each day.

Even with the generous UK allowance of one hour a day to exercise outdoors, there is quite a lot of discussion about whether folk should be allowed to drive to their favourite area to walk.   So I would imagine that there would be an uproar if all outdoor exercise were banned.

We have always been cat people, rather than dog people.   But now I do envy our dog owning friends who are allowed to take their pets out for a short walk.   It is the only reason, apart from essential food shopping and medical visits, that we are allowed to leave the house.

The prospect of another two weeks, making a total of six weeks so far, confined to the house is pretty daunting.   Let’s hope that at least the weather continues to improve, so we can at least get out on the naya or in the garden.

Pinos Fossil Walk – 4 April 2019

Saturday 4 April

Jan should have done her weekly shop today, but has decided to put it off until Monday, or perhaps Tuesday.   Apparently we have enough food to last until then, and it makes sense to leave it as long as we can.

I think the longer this lockdown goes on, the more you start to accept the restrictions, and become really afraid of mixing with strangers.   This feeling has been made worse by the recent debate on the media about face masks.   Until this week it was generally accepted that they were not necessary for people who were not infected with the virus.   It was said that they were only necessary for someone who might have the virus, to stop them passing it to others.

However all along there has been bitter debate about whether medical staff has the correct PPE (Personal Protection Equipment).  They were complaining that they ONLY has face masks, and in fact needed much more.

In addition it makes sense that wearing a face mask must offer some protection against an air borne virus.   Certainly all of the Far East have been wearing them for many years.   And now it has become policy in America that everyone should wear them.

The problem is that long before the lockdown it was impossible for members of the general public to buy a face mask.    We asked in our Farmacia many weeks ago and were told not only were they out of stock, but we could not even order them.

Apparently a lot of clothing factories throughout Spain are now making face masks instead.  Obviously, and quite rightly, they will go to “front line staff” first.  But it seems likely that they will eventually reach Farmacia, perhaps even the one in Parcent.  

Until then Jan is experimenting with making a face mask, and something will be in place before she next drives into Jalon for her weekly shop.

2 April 2020 – Lockdown Day 21

     

                                                                           

Tossal del Moro – 2 April 2018

                         

Wednesday 1 April

We woke to find a group of council workmen spraying the road, walls and even car tyres.   This is the first time we have seen any such precautions.   Apparently they have been doing it regularly in Parcent for some time, but of course neither of us has been in the village since lockdown.   Reassuring to know that we have not been forgotten.

I think it is a good idea to have a photo at the start of each blog, it adds a little colour to the page.   But suitable photos of lockdown are not easy to find.   I started using photographs of Jan and I, but that seems a little vain.   I then tried to take a photo each day.   But as it was raining most days, and as we can’t leave the house, that was also very limited.   So I decided to try to use a photo from one of our previous walks on the same day, but in previous years.   The first one is shown above.

         

Most of the day was spent reading email replies to the video I sent out yesterday.  It was really nice to hear from so many of our walking friends.   All were in favour of making a video each week, and all remarked how much they enjoy watching it.   Many had not only watched it more than once, but also forwarded it to their friends.   I was also pleased to have some suggestions for “walking titles” to future videos.

Jan’s task for today was to make yet another cake.   This is the third she has made since lockdown.   We only have one small slice each a day, so each one lasts quite a few days.   But it is nice to have a little treat each day.   The house was filled with the smell of baking.   Unfortunately the cake will not be ready until tomorrow

Thursday 2 April

Another wet and miserable morning. 

This meant that we had to do our exercise indoors.   Running up and down the stairs is not a lot of fun, but needs must.

My task today was to answer the many emails I received in response to the lockdown walking video.   This is a very pleasant task, and we both enjoy reading the comments and updates from our walking friends.

My second task was to try to sort out my desktop computer.   The language on the browser (Google search) screen has changed from English to Spanish.   As far as I am aware I did not do anything to make this happen, though I suppose I must have hit the wrong key by accident.   The result is that when I search for anything I get the options in Spanish

I spent a lot of the day trying to Google the answer.  I found plenty of suggestions, but when I tried them I always found that the language was already English.   At times like this I would not be without my computer, but it can be really annoying when this sort of thing happens.  You know it must be something simple, but finding what that “something” is can be impossible.

Despite the many hours looking at YouTube solutions and visiting Google forums my browser is still in Spanish.

A small enough problem in the scheme of things, but pretty annoying for all of that.

         

31 March 2020 - Lockdown Day 19

 

The Green Horse – 17 October 2019   

Monday 30 March

Today dawned grey and overcast.

After two days of sun, we had quite a taste for it.   It was nice to be able to work in the garden and eat outside.   But we knew from the weather forecast that it was not to last, so we were not surprised this morning.

My task for today was to make the second Lockdown Video.   The one I made last week was supposed to be a “one off” to cheer up our walking friends at the end of two weeks of house arrest.   But the response we got was so good that I decided to do another one this week, and may do one each week for the duration of Lockdown.

Last week I selected photographs from the 18 walks we have done this year.   Obviously they were the best of the bunch, and I was not sure what to do for the second video.

I wanted them to be representative of both the Monday Ramblers and the Thursday Explorers.   The former started in October 2019, so the selection would have to be no earlier than that.   There might be a few more videos, so I didn’t want to use too many walks for this one.

I decided I would use two walks from October, one Monday and one Thursday.  I would use all of the photos from each one.      I eventually decided on the first Monday Ramblers walk, which was Jalon to Parcent.   And for Thursday the Green Horse, one of our favourites.

The biggest problem was what music to use.   Jan solved the problem by suggesting “Walking back to Happiness” by Helen Shapiro.   It is one of the few 1960s hits that I do not have on the computer, so I had to download it.

The second problem was making the number of photos fit the time of the recording.  It lasts 2 minutes and 34 seconds, considerably shorter than last week.  But fortunately the 40 photos from the two walks would be about right, particularly with titles added.

You can see the finished product at this link      

https://youtu.be/nz24CjXZub

Tuesday 31 March

Wet and windy today.  

Jan had to visit the farmacia to get some paracetamol, her first visit since Lockdown.   She was not very happy, because apart from the hospital and the doctor, that is where you will find the most ill people.   But she was impressed at the precautions they took to keep the required two metre distance and to disinfect as you enter the shop.  Surprisingly it was also empty, except for the manager.  She got the paracetamol, though only a small box as they are rationed.    She also wanted to get some face masks, just in case we should ever need them.  But they had none in stock, and could not order any.  I expect that they are all needed by the health personnel, which is very reasonable.

She got quite wet walking to the farmacia and back, and was not impressed when the rain stopped just after she got home.

Sent out the email with the walking video this morning.   Hope that everyone enjoys watching it as much as I did making it!