Day 26 - SkyLines from the French Lock-down: Home Time

Salut!  (Hi!)  Ça va?  (How's it going? by the way, that little tail on the Ç tells you to say it as S.  You probably already knew that...)  Anyway, we sure hope you're sitting comfortably because it looks like these blogs on being in Quarantine confinement may continue for a while.  

Signs of spring - The French name for Wisteria is Glycine.

Day 26 - Home life. All day, every day. Somebody this morning said it may last until May 15th.  I told myself to be positive. It would still be spring. But you know what?  Even I, the Queen of Positivity, find it tough to keep the focus sharp every single day. Thankfully, I know it's not for life but what if it was?  How would we cope? The words "Lock-Down" almost feels like "Police State" at the moment.  Maybe it was all those gendarmes I kept seeing today.

If you'd told me when I was a classroom teacher in California, that one day we'd be sharing a seemingly endless weekend at home, I'd have thought that sounded pretty good. Friday

A sad, empty playground

evenings would arrive and I was so darn happy to take down my long hair, slip into jeans and

sandals, drink a cup of tea and just relax.  Pizza, red wine, and a movie seen from the couch was the ultimate celebration for five days of rewarding but exhausting work.  I loved my job but I was always happy for some home time.

And now - here we are on permanent home time.  Only allowed out to: shop for essential needs, take one hour of exercise, walk a dog, go to work, or a medical emergency.  So... this morning I went shopping for essential vegetables and

A gendarme's van
on the pedestrian way

a gendarme's van drives up the pedestrian walk. The cops eyed those of us in the street to see that we were practicing social distancing.  We were.  I shopped and came out with my bag full of fresh veggies.  I looked at the empty, forlorn looking children's playground.  

I saw this really handsome guy with a baguette wrapped in a twist of paper from the boulangerie.  He smiled at me and we walked along the main street at the required two meters apart. At the next intersection, we turned left. He said, "Attention aux flicks!" My French partner was telling me, "Watch out it's the cops."  We were in rue Victor Hugo and ahead of us two vans with flashing blue lights turned right into a side street. Why do I always get that uneasy feeling they are stalking us?

We continued on our way secure in the fact that we were on our way home from shopping. And although it wasn't the direct way home, we would arrive home after four more right turns, if you see what I mean. Right.... I snapped photos as we went along like I always do.  Then came the sound of a real ruckus from the aforementioned side street.  We saw the two vans were parked. Four gendarmes gave commands to a group of people about keeping social distance and going home.  The voices grew louder and some were belligerent. A woman argued back. We didn't stop and I most certainly did NOT snap a photo. 

My partner glanced at his "attestation" paper (that one we fill out if we leave the house and sign with the time and date) and said, "I have ten minutes left. They probably wouldn't give us

Why are they following us?

a hard time but I'd rather not get lectured." I was also sure they wouldn't - my guy's a retired gendarme, and they all know each other. But he would still be reprimanded if he broke the rule, and could well get a fine. So I nodded and we picked up the pace.  I'd left after him, so I didn't really need to hurry but I was the one with the house keys.  So we turned right at the end of the street then soon turned right again.  

As we passed the side street where the action had been, there was no longer any sign of cops or the argumentative group. Good. Then I saw that the two vans were on this street and heading our way! OhMyGoodness, they were stalking us! The first one pulled over and my hand went to my pocket for my attestation. But they ignored me and parked. The second van pulled up and stopped by the first.  The gendarmes started talking to each other. Phew! I kept my calm face on and followed my partner at the appropriate "two people just out shopping who hardly know each other" distance.

In the next block we turned right again, climbed the stairs through the medieval walls of the

The church steps need weeding.
I expect it's a non-essential job.

village and were home.  We fixed lunch and watched the news.  Some of it was positive.  The rest, well, what else can we expect in the middle of a pandemic?  Scenes of people getting fines for breaking the rules didn't surprise us.  One woman said, "It's a Police State."  She was angry and added, "In my mind I've not broken the law."  Um, yeah, she had gone quite a bit farther than the 1 kilometer quarantine limit.  Sorry, lady, that is breaking the law.  If we're working so hard at staying in our boundaries, we'd appreciate everyone doing it.  I'm walking two meters apart from my partner when I'd rather be holding his hand. Get over it and pay the fine.

The good news is - social distancing is working. The numbers of new cases and deaths are dropping for Italy, Spain,and France. Human behavior means the gendarmes are being kept busy. We can't expect people to do the right thing, in fact, evidence proves that some people can be expected to do the opposite.  It may feel like a police state, but it isn't.  It's an effort to stem the tide of death and make sure there is room in the hospitals for those who need it.. If the confinement quarantine continues when the pandemic is over, that's another story.

We'll have to keep our distance for a little while longer. It's Easter tomorrow.  A poignant

The church this morning.

reminder that it is the time of rebirth.  I looked into the church earlier.  The image of the candles of hope and the cross waiting to be resurrected tomorrow are another reminder.  It is darkest when the storm is upon us.  For many, it may get darker before the storm passes. But there will be an end. The light will return. Be strong. For the moment, we are all on Home Time.

One last thing. You are so important to us. And these are stressful times. One easy way to reduce stress is to breathe.  Not a joke. It's a proven way tell your mind to stop freaking out.  Try it.  Take a slow deep breath. Don't over-fill.  Just breath in slowly. Now here's the important part.  Let the breath out even more slowly. Repeat. Be gentle with yourself.  It will do you good. Try it, you'll see.  Sending you lots of encouragement - we're thinking of you and we will survive this together - from our side of the screen to yours.  

A demain, chers amis!  (Until tomorrow, dear friends!) Link to Day 27

View of Argelès sur Mer & the Med seen from the Albères.