Skip to main content

silence

So it is now 11 days in isolation  and there are compensations.  Nature is continuing to thrive.  Birds are nesting, woodpeckers are pecking, bees are buzzing and even butterflies are out and about.  No sign of the cuckoo though.  Another bonus is that the traffic has virtually stopped.

Here in France we now have to carry a signed form declaring that one is going to work, a food shop, pharmacy or solo exercise (walking that is).  Failure to declare or go anywhere else is punishable by a fine.  Brings back memories of living in eastern Europe all those years ago.  Roadblocks have been set up and police have been mobilised.  Of course I haven't seen any officer of the law in these parts since I moved here but I shall sign my form and carry it with me when I go for my daily walk.

Unlike many villages in France, our village has a shop, which is a life line.  No-one is panic buying,  you wouldn't dare, and I can buy fresh vegetables and fruit.   Apples are missing but I can't complain.  People keep a safe distance from each other and generally behave as asked.

Even walking the same routes can become slightly boring so today I am going to walk backwards.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

D day lasts 3 days

 This morning, with my head full of things I still have to do, I got on the tram and forgot to scan my ticket.  The inspector got on 2 stops later and said I had to pay 45€ for this lapse.  Why can't I scan it now?  a reasonable question in my opinion, was met with scorn, so I  paid up.  On the tram back from the hospital there she was again and checked my ticket with glee.  While she was doing that a young man got on, sat down  and did not show any sign of even having a ticket, let alone scanning one.   The inspector passed him by without a second glance.   Today is the last day for packing and organising.  Tomorrow the removal company will arrive at 6am to take it all away and put it in storage.  Tomorrow night I will sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor and Thursday I go to the hospital to be nuked for the last time.  The sleeping bag is the one that saved me from hypothermia when a friend and I were lost for ...
1 comment
Read more

I'm Free

 After being incarcerated in my son's house waiting for the results of the day 2 test I was finally allowed out today.  I went to Chichester and was saddened by the number of familiar shops that have disappeared from the town centre.  Bognor is the same.  You wouldn't die of thirst in either town though as the number of cafes has increased.  Both town centres were busy making it difficult to keep a safe distance from others but many people were wearing masks in the street. I was pulled over by Customs in Caen.  As I opened the trunk of the car one of the officers asked me if I was carrying goods.  'Yes,' I replied, ' French Champagne and French wine'  They nodded approvingly and waved me away. During my 3 days in the house, I have cleaned, filed all their paperwork, mended the shower, cooked dinner and tried watching television, the latter being totally uninspiring.  The news consists of covid, travel restrictions, forbidden Christmas parties...
Post a Comment
Read more

How Apt

 As the sewage piles up around the apartment I think it is appropriate that we highlight World Toilet Day, which took place yesterday.  I have lived in countries where sewage systems were non-existent and where toilets were a luxury, even outside but I didn't really expect to endure the same in the middle of Saumur.  However, after 4 weeks, tomorrow will see workmen arrive to deal with the problem.  Please don't let there be a strike.  When they have fixed the broken  pipe we have to work out what we do with all that sewage just laying around.  I don't normally wish for torrential rain, or any rain at all, but please can it pour down on Friday?   The mairie phoned yesterday to say that they had spoken to the Prefecture who had given them a telephone number that I can ring to get an appointment to change the address on my identity card.  It is the same number I have been dialling for weeks and which is always busy. I read that Boris Johns...
Post a Comment
Read more