We had our first outing today with the lockdown. We had click and collect ordered at LeClerc SM and I had to go to the pharmacy for more dressings for my wound which is still being dressed by the nurse after I fell over in the garden three weeks ago! we took our "Attestations de deplacement" with us but didn't see any police at all on our round trip. The pharmacy was well organized with staff wearing masks and gloves and people being kept well apart. I thought it was all going to be very stressful but was quite the opposite. I even got what I ordered in the S/M!
Under the circumstances I consider myself quite lucky to be ordered to STAY AT HOME. The current lock-down (in France) does not change much to my daily routine (or my OH's). Us gardeners are especially lucky to have a garden to go to, so we don't feel locked-in at all.
Things are much worse for older people who live on their own, in the middle of nowhere, with no transport or neighbours.
Congratulations, @Obelixx for planning to help all those older people around you.
PS.- We find it hard to understand the way of the British government is dealing with the virus (to remain polite).
My turn tomorrow @Floralies. Need some basics plus fruit and veg and cat food. Our usual Leclerc is 23kms away but the road bridge near Port de Claye has been damaged by recent flooding where it crosses the Lay so I have to do a long detour.
Gendarme neighbour even has to carry his attestation on his way to work and is very cross about the whole thing. Meanwhile, my patch ladies are starting to share pics of what they've been doing since we last met - all designed to maintain contact and inspire those who are feeling depressed and isolated.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Three weeks in now and I’m only just starting to get some gardening done. My company put us all on télé travail but as of yesterday has taken the decision to put the majority on chômage partiel..... except me, but I do have to admit my level of mail diminished radically today! How are the rest of us French lockdown folks doing now?
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
Fine thanks. Not been gardening the last few days because of that infernal wind but managed to get two rows of raspberries planted up just before. Otherwise busy with patchwork and embroidery and general pottering about the house. OH takes the dogs out each day for their walk and I get a weekly outing to the SM.
Daily contact via FB/Messenger and mail with family and friends and fellow patchers and eating well, trying new recipes. Bit like being on holiday really except that then I get a bit twitchy after 10 days. OK so far and likely to have to be this way till early May.
I can't see them letting up on restrictions before the May Day weekend is over.
Good that you keep your job.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Yeh we are now planning for mid May before we can begin talking about re opening (I work for disney so we are dépendant on suppliers getting back to work, then of course flights, trains etc getting back to some kind of normality). Scary times for the tourism industry. The wind was really strong here too, so much so that I have a nice vase of daffy and tulips that were all broken.
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
We are both retired down here, OH is younger than me so he goes out for the shopping. We have so much to do in the garden plus we are in the middle of a court case which is very stressful and of course is on hold. My son was taken into hospital in England last night with suspected covid-19, blood tests are saying it may not be and now waiting for swab results. He has some patches on his lungs which seems to be an underlying bacterial infection making him worse, so we will see. Thank goodness for the garden to keep me sane at the moment!
Oh Florales so sorry to hear your news it must be such a hard situation to handle at such a distance. Both my parents are cancer patients over 70 so it’s so worrying that something could happen and we would not be able to get there.
Marne la vallée, basically just outside Paris 🇫🇷, but definitely Scottish at heart.
I am in rural France, just on the edge of the Dordogne and the Haute Vienne. Lovely and sunny and managing to keep busy in the garden. However, I have a Tearoom/restaurant which since the 15th of March has been closed down (understandably and I completely agree with the tactics), it does mean though there is an element of worry about the future.
I am trying to stay positive and think of new ideas for when we do open, new menu items, new cake recipes etc. I was just on the verge of having my outdoor terrace extended to make more seating and a pergola built along with a conversion to the basement to make it into a holiday let studio in the summer and a winter retreat for me. Obviously all on hold now, the builder can't get the materials and hasn't finished the jobs he was doing before he was getting to me. He now says he will be busy elsewhere for at least 5 weeks after we are 'allowed out' which, depending when that is will mean we are nearly at the start of the summer season. I won't want the disruption then, especially after all this so I think it will all go on hold now until next spring. All very disappointing, but yet still uncertain. So difficult to make a decision.
Anyway, I have enough food to keep us going, I have a 12 year old son, so for the moment I am staying home and avoiding going out at all. I have only just recovered from a really bad bout of bronchitis so really don't fancy having to fight this awful infection off just yet!
Nice to find a discussion on the forum with a French slant on things.
My very best wishes to all, especially those with loved ones far away, it does make this all the more trying at times.
Least the sun is shining and the forecast is good here until Monday.
“Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
Rural here too @Dordogne Damsel and very quiet except for the birds and the neighbour's cows and calves in the barns. There's a Lockdown bird watching thread that may interest you and Charlie. You could spend some of your time teaching him to iron!! Good training for him and will be appreciated by future partners.
One of my patchers has just told me that teachers are being quietly advised to gear up for a possible return to class on May 4th. Seems a bit optimistic to me but that gives you all of April to sort out new menus and cakes. Good luck with that. I think you'll be very busy when they do eventually lift restrictions.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
Gendarme neighbour even has to carry his attestation on his way to work and is very cross about the whole thing. Meanwhile, my patch ladies are starting to share pics of what they've been doing since we last met - all designed to maintain contact and inspire those who are feeling depressed and isolated.
Daily contact via FB/Messenger and mail with family and friends and fellow patchers and eating well, trying new recipes. Bit like being on holiday really except that then I get a bit twitchy after 10 days. OK so far and likely to have to be this way till early May.
I can't see them letting up on restrictions before the May Day weekend is over.
Good that you keep your job.
I am in rural France, just on the edge of the Dordogne and the Haute Vienne. Lovely and sunny and managing to keep busy in the garden. However, I have a Tearoom/restaurant which since the 15th of March has been closed down (understandably and I completely agree with the tactics), it does mean though there is an element of worry about the future.
I am trying to stay positive and think of new ideas for when we do open, new menu items, new cake recipes etc. I was just on the verge of having my outdoor terrace extended to make more seating and a pergola built along with a conversion to the basement to make it into a holiday let studio in the summer and a winter retreat for me. Obviously all on hold now, the builder can't get the materials and hasn't finished the jobs he was doing before he was getting to me. He now says he will be busy elsewhere for at least 5 weeks after we are 'allowed out' which, depending when that is will mean we are nearly at the start of the summer season. I won't want the disruption then, especially after all this so I think it will all go on hold now until next spring. All very disappointing, but yet still uncertain. So difficult to make a decision.
Anyway, I have enough food to keep us going, I have a 12 year old son, so for the moment I am staying home and avoiding going out at all. I have only just recovered from a really bad bout of bronchitis so really don't fancy having to fight this awful infection off just yet!
Nice to find a discussion on the forum with a French slant on things.
My very best wishes to all, especially those with loved ones far away, it does make this all the more trying at times.
Least the sun is shining and the forecast is good here until Monday.
One of my patchers has just told me that teachers are being quietly advised to gear up for a possible return to class on May 4th. Seems a bit optimistic to me but that gives you all of April to sort out new menus and cakes. Good luck with that. I think you'll be very busy when they do eventually lift restrictions.