France Under Lockdown!

Place de la Comédie, Montpellier's normally-busy main square, all but deserted!

Paula wrote today's blog.

SUNDAY

Well it’s not really a lockdown, but it is the first day of French President Macron’s closure of everything except grocery stores, pharmacies and medical clinics. Sunday most places are closed anyway so it’s generally quiet. But the two boulangeries near us are completely out of bread. And that’s what French people want: there’s plenty of toilet paper in the stores. People are still out and about, mostly of them young. This is a student town and generally speaking they probably don’t think anything “will happen to them.” Of course that’s not the point of the shutdown—it’s to get people to stop moving around long enough for the virus to be isolated and not spread.

The train station Gare St Roch--kinda empty!

Except for the live piano found in every train station in France--can you find the four real people?

The park on a grey day, also empty.

Saturday we had a great outing with three other expat friends: walking along the river, stopping for a beer at a café, sitting in the sun talking about how different the world is from two days ago. Countries closing all flights and borders—the epicenter of the virus now in Europe.

Mark, Mary, Debra, Paula. Weird light on the trees is sunlight reflected from the buildings in front of us.

And guessing what it will be like in a month, two months, six months? Economically, socially, politically. It’s staggering to think of the standstill of so many businesses. And people being laid off. France is a very socialistic country—so it will take care of its people.

Staying at home is not really a problem for us. We’re comfortable, have plenty of essentials, like wine and cheese and pasta. Netflix will do well. We just bought 2000 shares when the market tanked (only kidding). Paula has her painting supplies and we found a Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary game in the closet. Only problem is everything is in French—bien sûr!

Ok who can answer this one?

"Quelle star a interprété la chanson du film Titanic?"

I’m practicing opening doors and elevators with my elbow. No more kissing when greeting each other. It’s the elbows bump all around.

And with eating at home more, I'm experimenting with recipes,  on a Thai food kick. (We’ve found a couple of Asian food stores near us!) Perfecting curries and also peanut sauce dishes. I've found some no-additive peanut butter--not easy to find in Europe. The French don't use peanut butter.

MONDAY

OK it’s official! EVERYTHING is closed except food stores, pharmacies, takeout food. No hair cutting, laundry, bicycle shops, travel agents, anything you can think of that’s not food or drugs. Oh tobacco shops are open if you want cigarettes or vaping supplies. The huge Place de Comedie in the center usually filled with cafes and laughing people is empty. Tourist office is closed. McDonalds is closed. To comply with distance between people, the groceries stores are only letting in so many at a time. So there are lines outside. This is only the second day…never mind a  month from now…can’t imagine what it will be like 3 days from now. It will take weeks to show any decline in the number of cases, if we did everything perfectly starting today.

We will publish updates on the blog.

Closed boulanger; long line at the grocery store (they only let in a few people at at time). We live in the high-rise at the end of the block.

Recommendation for all of you in the US: Don’t panic, but don't take this lightly, either!

We'll finish by this bit of doggerel by Mercedes R. Lackey, published SiFi author and frequent Quora contributor:

You cannot get it from a box

You cannot get it from a fox

You cannot get it from a cat

You cannot get it from a rat

You cannot get it from a dog

You cannot get it from a log

You cannot get it from a veg

Or sitting on a window ledge

You cannot get it from a fruit

Or from a mouse, however cute

Or get it from someone Chinese*

You sure can get it from a sneeze

Or touching things and then your face

Or any contaminated place

A face-mask will not help you, Sam

And you don’t want it, Sam-I-Am

So wash your hands at every chance

Instead of touching things, just glance

And do not panic, jeez, that’s dumb.

Cause panic will not help you, chum.

*And quit lumping every East Asian into the category of “Chinese” because they have epicanthal folds.

             Via Quora: https://qr.ae/pNnuSI