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Published: March 22nd 2020
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The worlds gone mad. That's what it feels like. Gabby is sitting outside on the drive doing nothing. The planned weeks holiday has been cancelled . Wind back a few weeks. A few weeks ago we were walking around a Japanese Garden supposedly full of Hellebores - Christmas Roses to you and me. It was not the best of Japanese gardens nor were the Hellebores magnificent but at least we got out and about. Looking back it was good to be out and about in the fresh air. The storms had passed, The nights were starting to draw out and Spring felt just around the corner. The trees were starting to be tinged with green and the birds were nest building . We were going to a snowdrop garden . Never made it . We had planned to go to Felley Priory Garden to see their spring display of daffodils. That is not going to happen for a while . On hold too is our visit to Winchester and to Salisbury . It was going to be Gabbys first Spring outing . Our May holiday is on hold too. We booked it in February having had to wait to recieve our
Tesco vouchers . When I came to exchange these for our Tunnel trip the price going out had gone up by £10, Coming home by £5. The whole thing had to then be cancelled and rebooked for September .
If you ask why then where have you been the last few weeks . It all started in a province of China . Many deaths . Many people taking ill with flu/pneumonia like symptoms. Hospitals being overwhelmed and unable to cancel . A conspiracy theory . A virus passed from bats to humans . It felt like Armageddon or the Apocalypse . China locked down. All flights out and into the country cancelled . Everyone wearing masks and being tested to see if their temperatures were above normal . It felt a long way away . Halfway round the world . It wouldn't bother us - would it ?
Well it did and the world went mad . Italy next . The aged population dying in isolation. Lockdowns of cities in Lombardy. The numbers of ill folk climbed by the day. All travel was disrupted as Italy shut down. We realised it must be bad when the
Pope gave his Sunday message via videolink . Italy as a tourist destination was dead and looked as if it would continue that way for weeks if not months. Venice deserted. The gondolas and vaporetti not running. The canals water clear as the mud had found time to settle . No air pollution No noise pollution .
Spain next . Campsites closed and motorhomers moved on. With no sites open and the police closing the free camping places it looked difficult to travel and even harder to move on. A major exodus occured to the ports where motorhomers tried to get home . A complete lockdown . Only travel in emergencies , only go out to the shops to buy your groceries , do not mix , do not congregate . This virus was creeping ever closer to us .
So what happened next ? OUr football season was cut short with the promise that the league would continue in a month. Work still went on. Motorhomers still travelled . The Rugby World Cup fell victim to the unseen virus and the shops started to empty . No flour, no eggs and no sugar . We have become a nation of breadmakers and bakers . No toilet roll. What's that all about ? Coronavirus does not give you any symptoms where you need the toilet . The shops felt like war zones despite everyone being told that there were no shortages . Where is it all going? Who knows ? Where next ? All we know is that we wont be seeing Holland , Poland and Denmark this Spring .
Sun Tzu was quoted in my calendar today " In the midst of chaos , there is opportunity " Time to plan an Autumn Trip instead . Time to get out the Venice Jigsaw . Time to pick up the knitting again . Time to just get on with life without Gabby for a while .
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Plans...they are a'changing.
Linda is doing jigsaw puzzles and we are both reading. As for travel, we can still take rides in the country...just no human contact. And everyone here is hoarding toilet paper, too! And those of us who don't are asking WHY? Stay safe!