Mar 15, 2020 | The Quarantine Diary, Week 1
We live in house which has two fields behind it. A grass laneway runs down the side of each. At the end there’s a drop where oaks grow, we call this ‘the woods’ even though it is only about four trees deep. Beyond that there are the vineyards of Montemelino – rolling hills with perfect rows of vines.
I do a pet walk a couple of times a day around the fields, it’s a pet walk rather than a dog walk as our two black cats as well as the dogs come along. We have a Bichon Frise named Looney, and a very large half long haired black German Shepard called Asha, which sometimes people mistake for a wolf from a distance.
This morning I decided to bring them out early. I’m in my dressing gown – it’s a long, cosy, grey one with a loose hood. On the way down the steps I grab a large stick from the wood pile just in case the four legged Casanova decides to visit (See Quarantine Day 1 to understand what I am talking about). I walk down the lane towards the woods. The birds are (still) singing and the neighbour’s hen is laying an egg. I’ve never seen this hen, but it clucks and ‘bok, bok, BAWK’s’ way too perfectly, so I imagine it is like a cartoon hen – one dimensional, cross eyed and running around in circles.
I haven’t bothered with shoes. Looney has decided she doesn’t want to walk anymore so I pick her up and tuck her under my arm. I cross the end of the field parallel to the woods and begin my walk back up the other grass lane which faces onto the road. The road is always quiet on weekend mornings, but mass has been cancelled an the supermarket is not open yet so today is extra quiet.
A car approaches and slows to a stop at the top of the lane I see them looking towards me. I think it’s my neighbour so I lift my hand to wave. It’s the one with the stick as the other is full of little white dog. It’s not my neighbour and the car pulls away so quickly that it screeches a bit. Strange.
I get back to the house and get dressed. Without thinking I change from my PJs to just a clean set of PJs. I look in the mirror and realise I haven’t brushed my hair for two days.
I have worked from home for over 10 years and have never done this. What is happening to me? I think it’s because I know that no one will be calling in and I won’t be going anywhere, so my brain has gone from ‘party’ mode to ‘let’s just be a slob’ mode, self grooming can wait.
It also dawns on me why the car sped away – I must have looked like a mad hermit coming out from the woods, long grey hooded cap, barefoot with a wolf and other crazed animals circling, waving my wooden staff at them or maybe a biblical vision with the Lamb of God under my arm… They shouldn’t have been out breaking the quarantine anyway. Maybe that will scare them into staying at home. I feel I have done my bit for the community this morning, now off to the shower with me and to get dressed into proper clothes.
Mar 14, 2020 | The Quarantine Diary, Week 1
I have a new fear for the world and it’s not the Corona virus. It’s balcony singing.
The Italians have been keeping spirits up by singing and playing instruments from their balconies. It’s beautiful, amazing and the videos of the impromptu concerts are going viral. They have brought tears to my eyes and lumps to my throat.
But something needs to be understood. Italy is the home of opera. Most kids learn a classical or traditional instrument from a young age. Yes, I know most parents around the world give their kids the gift of music from a young age and they work through the grades and do well, but the Italians are different. Every town has it’s Saints days and throughout the summer they have Medieval and cultural festivals, in Autumn towns have a ‘sagra’ which is a festival of the local food and wine harvest. Parades and local traditional music play a big part in all of them.
Kids practice together regularly throughout the year for these regular festivals and continue to participate as adults with the same people they grew up with.
In Italian towns many people live in apartments and a lot of towns have districts that compete against each other during their local festivals such as Siena’s Palio or Gubbio’s Race of the Candles – where three districts carry giant wooden beams to the church on top the hill – don’t ask, it’s fun to see, adrenalin pumping for sure and it all ends with them having a massive street party together. Community spirit is still very strong in Italy.
Many members of these close knit communities live in apartments close together, so when for instance Marco whips out his trumpet on his balcony, Francesca in the apartment two blocks down knows when to join in with her tambourine as she is familiar with his music, and she most probably has played with with him many times before. And so it continues and their impromptu flashmob works out.
My fear for the world is people mimicking this in other parts of the world; garage bands will compete with each other, drummers drumming to their own hard metal beats, wannabes belting out their versions of Whitney Huston and Adele. I’m scared you are all going to be surrounded by a live version of the XFactor reject clips 24/7.
Or people will think they are doing the world a service by playing their Spotify list at top volume in their semi-estate garden, when in fact, a lot of people would prefer to enjoy this God given peace and quiet time.
Be warned and be prepared: skip the toilet roll aisle at this point and stock up on the headache tablets, you could soon be moving on to the music level of the virus.
Mar 13, 2020 | The Quarantine Diary, Week 1
I’m really crap at this quarantine thing. Four days ago, we did what Irish people call ‘a Big Shop’. It should last us about 10 days, with some supplies lasting a month, with just a need to pop out for milk and one or two other perishables. However my brain, looking at the full fridge and full wine rack seems to have switched to party mode.
I’m a destination wedding planner into Italy so as you can imagine my enquiry emails have tumbleweed blowing through them. I’d usually be doing eight hour days on my computer at this time of year. Now I’m finished work in less than two hours in the morning. So I am making nice lunches and having a glass of wine, which wouldn’t be my normal thing to do on a work day. Sure why not, I’m not driving anywhere? I check in on emails after lunch, more tumbleweed.
As I work from home anyway, I usually have a glass of wine when I close down my computer in the evening. But now my work day is finishing by 4pm so the ‘celebratory closing of the computer glass of wine’ has moved forward three hours. Then I’ll have one with dinner and maybe a nightcap. So now my months supply of wine is already half gone and we’re only on day four. Also party brain has decided I should indulge in my months supply of chocolate, to get over the shock of being quarantined I think. I have two Bounty Bars left. Maybe I could trade toilet roll for chocolate on some online exchange site?
I also have a bit of a guilty conscious going on… you know the way people say;
‘Be careful what you wish for’ or ‘Be careful what you ask the Universe for’ ?
Well, a few weeks ago, I was so overwhelmed with work enquiries and emails I said aloud, “I wish everyone would stop emailing me for a while”. Am I so in tune with the Universe that it sent an International plague on humanity so Rosie could have a break from her emails? Did I cause the Corona virus?
Take note people… be careful what you wish for.
We also forgot to buy salt and toothpaste. We’re crap at this quarantine thing.
Mar 12, 2020 | The Quarantine Diary, Week 1
This is the map I look at every morning. I look at the stats waiting for the day when the percentages go into minus figures. Poor Italy looks like a squashed lady bird at the moment, I will never look at polka dots the same way.
There’s a real advantage to not being fluent in the language of the country I am living in as I can’t understand what is being said on the radio or by politicians. So I look at my little squashed ladybird map every day and listen to the Irish or Sky news in the evening and that is my news in take for the day. I think it’s good for everyone to limit it at a time like this, as being bombarded by negativity all day just causes anxiety and depression. One news blast and then carry on with your day.
I know a lot of you are concerned about us over here in Italy, but I have to say I am more comfortable being in Italy more than anywhere else in the world during this Corona Virus pandemic and here are five reasons why:
1. Italy Is Self Sufficient
There is no ‘run’ on grocery shops like other countries, even though we are in the eye of the storm, and even if the shops still run out of food they know how to whip up a great meal from what is around them.
I often take the train into Florence or down to Rome I live in between both, I’m quite voyeuristic when it comes to looking in back gardens. And something I have noticed is there are no flower gardens – flowers are kept to terraces, gardens are for vegetables. Each plot has rows of courgettes, artichokes, potatoes, cabbages, tomatoes, lettuce. Along with peach, orange, apple, pears, cherry, figs and of course grapes. All with different fruiting seasons.
The shops are full of local produce rather than imports. They have wheels of aged cheeses and joints of aged hams. ‘Baccalà’ – salted fish – is still a staple food, originating as a way of preserving fish from the time of long sea voyages and pilgrims walking the roads to Assisi.
There are aisles of wines but they are all from Italian vineyards. You won’t see an Aussie or South African Chardonnay anywhere. Processed food and imported food is minimal.
Wartime survival instincts are still strong – it is still common to see old people with rickety legs from the time they were children of the war hiding in the mountains and all they had to eat were the nuts and weeds they could forage. At this time of year in the woods near where I live, you will see men (mostly), with a bag full of wild asparagus they have just collected. The use of pesticides or weed killer seems to be frowned upon. They know how nutritious and delicious some weeds can be, they know their mushrooms, roots and nuts.
2. They Love Their Nonni
They put their citizens before economy – They love and respect their nonni (their grandmothers and grandfathers). Many people still live in houses divided into apartments which is shared between three generations. In every town you’ll see groups of old gents playing cards outside coffee bars. In many town centres they have converted an empty shop to a place where the elderly men can gather to read the paper, chat, play cards, have a coffee. The women stick to the benches, balconies and church steps for their chats. Old people here don’t suffer from loneliness as much as other countries, they are loved and respected. They have put these citizens before the economy and have done all it can to curtail the spread of this virus in order to protect their elderly. This is why the Italians are not putting forward arguments against the quarantine, or other extreme measures, even though their businesses or jobs are in jeopardy.
3. Health
Italians are very careful of their health, there’s a thing they fear called ‘colpo d’aria’ which means ‘a blast of air’, the closest Irish equivalent is ‘catching a draft’ or ‘getting a chill’ but ‘colpa d’aria’ is more serious. I’ve had friends who blame stopping during jogging to read a text on stomach sickness caused by ‘colpa d’aria’ or getting pains in their joints caused by ‘colpa d’aria’ after working out and not cooling off properly before going into an air conditioned supermarket. Air conditioning is frowned at – recycled cold air? no thanks. They wear their scarfs and overcoats until after Easter even if it’s 20 degrees. Going out with wet hair is a near criminal offence. Every house has a thermometer that is regularly used to ensure no one is close to getting a fever in winter season. If your temperature goes up in any way, a whole series of old wives cures are used. They are very careful about their health.
This is reflected in their health system, even though their economy was struggling before this outbreak, their health care system remained admirable. Even though it is under severe strain now, it is coping with this virus better than other countries would or will.
4. Hygiene
There is always a cleaning crew on the trains. Not just during the virus. The same with airports, there are always busy cleaning crews.
On a lighter note, a lot of places sell pure alcohol so that people can make their limoncello and other liquors, so if we run out of hand sanitiser we can always make our own AND every bathroom has a bidet in Italy so not only is their bottom hygiene excellent, but running out of toilet paper is not a concern!
5. Sun is on the Way
Temperatures are on the rise, so like many, I am hoping warmer weather will kill off this virus. However, I am surrounded by beautiful scenery and the Italian’s are very, decent, kind people so even with a raging virus rampaging the country, I still feel very lucky to live here rather than anywhere else.
Mar 11, 2020 | The Quarantine Diary, Week 1
The national train network Trenitalia sent out guide to who can travel, work and health with self certification.
Underneath in the comments, there was a question from Vincenzo:
Vincenzo: “Can I travel to Naples to visit my family which needs a bus and a train?”
A can of worms opened.
“Only if you want to bring your mother or grandmother the gift of Corona. Stay At Home sitting on the sofa.”
“Don’t be so selfish, I haven’t seen my parents for 20 years you can last 3 weeks.”
“Follow the instructions fool, STAY AT HOME.”
“Think of all the refugees who have not seen their families for three years. Don’t be so selfish you can wait three weeks without running back to your mama.
Vincenzo then replied: “I”m 70 I just wanted to go to my daughter and get my glasses fixed.”
Poor Vincenzo. But it does show how seriously the Italians are following the ‘Stay At Home’ order and how annoyed they get at people breaking it.
It was 18 degrees today. The birds were singing (still) and lizards are reappearing which means the ground is heating up which will hopefully kill off this virus. I sat out on the terrace working and after a few hours I became paranoid and thought I had a fever but then realised I’d done the ultimate Irish thing and sat out for too long at the first appearance of the sun resulting in a big red face.
Mar 10, 2020 | The Quarantine Diary, Week 1
Day 1 of Quarantine: The roads are quieter. The sun is shining, I can hear the birds singing, spring is in the air ‘we can get through this’ I’m thinking while making tea. And then I notice something at the end of the back field. A squirt of a brown dog humping my big black german shepard.
‘What the F**k?’ I run out with my dressing gown flying in the air screaming at the four legged casanova. He dismounts wagging his tail, Asha my dog is smiling from ear to ear, the damage has been done and she’s very pleased with herself. She hasn’t let a dog near her in 10 years, why now? Are Italian dogs smooth barkers? I realise it has been him seranading her every evening at the bottom of the steps not the dog next door. They trot off to the woods together while I’m still screaming obsenities at them. The vet lives two villages away, I think I’ll need a police pass to get there. Why pick the first day of a three week quarantine to loose your virginity at this stage in your life and not a condom in sight? Then I’m thinking maybe the human Italians may also take advantage of this ‘quiet time’ to rekindle romance, so is this natures way of getting the Italians to procreate and balance the dwindiling population?
