It’s my first day back in Portugal and the first day of Spring. It’s 7am. I’m lying in bed listening to the rain hammer down outside.
Yesterday I found out that I am required to self-isolate for 14 days, and now I find that the weather is crap too.
Well, maybe that’s a good thing. If the weather was wonderful, maybe being stuck indoors would be even worse. I have the roof terrace I suppose…
Slowly the rain peters out, and the sounds of the village take over: people chatting and shouting, people laughing, cars driving past, Church bells tolling the time.
The birds seem happy enough, too.
It sounds no different to normal. The only difference is that I can’t go out and join in.
I can’t wander up to the square for a pastry and a juice. I can’t wander down to the beach and perhaps go for a swim. I can’t catch the train into Olhao to check on how the house renovation is going and see my friendly local bar owner, Paulo.
It’s a very strange feeling.
I’m stuck in my house, which is now almost a prison. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.
Two weeks of House arrest – bollocks… how am I going to get through this?
Actually, now I think about it, I have experienced something similar.
When I was at University, I left my dissertation until the last possible moment. I then spent three weeks over Easter writing like mad and living off baked beans – my Dad (who was my Bank Manager at the time) had limited my spending since I was so badly overdrawn!
“Happy Days!” as they say.
The next couple of weeks might not be so very different!
But I don’t have it too bad, to be honest.
I have food in. A friend called this morning and asked if I needed anything. I have enough money to see me through the lean times. I’m OK really.
It’s people like Paulo that I’m worried about.
He runs a small bar in Olhao – Olho Na Ria. It’s not flashy, and I’m sure that Paulo doesn’t make much from it. But he makes enough for him and his daughter to live on. At least, he did.
This year there have been fewer tourists, which has impacted everyone – due to Brexit possibly?
Paulo had already had to revert to his old skillset as a painter/decorator to get by. If it was tough before, I hate to think what the Corona Virus will do to him and his bar.
I’d love to get out and support him, but that will have to wait – for two weeks at least.
None of this seems fair on anybody.
And all I have to worry about is: how am I going to fill my time?
Well, I’ll need to do some exercise obviously – something which has been sadly lacking lately. This will be a good opportunity.
Normally, I like to take a long walk, but that’s out of the question for the foreseeable future, so I look online.
I come across Joe Wicks – Sue has mentioned him. I check out his videos.
‘7 Days of Sweat – Day 1’.
It sounds perfect. Maybe these two weeks will offer me some benefit after all.
I get up and wander downstairs.
“This is going to hurt!” I think to myself as I switch my television on and bring up YouTube. I’ll let you know how I go…
If you want to read more about my experiences during the Coronavirus lockdown of 2020, click on the logo below – this will take you to viralchitchat.com
