Spanish views from a small town

We are now into the month of May, one of the finest months on the calendar. The ninth of this month is also the day the national state of alarm comes to an end. It's a funny thing. Back in October or November, when it was declared, everyone was against it. Every region wanted to keep control of how they were combatting the second wave, even though it had become a confusing mess of restrictions. Now that it's nearing the end, everyone wants either to extend it, or have something of some sort take its place. Will someone please make up their minds? In Galicia, it's not that bad, at the moment. Vaccination is about to start with the 66-69 year olds. When the vaccines first appeared, we were told that by this time of the year, those my age were supposed to have begun being called up. Or, at least those with chronic illnesses, such as me. But, no, I still have to be careful when I go out and about, and I have no idea when I'll get a jab.  The scariest thing at the moment, is...

Galicia is in its last day of the state of alarm. Tomorrow, ahead of the rest of the country, it will enter the new normality . Which is not that much different from Phase 3. There still exists a health alarm, and people still have to be careful about getting infected. The rules are much the same, except the minimum distance between people is now 1.5 meters. People still have to wear masks in public, and will be fined €100 if they don't.  From what I've been noticing, the new normality and Phase 3 only mean that people can now start living their lives again as usual. People care very little that they can't be less than a meter and a half from others they don't live with. As for masks, if they don't feel like it, they don't wear one, period. Some don't even seem to have one on their person when they go out. I admit to lowering it to my neck on the street, but I also admit to swerving away from people who don't seem to care about bumping into me. The ...

Yesterday afternoon, not even twenty-four hours after getting tested, my daughter got a call. She is negative for Covid-19. She simply had a little spring cold. With this virus, every little sniffle becomes suspect, and we tend to forget that other illnesses, much more benign, still exist and infect us. So, she has now fully installed herself in the house. My solitary days are over.  Life is slowly getting back into its regular grooves. Now that we can move a bit more, I am going to go back to shopping on Saturday afternoons in the next township, where there are some supermarket chains I frequent that don't exist in my township. But I will still try to stock up to not have to run out in the middle of the week. I don't want to be exposed to many people without any reason yet, even though the number of infected is going down in our region.  I am also getting back into the groove of moving my body every morning. Last week I went walking for a half hour almost every day. Thi...

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Okay, it's more of a candlelight that's swiveling around, the wind threatening to blow it out with a barely bigger huff. But it's been lit and it's there, shining with a heart borrowed from the sun. A four stage de-escalation has been presented. Apart from the children that can now go out for an hour, and the adults that will have a daily hour of solitary exercise from Saturday onwards, on the eleventh of May begins Phase One of de-escalation. Phase Zero: The one we're in now. The only thing that will change is that as of Monday, restaurants can open to provide take-out, only. Phase One: As of the eleventh of May, some small stores can open, allowing a reduced number of shoppers according to total area. Bars will be opened, but only the terraces. People will be able to book hotel rooms, but there are no public areas allowed. People can visit friends and families, though not inside their homes, and funerals can be ...