Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 85

Well we woke up to thunder and rain with grey and glowering skies, a direct contrast to yesterday's blue sky, bright sunshine and hot temperatures.  So we binned the idea of a bike ride as it just doesn't appeal to be out on a bike in a thunderstorm!  Instead, Ian went off to our garage to sort out some things and I went for a run on our running machine.  I didn't quite manage a personal best time this time but came within 11 seconds and was more than happy with that.  As I was running I listened to last weeks' playlist that I put together in lieu of the Graham and Sarah Saturday Show on English Radio Pollensa; it was on the theme of beaches and a top 10 from this week in 1984 - what a line-up that was with great songs from Utravox, Phil Collins, Queen, The Style Council and Wham - it certainly helped me on my way 🏃

I'm certainly making progress on my jigsaw puzzle and can sit there happily doing it for ages - Ian's in heaven as it means he can watch the live sport that's now re-started, horse-racing and snooker, which if I'm honest, I can do without.  I do love watching sport though and this would have been a bumper year for it with the Olympics.  I feel so sorry for all those athletes who trained towards this summer's Olympic games and the Japanese organisers who put in all the work on its organisation, and I really hope it will be able to go ahead next year.  And I do love Wimbledon 💕 which would of course have been on later this month.  What with all the cancelled sporting events I don't think this year's BBC Sports Personality of the Year is going to be a goer as no-one's going to have done any!  Ah well, this is a year that is proving to be like none other:

We spent the afternoon watching last night's TV Bond film 'Casino Royale' whilst a big storm did its thing outside.  We found we had two very affectionate four-legged hot water bottles on our laps during the thundery parts - really brave guard dogs 😂

Out and about during this evening's dog walk I took a good look at the repairs to the walkway by the 1919 roundabout.  Last week they placed the metal moulds for the concrete and now the blocks are in place so I suspect the end of this week will see it finished:

We walked round past Mulligans through to the square.  Mulligans closed permanently just before the lockdown started and word on the street is that it is going to be converted into apartments although that has not been confirmed anywhere.  

And so....tomorrow we enter Phase 3 of the de-escalation.  And it will be up to the Balearic government to decide when that ends.  Currently they have already stated that nightclubs/night bars will not be allowed to open here even though it is possible in Phase 3 if a region wishes it.  It does seem a bit pointless anyway as no dancing is allowed!  We will be able to travel between Balearic islands and there are various alterations to the capacity of things eg. bars will be able to have an increased 75% occupancy inside and on the their terrace.  In any event, people calling for Phase 3 to end soon need to be aware that if the regional government does this, then we will no longer be in a state of alarm and anyone getting benefits or hep from the national government will no longer be able to do so.  So together with the lack of tourists which are so vital to the Balearic economy, people could then be unemployed if businesses are unable/unwilling to open up and they will be unable to claim any financial assistance - this really doesn't bear thinking about 😱 let's hope the government takes this into account and makes some provision......

As we are about to enter Phase 3 it seems the right time to de-escalate my blog too or it'll become too mundane, so instead of posting daily, I will post on Mondays and Thursdays starting from Thursday 11th June and every Monday/Thursday thereafter.

Plans for the next few days are my gym class on Tamarells beach terrace tomorrow although I believe they're opening up soon so that may be the last opportunity to do so.  And on Wednesday we are going scuba-diving with a try-dive at Cala san Vicente so it'll be "read all about it" on Thursday! 😂🤿

Stay safe and hasta jueves!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 84

The day started with a trip to Lidl - this is no longer quite the thrill-inducing event that it was not so long ago 😂 but nevertheless is still very different to how shopping used to be before mid-March.  Lidl here has a very friendly security guy on the door who squirts hand sanitiser into your hands and then offers a box of gloves for you to take a couple, all with a very nice smile.  He also handles any queue, like there was this morning, with efficient and pleasant good-humour so a big 👍 to him, he really makes it all a very agreeable experience 👏

It was pretty hot today - around 30 degrees - so we didn't spend too long on the lunchtime dog toilet walk.  We always check the temperature of the pavement to make sure it's not too hot for the dogs to walk on and anyway walk in the shade as far as possible.  When it's July/August and completely scorchio we carry them over the bits that are unshaded, namely the seafront road that we have to cross to get to the grass in the car park; this provides a source of entertainment for those sitting on the terrace of Ca Les Monges on the corner where we cross, especially when I'm walking them on my own and have to pick them both up!  They both weight 9kg so whilst not large dogs, they're not chihuahuas either and once you have one under one arm it's incredibly difficult - and diverting for onlookers - to then stoop down and lift the other with the other arm.  In any event, I'm really glad they're not German Shepherds 😳😂

This afternoon I tended to some of our plants.  We have lots of cacti and succulents on the roof terrace and our bedroom balcony as well as a little lemon tree which we managed to grow two lemons on last year.  And on our kitchen/utility balcony we have a few more small ones but also two orchids.

I always avoided orchids in the past as being too faffy to look after but about two years ago a student's mother gave me the white one as a thank you present for getting her son through a high-level English exam.  It was a lovely gesture so I looked up online how to look after them and managed to keep it alive so bought the dark pink one for myself last year.  They both went a bit dormant over the winter but were definitely still alive and I kept them safe indoors.  And to my delight, during lockdown they looked like they were going to flower again; the pink one has quite a few more buds so I think I'm nailing orchid ownership now!  I even have a bottle and spray them with water and quite enjoy the faffing 💦 

In local news Plaza Uno in the square is opening on 19th June and a few more of the clothing and souvenir shops on the front have opened - nothing like as many as normal of course, but still there are a few more than there were.   And in wider terms the Balearics are moving from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of de-escalation on Monday which is good news.  Phase 3 is the last one before the new normality.  The state of alarm ends on 21st June but under Phase 3, regions can decide for themselves when to end Phase 3.

Tomorrow looks as if it will be a lot cooler, and stormy with rain so although we have a bike ride scheduled for the morning we'll have to hope the inclement weather is later in the day, as a bike ride in the rain just doesn't appeal!

Stay safe and hasta pronto!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 83

This morning I got up and headed out to meet my Spanish friend and thankfully I haven't lost the ability to chat in Spanish - that's a relief!  Duolingo can only go so far.  I even managed various tenses reasonably accurately.  It was so nice to see her again.  We reflected on the effect the lockdown has had on us both and how every cloud has a silver lining as we both have some positives to take from it all despite a friend of hers having been a victim 😥

I spent a couple of hours today on my latest puzzle "The Brands that Built Britain".  A few years ago the work team I was a member of in the UK had a day out in London and visited the Brand Museum which was absolutely fascinating - a blast from the past in fact for about two thirds of the team; the younger members got bored as most of it meant nothing and they went ahead and met us at the end but I loved it 💕 Anyway, this puzzle is a bit like an early-ish display from the Brand Museum with Lifebuoy Soap, Persil, Jacobs biscuits, Bovril and so on.  Very interesting but unfortunately most of the bottles of things such as Tizer are very dark so I have an alarming number of pieces for those areas 😱 either way, I have definitely discovered a new pastime which I would otherwise never have tried were it not for the lockdown.

This afternoon we relaxed on the roof terrace and sat in the hot tub - glorious!  The water temperature was 30 degrees so not too shabby but all day it has been pretty windy.  I tried reading the paper but after I'd chased it across the terrace twice I gave up and the Kindle came into its own.  I have so many great books on it that I have yet to read but currently am re-reading "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" which was Agatha Christie's first detective novel; this has been prompted by reading her autobiography which, although really interesting and enjoyable to read, is veeeeeerrrrrrry long such that I feel like I've been reading it for ever and am still only halfway through.  In any event, I'm just past the bit where she describes writing her first published novel that introduced Hercule Poirot to the world so it seemed rude not to re-read it.  And of course Agatha herself spent some time in Puerto Pollensa (including writing "Problem at Pollensa Bay and other stories").

Here in Spain, the Prime Minister has secured an extension to the state of alarm and by Monday more than half of Spain will have moved to Phase 3 of the de-escalation plan including Mallorca.  This is the final Phase and will allow for more flexible and freer movement across Spain and between regions although face masks will remain compulsory.   We are going to wait and see the detail of how Phase 3 affects our everyday life but it feels like we're nearly at the 'new normal' already 👍

This evening we went for a curry at Himalaya and had a lovely meal with enough left over for a modest 'doggy bag'.  There was a HUGE full moon tonight as we left and here it is:

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 82

So we awoke to find the washing machine has stopped working 😩 I popped in to the agent who handles our rental (wearing my face mask although no-one else in there was) to explain the situation in Spanish but a guy in the office tried to tell me that I was in the wrong place and it was nothing to do with them!  I stood my ground and finally a rather more on the ball member of staff came out to help although Mr 'computer says no' tried to call my bluff by saying they needed to send a repairman to look at it in the first instance and triumphantly said he needed a photo of the washing machine so they knew the make; but I was ready for him, oh yes, and told him the make and model - game, set and match to me I think!  Now we just have to play the waiting game.......

The weather today started quite well but very windy and by lunchtime had become very grey and then started to rain.  This gave me the chance to make like the early days of lockdown and get settled down to my latest 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.  I spent a happy time sorting pieces and generally getting started - I really do find it very therapeutic.  I also did some more sorting of teaching resources which reminded me of my job which I enjoy so much but which came to an abrupt stop in mid-March and won't start again until into September.  I'm already wondering how difficult it may be getting back into a work ethic at that time but on the other hand I do at least have the prospect of that job so I do consider myself lucky in that regard.

I see from the news that face masks are to be compulsory on public transport in the UK from Monday; well we're old hands at that here now - face masks were compulsory on public transport here some weeks ago now and of course now they're compulsory anywhere where social distancing may not be possible, and definitely in shops.  They are pretty stifling in the heat out here but we've learned to just get on with it.  Anyhow, high marks for stupidity go to the man I saw today driving a convertible car on his own and the wind in his hair whilst wearing a face mask 😂

In local news, yesterday was the first time that the fishermen have sold their catch direct to the public from just past La Llonja.  The times were from 4.30-6.30pm but before 6pm they'd sold out - the queue was very long apparently and we know of a number of people who went but came away empty handed.  They're going to publish the schedule on a Sunday as to when they'll be open the following week as it will depend on the weather forecast etc.  So, good news for this initiative and I hope it continues to be popular.

This evening's dog walk was along the harbour wall.  There were clouds and blue sky looking south: 

but over the mountains and the Formentor area it was very grey and kept trying to rain.  They have finally finished the works to the harbour and the far end has been widened and extended and now looks like this:

And at last we can walk along to the lighthouse:

You can see from the sky that the weather was a bit challenging here today!  But at least the strong wind gusts had died down and all in all it was quite refreshing compared to the humidity of the morning.

Tomorrow I am finally meeting up with my Spanish friend after all this time - a good natter in Spanish should get those brain cells going I think!

Stay safe and hasta mañana!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 81

The days just keep rolling around and 100 days is tantalisingly in sight now.  In any event, the Spanish Prime Minister has sought a final extension to the current state of alarm until 21st June in order to get Phase 3 of the de-escalation through.  There are also indications that they may also extend the ERTE furlough scheme here beyond 30th June in sectors such as tourism but it's going to be a loooong summer.

This morning after breakfast I cycled to Tamarells beach bar terrace again for my Tabata HIIT gym class.  It was streamed live online via Facebook for people who've been attending from other countries and those who'll do it on 'catch up' later but we stayed well behind the camera - the world really isn't ready to see me jumping around giving it my all just yet!  It was hot but there was a gentle breeze and I must say that doing a class with those surroundings and a view of the sea really is a treat and the hour fairly flew.  As I pedalled back along the seafront towards home with that view of the Port and the mountains behind 😍 and the wind whilst I was cycling along cooling me down, I reflected how very lucky I am to live here.  It is such a lovely way to start the day 💕

I watched a bit of TV and then headed out with the dogs for their lunchtime walk.  They, however, had other ideas and although I chose a shady route through La Gola they took it in turns to keep stopping to lie down or just stop dead nearly taking my arm out of it's socket.  I've never been able to work out how a 9kg dog can suddenly magically become a dead weight of about the size of a small pony and yank me backwards, but they manage it every time.  And they seem to take it in turns; I think it's a cunning canine plot to train their human to know their place.  Anyway.....the water in La Gola is now flowing freely following Monday's dredging:

The afternoon was spent lounging around on the roof terrace and in the hot tub on a day that is definitely heading towards summer at some speed as each day seems to be a degree or so hotter than the one before.  Oh and publishing on Facebook this week's theme for the playlist in lieu of the live Graham and Sarah Saturday radio show on English Radio Pollensa (we still can't broadcast yet) - the theme is songs/artists relating to 'open' as now bigger shops and shopping centres are allowed to open.  So if you can think of any, check out the FB page and add your suggestions!  

In local news, No.31 Restaurant is due to re-open on 12th June and if you go to their Facebook page you can see their menu.  It is under the new ownership of Alex - cocktail maker expert who worked there previously.  They're open Friday - Sunday, the same as Marc's (just round the corner from Bony's).  

Tomorrow I'm going to start another jigsaw puzzle, my new guilty pleasure, discovered during the 'full on' lockdown and work on some new resources for teaching - it seems a long way off but I know September will come around soon enough!  In the meantime, stay safe and hasta pronto!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 80

My oh my, 80 days and today I was finally going to leave the municipality of Pollensa!  But first we had a visit to the vets for the dogs' jabs.  These were due just as lockdown started but luckily we had enough worming and flea medication to last us; rabies jabs however are another matter!  They're valid for three years in the UK but for only one year here in Spain.  Currently the vets will only allow two people in at a time, wearing the ubiquitous face mask and, as everywhere else, you have to use hand sanitiser.  The receptionist also has a plastic screen.  Anyhow, all this we were expecting but what we didn't expect was that we could no longer go into the consulting room with Alfie or Tally and that the vet would take them in, give them a health check and do the deed without us.  Alfie is the least enthusiastic about the vets ever since he had to have a minor op to his paw a couple of years ago so we thought he could go first to get it over with.  The lovely lady vet took his lead and he realised mum or dad wasn't coming with him - bless, he cast us an anguished look, his little legs crumpled and she had to pick him up and carry him in.  Good job he's not a German Shepherd......  It was agonising for us especially when we heard his little squeak when he had his jab (he's a bit of a baby with jabs!).  He practically flew to us on being brought out.  Then it was Tally's turn and we didn't get quite the same level of "why don't you love me any more" looks but she too dropped like a stone to the floor and had to be carried. Cue Alfie barking in concern for where she had gone.  We were relieved when it was all over as, I suspect, was the vet after all the diva 'dying swan' drama!

After the vets visit we jumped in the car and off we went to the bright lights of 'almost' Palma.  Once past Pollensa we were in whole new territory for me and I was quite giddy with excitement 😝 it felt different to be on a motorway and going faster than I have in quite some time!  First stop, Festival Park.  If you're unaware of what Festival Park is, it's an outdoors factory fashion outlet park and at every access point to the Park was a security guard with hand sanitiser and roped off in and out sides.  All very organised.  It was very quiet though with very few people around and often I was the only person in a shop with very hopeful sales assistants circling me like vultures.

Every shop had hand sanitiser by the door, face masks in shops of course de rigeur and the staff were all VERY strict about it.  It was a hot day and I pulled my face mask under my chin when outside as I felt I felt stifled otherwise, but forgot to pull it up over my mouth/nose on entering one of the shops and I thought the shop assistant was going to faint with shock 😱  I put it in place very quickly before she needed medical assistance!  Those who do know Festival Park know that the fountain area outside the cinema where most of the cafes and restaurants are is normally pretty busy but today it looked like this:

Anyway, I had the opportunity to have a look round and do a bit of retail therapy and do you know what?  I couldn't get into it at all 😂  I bought nothing!  This is a pretty rare event for me if I'm honest and Ian was a bit stunned but hey, I like to keep him guessing.....

And so....onward one junction down on the motorway to Al Campo.  We got what we wanted in the huge supermarket there - it doesn't get more exciting than shopping for pillows, slippers and a dustpan and brush I can tell you 😳  Al Campo was much busier than Festival Park but again, everything was well under control, everyone wearing face masks and we felt perfectly safe.  Here is Ian carrying our exciting purchases:

On the way out I made a detour to Pull & Bear and bagged myself a nice summer dress so I hadn't lost my shopping touch completely.  The final leg of the trip was back towards Bauhaus (also well organised, everyone masked, hand sanitiser blah blah blah) where we got some solar powered lights, had a sandwich in the little cafe there - we certainly live the high life - and on home.  My headily exciting trip to 'almost' Palma was over......

In more local news I can report that they've installed a new pharmacy green cross light doodah outside the big pharmacy on the corner of C/Juan XXIII that has two of those lights.  For years now both lights have been operating in parallel universes with different dates, times and temperatures (sometimes by as much as 8 degrees) but now the one on the main road is a sexy new all-singing all-dancing one; it has a variety of twirly red and green patterns which are quite hypnotic to watch and the display data looks a very great deal more accurate to me 👍  quite why they've not replaced both of them I have no idea.  

Another local update - Formentor Hotel has announced that they will be starting to charge for parking at the car park at Formentor beach from this Friday.  They're obviously hopeful there will be enough tourists to make this worth doing; we will just have to wait and see how high summer evolves.  

Tomorrow first thing is my Tabata HIIT gym class on the beach again - a tough gig but I'll try to cope........

Stay safe and hasta luego!

Spain in lockdown Phase 2 - Day 79

An early start this morning as I was going out for my strength training gym class - quite literally out!  The class was on the terrace of Tamarells beach bar, what a wonderful setting 😍  So I cycled along the seafront with my gym mat, water and a towel and was really grateful for the opportunity to keep fit in such beautiful surroundings.  It was just like being on a desert island 🏝  And as you can see we weren't crowded!

After this class was the always popular Pilates class and here they are getting started:

I used to do Pilates which is wonderful and a LOT harder than it looks, but then got into training for the Total Race last year (and Spartan this year) and have just stuck with the fitness classes instead, but Pilates is tremendously popular!

On the way to and from the class, I saw that they were dredging La Gola.  This is much needed as since the storms in January, at least half of the water there was just sludge and seaweed.  The smell was pretty impressively disgusting on the way there and I speeded up a great deal to get past as quickly as possible but on the way back it wasn't as bad so I stopped to take a photo whilst my nasal passages could cope:

We were going to get our day boat in the water today and were all geared up for a boat trip out to one of the calas, drop anchor and have a swim and a picnic later this week......but at the last minute discovered there is a minor problem with part of the engine (some water in the trim mechanism if you're into that sort of thing, I tend to glaze over when things get technical with respect to engines 😳) which needs to be sorted out with the boat out of the water.  So the boat never left the boatyard.  It should be done by the end of this week but means we'll be a week behind in getting out on the water.  Never mind, since getting through the depths of lockdown we're pretty unfazed by anything and we just shrugged our shoulders - keep calm and carry on!

After the lunchtime dog walk on the harbour wall (another pretty breezy day) I did some housework as my domestic goddessing crown has rather slipped lately and I really should get back on track - baking some cheese straws this week should do the trick so that is on my list of 'things to do' now.  I also marked some homework from one of my students; the school won't be starting up again until September but I'm keeping the adult students going over the summer with some online classrooms.  It's very easy to set work for the advanced adults but much more difficult for the beginners as their 'repertoire' of English is so limited but we're getting by and it will be lovely to teach them all again properly in September.  In the meantime, like so many others, I'm furloughed 😟 mind you, unlike many others here, I have at least (but only recently) received some money from the government thank goodness 🙏

Not much to report in terms of local updates but today I noticed that the gardeners were hard at work on the Miramar terrace overlooking the bay.  So I think it's ok for us to speculate that they are looking to open sometime this season.  The work at the Daina has definitely progressed very well and the reception area which was full of junk before is now less full but their pool/terrace/Lemon Lounge area is untouched as yet.

In the news at the moment is the fact that the Spanish health minister has cast doubt on Spain allowing UK holidaymakers here until the Covid-19 situation in the UK "improves" despite being in talks with Jet2holidays and TUI.  Currently tourists from Germany and Nordic countries are most likely to be the first to be allowed here on holiday.  The health ministry has also reported no coronavirus-related deaths in Spain in the last 24 hours and a further fall in new infections with 71 confirmed today, compared to 96 the day before although the authorities always remind us that there has been underreporting of figures on Sundays and Mondays due to lower hospital staffing levels at the weekends.  As is usual, most of the newly reported cases were reported in Madrid and Catalonia.  Happily the Balearic Islands are one of the eight areas that have not seen a single Covid-19 related death in the last week 👏  VERY good news indeed!

Tomorrow is the big moment when I will be going further afield - only a shopping trip to Al Campo, Festival Park and Bauhaus mind you, but still it's pretty heady stuff when the furthest I've gone so far is this side of Pollensa and Cala san Vicente; I've almost forgotten what a motorway looks like 😂

Stay safe and hasta pronto!