Lockdown - Week One Recap

We are starting our second week of lockdown.  I thought I would share 10 things in pictures from last week's quarantine.  

1.  Empty Neighborhood:  The people in our neighborhood, the 16th arrondissement, are doing a fabulous job of staying inside.  Here are just a few photos that I have captured over the past week when out walking or getting groceries.

Looking down our one-way street.  This is one of the main
access routes to get on the highway so usually it is busy.

All cafes are closed up.

No more flowers.

This Monoprix, that sells clothing, is closed. 

No more sitting outside and having a cappuccino.

Even the trains are empty.  They are still running for people
whose jobs are deemed necessary during this time.

You can go outside for a smoke break, as this man is doing.

Laundromats are still open.

Parks are closed.

This street is usually filled with pedestrians.

Half of these little stands in our neighborhood are open.

Buses are mostly empty as well.

Sports fields and complexes are closed.

This is the highway (Le Peripherique) that goes around Paris.  It too is empty.

Even the public toilets are closed.

2.  Precautions:  People are doing a good job of taking precautions when out and about.  In addition, grocery stores are also only allowing a small number of people inside at a time, having you wait several feet apart outside before entering.

Here you will notice not only a mask being worn but also disposable gloves.

Even on a motorcycle, this man is wearing a mask.

The ambulances are out and about, administering to people in need.

Here people are waiting at the butcher.  They are standing at
least 6 feet apart.  Only 1-2 people are allowed in at once.

Our post office was open just a few days this week.  When it was
open, a security guard was in charge of letting people in.

A line outside the Tobac shop.

The line for the Monoprix that sells food.  This weekend the
line went around the corner.  You had to wait over 30 minutes
to get inside.  

On Thursday, the doors of our neighborhood church,
Notre-Dame d'Auteuil, were open.

Even the font, to dip your fingers in upon entering,
was covered with a COVID-19 warning.

3.  Plenty of Inventory:  So far the stores have had plenty of inventory.  Here is a photo of some of the shelves at the G20, one of the two grocery stores we visit in our neighborhood.  When the stores are out of something, they put a note on the shelf and let you know a store nearby that has this item.

The G20 was low on pasta.  They recommended we visit the Bio Delicious grocery store across the street.

This pharmacy is advertising that they have hand sanitizer.

4.  Information Readily Available:  We have felt that the government has done a good job of sharing information.  In addition to a text being sent out to everyone about the quarantine, there is also an official page on the government website devoted to COVID-19.  All the different ministers are also weighing in on expectations.  For example, the French Education Ministry stated this weekend that the earliest French kids would probably be returning to school would be May 4.  The French Sports Ministry also came along and clarified exercising to just your neighborhood.

Text message from the government.

Copy of the attestation you need to carry
 around with you when you leave your home.

5.  New Kinds of Trash:  The litter in our neighborhood has changed quite a bit.  We now are seeing lots of discarded plastic gloves and face masks.  While the trash is being picked up by the garbage collectors, some areas, like the big park I run in, are seeing an increase in debris.

Overflowing trash cans in the Bois de Boulogne.

6.  Exercise:  We have found that it is better if all of us get out and exercise every day.  Will is still able to scooter and Edy is able to walk, as long as they are accompanied by a parent.  The hardest thing to watch is when Will sees another kid, he isn't able to approach them.  All kids need to keep their distance.  It is so sad!

Using the green space to do cartwheels and handstands.

Doing a Ring the Bell workout with Mom.

Here is Will running home.  He is working on increasing his distance every day.

Edy kindly takes his scooter and helmet home for him.

7.  Kids' Activities:  I had high hopes of really trying to fill the kids afternoons with additional fun learning activities but then I thought, why?  They are already doing 3-4 hours of school, let them be kids.  So instead, after school in the morning, they are enjoying the time to be creative.

Reading together in Will's room.

Designing and coloring a poster to hang out the window.

Nous pouvons battre Coronavirus - We will beat Coronavirus.

A list of 50 activities the youth pastor at ACP shared.
Edy and Will have decided, on their own, to tackle it.

Studying the Paris Metro map to see if it could be made into a game.

It could.

Jeff teaching the kids about stocks and having them research one to buy. 

8.  My Goals:  My own personal goals are simple through this time.  I am trying to exercise every day, sometimes even twice a day.  I am trying to reduce the amount of news I read, opting instead for Podcasts.  I stole this from my sister, the idea of reaching out to someone new each day.   (Thanks, Trish.). I am also doing some school work to advance my degree.  But the biggest thing I am working on, is just trying to be present in the moment.  I can't plan anything for us to do outside of the apartment, so I am trying to be comfortable in the here and now.

I am holding myself accountable and keeping a workout journal.

At least the windows can be open during these squats.

Wall sits...

The Bois is still open for peaceful runs and walks.

Working on a lane change!

9.  Technology:  Each night at dinner, we create a top ten list of things from that day that we are grateful for.  We are doing this to try and remember the positive things about being quarantined.  Every time we have done this, one of us says we are grateful for technology.  We have never felt as connected as we have this past week.  With Northfield being out of school, Edy is able to chat daily with her friends.  I am also able to Zoom and have HouseParty get-togethers with family and friends. We even hosted our first virtual game night with our friends in California! We are loving this connectivity.  This is definitely a huge blessing when we are living so far away, and in isolation of others.

Zooming with the Goodrich family.

Playing "Heads-up" and "Celebrity" with our friends the Harleys.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

10.  Beauty All Around:  Spring is here in Paris and there are signs all around.  The blue skies and blooming flowers can't help but bring a smile to your face.  When we are out and about, we are seeing these signs.  While spring means we are closer to coming home, I also know it means, we are one day closer to being out of lockdown and able to roam free again.

 

Bonus Story - Resistance Work:  I have one final story to share from the week.  You have read that we make sandwiches every Wednesday for the homeless people in Paris.  On any given week, we make about 200 sandwiches.  With the church being closed, we are not able to make sandwiches there.  So my friend, Ashley, had the idea to make sandwiches at our individual homes and drop them off at her place, in her courtyard.  The only trouble is that Ashely lives by the Eiffel Tower, in the 7th arrondissement.  As you may remember, we are supposed to stay in our neighborhood.  

I got to thinking about the impact this must be having with all the homeless people and refugees around Paris, that I took a chance and decided to get two loaves of sandwiches to Ashley.  So I filled Will's sac and set off on a run.  When I got near the Champs de Mars, I saw police stopping motorists,  cyclists, and even walkers, checking their attestations, so I turned down another street to avoid them.  The rest of the trip to the drop off site was uneventful.  I quickly stashed them in her courtyard and then took a new way home, running as quickly I could back to our neighborhood.  

It felt good to help make a difference during this time of self-quarantine.

Like everyone back home, we are trying to make the best of the situation.  We continue to feel blessed to be in Paris, even if it means we are in lockdown.  We still feel it was the right decision to stay.  We feel like there is good leadership and that the country is taking enough precautions to keep us all safe.

The entire world is united in flattening the curve.  It has been amazing to see, from around the world, how people are showing solidarity during this time.  Here in France, we open our windows every night at 8:00 to applaud the medical workers for all they are doing.  This is something we look forward to every single night.

Stay safe!
Betsy