I go to work every day as I have done since the end of the proper lock-down last May, go to any shop I feel like going to, get coffee from my favourite café or others and drink it in the street, I am not being disingenuous when I say life is nearly normal, because it is.
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How are things in Vichy Colin? Give old Pétain my regards should you bump into him in your local shop 
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Apparently Manu hasn’t any regrets about how the pandemic has been handled, the opposition are not amused -
A bit before my time John but our area was never part of Vichy I’m afraid 
, I mentioned you to good old Pétain and he remembers you from the liberation army, he asked if you still fib about your age 
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Yes, I have seen this elsewhere.
One foot in the grave comes to mind.
You must live a pretty wretched existence normally then. You have to wear a mask pretty well all the time, you can’t go into a bar or restaurant for a drink or meal, you can’t go to the cinema or theatre, you can’t go to a football or rugby match, you can’t be out after 6 pm, you have to have an authorisation to present to the police if required. For me in the UK, the only “normal” part of my life is in my house or garden. Nowhere else is “normal” or even “pretty normal”. I can’t see that your life in France is much different from my life here. Of course, when I say “you”, I mean on not vous.
I would have said my life is pretty normal, but of course the qualification to that is that I have adapted to the restrictions.
I go to art exhibitions with friends…just online exhibitions and we chat about them on zoom after.
I go to the cinema…just matinees at a friend’s house where we drink tea and nibble biscuits. Next week is “les demoiselles de Rochefort”.
We have near daily social interactions with local friends and neighbours. And have had picnics all through winter, and local restaurants do special meals à emporter.
Our gîte has been busy apart from the first few months last year, but not entirely normal as loads of extra cleaning requirements.
I have been on holiday - not that far away in France, but a different landscape etc etc.
Hospital appointments and medical treatments have largely been as normal, and I even had my 3 week cure in the autumn.
The main frustration to me is lack of live culture…we went to an open air theatre last July, but nothing since. And not seeing family “live” either. But I really don’t see my life a wretched at all, but pretty privileged.
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I agree - and not only are all the restaurants round here doing meals à emporter, but the hotels are all open - I saw this specifically was misreported in the UK - even the Guardian said French hotels were closed.
We had an anniversary the weekend before last, went away to a lovely little hotel and had a celebration dinner: they just set up socially distanced tables. It was great - not really much different from what we would normally have done anyway.
(Oh and by the way @plod - they changed the 6pm curfew a week or so ago.)
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Well I have a time-consuming job and it is not in my nature to see the worst side of things.
OF COURSE I could sit at home and moan about all the things I can’t do, but will that do me any good? Will it change anything but my mood (and that only for the worse).
This morning I went off to my local town to get eggs and plants etc at the market, I posted some parcels on behalf of the Easter Bunny, I wandered about did a bit of lèche-vitrines in this lovely weather, met some friends and had coffee with them in the sun. Then I went and did a load of perhaps less fun but necessary errands. I am lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside which delights me every day when I go to and from work, life could be immeasurably worse.
Follow Epicurus and appreciate the moment’s pleasures, whatever they may be.
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DItto Véro; employee has been in the shop this morning while I get on with other things, work 6 days a week (no change), kids at school 5 days a week (no change), daughter has horse riding later this afternoon (no change) and a competition tomorrow (no change), I’ll be training with the club tomorrow morning (no change) then into Abli with my son and a visit to the new Jardinerie Tarnais (au Séquestre for info as you know the area well) as he needs some bits and bobs for his pets, and a bimble round the historic centre for an ice cream and a coffee. No we can’t go out in the evening but it’s now 7pm not 6 which is better. Most people are still socialising, they’ll all be coming through the shop dolled up before going round to friends for the evening (and a sleep over to keep in with the rules)
I can understand that life has changed for retired bods who are affraid to go out or mix etc. but for most of us it’s just a bit of a pain but we’d prefer to put up with a curfew than go into confinement. Oh and for all those retirees here, the ones who come through my shop and my inlaws are still out meeting friends and getting on with life
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Andrew, the Jardinerie Tarnais gets very busy the Sunday morning. I
I’ve been past it twice now and it’s been absolutely heaving.
We are off to the Sunday market at Lisle sur Tarn, the first time for us.
Well, they have changed it from 6 to 7.
The old one was always busy too!
Enjoy the market and the own (village almost)
Thanks Andrew.
Yes, Lisle is a charming place with quite a lot happening and definitely on the list of possible places to move to when I sell this place.
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You are saying, and Andrew, you can do the things that you used to do before COVID. I understand that but still don’t think life is “pretty normal”. Maybe this debate has run its course. I think you live near Montbazillac, and I know how pleasant it is there.
This debate certainly hasn’t run it’s course. The Macron show is well and truly ongoing until at least next year’s election.
I have to admit, life has changed very little for us since last February. We have done everything except go to restaurants as we used to once or twice per month. In fact the restos we use do takeaways.
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Yes Monbazillac is lovely - it is beautiful driving along the valley as the sun rises.
I didn’t mean the Macron debate but the side show about what is normal life. I shall follow the real debate with interest.
If your normal ‘pre Covid’ life didn’t include visiting any form of hospitality or culture, participating in indoor sports, travel outside of the country or general socialising then of course things haven’t changed much. Everyone leads different lives and I miss all of the above.
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