Benidorm Curfew/Spanish Lockdown.

That was the 2nd hole on our golf course. Taken at dusk. From near the bins.

People with dogs are allowed to walk them briefly. To allow them to have a crap. The dogs, that is. Not long walks. If you do take one out you have to do it by yourself. Maybe I should get a robot dog to allow me to get out a bit more.

Allowed to go to the supermarket. Has to be by yourself. So there might be a fight between the missus and myself to do the shopping. For a bit of a change of scenery.
Couriers are working apparently. So stuff can be delivered (collected?).

Plus you can drive to work as long as you can prove where you work. Although people are being asked to work from home if they can. Or not go to work at all.

An interesting thing is the debate within government about normal employees and the self employed. Normal employees are being paid. Self employed are having to pay their monthly fee (around 285 euros a month), while perhaps not working. Causing a bit of an argument between the coalition government partners.
 
Latest information here is that all car MOTs (called ITVs here) have been suspended. In Spain these are done in specific centres run by the regional governments. Not private companies.

Also, the registration of new cars has been suspended. Without a date for when new cars will be able to be registered.

As you would expect all of the golf courses are closed. Which is a bit of a pain for my wife and myself.

She has decided she will go out to do the supermarket shopping today. So I think I will not be leaving the apartment. Unless I have to put the bins out again tonight.

Flights are leaving Málaga for the UK at the moment. We have some friends who hope they will get back to the UK later today. There is some suggestion that in a few days the outward bound flights will stop.

I know that couriers are still working. As one dropped off stuff for my neighbour and collected something from me this morning. So I guess we could amuse ourselves with some online shopping at some point.
 
Latest information here is that all car MOTs (called ITVs here) have been suspended. In Spain these are done in specific centres run by the regional governments. Not private companies.

Also, the registration of new cars has been suspended. Without a date for when new cars will be able to be registered.

As you would expect all of the golf courses are closed. Which is a bit of a pain for my wife and myself.

She has decided she will go out to do the supermarket shopping today. So I think I will not be leaving the apartment. Unless I have to put the bins out again tonight.

Flights are leaving Málaga for the UK at the moment. We have some friends who hope they will get back to the UK later today. There is some suggestion that in a few days the outward bound flights will stop.

I know that couriers are still working. As one dropped off stuff for my neighbour and collected something from me this morning. So I guess we could amuse ourselves with some online shopping at some point.
I´m here in Spain too under lockdown. I´m at work today as normal but have to wear a mask and take my temperature every morning. We have no meetings of more than 3 or 4 people and we can´t sit together to eat or share anything like pens, phones, computers, desks, etc. They have divided us into 2 teams. My team are in the factory today and the others are at home. We swap for tomorrow. I didn´t know you have to go alone to the supermarket, we were going to go tonight. I guess we´ll flip a coin to see who goes!

Did you have the applause for the medical people the last 2 nights where you are? It was brilliant to hear it in Jaén - and join in.

We are getting really scared about our jobs - one positive test and we think the factory will close putting us on the dole for the duration. Even without a positive test it could happen because we are an automotive supplier and the car companies are starting to close factories. Who knows how long it will be before we are back to normal - if ever. I´d bet that not everybody will be taken back on again after.

I think very few people have ignored that ban up to now. What is doing the rounds here is a video taken in Benidorm of bars full of Brits ignoring the lockdown on Saturday night. What planet are they on if its genuine?
 
You only have to look at the comments on the Evening Gazette article linked to possible isolation of over 70's and how to manage it to see that no one will take any notice. About 95% of the comments are along the lines of they cant' stop me doing what I want, ill take my chances etc etc
 
I´m here in Spain too under lockdown. I´m at work today as normal but have to wear a mask and take my temperature every morning. We have no meetings of more than 3 or 4 people and we can´t sit together to eat or share anything like pens, phones, computers, desks, etc. They have divided us into 2 teams. My team are in the factory today and the others are at home. We swap for tomorrow. I didn´t know you have to go alone to the supermarket, we were going to go tonight. I guess we´ll flip a coin to see who goes!

Did you have the applause for the medical people the last 2 nights where you are? It was brilliant to hear it in Jaén - and join in.

We are getting really scared about our jobs - one positive test and we think the factory will close putting us on the dole for the duration. Even without a positive test it could happen because we are an automotive supplier and the car companies are starting to close factories. Who knows how long it will be before we are back to normal - if ever. I´d bet that not everybody will be taken back on again after.

I think very few people have ignored that ban up to now. What is doing the rounds here is a video taken in Benidorm of bars full of Brits ignoring the lockdown on Saturday night. What planet are they on if its genuine?
Fingers crossed that you will be OK and your job will continue.

It is a bit different where I live. As it is a smallish seaside town. With a golf course and a marina. All built from the 1970s onwards. The main centre of the town is built around 3 separate darsenas (yacht parking bays) with room for over 1000 yachts. There are a few central areas with bars and restaurants. However the bars and restaurants are all closed. So there is no real area for people to applaud the medical staff together. As we are all spread out across the town. With lots of open spaces between areas where people live.
 
Spanishman, do you still have a situation in Spain where many households comprise 3 or 4 generations? Lots of adults living with parents and grandparents? I know that this is the case in Italy. I wonder if this is exacerbating both the spread and lethality of the virus?
 
Spanishman, do you still have a situation in Spain where many households comprise 3 or 4 generations? Lots of adults living with parents and grandparents? I know that this is the case in Italy. I wonder if this is exacerbating both the spread and lethality of the virus?
I think it is not always 3 or 4 generations living in the same place any more here in Spain. Not that many people I have seen have big enough places to do that. Maybe 2 generations is pretty normal. Like in the UK. However the generations seem to be a lot closer together socially more often. With the younger generations providing a lot of care for grandparents/parents. Compared with what I have seen in the UK some time ago. So social distancing (including from family) is not something that I feel would come naturally to a lot of the Spanish people that I know.

It is a difficult one for us as well. I am early sixties and my wife is mid 50s. Our best friends are a couple where the women is a similar age to my wife. Her husband is 82 and has asthma. We are having to keep away from them for his sake. That is very strange for us.
 
Day 3 of social distancing. I am starting to realise how busy I was while not working here.

The change to having to find things to do is a bit strange. At the moment it is relaxing. I guess the key is going to be to stop it being boring.

Will be putting more focus on buying good food and cooking it for my darling missus. Plus learning how to play bridge. Plus watching more telly.

I organised progressive whist once a week. Plus a regular Friday golf event. Then processed the cards and publish results afterwards for the golf. Plus played short mat bowls twice a week. Plus played golf another once or twice a week. Plus published stuff on a blog about the town (for our community of friends who only visit here from time to time). Plus organised one-off events like trips to bodegas and botanical gardens etc. Plus socialised with people. Plus had occasional card game or board game nights with friends. Plus met up with a Spanish friend to help him with his English every week or two.
 
I think it is not always 3 or 4 generations living in the same place any more here in Spain. Not that many people I have seen have big enough places to do that. Maybe 2 generations is pretty normal. Like in the UK. However the generations seem to be a lot closer together socially more often. With the younger generations providing a lot of care for grandparents/parents. Compared with what I have seen in the UK some time ago. So social distancing (including from family) is not something that I feel would come naturally to a lot of the Spanish people that I know.

It is a difficult one for us as well. I am early sixties and my wife is mid 50s. Our best friends are a couple where the women is a similar age to my wife. Her husband is 82 and has asthma. We are having to keep away from them for his sake. That is very strange for us.

It's what I figured. I think it would likely be even more pronounced in Italy. Social distancing from elders is nigh on impossible when they live under the same roof. My folks have practiced social distancing for years ... we just called it anti-social in the past.
 
It's what I figured. I think it would likely be even more pronounced in Italy. Social distancing from elders is nigh on impossible when they live under the same roof. My folks have practiced social distancing for years ... we just called it anti-social in the past.
I would have to dig mine up to infect them.
 
I am now channeling the spirit of Randy Grandad...

Today I went to the shops to buy stuff for the next few days. A very pleasant break from staying in the apartment all day.

Today I will be cooking prawn, spinach and chickpea stew.
 
Embarrassing to watch Benidorm videos of overweight topless tattoed men with fags in one hand and a can in the other giving 2 fingers to the police, others sat in bars smirking and smoking thinking they are so clever etc
 
Embarrassing to watch Benidorm videos of overweight topless tattoed men with fags in one hand and a can in the other giving 2 fingers to the police, others sat in bars smirking and smoking thinking they are so clever etc
Arrest them, pump them full of COVID-19, ship them to the US and use them in the vaccine trials, save a few mice.
 
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