Cunard Cruisers - How are things where you are ?

[morbihan]

Morning. We have a form that I downloaded and printed out. Now available on a phone! We have to fill in name, date of birth, place of birth and address here. Then there are five boxes that you can tick..going to work, going for essential shopping, medical appointment or treatment, caring for elderly or ill people and the daily one hour walk within one kilometre of home. I walk to the shop so kill two birds with one stone. I live in a small town of 2500 so the police are not very present but in Paris they are out and about checking up. At the start, like many other countries, second home owners thought that they would come to Brittany and isolate. Walk on the beach etc.. That soon stopped after the first fines. 35€ that first day but went to 135€ I think. I haven't been keeping track but millions of euros have been paid. Something like 70,000 fines in one day! Very civilised. No stock piling of foods. Everyone keeping a safe distance. Masks are not compulsory. Hopefully it will start to ease after May 11th. People infected numbers seem to be dropping but Italy was like that and then back up they went. So did Spain. Numbers of deaths in Brittany went up but ill people from the more heavily touched regions were transferred here because we had the beds so a bit of a false reading. 

[Host Hattie]

Thanks for the details, how did people without a printer manage ? We don't need forms but we're only allowed out for a few reasons ( Wales is slightly different to England) and the police have been issuing fines and/or sending people home. I've got a letter from work but I haven't been stopped yet.

If anyone has access to the BBC iPlayer and a spare 30 minutes, this covers the coast where we live. The dinosaur finders are friends.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hmss/weatherman-walking-the-welsh-coast-series-2-5-st-donats-to-dunraven-bay

[Lanky Lad]

Although it's only April, it's warm and sunny, so the question is am I OK to wear a white tuxedo for dinner tonight?  Black self tie bow tie of course.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Lanky Lad

[Kynance]

Thank you for posting the link to “Weatherman Walking”, Hattie. I’ve just watched it in lieu of being able to visit our favourite coastline on Cornwall’s Lizard peninsula, where we would normally be about now. I was particularly interested in the item about choughs, which have also recently returned to the area around Lizard Point. South west Cornwall also has a similarly fascinating geology to the area mentioned in the programme - I love the green and red serpentine found at Kynance Cove, which is pretty much my favourite place to be, apart from a Cunard ship!! I’m very much hoping that a trip there may be possible this autumn, though I feel that my next Cunard cruise is probably going to be somewhat further down the line than that. 
 

Having had the week off, my other half and I have been spending it in our garden or walking locally, enjoying the lovely weather. The vegetable seeds I planted a few weeks ago are germinating as are an array of sunflowers. 🌻We have a pair of robins nesting and lots of solitary bees visiting the bee hotels my other half has erected/constructed for them. 🐝 We are fortunate to live by the Kennet & Avon canal, so whilst not exactly the coast we do have walks by water. 😃
 

 

[alc13]

9 hours ago, morbihan said:

Morning. We have a form that I downloaded and printed out. Now available on a phone! We have to fill in name, date of birth, place of birth and address here. Then there are five boxes that you can tick..going to work, going for essential shopping, medical appointment or treatment, caring for elderly or ill people and the daily one hour walk within one kilometre of home. I walk to the shop so kill two birds with one stone. I live in a small town of 2500 so the police are not very present but in Paris they are out and about checking up. At the start, like many other countries, second home owners thought that they would come to Brittany and isolate. Walk on the beach etc.. That soon stopped after the first fines. 35€ that first day but went to 135€ I think. I haven't been keeping track but millions of euros have been paid. Something like 70,000 fines in one day! Very civilised. No stock piling of foods. Everyone keeping a safe distance. Masks are not compulsory. Hopefully it will start to ease after May 11th. People infected numbers seem to be dropping but Italy was like that and then back up they went. So did Spain. Numbers of deaths in Brittany went up but ill people from the more heavily touched regions were transferred here because we had the beds so a bit of a false reading. 

Very organized, and it seems to be working well for you!

 

We also had summer residents come here to self isolate, and it caused a lot of friction.   Some year round residents worried they would bring coronavirus with them.  That's settled down now, thankfully.

[alc13]

65F here (18C to the rest of the world), the first warm day of the year, and too soon for the mosquitoes.  Lovely outside.  Mr Alc13 is out tilling some ground to plant an ambitious garden - lots of corn, in particular.   I want him to do potatoes - nothing more delicious than a new potato.  I'm about to take a yoga class, and after that I have a Zoom lunch date with a friend.  Bean tacos for dinner.  I'm feeling so cheerful, I must have spring fever.

[alc13]

5 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

Thanks for the details, how did people without a printer manage ? We don't need forms but we're only allowed out for a few reasons ( Wales is slightly different to England) and the police have been issuing fines and/or sending people home. I've got a letter from work but I haven't been stopped yet.

If anyone has access to the BBC iPlayer and a spare 30 minutes, this covers the coast where we live. The dinosaur finders are friends.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hmss/weatherman-walking-the-welsh-coast-series-2-5-st-donats-to-dunraven-bay

Grrrr... blocked in the US!  I was all set for some armchair travel.

[naturelovergirl]

Just finished week 6 in Florida...

Our families in other southern states have continued to stay secluded and well- since we both have elderly grandfathers in the high risk group with mothers who take care of them, this has been important to us all.

We have been able to continue sending grocery delivery to our grandfathers... It has worked so far.

Personally, we had been getting only deliveries to our home since we went into social distance... but... My husband had his first actual trip to the grocery store this week- masked up and sanitized like a science fiction novel (we came to the conclusion that we could trust that he would take every precaution) He arrived at opening and was pleasantly surprised to see people in the store also being respectful and cautious. This was a departure from some of the stories we had heard from others of people not taking this seriously. He was also able to buy us almost everything on our list. So at least in our area he had a good experience.

Grateful.

 

 

[North West Newbie]

1 hour ago, alc13 said:

Grrrr... blocked in the US!  I was all set for some armchair travel.

 

Should work if you use a VPN provider.

[Bigmike911]

4 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

Although it's only April, it's warm and sunny, so the question is am I OK to wear a white tuxedo for dinner tonight?  Black self tie bow tie of course.

Sounds Perfect. LL you wear what ever makes you happy. We need a bit of 'special' in our lives these days. 

[Camgirl]

Kynance, I have fond memories of the Kennet and Avon. My parents had a narrow boat and we travelled up the newly opened section from Reading during the national boat rally at Reading. I can remember the bizarre turf sided locks we went through. Don't know if they still exist? We also visited the pump house at Crofton, I think it was. It must have been late 70's or very early 80's. Sadly, I have never travelled the full length of the canal. Or experienced the locks at Caen Hill.....

 

We have planted some strawberry plants which are doing incredibly well, considering they arrived in a plastic envelope through the post two weeks ago! It would be lovely if we can grow our own strawberries this summer. The variety is Cambridge Favourite, of course 😊.

 

We should have been off on Queen Victoria next weekend. I feel very sad that we will not be going, although I know it is absolutely the right thing. I hope we will be back on board soon, somehow. Though I think it is going to be next year at the earliest 🙁

 

Stay safe, everyone.

 

[Lakesregion]

17 hours ago, morbihan said:

Morning. We have a form that I downloaded and printed out. Now available on a phone! We have to fill in name, date of birth, place of birth and address here. Then there are five boxes that you can tick..going to work, going for essential shopping, medical appointment or treatment, caring for elderly or ill people and the daily one hour walk within one kilometre of home. I walk to the shop so kill two birds with one stone. I live in a small town of 2500 so the police are not very present but in Paris they are out and about checking up. At the start, like many other countries, second home owners thought that they would come to Brittany and isolate. Walk on the beach etc.. That soon stopped after the first fines. 35€ that first day but went to 135€ I think. I haven't been keeping track but millions of euros have been paid. Something like 70,000 fines in one day! Very civilised. No stock piling of foods. Everyone keeping a safe distance. Masks are not compulsory. Hopefully it will start to ease after May 11th. People infected numbers seem to be dropping but Italy was like that and then back up they went. So did Spain. Numbers of deaths in Brittany went up but ill people from the more heavily touched regions were transferred here because we had the beds so a bit of a false reading. 

That has to be one of the most frightening posts I have read concerning the virus. having to have "papers" to leave the house. Do you not remember WW II Thankfully here in the US we have not gone over the cliff though a few governors seem like they would like to try it. 

[morbihan]

It is not a question of spying on you it is to make sure that you are obeying lockdown rules and not travelling to areas where you shouldn't be. People must stay at home. No going on jaunts, second homes etc., France is not the only country doing this. The UK police were stopping cars with the 'wrong' number plates for the area and sending them away. France also has a history of the identity card so the French are used to having 'papers'. Now, after Brexit, I have my Carte de Sejour. It is just like that here. As for the war, no I was born just after. France was an occupied country and it was the Germans who needed to see papers so you had to have them. Even in a small place like this we have the Gestapo House. It was a long time ago.

 

HH you are quite correct...I printed out the forms for my neighbours and popped them in their letter boxes. This was the second form variation. More details requested. They must have realised people hadn't printers as a phone version came out.

[Host Hattie]

11 hours ago, Lakesregion said:

That has to be one of the most frightening posts I have read concerning the virus. having to have "papers" to leave the house. Do you not remember WW II Thankfully here in the US we have not gone over the cliff though a few governors seem like they would like to try it. 

I think it's interesting to read how different countries are approaching the issue but this isn't the time or the place to discuss what is "frightening". Lots of us in Europe are frightened by what we see in the US but it's going to be a long time before we can properly judge who made the right decisions.

[Host Hattie]

4 hours ago, morbihan said:

HH you are quite correct...I printed out the forms for my neighbours and popped them in their letter boxes. This was the second form variation. More details requested. They must have realised people hadn't printers as a phone version came out.

Thanks, I know my Italian friends have similar forms. 

[Kynance]

Hi Camgirl - I too am growing Cambridge Favourite! I bought them before lockdown and planted them in hanging baskets, hopefully away from slugs.  Whilst not growing especially fast, they have some flowers and a few fruits forming on them already. We also have wild alpine strawberries which have self-seeded in various places around the garden.

 

i am also thinking wistfully that next Sunday would have been the day we embarked on Queen Victoria’s cruise to Norway, with many new ports I had not visited before. In the same way I have been re-watching Poldark (now up to season 2, episode 6) to get my “Cornish fix”, I have been watching Norwegian crime drama on BBC4 - Wisting (excellent) and Twin (story not as good but better scenery). Next week a new show about the discovery of oil in the 1970s is due to air. 
 

Re the Kennet & Avon canal, we are very close to Aldermaston lock, which is famous for its scalloped, brick edges. We don’t have locks with turfed sides nearby - they are possibly further up into Wiltshire. Also close by is this interesting little boat - it moves every so often but I have never seen anyone aboard. Whenever I see it, it always reminds me of the launches and survival craft dotted along Cunard’s promenade decks and makes me smile. 😃

Edited April 26, 2020 by Kynance
Now with photo!

[Bigmike911]

Late Sunday Morning, in sunny South East Texas. The rain has come through the last two evenings in strong squall lines. Dense rain for ten minutes or less, then gone. Some areas have had quarter size (think a one pound coin) hail, but none here. My Pal Ron came by to give me my Corona Clip about a number one all over my head. There are some bumpy areas, but then my head is bumpy too. I feel human again. Not sure when the local barbers will open, the stay at home finishes on 30 April. And I will only go if they take appointments, none of this come and wait for my barber to be free which has been their style in the past. The virus is slowing in my county, Montgomery. Total cases about 450 in a population just over 1 million. 8 deaths all but one over 80 and from two assisted living facilities, so we are taking a deep breath and hoping that sunlight, heat and humidity, which we will have plenty of starting in May will put an end to this phase for us.  I see that Cunard has canceled my planned crossing on 22 July, which I canceled before my final payment was due. Worked out for me. Money to pay for  22 July 2021 Westbound from Hamburg and a year beyond CV19, I hope. I hope all are well and enjoying life and liberty. 

[Host Hattie]

All good here, I've had a lovely weekend. Yesterday I saw a cute video on Twitter or Facebook of someone playing noughts and crosses with their cat. I had a fair idea of how well my cat would do (think dreamies hoovered up at great speed) but we managed a couple of trial runs where he let me take my share of them so I had high hopes for the final filmed version.

Maintaining his 100% record of doing the unexpected, he sniffed every dreamie and then sat down in the middle of the board ! 

Mr HH went out to a diy shop for a click & collect order, he said the roads seemed busy. It's difficult to tell here as the road past our house is just as full of agricultural vehicles as usual.

I had a good video chat with friends this afternoon.

The weather has been glorious but is forecast to turn wet from tomorrow.

[Trevor33]

How is everyone managing with keeping at least 2 metres apart from everyone else? 

[Host Hattie]

18 minutes ago, Trevor33 said:

How is everyone managing with keeping at least 2 metres apart from everyone else? 

 

Fortunately it's not everyone else, just anyone from outside your household. No problem here, I only leave the house to go to work. I have my own office, all my meetings are via Skype or Teams and everyone else is told to wait at my office doorway.

If I have to pass over paperwork, I leave it on a chair halfway down the office and then move back to my desk.

[Kynance]

1 hour ago, Trevor33 said:

How is everyone managing with keeping at least 2 metres apart from everyone else? 

On our local walks, we are all smiling at each other as we do the “corona curve”. The only shop I have been to since lockdown is Waitrose, which has been pretty civilised and actually quite a pleasant experience.  Again, most people are patient and cheerful as we try to keep the 2 metres apart. 
 

I am keeping 2 metres apart from my other half when he is feeling grumpy, especially about work.  We are both working from home, for the same organisation, one of us upstairs and one downstairs. Mind you, he was grumpy before any of this started! 😆😊

[Kynance]

Back to work tomorrow after a very relaxing week off. I finished off the last of my Easter egg whilst out in the garden today and then mowed the lawn, which I find quite therapeutic. Just about to finish the weekend with an episode of Poldark but am intrigued by the new ITV adaption of that 1970s classic Van der Valk which is on at the moment - I’m recording it to watch later without the ads. 
 

Best wishes to all.

[Host Hattie]

We're recording Van der Valk as well, let me know what you think.

[Camgirl]

22 hours ago, Trevor33 said:

How is everyone managing with keeping at least 2 metres apart from everyone else? 

 

Hi, we are having our walks early (back before 9 so Mr camgirl can start work), so we don't see too many people. The joggers mostly do the corona curve (Great name, kynance). Our biggest problem is the cyclists, of which there are many in Cambridge. They don't bother at all, even though the roads are empty. They get so close as they shoot by you that i suprised they dont knock into us. In fact quite a few use the pavement to cycle on, which is ridiculous with narrow pavements and empty roads. Luckily, they are quickly past. 

 

The busiest area of the city tends to be by the river, so we don't go there often. When we do, the paths are pretty wide there.

 

I have been dreading going to the shops again after finding it really difficult and having a panic on our last trip. Luckily, tesco has some delivery slots now, and our first delivery comes tomorrow. Not very keen on tesco. They are my least favourite shop, but are the only one with delivery slots available. Waitrose is full until July!!!!

[Camgirl]

Missed Van der Valk. Was it good? Do I need to 'catch up?