Nala and Lily social-distancing in the living room
I quietly urged my friend and former colleague Julian Young to add to this series from Paris. I am delighted to see that he has now done so ...
LOCKDOWN IN A PARISIAN BANLIEUE
It’s been two weeks and two days since we’ve been confined to our home here in Fontenay-sous-Bois.
I’ve been out of the house only five times – to go to the local supermarket.
Every time I went out I had to take with me an Attestation de Déplacement Dérogatoire. This is a document stating who I am, my date of birth, where I live and what reason I’m out and about. I also have to date it, write the exact time I leave the house and sign it.
If my paperwork isn’t in order then I’ll be fined 135 euros and the fine for any repeat offence in the same month goes up steeply.
The Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said yesterday that police had issued 359,000 fines so far. That’s a hefty chunk of change.
I haven’t been stopped in five outings but I make sure my papers (and passport) are always in order.
Today I went to Monoprix for provisions and was surprised and pleased to see there were only eight people in the queue ahead of me; and we were all two metres apart. When I got to the top of the queue (regulated by a supermarket security guard) there was a notice instructing me to use the hand sanitiser provided. Good idea and I did.
The most excitement this week for me (apart from playing Candy Crush) was the return home of my daughter Amber. She’s doing a Masters at Westminster Uni in London and lives in a shared house in Fulham. She didn’t want to be alone and for two weeks stayed with her aunt, my sister Phyllida, in Beckenham.
Yesterday at 10.24am she boarded the first and last Eurostar that day from London to Paris.
She’s now self-isolating in her bedroom as she doesn’t want the possibility of infecting us; she isn’t showing any symptoms but she’s just ultra cautious.
So it’s room service for her at the moment. Hang on, are we being taken for a ride? Nala and Lily the cats are allowed in her room. Meanwhile, she’s having lectures online with her university.
We’re lucky as we have a front garden and a spacious backyard where I can catch the sun and have some fresh air. My son Noah lives in a bedsit in nearby Vincennes and only gets out to buy groceries etc. We offered him the opportunity of coming back home but he prefers to be in his own space and I understand that.
I try to keep sane by writing, watching Netflix, playing aforementioned Candy Crush (I’m on Level 5,333), drinking wine and being bossed about by our feline family.
And I anticipate this lockdown, started March 17 for two weeks then extended for another two weeks, to be extended again. The French prime minister stated yesterday that the coronavirus lockdown would eventually be gradually wound down rather than in one go. We shall see.
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