It kind of feels that way, doesn’t it? There is an eerie feeling prevalent in the world today that feels a lot like a science fiction movie! The invaders are not robotic, however, rather microbic invaders from within our own Petri dish called Earth. And they have not come in peace.
I didn’t see the movie when it came out in 1951 because I was busy being born. The cold war was the order of the day, and it took a flying saucer from outer space to bring the leaders of the world together. The coronavirus is forcing all countries to work together to share solutions to this pandemic. No country can work alone because eradicating this virus will take the greatest scientific minds, and viruses ignore boundaries.
This is not a movie. While we have seen countless pandemic and contagion movies, at least we could watch them in theaters with hundreds of people sitting shoulder to shoulder. Now we are bingeing them from the comfort of our homes. Healthcare workers do not have that luxury and it is not a form of idle entertainment for them.
Empty Streets Here in Mafra
At this time of day in Mafra, there are always people walking and a circle of cars in the roundabout. The picture I took from our window this morning shows not one car navigating the roads or roundabout, no people walking on the sidewalks. Just a lonely statue of Pope John XXI (Papa João XXI) overlooking the empty village.
There were other blog topics I had started writing about before the coronavirus pandemic broke out. But the coronavirus is the subject front and center on all our minds now. Nobody knows how long it will last, how bad it will get, or what society will look like when things begin to normalize again.
We are all one community now, learning how to navigate in this new paradigm of isolation. Social media has been training us for this for a while now. We have become more and more isolated behind our phones and other “communication” devices. But now we can begin to feel the repercussions of being separated from our fellow human beings.
As I sit here writing this, countries are on lockdown, hospitals are overflowing, and healthcare workers are overburdened while putting themselves at personal risk to help others. They are putting their lives on the line while we stay safely in the confines of our homes.
Praise to Healthcare Workers Around the World!
I cannot give enough praise to the healthcare workers around the world! They are the heroes, the angels working selflessly in the epicenter of this crisis. While we are keeping our social distance, these healthcare angels are risking their lives by putting themselves in harm’s way.
Finally, the arguments about whether this is a big risk or just fearmongering by the media are beginning to subside. Most people know that 627 people died in Italy in one day from the coronovirus. And their death toll is over 4,000 and rising. We all wish that was fake news. Unfortunately, it is not.
In every crisis, whether it be the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 or the 9/11 attack in 2001, conspiracy theories abound. Catastrophes are the Petri dish for conspiracy theorists. Coronavirus has been no different in that regard. And there are still young people partying during the annual spring break rituals, oblivious to the dangers to themselves and others.
I would also like to praise the citizens of Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Denmark, Switzerland and Israel. They showed their appreciation for their healthcare providers by cheering from their balconies at a designated time in the evening.
The wonderful people in Italy also chose to sing from their balconies to uplift spirits and keep up the morale of their fellow citizens. Italy has been hit the hardest in this pandemic and it isn’t easy to remain positive under such conditions.
Of a lesser concern than one’s health, but by no means a small concern, millions of people are experiencing severe financial hardships and major inconveniences. Everyone is affected in one way or another by cancelled flights, long-planned reunions, weddings, all kinds of disruptions to life as we know it.
On a personal note, our grandkids were supposed to be coming to visit and had to cancel a week before their arrival. And friends who had reservations to come visit us have also had to cancel. As disappointing as this is, it is really a small price to pay in order to keep everyone safe. These disruptions pale in comparison to what many people around the world are experiencing.
New Rules in Portugal
In Portugal, the government has declared a state of emergency and has laid out some rules for us to follow until further notice. By the time you read this, and maybe even as I publish this, some of these rules may have become stricter, or clarified further:
*Mandatory isolation for anyone infected with the virus.
*People over 70 years old are advised to stay at home but should only go out in very exceptional and strictly necessary circumstances, such as buying food or going to the pharmacy.
*People can go to the bank or post office, but only when necessary. (In other words, use common sense.)
*The Prime Minister advises “small hygienic walks in the vicinity of the residence” or walk the pets.
*The general population should avoid leaving home any further than necessary.
*Teleworking is recommended to all workers who can do it.
*Public transport will be limited.
*The prime minister explained that people can leave home for “accompanying minors during short periods of outdoor recreation”.
*Banks have advised customers to use online services as much as possible.
*Runners can continue to do so, but they have to be short trips and alone.
*Deadlines on visas have been extended and will not be strictly enforced.
*Traveling in private cars can only happen when they serve to fulfill one of the purposes allowed for driving on public roads. That is, if you buy food you can go by car.
*Shopping centers will be closed, except supermarkets or kiosks that are part of the shopping center, because they sell products considered essential, such as food, drink, newspapers and tobacco (yes, tobacco is considered essential in Portugal).
*Bakeries (definitely an essential service in Portugal), grocery stores and pharmacies can be kept open.
*You are allowed to go to the café but you may not find an open one. The Government recommends that restaurants close the service to the public.
*Provision of take-away meals are encouraged, as well as for home deliveries.
*You are allowed to go out into the street to buy food items to take home. Establishments will, however, have to continue to respect the limits on the number of people inside the establishment.
*Celebrations of a religious nature and other cults (believe it or not, not a word injected by me) that involve an agglomeration of people are prohibited.
Shutting Out the World on this Ancient Trail
Cathy and I hiked along Trilho do Sr Heitor, which translates to Mr. Heitor’s Trail. It is safe to say Mr. Heitor no longer lives there. We found a beautiful entryway to what must have been Sr Heitor’s spread but it looks like he hasn’t lived there in many years.
We were not sure how long this trail was when we started out. There were no signs after the one at the entry. Not like Disneyland, where they tell you how much longer it is to reach your destination. We were told that there was a church at the end of the trail, so we trudged onward.
We knew that however long this trail was, it would be equally as long on the way back. And seeing as the trail was mostly downhill, it was safe to assume that coming back would be mostly uphill.
The trail was very peaceful, as you can imagine from the pictures. The birds were chirping loudly, the breeze was blowing softly, and the river was babbling melodiously. And we met nobody on the trail in either direction. So we definitely met the requirements for social distancing.
We did find the church. It was all locked up so we had to peek through the windows to see the nice tile work inside.
In Conclusion..
I want to wrap this blog up by saying that even though I tend to keep my blogs on the less-than-serious side, the hardships caused by the coronavirus are all too serious. There are the serious health issues, of course, but there are also the financial setbacks associated with the precautionary measures being taken worldwide. The recovery trail will be long and difficult for many.
As I conclude this, the bells of the Mafra Palace bell towers have started to chime. In my previous blog, I mentioned that I don’t know why they chime when they do. But they always lift my spirits whenever they do. At this moment it is 11:42 in the morning, and I don’t know why they are chiming now. But it just seems right somehow.
Loved your blog post, Bobby…it is unfortunate that the subject matter dealt with something so serious, but your words were sensitive and calming. I haven’t stopped saying that I feel like we are living in a science fiction movie and your parallels to “The Day The Earth Stood Still” nailed it! We are one world, one people, and it is horrible that such a terrible virus leveled the playing field for all of us. Hope you both stay well and keep on writing!
Thank you, Shelley. As one creative person to another, we need our outlets, our release valves. But I envy artists like yourself who work with stuff you can touch instead of only words. You and Ricky stay safe now!
Perfect title and excellent post. We in Colombia have the same restrictions as you have. We had 4 days and now the President has added 19 more, until Easter Sunday. No flights in or our for passenger traffic. We were planning on traveling to Israel with our middle granddaughter and had to put that on hold. Be well and stay safe to you and all the people reading your blog.
We were also planning a trip to Israel in June to visit my grandnephews and nieces whom we have never met. Oh, well, next year in Israel.
Thank you Bob. Your writing”takes me there” and I can almost feel every word as if I was living it myself.
Life in WA state is feeling very eerie and unpredictable, but seeing the goodness of people is refreshing.
We still talk daily of our move to Portugal and your blog is a huge bright spot.
Stay well😊
Thank you, Terri. I am happy to be “stuck” here. You’ll be here before you know it!
Dear Bob,
Thanks as always for giving us a peek into Portuguese life, especially in these most unusual times. Things here are about the same. Everyone staying home and hoping for the best. I am now planning to push back my retirement and move to Portugal by 6 mos until July 2021. I know that will likely exclude me from being grandfathered into the more favorable NHR regime, but so be it. Life is what happens when you’re making other plans – right? I still hope to make a trip over before coming permanently and would love to see you and Cathy. Best to you both – Jayne
Hi Jayne. Fortunately, it is only a 10% income tax and it is offset by any tax you may pay to the IRS. So if you are paying 10% or more to Uncle Sam, you won’t owe anything here. We slipped in under the no-tax rule, which means we get a ten year waiver. That is a good thing because we are under 10% in the US.
That was excellent Bobby. It was calming to read, and we all need calm in this turbulence.
Only the best to you and Cathy….stay well,
Ricky
Thank you, Ricky! Personally, I wouldn’t mind a visit from an extraterrestrial to spice things up a bit. And just maybe they’d have a cure!
This was beautifully written, I really enjoyed it. Love to you both!
Thank you, Angela! We love you, too, and we hope to get you out here next year when we are in our new place. We drove down to Ericeira today to check it out and the roof is now up!
Nicely done! Nice to see you get out for hikes and do a lot of off beat stuff. Stay healthy my friend.
We do our best! Yesterday we took a short hike along an ocean cliff in Ericeira to an old fort. It was so picturesque and I never even knew it was there. New discoveries all the time.
Thank you for giving voice to the situation as it is emerging where you are. Humor is good. Across the world, we are all in the same boat . We have been given a global “time-out”, told to go to our rooms and think about what we have done. May we take advantage of this crisis and see it for the opportunity that it is.
Stay well…Bob and Cathy.
You too, Leslie! Thank you.
Thank you Bob for the post. We have been interested to hear stories of Portugal in the time of Covid 19. We had made the decision to put our household in storage in June when our lease ends and head to Portugal to check it out. And then the world changed. So here we are in our 70s living day by day with out a real plan for June. Hoping we’ll find a lovely house sit or rental for a short time to see how it all settles out. We are staying home, walking on our pretty roads, no one around, and staying in the present as much as possible. We have daily ping pong tournaments and dominoes and movies and naps. Rural Hawaii is a good place to be. Today we had a huge rainbow. There are no more cruise ships allowed to stop here and things are pretty quiet. Be well. Linda
Aloha! So many people have been caught in limbo in different stages of moving. It’s hard to make plans when things are open ended like this. But rural Hawaii is definitely not a bad place to be as you wait. I trust that you find a good housing situation in the meantime.