The Corona Diaries, day #2

Wow, it’s been a long day.
It’s not the working from home with three home-schooling kids that’s hard, but the distractions – the latest events all day long … text messages from the government with the latest instructions, news that Gaël’s factory is to close as of today, news that a big event I work on each summer is cancelled (can’t say what yet because the press release only goes out tomorrow but those who know me will know!)…


After an early start, I duly printed out the form I now need whenever I leave the house (allowed out for essential supplies, doctor’s appointments, work if you can’t work from home, a short walk – alone -  in your neighbourhood, to assist an elderly or vulnerable family member, or to pick up your kids from your ex if you’re divorced) and I set off for the baker’s.
It turned out that the baker’s had closed up shop mid-morning as there’d been a proper bun fight – well, a fight over baguettes at least.
Once Gaël got home, I got on with a bit more work. He went out into the garden to have a cigarette, so I joined him for a bit of fresh air and a quick break. We’d been out a minute or two when suddenly there was this huge noise and low-flying surveillance aircraft flew over. I thought it was going to take the chimney pot off, it was that low! It sent a tingle down our spines anyway. Not exactly the kind of thing you’re used to seeing on a Tuesday afternoon in rural Normandy. Perhaps they were looking for the big bad bun fighters!


Anyway, we were still without bread at this point (hey, this is France, you can’t have meal without bread!) so to keep the girls occupied (it’s still difficult to log on to their online schooling thingy), I assigned them to bread-making duties. And this one, who put on her green trousers specially, wanted me to make Irish soup for Saint Patrick’s day. We then found a bottle of Irish red ale bought in Wicklow last summer and had our own little Paddy’s night do. Would have been even better if we could have invited a few pals to join us but this is how it’s going to be for the next few weeks.