La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE, THANKFULLY, NOT back in covid-19 lockdown here in Andalucía, new restrictions are now in place until 23 November. Our curfew has been changed to 10 p.m. (22:00) to 7 a.m. (07:00). After 6 p.m. (18:00) we can only be outside for practical reasons (taking out the trash, emergencies, etc. — as it was all the time during lockdown) Borders between regions are still closed but we now have the additional closure of borders between municipalities, which, if I understand it correctly, means we can only travel within our city of Fuengirola and the adjoining city of Mijas. Not a great range, which means no more visits this month to the Outlet Mall. And that should be the worst of my problems.* [*Since writing this post, I have learned, thanks to Kathleen, that Mijas and Fuengirola are not considered parts of the same municipality for these purposes. So we can’t leave Fuengirola.]
These limitations, however, mean I will only either be sharing the usual photos of my wanders around our little city (maybe I’ll even head up to Mijas Pueblo — click here — for a change) or old family photos and more stories.
I’m confident San Geraldo will provide some entertainment for us simply by talking to me. The other day he told me about a pet video he watched. “There was a kitty sitting on a living room sofa with a Golden Lab house dog.” (I let him finish the story.) When he got to the end, I smiled in response to the sweet story and then said, “I’ve been holding this in my head but wanted to let you finish the story first. A golden Lab house dog?” I asked. “Well, yes,” he replied. “But why a house dog? Why not just a golden Lab?” “Well, I wanted you to know the dog was in the house.” “I kind of got that idea when you said he and the kitty were on the living room sofa.”
I can be a bit of a cynic. For example, when we lived in Santa Barbara a pre-teen rang our doorbell. San Geraldo answered. The boy was selling a tiny jade plant cutting in a plastic pot containing no soil. To either side of our front door were two 4-foot-tall jade plants in elegant footed pots. San Geraldo said, “No thanks.” He came upstairs and told me he felt guilty; he should have simply give the boy the money. I said, “Oh, please. He probably stole the pot and pulled the cutting off one of our jades.” San Geraldo muttered, “New Yorker.” I’ve regretted my gut reaction. Now I would give the kid some money despite knowing it was our jade plant.
Anyway, as a cynic, I haven’t held out much hope in recent months for the fate of the world. Yes, I know people all over have survived their own hells for centuries. But many people haven’t. So, don’t tell me it will all be OK. All is already not OK for too many others and it hasn’t been OK for many years. But this week has given me hope that humanity might at least survive the damages wrought these past four years. My hope is that Alfred Lord Tennyson was correct when he said:
“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…”
AUNQUE NO ESTAMOS, AGRADECIDAMENTE, DE vuelta en el encierro del covid-19 aquí en Andalucía, ahora hay nuevas restricciones hasta el 23 de noviembre. Nuestro toque de queda se ha cambiado a las 10 p.m. (22:00) a 7 a.m. (07:00). Después de las 6 p.m. (18:00) solo podemos estar afuera por razones prácticas (sacar la basura, emergencias, etc. – como lo fue todo el tiempo durante el encierro) Las fronteras entre regiones aún están cerradas pero ahora tenemos el cierre adicional de fronteras entre municipios , lo que, si lo entiendo correctamente, significa que solo podemos viajar dentro de nuestra ciudad de Fuengirola y la ciudad contigua de Mijas. No es una gran variedad, lo que significa que no habrá más visitas este mes al Outlet Mall. Y ese debería ser el peor de mis problemas. * [*Desde que escribí este post, me he enterado, gracias a Kathleen, que Mijas y Fuengirola no se consideran partes del mismo municipio para estos fines. Así que no podemos salir de Fuengirola.]
Sin embargo, estas limitaciones significan que solo compartiré las fotos habituales de mis paseos por nuestra pequeña ciudad (tal vez incluso me dirija a Mijas Pueblo, haga clic aquí, para variar) o fotos familiares antiguas y más historias.
Estoy seguro de que San Geraldo nos brindará algo de entretenimiento simplemente hablando conmigo. El otro día me contó sobre un video de mascotas que vio. “Había un gatito sentado en el sofá de la sala de estar con un perro de la casa Golden Lab”. (Dejé que terminara la historia). Cuando llegó al final, sonreí en respuesta a la dulce historia y luego dije: “He estado guardando esto en mi cabeza, pero quería que tú termines la historia primero. ¿Un perro de casa Labrador retriever?” pregunté. “Bueno, sí”, respondió. “¿Pero por qué un perro de casa? ¿Por qué no solo un perro Labrador retriever?” “Quería que supieras que el perro estaba en la casa”. “Se me ocurrió la idea cuando dijiste que él y el gatito estaban en el sofá del salón”.
Puedo ser un poco cínico. Por ejemplo, cuando vivíamos en Santa Bárbara, un preadolescente llamó a nuestra puerta. San Geraldo respondió. El niño vendía una pequeña planta de jade cortada en una maceta de plástico que no contenía tierra. A cada lado de nuestra puerta principal había dos plantas de jade de más que un metro de altura cada una (4 pies) en elegantes macetas con patas. San Geraldo dijo: “No, gracias”. Subió las escaleras y me dijo que se sentía culpable; simplemente debería haberle dado el dinero al chico. Dije: “Oh, por favor. Probablemente robó la olla y cortó uno de nuestros jades”. San Geraldo murmuró: “neoyorquino”. Me arrepiento de mi reacción instintiva. Ahora le daría algo de dinero al niño a pesar de saber que era nuestra planta de jade.
De todos modos, como cínico, no he tenido muchas esperanzas en los últimos meses sobre el destino del mundo. Sí, sé que la gente de todas partes ha sobrevivido a sus propios infiernos durante siglos. Pero mucha gente no lo ha hecho. Entonces, no me digas que todo estará bien. Ya no todo está bien para muchos otros y no ha estado bien durante muchos años. Pero esta semana me ha dado la esperanza de que la humanidad al menos pueda sobrevivir a los daños causados estos últimos cuatro años. Mi esperanza es que Alfred Lord Tennyson tuviera razón cuando dijo:
“Esperanza
Sonríe desde el umbral del año por venir,
Susurrando ‘será más feliz’…”
La oficina principal de correos. Sin espera. Recogí más sellos para las postales de El Hermanito.
Las ranuras de correo en la pared exterior.
Me pregunto qué habría hecho.
In Canada there are a few provinces experiencing the ‘second wave’ and restrictions are back in full force there.
In our province the numbers are starting to climb very slowly and this afternoon the Premier and Public Health Officer will be making an announcement regarding restrictions. Good to get it when the numbers are low and not wait too long.
OUCH! Blue plaids!!
Time for a tattoo, Mitch!
Jim:
I’ve wanted (and decided against) a tattoo for years. Don’t think so though.
Always love photos of people’s sartorial choices and of course the cats!
sillygirl:
I saw a couple of great looks while out earlier today but there was no way to discreetly grab a photo.
Drat. It’s a good thing the cats are so accomodating then!
That tattoo photo, LOL!
Debra:
I wanted to move further to the right for a better shot but I didn’t want them to spot me. Now I’ll be regularly checking that window!
Intriguing photos! LOL!
I love that story about the “house dog.” That’s hilarious.
Steve:
That’s SG. Thanks to him, I’ll never be lacking for stories to tell. I’m grateful he’s such a good sport.
I don’t know that we’ll ever be “Ok” but I think things will get better.
SG tells a story like Carlos, goddess love him.
And that last guy appears to be stealing melons from the store. I suggest a citizen’s arrest and strip serch!
Bob:
That guy with the melons. I couldn’t help myself.
“I worry no matter how cynical we are it is never enough to keep up.” – J. Wagner
Amen brother!
Urspo:
THAT is a great quote. I’ll be sharing that with a cynical friend.
Oooh. My kind of guy. Socks with sandals. In the rain. Very Northwest
Judy:
Except for the shorts and shirt… I hope!
Great pictures, especially the last one.
David:
I was stood behind that guy for a few minutes and I couldn’t help myself (so I instead took a picture).
OMB, the last pix! WOO HOO! YOWZA!
LOVE the lion heads on the mail slots, and I could read the spanish also. and WHO is that blue “fashion plate”; makes me wanna hurl!
anne marie:
Sometimes those fabric combinations are entertaining; sometimes hurl-inducing.
Yes, it was a bloody miracle this week – unfortunately there are so many souls who voted for him but hopefully some wrongs can be righted and some people united. January can’t come soon enough so they can punt the bastard out of the whitehouse, kicking and screaming in his diapers if necessary.
Cheapchick:
You took the words right out of my mouth (well, you said them better).
One gets the impression that the post office isn’t exactly thrilled by receive your mail…
wickedhamster:
I love those lions. I wonder if they were on the original post office in town (wherever that was).
Now were cooking with gas!!!!!!!!! The last picture! Nice touche’ and at least someone know how to dress right there besides you two!!!!!! I hear the winter is going to be terrible all over the globe with the virus, as I suspected it would. Until we and countries can learn a lesson Mother Nature aint giving this one up. I suspect we will be right behind you shortly…cases have been well over new infections here well over 100,000 each day, and each day goes even higher.
oh….and just how important is it that someone need to get a tattoo at this time?????
Mistress Maddie:
I thought the same thing. Then I thought, well they need the business. But I hope they followed ALL protocols. (Although the guy getting the tattoo should have had a mask on; he could still bite the ball through the mask.)
Mistress Maddie:
The US is so far ahead of us with infections and deaths. I hope you can now catch up on at least trying to control the spread. Getting that hideous orange virus out of the White House should help. I normally don’t take pictures of butts for no reason, but this guy’s was irresistible and I was “forced” to look at it for a few minutes while we waited in line.
Sadly, unless we go back into a semi- mandatory lockdown again…it won’t happen. The mask thing is a hot button topic, and the crowds still invade hot spots and tourist towns. The only thing to save the US I believe would be the vaccine. people here have no self control.
Is that last guy wearing wellington boots? Heavy, chunky Doc Martins would’ve been so much better.
Raybeard:
I think he was actually the produce guy from the supermarket.
So exciting to post mail at your post office by feeding the lions! Blue plaid guy was wearing 2 different sandals. Was one a medical device? Wellie guy would fit right in here. The vaccine news today is promising.
Wilma:
Blue plaid guy had a brace on one ankle/foot. Ruined the entire look! I love feeding the lions, although I’ve only ever fed two of them. Yes, good vaccine news. Now if Trump would only vacate (and NOT pardon all his cronies before he does so).
Love the Post Office mail slots. Fabulous !
Parsnip:
Aren’t those beautiful? I love them, too, especially attached to the very contemporary building.
I have hope in my heart. But my head says how can you fix people who think it is in their best interests to be all about me me me and not to care about the others who live in their own country? These two things are at odds with each other.
Snoskred:
I agree completely.
I tend to be very litteral when someone tells me a story, I focus on one aspect or one word. Will says to me you remember the hole in grandpa’s sock but forget the story. A bit like the Golden Lab House Dog and the kitty. It is all relevant to me. We may be turning a corner with the announcement today of Pfizer’s promising new potential vaccine.
larrymuffin:
Yes, good news about the vaccine!
It really does feel like a new day. I’m so very hopeful.
Meanwhile, I’m wishing with all of my might that you’ll one day spot someone with 3 different plaids…shorts, shirt, and face mask. Plaids for the current moment! The tattoo parlor photo had me tilting my head back and forth for a second. 🙂
I love pictures of your excursions and will (again) wish and hope for more one day, but the family story/old photo posts are always gems.
Michelle D.:
I actually DID see someone today with those three different plaids, but there was no way for me to surreptitiously get a shot.