Busy day. The government has closed everything down and insisted (or a fine) people stay inside except for brief grocery shopping trips, doctors’ visits, pharmacy visits (we are so lucky to have corner pharmacies still, with kindly advice-giving pharmacists who know you by name; also good small grocery shops and fruit and vegetable markets). We had decided to return to the Vaucluse where, at least, we can go outside and even biking and hiking. My husband booked a car for this evening, but something he read made him think he should try to pick it up this morning. Lucky for us he did. They were shutting down at lunch, but had no cars, even though we had reserved and paid. After a lot of palaver (and they were helpful) they found a car that had been turned in but not yet cleaned and my husband drove it home and cleaned it. Tomorrow we leave and hopefully won’t be stopped, because we have heard there were guards at the autoroute toll booths. Of course, we’ll quarantine when we arrive and won’t go into any shops on the way down. Fingers crossed.

This morning there were some people in the streets, some of them wearing masks. This afternoon when I went out to buy some food and pick up a prescription there was no one. The shopkeepers I saw said people had shopping in the morning but not in the afternoon and the indoor market will be closing at 3 pm for the next couple of weeks. I went by the soup kitchen, where I volunteer; they too are closing, but giving out packed lunches in the morning to anyone who needs one. Two small kids were playing soccer with their dad on the square in front of the church; a student-age young woman was running up and down the church steps.

Our group of buildings too has emptied out but one resident had organized a little gathering (4 people) of those who remain, with chocolates and freshly-squeezed pomegranate juice. We chatted at a distance from one another in the courtyard, and then headed up our stairs to our suppers.

Beverley Bie Brahic