Stories from the Third Confinement...

 

 

Here's a little story...

I woke up a little funky from the Astra-Zenica vaccine the morning after I'd taken the shot.  Nothing bad.  Just feeling like I wanted to lay low and do basically nothing.

... except... the starter battery in our new used Prius decided it was End of Life...  it expired... no electrons left to share...  and once I got the ball rolling to get her a new battery...

After having been told that the tow-truck driver would haul the car to the dealer for repair I had her jump-started.  And to the dealership?  Ah.  No.  M.Remorquer decided I could drive the wounded beast to the dealership myself.  Without turning her off I ran upstairs, grabbed my things, told Jude what was up, and dashed out the door.

I spent the afternoon at the dealership service bay.  

 

Got a scare when the indicators said there was something wrong with the hybrid system and that the power battery pack would need replacing. In the end, it turned out all she needed was a new starter battery and the hybrid electronics reset to a known good state, just as I thought to begin with. 

 

There was a ton of traffic coming home. Then Jude told me it's Easter Week and everyone and their dog is out and about.

I was pretty wiped out.

 

 

Here's another little story...

We've seen this again this winter here in Nice.  Our apartment is close enough to the port that we can watch the ships and boats as they come and go.

While most of the comings and goings  have been pleasure craft and cement ships, there have been at least two large ships that have pulled into port.  These ships unloaded and loaded no-so-small pleasure craft.  It's been like watching an automobile transporter, but on a much larger scale.

This gave rise to our common comment that "the rich do whatever they want."  Even, and particularly during the time of this Covid-19 pandemic.

It should come as no surprise that word officially leaked that *gasp!* the rich were acting like there was no pandemic.  The maitre d' even said so at the door.  500euro a plate got you access to the back room of various high end restaurants up in Paris.

 

In France all restaurants are closed.  Unless you're rich, that is.  If you're Well Heeled, you can do anything you want.

It appears that two of the rich bastards who organized dinners at the Palais Vivienne have been arrested.  Is there justice?  Not enough of it, really.

One last story...

European countries have restricted travel within and across boarders.  

 

However, there has been a loophole.  If you test negative for CV19 you can climb onto a plane to go anywhere that will accept that aircraft. 

The Hot Spot for Young Party Crowd has been Madrid.  Restaurants and bars are open.  They are doing outstanding business as a result.

There have been interviews with Spaniards who are pissed.  Really pissed.  Why?  Because these partying types tested negative and they could fly to another country.  Yet the locals are not allowed to go more than 10km, even if they test negative to CV19.

The topic came up just yesterday on the French news during an interview with a minister to the EU.  The man had no clear, satisfactory response as to how to resolve this glaring inequality.

If you have money, you can do what you want.  You can buy an airplane ticket and fly away to Madrid.  You can move your boat anywhere around the world.  You can escape local restrictions by simply being who you are at your economic level.

For the rest of us, we have to toe the line.