Hibernació
Despite the stringency and relative clarity of the shelter in place order, during the first week, our large neighborhood park was still well-populated. Most people there were walking their dogs but often weren't doing so alone. Many people were out jogging.
Credit: diaridetarragona.com
By the end of the first week, police were stopping people in our park, asking them to limit dog-walking. They also started issuing tickets for infractions, including walking your dog too far from home. By the second week, signs had been posted in the parks. The lower part of Guinardó Park is a pass-through for many residents and is not gated -- it may only be using as zone of passage.
The Parc de les Aigues is closed altogether (dogs are normally prohibited, so there is no excuse for using it). It is newly renovated and the beautiful landscaping is coming into bloom, but it can only be enjoyed at a distance.
We've now entered into an even more stringent form of shelter in place -- what the Spanish government has described as "hibernation." It defines the jobs considered essential and requires everyone else to stay at home. In practice, this has no noticeable impact on us -- the kids haven't been out of our yard in over 2 weeks. At first, we let Mad walk Lusi or visit the store but now only Ed and I do these things. Since the state of alarm went into effect, I have been wishing we had some craft supplies and a yoga mat, but I haven't tried to order them online. With the hibernation order, I may have missed my chance.
Even before the hibernation order went into effect yesterday, the streets have been utterly deserted apart from the main shopping street. The buses continue to run regularly, though they are almost always empty. Passengers are not allowed to board from the front door. Ridership is around 10% of the norm, according to the city website.
The weather is unseasonably cold and wet for this time of year (many rainy days with temps in the 50s) -- I'm not sure if this helps or hurts. Nevertheless, I feel lucky that I can still take Lusi out and get a peek at the spring flowers that are coming into bloom.
