Day 25, 26. 27, 28 Lockdown in France - Easter Weekend

Good Friday 

Pottered about, did domestics, played accordion, sowed and watered seeds, had picnic lunch reading a book in garden sun shine, cod and vegetables evening meal, cleared weeds from roadside, dallied at computer, conversed briefly with neighbour and others by email, felt sad when the day had begun quite happily.

Baked Cod with Herb Crust and my way of cooking cabbage, fennel, carrots, onion, garlic.

Easter Saturday

In the afternoon my friend of 54 years and I did Facetime together playing two Scottish Waltzes on our accordions.  It was fun... difficult to hear her accordion at the same time as my own accordion to try and keep in time. At least we sounded in tune!  We managed and must do it again when I am sure we shall have more confidence.   It was nice to see each other with our newer accordions.
After all that excitement for 60 to 90 minutes I was exhausted with a head ache and needed the outdoors. so I sowed a few more seeds and did the daily watering of the ground.
THEN, I tried again to ignite the 3 week old prune cuttings starting with a fire-lighter and YAY... flames continued after a bit of smoke.  I loaded more on feeling good to have the garden cleanse that a bonfire gives.
We are not supposed to have bonfires in the village, but as I cannot take garden waste to the decheterie and my trailer has an electrical fault and as yet has not been used with my Kangoo.
It was a safe fire burning garden debris in a rusty oil drum.

Easter Sunday

Oh dear.  I slept until 11h30 because of disturbed sleep patterns. This is a long standing problem.
Anyway, I had eaten a boiled egg and toast when "The BELLS returned from ROME" according to Tradition - church bells pealed and caused me to reminisce and miss English Church bells and an Easter Mass - the Joy that brings.  (Later, at my evening meal I listened to Easter hymns beforehand and then THE MESSIAH.
Fearful at midday that I was mistaken, that there was a funeral, without thought, I grabbed my scarf, mask, jacket and walked to the village, in anticipation that there might be people gathered together at a distance when no one is supposed to gather together and be able to comfort me in some form. It was  an emotional reaction more than an intellectualised one!
The village was emptied of human form.  I walked past La Place but instead of proceeding past the chateau to the river, I wound back, past my Italian friend's empty house. I was wearing old wedge heeled sandals where toes must grip the soles, therefore, not conducive to slopes of village streets.

All along, bird song
wondrously full of Joy
where no one, girl or boy
could be heard, or seen.

Uncannily weird to have been
in a kind of ghost town
of homes in the streets built with stones.

It's deadly quiet, but I see no bones
amongst the incessantly striving green grass growth,
wild flowers and lilac in full bloom.
Floral Spring makes her oath
as one of the Four Seasons she shows no gloom.

She comes again and pushes forth 
against all doom
with a Gift of Worth
again her buds show Life each year 
brings us mortals hope and cheer.

Whatever human dis-ease and viruses Nature makes
New life Springs in Spring
When Madame Nature gives and takes.

(copyright Restless in France)

I was becoming more sad and wistful, urgently needing to be home but kept my slow pace.
As I walked into my own street someone called my name!
I turned to see.
Walked back.
Nicole was kind of hidden behind stationary vehicles, inviting me for 'un coup'.
I was so emotionally touched that I burst into tears and laughter at the same time...explained my sorrow and was gracefully assured that we were all feeling the same.
Chink Chink.
Bonne Paques.
Bonne Vie.
Conversation flowed but strict mothers, strict schooling, roses in bloom, weeds in the stone cobbles, and other things I did not always follow.
Three bottles of bubbly later it was two o'clock.
We parted having kept 2 m distance in a circle between each of the 7 of us!
I was grateful and loved, cared for by sweet Nicole and the others.
Touched by human kindness.

Came home for 2 hours sleep.
Lazily, I pushed myself to eat!
BUT FIRST... we must dine in a restaurant, so I made an effort and laid the table as if I was the guest, laid another place for the passer by.   I washed and changed my clothing ... not quite for going out... but it was presentable. I could enjoy THE MESSIAH and have a chat with myself. Then ... bedtime.

Easter Monday

I slept well to get up with the alarm bit in fact awake before it rang.  I readied for a walk down The American Way to the river. Rarely do I ever meet anyone but this morning had to stand aside whilst two of my Parisian near neighbours ascended the narrow path.  Later, elsewhere, a man with his dog.  A lot of trees had fallen in the storm and been thrown onto the sand spits formed in the river after the dam an the high floods we had... one could see the whole area is being logged.  Buttercups are now in bloom. Star of Bethlehem, Broom, Purple Toothwort, Wild Garlic, lots of wild flowers and grasses....and all the while the songs of birds.

In addition to that hour, I walked for two hours in the afternoon mowing the daisies in the grass. I sat for not long enough to understand a large financial matter I have hanging over my head.  I made a quiche but will eat it tomorrow.

Heard the hoopoe in the distance - hoo hoo hoo.