out of quarantine and into lockdown

 After 14 days we are out of our quarantine. So what was it really like? Now it is over it doesn't seem like it was too long but there were some days that felt like an eternity. Early on, we had decided that if we made it to day 7 with no symptoms, we would treat ourselves for a walk. There was a cemetery across the street from our lodging. We noticed that it was fenced and quiet. We figured this would be the perfect place since there were so few people and we would be close to home. We spent as long as we could endure looking at the old tombstones and noticing the disrepair of the gravesites. It was a beautiful day but we could only walk the rows of tombstones for so long before we were looking beyond the gates for something else to see. So we set off for a real walk to the sea.

Highland Road Cemetery

Southsea Beach

 We wore masks which really set us apart since most people here don't wear masks outside. We got lots of strange looks, or maybe I just thought people were giving me strange looks because I was just feeling guilty for being outside. Anyway, when we got back to our flat we checked to see if there was any notice of someone checking on our status, like a note under the door or a missed phone call, Nothing! Later that night, after finishing dinner and it was dark, there was a knock at the door. I thought, "this is it, someone is checking on us". David answered the door to see a policewoman. I thought, "someone saw us leave and they are coming to reprimand us". Actually, the officer said she was going door to door because there was a report of "Dodgy" people in the area and had we seen them? I must admit that for a moment, I entertained the idea that maybe we were the dodgy people who had been wandering around town in our masks. We told the officer that we had not seen anything dodgy but we wouldn't know what that looked like since we were only there fulfilling our 14 day quarantine. She left quickly, probably wondering if we were sick.

Becky at the Southsea Rock Garden

The next morning we again heard a knock at the door. We were still lying around in our pajamas but I did look out the window to see someone in uniform at the door. Not to miss my big opportunity to report on our quarantine status, I quickly threw on a robe and ran to the door. It was only the postman who seemed surprised that I would even answer the door. All in all, there was never anyone who checked if we were keeping our quarantine, not a call, not a note, not an e-mail. Nothing! Is this always the case? I don't know but we did take three walks during our stay. Always away from people and always with our masks close by. It was still a lonely time but the few walks did help with keeping my morale. 

At the Southsea Pier

So now we are at our son Kenny's house, enjoying family time that is long over due. We still don't have a definite date for closing on our purchase of the apartment. We did get to see it today but that is a story for another day and another blog.

-Becky