1st pt - 19 March.
Portugal, so far, is being kind to me wild-camping, as I am, in their country. Rap3 (my Moho) is snug and level on a public area which in normal times would be the parking area for people who are visiting 'Castle Velho'. This deserted and ruined castle, more a Fort really, is fully visible through my viewing window, or, to put it more precisely, my front windscreen. It was originally built to overlook and defend the visible stretch of the 'Ri (River) Guadiana' which happens to be the border between Portugal and Spain. Alcoutim, the village just below, eventually built a replacement Fort as border rivalry and smuggling decreased.
One thing I am enjoying during this Covid-19 crisis and my self imposed isolation is to sit up at the old Fort with my binoculars and survey both the Spanish and Portuguese village and river life laid out below me. Not that there is a lot of it. This a quiet backwater in normal times. In these lock down times visible life is virtually absent. The Maritime police were out on the river yesterday and I think, judging by the number of boats that have now left, moved on any that did not have either Spanish or Portuguese residency.
My fear is that the GNR (Portugals police) will do the same to me. No sign of it so far and the recent emergency measures announced by the Portuguese president did announce stringent travel restrictions but did not go as far as the Spanish who are chucking out all non residents who have to leave promptly.
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2nd pt - 29 March.
I'm now on an 'Aire de service' on a French Peage (toll Mway) between Bordeaux & La Rochelle. The GNR never did turn up at 'Alcoutim' but I was getting increasingly anxious about the overall and rapidly developing Covid-19 situation.
Portugal eventually locked down as severely as Spain and I would have needed a private place to site Rap3 if I stayed for the duration. Not impossible but then I checked my travel holiday/health insurance and they said; -
"Foreign Office advice is to return to the UK. If you do other than that you will not be insured".
So here I am slowly heading back to UK. I say slowly as I see movable or nomadic lockdown/isolation on Spanish and French motorways as preferable, for the moment, to static lockdown in the UK in front of my brothers house.
Mind you I am going to have to leave the motorway tomorrow or the next day as food, in particular fruit n veg, are now virtually all gone. Half a cabbage and one green pepper that has seen better days are all that is rattling around in my fridge's veg tray.
I'm still not sure I've made the right decision as Portugal, as far as Covid-19 goes, is one of the safest places to be, having locked down early and quickly got control of the spread. Whereas it seems from all the news I am reading that I am headed into a much worse scenario. I was however; also worried about being stuck in Portugal as the really hot weather developed in June/July. I'm not good once the temperature starts to head above thirty degrees. Especially with my modified post Oesophagal body.
I am good and healthy right now though and hopefully if I continue my isolation I will stay that way. Mind you if anybody had witnessed me about an hour ago I'm sure they would have alerted the Coronavirus Swat Squad. I had an Oesophagael dumping incident, which, with this re-modelled stomach of mine, is a regular and manageable occurrence. This time though it coincided with one of my, also normal, allergic sneezing bouts. I won't say anymore. I'm sure you are all very capable of visualising the rest. All well now though but glad no one else was around to hear the strange noises emanating from the rear left hand corner of Rap3.
Actually it's quite peaceful tonight. I can hear the lorries thundering by on the motorway but apart from them no other vehicles as the whole country is on lockdown. But, unusually, there are no refrigerated lorries, overnighting on this 'Aire de service'. For once I won't need my earplugs to block out the sound of the noisy motorised refrigeration units which once the lorry engine is turned off kick in with their own seemingly even noisier motor.
Hah! Having just written that, and right on cue, there is a Spanish one just pulled in. Thankfully he is a couple of bays down so not too noisy.
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March 30.
Guess I'm rehearsing for full lockdown now as I slow this journey down in order I extend, for as long as possible, this travelling lockdown. At present I still see this as a slightly preferable option than the strict static lockdown in Rap3 I'm going to have to adhere to when parked up at my brothers house. He is highly vulnerable and even though I've been isolated for 3 weeks now I would not dare risk entering the house for another 2 weeks. I guess Rap3 and myself are going to become even more intimate now. I am going to miss that lovely upstairs shower though. I'll have it as my goal to look forward to.
The weather here in Western France has turned bitter. There were flurry of snow as I left my lunchtime Aire but thankfully the sun soon appeared again and is welcome, warming as it does through Rap3's many windows. This despite the strong, freezing, and buffeting wind. However; once that sun drops below the horizon its all hands on deck to close up window blinds and pull round the front curtain in order to conserve any warmth for another half hour before the heating has to be fired up. Once that is on I'm soon toasty warm and deep into my latest Quantum consciousness exploration book. Did I hear a groan?
UK probably at the weekend then. if, that is, I can slow my journey down enough. Stay safe everyone and let us all aim to come through this in good health.
1 comment:
Good to hear from you stay safe. X
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