Lockdown 2.0

Last Thursday when I went to the Meta (Sainsbury’s express equivalent) I had to join a socially distanced queue to get in and I had a flashback to the first lockdown.

It wasn’t the first reminder (Al has been on furlough for a few weeks now) and it won’t be the last. The numbers in Italy remain terrifyingly high and this weekend our region of Emilia Romagna moved from yellow to amber. There were new regional rules: the open air markets could open but with tighter restrictions on numbers and direction of flow (dedicated in and out areas) and some “non-essential” shops were closed. The gyms, museums and cinemas were already closed. Now only one person from a household can go to get groceries, with the familiar caveats for people who need to be accompanied and children. Interregional travel had been stopped with few exceptions, Language schools have been instructed to move to online teaching. You can’t do exercise in the city centre, but you can use the parks. So, we could still go anywhere we want within the region and could go out and have lunch which led to us feeling we were in an almost Lockdown 2.0 but not quite.

It had been a hard week. Al discovered, not unexpectedly, that his restaurant will not reopen after furlough. I am struggling to find students and now feel that I should really only teach online where possible. Luckily, the language school where I teach a couple of conversation classes has moved online so I can continue with those lessons. There is nothing yet to say I can’t continue to teach face to face, but I feel that more people will want online lessons. Friday was a day of tough conversations, soul searching and strategizing so we decided to treat ourselves to an Aperitivo at Mamalo Cafe which is just down the road. It’s quite pubby and local and we like it for that. We had the ubiquitous Spritz con Campari and were brought a plate of nibbles. The owner recognises us and although there hasn’t been much in the way of conversation, we feel welcome.

Saturday morning, we woke up to the realisation that Bologna city (comune) was bringing in tougher restrictions than the region. Bars and restaurants were to be closed except for takeaway starting from Sunday. Open air markets and non-essential shops were closed. Al had been planning to go to some restaurants with his CV, in case any of them needed staff, but now they were all being closed. It’s difficult not to feel downhearted and a little bit thwarted by life.

Our plan, such as it was, was to have this experience while I wrote my novel and Al learned different aspects of Italian cooking, then to return to the UK and start our own food business. It all feels very far away now and quite remote. The writing has not been easy and always seemed to be underscored by my own inability to prioritise what I love doing and practical considerations like earning enough money. The hospitality industry around the world, like so many other industries, has been decimated and while getting a new job for Al is the priority, starting a food business in the UK feels unlikely in the short term. I know, there has been a global pandemic and no one asked for this, no one’s lives are unchanged, but I am feeling self-indulgently down right now.

However, we are well. This experience, certainly since March, might not be what we had planned for this year, but it has meant we were able to have some amazing experiences in places that would usually have been out of our price range, or too full of tourists or both. We have taken advantage of the lack of tourists to see new parts of Italy and experience new things. It is unlikely that anyone will experience an empty St Marks square like that again. We are in an incredibly privileged position that has allowed us this once in a lifetime experience and to guard ourselves against the dramatic ups and downs that has been 2020 so far, its not done yet and I don’t want to be complacent, we are still in a good place, in a beautiful country.

Luckily for us our favourite central bar, Astral put up a post on Saturday to say that they were having a final opening between 3 and 6 that afternoon. We headed down there to support them and drink great beer and wine whilst being super careful about masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing. Astral has been our most regular spot, the guys that run it are knowledgeable and friendly and we feel very at home there. We don’t know how long it will be before we can go out to bars and restaurants again, but as they reminded us when we were there, Astral are still offering delivery for the duration.

So, the future won’t be the one we imagined, so what? It will be different that’s all. There will be new opportunities and options that we couldn’t have dreamed of before. If we keep moving forward with our eyes open who knows what will happen. We’re going to get through this lock down like we did the last one. The world will still turn. Life is going to be tough for everyone for a while, so we need to look after each other, keep our chin up and, when its time, head out into the world and be what happens next.

September 6, 2020

Summer in the city

August is when Italians traditionally go on holiday. Ferragosto is officially on the 15^th with people using that national holiday as the start or end point of their break. This year the date fell on the weekend so seemed to start the week before and extend into the week after. It’s been a tough year.

Bologna in August

August in Bologna is particularly hot and humid (especially this year when there were weeks in the mid-30s with temperatures barely dropping at night and little rain). “No one stays here in August” we were told when we first arrived last year. Many people have second homes on the coast or in the mountains to where they wholly or partly decamp to escape the weather. Last year we had long standing plans to be away for most of August so this year was our first experience.

We had noticed that weekends are quiet as soon as the schools break up because everyone heads to the beach, but that’s nothing compared to the exodus in August. We were not sure if this year would be the same as so many businesses were closed for quarantine, however it didn’t seem to make any difference. In fact, I feel it might even have been emptier this year as people were desperate to take advantage of the travel opportunity having been stuck in their homes for so long. The empty streets were like those at the height of lockdown and nearly all our favourite food shops and go to spots closed. This gave us an opportunity to investigate new places, go slightly further afield and try out different suppliers, but the pickings were slim.

With Al working for four days a week it was not exactly holiday time but we made the most of the three days a week he has off with a short break in Verona, a day out at an aqua park and other events still running around the city.

Bologna Station Massacre 1980

The month started with a sombre occasion. The 40^th anniversary of the Bologna station bombing which killed 85 people, injured more than 200 hundred and destroyed a large part of the station. It was one of the many acts of domestic terrorism that occurred during the “years of lead”, when Italy was plagued by violence from groups on the far left and far right of politics. The bombing was one of the last acts of this period, which began in the late 60’s, as people were so shocked by this incident it consolidated public opinion and the determination to bring these actions to an end. As you can imagine it was a big deal here with as much socially distanced commemoration as could be achieved. You can read more detail about these years and get further reading suggestions here.

Banner commemorating 40 years since the Bologna Station Bombing

Under the stars Cinema (Sotto le Stelle del Cinema)

The under the stars cinema programme is undoubtedly a highlight of the Bolognese summer. Usually the cinema is arranged with a large screen and seats set outside in the main square (Piazza Maggiore) which are available on a first come, first served basis or you can sit on the cathedral steps, or bring your own camping chair and add to the end of the rows. People bring along picnics or get takeout from nearby restaurants and bars. Bologna is home to the Cinema Ritrovato where they remaster and restore old films you can enjoy some classics. As it is also supported by the Cineteca, you can watch films in their original language with Italian subtitles, a rare treat as films are usually dubbed in Italian. Last year we watched The Doors with remastered soundtrack introduced by Oliver Stone as well as “Silence of the lambs” which was especially atmospheric with the sound bouncing around the piazza buildings.

This year, with Coronavirus, we thought the event was done for, but we shouldn’t have worried, although it had been altered, it was still on. Due to covid restrictions there were only 1000 seats and you needed to book tickets online so the necessary social distancing could be arranged. Sadly, the restrictions included prohibiting eating and you need to wear your mask at all times, so no food was allowed. The piazza was also closed for anyone without a booking so we have had to take some detours to avoid it.

As in previous years, you could book into one of the piazza restaurants and bars that overlook the screen and watch the movie while eating a meal or having a drink as these venues are already socially distanced. As we had a guest visiting, we decided to book a table at Signor Vino for the first night of her stay, from where we could watch “The Great Escape”. Our meal was excellent and the staff magnificent. The obligatory introduction came to an end and we were all glued to the screen as the film started. Sadly, about 20 minutes in we noticed that people in the piazza had started to get up from their seats and head over to where we were in the restaurant. We quickly identified that the heavens had opened. We felt relatively secure at our table as it was under a portico, but the wind picked up and soon we were getting drenched too. The screen began showing a message that the film would not continue. Despite our, and the staffs, valiant efforts to pull the table further under the portico, it was hopeless and we abandoned the table for one inside. So, at least now I know what happens if it rains on a cinema night.

Casa di Custode, Villa Ghigi

Villa Ghigi is a formerly private estate gifted to the people of Bologna via a foundation. The park at Villa Ghigi was a place of salvation for us as the first of the lockdown restrictions were lifted, which you can read about here. The villa itself is an imposing structure and still very beautiful and evocative, but I am sorry to say that it is in a poor state of repair. It is currently in the running for restoration funding due to a great initiative by FAI (Italian Environmental Fund) and you can vote for the Villa here on their site.

Next to the villa is a small building called the Casa di Custode. Usually this is completely closed but in the summer it forms the base of operations for a bar. The counter is outside, with the menu very clearly stating it sells beer and wine only. Trestle tables are set up with a random assortment of stools and chairs. Lights are strung between the casa and the villa. Covid restrictions meant less tables than previously and at busy times these were only available if pre-booked. It’s a beautiful location to stop and admire the greenery as well as being a welcome reward for walking up the steep slopes to get there.

The Acquapark

As the heat continued to build we took refuge at the Acquapark in the hills near Bologna. The air was, thankfully, fresher here and we enjoyed spending our time between the pools. We had originally planned a beach day, but we realised that’s where all the people who were usually in Bologna had gone and so all the beaches would be busy and expensive. The park made a great substitute, we got to paddle and relax, whilst maintaining social distancing and with everything we needed on hand. We thought the day tickets were good value and the food and drink concessions had something for everyone and were plastic free.

End of Summer

As wonderful as the summer was I have to say that when the heavens opened on final weekend of August I couldn’t have been happier. It felt like it was cleaning away the dust, dirt, grit and sweat of the previous weeks. We have had great times and been to beautiful places, we have some new favourites and new experiences. We even managed a return visit to Dozza (you can read about our previous visit here) as well as a few days in Venice and Verona, but the summer is ending and we need to get on. It was also bittersweet because we have had to say goodbye to Alice, who has decided to move on to a new opportunity in a new location. She is one of Al’s colleagues and has been very welcoming to us, making sure we were included in many events and occasions. She has been a big part of our getting to know the city, we will miss her and we wish her the best of luck for the future.

Alice in Borgo Mameli for her leaving drinks

As the summer draws to a close I am enjoying the cooler nights and the feeling that things are starting again. Everything has reopened and feels fresh. At the risk of poking the hubris bear, whose 2020 game has been a strong one so far, I am feeling hopeful for the future in a way I wasn’t before. Let’s see how that goes.

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

Looking forward

This week Al has returned to work and I have been looking for a new job and visiting reopened shops.

Paper wrapped purchases from the Quadrilatero

Establishing new patterns (the new normal)

Al started back at the restaurant on Monday to prepare for reopening the restaurant on Tuesday, which was a national holiday (Republic day). FICO World Eataly, the food centric theme park (their words), where’s Al’s restaurant is located, had decided on a big relaunch for Republic day. They had targeted their advertising locally as inter regional travel was still not permitted until the end of the week. It’s been a long time since people in Bologna have been able to eat out and go anywhere so it was not surprising that it was busy on the re-opening day. The following days were quieter, but they were ordinary working days, so this weekend is the real test.

I, on the other hand, have still been largely at home. I am splitting my time between looking for a new job and writing. Initially I had set aside an hour a day to trawl job sites and apply for any promising looking roles, but it soon seemed to develop into a rabbit hole of amended CVs and cover letters and very little writing happening. This is typical when you are constantly plagued with the notion that your writing is self-indulgent and struggle to prioritise it. I flipped my day around and decided to start writing first and then job hunt if there was time after.

So far, my job search has not yielded any responses, but these are odd times. I have set myself a sort of deadline and if I have not managed to find something more in line with what I want to be doing, I will start hitting up old contacts to see if I can get a contract in what I used to do.

Hay Festival (on line)

Hay festival is a UK literary festival held in Hay-on-Wye every year. The town of Hay-on-Wye is widely renowned for its many second hand and new bookstores, so it makes sense that there is a festival dedicated to literature here too. We have attended the festival twice and really enjoyed it. This year we were not intending to go as we are here in Italy, but as it turned out the festival was cancelled anyway due to Corona virus. Indeed, the whole area remains in lockdown as Hay is part of the Brecon beacons national park in Wales which remains closed to the public. However, someone at Hay Festival had the brilliant Idea of putting the festival online. As we were signed up for festival updates we received an email with the line up from 18^th to 31^st May. It was free to sign up for any of the events and you could sign up to as many as you wanted. Knowing it was going to be Al’s last week before returning to work we went through the listing and signed up to several events.

Highlights included, John Sopel’s “A year at the circus: inside Trump’s White House”, Adam Rutherford talking about his book “How to argue with a racist”, Paul Dolans challenging discussion of his book “F**k the narrative”, William Dalrymple talking about his book “The Anarchy” detailing the original Mega corp that was too big to fail – The East India Company, including how the British Government ended up colonising India and our largely untaught shameful colonial past. On the more light hearted end of the scale there was Natalie Haynes with Chris Riddell for a live drawing of Troy Story; Allie Esiri, Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West performing “A journey through a year of Shakespeare” and with Sandy Toksvig closing the festival in her own inimitable way.

You can still find the listing for the events on their website and for £10 you can sign up for the Hay player and access the recordings of all the events from the festival this year plus loads more content from other Hay festivals, including in other locations across the world. I am hoping that Hay Festival will use this experience to allow people to watch remotely in future.

An idea whose time has come (Victor Hugo)

It seemed oddly prescient that the talks which had the most impact on us were the ones about race, identity and the untaught and unacknowledged British past, given the turbulent week following the tragic death of George Floyd. It seems ridiculous that there would be any argument about Black Lives matters, but I have seen some of the most racist things I have ever read posted online and in response to the protests and demonstrations. Events have reminded me of my privilege and my power and I have been inspired to write a longer piece in response to this, but I am not finished with it yet. My journey into Hay had encouraged me to buy some books (but not from Amazon) and this week has added a few additional items to the list so I can educate myself.

If you, like me, are looking for information about what more you anti-racist actions you can take or how you can be a better ally the Hay player and Waterstones are showcasing works by black writers and artists as well as works on UK and US history in relation to race, colonialism etc. under the banner “Black Lives Matter”. There are a number of you tube and videos out there and amongst the most useful I found was this one from Joe.co.uk.

To quote the final thoughts in this video and lyrics from the musical Hamilton “this is not a moment, it’s a movement”

Stay safe, educate yourself and fight racism.

Anti-Racism protest – Bologna 6th June 2020

May 1, 2020

“Winning” at Lockdown?

Once again this week I was struggling for a blog topic until Jess suggested that I write about how demotivating lockdown is and how easy it is to feel that you are “wasting” this time and for some reason you should be “doing more”. It’s complete and utter nonsense. We are in a time that is psychologically very unsettling. You can’t know what you should be doing, because you have never been in this situation before.

I am used to working. I am used to working hard. I am used to stressful work and deadlines. If you read the post “The Truth about stress” then you know that I thought I had become dependent on stress. When we came here the idea was that I would work in a less stressful job part time and write on days when I was not at work. This was panning out ok, I wasn’t making as much progress as I would like, but I’m a tough self-critic. I find it hard to privilege writing over almost anything else, because I feel like it’s indulgent and selfish. Then lockdown happened. To begin with I had some hours of work to structure my time. I had lessons to prepare for and in the case of the kids exam course, lessons to write. I still had set times to do things. I had to be ready before the lessons and I had to check the system to see if lessons had been changed or moved or cancelled. I wasn’t doing the hours I wanted to but I was still doing something.

In the beginning the writing continued but became a little bit more difficult because now Al was at home all the time. It was more fun to do things together than lock myself in the guest bedroom for hours. In addition my novel is set in the future and just as I am avoiding post-apocalyptic films because they chime a little too strongly with where I find myself in reality, I don’t really want to be spending a lot of time imagining the circumstances that necessarily lead to the future I am writing about. It’s all too close to home. It’s like when something happens and you know in the future that it’s going to be a funny story, but when you are going through it, it doesn’t make the actual events suck less.

Two weeks ago I was told I was going to be furloughed with my main job and I knew I only had two weeks left with the second job. While I have been able to keep this blog to a vaguely weekly schedule, I have not really been achieving anything else. This week I marked the mock exams for the kids course and then delivered their final lesson with me. This was the last piece of work I had. I dread what will happen now that, blog aside, I don’t have anything to separate the days, to mandate the activity, to motivate me to get it done. I know that this has been the reality for many from the beginning.

The ticking clock

I am not necessarily a fan of the construct of time, but we have been brought up with it. It has defined the shape of our days and lives since we were born. When everyday becomes the same it is very difficult to be motivated. Someone once told me that activities extend into the time available to do them. Something I would have done quickly before now becomes a mindful activity. I have time, so everything I do feels like it needs to evidence the time spent. I think I am doing it because it is something I can control. There is so much going on that when I think about it, it makes me feel like the bottom has fallen out, but by focusing on the activity in front of me I can avoid the existential dread and worry about what will happen. This is not especially conducive for creativity, at least I don’t find it so.

I find myself asking what I am doing with this time? Every day I get up and I do things. I rarely sit down except at the computer to write or, until yesterday prepare for lessons, but I don’t feel like I am achieving anything. Going to the shops once a week seems to be an operation that takes a lot of preparation. From speaking with others I think this is something we are all experiencing in differing ways. It’s important to remember that there isn’t something you should be accomplishing. This is not a once in a lifetime opportunity to do those things you have been planning to do. This is a strategy to minimise the number of sick people in hospitals and to minimise the number of dead. It is not a holiday. It is not a sabbatical. You are not required to be productive. You do not have to be all things to all people. You are not failing. You are human. You are surviving.

“Every cloud has a silver lining”

I have seen a lot of posts about getting back to normal but also about how normal was not working. I am certainly in the camp that says we should use this terrible event as an opportunity to change things, refocus on what is important and valuable to us. However, I also understand this desire to re-establish some kind of normalcy and we will. Whatever comes next will become normal.

Things cannot go back to exactly the way they were, even if it were desirable, it’s not possible. The world is undergoing a major medical and economic shock. Our old way of life does not exist anymore. If you look at the Spanish Flu outbreak as a historically comparable event, it changed the world of the time. The Coronavirus has changed our world. We know air, river and sea quality has been improved by our enforced lock down among other things, so the situation is not entirely negative. We can decide what things we want to try to recover and what things we want to move on without. We can make sure that our priorities are aligned with what the best outcomes can be now, to dare to dream about a different future and what we can do to bring it about.

March 19, 2020

Update from Bologna lockdown

Week 2 in lock down

As we begin this second week in Lock down we feel that we are getting the hang of it. Al has been making enough bread to ensure we have some every day and has also made batches of pasta, mayonnaise and sauces to keep us eating in style. This week Al has decided we need a lasagne as there are another 2 weeks of lock down to go (it was announced today that this will be extended). I continue to teach over Skype and to spend the rest of my time reading and trying to write. We are going out every couple of days to get top up fruit and veg or occasional meat. This is as much an exercise in getting some exercise as it is a necessity. However, we think we will try and see if we can get more deliveries online to limit going out further.

Here people patiently wait outside shops, a respectful metre apart, until the next customer comes out so they’re able to take their place inside. It’s hard to imagine this happening in the UK without security guards or other monitors. It seems particularly unusual when Italians are otherwise famous for their inability to queue. However, everyone understands the seriousness of the situation and there is a sense of togetherness in a crisis which maintains a calm acceptance of the present situation and the need to get through it together. This too shall pass.

Rediscovering our love of film

One of the unexpected outcomes of all this was rediscovering our love of film. Back in the early days of our relationship we spent a lot of time watching films, being early adopters of Love Film and clocking up a fair number of films per week. Love Film ate blockbusters and was eaten by Netflix in turn. While we have maintained Netflix and Amazon Prime accounts these have largely been to keep up with TV series. Al’s anti-social hours meant that the Cinema was out of the question and starting a movie at home at 11pm is not that appealing. Even on his days off he rarely had the headspace to sit through a film. Now that we are forced to be in the apartment all the time, we realise that we haven’t really watched films for about 10 years. We are enjoying reading reviews and building up a watch list as well as watching the films. While there are a couple of films that are still daunting us with their length (the Irishman is 3 hours and 40 minutes!) there will never be a better time to watch them than now.

Jennie’s top tips

Someone asked me for some tips in case you guys all get locked down too. I must say that I think it’s important that you do. I genuinely believe this is the only way to minimise this virus. Here are the tips I gave this morning plus one or two more:

Watch films, paint pictures, cook and read books. Do anything you usually don’t have time for.
Try to stick with a schedule but not your old work schedule or an unrealistic home improvement schedule
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to achieve. This enforced free time can be used for relaxing too.
If there are local businesses you can support by buying direct from them, do it.
If you’ve had gigs or events cancelled try to wait for the reschedule instead of getting a refund. See if the band or venue has merch you can buy or a Patreon or something to keep them afloat.
Don’t be a dick, only buy what you need.
Reach out to your friends. You can’t be in each other’s company but you can still interact. If someone reaches out to you, respond.
Think creatively about how you can continue to do things you enjoy – what about logging on to a streamed gig or comedy performance? Or what about a Skype dinner party – everyone does their own cooking in their own home but with Skype on so you can talk to each other?
Stay positive. This will pass.

Don’t you wish your supermarket was stacked like mine?

The future’s so bright

The world will be different after this experience. Undoubtedly there will be another global economic downturn and many businesses will not survive. However, this has given us an opportunity to see the world, as one of my students put it “through another lens”. We see how quickly those who have jobs that facilitate, can work from home. To see how much we need and depend on the jobs that have recently been referred to by the UK Government as “low skilled”. To see how we can be our best in a crisis, turn misfortune into opportunity, working together to help each other and finding other ways to continue to operate. We can take what we learn from this period into the future and make sure we change it for the better. It is tough right now so those crowdfunding a contingency fund, offering online shopping for goods and services, turning restaurants and pubs into takeaways and any other ways you have thought of to reinvent yourself to adapt and survive I raise a glass to you. If there is anything you can do to support them, you need to get on it.

Keeping positive

Sometimes the human spirit really can surprise you in very positive and uplifting ways. Here in our uniquely Italian experience we have the 6pm music from balconies, which have been shared widely on social media; the hashtag “#iorestoacasa” (I stay at home) being used by Italians to share experiences and homemade posters in windows saying Andrà tutto bene” (Everything will be fine).