Since it looks like Barcelona will be locked down even beyond the next two weeks, I’m posting a few choice diary excerpts about life in the containment zone. Without the raunchy bits – unless you count me sitting on my balcony watching pigeons copulate (lucky buggers!). In terms of entertainment value, I doubt it will have Netflix quaking in its boots, but it passes the time.
Monday, 16 March 2020
On Sunday my plan had been to put on my cycling gear and get in a decent ride before we were all totally locked down, but in the event I just lounged around home watching Netflix. So when that evening, Jordi told me that two Lycra-clad cyclists had been fined on Avinguda Paral·lel to the tune of 600 EUR, I thought: “There but for the luck of the Irish …” As a middle-aged man who goes cycling in Lycra, I know that middle-aged men wearing Lycra is a crime of fashion in the first degree, but I still find the punishment extreme.
At 8 o’clock every evening, neighbours have been coming out on their balconies and continuously applauding in support of the health workers and other workers who are on the front line in the fight against covid19. Apparently, it’s a trend that started in Italy and has taken off here. I take part. It almost passes for socialising.
This morning I baked a fresh batch of sourdough bread. This has been my homebody thing for several months and now it’s my small contribution to the covid19 crisis. Not that I can divide a few loaves among the five thousand who are combatting the crisis – that’s been done before anyway – but it offers at least some semblance of community support to a couple of Poble Sec residents. The flour combination I used for this batch was about 70% white, and 15% each of spelt and wholemeal flour, giving a nice light but chewy brown bread. I managed to get good aeration in this batch.
Yesterday I also downloaded an app from my gym, as I’ll need to start exercising at home if I can’t get to the pool or take my bike out. This blog post by the Travellothoner also offers a short workout you can do in just a few square metres with no equipment. So yes, that middle-aged man in Lycra doing knee bends on his balcony c’est moi. Or maybe I’ll take up Tai Chi again.
dreaming of cities 
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