Life in lockdown: week four

We are now in the second week of the Easter break. The weather in Berlin has been exceptionally good this past week, so in a way it has felt like being on holiday. I can’t remember the last time we had so many consecutive days of glorious sunshine. Perhaps it’s never happened before. 

Luckily, we are not in complete lockdown here: we are still allowed to leave the house to exercise. Walking, running, cycling, rollerblading is permitted as long as we respect the rules. I must admit that this is not always easy, as they keep changing. 

Initially, we were told that we must always carry ID with us; now it’s no longer necessary. Playgrounds and sports facilities are closed, but parks are still open. Initially we weren’t allowed to sit on benches or on the grass, but now we are, as long as we keep a distance of 1,5 metres on a bench, or 5 metres on the grass, from the next person. 

Also, we are only allowed to have short rests so no barbecues or picnics! Easter egg hunts in the park were not permitted this Easter, so we did ours on the balcony. The police regularly patrol parks and outdoor spaces to make sure everyone complies. Apparently, they are making a special effort to be friendly and understanding. Last time we went for a walk in the park we saw three police cars, but they didn’t stop to speak to us as we weren’t breaking any rules.

It’s amazing how quickly we have adapted to the new normal. In my case, Spotify has completely replaced the BBC World News app. Usually I listen to the radio every day on my phone. Now it’s only music or audiobooks.

Still, however much we try, we can’t quite eliminate the coronavirus from our minds. For instance, we have a new greeting whenever one of us walks through the door: “Have you washed your hands” has replaced the obsolete “Hello”. This is especially necessary when my husband returns from work after sending reassuring news, such as, “We had three confirmed cases of Covid today!”. When this happens, I also shout: “Just pretend you’re in the operating theatre”. Otherwise, he’s not very good with hygiene.

Also, when painting Easter eggs last week, my son added an interesting detail to one of his pictures. He drew a park with red tulips and the sign “no picnics allowed due to coronavirus”.