As we are still living in restricted movements and freedom, I have to dig in the past to find some pictures of a "normal" world.
In summer we like to go to the sea and there is a direct train which takes you from Brussels to Ostend, a lovely town. But now with all these Coronavirus rules, it becomes complicated.
The trains only accept now 80 people per wagon, because last week they were overcrowded. To lay on the beach you have to book a space before ! The mask you have to wear when outside on the street or beach, but you are allowed to take it off when you sit on your beach towel in the sand ! Fortunately otherwise we would all have a brown forehead and a half brown nose, the rest of the face remains white ! New fashion !
Under these circumstances I prefer to stay home and wait until this crazy time is over. Now we even have to leave our name and address in the restaurants, but I am sure that the names and adresses are not always right. I have nothing to hide but too much is too much. We also are allowed to shop, but only one person at the time and for 30 minutes ! I wonder how you can choose furniture alone and not as a couple in half an hour ???
These are pictures from the Ostend Habour three years ago when, the world was still "normal" . Lots of events and festivities took place in Ostend. This year everything is cancelled.
There were exhibitions of replicas of historical ships like the "Bounty" from the movie
all that is finished for I don't know how long, nobody knows how long the Corona Virus will honor us with its visit !
For many people it is very hard ! Especially for the elderly people in retirement homes. They are all closed and no visit is allowed. Some of them just don't understand why the family doesn't visit them anymore. Probably amongst those who died, it was not the Virus but the loneliness although the personal tries to do their best to distract and help them.
Some wonder if ever one day we will have our "old" or rather former way of life back.
The sky is blue, people are walking around without mask and social distance and have a drink in a café, hopefully this will happen next year !
Lovely photos but yes I can understand why you would not want to make the trip. Care homes here too have fared very badly during this pandemic. Many lives lost due to ignorance and lack of PPE and testing. It is improving but many mistakes have been made. We have to learn from them.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if we will ever return to how we were. Anyway, nice photos of Ostend. Before our latest lock down, if we went out to eat there was usually a QR code to scan with your phone, which makes it a bit easier for people like me who have almost lost the skill of handwriting.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe we took so much for granted before the virus! Now I'd be delighted to walk around without a mask, lingering over dessert at dinner in a restaurant, going somewhere on a whim with no constraints.
ReplyDeleteYour photos took me away for a while. Thank you.
We are all wondering when life will begin to return to some kind of normality. At least we have our photos to remind us of happier times.
ReplyDeleteIt is much closer to pre-COVID where I am in South Australia as far as restrictions go, but Victoria is strict lockdown and in SA we have social distancing rules. As the virus is so infectious it seems to take only one person to start a chain to infect a whole State or country.
ReplyDeleteyes, covid style and fashion.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful day it was when you took these photos.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Wonderful shots.
ReplyDeleteWe're gradually working our way through restrictions, but it's going to take a vaccine, I think, for this all to be sorted out.
It feels as if those carefree times may never return, but perhaps they will.
ReplyDeletebeautiful small ships and harbor...
ReplyDeleteHope, covid 19 disappear soon.
Stay safe, healthy and virus free