Sunday, March 29, 2020

A Successful Escape From The Bunker to Support Small Businesses


Saturday, 28 March, 2020

Day XX of the Great Italian Lockdown was a bright, sun shining day just meant to go outside.

So I did.

Be Strong Varese!

Before going outside though, I needed to check out the internet for news from home.

Nothing had changed with our
Fearless Leader

Is Dr. Fauci's drawing bigger
than Mr. Trump's?

Sound advice!

So, here was my plan.

I had downloaded and filled out the proper authorization form stating that I was leaving my domicile for an "essential" shopping spree. Thus armed, I was off in my vehicle to make three stops today.

The first stop was at the Panificio Ducale for a loaf of bread and an extremely "essential" brioche. Rather than drive again, I opted for an exhilarating but short walk from the panificio to the nearby Macelleria di Tonino for some prime cuts of meat.

A short line for the small
Mom & Pop market in the village

I liked the lady in the balcony supervising the line and having a socially distanced discussion with a person in the queue.

I was third in line at
the macelleria

Same guidelines here as at the panificio today, no more than two customers inside at a time.

After my meat purchases, I decided to take to a couple of back streets that were deserted to get back to my car.

A view of the village's old chapel
in the distance

My path looked safe from
crossing paths with others

Is that a mural?

Indeed it was!

And of the Madonna and Child, who in Italia would have guessed?

The same building also had
a dry water fountain too

An extremely well kept home
farther up the strada

The top of the new church
behind the yellow building

An imperious looking building
behind the new church

A parochial school perhaps.

I drove on to my third and final "essential" stop of the day.

I've always liked red leafed
shrubs and trees

My pharmacy

For the nearly three weeks of the Lockdown, I have been trying to buy a good face mask to no avail.

Santa Barbara had graciously given me one of hers at the beginning, the cardboard type used by painters. It was better than nothing but the strap broke on my first trip to the Esselunga Supermarket.

I know that there is some debate as to the effectiveness and need for a good face mask in combating the Coronavirus but I keep seeing doctors and nurses using them. 

Since I would like to err on the side of caution, I stopped to see if the pharmacy's supply of face mask were still "exhausted."

EUREKA!

A new supply of face masks had finally arrived but they were not cheap costing 13.50 Euros each, about $15.08 USD.

Knowing neither how much longer the Lockdown and the face mask would last nor when another supply of face masks would arrive, I purchased two of them.

I cut a dashing figure in my face mask if I do say so myself.

The epidemic here in Italia is now starting to really explode in the south of the country.

That of course, concerned me for all of the men and their families that I coached back in 2008 and 2009 when I worked with the Catania Elephants in Sicily.

Be Strong Catania!

Forza Italia
BE STRONG ITALY!!!

Sunday is my shopping day at the Esselunga Supermarket, FREEDOM!!!

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