Livigno is a little paradise compared to many other places now, today we talked to our friend who lives in Pavia how things were there, people are scared, she doesn’t go out of the apartment block where she lives without a mask on, which incidentally was a present because you cant buy them anymore! One farmacia was in the papers for selling a paper mask at 60 euros…. most people are now being responsible towards others, in my friends apartment block the old people are struggling, those who don’t have relatives nearby rely on her and other younger people to get the shopping for them, Some have learnt how to use facebook to contact others…. they are scared, they have never really had a threat like this apart from those old enough to remember the war. For years we laughed at the Chinese when we saw them walking around with masks on, now we are doing it. I remember being amazed at Cività di Bagnoreggio with all the groups of Chinese with their masks….. it was the first time I saw anyone in Italy, I was almost offended, what do they think they are going to catch from us??? Will this become the norm for us now….
At the beginning it was a slight threat, something that happened to those countries far away, now it is far too close.
Last night my friends sent messages to light a candle at the window so we all did it. I dont usually do this sort of thing but it gave me a feeling of solidarity. I cant complain because here is lovely, when i think about people who are living in a big city, not able even to go for a walk and get away from their 4 walls i realise how lucky we are, same on the lake, as long as you dont stop and chat you can walk along the lake, just keeping distance. I have noticed that everyone keeps their distance automatically now, before you would kiss or hug your friends but now its very formal, hello, smile and that’s it.
I wonder what effect this will have on us long term, not just economically but also socially. Italy is a very friendly country, we like to socialise, bars, restaurants, houses, people are generally friendly and like to chat. Will we become more distant, will there be no more hugs or kisses… who knows. I’m sure a lot of companies will go under, there is no way that they can cope with this. Tourism will definately struggle, imagine all the staff that come and work in Livigno and other ski resorts and then also in summer on the lakes, seaside, mountains and so on, they all rely on a wage, having a job, nothing is certain anymore for this year.
I worry about my British friends a lot, I think that they dont realise what is arriving, i saw Cheltenham today in the newspapers and couldnt believe that all those people were so irresponsible, 60,000 people all together.. do they not realise it is already circulating there? I think that the British spirit is to just carry on and ignore things, it was one of the strongest parts of the British mentality in the wars the ‘Bull dog‘ spirit but this is a bit different, i feel like they are sort of ignoring it hoping that it is something that happens to other countries. When i read that the government want to create herd immunity it upset me, basically that means writing off the older people, those who are ill. That wasn’t part of the bull dog spirit. People cared. I think that what they are not taking into account is that if the virus takes off then they are going to not have enough beds to cope, enough doctors and nurses, enough machines to keep people alive. I hope I’m wrong though.
When i read about the ex nurse who ‘ironically’ said that this virus would get rid of the bed huggers, the older people who were lingering on instead of doing the ‘right’ thing and dying i was horrified. I know she says that she said it ironically but it was an awful thing to say, how can people care so little, especially someone in the ‘caring’ industry so to speak. I’m sure most people (all the ones i know personally) are the total opposite from that, many people who live over here care about their parents in the uk, they worry about what will happen to them.
Maybe I’ll light a candle tonight as well.
Villa Tres jolie 