tourist ghetto

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tourist guetto
They are finally pedestrianising Calle Mateos Gago, where l lived for 18 years (just above those orange trees on the top left pic). I walked all through Barrio Santa Cruz the other day and didn’t see one shop or one bar open, even beyond the street works. Why? Because nobody lives there anymore. This is what happens when you turn a previously vibrant and thriving neighbourhood into a tourist ghetto.

the new (illegal) covid tax

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covid tasa

You know, there are always the bottom feeders who try to milk every opportunity for everything they can squeeze out of it. Look at this bill from a bar in the Canary Islands, charging a COVID TAX for serving beer. So you know, this is totally illegal, just like the dread Bread & Service Charges that show up on bar bills throughout Spain, and you are not obliged to pay it.

This has been a public service announcement.

death takes a holiday

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plague holiday
So remember when I was mostly concerned about tourists from the EU Schengen countries (and frankly, also from Spanish virus hotspots like Madrid and Barcelona) suddenly being allowed to travel freely throughout Spain from July 1st? Well it turns out those were the days!

In a blink of an eye the Spanish government caved once again and now we are opening our borders to Schengen countries NEXT MONDAY. That’s right, the very day that we are released from lockdown after 100 days. Without giving us any time at all to adapt and see how we do here with implementing the “new now” regulations as well as dealing with our own homegrown Covidiots. Like, we now have to deal with untested asymptomatic carriers coming here ON FUCKING HOLIDAY from day one. But okay, at least this new deal excluded tourists from the UK (aka Plague Island) so I thought that was at least one less worry. Except now it looks like it actually may become a worry, and a big one.

Ah who am I trying to kid? Of course our government is going to cave again and allow UK tourists in. Bear in mind there will be no testing or quarantining involved with anybody coming here. Just a quick temperature check (useless for infectious asymptomatic carriers, approx 40% of people who test positive for Covid), fill out a form, and welcome to Spain. The only question now is when? Also next Monday? Or will they stick with the original (still way too soon) date of July 1st?

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caturday june 13 2020

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caturday june 13

Still being very careful with this – letting the cats out on the balcony without any sort of cat protection. I do have some sheets of plastic I could put up, but still haven’t worked out how to attach them to the railing. So far the girls have been good (Loki is not so interested in the balcony), but I still have to be in the room with them just in case. Meanwhile… 🤞🏻