In two days...

...we can go outside! The people of Spain made such a (justified) fuss to the government that the government decided that starting Sunday, kids 14 and under can go outside with a parent for one hour per day, staying within 1 km (0.62 miles) of their home. I don't know why they think that kids over age 14 don't need outside exposure and exercise, but I'm selfishly glad that my kids both qualify. I had been hoping for less of a time and distance limit, but this is better than nothing. It has been six weeks since we've been able to go outside for a walk, so I plan to make the most of the opportunity. Technically, we can't go out as a family of four because only one parent is supposed to go with the kids. But I figure we can break up and go as two families of two. I also figure they can't patrol how long we're outside or even, really, how far we are from home. But we will play it safe and see how it goes. Rumor has it starting on May 10 the general population will be able to start going outside for walks, although I suspect that that will also have limits. I try to stay tuned into how much we have to be thankful for, but not being able to stretch our legs outside has been really, really difficult. There's only so much body motion you can do in an apartment with tile-on-concrete floors.

The only other thing I can think to report is that we have made friends with our across-the-hall neighbors, and it's really nice to have people to talk to (from six feet apart). They asked us to help them edit a written statement for their daughter's application for a study-abroad in the U.S. It was our pleasure to help, but they thanked us anyway with a homemade Spanish tortilla, which is essentially a very nice egg-potato-onion omelet. They are traditional and very common here. I've had a few in restaurants and enjoyed them, but this one was divine and much better than our own attempts. To keep the cultural exchange alive we returned their plate two days later full of good old fashioned American chocolate chip cookies. The family has two kids just a bit older than Will. It will be nice to get together with them for real once the restrictions are lifted.

I will close with a picture that reminds me of the simple type of fun we were having in Barcelona before the lockdown began. Matt and I got into a lovely habit of taking walks around our neighborhood and trying out different cafes for afternoon coffee. This picture is from our last outing in early March, just before the lockdown started. I hope we get the chance to return!