Just in Time

The Covid cases are rising again in Valencia. We were 2 and a half days from driving out of the garage and were anxious to quit the province for the immediate future. According to the paper today, in the past 7 days outbreaks have gone from 18 in Valencia province to 600. And leading the pack in Valencia city is the area of Rascanya. Right across the tram tracks from our apartment.

I’m not so worried about being able to catch it, again, as much as any restrictions of movement that might be imposed. We are leaving just in time. Over the weekend, Spain logged over 8500 new cases, and in the last 24 hours positives have climbed more than 1200. Most of the cases are confined to the east coastline – where we are. And it’s no wonder. We have the beaches. People were cooped up for 3 solid months. They’ve come to the Med to party – and not just those from other Spanish provinces. But from the rest of Europe, too.

Spain opened to tourists like their life depends on it. Because it does. The economy in Spain is hospitality based. No tourists = no revenue. No revenue = no taxes and no jobs. But perhaps it was too soon. Freely allowing others to come here from the rest of Spain isn’t helping either. And allowing night clubs to open without restrictions has caused cases to boom.

We were going to leave on Saturday. Now we are leaving tomorrow morning – before day break. I packed us up yesterday and Jeff laughed that I was getting an early start. Today he isn’t laughing. Other countries in Europe are putting restrictions on travelers from Spain. Either limiting their entry or enforcing a 14 day quarantine. We need to get out before we’re subject to that in Portugal. In this climate, 2 days might be all the difference.

I had a dental appointment today. I am supposed to have another on Friday, but I’m cancelling that and we’re heading out. I sat in their lobby today and listened to the bells from the old monastery across the street. It was built the two years before Columbus sailed to the West Indies in his 1492 Ocean Blue deal . So it’s not a new building. I love hearing those bells and seeing the tiny nuns at the local cafe for morning coffee. I’ll miss them. I thought I would get a chance to say Goodbye to Benimachlet and Valencia properly. But it seems the bums-rush is how we’ll go. Like thieves in the night. Sure, our apartment is still here filled with most of our stuff. But it feels like we’re in the movie Twister trying to outrun something that is about to engulf the city – yet again. I guess that’s appropriate since my brother was in that movie. (If you ever watch it he’s the storm chaser who sings Oklahoma while driving the van – He’s a better movie director than an actor.)

John Lennon said ‘Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.’ And he’s absolutely right. I’ll call the sellers and tell them we’re coming 2 days early, then we’ll go. What a year 2020 has been. Who of us could have predicted any of this? If you wrote a book last year and laid out everything that 2020 has thrown at the world you’d never get an agent, let alone a book deal. But here we are. And it’s time to bounce. See you next in Portugal.