Wednesday 22 July 2020, Day 52 of Level 3, after 66 days of Levels 5 and 4 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a slightly cooler day at 18C, but perfect for holding the peaceful protest of the Restaurants around the country; for the amazing start to my day, receiving my Tourist Guiding registration confirmation and copy of the card at 7h45, and for so many messages of congratulations ❤️❤️❤️; for getting my writing done in time to walk to the participating Camps Bay restaurants, all ready to place their tables and chairs out onto the street at 12h00 sharp; for getting back home in enough time to get to Free Range jewelers at 13h00, and then meet Jenny Stephens at the Green Point Urban Park at 13h30 for a walk followed by tea, and then making the dentist for the continuation of the root canal treatment and a temporary crown; for buying food for Minsky, she lapping up her pellets and favorite sauces for an evening treat, and another multipack box of Smarties, enough to last for another month, the Pick n Pay order finally having arrived; for receiving a Gameboard play and winning 150 Discovery Miles; for Discovery covering the costs of a temporary repair of the storm damage too, an unbelievable insurance company; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙

My Blogpost today was the sad news that our first Fine-Dining Restaurant, Exhibit A, has closed down. Chef Rikku ODonnchu headed up the much talked-about Gåte Restaurant at the Quoin Rock Wine Estate outside Stellenbosch. Then they broke away and opened on Bree Street less than 5 months before Lockdown, a killer. 😢😢😢 From Instagram posts it is evident that Chef Rikku has lost a tremendous amount of weight, looking almost unrecognizable in his photographs. He appears to be in Port Elizabeth currently.

Exhibit A in Cape Town the first Fine-Dining Restaurant to close down due to the Corona Lockdown!

There was an air of festivity on Victoria Road. Five restaurants at the Clifton end of Camps Bay (Mynt and The 41 opened up especially for the protest, and Tiger’s Milk, Caprice, and Vida e Caffe) placed their tables and chairs in one lane of the road. Security companies blocked off the lane on both sides, and organized the traffic, so that it could continue to flow. I saw Haakon and Thomas Bauerkämper there, and said goodbye, as they return to Germany tomorrow, having been here over all of Lockdown so far. #Aufwiedersehen 🇩🇪

Jenny and I spoke about our mothers, each thinking the other’s mother was the nicer one. I learnt a lot more about Jen, despite knowing each other for more than 60 years. It was a lovely walk in the Green Point Urban Park, with lots of bird life, and everything so green. 💙

I had a shock when the dentist receptionist came up to me wanting to measure my temperature, she not wearing a mask. I clash with her often, but this was the worst. I wasn’t the only person sitting in reception. I’m not sure what she was thinking. 🥵 My dentist plays a music video channel, so I hop and bop in the chair. 🎶💃

I had a mass of photographs and videos about today’s protest, sent to me via Whats App groups and by friends. My best was from a friend in Hermanus, of a couple dancing 🕺💃🎶 Lovely to see so much support. 👏👏👏

SA Corona Status : 394948 cases 5940 deaths 😷😢

FitBit 14000 steps 10 km 👣

Lovemylife❤️

 

The Corona Virus Lockdown (Level 5), announced by our President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier to commence on 27 March and to continue until 16 April, subsequently extended to 30 April, lowered to Level 4 from 1 May, and lowered to Level 3 from 1 June, is an unprecedented event in my lifetime. I am posting my daily Facebook post to journal this Corona Lockdown Journey, perhaps to serve as material for a future Book.

About Chris von Ulmenstein

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein