#LivingInLockdown
Day 29 – Monday 13th April
Monday is a good day because it’s when I usually go to the supermarket. This week I cheated a little bit and went to Carrefour which is significantly further from my house than the nearest supermarket, Mercadona. I had a valid reason for going as it’s the only place around here that sells shampoo for atopic skin. If I don’t use the incredibly expensive specialist products I end up with blisters on my scalp.
Despite it being a necessary journey I felt like I was doing something wrong when I set out. I deliberately took a back route to avoid any patrolling police cars. As it happens I saw none. It is only a 20 minute walk to Carrefour but this is wealth of freedom in comparison to the 5 minute walk to Mercadona. Between the walk there and back and the time it takes to get round what is a significantly larger store, it’s a whole hour out of the house. Fantastic!
Fortunately they had my shampoo in stock and some other toiletry items I can’t get locally. I am now well stocked. More importantly they had Yorkshire Teabags. These are so rarely available and I managed to swipe the last box. I also picked up some PG Tips, so we are sorted on the tea front. Finally I grabbed some curry sauces that you also can’t get at Mercadona. I’m so happy!
When I went to pay at the self service tills the staff member who regularly supports this area was there. I usually see this women two to three times a week as she is always on the self service tills when I go. I obviously haven’t seen her for about 5-6 weeks whilst I was travelling and in lockdown. I doubt she knows who I am, given all the people who pass through that store, but I got quite a warm feeling to see that she was still working and well. It was the comfort of the familiar.
I was less impressed with the fact that Carrefour do not provide customers with plastic gloves before you enter the premises. You’re not allowed into Mercadona until you’ve put their disposable gloves on and then they make you take them off and throw them in the bin provided on the way out. However Carrefour staff were all wearing masks and gloves, and they were wiping down the trolly handles as you came in, so that’s something.
On my walk home I passed someone I know in the street. She was on her way to Carrefour. We said hello, from 2 metre distance, and had a brief chat on the difficulties of long term quarantine. It couldn’t have taken more than a minute, but it was so good just to see someone in passing. I have missed that.
Even the sun shone throughout the entire trip. I wont need to go back there for some time and I actually prefer the produce at Mercadona, but I’m glad I managed to make the journey today.