A Step Towards Normal

(This blog got lost because of a tech problem with Blogspot.)

I had a Pizza Margherita with mushrooms and a schooner of Italian lager at Rudy's on Castle Street at lunch on Saturday the 4th of July. The 4th is Independence Day in the United States. Here, it was the first day of the partial lifting of the lockdown. 

I sat inside. The tables were set far apart and the staff all wore facemasks. There was a family of three Italians with a toddler a few tables away who looked as if they were enjoying themselves—they lifted my spirits. Everything inside Rudy's went smoothly, but there was an elaborate confusion at the entrance where I had to do strange things with my iPhone that called for an extra pair of hands. In the end, this rigmarole seemed pointless. 

After lunch, I walked up to Bold Street to see what was happening there. Bold Street is shoulder-to-shoulder restaurants, bars, and coffee houses. The entire street is now closed to traffic. Several of the more popular bistros had tables outside. Unfortunately, it was raining and only one place had those large umbrellas. 

I was not able to go back to see how they did at dinner, but I will take another look at lunch today. 

A year ago Thursday, I arrived at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool on a Ryanair flight from Dublin. If I had been seeking adventure instead of security and tranquility, this would have been a great year. But, after trying to figure out the various local ways of doing things and straining to understand the local dialect, out of nowhere, came the coronavirus followed by the lockdown. And now there's the very real threat of a major world depression. You can't make this stuff up. 

In New York, Sunday brunch is an important social event. It runs from late morning far into the afternoon. Midday today, there were not that many people out on Bold Street looking for Sunday brunch. The sun was shining and most of the bistros were open but only about a third of those had tables on the street. My guess (and it’s only a guess) is that management is being careful; they’re not sure if the new social-distancing system will work. 

Also, there’s a glaring fact about Bold Street that occurred to me today for the first time. There’s nothing attractive about the place, this long line of restaurants on both sides of this long, narrow street. I’ve not been there after dark, and I guess that’s when most people go. Colorful lighting should improve things. Yes, I took pictures today. I don’t like a single one. 

I see many working hosts in shops and restaurants wearing face shields now instead of face marks. Medical experts are not in lockstep as to which provides the best protection.