Street

That's "street" as in street photography, meaning candid images that illustrate the natural environment with an emphasis on meaningful activities. Mostly that's people doing things, but Elliot Erwitt did five books on dogs doing things that would certainly qualify as "street." 

These days, I do a fair amount of street shooting myself, but the emphasis is on editorial stock (street for stock). An image is editorial stock if it suggests a caption to me. I want to shoot more street, more unplanned people pictures, but trying to find people doing

Henri Cartier-Bresson pioneered the genre of street photography. He viewed his art as capturing the decisive moment. He used small 35mm Leica cameras. The new phone cameras and pocketable digital mirrorless cameras have given street photography a new lease on life. Is everybody a photographer now? No, just 94.6% of us.

Soon after HCB came Walker Evens, Garry Winogrand, Bruce Davidson, Vivian Maier, and others. The full list, even just my favorites, is much longer. It does not include Magnum's, Bruce Gilden. Bruce is at the top of two of my other lists: Obnoxious People and Total Assholes. Magnum has seen better days.

Do you think Boris reads my blog? He did backtrack on his "normal by Christmas" statement after I made fun of it last week. So maybe . . . maybe. . . . Nah. 

 

Aging

Someone on the BBC today warned against "pining for the past and cringing from the future." Good advice. Dealing with the present is hard enough.

A dear friend in Tuscany had a bad fall this past week. I will not suggest she is aging (ageing in the UK). In my day, it was not polite to discuss a woman's age. But her dog seems to have gotten very old. This faithful canine is blind, deaf, and unsteady on his feet—all four of them. He was the accidental cause of my friend's fall. It's not just humans who suffer as they age. 

Whatever your species, your years are numbered, and the later decades can be hard. My own sense of balance has diminished greatly in these last few years.

The buildings, sidewalks, and roads here in Liverpool are aging too. During the lockdown, landlords and the City Council have been working to repair them. 

The Prime Minister suggests that old folks should slim down. His advisors say it will give them a better chance if they have to deal with the deadly virus. So far, no fines or arrests have been mentioned. I'm older, Boris, but I'm thinner than you are.

I lost my extra pounds six or seven years ago. I did it by intermittent fasting, the 16/8 program. And I've stayed with the program. I eat only breakfast and lunch in an 8-hour window. I don't eat junk food, and I don't need to count calories. Oh, and I usually have a drink or two with my lunch. So far, alcohol has not been a problem. But if my doctor were to suggest that I stop drinking, I would make a change.

I'd find a new doctor. 

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. 

My Blog

Some things I carry in my pockets these days.

This blog was never supposed to be me complaining about my personal situation, nor did I want it to be a weekly whining narrative of complaints about things in general. Most of all, I really do not want to write any more about the pandemic. Alas, here I go again. 

We would be better off listening to what the medical and scientific community has to say and ignoring inept leaders' dumb, cockamamie remarks. Yes, I'm referring to that Evil Clown who sits in the White House munching Big Macs and ignoring difficult facts. He's America's ingrown toenail.

I'm willing to give Boris a chance, although his wishful thinking that all will be well by Christmas was a shocker. I expected him to start singing "Jingle Bells" and handing out tiny toy trees. Prime Minister, were you not in Intensive Care just a short while ago with the virus? 

I'm neither a Tory nor a Labor supporter. With my Irish passport, I could legally vote in the UK, but I see myself as a guest in this country right now, not a shaker and surely not a mover. 

Pubs are getting ready for our return.

I must have mentioned this before: I grew up in American politics. My father served 30 years in the House of Representatives. The Hon. John J. Rooney, Democrat from Brooklyn, NY. I've shaken hands with three US Presidents, and a fourth, Harry S. Truman, stepped on my foot. Ouch! Harry wasn't following social-distancing.

Until we get an effective vaccine we will be plagued with COVID-19 and more people will die. Christmas 2020? I don't think so. 

Alfresco Unlocked

Most popular bistros here in Liverpool City Centre held back a little with the partial lifting of the lockdown. They are now catching up, quickly going to the trouble and expense of building outdoor additions to their table space. It's not a surprise that they didn't trust what may or may not happen next. A profitable future depends on getting it right. 

Both Bold Street and Castle Street are now closed to traffic. Both are now pedestrian islands. The Liverpool City Council is doing what it can to support small businesses. In the year that I've been here, I've been most impressed with the way this city is run. Good on you, LCC!

I had lunch out three times this past week. I reported on my pizza at Rudy’s in my last post. That was just before they added the sidewalk tables. 

I lunched at Mowgli, my favorite Indian place. Places, really, because they have two locations. One is at the far end of Bold Street and the other is near Castle Street and the Town Hall. I walked south to Bold. 

They told me me that there would not be a table available until 4:15 PM. We were discussing this at 12:20 just after they opened for lunch. There were two empty tables outside and the hostess offered me one. It was chilly and threatening rain, but I gave it a go. 

My third lunch was at the Duke Street Food and Drink Market where I order my favorite, a veggie version of the classic Cuban sandwich—mushrooms, cheese, pickles, mayo, and a few other bits alongside a cold Mexican lager.

They were not busy but things should pick up. They've switched to full table service now with paper menus. That's much easier than getting my own beer or wine with the half self-service they used to do.  

Marks & Spencer Foodhall has anticipated people wanting to celebrate the recent positive change. They have a display of the bubbly near their checkout.

Obviously, not everyone is feeling safe about going out to eat or drink yet. Personally, I don't think that I'll be visiting a pub anytime soon. Pubs are not about social distancing. And Uber, deliveroo, and Just Eat are still doing record business.

The Future, Near and Far

It was never my intention to write about the pandemic in this weekly blog. I'm not a doctor, not a nurse, not a scientist nor a medical researcher either. I'm just a guy from Brooklyn who's now living in this English port city and observing the things around me. However, since there are no bistros or bars to visit, no museums or landmarks to explore, I'm left with few options. Every week for the past three months I've considered locking down this blog. We'll see.

I was pleased to see that the Liverpool Football Club won the Primary League Championship for the first time in 30 years. Good stuff. The thuggish behavior of those who consider themselves fans, throwing bottles at police, and setting fire to the historic Liver Building at Pier Head? That's bad stuff. 

Equally upsetting is the fact that almost no one I passed on the streets this weekend was wearing a facemask. More bad stuff. 

This showed up in my email this morning:

"After 15 grueling weeks, New York City has finally turned another important corner in our fight against COVID-19. Working together, we’ve flattened the curve and reached Phase 2 out of 4 in our reopening plans.

Phase 2 includes the return of hair salons/barbershops, in-person retail, and real estate firms.

It also includes the launch of the City’s Open Restaurants program, which allows eligible venues to serve patrons on sidewalks, curb lanes, plazas, and open streets while following social distancing, hygiene, and other health guidance.

Outdoor dining is something that the City Council and I have been strongly advocating for and will help our city’s restaurant industry and its employees get back on their feet more quickly."

This statement comes from New York City Council Speaker, Corey Johnson.

There's a rumor of a similar plan to encourage local bistros and bars to promote outdoor dining here. Alfresco. I hope it works, but I'm less than optimistic that it will. Although we've just had a great deal of warm sunshine, I wonder if Merseyside has the climate to support an outdoor life. And can restaurants turn a profit with just a fraction of their normal customers? Will social distancing work? I walked along Bold Street and Castle Street yesterday and saw nothing like this getting ready to happen. 

So, as usual, speculation is the name of the game. 

Is the Lessened Lockdown a Letdown?

Not that much in my daily routine has changed with the partial lifting of the lockdown. I still do my food shopping at the same nearby supermarkets, go for a daily walk around the City Centre, and wear a facemask on my chin that I can pull up inside stores if I get too close to others. On the high street yesterday, very few people had facemasks.  

Who is that masked man?

A lot of restaurants in Liverpool have reopened for takeaway and deliveries. Is this new model working? One place near me had special, large boxes made up that look as if they're expecting to feed an infantry battalion. I pass this place every day and I've never seen anyone collecting food there. On the other hand, the nearby McDonald's has a steady flow of bicycle delivery people moving in and out. I'm not planning to have food delivered, especially a Big Mac. 

I want the full restaurant experience. 

I want to go in and get a table by a window, play with the menu, pretend deep thoughts as to which glass of inexpensive house wine to order, and exchange surface charm with the server. How enjoyable would it be to sit so far away from other dinners that I could not eavesdrop on their small talk? And what about the servers staring over their masks at masked customers? Does any of this sound like fun to you? 

Too close for comfort?

Also, I like to cook—not in this miserable, tiny kitchen I have now, but I do like to cook. I mean that I don't need to eat in a restaurant just because I'm hungry. 

An empty Mercado de Feria in Seville.

I have no family in Liverpool and I'm not part of a social group. So in restaurants, I'm usually on my own. That's not painful for me. I'm used to it and I'm comfortable in my own company. I wonder if in this brave new world I will be able to get my twice-a-month cheeseburger (Five Guys) or my Pizza Margarita (Rudy's on Castle Street)? Or will they stay a takeaway-only thing?