Day Four

 It's now the morning of Day Four.  Time to explain more about The Lockdown in France.

Here's how it works:  Let's say you need to get some milk or just have to get outside for some fresh air, a walk or a run.  You don't get to grab your bag, walk out the door, and go.  You first have to complete your dated and signed Attestation De Deplacement Derogatoire.

This is the form.

 
On it, you list your name, date of birth and address.  Then you attest to the specific reason that you are leaving your home.  There are five permitted possibilities:

1.  You must go to work and have proof that you cannot telecommute.
2.  You need essential items (food or medicine).
3.  You need medical treatment.
4.  You have to care for young or vulnerable family members.
5.  You need some exercise (that is brief, done on your own, and completed near your home).

On #5, the French government clarified yesterday that you can go no more than 2 km from your home.  It specifically warned that this does not permit "10k's" for runners or cycling for exercise.

In addition, to leave or enter our campus, we must go through one of two gates (see below).

 

Guards check our id cards before we can return to campus.

Last night, Bob saw police in cars just off campus who were stopping all nearby pedestrians to check their forms and question them.  If you violate The Lockdown, you are fined 135 euros (about $145).  We hear that the fine is going to increase as needed to ensure people comply with the rules.

The French government is taking this seriously.  Thank goodness:  We have all seen the curve.

Earlier this year, we thought we would have preferred living right downtown -- in the very heart of Paris and by some of our favorite places -- and not on campus.  We don't think that anymore.

Because our campus is closed to nonresidents, we have a safe place to exercise while maintaining social distancing on a leafy, one mile path around campus. 

This is the view from one of our windows.

 
And here's the view from another window, showing part of my track where I walk or run in circles.

 
The campus is also filled with beautiful buildings and pieces of art.  More on that later, but here's Bob in front of main campus building, Maison Internationale, on Wednesday evening.  Normally, that building would be surrounded by students, who spill out from every door.



Given the global tragedy that is unfolding, we know that we are very fortunate to be in what seems like a safe place for now.