Lockdown over

Damascus Gate today

 At 7am this morning, our 3rd lockdown was over. Crowds flocked out into the streets ... with masks of course. People sat along the cavea of Damascus Gate soaking in the sun. Many shops reopened. Business was plentiful. And the police were much fewer in the streets. City Gates reopened and barriers removed. The sun was shining brightly and the temp was a delightful 14 degrees. It was perfect. 

I decided to go for a walk through the park to the old Train Station, about 2.5 km away. It was a pleasant walk; and one of our students accompanied me. He needed some fresh air and a stretching of the legs. We noticed that most of the hotels remained closed but they are taking the opportunity to upgrade their buildings. The trees and bushes in the park were tall and unpruned. Lots of birds were around, not having been disturbed for a month. And insects too. It was beautiful to see nature reclaiming the land.

City Walls seen from the park

My plantar fasciitis is playing up again. Though the outing today was great, my foot ached terribly and I had to walk slowly. I really hope some cure is available soon for this ailment. It is crippling. Meantime my sore throat and diarrhea is long gone. People tell me the Ministry of Health advisory is: after the first 10 days, covid victims are no longer contagious. Hope it's true. Because now that lockdown is over, I have to reopen the libraries to our full time students. And I don't know if they were infected or not. All the State rules regarding libraries are still in place so I must enforce them. Back to grind of 9 to 5 work again. I was getting used to the slow and leisurely workless days of lockdown.