The sun has returned and it seems will stay for at least a week. Another week-end arrives, although for a golden oldie, life seems to be full of week-ends. Yesterday I had a nice relaxing Friday with no great stress I have decided that the time has come to install a new battery in my wheelchair before the old one decides to give up. Although my battery is still holding out well, but after two and a half years it is not as it was and uploading it constantly exhausts it eventually. I can still roam around with a confident feeling and it stays on full power until I get home, but the second day without uploading is no longer as it should be. The guy will be coming next week with a new battery. They are organising one for me as those they have in stock as apparently not so good.

I now go to the nearest store just along the road and it is really quite good. It is not as large as that in town, but yesterday I discovered that they often have more choice of products than the bigger one. Last week I wanted to cook Chinese and got no bean sprouts in the town store, but I saw yesterday that they have a supply in the local store There is also more light and air in the nearest store. They refurbished the town store and everything is a little dull and dismal with no windows to the outside. The main difference is that the new store along the road has no butchers and all the meat is packed. Anyhow I am much quicker at this other store and within an hour I am home.

Their choice of fresh vegetable is also quite good. Sometimes you are spoilt for choice. Of course I forgot today’s evening meal yesterday, but an excuse to take another trip this afternoon. I quite like to get out amongst the public

Although mixing with the others is not so recommended at the moment with this corona curse everywhere. It is again increasing in Switzerland, although not as bad situation as other countries, but it will not go away and disappear as a few political idiots seem to think – no names mentioned. Mr. Swiss was talking to our doc yesterday about the local cases. She says there are a few, but luckily nothing not under control. She said to avoid any excursions in the evening which is very  wise. It is then that people seem to lose control, sitting with friends in restaurants, and safe distancing is easily forgotten. During the day most restaurant life occurs outside in the open air which is less dangerous.

I am also a little concerned with the employment situation. Many small businesses are closing and especially the older generation are losing their jobs. I know how it feels to be told one day that the moor has done his work, the moor can go. There seems no longer to be a job for life, as it used to be. You become superfluous quickly. Machines and new systems take over and people are replaced for something younger – and perhaps less qualified, so cheaper. I was 62 years old when it happened to me, although after 30 years in the company I got fair treatment and stayed on wages for a further two years. The only negative was that I lost two years of my pension money, but I can survive on what I have so no problem. Today the situation is different, there are no longer concessions being made and you are left to the mercies of the authorities with the redundancy money until you are old enough for a state pension and to receive your work pension, which is naturally less because of the early forced retirement.

So my travels did not take me far yesterday, but I this little guy flied past on the way home along the path to the local railway. It is not one I see very often, so I waited it for it to settle and took my photo. Apparently it is a speckled wood butterfly and a common species. I wonder what its children look like.

I also wheeled past the priest’s seminar. It is where they teach the catholic young men to become priests. this part is always open and is probably the administrative offices. The other side always has a locked gate with a nice garden behind it and a building where the priests do their schooling. On the other side of the road the Bishop has his villa, so it is all nicely together

Otherwise there is not a lot to be seen in this part, just the road connection leading to my village further along the road. On the left there is a white building which was our best pizza restaurant. This is now empty and sold. The top half will  be converted to apartments and hopes are that a new tenant can be found to continue the restaurant on the ground floor. The local jazz club (of which Mr. Swiss was one of the orignal members some years ago) met in the basement once a month so its future is now in question. Another victim of corona, although the previous owner of the restaurant and building was approaching her retirement age. In the distance you can see the ever present hills of the Jura mountains. I was just leaving the supermarket and turned into the road when I took this photo.

Although it is a Saturday morning I still have a few chores to deal with. The next thing on my list is to organise my daily Vitamin D drops. I suppose they are a necessity in age.

Keep well, have a good week-end and see you around.