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Locked down but not out in Italy

Singing from the balconies! One nice thing about this crisis ... solidarity! “Guess you’re not living like a tourist anymore,” was the funny, truthful and somewhat gut-wrenching message of a friend the day the lockdown in Italy began. Today is day 6. My beloved Italia has been hit hard with the COVID19 epidemic. With the second largest elderly population in the world, the epidemic has meant a disproportionate amount of deaths in the country. So though I haven’t been worried about contracting it myself, this isn’t about me or someone like me who, if contracted it would probably have a sucky couple of weeks and then recover. It is about if someone like me contracted it and then spread it to a person with a complicated health history or an elderly person with a weakened immune system. Eerily orderly: Lines for the grocery store, each person one meter apart In a country with no concept (and no physical room really) for personal space, and in a city with reproachable hygie
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Postcard from Mals in Northern Ireland!

Why is the Giant's Causeway a must-see? 
These basalt columns were formed 50-60 million years ago by an ancient volcanic eruption. Their mostly hexagonal tops were shaped as the lava cooled. There are similar columns at Fingal's cave in Scotland. Therefore, a legend arose that two giants, Irish giant, Finn McCool and Scottish giant, Benandonner, were to engage in a brawl. Finn's wife, however, did not want her husband to get in a fight, so she covered him with a baby blanket. When Benandonner came looking for him, he saw the great mass and, indeed, assumed it was their baby. Benandonner ran away believing that such a large baby, could only be produced by a father that is truly gargantuan. As he ran back to Scotland, he tore up the causeway so no one could follow him. The end. So for science or for legend, it is a great site to visit!

Where are you? Send me a postcard! Just take a digital photo, write a 2-3 line message and send it to touristliving (at) gmail (dot) com! I'll turn your photo into a postcard and post it on my blog to share your experience of living like a tourist in your own city.
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