On the night of the announcement of the State of Emergency in Spain, myself the hotel manager, and my two young boys were camping in the middle of Canillos de Albaida, leaving my assistant in charge of the Millers hotel for one night in Frigiliana.
So whilst we were sizzling sausages, making camp fires and watching the night sky, all hell was breaking out just half an hour away. We had no phone coverage and really were isolated from the world but in the best possible way! We later realized this was our last night of freedom and on driving back to Frigiliana all the messages started pouring through that things were really serious.
We stopped on the way home wondering if we should start stocking up on food, it seemed like the world was about to be attacked by zombies, but the essentials we came out of the petrol station with were PG tips, Jacobs cream crackers and heaps of chocolate!
On arrival back to the hotel the streets were empty...as was the hotel minus one couple awaiting their evening flight. My assistant was relieved we were home and as the day progressed over a few Martin Millers Gin and Tonics, we began planning her departure from the country almost immediately, before the borders closed. Things had to happen very quickly or not at all. Starting with a bus to Malaga and another night bus on to Portugal, where her scheduled flight was to return to Norway . Despite there only being 3 seats available online, the bus was empty, the borders were still open and she made it to the safety of a friend house in Portugal, just in time to be notified that her flight had been cancelled. At least now she is in the countryside with a friend, reading good books!
We are in total quarantine due to Covid-19 as from midnight on the 14th March 2020 for a minimum of 15 days possibly longer....
*Everything is closed apart from pharmacies, supermarkets and petrol stations. *All bars, restaurants and shops are closed. *We’re not allowed to leave the house unless it’s to buy food or an emergency situation. *We’re not allowed more than 1 person in a car. *We’re only allowed to walk our pets within 50 meters of our house and on your own. *We’re not allowed to go for a walk or a bike ride to get fresh air *All children's outdoor parks are closed. *All beaches are closed. *In supermarkets you cannot enter unless you are wearing gloves. *In supermarkets and queues we have to stay in single file with a 2 meter distance between each person. *Many hospital appointments have been cancelled *There are hefty fines if you do not abide by the rules.
The hotel is now officially closed until further notice and life will be hard for all of us, financially and mentally, especially those mums out there with hyperactive children!
All we can do is be patient, stay home and wait for the storm to pass. This is a time to reconnect with your children, learn some new skills and plan for the future, stay safe everyone!