LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 8 May Forget everything I wrote earlier about getting accustomed to leaving the house with protective gear. I feel the way one does around the end of January–weary of arming myself against a harsh environment every time…
LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 2 May Here we live slowly, synched to daylight and the weather (and the recycling schedule, but that is a topic for another day). Our bedroom windows face east so we are up early. Coffee, then breakfast,…
LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 23 April The numbers still mount in Italy: more than 25,000 are dead. In the United States almost twice that number have died, but eight state governments have yet to issue a general stay-at-home order. Beaches are…
LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 13 April A grim milestone this evening: 20,000 Italians have died from COVID-19. Five hundred sixty-six died today, which is 135 more than yesterday. The numbers roll out day after day until they begin to lose all…
LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 13 April Today is Pasquetta, “little Easter.” In Italy, the day after the holiest day of the Christian calendar is also a national holiday, traditionally a day to relax after the emotional rigors of solemn church vigils…
LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 3 April This morning I started my little Fiat for the first time since 19 March and went shopping for necessities. I went armed with a mask, several pairs of disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, and Clorox wipes,…
LESLIE MCBRIDE WILE 31 March 2020 When a social welfare state doesn’t seem like such a bad idea: when the Protezione Civile delivers a washable, protective face mask to your post box—gratis. When you live in a country that prioritizes quality of…
