A group from Norfolk have told of the reality of life in lockdown Spain, where they are stuck after heading there on holiday.
Carole Dack, from Swanton Morley, spent part of last year in an apartment in Fuengirola in southern Spain with her partner, her sister and brother-in-law.
She said they loved it so much that they re-booked it for this year, flying out on March 1 and planning to spend two months there.
Despite having a return flight booked for April 30, the coronavirus lockdown means the four could be staying on for longer.
Ms Dack, 70, said the group was surviving, adding: “We have got good company with each other, and if we were home we wouldn’t have this lovely view. The only thing we are worried about is how long the grass is going to get.”
More - ‘We cannot wait any longer’ - Sue Ryder ‘on brink of closure’ as it makes urgent appealThe country was placed under lockdown two weeks after they arrived in Spain, and Ms Dack said if the pandemic had been worse when they flew, they would have not travelled.
She told of the eerie conditions in Spain.
“We haven’t seen a child since the lockdown started, the beach has been shut down and no one is around. You can see everyone is listening to the rules, and the numbers are starting to drop,” she said.
Ms Dack said the tight travel restrictions in place meant they were not worried about losing their apartment if they overran their time, as noone was allowed to enter other provinces.
She said the complex they were in was very quiet, with only 10 of the 98 apartments occupied. She said they hade been lucky with access to a garden and rooftop area. They had been using these areas to cheer on the key workers, something Spain has been doing every night.
With the lockdown in place, venturing out to the supermarket is the only activity the four are planning.
Ms Dack said, with access to facilities a worry and members of the group having prescriptions, they had spoken to a local pharmacy and been able to access them.
Despite not seeing the best Spain had to offer to tourists, Ms Dack praised the country’s approach to the pandemic.
She said: “The Spanish have been very good with strong social distancing measures and the hygiene offered in supermarkets with gloves, anti-bacterial wipes and masks for everyone.”
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