Letter To The Editor: Gunnar Nordqvist and Nicole Braem

[Wandering Eyes]

We came back yesterday from Australia, and found ourselves in very strange circumstances.

Chantilly, a town where it is normally difficult to find a parking space, has spaces available by the truckload.

The Town Library is closed until Mar. 14. The local cinema is closed, and there are very few people in restaurants and cafes. The swimming pool closed for an indefinite period. Beginning Monday, in two French ‘departements’–including Oise where Chantilly is–all day nurseries and all schools will be closed for a minimum of 15 days.

What about racing? Since Mar. 2 in Chantilly and Compiegne, racing has taken place but without any patrons. It will be so next week as well.

In Chantilly, at this time of the year on a weekday, there is a maximum of 200 people at the races and the majority of them are professionals. Race-goers are outside most of the time, anyway. That said, we now know that trainers will have to give the names of the staff who are bringing the horses to the races.

It is completely surreal, and what we find very difficult to comprehend is that the very large shopping area of St. Maximin (next to Chantilly), where there are lots of shops and two shopping malls, is open to the public. For us it is a mystery; one is preventing people from congregate and watching racing outdoors, whatever the weather, while the other, the big shopping centre where thousands stroll, is open.

On Saturday morning, it is market day in Chantilly and we wondered if it would take place this week. Thank God it did, but maybe we should add that, with local elections to take place on Mar. 12, a variety of politicians were present.

The story evolves hourly and one will have to see how this plays out, but the website of the World Health Organization makes it perfectly clear that the coronavirus will continue to create problems worldwide until the European autumn.

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