Out And About.

[mongers]

I'm going for short walks. There's not much greenery around my district, especially since the federal gardens are closed (city managed parks are open, though). The general advice is to stay close to your home and avoid public transport unless absolutely necessary.

1/3 of sidewalks in Vienna is under 2 meters wide, so even just going around a few blocks means constant weaving, changing sides of the roads etc. to keep your distance from others.

So usually I just walk to the Rathaus where there's two small parks there, or to the Schönbornpark, which is also tiny and half of it locked off playgrounds and football/basketball cages.

I'd normally head to Volks- or Burggarten but as I mentioned they're shut at the moment.

This closing of public parks seems counter-productive in some ways, can't small one's be opened but with strict direction controls, say something like traffic management and one-way streets, but for pedestrians? 

[Syt]

The city government says parks should be open, and have done so for the ones they have control over. The federal government hasn't really said much about it, but they've closed their areas in Vienna (most parks attached to castles like Hofburg, Schönbrunn, Belvedere and others - significant amount of real estate), arguing that it would lead to more people going out and clustering and shooting down any demand to open them.

The Greens in city government have brought up closing some streets for car traffic to give people more room, but their Social Democrat coalition partner aren't having that, instead demanding the federal gardens to open.

[Sheilbh]

I'm going for short walks. There's not much greenery around my district, especially since the federal gardens are closed (city managed parks are open, though). The general advice is to stay close to your home and avoid public transport unless absolutely necessary.

1/3 of sidewalks in Vienna is under 2 meters wide, so even just going around a few blocks means constant weaving, changing sides of the roads etc. to keep your distance from others.

So usually I just walk to the Rathaus where there's two small parks there, or to the Schönbornpark, which is also tiny and half of it locked off playgrounds and football/basketball cages.

I'd normally head to Volks- or Burggarten but as I mentioned they're shut at the moment.

This closing of public parks seems counter-productive in some ways, can't small one's be opened but with strict direction controls, say something like traffic management and one-way streets, but for pedestrians? 

Yeah it strikes me as stupid. Policy making on this needs to remember that not everyone lives in a nice-ish house with a garden. We need the parks to be open. I don't know how we regulate them mind - I think in Southwark they're thinking of instituting a rota system so each block of streets/estate is given a slot in local parks.

[mongers]

Yeah it strikes me as stupid. Policy making on this needs to remember that not everyone lives in a nice-ish house with a garden. We need the parks to be open. I don't know how we regulate them mind - I think in Southwark they're thinking of instituting a rota system so each block of streets/estate is given a slot in local parks.

Indeed.

And that's a good idea; we need new thinking for the new problems this virus crisis brings.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I quite like the rota idea because I think it could also help reduce loneliness for the socially distancing/increase community because you'll see the same people every week/day. But I'm not sure that it's being implemented. I think it's still just an idea at this point.

[Maladict]

But enough of your trash talk, Mal are you able to get to the sea easily?

I'm going to miss going to the coast. 

About 45 minutes by train. But trains are limited to essential workers, and the more accessible beaches are closed anyway.

I went for a long walk last week, created a route taking me nowhere near populated places or parks. Still found too many cyclists and runners passing me too close for comfort.
The weather is just too good now, I'm going to stay inside until it's crap again.

[mongers]

But enough of your trash talk, Mal are you able to get to the sea easily?

I'm going to miss going to the coast. 

About 45 minutes by train. But trains are limited to essential workers, and the more accessible beaches are closed anyway.

I went for a long walk last week, created a route taking me nowhere near populated places or parks. Still found too many cyclists and runners passing me too close for comfort.
The weather is just too good now, I'm going to stay inside until it's crap again.

I see the runners and cyclists can be a pain, where I am I go through a small park to get to the town, but in good weather I'll be 'populated' and the nearby old railway-line I use for East-West trips is getting full and so unusable in the evenings.

We've got a wet/damp day, so as you say can't let that go to waste. 

[Maladict]

Out for a short stroll on a glorious day. Yep, definitely too many people out, even if they're mostly behaving.

[Malthus]

We have figured out various routes using side streets, cemeteries, and disused parts of parks - so we can walk for a long time without coming within ten feet of anyone.

It's like a weird sort of zombie movie. 

[mongers]

We have figured out various routes using side streets, cemeteries, and disused parts of parks - so we can walk for a long time without coming within ten feet of anyone.

It's like a weird sort of zombie movie. 

I've got 300 sq.miles of a national park on my doorstep, which no doubt by the end of the week we'll be banned from using, because clickbait newpapers ran 'stories' about people crowding in one London park.

[Tonitrus]

Pass-by chat with one of my neighbors (who I haven't talked to before) while coming back from a run.

Him: "Ya ow' 'tin"?
Me: *confused Yank look* I'm sorry, what was that again?
Him: *a bit slower, and with more syllables* You out training?

Separated by a common language indeed.  He was also saying something, I think about one of our fellow neighbors and their ability to park.  But still, I couldn't understand about 60-70% of anything he said.

[Tamas]

Pass-by chat with one of my neighbors (who I haven't talked to before) while coming back from a run.

Him: "Ya ow' 'tin"?
Me: *confused Yank look* I'm sorry, what was that again?
Him: *a bit slower, and with more syllables* You out training?

Separated by a common language indeed.  He was also saying something, I think about one of our fellow neighbors and their ability to park.  But still, I couldn't understand about 60-70% of anything he said.

[mongers]

Pass-by chat with one of my neighbors (who I haven't talked to before) while coming back from a run.

Him: "Ya ow' 'tin"?
Me: *confused Yank look* I'm sorry, what was that again?
Him: *a bit slower, and with more syllables* You out training?

Separated by a common language indeed.  He was also saying something, I think about one of our fellow neighbors and their ability to park.  But still, I couldn't understand about 60-70% of anything he said.

Now you know how us Brits feel here on Languish. 

[Admiral Yi]

Walked 18 holes today, first round of the year.  Weather was glorious late spring day.  Cramped up a bit at the very end.  All things considered it went pretty well, exercise wise and playing wise.  I've been pretty sedate this plague.  Already got a bit of color. 

[mongers]

Walked 18 holes today, first round of the year.  Weather was glorious late spring day.  Cramped up a bit at the very end.  All things considered it went pretty well, exercise wise and playing wise.  I've been pretty sedate this plague.  Already got a bit of color. 

More outside than I've had in recent days.
IIRC golf courses in the UK are all still closed.

Today I was doing my accounts for last year, one of the first train tickets I found was for today, April 30th last year; I recalled a productive day and also managed to get in two museums in Cardiff and Bristol, a lovely spring day with easy travel and a nice ride home against the setting sun. 

What a difference a year makes.