I've got a plan (says he)

there will be stages
to coming out of lockdown
step one: shops open

This has been a big bone of contention since the beginning of our second lockdown. Whereas supermarkets were allowed to open, small shops (except grocers) were not... After bookshop owners raised hell, the decision that was made was to... forbid supermarkets to sell books (and toys, and clothes, because these shops had to remain closed, too)... A strange decision.

From 28 November, these shops can open, and we can go out (other than to do our essentials shopping) for three hours a day, in a 20 km radius around home. On 15 December, if numbers are down (infections and hospitalisations), the distance and time ban for outings will fall. We can have a family Christmas if we want to. Not the right decision if you ask me, because I have my doubts on the fact that French people will be reasonable. I foresee the exact same celebrations as other years, and therefore a spike in cases and hospitalisations at the beginning of 2021... which could send us back into lockdown. If I'd had my say, we'd have skipped the holiday season this year, so as to be rid of the virus as soon as possible, especially now we seem to have reasonably safe vaccines coming our way. But did they listen to me? No! ;-)

We don't know yet how Christmas will be for us two.