Al fresco dining week

In the space of just one week, I have gone all out to make up for being housebound for so long. 

• An evening barbecue in a close friend’s garden – just two couples socially distanced but with so much chat to catch up
• A 91st birthday celebration in a pub garden – six of us drinking fizz, eating snacks and sharing stories
• A pub lunch generously provided by a film company (in lieu of any wages) – technically not al fresco, but due to the enormous heat, every single door and window was opened to capture the slightest breeze
• A family birthday lunch in a restaurant nearby – just the four of us
• A lunch up in London with a former colleague friend, making the most of a cooler day to sit outside and natter for hours together in one of our favourite restaurants 

I think this has partly been just chance that so many opportunities arose in such a short period, but I think also there is the conscious effort to make the most of this more relaxed time before – inevitably, I fear – we are restricted once again.

The infections chart climbs slowly but relentlessly. I’ll be careful, but I really want to make the most of the freedoms we currently have. I suppose it’s good that we appreciate that more than ever before.