EOSHD in lockdown in Barcelona - photos from Coronavirus ghost town

[Andrew Reid]

Last month I made a trip to Barcelona to film the Formula One circus in town for the pre-season test. This, it turned out would be the last time the 2020 F1 cars would run. When a McLaren team member tested positive for the virus at the first race in Australia, the race was called off. In a twist of fate I met McLaren CEO and team boss Zak Brown in track grandstand and watched the new car in action before crisis hit - now we might never know how fast the car was versus the likes of dominant Mercedes and Ferrari.

Read the full article

[BTM_Pix]

37 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

In a twist of fate I met McLaren CEO and team boss Zak Brown in track grandstand and watched the new car in action before crisis hit - now we might never know how fast the car was versus the likes of dominant Mercedes and Ferrari.

 

Or indeed whether you were patient zero for the outbreak in the McLaren team

 

[Emanuel]

[Mr. Freeze]

Crazy times!

Boarders being closed, countries and cities being in lockdown, who could´ve expected this when this year started?!

Here are some impressions from Munich, near the train station. Usually really crowded, almost at any time of the day. These days, people doing home office don´t have to commute to their workplace, staying at home anyway. Unfortunately in the afternoon some places here get quite crowded with people meeting to chat, to drink or eat something together. So a lockdown for the city of munich has already been discussed.

 

[PannySVHS]

Andrew, are flights to Berlin possible? Renting a car and driving to Berlin would be very exhausting, but maybe an option, if available. Are you staying with friends in Barcelona? Stay safe!

It is very true, this competitive rat race is not healthy, now this Virus on top of it. I hope everyone enjoys this community very much just like I do. I read here often, when I´m happy or sad, to share cheerfulness and the beautiful lens and tech nerdom and peacefulness of nerdom. We owe one another in this world respect and appreciation and support, so do we towards one another in this forum and to you, dear Andrew.

Thank you very much. And let us know, how we can help.

[fuzzynormal]

Knowing the culture of the USA and that we're on a 2 week curve behind you guys.  Well, doesn't look like much good news will be coming into the USA over the next 2 months.  However, many actual citizens in the nation are pretty noble when things get difficult, so that's the hope I'm holding onto.

In the meantime, I'm thinking I might actually might film a person I know -- as it looks like they might go into the healthcare system at this time.  Risky yes, but the journey needs to be documented.  It's a big decision involving my whole family weighing in.  It's odd.  Decisions like this in developed nations haven't really been around on a large scale for over 70 years.  If nothing else, this new-normal may usher in a wave of pragmatism that's been lacking.

Be good people (to everybody) y'all.

[Mr. Freeze]

Yeah, it has to be taken seriously.

Germany was aware of it relatively soon, but definitely underestimated the danger. Now the nubers are rising each and every day, no flattening of the curve in sight yet.

Today I saw some clips of the springbreak2020 and lots of people are completely ignorant or/and go for the "whatever happens, happens" kind of approach. Panic or hysteria is not an option and a lockdown isn´t the only way, as long as people are willing to dinstance themselves from others and avoid bigger groups of people. Unfortunately, this isn´t something people usually do, and others are just ignorant/egocentric. 

Wherever you are right now, try to stay save, stay away from groups of people, even if it´s the people you love. 

And don´t do Hamsterkäufe (panic buying). Take care!

[timapple]

Be safe and do NOT pawn your GFX!  So what is the cactus used for?  Scrubbing the lens clean?

[BTM_Pix]

 

1 hour ago, timapple said:

So what is the cactus used for?  

Talking of pricks that are visible in that picture, the one holding the Contax Zeiss is me and is the closest I'll get to contributing to that Selfie thread on here !

 

 

[Antony]

I've been EOSHD reader since the GH2 times (still have one :-)
Wish you good mood and especially good health in these strange and difficult times! (also in Barcelona).

[kye]

5 hours ago, fuzzynormal said:

Knowing the culture of the USA and that we're on a 2 week curve behind you guys.  Well, doesn't look like much good news will be coming into the USA over the next 2 months.  However, many actual citizens in the nation are pretty noble when things get difficult, so that's the hope I'm holding onto.

In the meantime, I'm thinking I might actually might film a person I know -- as it looks like they might go into the healthcare system at this time.  Risky yes, but the journey needs to be documented.  It's a big decision involving my whole family weighing in.  It's odd.  Decisions like this in developed nations haven't really been around on a large scale for over 70 years.  If nothing else, this new-normal may usher in a wave of pragmatism that's been lacking.

Be good people (to everybody) y'all.

Good idea to document this decision and journey.  Regardless of the decisions made in the end the footage will be valuable on a personal level, and if they do decide to get involved then there will be a lot of demand for stories once we're over the peak of this thing.  It might even help to offset some of the financial losses due to cancellations.

We're not on lockdown here in Australia, yet, but who knows how the trajectory will go.

[Brian Williams]

Well said Andrew.

[kaylee]

what's the thing to eat in Spain? 

[Mokara]

10 hours ago, Emanuel said:

Buy a large ginger cat. I hear they are excellent lasagna hunters.

1 hour ago, kaylee said:

what's the thing to eat in Spain? 

Neighbors

[kaylee]

I love Garfield tbh

[rainbowmerlin]

A powerful and thoughtful post  - The photographs and text combine to produce a vivid picture of the lockdown in Barcelona. The title of your piece recalled the Specials song 'Ghost Town', with its video that is very evocative in relation to our current situation:

I do hope all goes well for you Andrew, and that before too long you are able to find a flight home. This is hard enough without having to cope with being outside your own home/community.

I do think you've nailed on the head the key policy choices governments have to make (reflected in the different choices made by the UK and other countries). To lock down or not to lock down? If health services are being overwhelmed by the number of cases (as in Italy) then I'm not sure there's much of an alternative in the short-term. But the economic and social cost is very high. And as you rightly say, there's then the question of what happens when the lockdown is lifted - does the virus then re-establish itself and you're more or less back to square one? The UK government is taking what Sir Humphrey would I guess call a 'courageous' approach in looking at a different way forward. Only time and hindsight will illustrate whether it was wise or not, though I can't fault Boris Johnson for listening carefully to the evidence of his (clearly expert) scientists and doing his best to implement it (as of when I last looked at the news about 4/5 days ago - I'm trying to insulate myself from it for a while, having gathered enough evidence as to how things were unfolding to make my own decision about how to navigate through the coming weeks and months).

I'm not exactly a fan of Mr Johnson, but we're seeing him trying his best to rise to the situation (at least in my interpretation, from what I'd seen so far). The contrast with President Trump is a stark one, and I can only applaud the humanity of your post Andrew in indicating the total unacceptability of Trump's cynical attempt to 'corner the market' for the exclusive use of the US only that new German coronavirus treatment. I have no doubt there will be millions of Americans shocked by the selfishness involved. I also think one of the positives that can emerge from this situation (and there will be such, I have no doubt) is that the world will start to come together again, and those politicians based on populist demagoguery will start to lose their attraction.

Such is my hope anyway. And the humanity and trenchant criticisms of the 'America First' Trumpian approach by Andrew I can only echo whole-heartedly. 

I wish you all the best Andrew - I've never met you personally of course (our one encounter at a distance was me buying your Sony RX10 off you some years ago), but I like to think of you (and this whole forum) as a positive presence in my life. Your posting on this topic a further example of this, and an indication of how community can help us all find a way forward through these challenging times.

[BTM_Pix]

58 minutes ago, rainbowmerlin said:

The title of your piece recalled the Specials song 'Ghost Town', with its video that is very evocative in relation to our current situation:

The Specials could provide the soundtrack for much of this situation really.

Starts off being spread through the International Jet Set *

No one was really paying it the attention it deserves because of being too busy (working for the) Rat Race and trying to survive in the Concrete Jungle.

Now everyone is locked having to Do Nothing with a lot of people saying I Can't Stand It.

And no doubt You're Wondering Now (what to do, now you know this is the end) of what once was and knowing its the Dawning Of A New Era.

Whatever it brings, the lesson we should all heed when we get out is to make the most of life and Enjoy Yourself (Its later thank you think).

 

 

* This song from 40 years ago features the horribly prescient lyric "Spread the disease, from the south China sea to the beach hotel Malibu"

[p@a]

Andrew, I am both a long time reader and a Barcelona resident.  Do no hesitate to contact me if you need anything. 

[BTM_Pix]

12 minutes ago, p@a said:

Andrew, I am both a long time reader and a Barcelona resident.  Do no hesitate to contact me if you need anything. 

He has been there long enough now that he will either need more underpants or more lenses.

I'm betting he'd choose the latter.

[MrSMW]

Ironically Andrew, you are stuck there whereas we are booked for 4 nights in an apartment about 800 metres from the cathedral.

They won't give us a refund but will allow us to re-book a new date after this madness is over. If it ever does actually end...

@p@a wanna buy a GFX100? Good price?! 🤑