A friend and I met at the beach in Cascais this morning and, while keeping our distance, walked along the shore, talked and shared our thoughts.

After our walk, I went to the local grocery store and bought some goods. I then went home, washed the clothes I was wearing and took a shower. Those are the precautions I received to follow when going out where I am in contact with…stuff.

This edition is all about information on what’s happening in Portugal regarding COVID19 and ideas on being educated and entertained during the hours we spend at home during these strange times.

For people living in Cascais

There are measures that the Cascais City Council put into place to protect residents but also to assist people financially.

From Portugal News:

The Cascais Chamber has announced a set of pandemic prevention measures, which includes support for the elderly, spaces for the temporary reception of homeless people and two centres for screening covid-19.

For information on what Cascais is doing to support the elderly and homeless, see Cascais Chamber supports the elderly and creates centres for homeless people.

For Portugal in general

More clear guidelines have been set by the government in terms of travel and isolation. For information, see Restrictions on the right of movement during the state of emergency.

Also from Portugal News:

People over 70, the chronically ill, health professionals and security and protection and rescue forces, armed forces and people who provide social assistance have priority in commercial establishments.

For more on this see, Priority at supermarkets for key people.

For self-employed workers, Portugal has made available assistance.

This will not pertain to most expats but is a wonderful measure for many. For additional information on the measure, see the article at lisbob.net.

Now for the fun stuff:

From European Portuguese Dialogues, a cooking lesson with a little Portuguese.

For those interested in opera and classical music, the following artistic organizations are offering free performances to view online.

The Metropolitan Opera (highly recommended) is offering a nightly opera stream.

If you haven’t already, when in New York City, treat yourself to a performance by the Metropolitan Opera. Nothing compares.

There are wonderful performances available to listen to for free at the Berliner Philharmoniker website including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Star Wars.

Dezeen magazine is offering free documentaries on architecture and design.

And last, but certainly not least, the Ivy League schools including Harvard, Yale and Columbia University are offering free online courses at Ivy League Courses.

There is much to watch, listen to and enjoy during this time of isolation. We are all still connected.

-Dora Taylor