![]() will remain in place until at least mid-May. Not all rules have been relaxed, at this stage the Draghi government says the national curfew at 10 p.m. ![]() The manager of the Lazio Region, Paolo Giuntarelli, said it's a crucial day economically and culturally: "It is a very important moment for us, to have the possibility to host people again, because Rome in this season is beautiful." Travel between yellow regions is also now allowed. "Dinner is the most important moment in the restaurant and the most important moment in the Italian experience and this hasn’t happened since October 2020," Lisi said.Īlmost all school classes have returned and theaters and cinemas have reopened, with limited numbers. He told CGTN Europe that there's never been a more difficult period: "Especially because we were the first country facing the pandemic and to realize we are the last ones coming out of it is very unsettling."Īfter two months of lockdown, the tables in the picturesque Piazza de'Ricci were finally set for lunch – but the wait for dinner diners has been even longer. ![]() Find all of our coronavirus coverage and travel resources here.Lorenzo Lisi is the owner of Rome's famous Pierluigi restaurant, which has been in business since 1938. We're reporting on how COVID-19 impacts travel on a daily basis. The future, if not a totally blank canvas, is certainly a murky one for now. The prospect of things picking up any time soon is bleak, and so much remains uncertain. In tourist-dependent Italy (the fifth most visited country in the world), and especially in cities like Florence, Venice, and Rome, COVID-19 has wreaked inestimable economic damage. Must we stay within Italy for our summer holidays? When will us expats be able to get home to visit family members? How will social distancing work at the beach? Will hotels be safe? There is talk of a whole slew of rules and regulations to enable safe travel by plane and train, but will people be confident enough to book?įor most of us, the positive changes brought about by the easing of lockdown are tinged by an underlying anxiety about what happens next, especially if the virus is not kept under control. Travel is an area that remains frustratingly uncertain with many unanswered questions. ![]() After eight weeks of near total isolation, seeing crowds of people apparently impervious to the distancing rules is unnerving to say the least we are all acutely aware of how delicately balanced the situation is. And now that bars are allowed to sell drinks to go, cocktail hour has become another excuse for open-air get-togethers when people gather on sidewalks, Campari spritz in hands. On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Florence’s lungarni (the riverside walks) are full of families and friends, some with arms linked, others without masks, many way too close. But Italians are a gregarious, tactile bunch, and not everybody is sticking to the rules. Overnight, the unnerving, ghostly silence that had permeated deserted streets and piazzas was replaced with the voices of laughing children, whooping teenagers, and chattering friends catching up after weeks of no direct contact. The most transformative change to date is being allowed to go for bike rides, walks, and jogs without having to stay in the immediate vicinity of home.
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