Benvenuti

We are open for business now! We can travel anywhere we like within Italy, and we have opened our borders to all EU countries. Though not all EU countries have opened their borders. But it is just a matter of time.

First Day Out

June 2 is a national holiday and a good occasion to spend the day at the beach. Italy has a very long coastline; almost every region (except Piedmont, Lombardy, Val D’Aosta, Trentino, and Umbria), has a coastline; if not a coastline, surely some lakes, and/or some very fine attractions.

Mine was an exploration day. I’m still used to big crowds, usually exacerbated by lots of tourists from nearby Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and many other countries, but not yet. Not this year.

Lignano Sabbiadoro

The beaches are clean and “socially distanced” per the new rules; bars and restaurant did a real spring cleaning, removing sitting areas, disinfecting, and uncluttering the spaces. So we are open for business and ready.

It was a bit weird not to see the “familiar foreign face,” next to my beach umbrella, or table at the restaurant.

Lignano Sabbiadoro—a lovely resort on along the coast of the Northern Adriatic Sea halfway between Venice and Trieste—receives about 5 million presences of tourists per year (massive international tourism in northern Europe, America, and Russia), plus tourism related to owners of second homes.

It was the first time out after the quarantine, so the beach, the long walks along the shore, and a dinner al fresco watching the sunset was a true gift.

Restaurants are plentiful, but (one of) my favorites is Ristorante Marechiaro, because of the location other than the cuisine of course.

Welcome Back Italy!