One thing is sure, I definitely missed traveling during the lockdown, and a lot of what used to be my “ordinary” life was put on hold for a long time, either because of government restrictions or simply because I thought it wouldn’t be “safe”. Anyway, after months of lockdown I was finally able to go to Italy to see my family!
When I planned that week, back in March, I was supposed to go to Canada, but the world had other plans, and I thought my days off of work were lost forever. However, for some random strike of luck, I realized that I could actually go on holiday: my presence was not needed at work and the travel restrictions were lifted for Italy.
After some hesitation and worrying I decided to book my flight anyway to go see part of my family that I hadn’t seen in almost a year. So, I spent a short week in Rome, mainly catching up with the family and enjoying the almost-normal life in this beautiful city.
The flights went pretty smoothly, apart from one cancelled flight, but the necessary precautions were taken and safety measure were respected. One thing that really struck me was seeing the airports (Brussels then Amsterdam) almost empty, with a lot of closed restaurants, shops and cafés, as well as empty check-in desks and very silent hallways. You could really see how this crisis has affected the airline industry.
When I arrived, I obviously saw that some things had changed: obligation to wear a mask in shops, people taking your temperature, a lot of hand sanitizer dispensers, more people wearing a mask in the streets, etc. However, it wasn’t as different as I thought, given how hardly the country has been hit by this virus.
Surprisingly, a lot of people, when going out and meeting with friends were not only ignoring the social distancing measures, but were also not wearing a mask. I can understand on some level, but I did feel like it might have been a bit too much. No one wants a second lockdown.
Despite the situation and the new adjustments that had to be taken in the shops I was able to walk around in the centre, enjoy the wonderful architecture and atmosphere under a scorching 35°C temperature. Most shops were open, and it was wonderful to see some places, usually filled with tourists, almost empty.
Apart from walking around and seeing my family, this trip was also a great opportunity to fill my stomach with all the amazing food the country has to offer. From pizza to supplì, delicious tomatoes to fruits, refreshing ice-cream to freshly-made juice, I basically spent the whole days eating one thing or the other, as you usually do when you are in Italy.
And… that’s it! I don’t know how interesting it was to read this, but it was certainly nice to write about my first post-lockdown trip! Needless to say, but I obviously took all the necessary measures to keep myself and my family safe.
Have you been able to travel since the lockdown? Where do you want to go first?
Related posts:
The Lockdown Tag 2020
– My favourite things about summer in the South of Italy
Sunny Days with Juliette 
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