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 
Oh wow lucky you to have gone on a little getaway already!
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Yessss it was really fast but so needed! 😊
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I was very shortly in Poland a week ago for some purchases much cheaper than in Berlin. All was very easy to my great relief snd people were very cautious also in Poland. Take care whereever 🙂 Ulli
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Good to hear that people were also cautious there! It is really great that we are able to travel a bit again, I definitely missed it !😊
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It’s so interesting to hear what it is like in Italy now! I hope you enjoyed your trip!
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Thanks a lot! I really enjoyed it and found it super relaxing! 😊
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Great post 😁
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Thanks a lot! 😊
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Whew, lucky you! Glad you enjoyed it though! I think I haven’t been on a holiday for over 8 months already – can’t wait for things to be safer (even though we are allowed to travel domestically here in Malaysia, my parents are still pretty paranoid about it 😛 ).
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Wow that’s a long time! I was a bit scared to go immediately after the opening of the borders but only had days off at that time and I hadn’t seen my family in a long time! In the end it felt safer than I thought! Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you’ll be able to travel again soon! 😊
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I can’t wait to go on my first post-lockdown trip 😭 Italy looks gorgeous!! On another note, I’ve just nominated you for the Sunshine Blogger Award! No pressure to do it, but would love to read your answers! https://hellocitygirl.com/2020/06/28/sunshine-blogger-award/
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It feels really weird actually but it was a much needed break! I can’t wait to be a proper tourist visiting a new place though 😀 Thank you so much for the nomination, I’ve just seen it now! I already know I’ll have a lot of fun doing it and will let you know when it’s posted! 😘
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Yeah me too! I already have a “visit list” planned out for post-covid hahah. And no probs! Well deserved!! Yay can’t wait to see your answers 😄💛
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I’m glad to hear you had a chance to visit your family. We are entering a phase 3 from tomorrow when all of the shops, bars and restaurants are going to finally open and we’ll be able to travel freely within the country. We are not in a hurry to go anywhere yet, but it would be nice to at least explore more of Ireland. Thanks for sharing your experience and take care 😊 Aiva
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Thanks a lot for dropping by! The lockdown eased already a few weeks ago but with everyone rushing to bars and restaurants I won’t be surprised if there is a second wave… 🙄 I hope you will be able to explore a bit more your own country very soon! ☺️
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Lovely pictures! 😍 And I bet the food was delicious! 😭 I think you had a wonderful idea to leave Belgium for a week, it gave you a short break from its awful weather (hahaha) 😝
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It was! 😋 and obviously the weather was amazing in Belgium when I left and awful when I came back! 😂 Thanks for dropping by!! 😊
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Really cool that you got the chance to escape quarantine and your city’s borders to visit Italy! But maaaaan… the conditions in which you got to visit definitely doesn’t sound like the usual stuff with all the mask, social distancing, etc. Do you have to do a two-week quarantine upon returning home too? 😮 Great post, Juliette!
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Well, even though the mask was definitely annoying, the social distancing and different measures on the plane were actually great as you had so much more room and people were, for once, not rushing to get on and off the plane 😁 I didn’t have to do a quarantine when returning home as the borders are open without condition between the two countries! Thanks for reading Lashaan 😊
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I love hearing about post lockdown travels, I’m so tempted to head to Italy, especially with the chance to see it without the usual crowds!
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It felt very surreal, but not always very safe, sadly… However it is indeed amazing to see the city so empty! Thanks for dropping by 😊
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I miss Italy so much. hope everything come back to normal
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I hope so too, it’s definitely a wonderful country! Thanks for reading 😊
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