Recently, it has been exciting to experience Italy, hear the news, and hear Italians making plans to open their businesses, as well as planning their summer vacations. After being at home for so long, few would like to have a ‘home stay’. At this point, most people are already looking optimistically at the summer, wondering whether it would be better to go to the sea or the mountains this August. Furthermore, the government is even considering offering citizens the “Buono Vacanze“, which are special discounts of 500 euros to help pay for their trips within the Homeland. All are driven to relaunch Italy; therefore, many entrepreneurs in the restaurant, bar, hotel and vacation industries will be waiting with the open arms to travelers from all over the world.

But first things first; Italy has to open up! Stylists, hair salons, sports clubs, and other beauty centers are gearing up by sanitizing everything and making sure people keep the correct one meter distance from each other, even if it means serving only one client at a time. Everything has to be prepared for both foreign tourists and Italians who will soon return to the spas to relax in magnificent Italy. These globetrotters are welcome to ask how stores have been disinfected and whether or not they use Type C UV lights to sterilize their businesses because everyone has the right to be properly informed.

We have already started to enjoy the delights of Italy once again! A few days ago we visited an excellent Gelateria called Sotto Zero in Gattico-Veruno. There was a relatively long line of enthusiastic customers ready to order ice cream. Some had already placed their take-out orders online (or over the phone) and had just arrived for quick pick-up. Most of the customers queuing outside the store maintained adequate social distancing and wore masks. Post-COVID-19 rules were posted to the right of the entrance in case some people hadn’t been informed. The rules were as follows: Everyone must wear a mask; only one person can enter the ice cream shop at once; everyone should be kept within a meter of each other, and ice cream should be consumed away from the store premises.

Not only Sotto Zero They serve delicious and legendary ice cream cones, but they also had some vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free options, which I opted to devour rather than consume conventional ice cream. Italian frozen it’s always been glorified, but this year’s tourists can expect to find an even wider range of options to keep everyone deliriously satisfied. Not far from the usual Italian ice cream parlors, there are bakeries and pizzerias that will make visitors euphoric as Italian food abounds. Italians are determined to continue offering delicacies no matter what.

Italy is known for its exquisite designer jewelry. Tourists enjoy acquiring gold bracelets, rings, as well as crafts and sterling silver. I remember how so many tourists took pictures of gold trinkets on Florence’s Ponte Vecchio when I was young (in the 1980s), and the enthusiasm persists today! A jewelry store proposes to disinfect all its metal jewelry for each customer who wants to try on dazzling rings, bracelets or necklaces. A box with type C UV lights could be used to ensure the safety of your customers. Also, they have installed unique partitions that will help users feel safe and comfortable. Without a doubt, buying jewelry will be a pure pleasure this year for vacationers in Italy!

Now it appears that migrant farm workers will be needed to help pick the new crops. Italy is more welcoming to migrant workers today than it was a year ago because these migrants can do the jobs that many younger Italians no longer know how to do. Also, migrants will finally have the opportunity to work from within the legal economy and earn some benefits. Still, many Italians have recently decided to return to agricultural production. Young Italians know that these jobs have deep roots in Italian tradition, and many older Italians have entered the field of agricultural work at the age of 14. Perhaps the recent growing interest in agriculture has been spurred by a worldwide return to emphasis on the need for healthy nutrition.

Restaurants and bars are different from how we remember them before COVID-19. Getting a bag or tray to go was unthinkable in 2019. In less than two months, between February 21 and May 17, 2020, the Italian mentality about eating out has been rebuilt. In the traditional Italian point of view, eating out meant having excellent waiting service, one of the reasons why there are so many ‘hospitality’ schools in this country. Being served by the best waiters was an essential part of the regular restaurant experience.

I remember the days when I had dinner at some great restaurants in Rome that served meals in a specific order. First, there was an aperitif followed by antipasto (sometimes fried squid). Then there was the usual starter (classically pasta). The second course consisted of a protein dish such as fish and two side dishes of vegetables or a salad. Dessert followed, typically fruit, Tiramisu, Profiteroles, or another light sweet. A subdued atmosphere by candlelight enhanced the pleasant experience. These types of classic dining with excellent staff will continue as long as customers are willing to follow the rules regarding social distancing and the use of protective barriers, but if diners prefer it, they can settle for takeout.

Having different take-out meals will be a great transformation in a country used to getting by when necessary. Some Italians are already planning to order takeout to celebrate their romantic wedding anniversaries. However, if couples are determined to eat in restaurants, they will find the tables widely separated this year, not like in the past, when people used to eat pizza at a table shared with the locals. Many restaurants have already installed Plexiglass in the middle of tables to protect consumers from the coronavirus. One wonders how bottles of wine and baskets of bread will be passed between customers (if there is Plexiglass in between), but it would be a great excuse to order the wine of your choice instead of your companion. .

Travelers shouldn’t expect kisses and hugs from overly friendly Italians this summer. Italians keep to themselves these days and practice social distancing as much as they can. Italians weren’t known for distancing themselves a few years ago, quite the opposite in such a friendly nation, which is why almost everyone is still chatty and personable today. Visitors should expect to answer numerous questions about what brings them to Italy, and the locals will likely help them if they get lost and need to understand instructions at the train station, even if they can’t speak the language. Most Italians tell visitors that their cuisine is the best in the world and that Italian fashion is the ultimate. Of course, thousands of tourists yearn to visit Italy and truly appreciate all that Italy has to offer: art, culture, music, cuisine, and the get-up-and-go attitude.