Coronavirus in Italy
We have been living in this beautiful country for several years now and enjoy the colourful and lively life of the Italians. Sadly, in the last few months, there was no sign of this because Italy was hit particularly hard. So hard that the whole world shivered with the news of the soaring number of Coronavirus cases and deaths. Yes, suddenly it became very quiet everywhere!
It felt like a ghost town outside - there were hardly any cars, almost no people. One had the feeling that he or she could hardly breathe properly because of all the fear and uncertainty that the pandemic brought with it. The people on the streets avoided each other and kept their eyes lowered, their faces turned away and hidden under a mask. No more "Aperitivo" in the lively favourite bar, no more children who enjoy licking their ice cream or friends who hug each other warmly. It seemed so surreal to us. The energy that uplifted every alley and every heart wandering around the region fainted. Is this really true? Or are we just inside a nightmare?
Cautiously, Italy opens up again and we, too, are slowly starting to breathe again...but a part of our fear remains, the uncertainty is not yet completely over. Questions remain: Should we really leave the house? Is it okay to receive good friends in your arms? Or would it perhaps be better to keep our masks on and keep our distance even when we are in a café with the neighbours? You can feel the mutual insecurity. Italy and its always so fun-loving inhabitants still need some time back to life.
And yet a lot of positive things have come out of it. We appreciate each other deeply than before, we understand anew how precious family and friends are to us and how much they enrich our lives. We see the enchanting nature of Italy with new eyes and despite this great crisis, we are still grateful to be able to live in such a special country. Now, like children, we are looking forward to finally being able to stroll through winding alleys, smell the sea and feel its salt on our lips, drink espresso, and in the evening enjoy fresh fish and a cool glass of pigato. Like children, we yearn for the wild breeze and the great surprises of being outside every day.
After the depressing news from Italy over the last few months, we would like to use our blog to bring you closer to what this enchanting country really is: joie de vivre, images of life, art and music, and tasty recipes from Italy.
"Tomorrow" (John Henry Mackay)
And tomorrow the sun will shine again,
and on the path I will take,
it will unite us again, we happy ones,
upon this sun-breathing earth...
And to the shore, the wide shore with blue waves,
we will descend quietly and slowly;
we will look mutely into each other's eyes
and the silence of happiness will settle upon us.
