And suddenly, there was a shift last week. The long-awaited turnaround. As if everything, after being endlessly delayed and postponed, suddenly gained momentum. It was a week full of positive news that I had not seen coming so soon.
It’s possible again to book a last-minute ticket and jump on a plane the very same day. Safe to say that after my last experience of flying to the Netherlands this is quite a relief
It all started with the fact that the Netherlands put the whole of Italy on colour code yellow, which means that you don’t have to undergo any covid test and quarantine anymore when you go from Italy to the Netherlands. Fantastic news, because in a month’s time I am supposed to fly over for a weekend for a wedding, but with a compulsory quarantine of almost a week and two coronation tests – which together cost almost a hundred euros – that would have been quite complicated. But luckily, that all belongs to the past now it’s possible again to book a last-minute ticket and jump on a plane the very same day. Safe to say that after my last experience of flying to the Netherlands this is quite a relief, because that time, even with two negative tests in my pocket, I was still denied access at the gate (long story, one of the two tests turned out to be of the wrong type) and I was told that I could only fly out three days later.
From the moment the colour codes were introduced, zona bianca, in which practically all rules except for wearing facemasks are abolished, seemed a kind of utopia, still far away from reality. But now the time has finally come
At the same time, the Italian Government saw cause for optimism too, for it was suddenly announced that Lazio, my region, is unofficially marked as zona bianca as of today. From the moment the colour codes were introduced – in the autumn of last year – zona bianca, in which practically all rules except for wearing facemasks are abolished, seemed a kind of utopia, still far away from reality. But now the time has finally come. To make it even better, we are once again allowed to stay outside for as long as we like, and to roam through the Eternal City on balmy summer nights that do not cool down the slightest.
That means they are coming back: those endlessly long tables under the trees lit by lanterns, full of plates of antipasti, pastas and pizzas. A scene that never fails to bring people together
No longer having to obey a curfew goes perfectly with my other favourite rule. Or rather, ex-rule. Because there is no longer “a maximum number of people who can sit at a table together”. And that means they are coming back: those endlessly long tables under the trees lit by lanterns, full of plates of antipasti, pastas and pizzas. A scene that never fails to bring people together, just like the European Football Championship that started last Friday. It was my own Rome that had the honour of opening the biggest European tournament. With a spectacular performance by Andrea Bocelli that left even non-football fans with goose bumps all over, Italy once again showed what it’s capable of. That night, Stadio Olimpico was the heart of Europe.
Italy won its first match with 3-0, which led to many satisfied faces and nods of approval about their “chances”, mainly from the male half of the population who drink their coffee al banco in the bar
And that wonderful stream of good news kept on flowing. Italy won its first match with 3-0, which led to many satisfied faces and nods of approval about their “chances”, mainly from the male half of the population who drink their coffee al banco in the bar, I noted with a smile the next day. Sunday night, it was the Netherlands’ turn and although this match was much more nerve-racking, it also resulted in a positive headline. Like Italy, the Netherlands won its first match.
The news that we can once again spontaneously jump on a plane made me the happiest. After all, you never know when you’re up for an immediate departure
So now I’m looking back at a week full of positivity, in which the news that we can once again spontaneously jump on a plane made me the happiest. After all, you never know when you’re up for an immediate departure. When the Netherlands plays the final of the European Championship, for example. A quick check of the tournament schedule teaches me that it’s actually possible that The Netherlands gets to play the final against Italy. In that case, the flow of positive news for one of the two countries is bound to end. However, with a heart that cheers for both the Dutch lions and the Italian azzurri, I’m faced with a 100% winning chance. That’s the best news you can get, right?