Well, here I am back in Bologna after being away for 22 months. I have been wandering around to get reacquainted with the area and see how the pandemic affected local businesses and protocols.

My flight over to Munich was pretty empty. I had treated myself to Premium Economy for more space and comfort and not being crowded 3 to a row. It seemed that Business class and Premium had the most passengers with coach pretty empty. Actually they had it better in some aspects as they were able to lie across 3 seats to sleep. My check-in went smoothly and more quickly than I expected. After inspecting my CDC vaccination card, they then gave a cursory glance to my COVID test and a passenger locator form I needed to show. This form was needed in case I sat near a person who later developed COVID they could then locate me here in Bologna and I could take a test. Speaking of tests, they are widely available here at a minimum cost unlike my experience trying to get one in the States.

COVID living

There were no problems with mask wearing on the flight as well as in the airports. Just walking around here there seems to be a general acceptance of mask wearing. You see some who wear them all the time, some when they are in crowded areas and everyone just masks up as they step inside stores where they are required. There are 2 styles of sporting your mask when not in use: either on your arm by your elbow or around your neck for ease of pulling up. You see the typical surgical masks usually worn around the neck and a number of people wear the cone-shaped KN95- over here referred to as FFP2. When I was in the Munich airport you needed one of these to enter any of the shops. Masks are for sale in all the pharmacies here along with COVID tests. Now that theses more effective masks are more readily available you rarely see cloth masks here, unless they are on American tourists.

It didn’t take too long to adjust to the protocols here. Italy has adoped the digital Green Pass as has France. You must show your vaccination QR code or a recent negative test result. US travelers can show their CDC cards. Upon recommendation from a Rick Steves author,Cameron Hewitt, I had my card copied on card stock and laminated so I do not need to have the original with me all the time. The pass is currently required for indoor dining in restaurants, long-distance domestic travel, a host of cultural, leisure and social activities – such as museums, swimming pools and nightclubs as well as in certain workplace environments including schools and universities. It is usually posted if you need the Green Pass to enter a place.

But most stores just require a mask. Most of the larger stores have signs showing the flow of traffic for entrances and exits along with a hand sanitizer as you enter. The intent is that your hands are clean before handling any merchandise. You may see lines waiting outside stores as well. Based on the size of the store there are posted occupancy limits. If it is a small store you can see how many are in there and you just wait. In some of the supermarkets, there will be a person outside the store managing the flow. I noticed outside one of the gelato stops they had posted a QR code to see their menu so you could make your decision before entering the store to improve the flow. These shops tend to be small and get crowded if there are more than 3-5 people inside. I was surprised and delighted to see people self distancing themselves as they waited to enter the Post Office. The recommended space is 1 meter. I did chuckle at this scene as Italians are notorious for crowding into places without any regard for people waiting in lines- they tend to be non existent.

On the whole people seem to go with the flow. Italy was hard hit in the early days with a pretty severe lockdown for months. People are willing to abide by the rules as they see it giving them more freedom. The same with vaccinations. Italy just reached 80% of people over age 12 having received both injections. And by the looks of the people out this weekend enjoying the weather here in Bologna, you do get that sense that life has attained a new normal.

Impact on dining

Like in the US, outside dining has increased although it has always been more popular in Europe. The small bars where you would get your morning caffe now have outdoor seating as well as some of the smaller places where you would get a quick bite for lunch. These were normally done standing at the counter thus necessitating outdoor spaces. You can now eat inside with a mask but it is not just the same standing around with masks on until your cappucino arrives. There does not seem to be the same level of conversation amongst waiting patrons.

I have noticed that someone must have a monopoly on the most uncomfortable chairs for outside dining. They are metal with no lower back support and are everywhere. I seek out places that have more support if I am spending time enjoying an apertivo or meal with others.

Food delivery has now become more popular and you see a number of delivery people on bikes with large insulated bags on their backs pedaling through the city. I had wondered how I would get my pizza from my local shop where I would go in and order it and watch it made. I would chat with the staff there while waiting and then walk the few minutes back to my apartment. But I was disappointed to find that they had not survived and closed this past year. They not only had pizzza but a large dining area where they specialized in neopolitan fish dishes. I had hoped delivery would keep them going.

I was surprised to see that some of the small restaurants with only a handful of tables had survived with the addition of the expanded outdoor eating. Perhaps their overhead is less overall.

Credit cards

One of things about living in Italy was the lack of use of credit cards for most transactions. At the local markets or cafes, you always paid with cash. Credit cards were used in restaurants or supermarkets usually when your bill was high. As an American I did not like to use mine as we do not have chip and PIN. When paying in Europe you enter your PIN into a hand held device the waiter would bring to your table. For Americans they would have to print off a receipt and you would sign it. In department stores when I used my credit card they often asked for ID.

But now it is the land of tap and pay. All my transactions at the supermarkets are in this fashion and it makes it easy for me as our cards are accepted with no need for a signature. The smaller cafes and local food markets still take cash. But as I have been paying with a credit card for my food shopping means I no longer have a wallet full of Euro coins to pay for small purchases. I have resorted to occassionly paying with cash to get needed coins. You do not want to use a credit card for a 2.50€ gelato!

Speaking Italian again…with a mask

As I suspected, speaking with Italians with masks on has provided me with some challenges. Like speaking on a phone, you lose the ability to read lips and react to facial cues. The hardest has been numbers for me which took me awhile when I first came here. When a cashier tells me the price and a long string of unfamiliar numbers are muffled behind a mask I look like a deer in headlights. Using my credit card has resolved that to some extent. But when I pay in cash, getting the cents part is where I stumble. So I just ask then – how many cents? And sometimes I hit paydirt and they respond in English!

I knew I was rusty in my language skills although I did online programs, watched Italian TV shows and read more books in Italian to improve my vocabulary. But having been away from hearing Italian all the time, my confidence has slipped and I feel like I am struggling to respond.

But an evening out at a friend’s home without masks and my speaking boosted by the flow of wine and lively conversations, I found my confidence rebound.

More to learn about

As I venture out to visit other areas and finally meet new found friends from my days of doing virtual tours with guides here, I am sure I will encounter other adjustments to living here.

But it is so wonderful to be back here warmly welcomed by friends and locals. I have a much better feeling of everyone pulling together during these times thus enhancing my explorations and encounters.