What I’ve Learned this Week – Italy and COVID

When I purchased our plane tickets to Europe in March I was hopeful by August we were going to be able to go.

Slowly but surely people started getting vaccinated and the virus started to decrease. Europe opened its borders and we got the green light to go.

So we went.

When we were in Italy we saw similar things that we see in the United States – some people were against the vaccinations. I spoke with someone in Verona about the atmosphere and apparently it’s a political issue not just in the United States but around the world.

People are using COVID as a political issue on both sides of the pond.

While in Italy anytime we went inside we were forced to wear masks. We carried our CDC vaccination cards and had to show it multiple times because some places you were not allowed to enter unless you had proof of your vaccination.

I didn’t feel like they were infringing on me. I felt like they were trying to keep everyone safe.

Half the world may disagree.

Someone in Italy said, “You have to show ID to drive. You have to show ID to vote. You have to show ID for so many other things. Why not for this as well? What liberties are being taken away by having to show the Green Pass? But there are many people here screaming it. You may not want it, but don’t complain when you can’t do somethings.” (The Green Pass is the European identification issued this summer to show you are vaccinated.)

In various cities throughout Italy we would ask the hotel staff or tour guides or restaurants how they were recovering and each one said it was rough. A few are still hopeful it will get better. And many thanked us for coming from America to tour Italy. “We love Americans,” they would say as we would poke fun of ourselves and how we butchered their language. “We miss the Americans.”

For example, Venice is one of the tourist highlights of Italy that usually average over 100,000 tourists a day per our gondola host. Now it is only about 30,000. Shops and restaurants have closed or have cut back on their days open because they can barely stay afloat. Trains were empty as we were traveling between the touristy cities and villages.

Italy was hurt bad because of COVID with a large portion of their country shutdown for weeks at a time. The tourist industry is still struggling, but they were so friendly to us.

I don’t know what I’m trying to say. Just that COVID isn’t just an issue in the United States with people for or against vaccinations. It’s not just an issue in the US where people feels it’s their rights to not be vaccinated.

It really is a global issue. And we all have a part in ending this virus. If we don’t try to take care of one another either by vaccinations or wearing masks or social distancing or being conscious of our surroundings this trend is peaks and valleys are going to continue.

And I like traveling and living to much to stay cooped up inside.

May we all work together to end this struggle…because people in America are still struggling due to COVID in the hospitality sectors.

Hopefully things will be better by November when we fly to Portugal…I already have my COVID tests to take with me, so unless they close the borders Lisbon, here I come.

Peace

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