Buongiorno !
2020, what a year! I hope you and your family and friends are all doing fine and have so far managed to live around Covid19 or survived the virus and whatever lockdown measurements your government had decided on. In Europe, Italy was hit first and hard. Although the worst hit regions were in Northern Italy, the strict lockdown was all over Italy for about 7 weeks (from March 9 to May 3rd, 2020). Calabria was one of the lucky South Italian regions that had very few Covid cases, so far. The virus traveled in little doses to the South with those escaping the North and returning home to their families in Calabria.
Although Italy has allowed travel within Italy - for all Italians and foreigners across all regions - starting June 3rd, it has been very quiet in June. Just when the first European countries like France, Germany and Austria opened their borders mid June (after the Pentecost holiday), Britain decided to send everyone coming to Britain in a 14 days’ quarantine. So most Brits decided to cancel their holidays in order to avoid quarantine when returning home.
Airlines were struggling and cashing in billions of support from their government - like Lufthansa -, then announcing and advertising they would fly again to Italy in July. And when people booked flights, they would contact them a few days before and say: oh sorry, we are not flying. Travelers from outside Italy had little chances to make it to the South of Italy. Almost no direct flights in July. Flights with layovers longer than the usual direct flight and changing departure times and departure airports (!). Also some of the smaller Italian airports were closed and offer now fewer flights than before. No airline wants to fly half full these days.
Visiting Calabria this summer is a challenge. You need to be patient when flying, or take your car and drive!
In January, we had as usual 50% of the bookings for the year. In February we had our first - and for long last - guests. In March when the lockdowns were in sight, cancellations started and continued throughout April and May. End of May the first new bookings came in - by Italians only - for July and August so far - re-discovering Calabria, returning to their roots or even for their first time as they are looking for a ‘virus safe’ region for a relaxed summer holiday by the sea.
Since mid-July we are welcoming guests again in Pizzo Calabro, at our Studio Bellavista, at the Dependance delle Grazie and at Palazzo Pizzo Residence.
Restaurants and bars are filling up, every night and day with more and more guests, mainly from Italy but among them also some brave foreigners who somehow made it to the South, often by car.
Most Calabrese are still very cautious with the virus by keeping distance, by elbow greeting, using disinfection a lot, having a mask around the neck ready to wear when too close or entering a shop.
There is no shortage of toilet paper in case someone wonders. Other things are missing, annoying, breaking down, going wrong or slow, but hey, this is Calabria, paradise with defects …
BTW there is this hashtag trending on social media #nonveniteinCalabria = do not come to Calabria … which started with the low cost airline Easyjet describing on their website their flight destination Calabria (Lamezia Terme SUF) as a territory unfortunately ‘suffering from mafia and earthquakes’. So the most lovely dreamy photos can be found on Instagram with this hashtag. Even some Pizzitani became quiet creative and made a fun little video clip saying #nonveniteaPizzo, no no. Well, regarding one of the above mentioned problems, we are happy to see our (now ex) mayor of Pizzo after seven months in jail, finally free and back home with his young family. All allegations dropped. But long before that, Easy Jet had already apologised and changed their advertisement for Calabria.
It looks like this summer 2020 has finally started! In a pleasant different pace.
Enjoy the sun and the sea if you are around!
Contact us directly if you are interested in booking an entire holiday home / vacation apartment for you and your partner or family. We still have availability in September and some in August.
Saluti cordiali
Susan
PS: The tartufo ice cream is the best ever this year!
