By Anna Bonavita
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been in Italy these past few months. All through the long isolation, sadness and uncertainty of the past 18 months, I have been dreaming of Italy. I promised myself at the first real possibility I will travel; I will not delay any longer visiting and physically being present with my friends there. And luckily I have been here since August - living in Cesena, the city which was my home for a while in pre-pandemic times. It also has given me a chance to visit the places we’ll be going to in 2022 and reconnect with the friends we’ll be seeing when we return in 2022 with Esperienza.
Yes, the place has changed a bit during the last two years – some stores and restaurants have closed but new ones have opened, and many new initiatives have started. It’s been a time of incredible rebirth and creativity in spite of and because of the pandemic. And it’s true that Covid is still visible in daily life here in Italy, as people are wearing masks everywhere even in open air markets. In mid-October the Italian government introduced the “green pass,” providing greater protection for both locals and visitors, and making it more and more difficult for the virus to spread. The return to the life as we once knew it is not easy, and in spite of my initial concerns, with all measures in place and followed strictly, I have felt quite safe. This has allowed me to visit the many villages we will return to next year, and to enjoy the gifts of meeting artists, artisans and chefs, going to the theater, to music concerts and last but not least eating out in amazing restaurants.
In the last days of October, I have taken some time away from scouting for Esperienza’s programs. I have been savoring the golden light and the warmth of the season, gradually parting with an unforgettable summer. The cooler weather invited some reflection. “Why Romagna,” I ask myself? This region has a genuine, magic warmth that you don’t find in other places. It’s a combination of its extraordinary beauty, the incredible but simple, honest, rustic food, profound joy in relationships and passion for what people do. And then there is the superb charm of rural Italy. The poet Tonino Guerra, a Romagna native who wrote screenplays for Fellini put it this way: “It is wonderful to find a place where your soul could catch up with you”.
The slow pace of the rural Romagna, invited me to focus on what truly matters – being present to experience the wonders of life and then to share them with you.
