Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Photos from Florence, Italy during the shutdown





















What is happening in Italy today? 

Italians have been under stay at home orders for weeks leaving the streets empty, stores closed and tourists returning home to wait out the pandemic.


As a few of the strict rules are being changed or lifted, Italian cities are seeing a few signs of life.  
                       

The Italian flag is found on many balconies and hung from windows

When have you seen the piazza in front of Santa Croce empty?

The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross)


Locals leave food for anyone in need to help themselves


The street along the Arno river towards the Ponte Vecchio
This street is usually packed with tourists   


                    Photos by Sheila Ford, Real Estate Agent and passionate photographer.

Monday, April 20, 2020

CookinPuglia Italian Cooking lessons: live

                             CookinPuglia! 


 Ylenia Sambati

We offer private 2 hour workshops for up to 6 people, via Zoom and Skype in the comfort of your kitchen with every day classes.

The class is designed for everyone who wants to enjoy a cooking class at home,

having a great time learning the authentic Italian cuisine.

The class can be in Italian, English or both languages, informative and easygoing enough that you’ll have fun while you learn.

Your instructor will contact you to select the dishes and provide information and shopping list for the ingredients.


We also provide classes for healthy cooking, teaching how to cook for Awesome Energy, Italian Vegetarian Cooking and many more food programs. As well as helping you cooking, we also share facts and information about health and nutrition.

Classes are run daily, morning and afternoon sessions, based on your taste, necessity and preferred schedule.

Find Italian recipes and cooking basics that will build your confidence whether you're a complete novice or a kitchen pro, there’s something for everyone at Cookinpuglia Cooking School.

Once you make a reservation, an email is sent to you with the confirmed date of the class, the menu and the shopping list.

You can take as many classes as you like: one or even more per week, all at your own pace.

We will contact you to create a very personalized cooking class.

Gift vouchers: make the perfect gift for your foodie friends!

Look forward to cooking with you in your kitchen. Da Cucina a Cucina 

info@cookinpuglia.com


Sunday, April 19, 2020

Itailan Stories is bringing you chats with artisans in Italy A great way to pracitice your Italian!



Meet several Italian artisans though the efforts of Italian Stories.  

You may want to practice your Italian at the same time!




From tomorrow 18 April until 24 April we will be live instagram on the profile of Italian Stories, entering the laboratories of 7 amazing artisans who will tell you the secrets, peculiarity and difficulties but above all the beauty of their I work.   instagram.com/italianstories


Thursday, April 16, 2020

Italy: Life in Lockdown


ITALY:  Life in Lockdown 


We have all followed the horror and terror that has engulfed Italy during the past weeks. The heartbreaking news updates are hard to read and harder to watch as many people suffer in Italian hospitals. As of March 10, all of Italy was placed on lockdown. Tourist travel was halted and locals’ movements were restricted. The initial lockdown period was extended and could be adjusted to an even later date.

In order for residents to leave home, they must carry a document describing the reason they are out: grocery, pharmacy, medical appointments, to walk their pets. If approached without proper documentation, people can incur a stiff fine.
A portion of a permission form in Florence

Changes to the way Italians interact with each other and the fabric of their social network are challenged when they can no longer kiss hello, meet their friends for a chat in the piazza, take their daily passeggiata, men no longer meet at the bar or play cards, and women are not in the parks watching  children play. Will this change Italian life after the end of the pandemic?

Everyone must wear a mask when out. In the supermarkets, to keep the number of shoppers at a minimum, shoppers are kept outside until signaled to enter. They are spaced while waiting to check out and only when the shopper at the front of the line is finished and has packed their bag can the next shopper start the process.

Many are facing no work for weeks. The Italian government plans some assistance in addition to the suspension of rents and utility bills during the lockdown, but will it be enough for the many businesses that have been closed?


                                                                   * * * * * * * *
It is heart-warming to see entire neighborhoods out on their balconies singing or even exercising as a neighbor leads. Often neighbors who play musical instruments will offer a concert. While reaching out to colleagues and friends who are in lockdown, I found some have found innovative ways to manage endless days within their homes. Here are just a few of their stories.

Kelly Medford:  Rome


Kelly Medford, a talented Plein-Air artist in Rome, has worked indoors since early March. You usually find Kelly creating a new painting from a street location in any number of Roman neighborhoods or conducting her popular ‘SketchingRome’ tours. At the start of week 4, she described life indoors: “It is not easy. It helps to reach out and be on video chats with friends, send emails, anything we can do to connect. Online meditation and yoga classes have helped too.”

Kelly took it upon herself to reach out to others confined to their homes. She offers free online video drawingclasses several times a week as “a way to help keep everyone’s spirits up.” Each class covers a different skill allowing students the ability to layer each skill on the previous class work. The shutdown has encouraged others on her block to frequent the small food shop in her building. The proprietors wear protective gear and the patrons enter only one-at-a-time to make their purchases. 

One concern we each share is, will Italy be the same after this is over? Kelly is also concerned about the homeless in Rome. If they can no longer beg, how will they have the money for food?  



Marisa Convento, a skilled impiraressa (bead stringer) in Venice, shared photos of her neighborhood near Fondamente Nove. With permission to walk her dog, Toby, she recounts that you meet almost no locals on the deserted calli.  


On the allowable quick excursions to the market or pharmacy you can still hear the church bells peal from multiple bell towers. On a normal day, you would see locals walking, using the vaporetti or meeting friends on walkways now empty and quiet. Home delivery of meals is not that common, but Marisa says, “a few food retailers have started an online service.” Home delivery can be challenging for a city without roads and now without public transportation by vaporetti.





Prontopia is a unique personal travel app that connects travelers with locals who can assist them during their stay. CEO and Founder Shannon Kenny launched Prontopia in April of 2017. The service is available in four Italian cities, Barcelona, Spain, and Santa Barbara, CA. 




Once Italy announced that all residents must stay at home, Prontopia in Venice realized the problem this would be for some elderly residents or others who could not easily navigate a city with no transportation options.


Prontopia stepped up with a program to help deliver medicine, supplies and groceries as well as run errands or even walk the family dog. Ilaria Nardone, Prontopia manager for Europe, coordinates matching a Prontopia member with anyone requesting assistance.

To make it even easier, Prontopia is providing a free service to elderly for helping with grocery shopping, running errands and even walking the dog.    The service will be free for anyone over 65 years of age and for people with chronic illnesses until the end of the crisis.  Venice group Generazione 90 has joined with Prontopia to assist during the emergency. 

About 50 households, some who have signed up for regular service, are part of this special program.   
Contact Prontopia.com for all details