Hello; New member from Vancouver Canada

[Damon]

Hi All,

I've just joined Slow Europe, after friends (ArtnBarb) referred me to a thread here. I was part of Slow Travel (I think it was) years ago, and haven't been on travel forums much since it closed.

My wife and I quit work at the end of Feb 2020, just in time to 'stay home' for 18 months. All the big travel plans went 'poof' pretty quickly. We were both landscape architects, and have always been dedicated travellers. Europe has been our focus, and Italy the main destination for the last 15 years or so. An Italian passport, house and some modest language skills have been the result.

As we're two weeks away from a return to Italy this seems like perfect timing to get back onto a travel forum.

Cheers,

Damon and Jamie

 

[SMJ]

As a fellow Canadian, I will be interested to hear your travel experiences to Italy from Canada...ie: which CV19 tests and proof did you have to show and where, both in Canada leaving and arriving, and the same in Italy.
Thanks!

 

[Damon]

Hi @SMJ
A good request and reminder. I will certainly share our experiences with the community. At this point, we're taking the BC Gov't immunization 'card' on our phones and as paper print outs. I also have photos of the actual little sticky things that we got at the pharmacy after we received our Astrazenica shots. A test the day before we leave as well.

Some persons have said that they have printed out the latest Italian gov't ruling in Italian and in English. I'll do that as well, but I think that will be more for museums, restaurants and trains.

At the moment I'm more concerned about Covid Green Pass compatibility than actually entering the country. Not sure if there is a thread about this already, but I'll certainly start one if necessary.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Hello Damon
How did your intended trip to Italy work out? Were you successful in actually getting there?

 

[Damon]

Hi JC,

Yes, we've been to Italy and France, as well as Ireland and England. I'm likely going back to Italy for a few months this spring. I'm not getting younger, smarter or better looking so, no time to waste.

We're planning the biennale in Venice and another show in Padova. After that, either Rome or southern France. Big talk, but time's a wasting!

 

[Johnny Canuck]

Good on you!
I know from where you're coming.
or maybe I should say, I know where you're coming from!
How did you manage to get an Italian Passport? heritage?

 

[Damon]

Jure Sanguinus? Basically, my grandparents were Italian, and they were still Italian citizens when my dad was born. Thus he was an Italian citizen, and so I am. Ultimately, after a lot of paperwork and sending docs around the world, I was granted Italian citizenship through the bloodline. Or, continuous Italian citizenship in the family.

It is nice to have, as it makes travel to Italy and the EU easy. Otherwise, it is a nice 'thing' to have. Like something that is important to me, even if not of immense practical value day to day.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

I understand.
We have British passports that used to afford us easy entry into all of the EEC without question. After Brexit? I don't honestly know, but we don't need visas for Europe with a Canadian passport; we just have to join a different queue.