Crowds of Christmas

While the epidemic is still spreading, the Winter holiday season may bring risk of increased Covid-19 transmission, mainly through the Northern hemisphere. According to the WHO,  there is an high risk of a new wave of Coronavirus infections in the first three months of 2021. This year has changed a lot our behaviors, as some EU countries, such as France, Spain and Italy, will replace lockdown with a curfew from 22:00 to 06:00.

Although new lockdown measures will be in place in Europe until the first week of January, many people would like to enjoy Christmas time and New Year's Eve with their parents and friends. Actually, since 20th December we have seen big crowds of Christmas shoppers mainly in Italian towns.

The safest way to spend Christmas time this year is with our own household in our home. 🎄

Expiry of post-Brexit transition

Do I need a passport to get the UK? Unfortunately, yes! From January 1st,  2021, free movement of people between the UK and EU will end. And from 2022 British people must pay for an electronic authorisation to travel to the EU countries.

Actually, it seems the UK and EU might find themself in a "no-deal" situation on January 1st. As a consequence,  from January 1st  Brexit will change many things. For instance, to visit Britain we have to make sure we have at least six months left on our passport. In addition,  importers and exporters have to label many goods, such as meat, fish, and plants in specific way. Food products shipped from the UK have to comply with EU standards. 

The good news is that lorries can continue to drive across the border between the Republic of Ireland (which remains in the EU Single Market) and Northern Ireland (which leaves the EU, as part of the UK).

The five pictures below taken in 2018 show some places in London. I have been to the UK three times without a passport, as there wasn't any restriction of free movement of people in Europe.

                    

The last time I went to London I saw the roads covered with show ❄☃️

Winter is coming

While Fall is going to an end, we continue to enjoy its colours. In Italy the main Fall colours are brown and yellow. It is unusual to find red and orange leaves as we see in North America. The wonderful Quercus Rubra, the northern red oak, is a native of Eastern United States and South Canada. 

It is also easy to see many red berries through the Italian forests in late Autumn.

So winter is coming, bringing cold nighttime temperatures.

The two pictures below show the environment where there are around 8000 last "maremmana" cattles. Those extraordinary strong and hardy animals live in Central Italy, between South Tuscany and Rome. 

In terms of EU legislation, the basic protection of those cattles falls under the " General Farm Animals Directive". According to the directive 98/58/EC, member states shall make provision to ensure the welfare of animals under their care ... cattles should be allowed to go outside, preferably every day.