We Italians (both Lois and I have dual British and Italian nationality) are a sociable lot. So, we are all very pleased that covid restrictions no longer curtail our lives, especially the most important things, like taking coffee, aperitivi, dining and chatting with friends. The wonderful rhythms of Italian life have mostly returned to normal.
That is not say that we are not socially responsible: each member of our society has a duty to be aware of the safety of others. So, while we may not wear our masks in open spaces, most of us carry them with us at all times, read to slip them on when the occasion demands, in a crowded public space or in the shops, for instance.
And this being Italy, it has led to a creative ‘’carrying of the mask’ at all times.
Elegant Italian women like Lois, for example, loosely tie their mascherini to their handbags (above), while Bill (whose English roots still make handbag-carrying a little embarrassing) simply slips his over an elegant (?) elbow: