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April/May 202 2 VI MAGAZINE which had increased outdoor spaces by 50%. In Rome, where, according to the Commerce Commission, at least 1,500 platforms have been installed since the legislation came into force (but some say 2,200, with one in five being illegal), the fees for the use of the street must be paid. And those who do not comply with the regulations will be banned. In Turin, the outdoor dining areas installed during the pandemic are confirmed until the end of June and the free-of-charge scheme has been extended until 31 May. Emergency installations are also confirmed in Naples, at least until 30 June. For the “afterwards”, it is planned to make the concession subject to certain aesthetic requirements. ________________________________ AT PAGE 22-26 FOCUS ON The sky as a ceiling THE MOST CURIOUS FORMATS OF OPEN-AIR RESTAURANTS BRING CUSTOMERS TO THE TABLE IN FOR- ESTS AND UNDER STARRY SKIES OR ALONGSIDE URBAN GARDENS FOR ZE- RO-CENTIMETRE SOURCED SUPPLIES. THE MOST INTRIGUING DECOR? THE STARRY SKY ABOVE, THE SUNSET AS A WALL OVER THERE, ON THE HORIZON by Anna Muzio Everybody outside. And no longer (hopefully) by decree, but because of the desire for greenery, nature, fresh air and breath-taking landscapes - no longer observed from within, but immersed in their great beauty - is one of those legacies of the pandemic that we will probably carry with us for a long time. Perhaps it is also because the environment is threatened, and the desire to jump into the crowd is still lacking. So, there are many operators around the world who have thought of combining good food with a full immersion in nature. Of course, they are not new: for years now there have been ‘travelling’ tastings along Alpine paths, pieds dans l’eau dinners on the most remote beach and, in past seasons, vineyard picnics have been a great success. However, these are intriguing and original formats that we have discovered around the world, and it is not certain that they cannot be copied in various parts of Italy, where there is no shortage of natural beauty, with 11.8 million hectares of forest area, 7,914 km of coastline, 1.5 million hectares of natural parks and 871 protected natural areas on land and at sea. ITALY PINK SUNSET IN THE SALT PANS One of the most fascinating sunsets in Italy can be admired from the Stagnone Island Nature Reserve near Marsala when the waters of the salt flats turn a thousand shades of pink. From June to September, aperitifs and dinners are organised on Isola Lunga. The Salt Resort welcomes diners with a variety of menus to be enjoyed at dedicated, pre-booked tables and areas. The island can be reached by boat, with two dedicated trips leaving in the afternoon from the Ettore and Infersa salt flats. Return is by 11 p.m. under a sky full of stars. The reserve is home to a large number of protected or endangered species of flora and fauna and is entirely accessible on foot during the day. The dinners are a way to extend the visits, but also to experience it at its most magical moment, from sunset to night. https://www.seisaline.it/isola-lunga/ SWEDEN FOREST BATHING IN THE WOODS Nordic cuisine is at its best under conifers, because many of its most characteristic ingredients come from the forest, from red fruits to lichen, from mushrooms to shoots. In Scandinavia, as the cold dominates for most of the year, summer becomes the time when outdoor spaces are lived intensively. So Sweden has come up with Edible Country, “the world’s largest gourmet restaurant”, in collaboration with four-star chefs who have created an ad hoc menu. There are 15 tables - strictly outdoors - where you can enjoy this experience, from Lapland to the Stockholm archipelago, under the foliage of centuries-old trees but also by a lake or the sea. This is Forest Bathing, an immersion in the forest with its positive effects on health and well-being, in a gourmet style. https://visitsweden.com/edible-country/ tables/ NEW ZEALAND UNDER A DARK SKY OF STARS New Zealand is the first country in the world to work on certifying its skies as some of the most light-pollution-free and therefore suitable for observing the firmament in all its splendour. A number of places offer “dining under the stars” and are equipping themselves with heated igloos for the cold season, such as the Harbourside Ocean Bar and Grill in Aukland. The Astro Café also has spectacular views of nature (Lake Tekapo and Mackenzie Basin on the South Island) and a real observatory, as it is located