In order to deal with security in Italy, the government has introduced some rules. The main rule is that mayors of Italian cities can introduce laws to take account of their own needs. If the new laws covered the whole of Italy, the holidaymaker would know where they stood but there are different laws in different cities. What applies in one place needn’t necessarily apply in another.

Thankfully, Hotel & Resort Insider (HRI) has pointed out some of the anomalies. In Genoa, for example, it is illegal to carry alcohol with you as you walk but in Rome it isn’t. But you can’t drink or eat as you walk. That may get you punished in Rome. In Venice your children can be in trouble if they block the way of people walking along the beach. Whether this is because your children are blocking the way themselves or have built sandcastle walls or whatever isn’t explained. You can’t play any beach sports there either so bang goes beach cricket or frisbee throwing. And you can’t wear swimming costumes outside the beach area.

And like Trafalgar Square in London, you can’t feed the birds in Lucca. That will get you fined.

So there are these local laws. Are they enforced? Or are they just part of a legal system that many Italians choose to ignore? I wouldn’t recommend ignoring it. It could be that the tourists get caught and fined just because they don’t know the rules.

And I’m still wondering why wearing a bathing costume in Venice constitutes a potential terrorism or security threat.