Once the sun sets, the temperature really drops quickly in Cortina, so you might think that people might start heading inside, but that is definitely not what happens. They do dinner really late in Italy, often not till 89, even 10 o’clock at night, so the hours between 6 and 9 are what’s called the Apertivo. That’s where you’ll find the ski crowd and the Olympic crowd. The Apertivo is *** pre-dinner ritual in Italy, and the idea is that you Open the stomach with some light snacks and maybe *** couple of drinks and all over Cortina, the bars have outside seating even in the winter. In fact, those are often the spots that fill up first. They have fires to stay warm, heaters, and of course the cocktails probably help with that as well. It’s festive. It’s fun, and it is very Cortina at the Milan Cortina Olympics. I’m Deirdre Fitzpatrick.
Advertisement
The mountain village of Cortina, Italy, comes alive at night after Olympic events end, transitioning from a sporty atmosphere to a social one. Hearst Olympic correspondent Deirdre Fitzpatrick explained that once the sun sets, temperatures cool off fast in Cortina, but instead of heading inside, people embrace the evening outdoors. In Italy, dinner is often enjoyed late, not until eight, nine, or even ten o’clock at night. The hours between six and nine are known as aperitivo, a pre-dinner ritual where the ski crowd and Olympic visitors gather.”The aperitivo is a pre-dinner ritual in Italy,” Fitzpatrick said. “The idea is to open the stomach with some light snacks and a couple of drinks.”All over Cortina, bars have outside seating even in the winter, and those spots fill up first. “They have fires to stay warm,” Fitzpatrick said. “And the cocktails probably help with that, too. It’s festive. It’s fun. And it’s very Cortina.”Cortina’s population is about 6,100 people, but it swells to tens of thousands over holidays and, of course, during the Olympics.
The mountain village of Cortina, Italy, comes alive at night after Olympic events end, transitioning from a sporty atmosphere to a social one. Hearst Olympic correspondent Deirdre Fitzpatrick explained that once the sun sets, temperatures cool off fast in Cortina, but instead of heading inside, people embrace the evening outdoors. In Italy, dinner is often enjoyed late, not until eight, nine, or even ten o’clock at night. The hours between six and nine are known as aperitivo, a pre-dinner ritual where the ski crowd and Olympic visitors gather.
“The aperitivo is a pre-dinner ritual in Italy,” Fitzpatrick said. “The idea is to open the stomach with some light snacks and a couple of drinks.”
Advertisement
All over Cortina, bars have outside seating even in the winter, and those spots fill up first. “They have fires to stay warm,” Fitzpatrick said. “And the cocktails probably help with that, too. It’s festive. It’s fun. And it’s very Cortina.”
Cortina’s population is about 6,100 people, but it swells to tens of thousands over holidays and, of course, during the Olympics.
