Ambasciatori del turismo 2021 – Camping Dei Fiori

Every year the municipality of Cavallino Treporti rewards the guests of the campsites who have shown their loyalty to the territory over the years, conferring them the title of Ambasciatori del Turismo. It‘s a recognition of Italian and foreign citizens who choose the town as a destination for their holidays every Summer. This year, the Walzl family was awarded at Camping Dei Fiori, represented by Mrs. Marlene, who renews her loyalty to our structure every year since 1979.

We met Marlene during the 2021 Ceremony of Ambasciatori del Turismo. The first impression is of a petite, discreet woman with a beautiful bearing and a refined elegance. Accompanying her throughout the official ceremony, there were her two daughters and her grandson. Marlene doesn’t see them often. She lives in Alto Adige, while her daughters have been living in Cavallino Treporti for years: returning to these places, therefore, for her means first of all reuniting with her family.

We have the opportunity to speak to her for the first time at the end of the ceremony and we immediately grasp her humanity and sweetness. She tells us that she is a former nurse, sharing her experiences of volunteering and how these are still important in her daily life. Her story moves us, we talk pleasantly, and we would like to extend our time with her: we must instead postpone the conversation to another moment, because a photoshoot at Lio Piccolo awaits us.

We see Marlene again a few days later, she remembers of our work task and immediately, with concern, asks us if in the end we were able to photograph the sunset at Lio Piccolo. We answer yes, and we meet at the pool to chat with her about her experience at Camping Dei Fiori over the years.

That same afternoon, we see her arrive punctually at the scheduled time. She smiles at us, and her eyes probably smile too, behind the mirrored glasses she always wears to protect herself from the sun. She sits on the edge of the bed and invites us to do the same. It takes her a few moments to find the words to start the conversation. Then, with her eyes fixed on the pool, she starts to speak.

«We arrived at Camping Dei Fiori for the first time in the Summer of 1979 with our caravan. It was not our first holiday on the coast of Cavallino Treporti: we had already been there in the previous season, that of 1978, in another campsite nearby. During the winter of the same year, my husband came for a ride in the lagoon and saw the sign of Camping Dei Fiori. We stayed there the following holiday, and every year since we have reconfirmed our choice with pleasure. It was a real love at first sight and staying here has become a pleasant habit: every Summer, with the exception of the first one, we always choose the same pitch, which has now become in a certain sense ours. Even our “caravan neighbors”, many times, have renewed their loyalty to the structure by always choosing the same area for camping and so, year after year, we found ourselves here. We have made friends with many families, especially German and Italian. With them, it happened that we hang out even during the cold season, outside the context of the campsite».

Marlene is a symbol of our camping, she has experienced most of the changes in the structure over the years. We ask her if she is satisfied with the improvements that have been made and she replies without even thinking about it: «I enjoyed every renovation. When I was younger, I used the services of the structure much more and I had the pleasure of noticing the improvements of the beach, but also in the activities: the animation team, in particular, every year added some new form of entertainment, making the days always pleasant and lively. What I like most, however, is the familiar atmosphere in the air, which is rare to find elsewhere. The humanity and care of the staff have always been a distinctive trait and, like some guests, some employees have also become friends: Roman (the swimming instructor), for example, or Rino the lifeguard, of which I still have a splendid memory. Here everyone is always available and even among the campers themselves there is often solidarity and mutual support. I too, on occasions when it was possible for me, offered a hand, especially when there was a need to translate from German to Italian and vice versa».

We ask her what has remained, in particular, in her heart all these years.

«The places: the whole lagoon, the islands, Venice itself. Even more, people. One of the biggest emotions I think was the birth of Aida, the second child of Federico and Stephanie (they both work at the Ristorante Pizzeria Dei Fiori). I have known Fede for many years, it was touching to witness such an important moment in his life and in his family. Another memory I treasure is the 90th birthday of a friend of mine, which we celebrated in style at the campsite restaurant. In general, this place brings back a lot of good times because it has been and still is an important part of my life. For many years I have shared the Summer season with my mother, who came on holiday with me. Renewing my love for this campsite also means renewing, to a certain extent, the memory I have of her».