I think I have said "I LOVE ITALY" at least 30 times since we arrived in Venice on Monday. I keep telling Matt that Italy seems to be able to hear the secret whispers of my soul, and it actually answers them. It is spectacular. We head on to Rome tomorrow and from there, Tuscany, so I can only imagine how much more amazing the Italian leg of this trip can possibly become. So far, Venice is utterly magical. Like no place I have ever been.
Why I Love Italia
By Travelin' Mae
1) Pizza - Need I say more?
2) Pasta - The Spaghetti with oil and garlic here in Venice was seriously one of the top 5 meals of my whole entire life. Such a simple dish that I make all the time at home, but this was like eating gold.
3) Wine - It is literally cheaper than the water here. We spent New Year's Eve drinking wine on tap, sold in recycled water bottles, at the low low price of €1.50 per liter! Also, we think it is extra special that it is socially acceptable to drink wine any time of day, anywhere. Seriously.
4) Cheese - As Matt and I rode in on a train from Munich, through the beautiful Italian countryside and all its many vineyards, we spent a lot of time in the fabolus dining car, eating wonderful cheese and bread and drinking great wine. In the DINING CAR. On the TRAIN. Just imagine how good it is now that we are on land.
5) As we dined on the world's best pasta on 30 December, the Home Alone 2 soundtrack was actually playing. For those of you who know me, you know that there are few things I love better than Christmas music, and that this soundtrack is pretty much tops of all Christmas music as far as I am concerned. In fact, I played it myself on my iPod on Christmas Day. And here we were, FIVE days after Christmas, in Italy, dining on amazing pasta and wine, and listening to the magical sounds of Macaulay Culkin's wacky adventures. Ahhhh....
6) Mary Poppins on TV in Italian. Supercalifragilisticexpialidogo!
7) Gelato, Tartuffo, and especially Sorbetto. Somehow it is both creamy AND tart in the same moment. Delicioso!
8) The centuries-old villa we are staying in happens to be next to a bakery, so every morning around 5am, the greatest smell I have ever smelled in my whole life comes wafting into our room. Magic!
9) Post boxes - little, red, and freaking adorable. They make mail fun again!
10) Siestas - They respect the need for daily naps, minimum 2 hours long. Everything shuts down from about 1 till 3. Sweet Dreams!
11) Cappuccino - Delicious, and no Starbucks in sight!
12) Venice itself - so magical. And yes, we actually rode a gondola, which was spectacular.
13) At midnight on New Year's, it actually started snowing. For reals. Big, fluffy, dreamy snow. Sigh....
14) Everything sounds beautiful in Italian.
15) Purple is apparently the new black here, and not only do the Italians promote it, they embrace it fully. Everyone is in every imaginable shade of purple here.
16) Really cute Coca Cola cans - skinny and tall. I didn't expect it, but I am finding Coca Cola to be one of the comforts of home I am leaning on a lot here. Better than McDonald's, I figure.
17) Really great Chinese food. Yes, I am as surprised as you are. It was the only place open on New Year's Day, and it was GREAT. And lots of excellent vegetarian options, even egg rolls. Best Chinese food I've ever had is in Italy. Go figger.
18) So very romantic....
Grazie, Italia!
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Haven't talked to you in a few days- I'd say you are now WAY past being homesick and are having a super time! I love reading of your adventures almost as much as I do talking to you.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't think to write you from here- I'm so used to emailing from my address, probably like most people. But I know you don't care, so will probably continue the old way most of the time. I love you both- keep having so much fun that you forget you have parents. Almost.
Hi, guys! What a privilege to take part in your lives this way ... I almost feel as if I'm there, with the beauty of your narrative. My mouth is watering .... We miss your presence at MUU ... Suzanne did a Unitarian version of the Christmas story, interspersed with traditional carols from the hymnal. My favorite image was a shepherd singing as a most rare display of northern lights danced about him. You're in my heart, as always.
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