Italians seem, to me, very into sensuality ‘ but they keep it generic. I was told that in Italian, rather than differentiate and talk about hearing, smelling, or tasting things, they talk about “sensing” them (“sentire”): Did you sense the ambience as you walked by? Wow, sense this wine. Oooo, sense these flowers. Rather than ask, “Are you listening?” they’ll ask, “Do you sense me?”
With that in mind, I’m noticing how most of the police I see on the streets in Florence are women; I sense that I find gun-toting Italian police women strangely attractive.
Noting how pleasant Florence is, now that the center of town is essentially traffic-free (and patrolled mostly by female cops), I said “very cool.” My guide then said, “We have no word for ‘cool’ or ‘awesome’ in Italy. I think we should invent them.”
Later, we were talking about someone having “soul.” My guide referred to it as “animality.” He just assumed we had a word for their word, animalità, which means “soulful.” He insisted that the word “animality” exists in English. “Perhaps,” I said, “but I’ve never heard it used.” Then Robert, who’s really into word derivations, said, “‘Anima’ means soul. Your animal-ness is your soul. If you feel your animality, your mind is free. When your thirst and hunger are properly dealt with, you can deal with an Etruscan banquet of philosophy/sex/politics/religion freely. After the Last Supper, Jesus could offer a proper last goodbye. First eat and drink, then it is easier to properly elevate the interpersonal connections. For example, in the Irish wake, first you eat and drink. Then you really connect with anima.”
I’ve long said in my lectures that different countries have their own dreams. But here, I’m told, Italians have the American Dream, too. According to their “sogno americano,” life is good and your dreams can be possible if you work hard. I find that in 2011 people are working hard, and, while Italy is still Italy, there’s an efficiency sweeping the land.
It was wonderful celebrating Easter in Italy. I’m glad I’m not like the old women here who, when they hear their pope speak on TV with a German accent, change the channel in disgust.
I found a great restaurant (Trattoria de Tito on Via San Gallo), which helped me put my finger on why Italian restaurants in the USA just can’t compete with the eating experience here. It’s a matter of many factors: The quality of ingredients is unbeatable in Italy, the local life-loving crowd creates an unmatchable ambience, the power of the owner’s personality keeps the energy right, and the terroir of actually eating after the foreplay of a day in Tuscany is something you can’t get anywhere but here. Another advantage restaurants here have over their American counterparts: When dining under medieval vaults, there’s no cell-phone reception.
I learned to order my food first, and then let the waiter choose an appropriate match of wine to create “a good marriage.” With wooden plates of pig’s cheek salami, salami with fennel, and having the “walnut, ricotta cheese, and honey 1 + 1 + 1 = 4” experience, we were on to the second bottle before the first course was finished.
At that restaurant I heard a newlywed woman give it the wildest compliment. She told her husband, “Marrying you was fine, but this dinner makes the entire honeymoon.”
One reason travel is so endlessly fun and entertaining for me is that I am pretty naive. I can’t believe that, when my waiter brought a nice plate of cheese and said, “this is Parmesan,” I asked where it was from. That’s like asking who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb. And the camera was rolling.
Florence is in my top five, I`m so glad you find it as charming as I do. Just one more reason for me to love you.
Finding a woman of authority (cop) with a gun strangely attractive is not that strange for one with a certain type of sexual preference. Be sure and mention it the next time you visit your dominatrix and enjoy. I agree that Florence is an endlessly fascinating city.
Any thoughts today on how Europe is dealing with the killing of Osama Bin Laden? We are on our way in 5 weeks and hope that it is not going to be harder than normal to travel. Although it seems like every spring that we have gone in the last few years there is one issue or another.
A BIG problem with Italian restaurants in America is too much garlic in the food! Why Americans think `more` garlic is better is a mystery to me. It should enhance the flavors ant not overpower them. That was one of the surprises of my first visit to Italy a few years ago.
Beautifully written. I appreciate the way you add color and depth to a place while not straying too far from the aspects of Italy that travelers are looking for in the first place. Thanks!
Rick – So nice to meet you this morning in Vernazza. You were extremely gracious in allowing your picture to be taken with us. I hope you don`t mind my tongue-in-cheek synopsis of meeting you as posted on my family`s sabbatical blog (http://frenchsabbatical.wordpress.com). Most kindly, Andy Smallman
Are you in Rome today? I think I saw you! Hope you`re enjoying your travels! I sure am, thanks to your podcasts! Thank you!!!!!!
I liked Vernazza except for the trains roaring thru every 30 minutes in the middle of the night – closest I might come to the Orient Express. Stay in La Spezia, 20 minutes away by train.
We saw you today at the Colosseum, you were on the way out with crew, we were on the way in with our quick-moving guide. Sorry we did not get a chance to say “hi”. Any hints where you might be over the next few days so we can thank you in person for all your wonderful tips? Jon and Beth, St. Petersburg, Florida
Hi Rick! Sounds like your journey has been great! We`re the couple that caught you stepping out of Carabe Gelateria in Florence on the 14th and swapped restaurant stories. Could it be that we actually recommended a restaurant to the Great One of travel?! But da Tito seemed to be known by Florentines so you`d end up visiting sooner or later. We went to Antica Trattoria da Tito on the eve of the 13th and the place was lively, mostly filled with Italians and the waiters relish their job. One waiter performed a magic trick for another table, another play-flirted with some Italian girls nearby and ours insisted, repeatedly, that we try our first ever Limoncello, on the house – ummmmm – it`s like he really wanted to see the expression on our faces when we downed a shot of creamy yum (limoncello virgins, no doubt). These antics weren`t staged tourist entertainment – there only seemed to be one other table with Americans. That`s they way they like to work. Food: excellent too! Service: Fun. Atmosphere: super upbeat, almost celebratory. I`ve been following your philosophy since 1987 when I took my first European trip and your advice accelerated my travel learning and appreciation for real living and for our counterparts overseas. I`m Glad we could give something back – even just a restaurant recommendation (heh, heh – taking some credit). This trip, I enjoyed taking my fiancée to Europe (her first) and she really enjoyed the immersion-style travel you teach in ETBD. When in Orvieto, try out another rave restaurant: I Sette Consoli. Quiet, upscale, with truly memorable Umbrian cuisine (Mom`s gourmet cooking). Full meals are around 60E per person so it`s a splurge, but worth every cent – the mouth-watering flavors! Deb and Don Fountain Valley, California.