baci ed abbracci
Spanish, French, or Italian - those were the options. I was about 11 years old and I had to choose which foreign language I wanted to study throughout middle school and high school. That amount of time sounded like infinity in my head, so I really needed to make a good choice.
Naturally, I chose Italian.
I had no useful reason to choose Italian - I am not Italian. I have no distant relatives that are Italian. I had never been to Italy. My knowledge of Italian food consisted of spaghetti and meatballs. I chose it because I thought it would be fun. Among all the classes we had to take, this was the one class that was mine.
Italian was mine for over eight years. Beyond minoring in the language - I listened to Italian music. I watched Italian movies. I learned how to make some authentic Italian food. I learned about Italian fashion (vero cuoio!). I cheered for the 2006 World Cup champions from round one. I read Inferno (in old Italian). I knew the fun words (chiacchierare - "to chat"), the crazy words (precipitevolissimevolmente - "quickly"), and the bad words (and gestures). I reached a point where I had dreams in Italian. Toward the end, I even got the chance to study for part of a summer in Sicilia.
It was a complete love affair.
This most recent trip was a wish my 11 year old heart made - two weeks where the Italia I learned and dreamed about as a young girl came to life - and I am so blessed and so grateful I could take this vacation.
---
Venezia
If the only thing I got to do this trip was ride in a gondola, I would have been happy. This activity had been on my bucket list since Day 1 of my love affair and I did not let this opportunity pass me by. From our gondola, I admired the red and white gondola posts, Casanova's house, and a particular building where with each floor, the shutters were painted a lighter color of green - creating an ombre' effect. Fun fact: There is only one female gondolier in all of Venice!
Venezia was truly the most enchanting city I've ever seen in my life. We of course saw the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, etc. But, our favorite thing was just to wander the streets and along the canals and happen upon the rare, quiet squares - sit down, and drink an aperol spritz.
Culinary highlights:
Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia
How lucky we were to see these five little towns dotting Cinque Terre without crowds after an orange alert and the rain lifted. How lucky I was to get to make new memories here. The sunset was unreal and gave me some of the best photos from the trip.
Culinary highlight: Grilled octopus dinner in Manarola.
Firenze
Walking around the corner inside all'Accademia took my breath away and made me tear up. Il Davide. He's in every textbook, guide book, gift shop...there's plenty of replica David statues around Firenze. But, the real Davide - there are no words.
Days in Firenze were so full and captivating - Uffizi galleries, Boboli gardens, il Duomo, Medici chapel, Dante's grave and house, il Ponte Vecchio, Gregorian chants at San Miniato, the view from Piazzale Michelangelo...But, I will never forget taking in the concert in our square from the steps of our 15th century hotel, and despite my aching feet and back, dancing to one song with you.
Fun fact: You can still see some of the bucchette del vino (little wine windows) in Firenze today. Essentially, these were wine counters - coins in, wine out.
Culinary highlights:
The view of Vesuvio from the water reminded me of views of Etna from Sicilia over 10 years ago when I studied on the island. Inside Capella Sansevero we saw the Veiled Christ and I wondered how the artist was able to make the folds in the shroud out of stone. We saw the Doll Hospital - a little creepy for me - a street full of nativity scene art and figurines, and an old church. On our way to the water, we saw Piazza del Plebiscito and finally, a view of Castel dell'Ovo where a movie was being filmed. After a 40 minute hike back to our hotel, we plopped on the bed and ate taralli for dinner - too tired to move and brave the livelihood of the city again.
Culinary highlights:
I had learned about Pompeii in history books that I poured over as one of my childhood dream jobs was an archaeologist. I thought that if I couldn't excavate the pyramids in Egypt, I could go to Pompeii and work there. I'll always be in awe of how people built such massive structures without modern tools and machines and curious about how people lived their lives so long ago - what was important to them, what they did, what they knew about the world around them...
Fun facts:
Never in my wildest Italian dreams did I think I'd be swimming off the isle of Capri. Or riding a boat through the Arch of Love listening to Whitney Houston belt out "I will always love you". Or admiring the grottoes up close and yachts (with helipads!) dotting the sea from the view above. Or sipping limoncello spritz on the ride back. What a luxurious thrill. I cherished the quiet on the hike we did on the isle to see L'Arco Naturale and wished I could have the same view from my backyard as mine is currently a view of a lot of dead plants.
Culinary highlights:
1,779 stairs. That is all.
Just kidding.
But seriously, my calves were still hurting a week later. But, also, I didn't have to take the bus. The 1,779 stairs were at the end of the Walk of the Gods hike. I sweat through all my clothing on that hike, but it was all for the views that postcards are made of. After climbing down the stairs and counting off every 100 steps, we walked a mile along the side of the road that the motorcycles zipped through to get to Positano. Special thanks to you for handling my gelato meltdown so well <3. From Positano we took the boat to Amalfi where I collapsed in a chair with an aperol spritz. But of all the views, the one I will never forget is from our hotel room in Praiano - you opened the French doors and saw an Italian stone pine and then that beautiful blue water. If it wasn't hazy, you could see Capri.
Culinary highlights:
Rome
By the time we got to Rome, we had walked over 82 miles since the start of the trip and we were tired. But we mustered up the strength to see the Colosseo, the Palatine Hill, and the Foro Romano the day we arrived. A guided tour would have been better, but honestly, I was so spent, I'm not sure I would have heard everything. We toured the major sites the next morning before the heat - Piazza del Popolo, la Fontana di Trevi, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon (my favorite piazza!) - and I thought it was strange that many of the piazzas were decorated with an Egyptian obelisk (no, really, from Egypt too) that was adorned with a cross on the top. In the afternoon we saw the musei Vaticani and the Capella Sistina. The Creation of Adam is smaller than you might think. Even though I was exhausted - I was grateful for the chance to make new memories here too.
Culinary highlights:
---
My 11 year old self knew I could never truly *be* Italian despite my ardent attempts to understand the language and culture. Many of the words and phrases I once knew are mostly lost from my memory. But, the love affair isn't - that's forever.
A ti - ti amo <3 When I graduated with my MBA last year, I had every intention of taking a trip like this on my own to celebrate. But, I didn't get the opportunity with the way my schedule worked out. I think that's because I was supposed to share it with you. These memories are now ours and I'll keep them close to my heart.
Al gruppo e il CEO - ti voglio bene! What fortune to travel all over Italia with y'all! I always looked forward to our group dinners and ordering dessert so I could hear about everyone's wonderful days and experiences. Please let me know if any of you are ever in town - you have a place to stay. It's no agriturismo, but I know how to make tiramisu. And salad. ;o)
baci ed abbracci,
KB
P.S. For anyone looking to take an amazing trip to Italy (or anywhere else in the world for that matter), I highly recommend G Adventures by National Geographic.
Naturally, I chose Italian.
I had no useful reason to choose Italian - I am not Italian. I have no distant relatives that are Italian. I had never been to Italy. My knowledge of Italian food consisted of spaghetti and meatballs. I chose it because I thought it would be fun. Among all the classes we had to take, this was the one class that was mine.
Italian was mine for over eight years. Beyond minoring in the language - I listened to Italian music. I watched Italian movies. I learned how to make some authentic Italian food. I learned about Italian fashion (vero cuoio!). I cheered for the 2006 World Cup champions from round one. I read Inferno (in old Italian). I knew the fun words (chiacchierare - "to chat"), the crazy words (precipitevolissimevolmente - "quickly"), and the bad words (and gestures). I reached a point where I had dreams in Italian. Toward the end, I even got the chance to study for part of a summer in Sicilia.
It was a complete love affair.
This most recent trip was a wish my 11 year old heart made - two weeks where the Italia I learned and dreamed about as a young girl came to life - and I am so blessed and so grateful I could take this vacation.
---
Venezia
If the only thing I got to do this trip was ride in a gondola, I would have been happy. This activity had been on my bucket list since Day 1 of my love affair and I did not let this opportunity pass me by. From our gondola, I admired the red and white gondola posts, Casanova's house, and a particular building where with each floor, the shutters were painted a lighter color of green - creating an ombre' effect. Fun fact: There is only one female gondolier in all of Venice!
Venezia was truly the most enchanting city I've ever seen in my life. We of course saw the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, etc. But, our favorite thing was just to wander the streets and along the canals and happen upon the rare, quiet squares - sit down, and drink an aperol spritz.
Culinary highlights:
- Prosecco on tap - can we get that here?
- The absolute best tiramisu ever and I am forever thankful to whoever ordered the extra one on accident at our restaurant on night two and let me have it - the one that came in the bucket.
Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia
How lucky we were to see these five little towns dotting Cinque Terre without crowds after an orange alert and the rain lifted. How lucky I was to get to make new memories here. The sunset was unreal and gave me some of the best photos from the trip.
Culinary highlight: Grilled octopus dinner in Manarola.
Firenze
Walking around the corner inside all'Accademia took my breath away and made me tear up. Il Davide. He's in every textbook, guide book, gift shop...there's plenty of replica David statues around Firenze. But, the real Davide - there are no words.
Days in Firenze were so full and captivating - Uffizi galleries, Boboli gardens, il Duomo, Medici chapel, Dante's grave and house, il Ponte Vecchio, Gregorian chants at San Miniato, the view from Piazzale Michelangelo...But, I will never forget taking in the concert in our square from the steps of our 15th century hotel, and despite my aching feet and back, dancing to one song with you.
Fun fact: You can still see some of the bucchette del vino (little wine windows) in Firenze today. Essentially, these were wine counters - coins in, wine out.
Culinary highlights:
- Florentine steak - I don't usually eat steak, but I appreciate a really nicely cooked one. And Florentine steak did not disappoint.
- Negroni - My new favorite drink. Allegedly, it was first mixed in Firenze about 100 years ago.
- Ed Sheeran gelato - I wonder if Ed Sheeran knows there was a gelato flavor named for him. Ingredients included apple, cinnamon, and ginger - of course!
The view of Vesuvio from the water reminded me of views of Etna from Sicilia over 10 years ago when I studied on the island. Inside Capella Sansevero we saw the Veiled Christ and I wondered how the artist was able to make the folds in the shroud out of stone. We saw the Doll Hospital - a little creepy for me - a street full of nativity scene art and figurines, and an old church. On our way to the water, we saw Piazza del Plebiscito and finally, a view of Castel dell'Ovo where a movie was being filmed. After a 40 minute hike back to our hotel, we plopped on the bed and ate taralli for dinner - too tired to move and brave the livelihood of the city again.
Culinary highlights:
- Pizza! The birthplace of pizza and I ate way too much!
- Baba' - Rum cake. I had it for breakfast, obviously.
I had learned about Pompeii in history books that I poured over as one of my childhood dream jobs was an archaeologist. I thought that if I couldn't excavate the pyramids in Egypt, I could go to Pompeii and work there. I'll always be in awe of how people built such massive structures without modern tools and machines and curious about how people lived their lives so long ago - what was important to them, what they did, what they knew about the world around them...
Fun facts:
- There is (big) phallic art everywhere - as a symbol of status and fertility, to be clear.
- They are still studying and excavating at Pompeii. I knew my younger self was on to something.
- Pink Floyd played in the amphitheater to nobody and it was filmed for a documentary in 1972.
- I wore a jeans skirt and a t-shirt and was sweating balls while our tour guide was in linen pants, a long-sleeved linen shirt, and a hat. I didn't see a bead of sweat on her face... someone explain.
Never in my wildest Italian dreams did I think I'd be swimming off the isle of Capri. Or riding a boat through the Arch of Love listening to Whitney Houston belt out "I will always love you". Or admiring the grottoes up close and yachts (with helipads!) dotting the sea from the view above. Or sipping limoncello spritz on the ride back. What a luxurious thrill. I cherished the quiet on the hike we did on the isle to see L'Arco Naturale and wished I could have the same view from my backyard as mine is currently a view of a lot of dead plants.
Culinary highlights:
- Risotto al mare and a divine lemon sponge cream dessert thing. I wish I could remember the name. There was even a cherry on top.
- Roadside lemon granita. I used to get these in Sicilia. "Italian ice" here hardly compares.
- Poolside prosecco - because, why not!
1,779 stairs. That is all.
Just kidding.
But seriously, my calves were still hurting a week later. But, also, I didn't have to take the bus. The 1,779 stairs were at the end of the Walk of the Gods hike. I sweat through all my clothing on that hike, but it was all for the views that postcards are made of. After climbing down the stairs and counting off every 100 steps, we walked a mile along the side of the road that the motorcycles zipped through to get to Positano. Special thanks to you for handling my gelato meltdown so well <3. From Positano we took the boat to Amalfi where I collapsed in a chair with an aperol spritz. But of all the views, the one I will never forget is from our hotel room in Praiano - you opened the French doors and saw an Italian stone pine and then that beautiful blue water. If it wasn't hazy, you could see Capri.
Culinary highlights:
- Agriturismo lunch - *drool* the freshest mozzarella. non-mushy tomatoes and eggplant. fresh pesto. semifreddo. Also, can someone please get married in the little garden terrace and invite me so I can 1) cry at how beautiful it will be and 2) eat all the food?
- Limoncello garden - It's a garden, not a farm - in case you were wondering. I could probably make some of the traditional kind on my own - but I don't know how to make the cream limoncello, and that was divine!
Rome
By the time we got to Rome, we had walked over 82 miles since the start of the trip and we were tired. But we mustered up the strength to see the Colosseo, the Palatine Hill, and the Foro Romano the day we arrived. A guided tour would have been better, but honestly, I was so spent, I'm not sure I would have heard everything. We toured the major sites the next morning before the heat - Piazza del Popolo, la Fontana di Trevi, the Spanish Steps, and the Pantheon (my favorite piazza!) - and I thought it was strange that many of the piazzas were decorated with an Egyptian obelisk (no, really, from Egypt too) that was adorned with a cross on the top. In the afternoon we saw the musei Vaticani and the Capella Sistina. The Creation of Adam is smaller than you might think. Even though I was exhausted - I was grateful for the chance to make new memories here too.
Culinary highlights:
- Cacio e pepe in Trastevere - one of my favorite pastas of all time.
- Meatballs - I will figure this recipe out because they were mouthwatering.
---
My 11 year old self knew I could never truly *be* Italian despite my ardent attempts to understand the language and culture. Many of the words and phrases I once knew are mostly lost from my memory. But, the love affair isn't - that's forever.
A ti - ti amo <3 When I graduated with my MBA last year, I had every intention of taking a trip like this on my own to celebrate. But, I didn't get the opportunity with the way my schedule worked out. I think that's because I was supposed to share it with you. These memories are now ours and I'll keep them close to my heart.
Al gruppo e il CEO - ti voglio bene! What fortune to travel all over Italia with y'all! I always looked forward to our group dinners and ordering dessert so I could hear about everyone's wonderful days and experiences. Please let me know if any of you are ever in town - you have a place to stay. It's no agriturismo, but I know how to make tiramisu. And salad. ;o)
baci ed abbracci,
KB
P.S. For anyone looking to take an amazing trip to Italy (or anywhere else in the world for that matter), I highly recommend G Adventures by National Geographic.
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