Gemma Green Close

Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 15: Meet the Winemaker – A Super, Tuscan Experience!

Podcast: Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Hi and welcome to the Passion for Italy Travel Podcast.  This is Lindsay, from the Tampa, Florida office. Today we discover a super, Tuscan experience.

Have you ever noticed the power of flavor and aroma to transport you to places far from home, but close to your heart?

One night this week it was storming in Tampa. Our usual evening walk was not possible. So, instead, my husband reached for one of our special bottles of wine and we went out on the porch to listen to the rain and dream of Tuscany.

Today, we will share with you the winery that has brought us and all of our clients who have visited such joy through the years.  We will hear from the winemaker himself as he shares a special message with our Passion for Italy Travel clients and followers, and some stories about the family; their recipes, their wines, and their passion.

Near the beautiful medieval village of San Gimignano with its grand towers, stunning vistas, and world-famous gelato, lies a winery where passion runs as deep as the roots of the vines themselves.

Pierluigi Giachi, along with his wife, Luciana, and their children, nieces, and nephews strive daily to produce the best products of Tuscany, and welcome guests from all over the world to their Tenuta Torciano Winery.

Years ago, before I worked for or had ever heard of Passion for Italy Travel, my husband and I had lunch at Torciano on our first trip to Italy together.  Lillo, nephew of the winemaker led us through our tasting with a passion and humor we will never forget.

Just over a year later, I was training with PFI’s director, Gemma, and she was telling me about the most wonderful winery where we send clients for lunches with wine tastings, cooking classes, or even truffle hunts. 

As soon as he overheard the name, my husband, Matt, came running in the room waving our empty bottle of Cavaliere Super Tuscan that we were saving so we would never forget the name of the winery. He pointed to the name on the bottle. It was the same place.

Torciano Winery had etched itself not only into our memory, but into our future, and I was so excited to know I would get to work with such a special place for years to come.

In 2018, after making several bookings for clients there, we finally got to book our own return trip.  It had been 3 years since our first visit.

Walking up the familiar path, we were greeted instantly by another of the winemaker’s nephews, Gabriele. As we were waiting for other guests to arrive, Lillo saw us and came out to chat. He recognized us still. We all had to laugh at how on earth it had already been three years!

Sitting down at his table, right where we had before, we felt at home.  Out came the pappa al pomodoro, a fabulous tomato soup. Then, enter Lillo pouring the winery’s own truffle olive oil, which to this day is the best I have ever had. “You will love this soup, my grandmother’s soup!”

My favorite thing about a Torciano experience is the way the family’s passion shines through every aspect. Sitting at the table, we hear about the recipes and the nonna who passed them down.  We get to know the only member of the family to have his portrait on a bottle of a namesake wine, because Bartolomeo who began this winery in 1720 had 18 children!  We laugh his descendants as they point out maybe the great-great-great-great-great… grandmother should have made it on the bottle with him!  

Here, it is not just a brief explanation and a sales pitch.  The family welcomes you in. Each wine, each recipe, has a story to tell.

As we sat sipping the Chianti Classico Riserva, Lillo told us the story of the black rooster that has come to symbolize the wine and the region.  The two rivals Florence and Siena both wanted control of the Chianti region. They reached an agreement that on a selected day each would send out a rider at the crow of a rooster and they would ride towards each other.  Where they met the boarders would be drawn.

Siena chose a white rooster and fed him plentifully thinking that if he went to bed happy, he might wake earlier.  Florence, instead, chose a black rooster, and sent him to bed hungry so that he would wake early the next morning and give Florence a head-start.  Sure enough, the black rooster woke so early that the Florentine rider made it quite near to Siena, claiming the entire territory for Florence.  So, today, we still see the black rooster, or il gallo nero as the symbol of the region.

It is impossible to spend time at this winery without wanting to share it with your friends back home. Luckily, the family offers a solution to that problem! Every year during normal circumstances members of the family travel all over the US to visit those of us who love it and want to offer a little taste of Tuscany to our friends at home.

A few months after our second visit with Lillo, his cousin, Letizia, every bit as passionate about her family and their wines, arrived in Tampa to host a wine school at our Italian Club. What a pleasure it was for all of us to spend an evening laughing together, learning together, tasting incredible wines, and letting her take us, if only for a few hours to her beautiful home in Tuscany. 

Over the years, every client I have sent to Torciano has reached out the same day, sometimes from the winery, to shoot me a quick message saying, “This place is awesome!”, “I want to host a wine school!”, or a simple, “Thank you, this has made our trip”.  

Some clients choose a pasta cooking class, some want the pizza class. Some have always dreamed of hunting truffles, and others prefer to leave the cooking to the nonna and instead just spend a couple of blissful hours under a vine-draped pergola immersing themselves in local culture and flavor.  All of them leave feeling a like a part of the family.

This February, right before Covid became such a nightmare, we were blessed to spend an evening back at Torciano. 

There is nothing like a warm Torciano welcome to fend off the cold.  We were greeted by Gabriele, who exchanged our frigid handshakes for a glass of Chianti Classico Riserva telling us,  “You know what they say, cold hands, warm heart!”

Glass of wine in hand, he took us out into the vineyards to meet Signor Pierluigi Giachi, bidding his vines buonanotte as the sun sank over the surrounding hills.  He introduced us to the “grandmother vine” the oldest on the property, and explained how one grape variety grows beautifully here, another on the next hill, and another on the hill over there. How the soil and sun dictate which grapes will thrive in which area. 

Standing in the vineyard, taking in the beauty of the landscape and the moment, watching the sky explode with colors from peach to red and purple, tasting the wine while getting to know its papa`, is an unforgettable moment.

Walking back inside, the room, painted in a quintessentially Tuscan soft gold, was almost glowing with warmth. The table was arranged stunningly with bottles of wine, glasses for each, olive oils and an aged balsamic vinegar.  Our first course was a homemade Ribollita, a traditional Tuscan winter soup, and this was the best I have ever tasted. Gabriele topped it with the family’s pepper infused olive oil, as Melanie poured us a glass of the exquisite Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

They know what they are doing with these pairings. A sip of the wine brought out the chili spice from the olive oil, and the spice brought out a subtle sweetness in the wine.  On to a wonderful arrabbiata pasta with truffle oil for vegetarian here, and wild boar for Matt.  We were in heaven. And then came, our favorite part of the meal, always, the experience.

Gabriele and Melanie sat to chat with us. One moment explaining the wines, and the next just enjoying conversation. We laughed together as we discovered that it was him who greeted us on our last visit before Lillo recognized us. We talked about travel, about wine, about friends. As always, we felt not only welcome here, but at home.

As we left that evening, we had great plans to share the experiences with clients this year, to celebrate the anniversary of the winery, and to host another wine school with them in Tampa. A month later, it became clear that none of that would be possible as we had imagined.

Yet, the winery has found a way to keep in touch with all of us who have been blessed to discover it. Every Friday night they offer an online cooking class with chef Massimo. They are free to watch on facebook, and sure to put a smile on your face. 

Some weeks we have been able to say hi to Lillo, last week Pierluigi himself stayed up past midnight his time to be able to keep in touch with his friends in the US and beyond.  Just hearing his voice, hearing the way he lovingly describes his wines and humbly thanks each person, the friendly banter in the kitchen, all of it makes us feel like we are there again.

Finding ways to keep in touch like this has certainly been a bright spot in the darkness of this year.  

When I explained that I would like to feature him and his winery in this podcast, Pierluigi Giachi asked me to share this message with all of you,

“Good morning Lindsay! I would like to say that I hope that all my friends are fine after this difficult covid period and I wish them all the best. This year I would have loved to celebrate all together the 300 year anniversary of Tenuta Torciano, but as it was not possible, I really hope to meet everybody in Tuscany next year to drink a glass of wine and celebrate together! We are waiting for them with a lot of news, starting from the new hotel up to many new wine collections. Thank you for your support.”

I sent a few photos of our visits through the years to the family once we returned from that trip and the covid situation began to play out.

Pierluigi wrote back,

“Love these moments, we will have many more in the future! You are now part of our big family.”

Is there a better reason to travel than to feel a welcome like that?  The wines are spectacular, the scenery breathtaking.  The same could be said for countless vineyards in Italy and beyond.  Here, the special thing is the ability to open a bottle, swirl the glass and stick your whole nose inside like the family taught you, laugh as you remember Lillo pointing to his nose and saying, “Italian… it is not so easy for me!”, and take a sip which instantly brings you back to the table full of laughter and smiles.

At Passion for Italy Travel we select experiences that make you understand the culture and feel like a part of it.  Accommodations where you’re greeted by name each morning, guides who are knowledgeable, but also personable, places where you arrive a stranger but leave as a part of a big family you will welcome you back time and time again.

Once we can all travel again, please reach out to us at PFI Travel to plan your trip to this winery, and to Italy.  We will carefully weave together experiences like this one which will stay in your mind and heart long after you return home. 

Buon Fine Settimana!  May we all keep dreaming of Italy and keep its people in our hearts until we are able to return.

Category: Passion For Italy Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 14: Reaching for the Stars with Dante – How Learning the Italian Language Changes Everything

Podcast: Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Today we are talking about the Italian language. Its beauty, its history beginning with Dante Alighieri, and how we can use this time when many of us cannot travel to Italy, to be able to assimilate once we land in Il Bel Paese.

We all tend to equate Italy with antiquity, and with such vast history it is easy to assume Italy as a country is quite ancient itself. So, a lot of people are surprised to learn that Italy, a unified Italy as we know it today was only established in 1865. The same year our Civil War here in the states came to and end.

So, what about the language?  Well, we owe modern-day Italian very much to the Florentine poet, Dante Alighieri who broke with tradition of writing poetry in Latin and chose instead to write his Divine Comedy in the everyday tongue he spoke, the Tuscan or Florentine dialect.

Of course, like Shakespeare to the English language, modern Italian has changed, but the impact of Dante on the language is undeniable. 

Without making you feel like you are back in English class, just listen to the first few lines of the Inferno, his journey through hell. 

Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita

Mi ritrovai per una selva oscura,

che la diritta via era smarrita.

Ahi quanto a dir qual era e` cosa dura

Esta selva selvaggia e aspra e forte

Che nel pensier rinova la paura!

 Tant’e` amara che poco e` piu` morte;

ma per trattar del ben ch’i’ vi trovai,

diro` de l’altre cose ch’i’ v’intrai

…

In the middle of the journey of our life,

I found myself in a dark wood,

For the straight way was lost

Ah! How hard a thing it is to say

how that wood was so wild and harsh and strong

that the thought of it renews the fear!

It is so bitter that death is little more so

But to tell of the good I found there

I will tell of the other things I saw

And so, begins Dante’s journey into hell.  It is slightly reminiscent of this difficult time to me, and through countless dark woods of my life, I’ve found a sort of comfort in Dante. 

So? What is the point, right? 

Well, miei amici, the point is, this is a hard time we are facing, for many reasons.  Illness, job loss, fear of both, exciting plans cancelled, trips to Italy cancelled, couldn’t we all use something good to focus on?  A way to not only better ourselves but make those trips we hope to take in the not so distant future even more special?

One thing we can do, wherever we are, is learn the Italian language. 

Is this a necessity when visiting Italy? Not really.  Most Italians, especially in the tourism sector speak English very well if not fluently.  It will, however, elevate your experience beyond your imagination.

I stumbled into my first visit to Italy, thanks to my mother teaching good old Dante and wanting to visit his hometown of Florence with her students. 

Without knowing the first word, I feel deeply in love with the country, and with the language.  Its intonation, its music, its joy.  The mere sound of it captivated me. 

Those first few trips, I still knew nothing of the language beyond, “Ciao”, “Grazie”, and “Prego”.  Italy had my heart, but I wanted to belong, to be a part of the place and its culture, so I took all the classes I could and even majored in Italian in college.

I have already told you how my husband and I met studying Italian there.  Between working, moving, and saving, it took us four years after we were married to be able to go to Italy together for the first time.

Within moments of being there and speaking with people we found ourselves at first tripping over words until our story became easier.  People would ask, “But, why do you speak Italian?” Italians are rather romantic, so hearing we met studying their language made people instantly warm to us.

My family, friends, and I were always treated splendidly as tourists.  Yet, we were still treated as tourists.  Someone who will come and go and will likely never be seen again.

When Matt and I went and could actually chat with locals, things changed. 

One moment that sticks out to me is when we walked through Rome’s Borghese gardens and to the beautiful terrace that overlooks Piazza del Popolo.  There was a little red cart there selling snacks and refreshments.  We bought a beer and had just eaten lunch, so we were not too hungry. 

We ordered in Italian, simple enough, “Due birre per favore”, and the man could not believe it.  We talked with him for a few minutes until more customers came up, and he insisted on giving us a bag of chips to enjoy as we walked around, a thank you for loving his country so much.

Later that day as we explored, we were passing in front of the enchanting Spanish steps.  A group of friends maybe 18-20 were walking by us chatting and we overheard one of them speculating that I was from Milan and Matt was from Russia.  We almost died laughing as Matt is the one with Italian heritage but since he studied in Milan most Italians automatically think he is Russian.

Seeing the difference in that first trip, even though we were rusty and made countless mistakes, we connected with people like I never had before.

Since then, every time we go back, the usual conversation of how and why we learned the language in the US lands us in the most incredible conversations.

Back in February we stayed in one of Florence’s most charming bed and breakfasts. Gordana, who I am in touch with constantly during normal times hugged us as soon as we walked in the door and greeted us every morning as we would head out to explore the city.

On a residential street a bit removed from the most touristy restaurants right by the Duomo we discovered a tiny trattoria run by a family of three.  The conversations began as they always do, “Where are you from? Why do you speak Italian?” Before we knew it, the five of us sat talking. About their delicious food and house wine from San Gimignano, and about life in the city. How the dad hated driving a car. We simply chatted, and it was lovely.  

On the walls were two little signs that read,

 “La vita e i sogni sono fogli di uno stesso libro”  “Life and dreams are pages of the same book”,

and,

 “Addormentati sempre con un sogno. Risvegliati sempre con un proposito.”  “Always fall asleep with a dream. Always wake with a purpose.”

Getting to know this family it seemed that they lived the words of both, as do we. 

During those few days, no matter where we went for dinner, the family would invite us in for cantucci e vin santo, a traditional Tuscan welcome that made us feel like we were at home.

These are the moments, the connections that we are blessed with when we learn the language.  You do not have to speak it perfectly. Goodness knows I need to practice more!  The thing is, when you show that you have put in the time and effort to learn, it says, “I choose this place. I want to belong. I want to understand.”

And the people reward your efforts by assuring you that you do indeed belong and will always be welcome there.

My heart, many of our hearts, no doubt aches right now to be there.  It breaks for the people who have suffered much, lost much, and fear for their futures. 

This has in a sense been a sort of hell for many of us and for countless reasons.  And yet, like Dante, let us focus on the good that can come of it.  Maybe this time when we are so disappointed to have had to cancel or postpone can actually make our experiences infinitely more meaningful when we can finally get there.  

Dante, father of the Italian language ends his Inferno, having traversed the darkness of hell and all it taught him with what to me is the most beautiful line in all of literature,  

“E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle”.

“And so we came forth and once again beheld the stars.”

Category: podcast Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Passion For Italy Travel Podcast #13: A Day at the Beach Italian Style!

Podcast: Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Ciao, this is Allison Spiegel at Passion for Italy Travel in New York. Having grown up visiting beaches along the East Coast of the United States, beach culture was not a term we heard often. Summer days at the beach were and continue to be quite simple. You load up the little red wagon with beach toys, towels and enough sandwiches, chips and drinks for the whole family; you scout out your favorite position on the sand and you make a day of it!

Hop a flight to Italy and the term beach culture is more than just a day at the beach; it is a way of life, which has been engrained in Italians for thousands of years. Life at the beach is lively, glamourous and often quite decadent as Italians do what they do best – living and loving life with friends and family, good food and drink. In August, typically the hottest month of the year, most Italians head to the beach for several weeks if not the entire month, and the big cities are full of foreign tourists for the most part. In fact, depending on where you travel in Italy in August, you may find some of the smaller shops and restaurants closed. Although there is no need to worry if you are travelling to the big cities as all the mains sites and museums will be open as usual.

The 15th day of August is a national holiday to celebrate Ferragosto or Assumption Day. In 18 BC, Emperor Augustus declared August 1st a day of festival to thank his workers and give them time off to recharge by the sea. Often the festivals were marked by celebratory games such as horse races, like the famous Palio in Siena. Later, the date was moved to the 15th of August to coincide with the Catholic Feast and the Assumption of Mary.

Italy is blessed by geography, among other things, with not one but two coastlines that run the length of the country. With more than 4,000 miles of shoreline, Italy is bordered by four seas:  the Adriatic on the East, the Mediterranean and Tyrrhenian Seas on the West and the Ionian to the South. So, no matter where you travel throughout Italy, you are never too far from a beach.

I am always amazed at the varying geography in Italy from region to region and the beaches are no different. In some parts of Italy, beaches have mountains as a backdrop such as in the Lazio region near Rome or parts of the Tuscan Coast such as Forte Dei Marmi, where the Appuan Alps are visible from the long stretches of sand. Some regions enjoy miles and miles of sandy beach such as in Abruzzo and Tuscany and of course the beaches of Sicily and Sardegna.  And in some regions, a beach is simply a bathing platform tucked into a rock formation that meets the sea such as along the Amalfi Coast and Capri, where space is a hot commodity and beaches can be hard to reach.  Passion for Italy Travel can help clients choose the best beach locations for their needs and point out considerations such as accessibility if they have mobility issues or are traveling with children as we discussed in Passion For Italy Travel Podcast #12: How to Plan a Memorable and Manageable Trip to Italy With Kids. No matter what region you are in, you can be sure that the seas will be clean and clear, and that the colors of the warm turquoise water will stay with you long after you return home. 

The word for beach in Italian is Spiaggia, and after my first visit to an Italian beach, I knew that no summer trip to Italy would be complete without a string of sun kissed days near the sea. Italian beach clubs are known as Bagni from the Italian word meaning to bathe and they are known for their perfectly positioned rows of brightly colored umbrellas. And while there are tons of free public beaches throughout Italy, the bagni offer a range of services such as bathrooms, changing rooms and showers, parking, bars and full-service restaurants.

Each beach has its own vibe and the atmosphere shifts throughout the day with the changing light. I always enjoy rising early in Positano to watch the beach attendants set up the umbrellas, row by row as the sunrise starts to peak above the hills of Praiano, the next village to the south.  And there is always a group of Nonne or grandmothers, as Italians lovingly refer to them, who come down to the beach early to exercise in the water.  By mid-day, beach life is in full swing with music and lively chatter all around, children building castles or collecting sea glass near the water’s edge. And as the pink mist of golden sunset lingers though the air, many Italian beaches become sophisticated dining scenes and some even turn into night clubs with live music that plays well into the morning hours.

Reservations are recommended during the summer months and for a fee you can reserve beach loungers and umbrellas.  As one might expect fees can be pricey, but most tourists agree it is money well spent. A word of advice for foreign tourists dreaming of a front row position at the Italian beach club of their choice: have your hotel call ahead for you. Also, some of the beach clubs have limited space in their restaurants or they have several lunch seatings, so reserve a time to eat as well.

And if you are wondering why you need a reservation for lunch at the beach, this is a perfect example of why Italian beach culture is such a special experience. Of course, there are tons of beach shacks and stands where a casual take-away lunch can be enjoyed but many of the beach clubs have their own restaurants. These restaurants range from rustic establishments with chairs on the rocks and menus scrawled on chalk boards to downright luxurious spaces with gorgeous décor, table linens, and Michelin worthy cuisine.  No matter the style, lunch is treated by Italians as an event, and in turn it is meant to be savored and can last several hours.

Often menus change daily, and the fresh catch of the morning is always front and center. One thing is for sure, no matter what you order, food is fresh and simple. Two of my favorite seaside dishes are grilled mozzarella on lemon leaves and fried zucchini flowers.  And a pitcher of local house wine with peaches is a must!

At Passion for Italy Travel we often talk about the Italian people and how daily interactions enhance our travel experiences in so many meaningful ways.  And Italian beach culture is once again no different.  Often you will encounter the same people year after year who own or work for family businesses and are grateful to share their corner of the world with you. Plus, you are bound to meet people from all over the globe on an Italian beach, which can always add to the experience.

Passion for Italy Travel Designers are big fans of Italian beach life so we thought it would be fun for some of us to tell you about our favourite beaches in Italy and why we love them so.

I will start off with one of my favourite beach stories when my husband and I visited a beach club in Positano years ago. At lunch, our reservation card said Spigo instead of Spiegel.  We joked about how much we loved the Italian version of our name, one that represented who we were on holiday, without responsibilities or kids, carefree and spending leisurely days with little planned beyond where we would eat.  And we love how every year they welcome us back and say Ciao Spigo! Our friends and family also refer to us as Spigo and it is one of the ways we carry Italy in our hearts. 

I also love the beaches in Puglia in the natural and protected Torre Guaceto reserve known for its marine life.  Some of the beaches and coves are wild and lack services which make it a great choice for those looking for a quiet visit, at one with the natural beauty this area is known for. Although, do note that visitors should be prepared to walk from the parking lots to the seashore. Nearby to the preserve, we visited a beach club that felt like an open-air spa, albeit a very laid back and relaxing one!  Thatched grass umbrellas on a grassy platform above the sand caught cool summer breezes and we had an incredible vantage point to watch the kite surfers dance in the skies above the Adriatic. 

Lunch was in an open-air pavilion with floating white curtains, relaxing music and a view of the chefs at work.  We started with a bottle of wine made from a local grape called the Negroamaro along with Taralli, which are round crackers from the region made with different flavors such as Pesto, pepper or fennel. 

We feasted on some of my favorite foods on the Salento coast such as friselle, a hard bread soaked in water and stuffed with tomatoes and anchovies, grilled octopus, orecchiette pasta with broccoli rabe, and of course, olives.  It was a perfect day. 

Next up, take a listen to Passion For Italy Travel Director Gemma Green Close as she shares with you the secret of a her favorite beach in the Campania region.

Being Australian I really don’t search out beaches in Italy as Australia has some of the best beaches in the world and when working in Italy, I live in a beachside village, so I am very spoilt and have a magnificent view, out over the gulf of Pozzuoli from my kitchen and terrace to the Isle of Capri.

However, the one thing I love about swimming in the bay of Naples and the gulf of Pozzuoli is that there are no sharks, as most of them have been eaten in the course of 3,000 years of civilisation. I was scared for life by the film Jaws and the frequency of great white fatalities in Australia, so for me to be able to swim without fear of sharks is absolute bliss.

A couple of years ago I was taken out on a beautiful aged, wooden boat – the kind that skims the canals of Venice and my friend, the captain of the boat, took me to this magical place hidden away, that I had not been before, in the village of Bacoli in Campania on the gulf of Pozzuoli, called Spiaggia Garibaldi. I really did not want anyone to know about this beach as I selfishly don’t want it inundated by tourists but however, after much thought.., I have decided to share it with you – our followers of Passion for Italy Travel.

It is only a very tiny beach and through the weekdays from June to October, with the exception of August, the Italian holiday month and the weekends, there is hardly anyone there. Crystal clear water where you can see little fish, the tide is encircled by a white stoned wall, so it is protected from the greater gulf. While lying on the divano, under the umbrella, you can dreamily stare at the twin peaks of the magnificent Vesuvio directly across the bay.

There is a tiny bar from which you can order snacks with a G&T or an aperol spritz, which the waiter brings over to the little table next to your divano, while you nip into the warm water to cool off.  To the right of the divano is a restaurant, built out over the water which will cook your lunch for you – an inexpensive seafood pasta with a matching white wine or the chef’s pasta of the day. Afterwards a siesta on the divano is called for. The waiter knows not to disturb you when you have your eyes closed and your book falls off onto the sand. This is what I call ecstasy….!

This is Lindsay from the Tampa, Florida office.  Beaches are a huge passion of mine, and I love many of them in Italy, but when asked which is my favorite, it is an easy answer. Cala Mariolu` in Sardinia’s Golfo di Orosei. It is my favorite place on earth.  The official name of the beach in Sardinian is Ispuligi de Nie.  Nie is Sardinian for snow, so that name refers to the beautiful mix of sand and quartz pebbles that shine as white as snow on the beach. 

But, not surprisingly in a land of many legends, there is a story that gives it the more commonly known name today.  Years ago, it was common for fishermen from the island of Ponza to come to this area to fish.  The stretch of coastline was also a natural habitat of a now endangered animal called the monk seal, foca monaca in Italian.

So, the story goes, a fisherman had set his catch inside one of the many little sea caves along the Golfo di Orosei. When he returned, he found the fish was gone and proclaimed, “there’s a thief here!” His thief was a monk seal.  In his dialect the word for thief is Mariolo.  Locals replaced the o with a u and giving us the more Sardinian sounding name, Cala Mariolu. 

Unfortunately, the seals have long since been driven away by over-fishing and other problems, but conservation efforts hope to create a welcoming habit that will encourage them to return.

To reach Cala Mariolu there are two options. The first is to hike, but what I recommend is to take a boat tour. Several companies offer excellent boat tours of the Golfo di Orosei. You can leave from Cala Gonnone if you are staying in the northern area, or from Arbatax to the south. 

I’m very partial to Captain Sergio who leaves out of Arbatax, because he and his chef on board really go the extra mile to make you feel like family and treat you to delicious local dishes aboard the boat. 

There is no better way to soak up culture than the immerse yourself in it. On board the boat, they serve Sardinian specialties like a pasta called malloredus. You sip water from Sardinia that won a competition for the best tasting bottled water on the planet. There is plenty of local vermentino wine, and after the meal a special treat. Sergio and Salvatore grin as they pour each guest a taste of the very special Sardinian liqueur, called Mirto!  With these two friendly locals and the fabulous meal, it is easy to see how so many people in this area live to be centenarians.

The boat tours drop off guests right on the beach.  Cala Mariolu has plenty of beach for lounging, water your eyes cannot quite believe is real, and the cave from the story welcomes you to swim inside.  My favorite thrill on earth is to climb up on top of a big rock platform jutting out of the sea.  The turquoise water glimmering below will take your breath away. Once you take the leap, the cave is a short swim away. You can swim right inside it and might be lucky enough to have its tiny little beach all to yourself.  Water gently laps the shore inside, and its darkness, the water takes on even more brightness. 

In recent years, Cala Mariolu has added yet another thrill.  Set up on the beach is a small team of diving instructors offering interesting dives for the scuba certified, or what they call “a baptism” to introduce newcomers to the world of scuba. My husband and I did this last time we were there, and it was an unforgettable experience.  Our guide was such fun.  He gave us some instruction and then helped us as we crawled along the pebbles and made our way down into the depths.  Rays of light pierced through the water. He handed us tiny pieces of food to feed the friendly little fish by hand.

The guides chatted with us afterwards as they gave us our photos of the experience.  We just loved these people, so happy, friendly, and fun. I went for another swim and when I came back, I saw my husband, Matt, sitting on the beach with the guides and drinking an Ichnusa they had given him. Ichnusa is an ancient word for the island of Sardinia, and today it is a much loved and celebrated Sardinian beer. 

When we came back to the beach the next day, we bought a few Ichnusa from the little beach bar to share with them. They greeted us like we had known them for years. We chatted in Italian beyond the “where are you from and what do you do?” conversations. We talked about their beaches in Sardinia and ours in Florida, how we want to live there, how they want to come here, and how great is Ichnusa! “You have to see this video of the shark our friends caught in Lazio!” 

We could not help thinking, “How cool is this? Isn’t this what we travel for?”  For a few minutes we were not treated as tourists. We were treated as friends, real friends, bonded over a love of the ocean and a local beer. 

To me, no expensive beach club or 5-star restaurant could ever compare to that moment when we felt like we belonged.  My advice to fellow travelers and beach lovers is to take the time to enjoy these beaches like the locals. Get out of your comfort zone and talk to the people who live and work there. Ask them about their lives and find out what you have in common.  I can’t tell you the times a simple but polite question, especially if asked in Italian, has led to sharing a drink or a snack together and creating priceless memories.

How do you best enjoy the beach culture of the Golfo di Orosei? Let us book you on a fabulous boat tour, and then dive right in.  Dive into water, and its colors you have never even imagined. Dive into the local dishes. Dive into the local mirto. And dive into conversation with the people who live there, and who cannot wait to welcome you! When you visit Sardinia, you may arrive a somewhat befuddled stranger, not knowing exactly what to expect.  Put your heart into the hands of the people, and you will toast “A chent’annos!”, “To a hundred years” with new-found friends. 

Hello, this is Sabrina from Passion for Italy Travel. I am Italian, and I live and work in the Veneto Region, near Venice. For us, Ferragosto is a party to celebrate summer and as all Italians go on holiday during Ferragosto, it represents a farewell to summer as well. I have visited most of the coastal areas of Italy, and I feel connected to several beaches, some for the beauty and some for the lovely memories. In particular, I love the clear waters of Sardinia beaches, the rocky beaches of Salento, in Apulia, and the wild beaches of Calabria and Sicily.

But today I want to tell you about a hidden jewel: The beach of Sirolo, in the Marche region. It is not sandy, the soil is made of very small, white rocks and on two sides there are several giant white rocks and caves. I love the contrast between the brilliant white of the rocks, the green of the Mediterranean vegetation of the mountains and the beautiful crystal, clear colour of the sea. On the beach, there are some small fishing boats, with blue and white stripes, that makes the colour contrast even more beautiful. It is an idyllic part of Italy, a special hidden corner that I love.

As you can probably tell, Passion For Italy Travel has certainly missed our time along the coast of Italy this summer but we have enjoyed sharing some of our favorite Italian seaside memories with all of you.  And as soon as it is safe to travel, you will find me saying Andiamo a mare, let’s go to the sea, where my boat will be met with warm smiles and Ciao Spigo which is like music to my ears. And to all our Italian friends and suppliers, we wish you Buon Ferragosto!

Category: Aeolian Islands, Amalfi Coast, Campania, Campi Flegrei, Capri, Passion For Italy, podcast, Portofino, Puglia, Rapallo, Salento Coast, Puglia, Sea & Lakes, Sorrento Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Passion For Italy Travel Podcast #12: How to Plan A Memorable and Manageable Trip to Italy With Kids

Podcast: Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Ciao, this is Allison Spiegel with Passion for Italy Travel in the New York office. This summer’s unique challenges have prompted a return to the summers of our youth. Simple, lazy days filled with nature, family time and lots of creativity and imagination. And as wonderful as these days may be, many of us are yearning to travel the world again. As a mom, I understand how the prospect of international travel with kids can be as daunting as it is exciting. As parents, we question everything, from ground transportation and hotel amenities to sleeping arrangements and food options. And ultimately, the biggest question we ask is how family friendly will our destination be? Having traveled to Italy with our own children, we know the ins and outs of designing a trip that will be culturally enriching and most importantly, manageable. So, the answer to the question, can you travel to Italy with kids, is yes you can!

Life in Italy centers around family so it is no wonder Italians are eager to welcome yours. Italy is full of wide-open spaces, piazzas perfect for playtime and an endless coastline of beaches. Italian cities have kid-friendly museums and historic sites which will make your children feel as if the pages of their history books are coming to life right before their very eyes. And the food in Italy will appeal to even the pickiest eaters. Who could go wrong with pizza, pasta and gelato on repeat!

But there are pitfalls and mistakes travelers can make so it is a good idea to hire an experienced travel designer who specializes in the country you are traveling to because they know it inside and out.  With the proper planning and knowledge, Italy can be an incredibly family-friendly and stress-free destination. Passion for Italy Travel takes the guess work out of your travel design process so all you need to do is focus on making memories with your family.

We are big believers in slow travel and will customize an itinerary that fulfills your travel goals but with ease and manageability, so you do not feel like you need a vacation from the vacation! One of the biggest mistakes travelers make is trying to fit too many cities into an itinerary. We will advise how long to stay in each location, what towns and cities on your wish list may be easier to visit than others, best modes of transportation and much more as we create a flow that is both enriching and relaxing.

Choosing a place to stay in a foreign country can be overwhelming and paying attention to the fine print is so important.  We make recommendations for hotels, bed & breakfasts, apartments or villas that will accommodate your family based on your budget, travel style and preferred amenities. We know the hotels that offer the best set ups for families and can recommend places to stay with pools and outdoor spaces, even in big cities.

And when it comes to choosing accommodations in a country you do not know, location is critical.  It is so easy to make a mistake and book something that says it is centrally located, when in fact, it is not.  We know the best locations and prefer to recommend Italian owned hotels which we believe will offer your family more than just a place to sleep at night. There is nothing like chatting with a hotel owner about the history of their property or watching your child play with their children as they try to overcome language barriers. These travel experiences will be the ones that your family perhaps remembers most.  

International travel exposes children to history, culture, foreign language, new people and foods and enhances their life experiences and views of the world.  In fact, a recent study cited in Travel & Leisure Magazine in 2019 said that nearly three quarters of educators found that travel had a positive impact on students’ personal development.  And while domestic travel and even travel in your own backyard can be equally impactful, Travel & Leisure noted that teachers agreed international travel helped to increase tolerance and respectfulness as well as a willingness to learn and try to new things.

On a personal note, I have always said that when we embark upon an international trip with kids, we throw a lot at them and hope that a small fraction of it will stick.  But I continue to be amazed at how much children retain and how their minds soak up information and experiences.  And nothing feels better than to be taking a tour of the Vatican when the guide asks if anyone knows the answer to a question, and your child’s eyes light up with recognition and awe as they realize that they do.

Many clients know they want to see the main sites like the Colosseum and Pompeii, but some are unsure what else there is to see and do, and we can make those recommendations. Tours can be small group or private and we will coordinate transportation as well as let you know when a car rental is advisable or not.  And all too often, tourists pack in tours back to back, which can be exhausting, so we will advise a pace that will not tire out your family by the third day of the trip.

We know which tours have a transportation component if you are concerned about your kids walking long distances, such as in Venice where we can arrange a walking tour combined with a boat ride to see the main sights of this floating city. In Rome, where there is so much ground to cover, we can arrange a golf cart tour, which is always a big hit with the kids. And in Florence, where art is everywhere, we can arrange family-friendly, skip the line tours to maximize your time.

We know the tours that appeal to kids such as an evening Ghost Tour in Venice to learn about the secret passages and legends of the past. Cooking classes are great fun for families and we know the best ones for kids. Or you can spend time at an Italian farm or agritourismo where your family can learn about organic farming and cheese making, meet the animals and have lunch prepared with foods made from the farm.  If you have adventurous eaters, try a family-friendly food tour where you will visit local markets and taste the foods unique to that city or region.  

For history buffs, Italy is obviously full of options, but I encourage families to think outside of the box.  Last winter, my family spent time on the Appian Way just outside of the city walls of Rome.  Your kids may be fascinated by the history of this ancient road and get a kick out of walking on the same stones Julius Cesar once walked on.  There are several catacombs worth seeing and there are miles and miles of road and green spaces to discover.  And if your trip is during the summer, a day at the beach is a must, but did you know that many Italian beaches are built on rocky platforms with tons of steps or have pebbles instead of sand? We know the best beaches for families throughout Italy.

And now on to the food! Italy arguably has the best food in the world. Naples is the birthplace of pizza after all! When dining in Italy, I try to stay away from restaurants right near major tourist sites because often the food is mediocre, and the prices are high because you are paying a premium for the location.  But there are exceptions to every rule as we recently learned when we had a late afternoon meal at a restaurant in front of the Pantheon.  Our kids loved it because they were able to order pizza and French fries, and my husband and I agreed that while the food was fine, it was the experience of dining in the shadow of one of the most magnificent sites in all of Italy, that was truly memorable.

If you are visiting highly touristed spots during high season or on a holiday, you may want to think about making reservations ahead of time. We can make dining suggestions based on personal reviews from Passion for Italy Travel consultants who live in Italy or regularly travel there to meet with suppliers and discover the best options for our clients.

While many Italians do speak English, you may encounter some that do not, especially in certain regions and in smaller or less touristed towns.  This is where I find it is helpful to utilize an online translator to help you communicate, especially if you are concerned about meal preparation or allergies. Although I have to say that trying to communicate adds to the fun.  As days go by, your children will pick up words and phrases they can use to speak with Italians.

But no matter what, embrace the situation! We had what could have been an epic fail years ago at a hotel in the hills above Florence, which had a gorgeous restaurant, but the menu was not very kid friendly. We requested grilled chicken for the kids, with strawberries on the side.  Or so we thought!  When dinner arrived, the chef made a special strawberry puree for the chicken. It was such a thoughtful gesture and the kids loved it, and of course, we all fondly remember that meal.

The possibilities are really endless when it comes to traveling to Italy with kids, but perhaps the best advice I can give is to leave enough down time to let your children wander, explore and soak in Italian street life and culture. Just walking the streets of Italian cities or sitting in a piazza with a gelato will breathe culture into your children’s minds. Some of the best days we have spent as a family in Italy are the days where we had nothing much planned such as when we got lost in Venice in a quiet residential neighborhood and found the most incredible bakery. Or when we spent an evening listening to an open air concert atop the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. There really are treasures to be found around every corner and sometimes it is fun to let your kids take the lead and show you the way.

But know your kids. If they need lots of mini breaks or mini meals at home throughout the day, they will in Italy too.  You know your child best and the more information a client relays to us about their children’s passions and habits, the better we can design a trip that they, and you, will enjoy. We will send you off armed with useful tips and information such as what to pack, how to help kids adjust to the time change and what to expect when ordering food at restaurants or transferring locations within Italy.

And finally, just go with the flow.  Even the best laid plans can get sidetracked by weather or other obstacles, and sometimes these diversions create new opportunities your family will learn from and cherish.

Travel to Italy with kids is more than just a trip; it is a life experience they will carry with them for many years to come.  With some expert planning and advice, you can be sure your experience will be one your family can handle and enjoy. I for one cannot wait to get back to Italy with my family to experience La Dolce Vita once again!

So, until then, we wish you all a safe and beautiful weekend.

Category: podcast Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 11: A Sea of Dreams in Sardegna with Lindsay Sinko

Podcast: Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Hello and welcome to the Passion for Italy Podcast.  This is Lindsay, from the Tampa, Florida office. Come with us this week to Sardinia.

It has been a rough few months, has it not?  I have to admit, this week I have been struggling.  What can we say during these times? Ordinarily we would be giving you travel tips, places to visit, advice on how to navigate the trains. We’ll get there again, and we all pray it will be soon, but right now, we are hurting. Our friends and suppliers are hurting. As Americans are still prohibited from visiting Italy, I found myself this week wondering what to say, what to focus on. It’s so easy to feel lost with everything going on isn’t it?

We turned on the news one evening this week. I sighed my nightly sigh. Here we go again. More fear. More anger. More uncertainty. More isolation.

But then, my husband picked up his guitar and began to play the first few notes of Spunta la Luna Dal Monte, a song we adore by Andrea Parodi and Pierangelo Bertoli. It’s sung in a mix of Italian and Sardinian. As he played, we looked at each other and immediately, my spirit calmed.  I realized, this is why we have to keep going. Because no one can distance us from our dreams. No one can take away the love in our hearts. And no darkness lasts forever. 

The lyrics I know by heart filled my mind as he played:

Notte scura, notte senza la sera

Notte impotente

Notte guerriera

Per altre vie, con le mani, le mie

Cerco le tue, cerco noi due

Spunta la luna dal monte

English:

Dark night, night without evening

Defenseless night, warrior night

In other ways, with hands, my own

I’m searching for yours, I’m searching for the two of us.

The moon peaks over the mountain

We learned this song, and many others by Andrea Parodi and Tazenda, the band he used to sing with, after our last trip to Sardinia. 

As our boat paused for lunch in the sparkling Piscina di Venere on the Golfo di Orosei, the song came on. It was in my head the rest of our trip until we got home and looked it up to learn all the words. 

Spunta la luna dal monte. The moon peaks over the mountain. 

Sardinia is the most special place in the world to me. 

The year we got married my parents gave Matt and I a mini day by day calendar of Italy.  One morning around 5AM I stumbled to the counter and pulled off the previous day’s page. The next one took my breath away. Sardinia, it said. The color of the water jolted me awake before the coffee was finished brewing. I ran in and woke Matt up to look at it, and even though he was groggy and a little confused he agreed it was beautiful and that we should go one day. I carried that photo in my wallet for 4 years while we saved the money for our first trip to Italy together.

Completely unaware of what to expect beyond beautiful beaches, Sardegna was the surprise of our lives. The water in the Golfo di Orosei on the eastern coast I can still feel in my eyes like it burned itself into them. Intense, glowing, sparkling turquoise. The beauty is almost incomprehensible.

Sardinia, however, is more than that.  Everyone we met was so incredibly kind. They took the time to talk with us that made us feel like cared, like we had something in common, like we were home.

After we returned from the first trip I actually looked up, “what is it about people in Sardinia?” Turns out that hospitality is part of their culture that is ingrained in the people from childhood. The fact that we felt it without ever being told that is a testament to the warmth of their souls.

The more time I spend there, the more I feel this.  We have bonded with people there over our preference of red wine, even if eating fish. Our waitress told us she did too and brought us her favorite local red to compliment both my culurgiones and my husband’s seafood.   

At a beach bar before high season we sat and talked with the barman for hours. Drawing a lobster on a paper napkin, he taught us the word for lobster is aragosta and helped Matt choose his own for dinner that night. We dined that evening in paradise as the golden sun sank into the iridescent sea.

D. H. Lawrence wrote in his travel memoir, Sea and Sardinia:

This land resembles no other place. Sardinia is something else. Enchanting spaces and distances to travel- nothing finished, nothing definitive. It is like freedom itself.

Nowhere is that freedom displayed like is it on a boat with captain Sergio and chef Salvatore, returning from a magical day in the exquisite Golfo di Orosei.  Every shade of teal melts into emerald and deep blue and lavender on the horizon. White cliffs dotted with green shrubs called macchie rise out of the sea proving that God is the greatest architect and painter. As we let the beauty wash over us, seagulls swoop down one by one to take a scrap of fish from the fingertips our chef who prepared it no more for us than for them, and then they soar once more above the island they call home. 

Freedom itself.

The last day we spent doing this boat tour it had been three long and painful years since we first discovered it. I had lost my mom, my dad fought through his own cancer, we had moved twice, but through it we had also learned a lot more about this place, dreamed of it every single day. As I watched it all sailing by, I felt something deep inside my heart. Like God was healing me here and now. I expected to be sad on this return trip, but instead, I felt whole again. Restored.

That evening after dinner Matt and I walked down to the beach at Bari Sardo. There is an old watch tower right there on the beach and rocks surround it.  As we did on our first trip, we climbed carefully around the tower and out onto the rocks. We watched the moon as it danced on the water and chatted about what the day had meant to each of us.  I’ve never felt more at home, more at one with a place or a person. Siting there, the only line of the song I knew kept playing in my mind, “Spunta la luna dal monte”. The moon peaks over the mountain.

Today, instead of the calendar photo of where I want to visit, I keep a link to an apartment in Bari Sardo looking over that water with me at all times to remind me where I’d love to live one day. To keep my dream alive.

So, while we’re living these strange times, what can we do to soothe our spirits?  We can pray. We can listen to music. We can read.  We can study. We can learn a language. We can listen to the little voice inside us pulling us to somewhere yet unknown.  We can dream.  And when the moon peaks over this darkness and shines light on those dreams, there is no telling what impact they will have on our lives.  

Spunta la luna dal monte. The moon peaks over the mountain.

Category: podcast, Sea & Lakes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Passion for Italy Podcast Episode 10: Rebirth, A Personal Renaissance with Lindsay Sinko

Podcast: Download | Embed

Subscribe: Email | RSS | More

Hi and welcome to the Passion for Italy Podcast.  This is Lindsay, from the Tampa, Florida office. 

Over the past few weeks, you have heard stories from our suppliers about their lives during COVID, how they’ve gotten by and made the most of a difficult time.  You have also heard from Gemma and Allison about their love stories with Italy.

Today, I’m sharing mine.  This is a personal story, but I hope it inspires you to make the most of the time you have with the people you love, to live every moment, and to get out and see this beautiful world together. 

Many of my clients ask me about bringing their teenagers, how to make the trip interesting for them so they won’t get bored.  It is one of my favorite questions.  And the short answer is, “Bring them with you, and watch what happens.” 

Italy changes people.  Italy creates.

You may have seen or at least heard of the Netflix series, The Medici.  It is an art history lover’s delight, set in Renaissance Florence. The second season ends with artist Sandro Botticelli painting his famous “Venus and Mars”, using as his models the memories of Giuliano de’ Medici and Simonetta Vespucci.  In the story, both have recently died, and the original painting has been destroyed, so he is repainting it from memory. 

Lorenzo the magnificent enters and looks at him curiously.  The artist says passionately, “Perche dopo la morte, torna la vita.  Si rinasce!”  “Because after death, life returns.  One is reborn!”  

My husband and I watched the season in Italian first.  After this scene, I sat with tears streaming down my cheeks.  Si rinasce.  

Rinascimento is the Italian word for Renaissance, rebirth.  We almost always think of it in relation to art, and Italy as its home. 

There is, however, another type of rebirth that occurs for many of us when we visit Italy for the first time, and every time.  Another still, that brings back the memories of loved ones no longer with us, and keeps them alive in our hearts.

My mom was a high school English teacher.  When I was four years old she began taking student trips to England, to visit the homes of Shakespeare, Keats, and Wordsworth.  As years went by, we would sign up for different itineraries mixing in other countries in Europe.  Her heart was in the Lake District of England.  My dad fell hard for Paris.  I had yet to find my place.

The summer of 2001, I was 15 years old.  Mom was teaching Dante that year, and decided it was finally time to go to Italy. 

Honestly, I was indifferent.  Happy it would be warmer than England, but otherwise untouched by the idea.

Then, the Sunday morning before we left, I was getting ready for church when a feeling overwhelmed me.  Something was changing.  Something was different.  It was the moment I prayed one day would come, when I knew it was the time for me to be baptized.   

Without knowing it, that re-birth in baptism was the start of a passion that would change my life completely. It was as if God knew this was the moment to breathe new life into me and wanted to make sure I had no doubt it was His plan.

At 15, I was shy, bullied, made fun of for everything from that shyness to the shape of my body and bad skin.  I was deeply unhappy. Today we would call it depression. 

To my surprise and life-long gratitude, Italy was about to change all of that. 

Over the snow-covered alps, the flight attendants began announcing arrival information in Italian and English.

Still on the plane, it was language hit me first, as much for its intonation as its beauty.  There is a joy inside the Italian language I’ve never heard or felt in any other.  It sounded to me as if everyone were singing.  I wanted nothing more than to understand.

The bus picked us up in Milan and we stopped for lunch at an Autogrille on the way to Venice.  Now, an Autogrille from the outside looks like a big truck stop.  I expected some kind of Italian equivalent of a gas station hot dog!”  This is when Italy began its surprises. 

Turns out Autogrilles are nothing like our truck stops.  The smell of espresso wafts out before the door ever opens. Inside is an espresso bar and a separate cafeteria serving all kinds of pastas, vegetables, hot and cold dishes and panini that are nothing like what we’re used to here.  At this first taste of pasta al pomodoro, I was shocked that simple pasta could taste this good… in a gas station!

Our hotel was on the Lido, an island of Venice with a sandy beach.  Neither Mom nor I would ever let an opportunity pass to sink our feet into the sand and sea, so we went to walk on the beach first thing.

Walking along, I suddenly fell in a hole some teenage boys had dug in the sand, covered with a towel, and then more sand.  Welcome to Italy!  To my shock, those boys actually made sure I was ok, and I heard my first, “bella!”. 

It was the first time in my life I had been called beautiful by a stranger. I laughed a genuine laugh for the first time in a long time, and my soul began to heal.

That evening, we sat in Piazza San Marco all together listening to the orchestras at the cafes.  I’ll never forget hearing, “Libiamo I lieti Calici” for the first time, everyone in the piazza clapping along with the playful orchestra at Gran Caffe Quadri.  The coldest heart would melt at the joy in the air, and mine was set on fire.

As they played on, everything from Opera arias to O Sole Mio, couples danced in the square.  Friends clinked glasses and laughed. Light bounced from the moon and stars off the piazza and danced on the sparkling basilica tiles.  I sat there in ecstasy. 

In a few days we were off to Florence.  Our guide pointed out the heart shapes carved into David’s eyes that give his famous piercing gaze.  To me, even more incredible than David were the unfinished statues and the story that Michelangelo could look at a block of marble and see the figure trapped inside.  He had simply to set it free.  I felt like one of these, struggling, pushing, lifting, fighting, to break the shell that confined me.  To be set free.  Still, they are some of my favorite works of art.

I met my soulmate of a city when our bus pulled into Rome.  Piazza Navona, above the ruins of Domitian’s Stadium enchanted me instantly with its splashing fountains, street musicians, artists, and cafes along the oblong piazza.  The whole scene shot an arrow straight through my heart. 

In Sorrento, our next stop, we sat down to one of the dreaded dinner shows I hated since I was four years old.  They never fail to pick out the shyest person of the pack to humiliate.  As a four year old, I actually crawled under the table when the man with bagpipes selected me to be the first to try the haggis.  Ask me why I’m a vegetarian!

So, I carefully selected my seat in the middle of a long table against the wall.  “Ha! They won’t get me this time!”  Oh, but they did.  I lost myself enjoying the music of the show.  Funiculi funicula was the most fun song I’d ever heard!  Then, the dreaded moment.  One of the dancers in the show reached across our big, long table and grabbed my hand.  Before I could escape or even crawl under the table, he was swinging me around the stage.  I still smile remembering it.

We were in Italy I think for about 10 days that first trip, and over the course of those days, every sense inside me came to life as if for the first time. The scent of jasmine. The taste of pesto. The music in St. Mark’s Square. The beauty of the piazzas under twinkling starlight.  The feel of the cold stone in the prison walls where apostles Peter and Paul were said to be held.

For the first time, I felt a sense of belonging.  I left that trip a new person, reborn, with passion and purpose.

In 2005, Mom had just finished chemo for the cancer she would fight for the rest of her life.  She had signed up for a trip to Italy and always said the desire for that trip kept her spirits up. 

In Capri, one of her favorite places, as she leaned back in the little dinghy to squeeze into the stunning blue grotto, her wig fell off.  She was mortified, but cool for the first time in months.  Her “kids” as she called them all told her to ditch it, how great she looked, and that was the last time she ever put it on her head.

Years and a few trips later, it was 2008. I sat on the bus with Mom and two of her students who became two of my best friends after our time in Italy together. 

Our tour manager had put together a cd of her favorite Italian songs.  As our bus weaved along the Amalfi Coast, Andrea Bocelli sang, “Con Te Partiro`”.  It was the first time I’d ever heard the song. 

I turned to those 2 friends and told them, “I will walk down the aisle to this song.”

At the time I was a few years into an Italian major at the University of Tennessee.  I knew everyone in the program, so I thought.  The first day of my senior year, I sat down with some friends in our class on Petrarch and Boccaccio.  The guy in front on me was someone I’d never seen before.  He knew Italian better than I did.

We studied together that year and quickly became good friends.  Bonding over his photos of Italian beaches and stories of how we each loved Italy so much, eventually we realized we loved each other too.  On one of our first dates he played a song for me, “Con Te Partiro`” and June 11, 2011 I did indeed walk down the aisle to that song, and to him.

Matt and I have continued our love of each other, of Italy and the Italian language for 9 years now.  

Just a few months after we got back from our first trip together, Mom’s illness took a drastic turn.  I went home for the last week of her life.  The last thing she asked me for was to bring some joy to her last days.  Those two students of hers, now dear friends of mine, came over every day that week to watch Under the Tuscan Sun, dye her hair, and paint her nails.  We were talking about our times together in Italy when she drew her last breath. 

As the news broke, so many students and past chaperones who had travelled with us reached out to our family to say what a difference she had made in their lives because she opened their eyes to a love of travel.  A love of culture.  A love of history, art, and language. 

In Italy or by the ocean, I see my mom during the happiest moments of our lives, and I feel her spirit.  I can go back to those moments in my mind, and it keeps her alive in my memory.  Si rinasce. One is reborn.

This is the gift of travel.  It is partially about the things you see, but so much more, it is the experiences with people who bring them to life for you, and the people you travel with.  It’s getting lost.  It’s laughing, crying, tasting something new.  It’s developing a passion for a subject you once thought boring, because it now tells a story.  It’s making memories.  It’s discovering a new and wonderful part of your soul.  It’s being reborn.

I hope this story encourages you to create your own.  Over the years, clients have come home telling me incredible things they experienced together, and most of all, how much they enjoyed discovering together.  Parents who haven’t had alone time in years, families celebrating the end of a mother’s cancer treatment, couples getting engaged.  Sometimes the stories are funny, someone got lost and the locals helped them.  But always, people return with memories they will cherish forever.

While we in the US still have to wait a bit longer to be able to go to Italy, as long as we keep those dreams and desires alive, it will be even more special when we are able to go.  

Stay strong, stay safe, and keep dreaming of Italy!

Category: Passion For Italy Tags: , , , , ,

Book a travel in Italy consultation with us today!

With so much of beautiful Italy to explore and so many luxury hand-selected places for you to stay, there is no time to waste!

Book a Consultation