There’s a lot of uncertainty, bad news and fear right now. This week I was thinking about our last trip to Italy and how much we loved it and wanted to share some of our experience.
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The Food
I’m not an Italian-American but I love Italian food and do my best to cook it at home. I don’t hold a candle to Italian food cooked by Italians in Italy. It’s just not close. Gelato, pizza, pasta, it’s all so good. If you think you’ve had good pizza and real gelato, go to Italy and then tell me which is better. It’s just on a whole other level unlike other places I’ve been.
The Sights
Few places in the world compete with Rome for heritage. I can’t get over grabbing a taxi from the Forum to Trevi Fountain passing the Colosseum along the way. Other places in the world have an excellent heritage too, but for me, Rome is special in that regard.
I loved a European History course I took in high school so when I am in the Eternal city it comes alive for me in a way that few others match. I love it so much that I am happy to share unflattering pictures of myself to prove the point. Lucy also loved the grandiosity of everything, even if she couldn’t truly appreciate the antiquity of it all.
Our Daughter Was Finally Old Enough to Really Enjoy It
When we last took our daughter to Italy, it was in Milan and she was too young to remember or appreciate it. But now that she is a little older (nearly six during our last trip), she really enjoyed it all. We took her to an Airbnb experience whereby she learned how to make pizza, live out her Audrey Hepburn dreams recreating scenes from Roman Holiday – it was her favorite trip in a long time. The chefs at Felicé made her an honorary sous chef which she loved.
We have heard since we started traveling with her that “she won’t remember anything” so why bother? But she loved this trip and talks about it all the time. She developed a passion for cooking following the pizza-making course and finds her way to the kitchen where we cook, mix and bake side-by-side. When we ask her about her favorite trips, she puts Rome at the top consistently and I do too.
Conclusion
This time at home with family has been good for reflection on where we’ve been and where we are now, and eventually, where we will be going. Despite recently visiting Italy, I have a feeling we will return there once this is all over, which, frankly, could be a very long time for both countries.
What do you think? What trips have you taken that are still on your mind? Where do you think you will go when this is all over?
It is certainly when we’re unable to travel that the memories of having done so are all the more precious, and now I’m hungry.
Australia ranks pretty highly for gelato too. One of the local gelaterias even won the gelato world tour in Rimini a few years ago. 🙂
As for me, I’d like to revisit Japan. It’s been a while and it looks like a while yet before all this settles. At the same time, I’m worried about the new normal that eventually comes. It feels like the world and nature of travel might never be the same again.
Hi Kyle,
as a Roman living in Rome, it’s always so comforting to read that the American public is still so much in love with our city and with what it represents to the world, despite being run so poorly by our local officials…
Food-wise, kudos to you for getting into all the right places! 😉
Marcello,
While Rome is no Copenhagen, I think it’s better managed than most U.S. cities — yes, even the public transit and garbage collection — and it is breathtakingly beautiful.
I dunno. I’m about as big a Rome fan as they come these days. I’m going through withdrawal from not being there. (OK, not really, but you get my point.) There is a lot of Rome fuori le Mura (i.e. outside of the historic center) where public transportation and garbage collection aren’t quite up to European standards, and the beauty isn’t what it is elsewhere in town. Those parts of town are amazing, too, just in a different way.
And I can’t wait to get back! 🙂
Marcello, Italy is my favorite place on Earth. I can’t get enough of it, from north to south! Hope to see you all soon. Andra’ tutto bene.
What an opportunity for her.
While she may be young to appreciate the antiquities, you have an opportunity to teach her about how important it is to further preserve them by, for example, not going around the “velvet rope” set up to keep little (and big) hands from touching them.
Is that Kyle with a beard? If so, looks entirely different that he could have robbed a bank (but shouldn’t because prison is terrible).
Too bad there’s Covid-19. I wouldn’t feel safe visiting Italy for a decade.
I an Italian living in America. Thus I am biased but there is no place on Earth like Italy. There are many amazing places to visit but Italy is just unique. History, sights, food, wine, people, culture, faith, beaches, mountains, etc…. I miss it so much!!!!
I love it that you focused on Rome for this post, Kyle! I was supposed to spend a week there last week for work, but … well. I so want to return to my favorite restaurants and bars. And I am very much missing my friends and my colleagues there. I just want to (need to) get back to Rome as soon as I can. I am currently planning to go back towards the end of June, though I am by no means certain that I can.
And as far as food goes, I’m going to rib you a little over the pizza, pasta and gelato comment. Yes, that’s all great in Rome. But it’s really only scratching the surface. What I wouldn’t give for some Roman artichoke!!!! (And, as someone who grew up in New York City, I’m going to have to give the nod to Napoli for pizza. ;))
PS – My children first went to Italy when they were five. They remember it quite well, although part of that definitely has to do with the fact that their favorite cousins were there, too. Their mother did her part, too, by really playing up what they were going to do and getting them excited about it all.
Rome is amazing. Milan is amazing. Florence is amazing. Venice is amazing. However, there is way more to explore in Italy that one could spend so much time venturing through small villages and each one has their own lives. I highly suggest some less visited places such as Naples, Verona, Turin, Apuglia, Sicily, Calabria and Sardinia. Each has its own culture, history, cuisine and wine. Simply fantastic places to visit and enjoy.
This is amazing blog. Italian food is one of my favorite food. Lets pray for Italy.