Home is where the heart is

Enjoying the markets




Awhile back I read about this initiative where people wrote the things that they loved in 400 words. Its meant to inspire you to be thankful for the things you have and hold dear instead of depressed about the things you desire. I've always reading them when others write them as you can sort of see inside someone' soul when you see what is dear to them..or you can understand who or why..a person is the way they are by just reading about the things they love. So I was reminded when I saw it recently on some one else's blog and thought I should do that about my love for Italia. Because lets be realistic as hard as life can be really its wonderful..well I can say for me... life is wonderful..no mater what happens it will still be wonderful..and I'm just thankful I have the opportunity to have a general love for a foreign land..so many people are so closed they wouldn't even ever consider moving from their birth land...this move to Italy will make my third move and well...Im still trying to find home...I suppose its like they say..home is where the heart is and we all know by now ..my heart is in Italia..so here is my list...

Things I love about Italy in 400 words...

I love when the sun shines on my face early in the morning to wake me up, the shutters on all the windows that either block the heat or invites the breeze, fresh prosciutto from the north, bidets with warm water, Lambrusco Reggiano, marble stairs, red houses with yellow shutters and green doors, pink Vespa, people on bikes everywhere no matter how large they are or how hot it is outside, erbazzone, Reggio Emilia, the excitement on someone’s face when they realise I speak Italian, proper pizzerias, the romantic landscape, Duomos, cool breezes on the veranda at night while watching the stars and drinking wine, drinking a litre of wine for under €4, attractive men in speedos at the beach, the markets in Parma, Consuelo Ferrari, morning pastries with a proper macchiato, bresaola, how Italian language sounds like poetry or a song, the universal love for children, Negroni, pink newspapers, the fact that I can be late and no one realises because they only all just arrived before me, simplistic ingredients to make something fantastically tasty, Nina Zulli, the old men at the markets, lengthy goodbyes and enormous amount of hugs and kisses, the discussion of food and cooking it with nearly everyone at least once a day, historical buildings, fantastic pizza, passionate personalities, i soliti idioti, aperitivos before dinner and the little selections of foods that are on offer at the bar to have with your drinks, Guiliano Palma and the Bluebeaters, watching Uk or American tv in Italian but with English subtitles, the way children are treated like adults or just real people and not babies, doing nothing and watching others do ….nothing, proper Gelato, pizza with truffle sauce, The police look stylish in their uniform and drive a Lamborghini as their police car, Parmigiano Reggiano, Firenze, when old people who stop to enjoy a tickle with your baby, 9th century cathedrals, produce markets, locali ristoranti tipici, tours to vineyards, people greeting you at the door when you arrive even just from work or sending you off at the airport when you go away, the many times someone has to say ciao, ciao, ciao before they actually end the phone call, the fact that I don’t have to sleep with a hot water bottle just to go to bed in the middle of May, Genova, mutual respect for mothers, flavoured salt, Italian shoes at decent prices, pancakes with nutella.