As our 105 days in Italy come to a close many of you have asked us what we’ll miss about Italy and what we’ve missed back home in Florida. I know Cinzia has her thought on this, so I’ll let her answer those questions herself. As for me, Italy is just different than the States – some of it better and some not so much. But, if I had to answer the question of what I’d miss, here are the Top 3 lists. Italy has so many individual things I’ll miss, like the impressive sculptures, mosaics, frescos, and fountains.
What I’ll Miss About Italy
#1 The Food
The food is just so much better in Italy. In the States we’ve grown accustomed to cheap, low-quality, food in volume. The produce in Italy is always seasonal, always at the peak of ripeness, many varieties to choose from, and usually not very expensive. Aside from produce, the meats are fresh with plenty of selection. Where else can I see my chicken, veal, or steaks uncut laying on the counter and tell my butcher which I want and how I want it cut? There are dozens of types of breads, cheeses, and cured meats to choose from. And this is just the markets and grocery stores. The pastas and pizzas in the restaurants are fantastic and the gelato is indescribable. Italians know how to eat well.
#2 Family and Friends
Our extended family in Torre Orsina and Terni love us as if we’ve lived with them all our lives. They make us feel at home. The laughter we share is priceless. On this trip, the people of Torre Orsina really opened their hearts, and in some cases, their homes, to us. They made us part of their lives here. Whether it was playing cards or billiards with them at the bar, participating in their festa, eating alongside them on the street, or talking with them one on one – they embraced us both. We’ll keep in touch more often with our new friends via Facebook. They now expect to see us annually and we know we’ll be missed.
#3 City Life
Living in Florence and then Rome is so much different than Navarre, Florida. There’s no need for a car. Public transportation is inexpensive, convenient, and fast. Once in the city we can walk almost everywhere. And there’s so much to see and do! Shopping, restaurants, museums, art, history, architecture... Not only are the churches beautiful but the sculptures, mosaics, frescos, and fountains are simply amazing. The lively piazzas that are used daily by its people are so enjoyable. We have nothing like them back in the States.
What I Miss Back Home
#1 Poker
It’s not just playing poker, but the whole ritual of it – driving my car on the open road during the 75 minute trip to the poker room while I’m listening to music or my podcasts. So relaxing. Then there are the familiar characters in the poker room, the shuffling of chips, reading my opponents, extracting their chips, seeing the essence of the person laid open as they win or lose their chips. I enjoy the challenge of making the correct decisions, hand after hand, to see who’s the best. And then there’s the equally enjoyable ride home, more so after a good win, to see my lovely wife at home with dinner waiting as she placates me by listening to my poker stories of the day.
#2 My Kitchen
You’d think that with all the good food in Italy that the kitchens would be well stocked, but they’re not, at least not the ones we’ve lived in. Americans want to build homes decked out with a big Italian kitchen. The truth is that Italian kitchens are not big. I miss the simple things in my kitchen, like sharp knives, counter space, and pots big enough to cook pasta. The pots we’ve seen in Italy, including those at Luigina’s and Elda’s, are barely large enough to cook a pound of pasta. Along with all my other kitchen gadgets and appliances I’ll be glad to get home.
#3 My House
While we’ve had great apartments here in Italy, they’re made for Italians – short Italians. It will be nice to sleep in a bed that fits, to wake up and take a shower in a bathroom with a shower curtain, plenty of hot water and tall showerheads, and to not have to watch my head as I go through every doorway or enter the elevator. While we did have a nice couch in Florence, we have none in Rome, so getting home will be nice. Home is always more comfortable.
#1 The Food
The food is just so much better in Italy. In the States we’ve grown accustomed to cheap, low-quality, food in volume. The produce in Italy is always seasonal, always at the peak of ripeness, many varieties to choose from, and usually not very expensive. Aside from produce, the meats are fresh with plenty of selection. Where else can I see my chicken, veal, or steaks uncut laying on the counter and tell my butcher which I want and how I want it cut? There are dozens of types of breads, cheeses, and cured meats to choose from. And this is just the markets and grocery stores. The pastas and pizzas in the restaurants are fantastic and the gelato is indescribable. Italians know how to eat well.
#2 Family and Friends
Our extended family in Torre Orsina and Terni love us as if we’ve lived with them all our lives. They make us feel at home. The laughter we share is priceless. On this trip, the people of Torre Orsina really opened their hearts, and in some cases, their homes, to us. They made us part of their lives here. Whether it was playing cards or billiards with them at the bar, participating in their festa, eating alongside them on the street, or talking with them one on one – they embraced us both. We’ll keep in touch more often with our new friends via Facebook. They now expect to see us annually and we know we’ll be missed.
#3 City Life
Living in Florence and then Rome is so much different than Navarre, Florida. There’s no need for a car. Public transportation is inexpensive, convenient, and fast. Once in the city we can walk almost everywhere. And there’s so much to see and do! Shopping, restaurants, museums, art, history, architecture... Not only are the churches beautiful but the sculptures, mosaics, frescos, and fountains are simply amazing. The lively piazzas that are used daily by its people are so enjoyable. We have nothing like them back in the States.
What I Miss Back Home
#1 Poker
It’s not just playing poker, but the whole ritual of it – driving my car on the open road during the 75 minute trip to the poker room while I’m listening to music or my podcasts. So relaxing. Then there are the familiar characters in the poker room, the shuffling of chips, reading my opponents, extracting their chips, seeing the essence of the person laid open as they win or lose their chips. I enjoy the challenge of making the correct decisions, hand after hand, to see who’s the best. And then there’s the equally enjoyable ride home, more so after a good win, to see my lovely wife at home with dinner waiting as she placates me by listening to my poker stories of the day.
#2 My Kitchen
You’d think that with all the good food in Italy that the kitchens would be well stocked, but they’re not, at least not the ones we’ve lived in. Americans want to build homes decked out with a big Italian kitchen. The truth is that Italian kitchens are not big. I miss the simple things in my kitchen, like sharp knives, counter space, and pots big enough to cook pasta. The pots we’ve seen in Italy, including those at Luigina’s and Elda’s, are barely large enough to cook a pound of pasta. Along with all my other kitchen gadgets and appliances I’ll be glad to get home.
#3 My House
While we’ve had great apartments here in Italy, they’re made for Italians – short Italians. It will be nice to sleep in a bed that fits, to wake up and take a shower in a bathroom with a shower curtain, plenty of hot water and tall showerheads, and to not have to watch my head as I go through every doorway or enter the elevator. While we did have a nice couch in Florence, we have none in Rome, so getting home will be nice. Home is always more comfortable.