An Italian in Italy…

…but not just “any” Italian, otherwise what’s the point? I was born and raised in Italy, but I have been living in California for the past 14 years.  Even if I visit my home country quite often, when I relate to Italian facts I feel that my viewpoint has changed in several ways.  My approach to everyday life, work, social and personal matters has become more and more enriched and contaminated by elements from a different culture.

Nothing too complicated in this article though: I just want to share some random moments from my last trip over there, a few traveling notes, thoughts and pictures from someone who might look like a tourist, although he is not quite one…

 

 

I think there is something enchanted in Lake Como. The few times I have been there, I’ve always felt like I was being taken a few hundred years back in time, but within the environment of a clean, productive and contemporary small city. I am very aware that everyday life always differs quite a bit from the impressions of the passerby who is just there to enjoy the moment, but I loved my short time over there and I want to share it!

 

 

About Firenze, pretty much everything has already been written about the city, so I want to try to propose a slightly different interpretation of things here…

 

 

As food trucks have become super hip here in California, I wanna share a delicious, traditional version of street food you can only find in Florence: lampredotto. It is a sort of stew, made with the lower part of the cow’s stomach, and its taste is rich but not overwhelming. Originally a poor person’s and workman’s meal, you can eat it by itself or in a sandwich, and its origins can be traced back to the 13th century – no food trucks back then…

 

 

On the iconic bridge called Ponte Vecchio (one of the symbols of Florence), I stopped to take pictures, and I was fascinated by the view of Arno river.  In the photo above you can see another gorgeous old bridge, called Ponte Delle Grazie. The amount of artistic beauty surrounding the visitor in Florence is irresistible: if you happen to have any kind of intuitive feeling while you’re there, you feel like you MUST follow it immediately!  So, while walking in the Rose Garden, I  took a picture of a beautiful sculpture by Jean-Michel Folon. Afterwards, I edited my photo with extreme filters, in order to give it a more abstract and universal feel.