Long-Winded Blog about 1st trip to Italy (2002)

Okay: let's face it. Best way to learn about other cultures, travel cheaper and learn a new language is to date someone from another country (it's especially easy for Europhiles like moi). Once upon a time I was seeing a sweet Italian boy from Northern Italy. Michele (pronounced Mik-kay-lay) and I met as next-door neighbors here in San Diego and eventually started dating.

In my case with Mik - my fondest memories are being able to travel to his home in Italy where his parents live and learning conversational Italian. Now - I love traveling. But in my 20s I was so busy pursuing my acting career in Los Angeles that I didn't travel much at all. Also, I had never done the American token Just-graduated-from-college-gonna-go-party-or-hitchhike-in-Europe trip. So when I turned 30 and was seeing Miky, it seemed logical to treat myself to my first trip abroad, specifically Italy, where he went yearly for about a month to visit his parents and friends.

I remember being so excited at finally going to Europe. But I was terrified at the thought of flying there alone (Mik was already there). I hate flying. And I wasn't looking forward to my first-transatlantic flight. I figured if I didn't die a horrible death in a plane crash into the icy ocean waters, then the sharks would eat me alive. (Just the kind of colorful craziness that enters Elsa's head).

I made it somehow through the plane ride and eventually landed at the Venice International Airport. Mik is from a tiny village located just minutes west of the Slovenia border and about a half hour south of the Austrian border. This to me, was even more fascinating than getting to know someone from a major city. For I LOVE nature and the countryside. And the region he was from was full of small villages, tons of beautiful trees and meadows. I absolutely LOVE that stuff!!!

Mik's village of about 200 is called Vernasso. It is a couple hours east of Venice. I simply couldn't believe I was on another continent as we drove to his home. Reflecting on it: I am pleased that my first trip to Europe was on my own dime and done at 30 - there was so much I wasn't taking for granted!

Vernasso is situated in a large valley surrounded by fields of corn (that are grown for livestock food), the river Natisone where Mik's dad fished, and during the summer young and old alike tanned, swam and launched off the large boulders. To the north of the village a dirt road leads up through the mountains and to a ranch where one can stay as a bed and breakfast.

Mik's house was completely different than I ever expected. His parents have am ample property with trees, a garden (where Mik's mom grows most of her vegetables), a small guest house in the back at the end of a long driveway. Their house was built by an uncle who was an architect. It was in the shape, believe it or not: of an octagon!

I will always be grateful to Mik's parents for their generosity during my stays in Italy. His mom waited on us hand and foot - something I was most uncomfortable with, but Mik insisted she didn't mind since she so rarely saw her only son.

Special and interesting culinary highlights from Italy include: Aunt Emma's bringing EVERY time she visited a tray of expensive, fresh pastries that tasted better than any other pastry I've had here. Italian pizza: completely different than here - it is super thin (so you don't get fat on all that thick crust like here in the USA). Also it's a basic staple, like pasta - something you can eat every day. Petiferoles - a dessert of chocolate or vanilla pastry balls filled with cream and covered in sauce - ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Also interesting was the fact that most people grow their own grapes and make their own wines to have at their houses for every meal. Mik's dad drank wine even at breakfast. After my initial shock, I tried it and realized it's not as strong as I am used to, thus making it possible for Italians to drink it at every meal. But my favorite food memory will be the most wonderful ice cream I have ever tasted to this day is the fresh made ice cream made in Italy. It is unlike the ice cream here. Fresh, light. Not heavy. And so many flavors. Ummmmmmmmmmm.

As much as I was eating there: I was very aware of the lack of obesity in Italy wherever I went - unlike here where my teenage students are severely overweight and already have diabetes - the people in Italy are thin, and healthy looking with all the fresh foods they eat, the Mediterranean diet, olive oil, non-packaged foods. Plus all the walking they do. As a matter of fact: I felt fat with my Mexican hips and big, curvy bones compared to the TINY, petite-boned and no-hipped Italian women.This was surprising to me. I needed to learn that there is a huge difference between northern and southern Italians. I learned that the stereotypical Italians we see in Hollywood movies are based on the southern Italians or Sicilians. They are kind of like Mexicans: loud, big families, curvier, darker-skinned and black haired. Whereas the Northern Italians tend to be paler, light-colored eyes (Mik's were hazel), blondes and lighter hairs, small families, and much more reserved in personality. It has to be that Austrian influence hehehe. Another thing I learned was that there exists a HUGE prejudice between the northerners and southerners. They evidently hate each other. The northerners tend to be better educated but I must say that I probably could relate better with the southern personality.

My trip had another huge highlight: not only was I meeting Mik's sweet friends, but it was the wedding of his friend, Gianni (pronounced "Johnny", essentially). I felt so fortunate to experience a wedding in another country and see the traditions. The night before the wedding all the friends of the groom (males and females) alike congregate at the family's house (while the friends of the bride do the same at her family's house). While eating and drinking wine, the friends then do the tradition of making a trellis from leaves, branches and flowers that the groom and their family will walk through the next morning on their way to the church. Such a sweet, giving idea! Gianni had asked for me to bring an American flag - he LOVES the USA and had traveled on holiday here previously. Actually he is obsessed with the USA. Idolizes it. He actually wanted a HUGE flag but when I realized it costs about $100 bucks I decided on a smaller one. I placed it on the trellis and he was so happy. He also remarked several times how he cool he thought it was that an American was attending his wedding.

Gianni and Sabrina's wedding was held in a small village church but then we drove for an hour to the reception hall in Udine (the nearest city). I felt like we ate and ate and ate. So many (small) courses. I don't eat red meat and at one point Mik said, "don't eat that!" I wasn't planning to anyway but was horrified to learn it was meat of a 'little horse' or pony!!! wahhhhhhhhh :( Needless to say, it was a wonderful, lovely time - even though I spoke no Italian at the time and no one else spoke English.

Other highlights was a day trip to Venice. I looove Venice. It was May and therefore the weather was very warm but perfect! Also, there were not as many people as the tourist season hadn't started yet. (I understand it can get miserably crowded on those tiny, hot, dusty alley streets). We wandered around the streets and squares with no plan. It was a lovely day getting lost, seeing the canals with the gondolas -having an incredibly delicious late lunch of margarita pizza, tortellini, fresh-baked bread and wine. The only thing was that we ate that huge meal and then went to the Opera House to see "La Traviata". I was so full of great food and wine and after walking around all day in the warm spring air I (GASP!) started nodding off (as in SLEEPING) and on throughout the Opera. The middle-aged woman next to me kept giving me disgusting looks. I was so ashamed but I couldn't help it! :) As we left the Opera House at dark we crossed through the vast San Marcos Square where I heard a sidewalk cafes string musicians playing songs from, "The Phantom of the Opera". Simply perfect way to end my nice day!

We also went to visit Mik's cousin Andrea (Ahn-drey-uh) - and his wife who lived in Pisa, Italy. This was a treat in that Andrea - who is a pilot in the Italian air force - was stationed in America for some time and learned English pretty well - so I was finally able to converse a bit after days of trying to communicate with everyone else! As for Pisa - well, it's a university town - many students. But essentially if there was no school there or the famous leaning tower - Pisa would NOT be a tourist stop. It was alright, but not too much to write about other than how hospitable his relatives were.We also did a side trip to London - I LOVE IT! It was expensive as heck - shoot! But I loved seeing a show on the West End, loved shopping in Campden Town Market, loved walking the parks, loved sipping tea, loved the Indian curry restaurant we went to, loved the weather (we had sunny, clear days the whole time), loved the AWESOME movie theater that the Royal family even has a section at (didn't love the $19 ticket prices though to go see the 2nd Star Wars movie) and mostly loved our friend and host, Mark, who took care of us and let us into his fabulous flat he shared with ballerina boyfriend. Mark and Mik used to work together on DISNEY UK TV and he is now hosting some show of his own. He is fabulously gay and generous and made me laugh all the time. I loved London.

Other trips continued and it's all past tense now, but I came across some digital pictures recently and I want to somewhat document those old adventures in bella Italia.

italy02