I miss Italy

This is my second Monday back at work after returning from Italy. The first Monday back I was still in the haze of jet lag and not really zeroed in on anything. How can I begin to list the things I miss already.

Not their breakfast, really - we do that a lot better, but the coffee, definitely. It just seems like our coffee has no flavor. I don't really know how they brew it but the richness of the flavor without the bitterness you get here in a stronger cup of coffee is distinct.

The slow way they start their days - like a flower opening up as the sun rises rather than the Jack-in-the-box approach we have here in the US. I realize they aren't very productive in comparison to us but maybe somewhere in between the two approaches to life would make more sense. Is it even possible to change our society here just a little bit? Maybe Gen Y can do (Lindsay? Jordan?). But then again, maybe that's what led to the fall of the Roman Empire - lack of ambition and productivity!

The aromas that hit you throughout the day - foods, people, earth, wine, coffee - some are good and some not so good but it certainly keeps the sense of smell sharp. Everything here is "sanitized and deoderized". I am sitting in my office and I can't smell a single distinct aroma.

The sights - the old buildings with character and stories hidden behind each door, the countryside, so much of it still undeveloped, the people - with more liveliness in their faces, at least most of them anyway, and more color and sense of style in their dress. Granted, in Colorado the sights can be pretty spectacular with the sun setting over the mountains but it is too new to have the richness of character that was present in Europe.

So that's why I miss Italy.

Fresh Produce

The Italians really know how to enjoy food. Everything we ate for the two weeks we were there was so fresh and amazing. They just don't serve things that aren't fresh. Opening a can is an afront to their senses. The tomatoes seemed more flavorful. The wine lighter and less proned to causing a hardcore "buzz". And I don't believe I have ever tasted a better cantelope in my life. Pasta, Panzanella, Salami, Cheeses, Bread, Truffles, Seafood - nothing compares here in the US. I have decided its because so little of our food is "real" - unalterated by genetic engineering to produce longevity but reduce taste. Look at this produce stand - it all looks so amazing. The colors are brighter than anything I saw today at Whole Foods and that's the best produce place I have found in town. Even our local "farmer's market" today had tomoatoes with a lable from Canada. Oh I am longing for the luscious foods of Italy and I've only been home one week.

Ciao