Memories of Italy

I am self aware of my fading grey matter and the cellular activity needed to retain memory so this is as much a log for myself as it is for the scattering of readers that visit on occasion.

So while it is fresh in my mind from few hours ago when we concluded our Italian excursion I want to jot down some of the unique memories.

1.  Meeting people with a varying background -

On a train bound for Italy back from the Swiss lake region of Lugano we chatted our way down with a couple who was also checking out the region on a short break from life.  Their life was of retirement in a southern Turkish region but having a friend get married in Italy was reason enough to visit.  The gent, a former diplomat with the Venezuelan government in Caracas was based in the gulf region for over a decade and had managed to travel with some who's who in the sands of Arabia.  Now nostalgic for his adventures and saddened by his home in a mess (read Venezuelan crisis) he was happy to have made Turkey his new home.  Apparently a lot of European ex-pats have discovered this and are heading south.  Cheaper coastal living - a secret not yet labeled as the Turkish Riviera.

Many American families vacationing but with some strong connection to the region.  One dad from the bay area was heading on to his father's house in Croatia, a boat ride across the Adriatic from where we were putzing around.

2.  Eating a gelato every four hours - The readers will notice that yours truly has not raved about food yet, a subject near and dear to my gut.  I was aware I would be handicapped not being a fan of pizzas and pastas per se but the Italian frozen treat was a life saver and then some.  Here is a food expert chiming in on what the difference is between American ice cream and Gelato - Ice cream contains at least 10 percent butterfat and usually has between 14 and 25 percent. Meanwhile, Italian gelato includes only about 4 to 9 percent fat. Yet gelato also contains less air than American ice cream — that helps keep it dense, fluid and creamy. And having less butterfat to coat your palate allows the flavors to emerge more

3. Dining back to back two nights in 'Haveli Indian' in Florence aka Firenze  - While in Tuscany, chasing down the path described by Robert Langdon in Dan Brown's 'Inferno' was a hugely fun activity to do (involving several flights of stairs in Florence's palaces and gardens), it required us to get some serious nourishment at the end of a hard day of detective work.  Enter the gem of a place not far from the Stazione Centrale or main train station called 'Ristorante Haveli'.

Run by a couple from Delhi the wait staff is adorned in a Sherwani (like a British frock) and decor mimics a Haveli which is a traditional mansion in Northwestern region of the Indian sub-continent.  The food and service are quick, courteous but comes with a fee called Coperta.  No tipping needed just pay the mandatory cost of a seat, silverware and place settings.  In case of this place the papads and chutneys are included.  The curry dishes, naans and biryani were among the best we have had.  I say this with a bias for Indian food and with a serious as cancer view that the taste and textures rank along side something authentic you would experience in northern India.

4.  Attending a very friendly Harley Davidson rally in Lugano, Switzerland (a hop away from Lake Como region we visited in northern Italy).  The daughter was even encouraged by a young Belarussian beauty to attend the next year's rally in Minsk.

5.  Kissing my better (and keeps getting better) half of 25 years under the Rialto Bridge in Venice.

6.  Having an Italian lager with my McDonald's breakfast because I did not like the other beverage choices offered with my meal at the train station.