That’s Amore!
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
—St. Augustine
I have always dreamed of traveling through Italy, but sadly, I have never had the pleasure. With the economy more sluggish than any of us would like, my family’s money is prioritized and earmarked for college funds and dance classes, and five plane tickets to Tuscany just aren’t in the budget right now.
However, I am once more putting Alanna Kellogg’s words into practice. In the blog post I’ve been raving about all week, she suggests we travel vicariously to a place we’ve always dreamed of going by immersing ourselves in every aspect of the culture. Learn the language (at least a word or phrase every day), cook or sample local cuisine, study maps, and read travelogues. What a great idea—and your greatest investment is the time it takes you to become engaged.
Let me share what I’ve learned about Italy so far.
- Italian aristocrat Catherine de Medici introduced France to a then unheard-of world of delicacies when she married King Henry in the sixteenth century, including artichokes, pasta, and truffles. In her honor, I tried (and mastered) this delicious recipe from Food & Wine. It only requires one shaved truffle – a relatively inexpensive indulgence!
- I learned there are more than a dozen words to distinguish different types of water from Diana Hales, whose blog Becoming Italian Word by Word is now a new favorite.
- The Cypress tree is considered by Tuscans to be a symbol of the countryside, and there are both “male” and “female” trees.
Where would you to travel to by armchair? Tell your friends at OregonChaiCafe. We’re all ears!
Cheers,
OregonChaiMama