La Dolce Vita

I arrived at the Fiumicino Airport to a slight drizzle, April showers as referred to by many. Just last summer, we planned this trip over lunch of pasta at an Italian restaurant in New York. My daughter, Rianna a student at Cornell, had announced to us that she was going to the Scuola de Lorenzo de Medici in Florence during the spring semester.

After retrieving our baggage, my younger daughter, Regina and I were off on a cab going to Termini where we would meet Rianna. She had just gotten off the train from Florence when we arrived and once again, I saw her wide smile as she rushed towards us. In Rome, we were together once more. After a short cab ride, we were in our apartment past the courtyard in the center of a building, characterized by huge wooden doors with brass rings common to other apartment buildings.

Eager to show us the places she had already discovered, we walked miles and miles past the Piazza Republica to as far as Circo Massimo. I couldn’t believe we walked so far! This happened to be just a preview of the next week to come as we had earlier planned to spend the weekend in Capri.

We took a train to Naples the following day and hopped on a boat to the beautiful island of Capri. With its turquoise waters and very quaint shops and residences we were very pleased to arrive at our very elegant hotel. Capri, known for its Blue Grotto and other islands surrounding it was a real jewel. Much to our disappointment though, the waters were too rough for an island tour. We then settled for a hike to the ruins of Villa Jovis and a chairlift to Anacapri the following day. High above the blue water and mountains, the beauty of the islands was a sight to behold. Our meals were most memorable with the freshest seafood followed by what was to become my favorite drink, Limoncello, best produced in Capri. It was time to leave and back in Naples, we took off in different directions, Rianna back to Florence once again and we, back to Rome.

Rome. Back on our own, this time with my son, Gino who had just arrived, we visited places at our own leisurely pace, stopping at places on most other’s itineraries. At the Colloseo, one could just imagine the gladiators and the chariots of yesteryears. Near the Piazza Navona with all the artists plying their works, we luckily stumbled upon the gelateria we were actually looking for. Not wanting to waste calories, I would only choose the best of the flavors, a meringue and licorice. And of course we wouldn’t miss the Fontana de Trevi, not forgetting to drop a coin if wanting to return and the Spanish Steps with all the flowers abloom in spring. Aside from our maps, we were only guided by the smells of roasted chestnuts at street corners leading to all the famous stops. The Vatican City, I guess the most important stop, was teeming with people all hoping to get a glimpse of Pope John Paul’s resting place at the Basilica. But cooking being my passion, I was more excited to see the Campo di Fiori with all its fresh produce and colorful flowers.

Florence. Our next stop and of course first in line was the Scuola de Lorenzo de Medici, Rianna’s university for the current semester. Our apartment was situated right by the Duomo, very central to other places like the Galleria degli Ufizzi that holds the world’s finest collection of Renaissance paintings and the Galleria dell’Academia where the very popular statue of David takes center stage. My most memorable experience however was the Tuscany bike tour around the countryside, past vineyards and clusters of olive trees only seen in postcards. We pedaled our way through a tasting of wine and the most delicious crusty bread, crunchy on the outside with the mildly soaked flavors of extra virgin olive oil and sea salt in the center. And after another few kilometers of biking, on to lunch of pasta with the freshest flavors of tomatoes and basil, topped with parmigiano rigiano. Simple but heavenly!

Another take on touring? We all went on a guided tour on the Segway, an electric scooter, where you drive past crowds of tourists all the way to Ponte Vechio with its load of overhanging shops and buildings above the river. Another highlight was a Tuscan cooking class I attended with my daughters creating the most flavorful dishes the traditional Italian way with just salt, pepper and herbs, all found at the Mercato Centrale. The market was like a playground to me, enjoying the sights, smells, touch and tastes of the wide variety of salty and spicy prosciutto, the plump red roma tomatoes, the freshness of the herbs and all the ingredients that make Italian cooking so flavorful.

Spending most of our time in Florence, we managed to do day trips to Pisa, famous for its leaning tower. And on to the small town of Fiesole, where huge lemons abound and to the breathtaking Cinque Terre, a quintet of tiny seafront villages surrounded by cliffs and steeply terraced slopes. It is here that I discovered another gelateria with yet another unique flavor, cinnamon. Yum!

Venice. Our last stop to what was once described the world’s most beautiful city. Inching our way through a sea of tourists we managed to lug our baggage into the water buses along the Grand Canal. Plying the canals on the gondola away from the crowds, I would think it is the most romantic city in Italy. By now we were tired of churches and museums and just lazed around while sipping wine at the Piazza San Marco. And while still trying to escape the crowds, we opted to visit the much more quiet island of Murano, famous for its hand blown glass.

Sadly, it was time to end our trip and again Rianna went off to Florence and we, back to Rome. I can only marvel at how independent she has become. With an early flight the next morning, we stayed at a hotel near the airport.

We’re now back at the Fiumicino Airport. A warm sun has replaced the drizzle. Our countless pictures will always remind us of Italy, together with the smells that linger from the little shopping we did – the smell of leather from Florence, and the sweet smells of chocolates from Rome and Limoncello that I had managed to smuggle from Capri. Our final boarding has been announced. “Andiamo!” I smile at Regina.