My last  post about Italy has to be about the food.   I am like my mother in that I believe love surrounds the table, and meals cooked for family and friends bring people together to create lasting memories.

There is a real difference in the way Italians eat compared to most Americans.  Do not expect to see any take-out restaurants or fast food chains, other than the occasional McDonald’s.    Eating in a space not designed for eating (such as on a train, bench, or sidewalk curb)  is frowned upon and is downright illegal in some cities.   A lot of restaurants do have hustlers outside who will try to entice you to come in.  DO NOT FALL FOR THEM,  NO MATTER HOW CUTE AND CHARMING THEY MAY BE!  In my experience, restaurants that were good had no need to hire hustlers.  Once you have found a restaurant and are seated,  a  waiter will come over to offer you some water, which is always followed by the question “Gas?  Or no Gas?”  This became a running joke in our party as we would say “Gas?  Or no gas?” in our best thick Italian accents.  What the waiters were referring to was whether you wanted carbonated or non-carbonated water. A word to the frugal:  charges are incurred for every bottle of water that is brought to your table.  You can ask for tap water, which is free, but the waiter will act like he doesn’t understand what you are saying, and it is more than likely that you will never see such tap water. Ever. Then,  you will have to quench your thirst with the wine, which isn’t a bad idea, unless you are dehydrated after a day spent sightseeing in the hot Italian sun.

While in Italy, it was my goal to try as many different foods as I could. Dinners are served in five courses, and are purchased a la carte. I would usually order one course, which gave me lots of opportunities throughout our trip to try different things without coming home a blimp. The antipasto, or appetizer is the first course. First courses were things like salads, crostini, cold cuts and bruschetta. Salads in Italy are different than what I’m used to in that they are layered or clumped in the bowl and not mixed.    No dressing is needed, because the contents of the salad are so flavorful.  Hard boiled eggs, slices of moist mozzarella cheese (the real jiggly stuff) shredded carrots and wedges of sun ripened tomatoes add flavor and moisture.

The next course is the primo course, which is where you will find pasta dishes and pizza. I did try pizza, and I wasn’t a huge fan.  Cheese was sparse and crusts were soggy.  I guess I’m used to American pizza.    I do love ravioli, and tried several variations while in Italy. I also discovered the great combination of pasta with beans one day for lunch in Verona.  I vowed to try to make this at home.

The secondo course is where you will find chicken, meat and fish dishes. The contoro course is usually served along with this and contains vegetables.  Finally,  desserts are known as the dolce course.  For us, this meant nightly doses of gelato.  There are gelato cafes all over, and this is really the only socially acceptable thing to eat while you are strolling through the streets. The best restaurants I went to had menus entirely in Italian.  Most waiters were kind enough to translate and recommend great dishes. I had out of this world chicken in Siena, the best Cafe American and croissant in Lucca,  great appetizers in Tuscany, ravioli in Assisi, caprese sandwiches  in Cinque Terre and a leisurely breakfast of fresh fruit, croissants, meats and creme brûlée on a sunny balcony in Verona.  No matter what city we were in there was always good wine.

Coming back, we flew into Philadelphia before heading home.  I went into a bit of culture shock as I took in the fried foods, saw the huge portion sizes and watched people eat (gasp!) on benches and not at tables.  Not too long ago,  I was at the mall, and I watched  as a teenager chowed down on a full meal out of a styrafoam container while  waiting to see a store representative.   I think the Italians have it right here.   Meals are meant to be lingered over and enjoyed.  You should really taste what you are eating, and shouldn’t eat while you are rushing to get somewhere. Expect dinners to take two hours, and lunch at least an hour.  That being said, I did sneak a chocolate croissant while we were waiting to get into the Vatican.  I felt like one of my students, sneaking bites of food when it is not snack time, as I stealthily broke off bits of the croissant that I had hidden in my bag.

A common type of eatery you will see in Italy is a bar.  It is not the bar that we think of in America; rather these are multipurpose establishments and change throughout the day.  In the morning you will find coffee and croissants, at lunch you can get sandwiches and slices of pizza,  and after dinner these places are open for drinking, with  people spilling  out onto the piazzas to socialize.

When it comes to the check,  the waiter usually does not bring it until you ask for it.    Also, they are not quick to whisk your plate away. You know how if you are a fast eater and your plate gets cleared away and everyone else is still eating?  Well, you look like you’re either starving or a glutton, and it can be uncomfortable to not at least pretend that you are scraping up that last bit of food with your fork, while your companions finish their meals.  In Italy, they wait until the last person is done, and may not even clear the table before you leave.  Once you have your food, waiters leave you alone to enjoy your food and companions.   If you need something, it’s relatively easy to flag someone down.      After the meal is done, you sit.  there is no rushing you out so someone else can have your table.  And tipping is not necessary.    It is customary to only round up to the next euro.

If there was anything I learned about food in Italy it is this.  Make it fresh.  Linger over it and enjoy it, and be willing to have an adventure as you seek out and try a variety of food and establishments.

After all that medieval goodness in Siena, we took the tracks down to Rome.  Don’t get me wrong.  I like Rome.  It’s just big, crowded and very overwhelming.  Rome is good for seeing the sites, then getting out of dodge.  There is a lot to it, and of course we couldn’t see it all. Our Rick Steves’ guidebook was never far from our side. Two highlights of our time there were the areas near the forum and the Sistine Chapel, both of which were enhanced through Steves’ audio tour.  We started out at the colosseum,  and listened to his informative and funny narrative as we walked through, then continued our way through the ruins.  I loved hearing the stories and seeing where so much history  happened.  I was standing at the place where modern civilization started and I was in awe.

At St. Peter’s Basilica,  we saw magnificent pieces of artwork and went underground  where we saw papal tombs.  Above ground, we saw  The Pieta.

Michaelangelo’s  sculpture of Mary, holding Jesus’ body after he was crucified is heartbreaking.  The way Jesus’s head is cradled in Mary’s arms and how his arm hangs limp bought tears to my eyes.   Sadly, a crazed Austrailian geologist came in with a hammer in 1972 and  began destroying it. Now the sculpture sits behind bullet-proof acrylic, where it will stay protected for years to come.  After seeing the immense Basilica, we headed over to the Sistine Chapel. To see the Sistine Chapel, you buy tickets to the Vatican Museum and work your way through to the end, where, down an endless hallway you will find the chapel.   Allow yourself plenty of time,  because there are several rooms in the museum with beautiful artwork to look at, and the endlessly long, light and airy hallway that leads to the chapel is a piece of art itself.   Lining part of the hallway are beautiful, colorful maps.  Replicas of these maps can be bought at a gift shop nearby.

Once inside the chapel, I realized that this really should be the Eighth Wonder of the World. Words defy it’s beauty, precision and magnificence. So I’ll stop now and just say I could have stayed there for hours.

All I wished was for everyone else to leave so I could lie down on the floor, look up, and take it all in. But, the crowds were thick,  people were being ushered through and a distractingly handsome guard was politely telling some teenagers to stop taking pictures.  Every time I began to get lost in thought, I was startled back to reality by  hordes of people.

After all this, Way, way, way above ground we saw Rome from a bird’s eye view. We did the dome climb. 551 steps above the earth, we could see it all.

At night, Rome is very nice, especially near the Pantheon neighborhood.  The air is electric, the streets are crowded with shoppers, diners, and tourists and it’s fun. We sat outside at a cafe and drank wine in front of the Pantheon, and marveled at this magnificent structure.  In fact, during our whole trip to Italy, we only ate or drank inside on a few occasions, and it was usually at breakfast.  We dined al fresco, soaking up the  sultry Italian air.

One night, we went to a restaurant that was recommended in our Rick Steves’ guide.  Yes, they had hustlers outside, trying to entice people to come in.  We took the bait, and it did not disappoint.  It was good, and we had tables that faced the crowded  street in the open air.   The place was called Ciccia Bomba, I got a kick out of watching the hustler try to get people to come in and dine.

You’ve got to have a thick skin with all the people declining what you have to offer. We sat down and  a waiter  came up and started talking to us.  He noticed our guidebook and proceeded to tell us a story. He said a while back, a group of people were eating and he heard some commotion coming from their table.  He thought that something was wrong, and that they did not like their meal. He went over to their table to check on things. Well, apparently the commotion was cause for excitement.  The group was ooing and aahhing over just how good the food was. A man in the group introduced himself as Rick Steves.   The waiter introduced himself and then  Rick Steves said his name again.  Again, the waiter, not knowing who Rick Steves was said his own name again.  Finally,  Rick Steves held up his own guidebook, pointed to his face and the guidebook and the waiter finally made the connection.   Sure enough, the restaurant was included in a subsequent edition.

So yes, there is a lot to Rome.  With all the history, dining, shopping, churches and museums, it’s a lot to take in.  Oh Rome.  Should you find your way into this lovely city, make sure to give yourself extra time and plan accordingly.  This is one city that warrants sticking to a tight schedule.

All I wanted to do was to lay on the beach and soak up the  warm, Mediterranean sun.

I shook out my little hotel towel, sat down, and began to breathe in the fresh, ocean air.

I was interrupted  mid-breath by a lady selling massages.  I politely declined.

Once again, I took a deep breath, looked out into the ocean and marveled at how beautiful this place was.

Then, a man selling sunglasses blocked my view, asking if I wanted to buy.

“No thanks,” I replied.

These propositions did not stop.

A  man came by  selling beach blankets, and then another came by peddling bracelets.

I had refused all until I saw the man with the beach blankets.

Shifting around uncomfortably on my hotel towel,  I asked,  “How much?”

“Thirty-five,” he said.

Still reeling from overpaying in Venice for those whirly-gig toys,  I told him no, then asked if he would take ten.

He looked at me with mock incredulousness, then said “twenty-five.”

I  shook my head and tried not to make eye contact.

He started to walk  away then turned around and asked, “fifteen?”

I told him no again, narrowed my eyes, and repeated my number.

He smiled and said “OK.  Ten.”

I was in Monterroso al Mere, one of the five villages that make up the Cinque Terre (The Five Lands). While we only did a day trip from Lucca to this region, It is worthy of two days and a night. Worthy not because of museums and churches and art, but just to relax and be present in all that is Italy. We started at this northernmost town and worked our way south by boat.   Each of these five towns can be accessed by train or on foot.  Hiking paths that vary in difficulty, and trains with village stops, connect the Cinque Terre to the outside world.  We decided that traveling by  boat was the best way to go.  Unlike trains, the boats were timely and it only took 5-10 minutes to get from town to town while breathing in the fresh, salty air.  Besides, the view from the boat was breathtaking.

Each of the villages in the region have their own unique stamp. I Loved Monterroso because of the wide, sandy beaches and shallow waters.

I loved Manarola because of the quiet, hilly streets that began at the dock and passed by churches, gardens and homes.   I found that the higher we climbed up the hill along the streets, the more local it seemed.

We walked into this peaceful church,  and heard the bells ring forth.

We could feel the fresh breeze coming off from the ocean below.

I loved Riomaggiore  because of what I learned there.  While we were walking up the dock toward the village, we saw several people swimming out to rocks that were about 30 feet high.  They were jumping from them.

We stopped and watched for awhile, as one by one they gathered up courage to jump into the clear, aqua seas.  A girl approached our group and asked one of us to video her jumping.    She joked that her mom was not going to be happy when she saw the video, because the last thing her mom said to her was, “Now be safe and don’t do any thing crazy!”   She handed us her phone, swam out to the rock and climbed to the top. She was visibly nervous, and she kept telling herself aloud that she could do this.  Finally, she jumped.  She had conquered her fear and done it.  Everyone was cheering and clapping.  She came over to us to get her phone, giddy and shaking with excitement and adrenaline. I was proud of her, and I learned that  we all need to push our own self-imposed boundaries sometimes  to see where it may lead us.

As the sun set on Cinque Terre, and we boarded the train back to Lucca, I  thought what a wonderful place this “five lands” is.  Each village is just waiting to teach the visitor a thing or two about beauty, boundaries, and life.

     Quaint shops carved into medieval buildings, homes splashed in color with potted geraniums, twisting, cobblestoned streets,  and an ancient  Roman amphitheater mark the city of Lucca, Italy.

     Lucca is a walled city, and it is no wonder that this place has been  protected  for the last 2,000 years. The wall that surrounds Lucca is fortified with brick and topped with a  2 1/2 mile dirt path, and is wide enough for walkers, strollers, bikers and joggers to easily traverse without bumping into each other.  Back in the day, the city could be closed up through gates and drawbridges, and several ramparts are still here that jut out from the path.  These ramparts (pictured below) served as lookout areas, where the calvary could go to see if intruders were coming.

Lucca’s well-preserved wall is the only wall in Italy that can be biked, walked or run upon.

     While here, we stayed at B&B Anfiteatro, which is within the city wall.  The building that our apartment was housed in was hundreds of years old.  It came with a fully stocked kitchen, a washing machine, a roomy bathroom, a living room area and a separate bedroom. I felt like a local, as we rode bikes,  cooked dinner, strolled the streets and dined al fresco. There are bars where you can get croissants and coffee in the morning, foccacia in the afternoon and wine and gelato in the evenings.

I love the screenless windows in Italy.  It seems like every town has them, and whenever I opened my windows in Lucca, I could hear  sounds of happy, busy lives.  Clanking dishes, sizzling pots, engines from tiny cars and motorcycles and the thump of soccer balls were all mixed in with conversation, laughter and  bells.   Italy’s church bells ring all the time, and it adds a nice touch to any moment throughout the day.  Whenever the bells began,   I would try to stop and look around at my surroundings and soak it all in.

     If you look up while in Lucca, the first thing you notice is an abundance of towers.  During the 1300’s, families built towers atop  their homes as  a symbol of prestige and status. You can climb one of these towers- the Guinigi tower- to get a good view of the city.

I recommend climbing to the top of any available tower in whatever Italian city you are in.  It is a great way to get a bird’s eye view of the layout of the land, and to marvel at the wonder of it all.

     The main piazza, and the largest in Lucca is Piazza dell’Anfiteatro.  It is built upon the ruins of a Roman ampitheater.  Restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating line the edges, along with souvenir and nick-nack shops.  Summer concerts are held here as well, and it’s a great place for people watching.

Lucca has good shopping too, with trendy stores alongside boutiques. We were lucky that our trip coincided with an annual antiques market.  Vendors came from all over Italy to sell their treasures. If I only had unlimited funds for purchases and shipping, I could have gone hog wild.

     One night we decided to take advantage of our kitchen and eat in, so we stopped at a deli to try our hand at Italian cooking.  We got noodles, tomatoes and olive oil, but were in need of more things that the deli did not have out for sale.  A very kind deli worker sold us things from behind the counter so we would have a complete meal.  In regards to cooking, if instruction is desired in this area, chef Paolo Monti’s has a cooking school called Cucina Italiana. Half-day classes are only $20 euros, which is a bargain, considering you get to stuff yourself with whatever you’ve cooked. A half-day class goes from 10am to 3. It’s a good choice for something to do during a day when you are tired of traveling around and need some downtime.

     Lucca is really close to Pisa.  A bus took us from the center of town to Pisa in about 20 minutes.  We viewed the Leaning Tower of Pisa,  took dorky pictures,  and wandered around the grounds. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a bell tower, and it began to lean during construction in the year 1173, due to the soft nature of the ground upon which it is built.

     Perhaps the  neatest thing we did was this: we went into the Pisa Baptistery of St. John.  We wandered into it by default really, because the duomo that we wanted to go into was closed for mass.  The Baptistery is a domed building, and every half hour, one of the guards  sends three notes into the stratosphere.   The notes echo back and a beautiful symphony is created.  It was the coolest thing!  Click on the video below to hear the sounds of the baptistery.

     Lucca is a delightful city and serves well  as a jumping off point to many other places in the area.   It’s  close to Florence, Cinque Terre and the Tuscany region and is decidedly non-touristy.