25 Things I Love About Italy

In no particular order, here are some of the things that I’ve come to love about Italy, and why I’m looking forward to a return trip again next year.

Fields of sunflowers in Tuscany, July 2009

1. Sunflowers
2. Gelato
3. Lake Maggiore
4. Isola Madre
5. Isola Bella (and yes, I know it’s gaudy and over-the-top)
6. Latte de Luna (with wild mushroom soup that’s to-die-for)
7. Brunello wine
8. Giuseppe and La Montalla
9. Florence (so much beautiful art)
10. Trevi Fountain in Rome (I threw in 3 coins, just to ensure my return)
11. Vatican (history and art, religion and politics)
12. Fashion and fashionably dressed men and women
13. Cafes and cappuccino
14. Hills towns in Tuscany
15. Beautiful churches (every town has a dozen)
16. Pecorino cheese
17. Stopping the car to let sheep cross the road
18. The beautiful language (that I must learn)
19. Limoncello
20. Tomato and onion salad
21. Wild boar pasta (actually, any kind of pasta at all!)
22. Vineyard and olive orchards
23. Cypress trees
24. Internet access (yes, in the middle of a vineyard, there’s still wi-fi)
25. History and a sense of how very young the U.S. is

What do you love about Italy?

Photo credit:  Mary Jo Manzanares