ITALY -- THE PEOPLE (FINAL CHAPTER)

Even though there are many untold stories about my adventures in Italy, I suspect that this will be my final blog. The people I chanced to meet in Italy were, by far, the best part of my trip. I will share with you a little about my “brief encounters”.

ITALY – THE PEOPLE (FINAL CHAPTER)

Francis and I stayed in a lovely apartment in Rome for five days and at La Casa del Garbo, a bed & breakfast in Florence for the remainder of our time in Italy. I am still pondering why it seems that people were friendlier in Florence than in Rome. Please don’t misunderstand me, we had a wonderful experience in Rome but the people we met in Florence were more engaging and eager to converse.

GIUSEPPE

It was on our first evening in Florence that Francis and I dined at i’Lorenzaccio’s, a ristorante next door to our bed & breakfast. We met one of the waiters, Giuseppe (a/k/a Joe), a friendly and very handsome Italian. It was on that same evening that Giuseppe was particularly helpful. The B&B office had already closed for the day and on our behalf, Giuseppe telephoned the innkeeper to report our broken toilet. From that moment on, he was our hero and friend. We enjoyed several conversations with him throughout our stay in Florence.

PAUL

On our last full day in Florence, Francis and I crossed the Arno River at the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and walked towards the Pitti Palace. We stopped for lunch at a small sidewalk ristorante, “Celestino”. As we were nearing the end of our delicious meal, a man sitting at the small table next to us, leaned toward Francis and asked, “Excuse me, but do you mind if I ask you a question? I am marveling at your accent. Are you from Texas?” First of all, we were enamored with HIS sexy, British accent (imagine Hugh Grant). Then, Francis explained to him that yes, it is a Texas accent as she had lived in Houston for 45 years. In a matter of seconds, we were engaged in a delightful conversation with Paul, a handsome Brit from Oxford, and his companion, Anita.

We exchanged names, occupations, and travel experiences. Paul was a quick wit and charmed us with flattery and jokes. Francis told him she was in need of someone to hustle her bags while traveling and he readily volunteered for the job. He told us that he and a few of his British mates had spent some time in Boston shortly after 9-11. He was impressed with the Americans’ friendliness and especially enjoyed the way in which Americans curse. I responded, “damn straight!”

Unfortunately, Paul and Anita were leaving Florence in just a couple of hours to return to Oxford. So, Francis gave Paul her e-mail address and asked him to keep in touch. Shortly, after our return to Oklahoma, Francis was delighted to receive an e-mail from our new friend and she forwarded it on to me. It meant a lot to me and Francis that Paul would take the time to correspond with us even after returning to his home and busy life.

OTHERS

There were others with whom we had a brief encounter. I fondly remember Dexter, the bartender at the Scottish pub Tartan Jack’s, Danieli Corvagio, a waiter and student of jazz guitar, Jacopo at i’Lorenzaccio’s, and Giuseppe (not the one previously mentioned) who was the cute guy with great hair who flirted with us at the leather shop. Also, there was the beautiful young woman and her male co-worker at another leather store who asked, “Are you from the South? Are you from Texas?” After going through the same explanation as with Paul, Francis confessed to her Texas drawl and I owned up to my Oklahoma “twang”. With his delicious Italian accent, the young man replied, “I think twang is cute!” Well, that just did me in right then and there. For the first time in my life, I was so proud of my Okie twang!

ARRIVEDERCI

On my last night in Italy, I stood in the center of Piazza della Signoria. I threw my arms open wide as if to embrace the moment and slowly turned in a complete circle. I savored all that I heard and saw – a flutist played haunting tunes, heavenly aromas from the ritzy Rivoire café drifted through the air, and young lovers walked hand in hand. The famous statues, Rape of the Sabines, Cosimo I, and a replica of David towered over me as I stood in the shadows of the famous Uffizi Gallery. It was a thrilling moment yet I was incredibly sad. My time in Italy was over and I desperately wanted to sear the memories of all that had happened to me into my heart forever.

I will never be the same person as I was before my trip to Italy. Enrichment, entertainment, education, expanding one’s horizons, enjoyment, and emotion – isn’t this what travel is all about?

MAY 27, 2009