Hi from Rick: Local Pride in Italy
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| Italian evenings were made for passeggiata strolls. |
Dear Traveler,
I'm just finishing an exhilarating month in Italy. They say this is "the land of a thousand bell towers" and I've seen why. From Sicily to Verona to the Amalfi, people's pride in their bell towers reflects a powerful love for their hometown. More than any fancy museum, this local pride reflects the everyday cultural roots I strive to understand and appreciate wherever I travel.
These roots are revealed in many ways. Last night I was both fed and entertained by a happily frenzied couple. They've been running their little trattoria for 25 years and they served customers with an enchanting sort of rhythm. The husband explained, "Our goal…to stir emotions with our cooking." His wife gave him a little hug saying, "Like a cherry under alcohol, he never ages." With the help of new friends like them, this month I've graduated from sandwich bologna to savory mortadella — gaining an appreciation for one more delightful slice of Italian life.
After dinner, I strolled through a teeming, multi-generational sea of people. It seemed the entire town was out polishing the wide limestone promenade with their feet, as they have here nightly for literally centuries. This morning at breakfast a traveler asked, "What on earth was going on last night?" It was just Thursday night in Anytown, Italia. The passeggiata is a much loved ritual here — a simple celebration of community — as it is across the Mediterranean world.
Take a passeggiata stroll through this month's Tour News, and you can be my virtual travel partner via my new blog (I fly to Spain tomorrow). Plus you can get the lowdown on current US passport hassles, seats still available for summer tours (some on sale!), why we're especially fond of France right now, a wee sneak preview of our 2008 tour lineup, and what it is that makes our tour guides so great.
For nearly the entire month (as I do wherever I travel these days) I've appreciated working with a relay of our tour guides. I value my time on the road too much not to enjoy the expert insights of a great guide who specializes in and has a passion for a particular region. And the caliber of our guides is one reason why I am so proud of our tour program. Just like fresh garlic and fine oil turn a dry piece of toast into a delightful bruschetta, our tour guides can take a simple neighborhood walk and bring out local flavors you never expected.
Somewhere there's a bell tower waiting for you. And we'd love to take you there.
Happy travels,
Rick