Italian fever - catch it!

Last week I did a slide presentation about Italy at the Guilford Art Center.  About 45 people showed up and I talked about Italy and the Italians.  I was so pleased with the number of people who showed up and I was pleasantly surprised at the vast and varied Italian experiences that many of these folks had.  Obviously some of the them were of Italian heritage but this was really a small portion of them.  Many of them, like me, had gone to Italy and fallen in love - -not with a person but with a place, a culture, a lifestyle.  One man (clearly not Italian) came up to me and spoke several sentences in Italian - very charming.  He and his wife were leaving that week for their annual trip to Italy and were spending 5 weeks there - ah, to be retired!  We laughed about our experiences there, especially our adventures in driving and we were grateful that at least they drive on the same side of the road as we do here in the States.  One woman told me that she always thought her son-in-law who is of Italian descent was very quirky but after my lecture she gained some insight into the Italians and now realized why he is the way he is.  Another gentleman came up to me and thanked me for bringing back wonderful memories of the time he spent in Italy when he traveled there for business. He shared his own experiences with me and of course I was captivated. 

The love for things Italian truly brings people together.  We become a wee bit obsessed - the food, the wine, the art, the people - but it is harmless and really, how can you not love it all?  I am giving this lecture again this week at the Burlington, CT library - Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7 PM.  If you are in the area, join us!  It should be another fun evening of la dolce vita and we would love to see you there!