When I was a child, I created my Christmas wish list by circling all my wished for items in a Sears catalog. The ones I really wanted had more circles around them, lined by huge stars. Well, some things never change, and I have mentally been dreaming about my Italian wish list for the last few weeks. Although I don’t have a catalog, I do have my photos that bring back amazing memories and put a smile on my face every time I look at them.
If I could have my Italian wish list, this is what it would be…
1. The assurance that every year I could make my mask in Venice and attend Carnevale. My mask would have gigantic, attention-getting plumes and jewels…
2. Heaping plates of pasta with a good local wine…
3. Drinks and lively chatter overlooking a gorgeous ocean view…
4. Stunning sunsets that leave me spellbound…
5. My own gondola with personable gondolier who sings old Italian love songs while paddling me around the canals of Venice…
6. Who says Vespas are only for the young and daring? I might not be so young, but I can’t resist the daring. Santa, please, my own little Vespa to putt through the little white villages of Puglia, manhandling those winding alleyways with expertise…
7. The Archangel Michael to stay by my side and slay all opponents
8. A week of walking the beaches of Camogli on the Riviera followed by peaceful meditation inside the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta, bedecked with numerous tinkling chandeliers.
9. Occasional moments of good times and laughter with the guys groups in the piazzi.
11. Warm evening strolls through golden hued streets of Italian villages with a loved one.
12. My own little Fiat 500! I am so in love with these snazzy little cars…and, I’ve discovered you can get an unbelievable number of people inside of them. But it helps to have the sunroof open…
13. Is my own private boat too much to ask? Imagine carting friends and family back and forth between the mainland and islands to experience another day in paradise…
14. I know it’s a frill, definitely, but my own wine steward to introduce and pour my daily glass of wine. Especially if he is cute like this one 🙂
15. This spot outside the Le Sirenuse Restaurant in Positano to enjoy my wine while taking in the astounding view…
16. Dinner in a cozy little piazza with my friends every night after passeggiata…
17. Surrounded by walls with creeping vines of luscious flowers…
18. Picnics and dancing in the olive groves of Puglia…
19. Plates of delicious grilled Mediterranean vegetables…
20. Baby goats sleeping in the shade by old pots…there’s just something about this that delights me.
21. Endless opportunities to meander all these little medieval villages with plenty of money and some to spare…
22. Ever since I ran into this tall lady in Terracina, I’ve dreamed of learning to be a stilt walker dressed in colorful array. This way, my bright colors won’t scare people when I come around the corner!
23. A luxurious rooftop table with a view….of Rome. I would love to entertain here…
24. Lunch down on the farm in the Umbrian countryside with locals and an intoxicating view of fields and lakes…
25. Hiking in the countryside with a guide who knows all the folklore of the area…
26. Exploring old olive mills…those still in use, not abandoned with spiders…
27. Volunteer in the Cat Sanctuary at Torre Argentina in Rome…
28. Chatting with the locals, especially ladies like these. They are so proud of their adorable little houses.
Well, there you have it. I made myself stop here. My list is endless…and with each trip I make, it grows again. But if Santa would grant me this wish list, it would be the closest thing to heaven on earth that I could ever imagine.
Buon Natale…may all your Italian dreams come true!
Excellent list! You touched on all the bases. Maybe some lanb dinners using local saffron in the mountains of Abruzzo!
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Your idea sounds delicious! There is so much to love about Italy…Buon Natale!
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What a great list, Susan. I’d be there in a heartbeat 😀 Buon Natale!
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Grazie mille! Buon Natale:)
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Great list! You’ve made me hungry, not only for a plate of those grilled vegetables, but also for a stay in a lovely trullo. I don’t even need the Vespa.
Buon Natale!
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Susan, I love this post..so many unforgettable memories permanently saved in your wonderful photos! i am so happy I was able to be a part of them!!
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Margie, they wouldn’t be half the fun without you! Your presence made a lot of those wonderful memories:)
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Thank you Susan. I agree some of my favorite times in Italy were with you in Puglia, Venice, Positano and other places this past June
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I’m so glad you aren’t greedy, Susan. So many people ask for just too much! 😉
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I know! I felt very greedy as I was writing this post, but I just love it all. Hey, it never hurts to ask, right?
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Aww Susan! What a lovely list and sweet collection of photos…great memories and fun times! I love that pic of you with the guys in the piazza! CLASSIC!
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Those guys….they are irresistible! They had me laughing out of control. Thanks for stopping! Buon Natale, cara
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Oh my, Susan, this one made me want to go get on a plane and fly to where you are! How’s that for a wish list?! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!! Love and hugs, Natalie 🙂 ❤
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Che bellezza. Italia e veramente la terra dei sogni.
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No wonder we’re such wonderful amiche! We love the same things and have been fortunate to share some… Now, I have my appointment to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him my list- I hope he has LOTS of time! LOL
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Buon Natale!! Oh this has me salivating for Italy—and the fried squash blossoms and Boar Pappardelle from Antico Fattore in Firenze—-or a lovely little tomato flan with a warm basil infused oil in Cortona…ahhhhhh
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It had me dreaming even harder about Italy and how much I missed all of it. Will you be returning any time soon in the future?
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i am going to itally and london this spring. do have a favorite shoe you walk on the best.
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Hi Belle, I like the Clarke sandals and shoes. I have had the best luck with them. I just finished a sandal that melted on my feet and held up for 3 trips through Italy.
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Such a wonderful wish list, and, lucky you. You have already done it all so you know what you can look forward to. Susan, your photos are fabulous and I especially love the last one. I have a thing about Italian doors and I just love the colourful hanging plants. Buon Natale, again.
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Buon Natale, Lyn! And thank you…don’t you just love the ladies house? Cozy and so well kept. Anyway, I hope all your Italian dreams come true:)
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