La Passeggiata

As I drive everywhere in my car to go to work or to run errands as an American, I often nostalgically reminisce how my brethren in Italy use their legs or a bicycle as their means of transportation to get to work or to shop for their daily purchases of staples. Italy is known as “Sunny Italy” so the beautiful radiance of ”il Sole” together with shorter distances and high fuel prices makes it understandable why Italians walk rather than drive to their daily destinations. More interesting, however, is the fact that Italians love to take walks without a truly set destination, affectionately called “La Passeggiata”, a stroll or promenade. The stroll just leads you naturally to an epicenter ( the main Piazza of the town) where Italians will find, others like themselves congregating to do “Il Dolce Far Niente” ( the sweetness of doing nothing) which ironically ends up being an array of the most enjoyable pasttimes in life that one can do which are beautifully and richly simple in nature. I say simple only because the backdrop has been set for centuries by great, talented luminaries who built, sculpted, painted, and created the beauty by which one is surrounded in what I call the outdoor living rooms of Italy. All the senses are aroused …by the buzzing of cheerful, animated Italians’ voices as they chat with one another…. by the heavenly aromas that waft from the pasticcerie or salumerie….by the delectable foods such as “un gelato alla nocciola con panna” or “un cappuccino e cornetto” that make your taste buds burst with indescribable flavor fit for the gods or… by the many attractive “vitrine” that display that “made in Italy” look of a product that exudes quality, creativity, and aboveall, classic beauty. The eye is truly bombarded and captivated by virtually hundreds of extraordinary images of people, places, and things that makes you curiously interested to keep on watching. Italians have a love affair with “La Bellezza” ( Beauty) from the time of Antiquity and from the time of Christianity, especially with their admiration of the Human Body. They also love to be “In Compagnia” ( in the company of others). Thus, “La Passeggiata”, a slow-paced stroll where one can see and talk to: ”bellissime”, feminine women “a braccetto” (arm in arm) , ”bellissimi”, meticulously dressed young and middle-aged men, ”bellissimi”, older gentlemen in charming sweater vests and suits discussing politics at a caffe’ in front of the “Catedrale”, and last but not least, ”bellissimi bambini” that are like magnets attracting those who pass by, coupled with, “la bellezza” of the art, sculture, architecture, food, and objects by which the Italians are surrounded in their outdoor living room of the “Piazza” makes the daily stroll such a necessity and delight! Alla Prossima, Dorina