Yesterday evening I sat and wrote 20 things I miss about being in the UK and with friends/family etc (I will start with that post – already published on FB) ; but after are my 20 things I love about Italy.
I have been enjoying some sweet memories and so I ask my friends who are far from family & friends because of ministry what maybe you miss.
I am going to list a few (without mentioning names) and I guess my mates who know me will get which one is meant to be them.
here goes:
1. Cooking up a great plate of pasta together.
2. singing and harmonising old Salvation Army songs.
3. drinking tea and chatting for hours
4. going to the theatre to see a musical
5. laughter, giggles for no reason at all
6. Wagamama’s
7. sitting in silence with your friend.
8. Girly movies
9. silly games
10. texting & commenting on Strictly
11. Late night Bagel run
12. wandering because you can do that together
13. standing on Waterloo Bridge
14. Sunday Roast (special mention to Andrea Kathy & Nina – who in my opinion make some of the best roast dinners ever)
15. shared memories of random life moments.
16. Dancing…………..with anyone who will.
17. games
18. being with them instead of just Facetime or Skype.
19. Tim Hortons French Vanilla Cappuccino
20. politics and social justice and learning together.
Actually my favourite has to be a late night drive through the streets of London with all these fab people.
so many more could be written but yes these are those i love.
maybe tomorrow I shall do 20 things or so about Italy.
Late entry – bookshop browsing with friends in a chain & Skoobs especially.
here’s the Italy list
1. Pasta in it’s many different forms with it’s many different sauces. In particular Pasta Fagioli. Seriously this stuff is amazing
2. Pizza in particular in Naples with Mozzarella di Bufala.
3. Gelato – why can’t I find coconut gelato in the UK?
4. The Blue Sky, my boss and I were discussing this the other day. It has a special quality here in Italy.
5. Space to just sit and relax during and after a meal. Time to spend and discuss whatever you want? Football, politics……
6. Orange and yellow and pink buildings that are faded and wont be painted for a while because that costs money. Especially on a sunny winters day when the cold bites and the sun catches the colours.
7. Buildings that were trendsetters ahead of their time – like the Colosseum. every sports arena and concert venue is based on this kind of structure
8. Music – the passion that is held for regional music and the classical stuff that unites a region or a nation. (No matter where you are in the world, start singing ‘O Sole Mio’ and people will join in.
9. La Dolce Vita, basically italian life for real.
10. Men who can still look amazing at any age when they dress to leave the house.Most of the men here have a sense of fashion. Mixing colours and styles.
11. Time – there is always time for a coffee, no matter how busy the day is, there is always time to have a coffee with friends.
12. Coffee
13. Family and extended familes.
14. Love and respect for children.
15. Love and respect for the older generation.
16. The Salvation Army in Italy. It may be small numerically but their faith and belief is amazing. They have an understanding of Scripture beyond anything I could imagine.
17. Open Homes: I have experienced this in ways I could never have imagined. I am welcomed into families and extended families as a member of the family.
18. Fun – the love and joy of being together. Watching and observing some of my friends in family life always cheers me.
19. National Self Belief – even when things are bad, there is a pride in being Italian.
20. Well it has to be the snow capped mountain ranges and the sea and the plains and the rolling hills in Tuscany and the Olive Oil and the Salami and the bread……
you see my list could go on for ever but I will leave it here. Have you ever been to Italy? What did you love?
My Adventure's In Italy 