"Italia" a Italy Travel Page by Callavetta

Since I first went abroad, Italy has been my favorite country. I fell in love with the idea of Italia when I first read Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecastasy. Italy is a country with incredible diversity. With miles and miles of coastline, fertile valleys, dramatic hillsides, and rugged mountains, it is a Country that is able to produce a plethora of goods (wine, olive oil, vegetables.....).

Italy's fantastically rich history has given the world some of the most renowned artists who ever lived. The home of the Rennaisance, it can be argued that Italy changed the direction of the world and took humanity out of the dark ages. Today we enjoy the masterpieces of Michaelangelo, Carravagio, Bernini, Leonardo..... the music of Vivaldi, Puccini, Verde..... The list is endless.

But today it is something more intangible that defines Italy to me. Its summed up in La Dolce Vita. Italians know how to enjoy life. They live a life of enthusiasm. And while the wine and the food and the art and the music will always bring me back to Italy, it's La Dolce Vita that completes me!

One of the best things about Italia is the cafe culture. It's imperative to take time to sit in a cafe and watch the world go by. The problem is, the price of admission is a beverage. While Italians may be comfortable sitting forever with an empty cup, it's not really an American thing. (Of course, it could be argued, when in Rome... do as the Romans do and get used to it!)

I've discovered a couple of solutions to the problem. Read my "Cafe Culture" travelogue to find out what they are.

All over Italy, particularly in Northern Italy, you will find Rainbow Pace flags hanging from windows, balconies and houses. This wonderful expression of the wish for World Peace is pretty special.

In the US, however, the rainbow flag is a symbol for Gay Rights. I met an American man in Croatia who commented to me "Boy, I can't believe how many gay people there are in Italy!"

My daughter in Germany just sent me a Pace flag. I wonder if I display it here in the Bay Area people will think I'm gay.