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Guardate ciò che un lettore italiano has scritto in un recensione su "Lettere da Roma" di Nadine Simon.

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Le abitudini tipiche di noi italiani, descritte in chiave ironica d un' attenta e acuta ossrvatrice inglese sono esilaranti!

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It's a small world

I’ve never liked the old Harry Secombe song, “If I ruled the world” but I did find myself the other morning agreeing with his sentiment “every day would be the first day of spring”.  Finally after what felt like forever of windy and rainy days, damp air and grey skies, the sun came out and best of all the air actually felt warm.  Having spent weeks sitting in front of the computer with my daily exercise limited to the hourly trek downstairs to the fridge and back up again, I decided to take my tummy and a rather surprised dog, out for a walk. 

Sea?

 Decisions, decisions, where to go?  Towards the sea or the mountains? 

Snow capped mountains?

We settled for the snow-capped peaks in the far distance. Leaving the road with its traffic hurtling past at breakneck speeds, the pooch and I picked our way along muddy paths pitted with massive puddles and slippery sandy coloured mud. 

Local producers selling wares

We hadn’t been out long when I realised we were actually seeing a microcosm of Italian life.  In the space of an hour and a half (the pooch would insist on stopping to sniff every blade of grass, scrub and stone) we saw hints of so many things that are typical it was like taking a whistle-stop tour of Italy. The choice of dramatic landscapes and beautiful scenery whether on the coast or in the mountains.  The wide range of Italian agriculture represented by local producers selling their wares, or tending flocks in fields.  Trees heavily laden with lemons,

Trees laden with lemons

 and fields full of new crops just beginning to wake up. 

Crops waking up

 Runners pacing the road embodied the Italian tradition for world-class gymnastics and sport

Runners

 (which include motor racing!) Old buildings in various states of neglect and decay,

Old buildings

 just glimpsed through scrambling undergrowth where they will probably remain hidden until uncovered sooner by local property developers, or later by archaeologists in millennia to come.  Mimosa trees on the brink of fulfilling their yearly promise to burst into gaudy colour in time for “Ladies Day” remind one of Italian traditions.  Another, that of eating and drinking, unfortunately this time combined with another not-so-lovely Italian tradition of being mucky pups could be seen by litter strewn in various places.  For art, there was (the inevitable L) graffiti.  

Graffitti

The enthusiasm and vitality of the Italians themselves was demonstrated by the vibrant spring flowers opening up as the sun came out.  Should you get tired, you can always rest on Italian furniture, famous for elegant design whether it be traditional or modern.

Furniture traditional and modern

 I came to the conclusion that was why so many people return  year after year for a holiday.  It’s a place that offers so much, and all under a peerless blue sky. And you can see it all about you every day if you care to look J