Italianen doen het beter

Every country and every culture has its specialties, but sometimes I think that when it came to distributing good taste, culture, and aesthetics, Italy was incredibly ahead and knocked us all back a few rows. Guys, what a multiple celebration it is to be in Italy. There are indeed things that are better organized here, but they are just exceptionally good at this.

1. God is in the details

Order an aperitif in Italy and you will definitely get a small plate with something salty: a nut, an olive, a chip, a piece of tramezzino, or maybe even a combination of all of this. You can bet that the small plate where the chip/salt/olive is served is on a saucer and that there is a napkin in between. And if you order a coffee, you will definitely get a glass of water with it. Those kinds of things. Everything receives just that little bit more attention.

2. The aperitif

Italians are not big drinkers, but they know how to celebrate the moment. A Campari for lunch? No problem. A prosecco for dinner? Of course. And yes, that can also happen on a weekday.

3. The clothing

Is there a country where so many great brands ‘live’ as in Italy? From flamboyant Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci to understated Max Mara and Aspesi; everything is there and everything is of excellent quality.

4. The towns

But how many beautiful towns can a country have? From Lucca to Bologna, Rome, Naples, Florence, Frascati, Ostuni, Verona, uh, Venice hello, Siena, Palermo, and I could go on for a while.

5. The ice cream

And how it is displayed. The flavors, the names, the frappés you can have made from it. The cups it is served in, the napkins with the logo of the shop.

6. The pasticcerie

Or the Italian ‘delicacies of pastries’. Go to a coffee bar and order cornetti (the Italian croissant). If you like airy, you take a ‘vuoto’ (empty), if you want a bit more, you can consider a cornetto alla crema or Nutella. Get some coffee pastries or other cookies with it and with a bit of luck, you get it in a nice box (otherwise ask for a ‘scatola per portare via’) and with a bit of luck, they also wrap the pasticceria in a paper that has the logo of their shop. Ah, it's all so clever and beautiful.

7. The Italian cinema

Although I must say that if you put a gun to my head and make me choose, I find French cinema just a bit better than Italian, but after that, Italy is in my European top 2. Here you find my list of my favorite films from Italy.

8. The cuisine

The pasta, the pizzas, the desserts, the fish dishes, melanzane alla parmigiana, the mozzarella, all the cheeses, the wines, the oil, the olio piccante… You could roll me away after three weeks.

9. The museums

My favorite is Villa Borghese in Rome and of course also the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice, the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, and for the fashion girls, the Gucci museum is also a treat. And did I already mention the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara? Speaking of nice places: Ferrara.

10. The water

Not only the seawater (go to Sardinia for the most beautiful azure blue water) but also the types of spring water. A strong bubble or would you prefer leggermente frizzante… Name it and it's there.

11. Cultural promotion

You just won't believe this, but everyone who turns 18 in Italy receives 500 euros from the government to spend on culture. Museum visits, films, books… How amazing is that?

12. Growing old

Especially in Sardinia, they are good at this, as most centenarians live there. The key to success seems to be: having a vegetable garden or at least growing your own food, being part of a small community, doing physical labor (so back to that vegetable garden), a glass of wine a day, and a bit of rest. So, you know where to go. Make sure to take those other 11 plus points with you as well.