|
|
Looking for "Northern Italy"
|
|
|
Now, fifty-five years later, I need to better understand the parameters that define a term that others seem to already comprehend. Over the past dozen years I have enjoyed ten trips to Europe, including five to Italy, and have planned more than thirty customized itineraries for other independent travelers to the same regions. Without a doubt, my favorite destinations would fall into a circle defined by Nice, Interlaken, Garmisch, and Cortina to the north, and Tuscany/Umbria to the south. This is a geographic definition that obviously encompasses " Northern Italy". I just don't know how or where to draw the line. So, I decided to ask others for their perception. My first guinea pig was the food and beverage manager at our local golf club. Michelle just smiled and said " that's easy, Northern Italy means white sauces and southern Italy means red sauces ". Well, I have eaten in a wide variety of establishments from Campania to Lombardy and I feel this definition may be a tad too general. Oh well, you know what they say about the mind of the beholder. Apparently, cuisine is not a clear distinction. During our most recent Italian adventure in October I decided to ask the night manager of our hotel in Riva del Garda. He was an intelligent man who had lived in the Trentino area for more than fifty years------surely he could shed some light. His response was stern and almost belligerent---" sure, I can tell you, the Northern Italians are the ones that do all the work and make all the money, and the southern Italians are all either on welfare or work for the government ". Interesting!! A political statement to what I had intended to be a geographic question. Now I think I can start to understand Mrs. Galupo's reaction. Signora Marisa is the energetic owner of the farm house near San Gimignano which we rented with five other couples . Her English is not the best, but we did manage to communicate well enough for me to understand that her definition was purely historical. " Il nord d'Italia is the region that was taken from Austria after World War I" ----referring to the Trentino Alto-Adige region where the town names and the menus are still in two languages. Her perception is historically accurate, but certainly not comprehensive. My most recent inquiry was to a person whose opinion I have learned to respect over the past 46 years. We were on our way back from church when I posed the question to my Phi Beta Kappa wife. She was wearing her brown leather Aigner boots at the time, and she merely smiled as she reached down and said " well, I guess that would be the wide part at the top of the boot that goes over the calf ". So simple, and yet so descriptive. At least for now a small measure of my geographic homeostasis has been restored. I will no doubt continue to ask the question and will welcome any input from those of you who know and love the area as well. Oh yes, if you have never had the pleasure of travel in this area loosely defined as "Northern Italy " you owe it to yourself. Give me a holler and together we can plan an
adventure you will never forget. Bob the Navigator is a retired IBM executive and life-long travel enthusiast. He has traveled extensively in Europe and has planned more than 40 customized itineraries for independent travelers, especially to Italy and the Alps. You can reach Bob the Navigator at blittle@net-magic.net Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Traveling
|
