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Honeymoon
in Italy |
Interview by : Christophe Cusseau
Where was it?
It was for my honeymoon trip, in northern Italy,
from Rome to Venice. We took off the day after
our wedding. We had always considered Italy as
our dream destination.
When was it?
Last May, when Europe softly slips from spring
into summer. The heat was already pushing us to
seek shade and it was forcing us to find refuge
inside small churches, so simple and cool.
 How
long was it?
We spent ten days there, ten too short days, but
so full of memories.
How did you get
around?
After three days in Rome, we rented a car and
drove north to Siena, Florence, Bologna and Venice.
In Monte Pulciano, we had the feeling of strolling
in other times: this fortified village seems to
have remained the same since the Middle Ages.
And everywhere around, hills are covered in vineyards.
At that time, we could feel the Italian heat in
its wines.
Someone you meet
In Venice, the essential gondola ride gave us
the opportunity to meet a new-wave gondolier.
During winter he works as a building contractor
and in summer he's a gondolier. He can speak 5
languages, thanks to Venice's fame. And he sings
too. What a great way to discover the waterside
city.
Your best memory
of the trip
Rome, without hesitation. This museum-city surprised
us at each bend, at each street corner. Here a
fountain, there a historic house, there Roman
ruins. Among all the other towns we crossed, Rome
won first prize. I would go back for a week in
Rome, anytime.
Your worst memory
In Venice, a restaurant did not offer us the tourist
menu because we were sitting by the canal. We
could only choose from the "À la carte menu".
We left. Unfortunately, this tendency spreads
in very touristy places where tourists are considered
cash cows.
Memory of a landscape
The landscapes of Tuscany! It was like being in
a 1940s film, like "Life is Beautiful" by Roberto
Benigni. In the fields, women dressed in black
were working the hay, and men, who had rolled
up their sleeves, were proudly sporting suspenders
to hold up their trousers.
Fives senses = fives
sensations
Sight = the color Red in wines, on houses,
in sauces, of tomatoes...
Hearing = the Vespa scooters, which for
50 years have been part of the Italian urban lifestyle.
Smell = the smell of leather, like the
material worked in many shops.
Taste = the Italian ice creams, a pure
delight! So rich and flavorful; an ice cream a
day was our motto.
Touch = the heat, in contrast with the
coolness of the ancient buildings. No use for
cooling systems.
 Your
advice
To take small luggage easy to carry, because when
you travel from place to place, it's easier to
carry two small suitcases than one large one.
The souvenir you brought home
Three leather bags and only one pair of shoes.
And also a silk tie!
Help guides
We used two travel guides: the Gallimard for
the content and the culture, so richly illustrated,
and the Rough Guide which gave us information
on what to visit and what to avoid.
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