The Great Italian Escape

Here’s a postcard from our visit to Italy. What can we tell you – everything is very Italian, meaning perfect. The summer is gone, but the air is still warm. It’s what we like to call weather for dressing well: trousers, a shirt, and a sharply cut jacket, and you’re ready to go from morning to night. Maybe a woven tie, too. It is Italy, after all. To be well dressed is to be received with open arms. Colours are subtle and muted: brown, beige, navy – that sort of thing. But, being Morris, we also like to add some colour: pink, red, baby blue. And have you tried matching white with white? There’s nothing more Italian, and nothing that says autumn elegance more than this simple pairing.

Now that you know what we’re wearing, we can tell you what we’re doing. We’re drinking coffee – well into the mid-morning hours. Is it just us, or does a macchiato here taste better than anywhere else in the world? After that, we explore the city. The friend we’re visiting is working, so we venture out on our own, embracing our inner Italian. We borrow a bike from our friend and observe everyday life: there’s nothing better. This is not a city, but a theatre, and the street is the stage. Italians don’t seem too used to visitors and they seem happy to have a new audience. The older ladies especially are friendly, calling us ‘bello’, which, as you might know, means beautiful. In return, we give them kisses on the cheek to say thank you. I think the ladies are referring to our clothes and the way we’re dressed. They do have good taste here.

Speaking of taste, we have to go – time for lunch. The street food is amazing: a simple slice of pizza or focaccia will do. Not sure when we’re coming home. There’s more of Italy to explore. We’ll write as soon as we’re on the road again. Ciao bello.