Ciao Mondo Bello

I was recently inspired to create my own bucket list by a Keep Your Daydream podcast, in which the host featured Chase from The Bucketlist Lifestyle.  He described how creating a bucketlist during a really low period in his life gave him focus and motivation.  Eventually it allowed him to make a career out of traveling and blogging, and he continues to check off some fairly awesome (and rather mundane) experiences off of his list.

I’m sure we all have some sort of running bucket list in our heads of things we’d like to do “Someday”, which according to the Minimalists is “the single most dangerous word we utter: it grants us the illusion of future possibility without having to focus on that which is important today”, but that’s an entirely different blog post.  However,  I don’t know how many people take the time to commit their dreams to paper (I’ve never really asked anyone!).  Admittedly, the only time I actually created a physical bucket list was back in high school.  I don’t remember exactly what I wrote, but I do remember it included learning to play the guitar, visiting Tahiti, and reading some classic literature, like War and Peace (I was a little nerdy then…ok, still a little nerdy).  Truthfully, I haven’t accomplished any of those three particular things!  Apparently I can’t stick to a bucket list for my entire life, although I’d like to think that I have accomplished several of the things that I must have felt were important back in high school.  Anyways, creating a bucket list for my entire life seemed like a daunting task at the moment, so I thought I’d just start with a summer bucket list.  This summer my family and I plan on spending 8 weeks in Italy, so I’m hoping I can get most of these checked off of my list.  (Update: After writing this I realized that nearly half of these are food or drink related-I mean, isn’t that why you go to Italy!?)

1. Swim at San Fruttuoso Read about it here
2. Read several books, including Italian Ways: On and Off the Rails from Milan to Palermo by British novelist Tim Parks. Several months ago I listened to a Rick Steves podcast in which he featured Parks and they discussed how this book explores the Italian railway system and the Italian culture in general.

   

3. Eat gnocchi con castelmagno e noci-gnocchi with castelmagno cheese and walnuts. The first time I visited Italy, I ate gnocchi and I’ve been in love with it ever since!  There is nothing like creamy Castelmagno cheese mixed with gnocchi and sprinkled with walnuts.  A few years ago my husband and I took a day trip into the mountains, and we chose our route based on the fact that it went through Castelmango where they’ve been making the cheese since at least 1277!  We bought two large wedges (aged differing amounts of time) straight from the producer.  I think we ate Castelmagno cheese and walnuts every day for a week after that!  (The sauce is easy to make-If I recall correctly it was made with white wine, butter, and possibly nutmeg).A Visit to a Spaghettoteca
4. Write a blog post every week
5. Gastronomic walk-last year we completed Mangia in Rocca
6. Visit a winery-My in-laws have a home located on the periphery of the Langhe, where people from all over the world go to sample their superb wines. Despite visiting countless time, I’ve only ever really participated in a wine tasting once before!  It was a memorable experience sitting in an open room surrounded by wooden barrels, while feasting on a variety of small appetizers and 6 different wines.  I’ve walked by the massive Antiche Cantine Marchesi Di Barolo, but never stopped.  Hopefully I’ll cross that one off the list this summer.
7. Make a cherry or peach pie-there’s nothing better than walking out the front door and picking pesticide-free cherries and peaches straight off of the tree. I’m so fortunate to have a father-in-law who, like so many Italians, lovingly tends a garden and fruit trees.  Although organic

   

   products are not as easy to come by in the grocery stores, Italians have always appreciated fresh and local produce.  They would never put up with the tasteless blobs of flesh that we call tomatoes (admittedly, not all american tomatoes are terrible).  Don’t get me started on the cantaloupe too.  So small and sweet, perfect with thin-sliced prosciutto.  I could go on and on about the fresh food

8. Hike Camogli to San Fruttuoso
9. Attend a sagra-All across Italy, sagras can be found throughout the year, but primarily during the summer months. A sagra is a local festival that typically involves food.  Throughout the years we’ve attended several sagras, but my favorite has definitely been the Festival delle Sagre in Asti.
10. Visit Superga-not only does the Baslica di Superga, which is located on Superga hill above Torino offer beautiful, expansive views, but it is also the burial place of a royal family, as well as the site of a terrible tragedy, in which the entire legendary football team Torino (known as Grande Torino because they had won 5 consecutive Series A Titles, crashed into the basilica in 1949, killing all onboard. Amazingly half a million people attended their funeral service).
11. Peruse the Alba Farmer’s Market-This has been a longtime favorite of mine. There is a separate produce, meat, cheese, and candy (my husband loves the huge candy stall!) area that is housed under a large roof to provide protection from the sun and rain.  Other goods are located in the narrow pedestrian streets.  My favorite aspect of the market is the Mercato della Terra, which abides by principles consistent with Slow Food.  This is where I like to purchase organic produce and salami.

    

12. Eat focaccia with stracchino cheese-this is a deliciously cheesy meal found on many menus throughout Liguria, where they are well known for their focaccia.
13. Take a long bike ride-Italians love to cycle and they all dress as if they are Lance Armstrong (It cracks me up that my husband has special padded biking pants!). It’s no wonder people love to cycle in Italy.  There’s a small charming town around almost every turn, which is vastly different than the country roads on a perpendicular grid pattern that I grew up riding on.
14.  Underground Alba-I have been to Alba countless times, but have never experienced this.
15. Eat anniversary meal at Eremo della Gasprina, which is where we hosted our wedding reception.  It is located on the side of a hill with breathtaking views of the vineyards of the Langhe.  A typical Sunday lunch may last nearly 3-4 hours!
16. Gelato-this will be easy to check off the list.
17. Visit Portovenere-I have only been to Portovenere once in the evening, but I would love to visit this jewel on the Italian Riviera. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, along with the Cinque Terre.  It is home to Byron’s Grotto, which is the site from which the English poet Byron swam across the gulf to San Terenzo to

    

    visit Shelley.

18. Take a long hike, followed by a picnic in the mountains
19. Order cappuccino alone and sit outside-pretty straightforward. I may go all out and order a croissant too!
20. Aperitivo in Bra-Bra is the hometown of my husband, and toward the beginning of the summer they kick off the summer with music and special aperitvi.Read about my aperitivo experience
21. Eat pizza!

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