LIVING ‘LA DOLCE VITA’

As I stepped out of my chauffer driven car I felt excitement, and apprehensiveness peppered with fear. I looked at what would be my home for the next little while and thought to myself what was I thinking when I booked myself in for this adventure? I was at the beginning of a liberating adventure for one – not knowing what the future held but sure it would be something I would never forget.

 I won’t lie; my adventure was a copy cat version of Penelope Green’s. Her brilliantly written book ‘When in Rome’ inspired me. She described what it was like to live ‘La dolce vita’ and after the first Chapter I decided one day I would have my very own experience of living it. After much deliberation I decided on Sorrento on the West Coast of Italy. Although high in tourist traffic Sorrento still observes the siesta. The idea of a politically correct nap in the afternoon sat very well with me. Who doesn’t want a nap in the afternoon?

Of course there was something else that was driving me to do this. My mother is Italian.  I grew up with my Nonna living with the family so I have a very strong affiliation with the Italian way of life.  Our family packed up for an Italian adventure when I was 15. We lived in a villa in Tuscany, taking trips to discover the rest of Italy and surrounding countries. Initially I was resentful of my parents for taking me away from my friends, but I quickly got over this when I realised what a valuable and beautiful life experience my parents were giving me. 

For many years I craved this experience again. Other holidays followed but nothing compared to living somewhere as a local – truly immersing in the culture. When I arrived in Sorrento Signora Vincenza met me to give me my key and show me around my studio apartment. It was on Corso Italia – the main street in Sorrento and behind a gelato shop – location, location! Sorrento is a small, but picturesque town. The coast line is breath taking as are the mountains and cliffs. I felt like I was living in a postcard as the scenery was almost too perfect to be real. The Cobble stone alleys are lined with stalls and so many people. Even though I was alone I felt that I had company. Tomorrow I would start Italian school at Sorrento Lingue a mere 5 minute walk from my gorgeous studio.

Sorrento Lingue is a well established little school which teaches Italian to travellers from all over the world. I would spend 6 hours a day there. In the morning it was Grammatica (Grammar) for 2 hours.  After a short morning tea it was Conversazione (Conversation) for 2 hours also. In the afternoon after my Siesta I had opted to have private tuition for 2 hours. Two other girls had been placed in my class. Melissa, who was from Sydney but had been living in London for 2 years, and Shelley, an American. We clicked very quickly. Melissa was a very intelligent and worldly girl with a great sense of humour. Shelley was much the same on a much more extroverted level. 

Melissa was staying with an Italian family and invited us to a new bar opening in Sorrento on the first day of school. She had the most amazing networks in Sorrento – having lived there for a month prior to Shelley and I. The fact that she was staying with some very wealthy and trendy locals also helped.

At the bar opening we met Marco who Melissa was staying with, he was extremely charming and very popular with the girls. His friends seemed very much the same.  As I was walking to school that morning, a girl on a vespa with her boyfriend uttered a ‘SSSSSSSSSS’ to me as they drove past. Puzzled by this I asked Marco what it meant. He told me in his heavy accent ‘Ita means she wanta a threesome with you!’ I was horrified, and Marco let this emotion consume me for a short while before saying ‘ I’ma joking – it means she thinks you are gooda looking’.  

‘I ragazzi’ (the men) were also confusing to me. A few weeks later Melissa and I struggled to hold back our laughter when Guiseppe our friend in the Limoncello shop, produced ‘social’ business cards with his cell and a ‘xo’ symbol on them for us. That’s the thing about Italian men – you think you’re friends and they think something totally different.

Melissa, Shelley and I took many weekend trips together. With places like Capri and Positano virtually on our doorstep we had to take advantage. Marco’s job was as a tour guide for Capri, so one weekend he took a group of us there. A couple of my friends from London had come to Sorrento to visit me for the weekend so they joined us. As we sat on a boat on the sea soaking up the perfect day waiting to get into the Blue Grotto I said ‘Gee it’s a tough life’. We all agreed we were pretty lucky to be sunning ourselves in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I honestly did not have a care in the world.  This realisation made me think about our Australian culture compared with the Italian one.

Italians work but it’s not their life. It is a means to do the things they enjoy. They love spending time with family and friends. Good food, wine and great company are among the things that Italians hold dearest. As part of my cultural experience I was lucky enough to spend some time with my family in Sicily. I had been to the town where my mother grew up once before and nothing had changed. It was great to sit down and eat a home cooked meal. The restaurants in Sorrento are amazing, but that family setting around a table with constant chatter and laughter was a nice change. I ate, I drank, I walked, I ate, I drank then slept. To say I was in heaven is biggest understatement of all time. I wanted to pack my relatives in my suitcase and take them (and their recipes) home with me.

Before I left it took all my strength to not get impatient with my Zia who insisted I needed to take a larger carry on so I could take some food in case I get hungry on the plane. It was a constant battle warding off their attempts to stuff me stupid when I was already ‘pieno’ (full) beyond belief.  It was hard to say goodbye, there were tears. I knew this would be the last time I’d see some of my dear ‘parenti’ (relatives). 

It was a little difficult initially to settle back into Australian life. Whenever I look at photos of my adventure I am filled with that feeling of carelessness and freedom. It was an amazing time, living ‘La dolce vita’.

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