Serendipity on a Seattle afternoon (and why I love my Italian people)
June 6, 2010
Here's the "Just Married" SUV -- adorned with "Amore!," the Italian word for love -- designed to carry away the gorgeous couple who's wedding reception I was invited to crash.
Here I am, looking totally undone in my "Italia" jacket. Little did I know I'd run into a crowd of gorgeous, well-dressed Italians who'd invite me to join them at a wedding reception!
Call it vanity, but I try to never run out of the house without looking presentable. But I’m here in Seattle on a three-month assignment for my company, living in a lovely downtown high-rise furnished apartment. I love my work, but I work HARD—and so I slept in yesterday morning, not rising until nearly 1 p.m. I needed some maple syrup to go with my breakfast—so I tossed on huge wrap-around sunglasses, skinny black jeans, and the navy “Italia” zip-front jacket I picked up during a 2008 cruise stop in Sicily to literally run to the drugstore. And since folks in the Northwest are HARDLY known for their high style, I figured I’d fit right in. No danger of running into anyone I knew—or so I thought.
As I rounded the corner, who did I see standing outside Barolo, the FAB ristorante in my building, but a group of elegantly dressed native Italians. As soon as they spotted my “Italia” jacket, they threw open their arms. “Buon giorno, buon giorno!” I greeted the group, and once they discovered I spoke Italian (however limited), they eagerly engaged me in conversation. The men were thrilled to see the Sicilian flag embroidered on the side of my jacket because many of them were from this gorgeous island. It was like Old Home Week! They were gathered at Barolo for the wedding reception of this FINE Italian guy, and were waiting for him and his new bride to arrive. Turned out one man in the group is the manager of my favorite Seattle pizzeria and someone who constantly flirts with me.
“Give her a glass of champagne! Come in and join us,” one of the young gorgeous dark-haired ragazzi said. So here I am, messed-up hair, no makeup, and I’m being invited inside the restaurant to join this super-well-dressed group. I felt like I was having one of those dreams/nightmares when you find yourself naked—or otherwise inappropriately garbed—in a crowd. But despite my shame, THIS is what I love about Italians—and what I miss most about being in Italy. You’re never a stranger. And no matter how crazy I looked, these warm southern Italians literally embraced me and welcomed me in like a long-lost cousin.
While it sure would be nice to be spending June in Sicily, Seattle sure felt a lot more like home after this serendipitous encounter. Nothing like traveling to Italy on a Saturday afternoon by way of the Pacific Northwest. Viva Italia!
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18 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
Kelly | June 6, 2010 at 12:53 pm
OMG! Could the word “Italia” been any bigger??? LOL! You look bella with your short ‘do. Of COURSE you were invited to join the ragazzi! Wish I was there with you…well, maybe if I weren’t in Italy already. But you had the next best thing. Hope you had fun!!!
2.
urbantravelgirl | June 6, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Ciao, bella Kelly! You know what this whole adventure reminded me of? One of your Postcards from Italy, where you talked about running out of your apartment on Via Tornabuoni similarly garbed — and being invited into the Roberto Cavalli cafe’ by the Gucci fashionistas!! As you know, social Italians don’t take “no” for an answer, so you have no choice but to fake it and pretend you don’t know you look as crazy as you do! LOL
I wish I were with YOU in Italia!!! Hope you’re still having an amazing time!
Baci,
Maureen
3.
Balanced Melting Pot | June 6, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Isn’t it fantastic that you were able to feel “at home” by Italians while in the States? Priceless!
4.
RJ | June 7, 2010 at 7:21 am
What a nice way start to a wonderful day! I felt like I was their with you the way you told the story…….Thanks for sharing. What will you do when you leave the house next time…….smile
Love Italians!!!!
5.
urbantravelgirl | June 7, 2010 at 7:50 am
Ciao, RJ — and thanks for visiting my blog!
I can tell you that the NEXT time I left the house following the meet-the-Italians episode, I was CUTE — makeup done, not a hair out of place, skinny jeans I bought in Italy, heeled sandals. LOL! We women always joke about it, but you never know when you might bump into some cutie-pie guy. Next time it happens, I’ll be prepared!
Maureen
6.
This Time Now | June 8, 2010 at 8:52 pm
Ahh! There you are!
I’m so glad that you wrote about Italians. All the signs are there for me to line my ducks in a row about my move to Italy. Great story and Viva Italia!!!
Felicia
7.
urbantravelgirl | June 8, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Ciao, bella Felicia (see, you’ve already got the Italian name and everything)! I want to be like YOU when I grow up — you decide where you’re going to live and then you make it happen. Just wait — you will have crazy stories like this all the time in Italia.
Like I said, I love my people! LOL
Maureen
8.
This Time Now | June 10, 2010 at 3:52 am
Yes!
I can’t wait for some incredibly good-looking Italian man to say my name like this! I have a found a new friend, thanks to your blog I believe. Tanish of Italian Odyssey and I have been chatting up a storm about Italy! She’s moving there soon and I will not be far behind. Birds of a feather flock together. Amen!
9.
urbantravelgirl | June 10, 2010 at 6:22 am
I’m so jealous — and proud of you ladies!! I’m sure lots of adventure (including the amorous kind) await you in bella Italia. I’ll have to live vicariously through YOU once you go there. Where do you imagine yourself settling — in one of the big cities or picturesque smaller towns? Of course, it’s all fabulous, no matter which you choose!
Maureen
10. America Tour » Blog&hellip | June 10, 2010 at 8:49 am
[...] Source: urbantravelgirl [...]
11.
Nicole Sconiers | June 15, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Beautiful! I too have had those dream/nightmare moments, but you pulled it off with style. Italy is at the top of my To-Go list. Was supposed to vacation in Rome and Athens last year, but my travel plans fell through, so I ended up in Barcelona and Paris instead. I’m hoping to spend some time in Italy next summer. Thanks for the confirmation, and thanks for sharing!
12.
Antoinette | June 16, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Oh, I just love it! Its wonderful to be welcomed, especially by beautiful men. What a wonderful entre into your Sundady afternoon.
I am looking forward to those southern welcomes next month in Argentina.
Buenos Noches Senorita.
Antoinette
13.
urbantravelgirl | June 16, 2010 at 11:57 pm
SI , Antoinette– here is wishing you many, many WARM welcomes by our hermanos in Argentina!
Now, what’s the Spanish translation of Antoinette?
Maureen
14.
Rose | June 20, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Oh ! How wonderful to be so warmly recieved. I love Italy and can easily live in Florence. I plan on next year to travel back to Italy. Would love to do an Opera tour.Thank you for sharing your story
Well Ciao Bella! Viva Italia
15.
Vanessa Margolis | July 7, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Hey Maureen,
I have been a long time reader of your blog and I truly enjoy all of your travel stories. On a similar note, I would love for you to check out my blog post from July 7th and give me your opinion. Have you heard of this seminar?
Here is the link
http://musingsofafuturenurse.blogspot.com/2010/07/free-your-mind.html
Ciao
Vanessa
16.
urbantravelgirl | July 10, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Ciao, Vanessa — please forgive my tardy response!
I’ve HEARD of those “Free Your Mind” gatherings, but didn’t know they were designed for non-black men to show up and start singing sisters’ praises!! For those of you that didn’t see Vanessa’s original blog post on this, check it out: http://musingsofafuturenurse.blogspot.com/2010/07/free-your-mind.html
I’m TOTALLY of the mindset that black women should feel free INNATELY to date whomever they want. It never dawned on me to ask someone’s opinion on men I like, date or fall in love with… it’s NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS!! And I don’t care if they are family or friends — those folks who love you don’t care what color a guy is, as long as he treats you honestly, with love and respect, and would run through hell and back for you.
Sad that in 2010, some of us still feel like we need permission to be who we are!
Maureen
17.
Wacky Mommy | July 18, 2010 at 5:01 pm
hi sweetie — just found this post! You kill me. Are you still in Seattle? Come visit or maybe we could come see you there? OK, this post reminded me of a very funny interview with the actress Debi Mazar. (I read it many moons ago.)
She is fashion girl, you know that, used to do Madonna’s make-up and was (and is, still) always go-going. I remember laughing because she said, I do not leave the house unless I’m *done,* I don’t care if I’m going to the store or the gym or wherever, I have to be completely done, the end.
I thought — words to live by. So this post just cracked me up, of course. You’re always done, even when you think you’re undone! Me? Another story, hahaha. My hair doesn’t know how to NOT be a mess any more. Well, here is who Debi married, Gabriele, he’s a doll, too.
http://www.underthetuscangun.com/
I think I sent you their link before. He’s very funny on Facebook and Twitter, too, I follow them around all over the place. Ciao, honey.
18.
Kim | August 13, 2010 at 7:39 am
Ciao Maureen,
I’m on my way to Tuscany for 2 weeks and I’m taking 5 of my Sista friends with me. This will be my second trip to Italy. I’m hoping to convince them to to be brave and take the plunge with me when I relocate. We’ve rented a villa near a small town called Lucignano. It’s conveniently located so that we have lots of options for day trips, Florence, Rome, Pisa etc.
I was wondering if you if you could provide me with some information about Florence; my first choice for relocation. I know that you lived there in the not so distance past. My primary goal, (outside of shopping, eating, drinking and shopping some more) is to check out some of the local neighborhoods. Can you tell where the best/safe areas are to live, best Mom & Pop restaurants, entertainment and so on. I want to be able to come away with a realistic sense of what it’s going to be like to live there.
Thanks
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