Unforgettable Italy - Venice by @papi.mati

I have just discovered the Italian contest and was excited to start to search what photos related to that country do I have. I was suffering a lot that I am forced to choose one photo only, but if the contest is organized regularly, each week, I'm fine with that rule. Other photos I'll use in another edition. I should have enough of them to publish each week for a year or two :D

I have been several times in Italy. My very first visit was in 1997 when I was 8 years old. On our way to France, we have stopped with my parents for two days in Venice. Magical place, which provided memories still alive in my head. Besides the obvious things: gondoliers, marvelous architecture, channels, great music, and lovely climate, I remembered one funny story from that time. Before I will write it, few words of explanation are needed:

I'm Polish and Poland in the '90s was totally different than now. It was a country right after the transformation. My parents were raised in a non-democratic country, without access to the privileges we all had, like learning foreign languages. My mom knew a bit of Russian but no English, Spanish, Italian, or any other language which could be useful during that trip. Now I can proudly say that she speaks English and recently started to learn French, but at that moment my parents were like a kid lost in the fog. Another thing worth mentioning is that in Poland right after the transformation, many popular things were "oriental". Simple broccoli was something unusual (cauliflower was popular, but broccoli during the communism was unavailable), microwave - luxury product available to very few, pomegranate can be bought only in the biggest cities. With all that in mind, let me tell you the story:

We went for lunch to one of the restaurants near Piazza San Marco and wanted to order something Italian. What could be more Italian and more loved by the kids than pizza? Surely, the choice was simple. My parents, not understanding the single word, wrongly assumed that if they will choose something more expensive, it should provide a better taste experience. They took "Frutti di mare", not knowing what it is. Problem is that both of them are allergic to the seafood and we, as the kids, were not too excited with that selection as well. Well, pizza was gifted to some homeless guy, who was really happy we have made that mistake and we ordered good, old fashioned "Margherita" instead :)
Now not knowing what "Frutti di mare" means sounds ridiculous, then it was as confusing as written in Chinese.

_{My photo entry to the contest, made in 1997 with the analog film camera. Photo scanned from the family album}

Other photos from that trip to add the context, not to include in the contest:

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Italy now

Years after, as an adult, I have visited Italy multiple times thanks to my husband. He is working in some scientific project with the physicist from all around the world. One of the institutes which participate in that project is located in Frascati, near Rome. He had to visit it few times and I accompanied him twice, staying in Rome, visiting our friends who live in that magical city, sightseeing, and making mini trips to some small villages around.

In the next editions, I'll surely write about that trips, add some fun facts and interesting stories from there.

Even though I do know Rome and I have visited Venice as a child, I'd love to come back to Italy. I live in Argentina now and due to covid restrictions, my visit to Europe is postponed. I don't know when exactly I will be able to come to meet with my family and friends, but surely when I will land in the EU, I'll make a short trip to visit few countries I miss and Italy will be one of them. This time I am thinking to go south though, Sicily maybe, but I'm opened to your suggestions, including less popular destinations. Let me know in the comment what should be worth visiting. I'll read it in the evening, after work, relaxing with the amaretto or limoncello in my hand.

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Photos belong to me, were taken with the analog camera. Thank you for reading,
@papi.mati