It is getting HOT here, and by hot I mean, I am literally melting out of my own skin. Two weeks ago, however, the weather was perfect. A slight breeze, an evening sweater, a fun sunhat and makeup that didn’t sweat off. But alas, the Spring is officially over in Italy and the summer has arrived.
Don’t get me wrong I LOVE THE SUMMER. Like I love it. But it’s hot here….I’m just saying!
Two weeks ago when it was still “Spring” we were out for a walk through Modena’s historic centre (I’ll be sharing what I wore and what we did tomorrow) and my toddler naturally gravitated to this picturesque square. I personally love this Piazza because of the fountain, restaurant, cafe and cute balconies that surround it.
Apparently he wasn’t the only kid that loves hanging out by fountains because we met these other little boys and a very stylish mom.
The Reason She Dressed
She was at a relative’s baptism held at the chic cafe that backs onto the square. I’ve written all about this Cafe here! Her son is the little guy who is about the same age as mine, and an older boy said something to her like:
“You’re in trouble, you’re grounded” – Italians say “vai in punizione” “go into punishment”
She responded with “Oh no! How long do I have to go for? He answered “40 years!”
“40 years is a long time! I’m already 40, by the time I get out I’ll be old and nobody with want me!”
I can’t quite remember where she got her pretty dress or her nice shoes but one thing really stuck with me….She’s 40!
She doesn’t look 40!
40 is the New Black
I don’t really know what I expect 40 to look like, just like I didn’t really know what 30 looked like. All I can say is that she does NOT LOOK 40! One of my favourite bloggers, who is a mom and fashionista, did a series called This is 40 at her blog Ava Grace’s Closet. it was one of the best series’ I’ve read in a long time and featured fashion bloggers over 40, eye opening stuff.
I’ve been thinking a lot about age recently. In August I will turn 34, but I don’t really *feel* 34. I’m not sure what I feel, but in many ways I feel younger than I did at 24.
I think Italy does that to you.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Canada and Toronto, but it just feels like conversations there are “old”. I haven’t been back to Toronto in over a year, and you know what? I haven’t had a SINGLE CONVERSATION about:
1) Mortgages
2) Retirement
3) Retirement Savings Funds / Pension Funds
4) Income Taxes
5) Investments
6) Money in general
7)Work (people speak about work but in a completely different way than they do in Toronto)
Actually, I speak most about how much things cost, what I spent / earned /saved etc. than anyone I know here. I guess it’s the Canadian in me coming out. My husband is often perturbed by my DEEP LOVE of budgets, but some things you just can’t change.
Maybe it’s because no one has money here to be able to talk about those things? But, I actually think it is more profound than that. It’s about importance.
Philosophy
Without going on one of my long blogger rants (oops too late) I just want to get all philosophical with you for a moment. Maybe countries like Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain etc. aren’t in a financial crisis because they are “lazy” pigs. Maybe they just give more importance to LIVING and not to EARNING. Could it be that the Mediterranean, the birth place of democracy, culture and civilization as WE ALL KNOW IT have realized that life should not be based on money but on living?
My older sister often jokingly talks about Italy as a “lazy” place. Here we have the “pausa pranzo” (2- 3 hour lunch break I wrote about here), there are NO grocery stores open 24 hours, no drive through banks, and often shops are closed on Sundays.
But what is life without a proper meal at lunch time? What is Sunday if not spent as a family? What is 3 am if not spent AT HOME SLEEPING?
All of this, to say, I feel so young here. Conversations are so much more interesting, people use less “fluff” and banter when they speak and say more. No one judges you by what you earn, because you’re probably not earning much more/less than them! The same things I hated about Italy when I first got here are now the things I understand and appreciate.
Will I be poor when I’m old? Probably. Will I let that stop me from living today? Probably not.
Could it be that a little bit of laziness goes a long way in quality of life? I will say, however, that in Italy I have more conversations about these topics than I ever though humanly possible:
1) Parmigiano Reggiano
2) Recipes
3) Food
4) Cooking
5) Wine
6) Authenticity
7) Vacation planning
8) Travel
9) The Bidet
10) How French People don’t Use the Bidet
11) How anyone other than Italians don’t use the bidet, and how gross everyone is!
12) So what do they do?….Just like, NOT wash their bums ??
13) Italian politics
14) Italian political scandals
15) Corruption
16) What I ate for breakfast, dinner or lunch!
I don’t know what’s wrong and what’s right, all I can say is that at 34 I feel younger than I have ever felt and I see this beautiful woman, who at 40 is still totally sexy and I think … I want to be 40, sexy and still talking about what I made for lunch instead of what I paid for it.
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Link-ups!
Every week I try to link-up my with these fantastic ladies.
Visit their sites for some inspiration & to discover new bloggers!
Momma in Flip Flop’s Real Mom Style, Mama and More and Mother.Wife.Me’s #AllAboutYou, Style Elixir’s Style Sessions, and her Fab Favorites, The Pleated Poppy’s What I Wore Wednesday, My Girlish Whims’ Your Whims Wednesday, Because Shana Said So’s Random Wednesday, Get Your Pretty On’s I Feel Pretty, Perfectly Coutured’s Three-fer Thursday, Her & Nicole’s Lovely Thursdays, The Life of The Party’s Fashion Informant, The Penniless Socialite’s Look What I Got, Rachel The Hat’s Passion 4 Fashion, Mummy’s Got Style’s Fashion Friday, Musings of a Housewife’s Fashion Friday, Vodka Infused Lemonade’s Tres Chic Thursday, Fry Sauce and Grits’ Be You Tiful.
