A few weeks ago, Hubby and I were invited out to dinner by his co-worker, Andrea. Andrea is one of the nicest and most helpful people we have met in Italy. He also happens to be one of the funniest – though I don’t think he always understands why we find him so funny.
I have two Andrea stories that stand out. Both occurred while we were in the Netherlands amongst an international contingent of Hubby’s coworkers – American, Italian, Indian (but living in England), German, and Dutch. We went out to dinner as a group, and Andrea drove one of the cars. Parking is a challenge in most European cities, and downtown Naaldwijk was no exception. Andrea found a small spot and parallel-parked with ease. One of the passengers complimented him by saying, “Wow, you did that very well” to which Andrea responded, “I’m an excellent driver.”
The next night, a smaller but still international group went out to dinner again, and we somehow got on the topic of clothes dryers, and the fact that we don’t have one. Italians, in general, don’t have them. Other Europeans around the table have them, and obviously Americans do too. We jokingly argued for the necessity of the dryer, but our Italian companions just wouldn’t hear it. As Andrea said, “I wash my clothes and hang them to dry while I’m at work. My clothes do not need me to watch them dry.” And then later, when we kept insisting that dryers were essential, “Some things are black or white, and in this case, it is black. Dryers are unuseful.”
I’m you had to be there to hear the laugher that erupted from the table in both cases, and to truly appreciate just how funny we all find Andrea, but let me assure you, we were crying from laughing – with him, not at him.
Anyway, when Andrea invited us to meet his girlfriend for dinner, we happily agreed. We meet in Reggio Emilia, where Andrea and his girlfriend live.
Reggio Emilia is a city about 20 minutes from Correggio, and is the place I think of as “where we catch the high speed train.” Reggio Emilia is actually known for a couple of things – the Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education (which I’m told is used in the US, though not as prevalent as the Roman Montessori philosophy), and as the birthplace of the Italian tricolore flag (dating back to Napoleon’s Cispadane Republic). It also has some great restaurants and bars. We went to “Lion’s Square” for a drink before dinner, and I could’ve stayed there all night people-watching. There is also a concert hall with a cool fountain beside it that lights up at night. During summer, kids will play in it during the day.
We had a great time with Andrea and his girlfriend, talking and laughing and eating amazing Italian food. We have been very lucky to have so many of Hubby’s co-workers and their families welcome us to Italy, and help make our time here memorable. For that, I will always be grateful.
