old garden statuary

Or at least old-looking. These were taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Fountains like this one always remind me of the Fontana del Mascherone at the end of Via Giulia in Rome.



The Botanic Garden is worth the drive to Glencoe and a few hours of your time, especially at this time of year, when everything is at its greenest and most blooming. I love to visit gardens whenever I'm in Europe. Gardens in Spain smell the best! I remember looking for a perfume that captured their essence, with no luck.

the double cheek kiss

While hugs as greeting and (especially) parting gestures are popular in America (especially among teenagers), I have never been fond of hugging anyone other than close family members and significant others. The intimacy of the embrace feels awkward and insincere in most situations. That is why I am an advocate of the European tradition of cheek-kissing.



I prefer to faire la bise because it just seems more impersonal than hugging. That sounds counter-intuitive, but think about it: you're just in there for a couple quick pecks and it's done, whereas with a hug you're all scrooshed up next to someone for who knows how long. And your, um, pelvises could be in close contact too. Plus, let's face it, the mwah-mwah is more chic.

I propose a national campaign to swap hugging for cheek-kissing. Are you with me?

Some tips on cheek kissing in Italy and France:


Which way do you kiss in Italy?

Right or left side?

How to Kiss Hello in France

Or just watch this video:

casement windows

Casement windows always look charmingly European . . .




. . . especially on a Spanish-influenced apartment building.

The only drawback to casement windows is that you usually have to forego screens, I think. In Italy the windows never have screens, which Americans usually find inexplicable. I think they tend to be quite expensive because windows don't come in standard sizes there, given the long and varied architectural history. But I'm just guessing.

A little bit of Paris

Maybe I should have titled this blog "Seeing Italy . . . and France . . . and a little bit of Spain now and then." Buckingham Fountain in Chicago's Grant Park always reminds me of one of the big parks in Paris, more so when the area used to be covered with pebbly gravel (they've paved it with bricks--still pretty).

Buckingham Fountain was in fact modeled after the Latona Basin at Versailles, which I'd guess is smaller--this fountain is really huge. Four sea horses symbolize the states bordering Lake Michigan--Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

On hot days the mist from the fountain's sprays carries quite aways and is very refreshing.

the Modern Wing of the Art Institute

People generally don't go to Rome to see contemporary architecture. But there are a few notable examples, such as Italian architect Renzo Piano's Parco della Musica, an opera house in the north of Rome. Piano is also the architect of the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, which just opened to the public this month. The lines of the structure are admittedly not ones often associated with the popular notion of "Italy," but the notion of harmony and beauty with surroundings are.

bowers and vines

Vines twisting over a wooden bower. In Italy and France acres of vines are laid out in neat rows, which might just provide you with a bottle of wine or two a few years down the road. I doubt these vines will provide any grapes, but they look lovely in their slightly messy, unpruned state.

Good friends, good food, and good wine brings a little bit of Italian culture no matter where you are.

hidden gardens

Hidden gardens are all over Italy. I once went on a garden walk in Florence that gave me a glimpse of the blooms and greenery hiding behind the city's high walls. Sometimes you can peek into courtyards through iron gates or doors left ajar to see terra cotta pots and burbling fountains. I think that's one reason I like to wander through Chicago's alleys--because you can peek into people's yards into a hidden oasis. This one is in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood, also known as the home base of ex-governor Rod Blagojevich.

terra cotta

These shrubs and terra cotta pots in a neighbor's backyard bring a Tuscan garden to mind. This inspired me to buy some for our building's patio--it doesn't quite resemble the Giardino di Boboli yet, but I'm working on it!

seeing the bel paese in Chicago

Once, not so very long ago, I spent a totally self-indulgent year in Italy. Back in my hometown of Chicago, I find myself trying to find ways to "see" Italy here, whether in the lines of a building, the quality of the afternoon light, or an excellent lunch. I decided to create this blog to "tease out" aspects of la dolce vita in the Second City. There are things I love (and hate) about Italy, there are things I love and hate about Chicago--this is my attempt to combine the best of both.