Italian Wanderings and Meditations

We are just back from a two week trip through the lakes region of Italy - gorgeous does not adequately describe the experience! We combined several interests into the trip: cooking, gentle hiking, art, and swimming. Perhaps one of the most interesting afternoons involved a talk by a local historian on contemporary politics in Italy. If anyone thinks we in the US are singularly doomed, take a hard look at Italian politics and think again. And yet, the Italians are hopeful and optimistic!

High above Lake Maggiore we indulged in a cooking class - gnocchi and bolognese sauce, followed by tiramisu. I don’t know which was better, the food or the view. But combined, they produced an afternoon that will stay with us forever. The bottle of good Italian red wine sealed the deal, and guaranteed an afternoon of dozing by the hotel pool. The Italian love of food is infectious… the care and the ease with which they deliver hospitality is a joy to behold.

The lakes region of Italy played a central role in the 19th century movement known as Romanticism. After a century of Enlightenment focus on rationality and logic this counter movement held that moral decisions are based on intuition and feeling. The movement took hold across Europe and the United States - where it was labeled ‘transcendentalism’. But why lakes? The idea was that nature provoked the best of the human spirit, and inspired a deep dive into what is essentially true in this world. As the Industrial Revolution began to take hold the Romantics rebelled against it - the appeal to a (seemingly) simpler time of rural life and quiet musings held sway in literature (e.g.,Wordsworth, Blake, Coleridge), music (e.g., Puccini, Verdi, Rossini, Bellini), and art (e.g., Goya, Constable, Turner). And lakes, of course, provided the perfect background for inspiration.

The Italian lakes (we visited Como, Maggiore and Orta) are similar to the English Lakes District - surrounded by mountains, gentle slopes for hiking, and humble villages with charming gardens. We are biased toward the English lakes region simply because we honeymooned there, hence our deep affection for that time and place. But the Italian lakes are not only spectacular to view, they are rich in history - especially this 19th century period of creative energy. It was, after all, on Lake Como and Lake Geneva that Mary Shelley dreamt up her idea of Frankenstein, the epitome of man’s attempt to control nature and - thus - face the consequences of that hubris.

The lakes continue to inspire and to charm. As we zipped along the length of Como toward the Alps we were lulled into a quiet state of contemplation…. the majesty and the raw beauty leave one without words. The overwhelming scent of jasmine permeated the villages we wandered through. All senses were awakened to the moment.