“I’d have preferred to be born into another country”: when you don’t appreciate what you have

We are in Bergamo, the city most affected by the virus Bergamo. Bergamo for me has always been about “Forza Atalanta” and “You Roman bastards!”. Now I have to cry for them? I have never been to Bergamo. When the Romans arrived, Bergamo already existed and was annexed to the Republic. It’s amazing how ancient Italian cities are, all of them. “Roman bastards” despite the natives of Bergamo were among the people that contributed the most to the Unification of Italy. What a shitty memory we Italians have. The “Venetian Walls”, that separate the Upper Town from the Lower Town, are listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. They date back to the 16th century and are perfectly preserved. How incredibly beautiful is Bergamo? I have to visit the city. If we really couldn’t go outdoors anymore, if the world were to end tomorrow I would have never been to Bergamo? I would have never really known all the wonders of my country? As soon as this will all be over, I will go to Bergamo. So I will pass by Brescia as well.

The first human settlements in Brescia date back to 1200 BC, damn! In Brescia, UNESCO protects the Roman Forum and the monastic complex of San Salvatore and Santa Giulia. As soon as this will all be over, I’ll definitely do a nice tour of those areas. I’ll take a trip to Lake Iseo, which is exactly in the middle. And, since I’m already there, why not take a glimpse at the other lakes as well? And what about the Alps? Come to think of it, I have never even been to Cremona. Or Mantova. There are almost more things to visit in Lombardy only than in the whole of France.

I’ll take a nice tour of Lombardy and you know what? I’ll swing by Milan again. I’ll visit the “Vertical Forest” and stop for a nice happy hour. Do we Italians have to be locked down in our homes to realise all the beauty that surrounds us? And won’t you take a tour of Veneto while you’re at it? All those marvellous cities. Verona. Vicenza. Padova. Venice. Come on… What about a short tour of Friuli Venezia Giulia? From Trieste to Udine, are you gonna miss out? I’ll even stop in San Daniele to eat some delicious ham. And of course at that point I’ll follow the Alps. From Trentino Alto Adige, with no rush to Valle d’Aosta. Then I’ll head down to Piemonte. Mountains, countryside, cities, I’ll get drunk and then stop in Liguria for sure. Beautiful – Genoa – the coast, the mountains. At that point, since I’m there, I’ll cut horizontally to Emilia-Romagna, and visit many other cities: Parma. Modena. Bologna. Ferrara. Ravenna. I’ll eat some more, and gain two dozen kilograms. Then I’ll head down to Tuscany. Lucca. Pisa. Florence. Siena. All the countryside, the towns I’ll get drunk once again and go back to the seaside. Well at that point I’ll go to Umbria as well. To Marche. Abruzzo. To Molise, finally. And what about a trip to Apulia? Through the whole length of region right to the very end. And then Matera, I’ve never been to Basilicata. Calabria. And at that point, a quick stop in Sicily. The sea, the history, “slushes and cannoli”. And you really think I’ll miss out on taking a bath in Sardinia? With that sea and those beaches?! I’ll return through Campania, the coast, Naples, eat some more, and then head home… How much damn stuff do we have in Italy?! We have to remain in lockdown, but it’s not easy at all. Couldn’t I have be born in another country? Where the most beautiful things they have outdoors in the streets are cycling lanes.