On the Road

I bet you’re wondering where I’ve been. Well I am enjoying life in Italy right now. My first few days were in Milan and the past week I’ve made my home in Bolzano in the region of Alto Adige or Sud Tirol. What a glorious city this is! A mix of German and Italian, it has an endearing old-world charm. The city center is closed to traffic, making it a wonderful place for walking and biking. My little apartment is a block away from the outdoor market. Open 6 days a week, it offers fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts, breads, cheeses and dried meats. With a bar, restaurant or gelateria on every corner, there is a plethora of choices when it comes to food. Italian, German and Tyrolean specialties abound, but one can also find new cuisines on some menus.

 

It seems that every available inch of farm land inside the city boundaries and climbing the surrounding terraced hills is brimming with fruit – grapes, apples and pears. The trees are so laden with apples you wonder how it is possible to grow so many on a single tree. And yet there are acres and acres of orchards and vineyards everywhere!

On this trip I have also had the good fortune to meet several of my Italian Genetti cousins. This is the best part of genealogy, when the stories of ancestors come alive and family connections are made that transcend international boundaries. Thank you to Chiara, Stephano, Leonardo, Benedicta, Laura and Lidia for making me feel welcome and a part of a much larger family. This week I hope to connect with a few more Genetti and Marchetti cousins.

I had planned to write a blog post every few days while I’m here, but as you can see that hasn’t happened. I do apologize – I’m just having so much fun hiking and seeing the sights that it’s difficult finding the time to write. But I will try to correspond more during the next few weeks since I want to share all of these lovely experiences with you. Ciao for now!