Stuff I'm so gonna miss from Italy

I'm at Paris airport waiting for my flight connection. In a few hours I will be back to Helsinki.

Now it's time to start getting used to the idea that my stay in Italy has arrived to an end.
For some reason I talked in Italian to a french waiter at the airport cafe and I almost cried when he said madame, je ne comprends pas... I guess at this point I must accept that I am not in Italy anymore.

It is going to take a while to get back to reality. It has been 7 months full of nice people, long working hours, gelato, good coffee and shitty showers.

I thought it will be a nice therapy to make a list of all the things that have made me happy during these months and that I am so gonna miss back in Finland.

There it goes:

• The morning cappuccino at Caffè Matisse and the fact that you don't even have to tell the barista what do you want. He will remember it from the last time you were there.


• Italian men holding the door open for you.

• Going to the food market Saturday morning to buy fresh veggies.

• The sound of "buongiorno Alba!" when I arrive to the office in the morning (I'm so gonna miss that!)

• Being able to walk back home after going out on a Saturday night, which is much nicer than taking a bus full of drunk teenagers from Helsinki city centrer to Konala.


• My work colleagues, specially the "Weather Team", I would like to fit them all in my suitcase and take them to Finland.

• Lebanese food from Al-Madina 


• Being able to travel everywhere by train without dying in the attempt. Italian train chairs are 97% more comfy than the Spanish ones. 


• The taste of a real tomato, which will be sadly missed in any salad I eat from now on.

• Running in the evening along the river.


• Susanna's tiramisù.

• A glass of white wine at Bar Mocambo.


• Gelato, my best friend.

• Speaking my own dialect of Italian, based on my own italianization of many words coming from the Spanish and Catalan.


• Seeing young couples in love walking along holding hands.

• Our neighbors having long couple fights at night - together with the fact that the walls of our apartment were made out of paper - Much more entertaining than any soap opera on TV.


• My very own Italian private driver, who got me home safely many evenings after work and got angry every time I told him that I could walk.

• The joy of being spontaneous.


• Talking with the hands, Italian gestures will deserve a post of its own. 

I could probably be able to add much more things to this list, but it is time to catch my plane.

Thanks Italy, it has been a pleasure.

See you in Helsinki!!