Peggy in Italy

As an American who grew up in the city of Chicago, I can say that most city dwellers would probably cringe at the idea of living in a small town. But I can guarantee you that life in a small Italian town is quite different from an American one…at least I’d like to think so. We live in Agugliano, a town of about 5000 people, and we’ve been here now for almost three years. It’s everything that I could have wanted, well almost everything. Don’t get me wrong, it’s far from perfect.

But back to the positive side, I walk out our door and Melania can play in the piazza full of rose bushes. We have the pharmacy, bakery, cafe, little grocery store, and the paper shop all within 50 feet. And of course we have the BEST gelateria right near us. Not only do they have the best flavours, but they use natural ingredients and make the ice cream themselves. The gelato deserves a whole post for itself.

Even though I have been there for only a few years, everyone basically knows me. There is a real sense of community in the town and you have the sensation that everyone really does care about what’s going on with you. In the summertime, we hang out in the piazza and stroll around the city walls… about three blocks long. The good life…

It’s all sounds really good, but catch me on a bad day and I’ll tell you another story.