Words by Pat Eggleton - Pictures courtesy of Italian Notes
Meet Mette, a Danish journalist who blogs about Italy, the country she fell in love with twenty years ago and to which she hopes to retire.
We love the blog, Italian Notes and especially the pictures but we don’t know anything about who is behind it. Can you tell us something about yourself and where you’re from?
I’m a Danish journalist and communications consultant with a Danish husband and about 8 years ago we bought a small, unpretentious country house with 24 olive trees in Puglia.
Are you living in Italy now?
Work and children are in Copenhagen, which means that most of the year is spent there, but we come to Italy at least three times a year, and, as there are no direct flights between Copenhagen and Puglia, we almost always come by car. The distance is 2,400 km, but we sleep over and try to see new places along the way. The drive from Bolzano to Salento can be varied indefinitely and it’s a gift to experience several parts of the country in different seasons. We stay in Italy for about two months a year and hope to increase the allowance over time. I would love to move down here permanently at some point - and there should be hope within the next 20 years when it is time for retirement.
Can you tell us about the area where you stay in Italy?
Our house in Italy is located about 40 km from Taranto, Brindisi and Lecce, right in the middle of the Salento plain. It is in the country, but there are three cities within a 15 km radius, so the area is anything but deserted.
People in Puglia are generally very positive, warm hearted and open, but it takes time to get accepted, and even after 8 years I‘m not sure we are all there yet. We will always be stranieri and judged on our stamina. There are also lots of things that I as a Scandinavian will never get used to: small things such as the Italian inability to keep an appointment without delays of more than half an hour, the urge to overtake other cars on small country roads regardless of the risk, three hour queues to pay a bill in the post office or the bank, and the number of small airless and windowless offices you have to visit in order to perform a simple transaction with the authorities. To me being Italian seems like a full time job.
That’s a great description! When did you first come to Italy and what made you love the country?
I first came to Italy on holiday 20 years ago, and I was immediately smitten by the people, climate, culture, food, landscapes, tradition, history, etc. Italia is an immensely diversified and rich country which means that there’s always something new to explore and discover.
What’s your favourite place in Italy?
My favourite places are of course all the towns and hideouts on Salento, because of the light, the atmosphere and the people, but I’m also really fascinated by Catania, Rotonda, Teramo, Bologna, Bassano del Grappa and so one. I don’t think it does Italy justice to pick out one favourite only.
You also write about Italian food on Italian Food Notes, don’t you? Can you tell us about that?
I am passionate about cooking and love to prepare five course Italian meals for friends and family, so just for my own sake I have to keep a record of what works and what doesn’t, and then I might as well share it.
Do you speak Italian?
Depends on who you ask, but in Southern Italy you won’t get by on English, so I have studied Italian for years and passed my Italian A-level, but there is still room for improvement.
When and why did you start blogging?
I started blogging about a year ago as a private con amore project inspired by the earlier ”Italy is falling” blog, which has been closed down now, unfortunately. When you earn a living writing for other people, it is really nice to write something exclusively for yourself and the few other people who share this particular interest.
What has blogging given you?
Through blogging and other social networks, I have found a lot of other people from all around the world who share my love for Italy. And from a professional point of view, I have got to know the workings of the new media as an interesting means of personalized mass communication.
All your blog posts are interesting but can you recommend one or two especially for Italy Magazine readers?
I like the quasi religious traditions, which differ from town to town and are so unlike anything we have in Scandinavia, so I’d recommend Walking barefoot for Jesus.
Happy blogging and thank you for talking to Italy Magazine.
