Molto Intensioso

Since moving to Italy, I’ve been struck by one unmistakable truth: everything here is more intense. Molto intensioso!!

Let me explain.

Nature Doesn’t Whisper. It Performs.

In Australia, flowers are pleasant. Cheerful, even. You might glance at a bottlebrush or a frangipani and think, “Oh, that’s nice.” But in Italy? The flowers practically scream at you in high-definition technicolour. Wild poppies explode along roadsides like crimson confetti cannons. Deep purple irises and lilac wisteria don’t so much bloom as perform with all the drama of a million-dollar perfume campaign.

Sunsets with a Standing Ovation

And then there are the sunsets – pure theatre. From my terrazza panoramica, I’m treated nightly to a swirling adagio of tangerine, cerise and gold that pirouettes across the sky above the Tuscan hills. A different show every evening. Best viewed with a generous pour of local vino.

Tiny Guests, Big Drama

Springtime (Primavera, as I’m now trained to say) brings its own cast of characters, particularly on my rooftop terrace. Tiny, iridescent red spiders have arrived en masse. Thousands of them. I’ve since learned they’re not actually spiders at all, but harmless “clover mites.” The only evidence they leave behind? A dramatic red smear if you sit or swipe the wrong spot. Like nature’s own little crime scene.

Flavours That Slap

Don’t even get me started on the food. A tomato here tastes like it’s spent its entire existence blissfully sunbathing on the vine while being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli. A simple plate of tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil, and locally pressed olive oil can bring you to your knees. The flavours don’t just sing. They slap hard with feeling.

Driving Like a Local (If You Dare)

Now, the driving. Imagine Gran Turismo on expert mode. That’s the Autostrada. Speed limits are a suggestion. Indicators … only used by “straniere” or foreigners. Be warned. Stay in the left hand lane at your peril. Oh, and who knew a humble Toyota Yaris Hybrid could hit 160 km/hr. 😳

Parking: Improv with Vehicles

Parking, meanwhile, is interpretive art. On a footpath? Perfetto. Double-parking? Expected. Triple-parking? Performance piece. I’ve seen Smart cars wedged into positions that defy geometry – angled like they gave up halfway through turning. No one bats an eyelid.

Language: Passion on Fast-Forward

Italian isn’t spoken. It’s launched at a rate of fire not seen in any modern day first-person shooter. And with melodic intensity. Words tumble out in a rhythmic stampede. Half the time I have no idea what’s being said, but I want to give a standing ovation anyway. Speaking of hands, they are an integral part of every Italian’s vocabulary!

Our local ristorante has a beautiful wisteria tree that is hundreds of years old.

La Vita Intensiosa

Yes, life here is intense. But it’s the kind of intensity that wakes you up. It doesn’t just ask you to notice – it demands it. Like stepping into a Fellini film, double espresso in hand, with the keys to a cherry-red Ferrari.

And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.