Luciana has been living in Barcelona for twenty years, but was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her great grandparents were Italian, so she also has an Italian citizenship and loads of memories of Italy.

Her best memories of Italy are often related to discovering a new city for the first time: strolling, peeking through windows… “I wish I could erase the first time I stepped in Rome so that every time I come back it would be like the first time”. Few things make her and her husband happier than pasta and wine in Italy. “We also love listening to Italian songs on the Italian radio, Anni 60, when we rented a car in Italy. Umberto Tozzi, Franco Battiato, Lucio Dalla, Nicola Di Bari.. Finally, it is always a source of joy when I hear in Italy that they pronounce my surname correctly, because that does not happen in Spanish.”

It depends on the season, but she would say Rome is her favourite place because it’s the first city she and her husband visited together, “we’ve been coming back since then” she says. “It’s full of art, you can stroll around without doing anything, just being a flaneur. Everything is like a theater set. I would also highlight how well dressed the Roman senior citizens are, they are a total source of inspiration to me.”

Her favorite dish is gnocchi, and especially the homemade one of Trattoria Bolognese Da Mauro in Milan. And her favorite hotel is Carafa di Maddaloni in Naples, where she stayed twice. “It’s a beautiful XVII century palace and it’s ideally located.”

Luciana’s tips for Italy: “Wear some comfortable shoes (and I say shoes, not sneakers), taking an analogue camera, enjoying it with a partner in love and carrying some antacids in your bag, because you’re gonna eat A LOT!”