The next time you eat sausage, thick pork chop, sauerkraut, polenta, hot mustard and horseradish, think northeastern Italy. Delicious and nothing like what Americans think of as “Italian Food”.

Rovereto is not far from both Austria and Switzerland and the influence is clear in the food. Certainly, the buildings have more painted, decorative facings, but their rooftops remain tiled (unlike Valle d’Aosta with its fish scale slate).

I like Rovereto and it seems as-yet-undiscovered. The waitress said there are the tourists that come here, but I haven’t seen one tour group or souvenir gift shop. If this is a “tourist spot” this is fine with me.

Rovereto offers art, history, culture, environmental beauty… Daily life and necessities. It has been well-tended-to without seeming like Disneyland-surreal. I have the impression on this, my first afternoon/evening here, that I could explore this small city for a long time. It could hold my interest.

In my travels around Italy, sure I want to see the highlighted spots, but more than anything, I am intrigued by the many, different, characteristic places that, together, comprise Italy. I am aiming for a full picture of this country and it’s land. The typical view is so narrow; the real view is so broad.