Italy, above all countries, is a place to be experienced with every sense. Here are the sensory experiences that signal to me that I am, in fact, here:

1. The smell of coffee bubbling up through a stovetop espresso machine, and the vague scent of raw flame heating metal underneath. My nose tingles just writing about it.

2. The sound of Italians speaking to each other in swiftly lilting words that may as well be set to a score. Angry words rise to crescendo in a furious aria, friendly advice comes in softly comforting notes, jokes trip along in a happy cadence- it’s no wonder that operas are written in Italian.

3. The sharp, emerald-green taste of arugula mixed with the duller tang of pecorino sardo, a Sardinian sheep’s milk cheese. This is a combination I have sought fruitlessly at home in California, but I urge you to try it if you can. It deserves a place with other famous culinary pairings: peanut butter and jelly, champagne and caviar, Ben and Jerry.

4. The sight of the carabinieri officers in dapper uniforms sitting in cars outside their respective posts, checking their hair nonstop in their rearview mirrors. Behind shiny aviator sunglasses, one eye is on the public and one eye on their own reflection, because looking sharp, la bella figura, is naturally an important part of doing their job.

5. The feel of Italy is harder to put my finger on, but anyone who has been here knows it. Anyone who has felt it -the passionate welcome, the shimmering self-awareness, the aging Renaissance beauty and the sheer love for life that permeates every Italian town- can evoke the feeling with just the scent of espresso, an overheard " arrivederci!", or any of their personal sensory catalysts. That’s the best part of Italy: even when you’re not here, you can carry it with you.

What let’s you know you’re in your favorite place?

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