I have arrived in Italy and the first thing I saw in the dawn was the majesty of the Alps as the sun lighted the very top of them, reflecting away from the snow, and contrasting with the still dark outlook of the valley. I am here to set the roots for a major cross-investing project that will promote American real estate to Italian buyers. It feels so different after having been away for 9 months and still so familiar. I anticipate the beginning of a great and exciting adventure and having Alps as the background for its inception is the best scenery ever.

I have decided to stay away from Milano and the big city traffic for today and I have found a neat little hotel in a small town near the Lake of Como. The place is named Saronno and is quite famous for the special type of biscuits and the liquor they produce here. The biscuits are named Amaretti di Saronno (which means “little bitter cookies”) and the liquor is named Amaretto di Saronno (and it has a somewhat bitter-sweet taste).

You can feel the crispy mountain air coming from the Alps and the sounds of an old Italian town, with its church bells and the voices in the narrow roads.

Roberto Mazzoni