Breaking Language Barriers Over an Aperol Spritz

✨#StoryTimeThread ✨👉 What is a memorable meal you’ve had while traveling? ✨ One experience I love having on the road is eating a meal in a local home. Luckily, platforms like BonAppetour and Eatwith make this easy. 🍲 @pierrepilc and I booked this experience while in Nice. We purchased a bottle of local wine beforehand to bring to the home, and excitedly made the walk over. Knocking on the apartment door, we were greeted by a woman, Caroline, who began rapidly speaking in French...which neither Andy nor I knew any of beyond saying “bonjour” with New York accents. 😔 My heart beat a bit quicker as we grasped for ways to communicate. Suddenly, the husband, Nico, walked in, and we learned he spoke Spanish (which Andy and I know well enough) as well as a little English. We were also joined by their friends, another couple -- Valerie and Teddy -- who also spoke Spanish and a little English. 😅 (Actually, Valerie arrived with tire marks up her leg. Apparently she had been hit by a scooter on the way over, had fallen down and her leg had been rolled over, but she was totally fine and ready for a nice night -- so different from the USA!) 🛵 Luckily, Teddy had just the remedy to ease any pain Valerie was feeling and any reservations we had about trying to converse -- spritz ingredients! 🍹 This is where Andy and I learned about the #AperolSpritz, which is now our favorite drink. Pretty soon, we were calling Teddy “The Spritz King” and roaring with laughter as we told stories using a mix of English, French, Spanish, charades, and an iPad. 😂 It ended up being one of our favorite nights of the whole trip, as we stayed at the local home for five hours, eating multiple courses of *pissaladière* and *petits farcis* while sharing stories on a more personal level than you would meeting someone on the street for the first time. 🌍 That night, I also learned the power of creativity and the versatility of communication to break down barriers to connection. #BeyondTheGuidebook ___ * * *