225. Italy vs. Mexico

Full disclosure: I had a chip on my shoulder about Mexico. I last traveled there in 1983, when my friend Debbie and I went for a week in Mexico City and Acapulco. We both got deathly ill; I collapsed on the street and smashed my front teeth landing on the hard pavement, but I was the lucky one. Debbie ended up with amoebic dysentery and hepatitis and took months to recover.

So for 43 years, I have refused to return. Sure, it was part grudge and a little bit fear, but mostly it was superstition. Mexico and I were jinxed, so why tempt fate and put myself in harm’s way?

But Ben, the world’s best sport who goes to Italy with me over and over again, really wanted to go, and everyone we knew who had been there has loved it. So I finally consented to give it a second try, if we went with Road Scholar rather than on our own, to have the added comfort and protection being in a supervised group would bring. And rationally, what were the odds that something bad would happen to me again? So I knocked on wood, threw salt over my shoulder, and off we went for a nine-day culinary program in Oaxaca, Puebla and Mexico City.

Here is my assessment:

The People: Mexico 4, Italy 3

I am second to none in my interest in and enthusiasm for the Italian people. But I would say they are somewhat more reserved than the people with whom I interacted in Mexico, who were universally warm, friendly and helpful, and not just those working in the tourist industry who are paid to be nice. This fact makes it even more of an abomination how they are being portrayed by our country’s leadership. (Thankfully, they do not seem to be following the news from the US as avidly as we do; our guide, who was well-educated, had not even heard of any of the Gulf of America nonsense.)

One thing I found interesting: even in the out-of-the-way villages of Italy, there is a reasonable knowledge of English, as is true in any of the places in Europe I’ve visited. In Mexico, I was surprised to find that almost no one spoke it at all, including those in the hospitality business, like hotel desk clerks. But until I learn Spanish, I will not deduct points for that, seeing as there are 100 million more native Spanish speakers on the planet than English speakers, so who am I to judge?

Church: Mexico 3, Italy 2

I have been spoiled by Italian churches to expect a certain type of over-the-top ornamentation, with every square inch blinged up with art, candles, statues and gold. Perhaps Italy has a head start with the Vatican plopped right in the middle, but none of the other European countries, including those that are historically majority Catholic, come close. That said, I make it my business to check out churches I happen to pass in my travels, and every Mexican church I saw took the same approach as Italy, seeing the church building itself as a place that should inspire awe and wonder. (Yes, I get that many would say it is unconscionable that money would be spent on church ornamentation when there is such poverty surrounding them, but I think part of the point is to bring uplift and a measure of joy to the congregants.) So I would call it a tie.

But here’s where Mexico pulls ahead for the extra point. While Italy and Mexico have comparable percentages of Catholics (about 80%) in their populations, 47% of Mexicans are regular church goers, compared to only 19% in Italy. You don’t need these statistics to know this is true; simple observation of the pews shows them filled with families in Mexico, and mostly empty except for a few gray heads in Italy.

Big Occasions: Mexico 3, Italy 1

The one time Italians do get involved in church is for the big life events: baptisms, First Communion, weddings and funerals. The first three provide an irresistible opportunity for the Italian values of family, feasting, and la bella figura, or looking good. It is very common to see bridal salons and shops featuring elaborate christening and communion outfits and studios offering formal photography to mark the occasion.

But Mexican wedding celebrations make the Italians look like pikers. In the town of Oaxaca in a 24-hour period, I witnessed three different wedding celebrations, all of which involved dancing and parading through the streets with gigantic puppets, bands, and people in costumes.

And while we’re on the topic of dress-up occasions, there’s the quinceañera, the Mexican coming-of-age party for 15-year-old girls. Not unlike a wedding, it features an elaborate outfit, a Mass, a “court” of best friends, a banquet and even a father-daughter dance. So for this bonus tradition, Mexico gets an extra point.

Decorative Arts: Italy 3, Mexico 2

No matter how you define it, nothing beats Italian artistic endeavors. Surely a lifetime of being surrounded by the great masters of the Western tradition would result in an eye for beauty, and an appreciation of all its forms. The bella figura is not just about fashion and personal appearance, but also the way in which homes are decorated, and products are displayed, and Italy sets the standard for design and decoration.

That said, if I could fill every square inch of my house, floor to ceiling, with objects from Mexico, I would.

From their tiles to their ceramic dishware to their alebrije, painted figurines, I loved them all.

Food: Italy 4, Mexico 2

There should be no argument here, as Italy was awarded the 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage Award for its cuisine. Italian food is known and enjoyed the world over, even though it may have morphed from the real thing to an Americanized version with pineapple and excess cheese on the pizza.

But wait! Mexico received that very award in 2010, fifteen years before Italy! Does that mean Mexican food is that much better?

The Road Scholar program we did was a culinary program, so we sampled and prepared many dishes, usually instructed by indigenous chefs.

And everything we tried, with the possible exception of the stewed pig skin and the fried grasshoppers, was delicious. I look forward to mastering many of the dishes at home. But as a person who has been well-schooled on the merits of the Mediterranean diet, I found the ingredients to be shocking. Everything was cooked in copious amounts of oil and lard. Things were covered in melted cheese. The mole recipe we made called for nearly a pound of sugar. Did I enjoy it? Yes! But would I want it as a steady diet? No.

Final Score: Italy 13, Mexico 12

Sharp students of math may wonder how Italy came out on top, when Mexico actually earned the majority of points category by category.

As I mentioned above, I decided to be rational and return to Mexico after 43 years, because what are the odds I would be disfigured again? It’s the 21st century after all and none of us should plan our actions based on fate, or ESP, or the position of the stars. There are no such things as jinxes, right?

Ha! Early one morning when I went out for my run, my toe got caught in a crack between paving stones and I went flying, face first, onto the very hard pavement. I bruised and bloodied my face, knees, and hands, but thankfully, nothing was broken, so I got off easy, all things considered. Lesson learned: you can’t outrun fate, even if you knock on wood, and logic and probability seem to be in your favor. So for disfiguring me again, I am deducting 2 points from Mexico’s score, putting Italy in the lead once more.

Disfigured once again. Gracias, Mexico!