Ciao! It’s a word Boston’s star defenceman used several times during his recent trip to Italy. Great food. Great wine. Great people. Torey Krug experienced it all on a vacation of a lifetime.

The 27-year-old blueliner dropped by NHLPA.com and offered up his five favourite memories from his Italian trip.

Krug's five favourite things about Italy

1. Food for thought

“We did Florence, Capri and Positano. The food was great. We live in the north end of Boston, so we have a lot of great, authentic Italian food here. The pasta is unbelievable. When you go over to Italy, you see a lot of the same things. It was funny, being in three different regions. Florence is more known for their meat. All of it was awesome, especially when you are able to have different food experiences.”

2. Cheers!

“The wine is amazing in Italy. I always try to learn a little more about wine. I’m not a connoisseur, but it’s so interesting. In Italy, they have wine to enhance their food. I’ve been to Napa Valley (California), which we did a few years ago and it was fantastic. I just really enjoy the chance to learn more about wine.” 

3. Friendly faces

“The people are unbelievable, so nice and very welcoming. They want you to enjoy their culture and for you to do the things the way they do it over there. It wasn’t this most recent trip, but when my wife (Melanie and I went to Rome a few years ago, we found that out. It’s a funny story. She asks for extra sauce for everything. When she gets a pizza, she always asks for extra marinara sauce. She asked for that and the person said, ‘No way. You have to eat pizza the way we do in Italy.’ Ever since then, we experience things the way the locals do. That’s an example of them welcoming us to their culture and their way of life. Everyone is so friendly. They are truly wonderful people.”

4. Picture-perfect views

“The architecture is stunning. That’s what drew me to Italy in the first place. Rome is an unbelievable place. I’m kind of a history nerd. I really enjoy it. I’m not a know-it-all, but I love going on tours – the Vatican, the Colosseum, seeing the statue of David – and that’s a big reason why we went back to Italy. It’s special.”    

5. Warm thoughts

“It was very warm. Once we got to Capri and Positano, we spent some time on the water. We rented a boat. The water is clear. You can see all the way to the bottom. You don’t have to worry about sharks – you just jump right in. It was really was amazing. It was probably our favourite part of the trip.”