The Italians seem to stay very fit probably
1) because they like to walk everywhere and
2) because they eat their "dolce" or sweets (gelato) in the afternoon!
Between 2 and 5pm, you will see Italians all over town with gelato.
I never knew this but it's called merenda. It originated with children but now adults "fare merenda" too!
Apparently the word comes from the Latin "merere" which means to have things you deserve!
So...that explains our little afternoon snack!
Flew to Milan/Turin through Dublin. Not sure I've really noticed Gaelic on a sign.
Had lunch at a little cafe across the river Po in Precollina. I had pizza with prosciutto and funghi (mushrooms) YUM. I forgot how massive their personal pizzas are!
A sign in a store window about doggie poop.
Going to dinner downtown...try to get good pictures from the car! Nope.
Dinner at Il Giglio, what a nice owner! He told us how he started teaching his little daughter English, where his wife speaks Italian to her only and he only speaks English!
Very interesting because he used quite a few American sayings in his speech.
I told him to tell his daughter (now 6 years old) "Shake it off", and what it means!
Couldn't think of anything really timely that he wouldn't know.
Tim had gamberi, which are prawns and agnolotti which is a regional kind of ravioli,
smaller and filled usually with meat /veal. YUM.
I had grilled gamberi...delicious! This olive oil was the best we have had in Italy the entire time we've been here. Very sweet. We had it here when we first got here and remembered it.
A regional dessert called Bonet. Meaning bonnet. Usually it's served in a ramekin like panna cotta. The owner told us it was made to look like a dragonfly and its wings.
Kind of custard/cake chocolatey. YUM.
A restaurant chain here called M**Bun. It is based on the slow food movement and originally
wanted to name themselves after McDonald's in some way, were blocked and
went with this name. We've never eaten there though. Not a big burger person.
More shots from the car...streets have different light installations, all unique.
Not many stores or residences decorate with lights.
This is one that did. Cool.
Walking to the Grand Sitea, a hotel that has fantastic apericena, or pre-dinner appetizers with your drinks (aka cheap!) many of the Christmas displays and clothing styles involved fur. This is a little Christmas tree with mink pom poms on it.
This street had neon bodies across it as their Christmas decoration. Last year, they had the
story/words lighting display that you will see further down. Obviously they rotate from year to year.
Apericena is something that originated with students who were looking for a light, inexpensive meal.
Some say it originated meaning "before dinner". Families would always eat Mamma's food but
before dinner they would go have a drink and some snacks ahead of time.
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/dec/19/italy-students-food-apericena-aperitivo-buffet-bars
Over time it has become quite a big spread in some restaurants, usually a buffet with all kinds of finger food. For a $12 drink, you get all the food along with it. At the Grand Sitea, they have some delicious appetizers, but my favorite are the roasted hazelnuts, sometimes in olive oil. YUM.
Tim drank my prosecco (very dry!) and I had the martini he ordered.
On the rim, they had perched a Cape Gooseberry. A cousin to the tomatillo, it was VERY tart,
almost like a tomato.
For lunch one day we tried a place called Skassapanza, which is well known for burgers.
Notice the variety. I didn't dare order the kangaroo! Yikes!
I ordered the crispy potatoes, which were
warm potato chips served with the staple - mayo and ketchup.
The burgers were HUGE! I had mine with olive bread and funghi (mushrooms) and carciofe (artichokes) - pretty good.
Tim was down with a severe cold so I took a walk. I went across the nearest bridge around Parco Valentino and the Borgo Medievale.
Lots of rowers along the River Po at all times of the day.
He's finally feeling better so we take a walk downtown to see some of the Christmas lights or what they call Luci d'Artista. Every light display is designed by an artist. There are walking tours and you can also take a tour by their historic tram.
This one is in the piazza where there are many high end stores.
Via Roma, where there is no traffic. Lots of high end stores - Prada etc.
One of the light installations with projections on the street.
The main Christmas tree in Piazza Castello.
Living Advent Calendar in Piazza Castello
There is a Christmas market at Piazza Castello too. Some great booths.
They had several dressforms that were decorated with quotes in honor of women.
Dolci. We got the cannoli on the right, covered in pistachios. I had a bite.
A booth with antipasti, like olives, this was rolled eggplant
and below was my favorite - artichokes.
A couple had clothing, the one below - not sure!
A quote from Simon di Beauvoir...
One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.
Viagri, a liqeuer made with viagra. Yep.
Oh and anise seed.
Went to dinner in Precollina. A little authentic Italian restaurant where NOBODY spoke English.
The menu was so complicated that even I, armed with Google Translate, couldn't figure it out.
But when the dolci came, YUM.
They had struesel, apple dumplings, chocolate torte, something with oranges covered in candied orange peel, pears poached in wine, and on the back right - meringue. Just meringue, served with vanilla pudding on top. Hmm.
MY FAVORITE was the torronata, which was basically whipped cream with hazelnuts and nougat chopped up on top of a puff pastry. AMAZING.
Recipe here:
http://sfizintavola.blogspot.it/2008/06/torta-all-delizia-di-crema-torronata-e.html
A video of another couple light installations in a galleria.
Buon Natale!
Before we left Italy, we flew out of Milan.
The night before, we drove through the downtown.
We saw the beautiful Duomo in Milan.
Milan Cathedral is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to St Mary of the Nativity, it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the largest church in Italy and the fifth largest in the world.
http://www.turinepi.com/2015/12/red-underwear-for-nye.html#more
Red underwear on New Year's Eve
La Befana Jan. 7
http://www.turinepi.com/2016/01/la-befana-in-turin.html
