Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Not too much to report today as my cold decided to show me who’s boss. Even missed my coffee date with the girls next door. Just before noon I headed to Campo de Fiore – just a few blocks away for more fragole (strawberries). The market has something for everyone from fruits and vegetables to spices, pasta and cheap trinkets. Sort of like Pike Place Market with an accent. Went to lunch in the neighborhood – had a good caprese salad with mozzarella di buffalo (yes, it’s really made with buffalo milk) and pasta with artichokes and pancetta (okay.) Did I mention they eat the WHOLE artichoke here – not just the heart. So you definitely get your fill of roughage.
Then off to see Vittorio Emanuele up close. This is probably the largest monument in the city which is dedicated to the first president of Italy who unified the country. At the top is a great view of the Coliseum, Forum and even St. Peter’s. There’s also a museum chronicling the unification of Italy – I wish I knew more about Italian history, as all the signage is in Italian and mostly beyond my comprehension level. And it wouldn’t be Italy without a bar up here, too.
That was about it for my energy level today. So I’ll leave you with:
10 things I’ve learned about Italy
1. You can make plans, but they will ALWAYS change. ALWAYS. (And you know how hard it is for me NOT to plan.)
2. Men here wear red pants. Don’t know why. Even saw a man dressed head-to-toe in red. Huh?
3. Avoid banks at all costs. You won’t get any money from them, so why bother with the hassle?
4. The Camorra (Mafia) in Naples drive Audis. I had this confirmed by a tour guide whose reply when asked was “I really couldn’t say, but I can tell you I no longer drive an Audi.”
5. Everything takes 3x longer than you think it should. But what’s the rush?
6. Crossing the street takes guts. You just have to go and don’t even think about looking at the cars. Amazingly, they stop. I’m actually getting pretty good at this.
7. Internet here is a luxury. You can spend a lot of time looking for it.
8. Italian women have the best shoes, especially boots – stivali. Low heels, high heels. They are all gorgeous. And they wear them well into the Spring.
9. Don’t eat the tomatoes or strawberries in Italy. It will ruin you for eating them anywhere else - ever.
10. Not sure why Italians drive so fast. They are not in a hurry to do anything else fast.
View of the Coliseum from Vittorio Emanuele.
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