I love the sound of the Italian language with its musical intonations, and almost anything spoken sounds romantic to me! People can be very animated when they speak to each other, so sometimes it doesn't sound romantic - it sounds more like they are arguing, but then we realize that they are smiling and just having a normal conversation. However, much like French, I could listen to Italian anytime and be mesmerized. Allora is a word we hear often and it translates to "then" or "well" or "so", but when people say it, it sounds sing-songy (if that's even a word) and immediately puts you at ease.
We have been living in Rome for six weeks now and language has not been a barrier for us, although it does help that Pierre can understand and speak some Italian. In many of the smaller, neighbourhood restaurants that we frequent, English is not spoken, but we bring along an electronic device to assist with translating words that are unfamiliar. Today, we had a fantastic lunch at our now favorite restaurant, Tutta Qua, and one word on their daily menu perplexed us, Puntarelle. It turns out it is a delicate vegetable from the chicory family that is used to make a delicious salad with a dressing of anchovies, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. The owner brought me a plate to try (delicious) along with my pasta with shaved white truffles and cream sauce (equally delicious).
Trying out different food has always been an exciting part of our travels, and many places specialize in only one cuisine - Italy is no exception. However, there are so many varieties of pasta dishes, as an example, that it is always fun to try the daily special or the specialty of a particular restaurant. Pizza is another specialty here, and there has been great debate over which is better - Roman-style pizza versus Neapolitan pizza. Italian people take this very seriously, and there is even an association that was established in Naples in 1984 to certify pizzerias that use the authentic traditional method of creating and cooking these delicious pies! Fresh vegetables are also in abundance and we enjoy salads with almost every meal. There is a fantastic little fresh fruit and vegetable market across the street from our apartment, and buying peppery arugula has become an almost daily ritual - dressed with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, and at 50 cents a bunch, it is a fantastic addition to any meal.
We have been living in Rome for six weeks now and language has not been a barrier for us, although it does help that Pierre can understand and speak some Italian. In many of the smaller, neighbourhood restaurants that we frequent, English is not spoken, but we bring along an electronic device to assist with translating words that are unfamiliar. Today, we had a fantastic lunch at our now favorite restaurant, Tutta Qua, and one word on their daily menu perplexed us, Puntarelle. It turns out it is a delicate vegetable from the chicory family that is used to make a delicious salad with a dressing of anchovies, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. The owner brought me a plate to try (delicious) along with my pasta with shaved white truffles and cream sauce (equally delicious).
Trying out different food has always been an exciting part of our travels, and many places specialize in only one cuisine - Italy is no exception. However, there are so many varieties of pasta dishes, as an example, that it is always fun to try the daily special or the specialty of a particular restaurant. Pizza is another specialty here, and there has been great debate over which is better - Roman-style pizza versus Neapolitan pizza. Italian people take this very seriously, and there is even an association that was established in Naples in 1984 to certify pizzerias that use the authentic traditional method of creating and cooking these delicious pies! Fresh vegetables are also in abundance and we enjoy salads with almost every meal. There is a fantastic little fresh fruit and vegetable market across the street from our apartment, and buying peppery arugula has become an almost daily ritual - dressed with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, and at 50 cents a bunch, it is a fantastic addition to any meal.
In the past few weeks we have had the opportunity to take two side trips outside of Rome. The first was to Avignon, France for a few days and then we rented a car in Nice to travel to a very small town (Pieve di Teco) across the Italian border to visit an old friend. Taking the train from Rome to Avignon provided us with incredible views along the coast after changing trains in Genoa. Driving was a whole different experience, especially after being car-less for the past 10 months. Navigating out of the busy city of Nice, and then winding our way along the narrow, curvy road high up in the mountains was also pretty exciting (or frustrating/scary/breathtaking) and the views of the Mediterranean Sea were incredible.
Our second trip was to Milan, Naples, and Pompeii. Experiencing the city of Milan, a fashion and design capital of the world, was quite amazing. It has such a different feel than Rome - there are no ancient archaeological ruins to explore and many streets house famous brand-named stores in generic concrete buildings. That being said, there is the amazing Milan Cathedral to experience and Teatro alla Scala, where we had the great opportunity to see an opera. If shopping is your thing, this is definitely the city to visit however.
Our next stop was Naples, and we had heard so many bad things about this city that we almost changed our minds about going. I am so glad we did not, as it turned out to be a fantastic place to visit. Set along the Amalfi Coast with Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance, the natural beauty of the area is incredible. We stayed in the historic centre, and there were so many lovely narrow cobblestone streets to explore, along with several piazzas where young and old convene. People are much more laid-back and relaxed here (compared to Milan as an example), and the food was fantastic (especially the pizza, as one would expect). In the past, Naples has had a huge problem with waste management, corruption, and unemployment, but I can attest to the fact that not only was it very clean everywhere we visited, it had the cleanest, and most modern metro stations I have seen so far in Europe. The waterfront is full of great seafood restaurants along with a lovely promenade to walk along and enjoy the views.
Our second trip was to Milan, Naples, and Pompeii. Experiencing the city of Milan, a fashion and design capital of the world, was quite amazing. It has such a different feel than Rome - there are no ancient archaeological ruins to explore and many streets house famous brand-named stores in generic concrete buildings. That being said, there is the amazing Milan Cathedral to experience and Teatro alla Scala, where we had the great opportunity to see an opera. If shopping is your thing, this is definitely the city to visit however.
Our next stop was Naples, and we had heard so many bad things about this city that we almost changed our minds about going. I am so glad we did not, as it turned out to be a fantastic place to visit. Set along the Amalfi Coast with Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance, the natural beauty of the area is incredible. We stayed in the historic centre, and there were so many lovely narrow cobblestone streets to explore, along with several piazzas where young and old convene. People are much more laid-back and relaxed here (compared to Milan as an example), and the food was fantastic (especially the pizza, as one would expect). In the past, Naples has had a huge problem with waste management, corruption, and unemployment, but I can attest to the fact that not only was it very clean everywhere we visited, it had the cleanest, and most modern metro stations I have seen so far in Europe. The waterfront is full of great seafood restaurants along with a lovely promenade to walk along and enjoy the views.
Visiting Naples also provided the perfect base to visit the ancient ruins of Pompeii, a quick one-hour train ride away. I can't say enough about how amazing it was to explore this incredible place - a vibrant city that tragically ceased to exist in 79 AD when Mount Vesuvius erupted. It felt as though we had stepped back in time as we walked the many streets of the city, where we could see houses with paintings still on the walls, lovely mosaic floors still intact, and stepping stones set at various intervals in the streets to provide a way for people to cross (similar to our present-day crosswalks). Sadly, there are also reminders of the many people who perished that fateful day, and the plaster casts of their remains attest to the fact that there was no escape from the devastation. The site is vast (there are 8 km of roads to walk on), but armed with a good map, it was easy to tour on our own.
We have only two weeks left before our adventure comes to an end and we head back home to Calgary. I will certainly miss living here, but I can't wait to see family and friends and get back to familiar things. One modern convenience that I am really starting to miss is a dryer! While we traveled through Asia, it was so cheap and easy to have our laundry done in small shops (even there they hung our clothes on lines to dry). In Europe, most people hang clothes out to dry as well but on occasion we have stayed in places that have "dryers". These never seem to work, or it takes hours to dry, so the clothesline has become my friend. I thought I would end this post with some examples of what I mean.