I was invited around to lunch on Thursday by Fausto. It was his birthday not that this meant any fanfare only a bowl of fresh pasta mixed with some walnut pesto (yum). They were meant to be heading off to the mountains the night before but didn't quite get there. Both Fausto and Catherine are tired, although both won't admit it!
It was suggested that I might like to see some more of the mountains and because they were leaving later that afternoon, maybe i'd like to join them.
Instead of going with them in the car, I headed off pretty quickly and rode up towards the Parco Nazionale. After 2600m of serious serious climbing I made it. The stars were closer because I was so high, the air thin and the fact that this is a big lie means I can't write much more about it....in fact I put my bike in the car and we took off up into the mountains. I had no idea what to expect really.
http://tinyurl.com/mrqtfk is the route. Photos are here: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/TheMountains#
It was relatively late in the afternoon so if I did want to ride back, which was plan A, I only had a hour to look around before needing to head off. After seeing the Refugio (the alpine hut) and the surrounds I thought it crazy not to stay and see a little more notwithstanding the novelty of waking up in the mountains and do some hiking. So I decided to stay the night. It's not cheap but a nights stay includes dinner and breakfast. They work on a strict time regime in the Refugio Chivasso. It got a bit out of control but i'll write about that later. Dinner was at 7:15 so I had an hour to wander off and check out some of the area. I took lots of great little photos of the flowers. Unfortunately I tried taking large landscape panoramas but with a little camera none really represent the expanse of the place at all. I came across another Refugio and also a shephard watching over his cattle. I was inspired by the place that I built a little stone statue in the middle of the valley alongside a creek as my gift to the mountains gods. Before long it was time to head back for dinner. It was also getting cold and considering I only brought a light jumper I was worried that might have been a little foolish.
Dinner was a three course extravaganza. Buonissimo!!! A hearty minestrone soup to start, a plate of polenta, potatoes and chicken and for dessert - wow....a buonet (?) a mousse made with chocolate, coffee, amaretto...seriously amazing!
After playing cards for a little, Fausto asked whether we could have a ......(i'll track down the word for it later)...coffee liquer type thing. This caused a bit of a stir because the Refugio manager didn't want to break tradition and serve this drink out of season. Fausto reasoned with him saying that I was all the way from Australia and that it would be a nice gesture. We got the drink with a lot of grumbling. The ......came in a friendship mug. A large wooden bowl with four drinking points. Needless to say, it was worth the haggling as it was a great end to the evening. Lights out at 10pm.
I woke up this morning to a knocking on the door. We had overslept out 7:30am curfew. Our breakfast had been put on the table already deliberately so it would be cold by the time we got out of bed. I slept pretty badly for some reason but Catherine didn't sleep at all so she was not impressed with their 'tradizione'...I was just going with the flow and didn't mind other than the bread was stale and the coffee was worse than International Roast.
Catherine and Fausto were aiming for the Refugio Rossetti (I think) so I joined them for the first section up to Lago Rossett. I was a gorgeous still blue-sky day and so walking into the mountains was an absolute joy. We saw many marmots, birds and insects. The flowers at that alitude (over 2600m) are very vibrant and fun to photograph. The lakes are crystal clear and each has a different hue. Lago Rossett is of an emerald hue while the others darker again. I turned around at Lago Rossett and headed back to the Refugio. Fausto and Catherine headed onwards and upwards. They had to tackle a mountain pass around 3200m high before heading back down into another valley.
I got back to the Refugio and was greeted by the hut manager. He was trying to be nice but in the end gave me a massive lecture on how I had to respect the tradizione of the mountains and that it was not a place to be commercialised. All I had done was lock my bike up. This inferred to him that I didn't trust the mountain people; it wasn't like the city he pointed out. Unfortunately I really couldn't communicate with him, as I would have really like to point out that he moved my bag earlier that morning because he didn't want it to get stolen! This guy was a real grump. He had commercialised his hut as it was the most expensive of all of them and they served lunches for extra cash. It really put me off. I admit I didn't turn up in full hiking gear and wasn't there to hike specifically however it was annoying to leave feeling somewhat unwelcome.
With all of that behind me, I was back in my knicks and punching downhill, deep into the Ceresole Valley. The switch backs were pretty intense with plenty of traffic coming up hill on very narrow roads. Looking down at Lake Surra is equally as spectacular as looking back up to where I had come from. It was 600m of altitude between the coll and Lago Serru (although the road was switching back on itself for all those people who had already started trying to calculate the angle!). People were climbing it by bike but it would have been seriously hard going grinding away.
I was happy going the other way sitting in the 54:11 (gear ratio front: rear!) smashing out some fast speeds particularly through the 3.5km tunnel. It reminded me of the morning we rode through the Heysen tunnels last Christmas with Amber shouting with joy at the top of her lungs in the tunnel. I did the same! It was exhilarating!
The temperature difference was very noticable when I got back to the low-lands. It was cool up the top. I needed a light jumper even in the sun. At the bottom it was low thirties. Suffice to say, I sweated it for the remaining 70kms home once I had reached the valley floor.
Once home it was time for some refuelling. I hadn't eaten since the stale bread and grumpy hut-manager breakfast and was starving by the time I was back just after 4pm. I sit here writing this blog and posting photos very grateful for Fausto and Catherine to take me with them. It is accessible and yet few people venture up the windy roads.
I hope I will continue to get inspired to head up the windy roads and experience more of the open spaces and beautiful scenery in the very near future.
The BBQ
I mentioned 'BBQ' in conversation at dinner on Sunday night and within an instant it was requested that I put on an authentic BBQ on Tuesday night. In fact they all knew that there was a BBQ where I am staying and more the question was: "Do you know how to use it" as though it was some sort of high tech machine.
Travis and Emily have imported a BBQ from Melbourne, that is they brought it with them. Although Europeans go silly over the idea of BBQ very few have a gas-BBQ. Many use disposable 'grillers' that are fired by coals. On the weekends you will see in Germany and Italy (i'm sure all over Eastern Europe) people sitting in the parks grilling sausages basically on a big tin foil BBQ with some coals glowing in the bottom. So they gas BBQ is a bit of a novelty notwithstanding they have a fantastic balcony / terrace from which to host said cooking events.
The pressure was really on. I mean Italians are famous for their food and considering the places i've eaten with those who were coming I felt under the pump to produce a suitable meal of a suitable quality all under the mandate of a Authentic Australian BBQ.
With the help from Catherine, I bought most of the ingredients at the markets save the meat. Italian butchers make fantastic sausages usually is a big roll. The concept of tasteless, fatty, homogenous, synthetic skinned Coles Beef BBQ sausages are a little foreign to butchers and supermarkets here. So I settled for good quality sausages, mince to make some patties and some chicken breasts to marinate. Similarly, white square bread of any decent quality doesn't exist here. It's either 'toast' tiny pale coloured rock hard almost super sized croutons or very flakey white bread loaves. The later I bought but only to find that wrapping a sausage in one slice would inevitably end in tears as the bread would tear. I mean the Italians make fantastic bread but nothing that resembles Tip Top Wonder White, suitable for a BBQ.
Dodging the finer issues of preparing for a BBQ, I had five guests turn up, James a Sydney-ite who has been living in Torino since the start of the year, Catherine, Fausto and Carla and Roberto (the later four, Em and Trav's friends that I somehow inherited as part of House-sitting duties).
After arrival and drinks were served, I offered around some breads. I offered around some ciabatta that I had bought earlier today as well as some ciabatta I had baked earlier that day. I asked who liked what and they all preferred the second one. No one believed me that I had baked it until I showed photos of the dough. Proud as punch!
Soon after showing off, I fired up the BBQ. Roberto was having a close look at how things were playing out. I offered him the tongs but he insisted I continue. Food from the BBQ was onions, sausages, patties and chicken marinated in an Indian herb and spice mix. From the kitchen we had sliced potatoes with salt and herbs from the provence roasted as well as a big salad (an italian one!).
Conversation varied from topics of Torino to the differences between the way Maoris are treated in NZ compared to the way Aboriginals are treated in Australia. So needless to say, there were many touchy subjects covered and much explaining to poor Carla whose english wasn't at the level required to manage the finer points of the conversation.
Because we had so much bread left over, I whipped up a bread and butter pudding. With a coffee to finish it all off everyone was happy. The moral of that situation is that although it's hard to go past Italian food, when it's new, it's a novelty and hence it can compete!
Travis and Emily have imported a BBQ from Melbourne, that is they brought it with them. Although Europeans go silly over the idea of BBQ very few have a gas-BBQ. Many use disposable 'grillers' that are fired by coals. On the weekends you will see in Germany and Italy (i'm sure all over Eastern Europe) people sitting in the parks grilling sausages basically on a big tin foil BBQ with some coals glowing in the bottom. So they gas BBQ is a bit of a novelty notwithstanding they have a fantastic balcony / terrace from which to host said cooking events.
The pressure was really on. I mean Italians are famous for their food and considering the places i've eaten with those who were coming I felt under the pump to produce a suitable meal of a suitable quality all under the mandate of a Authentic Australian BBQ.
With the help from Catherine, I bought most of the ingredients at the markets save the meat. Italian butchers make fantastic sausages usually is a big roll. The concept of tasteless, fatty, homogenous, synthetic skinned Coles Beef BBQ sausages are a little foreign to butchers and supermarkets here. So I settled for good quality sausages, mince to make some patties and some chicken breasts to marinate. Similarly, white square bread of any decent quality doesn't exist here. It's either 'toast' tiny pale coloured rock hard almost super sized croutons or very flakey white bread loaves. The later I bought but only to find that wrapping a sausage in one slice would inevitably end in tears as the bread would tear. I mean the Italians make fantastic bread but nothing that resembles Tip Top Wonder White, suitable for a BBQ.
Dodging the finer issues of preparing for a BBQ, I had five guests turn up, James a Sydney-ite who has been living in Torino since the start of the year, Catherine, Fausto and Carla and Roberto (the later four, Em and Trav's friends that I somehow inherited as part of House-sitting duties).
After arrival and drinks were served, I offered around some breads. I offered around some ciabatta that I had bought earlier today as well as some ciabatta I had baked earlier that day. I asked who liked what and they all preferred the second one. No one believed me that I had baked it until I showed photos of the dough. Proud as punch!
Soon after showing off, I fired up the BBQ. Roberto was having a close look at how things were playing out. I offered him the tongs but he insisted I continue. Food from the BBQ was onions, sausages, patties and chicken marinated in an Indian herb and spice mix. From the kitchen we had sliced potatoes with salt and herbs from the provence roasted as well as a big salad (an italian one!).
Conversation varied from topics of Torino to the differences between the way Maoris are treated in NZ compared to the way Aboriginals are treated in Australia. So needless to say, there were many touchy subjects covered and much explaining to poor Carla whose english wasn't at the level required to manage the finer points of the conversation.
Because we had so much bread left over, I whipped up a bread and butter pudding. With a coffee to finish it all off everyone was happy. The moral of that situation is that although it's hard to go past Italian food, when it's new, it's a novelty and hence it can compete!
The Aperitivo
One thing the Italians do particularly well is the concept of the Aperitivo. Unlike Australia's eating and drinking culture where you always make a big night of it, here in Italy the Aperitivo is a relatively small, low key approach to meeting up with friends, having a small nibble of a variety of buffet presented foods and a drink or two. Most bars offer the aperitivo such that after buying a drink, the food comes 'free'. The drink usually includes an extra amount to cover the food. Sometimes a lot!
Food includes salads (pasta, rice, cous cous based), meats, small pizzas, roasted vege, fruits (sliced apple with cinnamon was my favourite), small rolls, you know all the stuff you might find at a stand up cocktail party. Some cafes or bars have good aperitivo's others not so. It's a great idea and is probably a bit better than sucking down 400 pints, not eating and having a massive night mid-week after work to catch up with your mates.
Food includes salads (pasta, rice, cous cous based), meats, small pizzas, roasted vege, fruits (sliced apple with cinnamon was my favourite), small rolls, you know all the stuff you might find at a stand up cocktail party. Some cafes or bars have good aperitivo's others not so. It's a great idea and is probably a bit better than sucking down 400 pints, not eating and having a massive night mid-week after work to catch up with your mates.
Photos of Turin
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/Turin#
Finally i've got some photos of Turin up. Had to use another internet connection. Thanks McDonalds!
Finally i've got some photos of Turin up. Had to use another internet connection. Thanks McDonalds!
Today I went to Italy...
Isabella, a friend from St Mark's is from Turin and her parents still live here. Isabella put me in touch with Kate and Angelo who have kindly shown me around for the past two days. On Wednesday they had arranged to play golf and being a non-golfer I was asked whether I would like to come along and when they were out on the course, I might like to swim at the pool. I gratefully accepted this offer as Turin has been very hot over the past couple of days. We went out to Cherasco and after a bowl of white spaghetti (plain spaghetti with olive oil and pepper) they set off to hit a white ball around. I followed for the first 6 holes but once my shirt was soaked in sweat I retired to the pool while they carried on. Incidentally, a family friend of theirs Federico was with them. I sat by the pool reading my book and cooling off every now and again with a swim. Five hours later they returned after their 18 holes and Fedo having won the 10Euro bet on who would win playing stableford. The temperature had hit 40degrees so by the time we headed home all four of us we finished. I came home and cooked up a calzone filled with sliced Italian sausage before drinking litres of water!
Kate and Angelo offered on Thursday (today) to show me around the Langhe region. It is a wine and agriculture region south east of Turin. It was of interest to them because they had just bought a house in Calooso and are in the process of moving from Turin to the country. Heading out on the motor way there was no sign we were close to a wine region. Obviously as the city ended there was more industry and as the industry ended there was more agriculture. However it wasn't until we went through a tunnel that suddenly we were in the vineyards of the Lunghe.
It's a tightly knit area with some family enterprise vineyards only a hectare in size. The soil looks very limey and is the terrain is very undulating and in some cases very steep indeed. The vines were all pruned to form a canopy that was green and tall but very narrow on each trellis. The grapes all hung reasonably low on the vine. There were many old (roman) farm houses scattered around and on nearly every high point was an old church tower or castle. We searched Barbaresco for a coffee and the well known wine bar but like the rest of Italy the town was pretty much closed. Touring through one certainly got a sense that things happened pretty slowly and that not a lot had changed in a long time. The houses were all in good condition and so too the land. It must be close to harvest as it has been a hot winter. Harvesting on such steep land must surely mean hand picking. That is the way of life here. I had in my mind that I might be able to get to some cellar doors but not here. Most growers and makers sell to cooperatives who then distribute on. This is because most places are so small. I don't know they survive economically at all making 10 barrels a year. Some less I’m told.
We arrived in Calosso and after having said hello to the restaurant manager a discussion erupted between Angelo and the restaurateur. Angelo has a question about the tunnels that were set into the back of many of the buildings that served as cool places to cure meat and cheese. Before we knew we were sitting face to face with the mayor of Calosso! The restaurateur went upstairs briefly and arranged that we meet the mayor. For Kate and Angelo this was their first meeting and for me...well I had no idea what was going on. The office was very unassuming. The desk was small and on an angle to the room. An old computer sat on a small desk in the corner while an Italian flat and a European flag hung side by side behind the Mayor. As new house owners in the area they discussed many things with this somewhat dry typical politician. Apparently the town wanted to use their new house for a function later in the year because it had more space due to these tunnels than their venue last year. A lot of hand waving and animated Italian went on before matters were presumably settled and we wandered downstairs to lunch.
Lunch was delicious antipasti of cold roast beef with creamy sauce, roast / dried capsicum with anchovy paste, lardo, finely cut beef fillet tartar with parmesan shavings. For a main Angelo and I each had a plate of veal and sage ravioli. To try some wines and considering the heat we had a go at a local Arneis and local light red. The local reds (Barbaresco and Barolo can be very brutal apparently...in line with a Barossa baseball-bat red). Kate and Angelo ordered dessert out of politeness and while I declined, Kate handed me hers anyway. It was a cold formed cream with berries and lots of icing sugar. Totally delicious. The restaurateur happened to used to own the wine library on the street when I am, Via Monferrato, one of Travis's favourite places.
I have a terrible memory of all the villages we drove through but we headed toward Asti and saw more of the country side. The landscape changed to more open less steep land with more cropping. In fact it was very similar to Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills. All very beautiful with scattered Italian / Tuscan / Roman farm houses with their terracotta roofs breaking up the green fields. We stopped for a revitalising coke and gelato high on a hill in a village with a big square (I forget the name). It must have been around 40 degrees again as the bitumen and all the stone walls were radiating significant heat around us.
It was home then for a two hour break before dinner. Fedo's mother owns a restaurant called Ponte Vecchio (the bridge in Firenze). It's a classical Italian restaurant favoured by locals with a strong loyalty base. Because of Kate and Angelo's friendship we were seated on the family table. That is, the table where friends and family dine on a nightly basis. The atmosphere was very family based with everyone knowing everyone. All the staff knew those at the table. Another family was seated at the end nonetheless everyone knew everyone. Subsequently the service was exceptional and the food was as authentic as I could hope to imagine. I had a minestrone type relatively (purposely) luke warm soup to start (pasta, beans and a thick creamy tomato sauce. Fredo allowed me to taste his octopus dish. It was so simple with only tomato and chopped red onions with some seasoning and oil. Very light appropriating the heat of the day. For mains Angelo and I shared some fish with sides of potato. All dishes were lathered in olive oil to ensure our bodies were well lubricated. Italian words were flying around the table while Kate did an amazing job of translating between everyone. Fedo loved practicing his English along the way.
We retired to the back table so that everyone could smoke. The back table is the normal family table but because of the low trade during August the family table was moved to the front to make the place look fuller. Mirror neuron marketing for you. The chef was playing cards with a regular. We enjoyed a coffee and a very good vodka. While Kate and I rabbitted on for hours, the others got suitable animated in Italian hand waving and card playing. Soon all the staff and owners were involved; playing cards, smoking and drinking. Kate and I covered numerous topics but one of note was the idea of how much better Italians are at communicating. It's a way of life and creates the stereotype images of the hand waving and what look like constant arguments. Part of that is the family meals consolidated in this case by the 'family table' at Ponte Vecchio.
It was a most enjoyable day and I thank Isabella for arranging that I meet Kate and Angelo. Their hospitality and generosity has been huge and very kind. I am sadly starting to feel at home in Torino. Sad because I leave in under a week and a half.
Kate and Angelo offered on Thursday (today) to show me around the Langhe region. It is a wine and agriculture region south east of Turin. It was of interest to them because they had just bought a house in Calooso and are in the process of moving from Turin to the country. Heading out on the motor way there was no sign we were close to a wine region. Obviously as the city ended there was more industry and as the industry ended there was more agriculture. However it wasn't until we went through a tunnel that suddenly we were in the vineyards of the Lunghe.
It's a tightly knit area with some family enterprise vineyards only a hectare in size. The soil looks very limey and is the terrain is very undulating and in some cases very steep indeed. The vines were all pruned to form a canopy that was green and tall but very narrow on each trellis. The grapes all hung reasonably low on the vine. There were many old (roman) farm houses scattered around and on nearly every high point was an old church tower or castle. We searched Barbaresco for a coffee and the well known wine bar but like the rest of Italy the town was pretty much closed. Touring through one certainly got a sense that things happened pretty slowly and that not a lot had changed in a long time. The houses were all in good condition and so too the land. It must be close to harvest as it has been a hot winter. Harvesting on such steep land must surely mean hand picking. That is the way of life here. I had in my mind that I might be able to get to some cellar doors but not here. Most growers and makers sell to cooperatives who then distribute on. This is because most places are so small. I don't know they survive economically at all making 10 barrels a year. Some less I’m told.
We arrived in Calosso and after having said hello to the restaurant manager a discussion erupted between Angelo and the restaurateur. Angelo has a question about the tunnels that were set into the back of many of the buildings that served as cool places to cure meat and cheese. Before we knew we were sitting face to face with the mayor of Calosso! The restaurateur went upstairs briefly and arranged that we meet the mayor. For Kate and Angelo this was their first meeting and for me...well I had no idea what was going on. The office was very unassuming. The desk was small and on an angle to the room. An old computer sat on a small desk in the corner while an Italian flat and a European flag hung side by side behind the Mayor. As new house owners in the area they discussed many things with this somewhat dry typical politician. Apparently the town wanted to use their new house for a function later in the year because it had more space due to these tunnels than their venue last year. A lot of hand waving and animated Italian went on before matters were presumably settled and we wandered downstairs to lunch.
Lunch was delicious antipasti of cold roast beef with creamy sauce, roast / dried capsicum with anchovy paste, lardo, finely cut beef fillet tartar with parmesan shavings. For a main Angelo and I each had a plate of veal and sage ravioli. To try some wines and considering the heat we had a go at a local Arneis and local light red. The local reds (Barbaresco and Barolo can be very brutal apparently...in line with a Barossa baseball-bat red). Kate and Angelo ordered dessert out of politeness and while I declined, Kate handed me hers anyway. It was a cold formed cream with berries and lots of icing sugar. Totally delicious. The restaurateur happened to used to own the wine library on the street when I am, Via Monferrato, one of Travis's favourite places.
I have a terrible memory of all the villages we drove through but we headed toward Asti and saw more of the country side. The landscape changed to more open less steep land with more cropping. In fact it was very similar to Piccadilly Valley in the Adelaide Hills. All very beautiful with scattered Italian / Tuscan / Roman farm houses with their terracotta roofs breaking up the green fields. We stopped for a revitalising coke and gelato high on a hill in a village with a big square (I forget the name). It must have been around 40 degrees again as the bitumen and all the stone walls were radiating significant heat around us.
It was home then for a two hour break before dinner. Fedo's mother owns a restaurant called Ponte Vecchio (the bridge in Firenze). It's a classical Italian restaurant favoured by locals with a strong loyalty base. Because of Kate and Angelo's friendship we were seated on the family table. That is, the table where friends and family dine on a nightly basis. The atmosphere was very family based with everyone knowing everyone. All the staff knew those at the table. Another family was seated at the end nonetheless everyone knew everyone. Subsequently the service was exceptional and the food was as authentic as I could hope to imagine. I had a minestrone type relatively (purposely) luke warm soup to start (pasta, beans and a thick creamy tomato sauce. Fredo allowed me to taste his octopus dish. It was so simple with only tomato and chopped red onions with some seasoning and oil. Very light appropriating the heat of the day. For mains Angelo and I shared some fish with sides of potato. All dishes were lathered in olive oil to ensure our bodies were well lubricated. Italian words were flying around the table while Kate did an amazing job of translating between everyone. Fedo loved practicing his English along the way.
We retired to the back table so that everyone could smoke. The back table is the normal family table but because of the low trade during August the family table was moved to the front to make the place look fuller. Mirror neuron marketing for you. The chef was playing cards with a regular. We enjoyed a coffee and a very good vodka. While Kate and I rabbitted on for hours, the others got suitable animated in Italian hand waving and card playing. Soon all the staff and owners were involved; playing cards, smoking and drinking. Kate and I covered numerous topics but one of note was the idea of how much better Italians are at communicating. It's a way of life and creates the stereotype images of the hand waving and what look like constant arguments. Part of that is the family meals consolidated in this case by the 'family table' at Ponte Vecchio.
It was a most enjoyable day and I thank Isabella for arranging that I meet Kate and Angelo. Their hospitality and generosity has been huge and very kind. I am sadly starting to feel at home in Torino. Sad because I leave in under a week and a half.
A day in the life of...
I was in the Torino zone today!
Tough day at the office....
- Woke up at 6am...dozed til 10am!
- Muesli and a tea
- Emails to the world
- Walked to markets a different way than I normally go to see some other stuff
- Bought fruit and vege
- On the lookout for a thief riding a silver bike they stole at the train station...didn't see one
- Had a beautiful onion and cheese 'white pizza' at a shop near the markets
- Focaccia Milanese, coke and a machiato at another cafe in the city and read the Financial Times.
- Headed home
- Made a coffee and wanted to start baking but didn't have yeast.
- Started reading: My years with General Motors sunbaking on the back verandah in the sun
- Bought some yeast when the supermarket opened. Opening hours are 8am - midday and then 4pm til 8pm. Bless the unions!
- Made the starter dough for baguettes (needs to stay over night ready for making final dough and baking tomorrow)
- Tried making piadina but not the same as the lebanese lady in the markets. Needs to be made with lard not olive oil and almost layered like pastry. This recipe would be great to make burettos at home rather than buy them.
- Made pizza dough.
- Did some sketching while it rose.
- Made proscuitto, mozarella pizza and also a margherita pizza. The dough was amazing - finally think i've cracked the code. The right recipe helps!
- Did some more sketching
- Cleaned everything in the kitchen and organised laundry
- Had a shower (it's very hot here still!)
- More emails and reading papers online
- Contact insurance company and ask what my options are
- Read book
- Sleep
Tough day at the office....
Sunday thoughts and activities
Fat people on Sky
Thanks to Sky channel, when i'm bored I resort to Sky cable TV (it's always the last resort particularly when I watch what i'm about to explain). There are some good things among the 900 channels but my favourites are the cooking shows. I did flick across to a show about the obesity epidemic in the US and ended up watching it for a while. What was presented as a documentary about one 14 year old girls 'struggle' with obesity in my eyes was actually a comedy about how stupid people are.
This 14 year old American girl was 300 pounds (or something like 150kgs). She complained that she was unable to go out socially and that the world was against her. She had been in contact with a surgeon who had promised to perform liposuction on her. Her mother, (single mum) was working two jobs to keep this 14yo in school, fed and looked after.
The surgeon promised to perform surgery if this girls iron levels improved. With low iron levels, too much blood loss during surgery could add other complications.
All this sounds fine....however for a 14yo girl, I think the surgeon should have offered brain surgery.
In further footage, the girl was seen eating deep fried food when her mum wasn't looking - actually the 'mom' was at the casino gambling. When her mum presented good wholesome healthy food the 14yo was looking at a tomato asking what it was. Told to try it, she did but spat it out. Her 'normal' looking meal was wasted. Was it the first time her mother had cooked a healthy meal? I'd say so. Just for the cameras.
If you like food, by looking at this kid you could tell she liked food....then learn about food. Learn about all different types of food. International cuisine, market food, exotic fruit and vegetables....learn why Italians eat so much great food and they are all skinny....
This girl wasn't able to improve her iron levels with good food or even supplements. So no surgery for her. The doctor wisely suggested her do some exercise and eat less. I would have sent her next door for that brain transplant.
Lakes District - Australian Team
Upon chatting with Nick Hudson, a mate from Sydney, I decided to head up to Varese to check out the lakes (again) and see if I couldn't meet up with the Australian Team. Varese is 50odd kms north of Milan and is the poor mans cousin of the bigger Como and Maggiore lakes. Nonetheless it is a beautiful area and a rowers heaven! Because I hadn't looked up the directions I simply jumped off the train and headed toward to the water. I expected Varese to be right on the water, similar to Como but this wasn't the case. So after I found the water, I looked for the first rowing sheds. It turned out the first shed I got to was where the British team were based. Asking them for help, the send me to the other end of the lake to where the Aus team was based. The British team coaches were actually Australians I think! Once I got to the Gravirate sheds, i found the Aus team boat man who said they had finished for the day and had just headed back to their hotel on the other side of the lake!! It was cool to check out the sheds. After watching the Ginn and Tomkins video from 2003 which shot many scenes of them training in Varese it was very cool to see it in person. It is certainly a gorgeous lake. It was a bit smelly and could have done with a clean but mirror flat.
I rode around to Biandronno to the Hotel Continental to where the Aus team was having lunch! It was a little strange walking into the dining room as I knew quite a few of them and it took a little while before people processed that I was there unexpectedly! A bit surreal but I said hi to Osti, Bolty, Bryn, Alice Mc, Dave Crawshay and some of the other SUBC and MUBC people I had met over the years. They were all going really well and pumped for Senior A Worlds in Poznan in a week or so. Bolty had just finished his Under 23 trip before getting a call up to be reserve. He's over doing the work loads for those injured and although looked tired was certainly looking strong. What a great opportunity for him. Huddo is feeling strong in the quad although they are up against the Polish in their home country. The Polish won at Beijing and the last 3 world champs with the crew unchanged.
I left those guys to chill out at the hotel and hopped back on the bike and rode around to Lake Maggiore. Here I just trundled around the beautiful lake. It was dinner time so people were all around eating outdoors or wandering licking gelato! Superlative lifestyle!
I slept most of the way back on the train. The parts that I was awake I looked out the window across the rice fields and at the old roman style farm houses wondering how different life would be now for these guys as it would have been when Caesar was fighting people coming across the mountains. I doubt not much other than they have tractors to do the hard work instead of slaves!
Thanks to Sky channel, when i'm bored I resort to Sky cable TV (it's always the last resort particularly when I watch what i'm about to explain). There are some good things among the 900 channels but my favourites are the cooking shows. I did flick across to a show about the obesity epidemic in the US and ended up watching it for a while. What was presented as a documentary about one 14 year old girls 'struggle' with obesity in my eyes was actually a comedy about how stupid people are.
This 14 year old American girl was 300 pounds (or something like 150kgs). She complained that she was unable to go out socially and that the world was against her. She had been in contact with a surgeon who had promised to perform liposuction on her. Her mother, (single mum) was working two jobs to keep this 14yo in school, fed and looked after.
The surgeon promised to perform surgery if this girls iron levels improved. With low iron levels, too much blood loss during surgery could add other complications.
All this sounds fine....however for a 14yo girl, I think the surgeon should have offered brain surgery.
In further footage, the girl was seen eating deep fried food when her mum wasn't looking - actually the 'mom' was at the casino gambling. When her mum presented good wholesome healthy food the 14yo was looking at a tomato asking what it was. Told to try it, she did but spat it out. Her 'normal' looking meal was wasted. Was it the first time her mother had cooked a healthy meal? I'd say so. Just for the cameras.
If you like food, by looking at this kid you could tell she liked food....then learn about food. Learn about all different types of food. International cuisine, market food, exotic fruit and vegetables....learn why Italians eat so much great food and they are all skinny....
This girl wasn't able to improve her iron levels with good food or even supplements. So no surgery for her. The doctor wisely suggested her do some exercise and eat less. I would have sent her next door for that brain transplant.
Lakes District - Australian Team
Upon chatting with Nick Hudson, a mate from Sydney, I decided to head up to Varese to check out the lakes (again) and see if I couldn't meet up with the Australian Team. Varese is 50odd kms north of Milan and is the poor mans cousin of the bigger Como and Maggiore lakes. Nonetheless it is a beautiful area and a rowers heaven! Because I hadn't looked up the directions I simply jumped off the train and headed toward to the water. I expected Varese to be right on the water, similar to Como but this wasn't the case. So after I found the water, I looked for the first rowing sheds. It turned out the first shed I got to was where the British team were based. Asking them for help, the send me to the other end of the lake to where the Aus team was based. The British team coaches were actually Australians I think! Once I got to the Gravirate sheds, i found the Aus team boat man who said they had finished for the day and had just headed back to their hotel on the other side of the lake!! It was cool to check out the sheds. After watching the Ginn and Tomkins video from 2003 which shot many scenes of them training in Varese it was very cool to see it in person. It is certainly a gorgeous lake. It was a bit smelly and could have done with a clean but mirror flat.
I rode around to Biandronno to the Hotel Continental to where the Aus team was having lunch! It was a little strange walking into the dining room as I knew quite a few of them and it took a little while before people processed that I was there unexpectedly! A bit surreal but I said hi to Osti, Bolty, Bryn, Alice Mc, Dave Crawshay and some of the other SUBC and MUBC people I had met over the years. They were all going really well and pumped for Senior A Worlds in Poznan in a week or so. Bolty had just finished his Under 23 trip before getting a call up to be reserve. He's over doing the work loads for those injured and although looked tired was certainly looking strong. What a great opportunity for him. Huddo is feeling strong in the quad although they are up against the Polish in their home country. The Polish won at Beijing and the last 3 world champs with the crew unchanged.
I left those guys to chill out at the hotel and hopped back on the bike and rode around to Lake Maggiore. Here I just trundled around the beautiful lake. It was dinner time so people were all around eating outdoors or wandering licking gelato! Superlative lifestyle!
I slept most of the way back on the train. The parts that I was awake I looked out the window across the rice fields and at the old roman style farm houses wondering how different life would be now for these guys as it would have been when Caesar was fighting people coming across the mountains. I doubt not much other than they have tractors to do the hard work instead of slaves!
First Full week in Torino
Errors from last email
I think I got a few things wrong in my last blog. Torino is in Piedmont. Milan is in Lombardia. Both areas house the super powers of Italy in terms of industry and this wealth. I'll need to research what the crazy Napolean was up to when he tried his hand at joining Italy to France.
Food
Most days for me here in Torino revolve around food. I have been checking out cook books and watching people at restaurants in the hope I can learn to make the food I cook and love 'more' Italian. Most days I try to make a new bread / focaccia / pizza base. I've been trying a few Indian dishes as well as I find their food has the same simplistic rich taste philosophies. My biggest challenge is finding what each ingredient is in Italian. Once I work that out, i'm all good. It's been great and I think i'm getting better at bread. I clearly will need a wood fired oven in my house (when that all happens!) and a good source of flour, yeast and vegetables!
Chiuso
Chiuos is a word that is seen on most shop fronts at the moment. While you might think that the Italians would want to be doing everything in their power to stimulate the economy actually they are on holidays. I estimate 80% of shops are closed at the moment. In the touristy spots most things are open but everything else is closed. I don't know if it is a rule but the shops all show when they are closed until. Some have said they won't open until September! The little bakery below me here on Via Monferrato has a ?? marked where it should have a re-opening date! It is bloody hot here in Torino so I can see why people are leaving...
Milan with George
On Friday, the 14th I headed across to Milan to meet Georgie Mitchell. She had been hanging in Lausanne and was keen to meet up. We thought Milan would be good as all the main train lines head through there. Feeling somewhat like a local I was able to show her around the main bits of the city and all the fancy shops. Luckily for her credit card most of the big shops were closed for the holidays. Nonetheless we found respite in the air conditioned Ralph Lauren shop among others. We had lunch in front of the Duomo and also checked out the Design Super Market in La Rinascente. Unfortunately our trip was short but we got to do the main things and hang out which was great.
The only bummer was getting back to Torino to find Trav's bike missing where I had locked it up in front of the train station. This meant trying to deal with the train station security and the police. All very hard with no Italian! Not sure what i'm going to do now but presumably owe Trav a bike! Bummer.
Bike rides with Falsto
Falsto has been taking me on short little bike rides around the hills of Torino as well as along the River Po. He rides a mountain bike so it's a little hard to keep up on my roadie on the dirt tracks! In any case it's been fun. On Saturday we followed the River Po south. It was great seeing the back-blocks of Torino. Sections of the track were lined with huge apartment blocks clearly built for the working class who operated the former Fiat plant here in Lingotto. A great side of Torino and Italy to see.
He had to head home but pointed me in the direction of Avigliano which is a small town to the west of Torino with some gorgeous little lakes. Although it was pretty warm by then I decided to head around to the huge old church/cathedral San Michele perched high up on the cliff above Sant Ambrogio. i couldn't find a way up there from where I was so ended up riding along the main roads to Susa. The road to Susa follows a large valley running west of Torino. It is one of the main exits to France and Switzerland. Also in the valley is a mountain stream. I got to Susa, rather exhausted mind you, and found a bakery to refuel. In fact it was a sensational bakery and one of the best i've been to in Italy. Lots of sweets! The Focaccia di Susa (sugar coated sweet Focaccia) was amazing.
I had planned to head back to Torino (as Susa is 50kms from Torino by main road) but on my way saw a sign pointing into the mountain saying Colle delle Finestre. This road also had road signs pointing to France! This excited me...anyway it was some serious climbing. It was about 12kms of switch back after switch climbing to 1500m altitude. Luckily much of the road on the way up was in the shade and there were water stations along the way. I was sweating seriously hard and constantly out of the saddle punching the 39-25 wishing for a 28! I was hoping to get to the top which is at 2200m or something but unfortunately the road turned to very rough dirt road stopping me. This was probably a good thing because I needed to get home as well! So I punched back down the switch-backs on the brakes a lot of time. The front wheel was scorching hot from the friction brakes when I got to the bottom in Susa and stopped for directions. I pointed my front wheel in the direction of Torino and hit it into a stiff headwind all the way home. By the time I crawled onto the couch in Torino and checked google maps i'd done 158kms. Once again, it was great to see different parts of the country side here. It turned out I was only 20kms from the Swiss border! Next time...
I think I got a few things wrong in my last blog. Torino is in Piedmont. Milan is in Lombardia. Both areas house the super powers of Italy in terms of industry and this wealth. I'll need to research what the crazy Napolean was up to when he tried his hand at joining Italy to France.
Food
Most days for me here in Torino revolve around food. I have been checking out cook books and watching people at restaurants in the hope I can learn to make the food I cook and love 'more' Italian. Most days I try to make a new bread / focaccia / pizza base. I've been trying a few Indian dishes as well as I find their food has the same simplistic rich taste philosophies. My biggest challenge is finding what each ingredient is in Italian. Once I work that out, i'm all good. It's been great and I think i'm getting better at bread. I clearly will need a wood fired oven in my house (when that all happens!) and a good source of flour, yeast and vegetables!
Chiuso
Chiuos is a word that is seen on most shop fronts at the moment. While you might think that the Italians would want to be doing everything in their power to stimulate the economy actually they are on holidays. I estimate 80% of shops are closed at the moment. In the touristy spots most things are open but everything else is closed. I don't know if it is a rule but the shops all show when they are closed until. Some have said they won't open until September! The little bakery below me here on Via Monferrato has a ?? marked where it should have a re-opening date! It is bloody hot here in Torino so I can see why people are leaving...
Milan with George
On Friday, the 14th I headed across to Milan to meet Georgie Mitchell. She had been hanging in Lausanne and was keen to meet up. We thought Milan would be good as all the main train lines head through there. Feeling somewhat like a local I was able to show her around the main bits of the city and all the fancy shops. Luckily for her credit card most of the big shops were closed for the holidays. Nonetheless we found respite in the air conditioned Ralph Lauren shop among others. We had lunch in front of the Duomo and also checked out the Design Super Market in La Rinascente. Unfortunately our trip was short but we got to do the main things and hang out which was great.
The only bummer was getting back to Torino to find Trav's bike missing where I had locked it up in front of the train station. This meant trying to deal with the train station security and the police. All very hard with no Italian! Not sure what i'm going to do now but presumably owe Trav a bike! Bummer.
Bike rides with Falsto
Falsto has been taking me on short little bike rides around the hills of Torino as well as along the River Po. He rides a mountain bike so it's a little hard to keep up on my roadie on the dirt tracks! In any case it's been fun. On Saturday we followed the River Po south. It was great seeing the back-blocks of Torino. Sections of the track were lined with huge apartment blocks clearly built for the working class who operated the former Fiat plant here in Lingotto. A great side of Torino and Italy to see.
He had to head home but pointed me in the direction of Avigliano which is a small town to the west of Torino with some gorgeous little lakes. Although it was pretty warm by then I decided to head around to the huge old church/cathedral San Michele perched high up on the cliff above Sant Ambrogio. i couldn't find a way up there from where I was so ended up riding along the main roads to Susa. The road to Susa follows a large valley running west of Torino. It is one of the main exits to France and Switzerland. Also in the valley is a mountain stream. I got to Susa, rather exhausted mind you, and found a bakery to refuel. In fact it was a sensational bakery and one of the best i've been to in Italy. Lots of sweets! The Focaccia di Susa (sugar coated sweet Focaccia) was amazing.
I had planned to head back to Torino (as Susa is 50kms from Torino by main road) but on my way saw a sign pointing into the mountain saying Colle delle Finestre. This road also had road signs pointing to France! This excited me...anyway it was some serious climbing. It was about 12kms of switch back after switch climbing to 1500m altitude. Luckily much of the road on the way up was in the shade and there were water stations along the way. I was sweating seriously hard and constantly out of the saddle punching the 39-25 wishing for a 28! I was hoping to get to the top which is at 2200m or something but unfortunately the road turned to very rough dirt road stopping me. This was probably a good thing because I needed to get home as well! So I punched back down the switch-backs on the brakes a lot of time. The front wheel was scorching hot from the friction brakes when I got to the bottom in Susa and stopped for directions. I pointed my front wheel in the direction of Torino and hit it into a stiff headwind all the way home. By the time I crawled onto the couch in Torino and checked google maps i'd done 158kms. Once again, it was great to see different parts of the country side here. It turned out I was only 20kms from the Swiss border! Next time...
Food in Turin
As you may or may not know, although i'm not a great cook I love food particularly Italian Food. It's simple, it's packed with energy and I reckon it tastes great.
It's just that the tomotoes taste so much better. I mean, I don't think i've ever eaten anything so jam packed with sweetness. Although on the outside the tomatoes look a bit bashed up they are super juicey inside and sweet.
Travis showed me the Torino markets and I have been there everyday since. They are open every morning til 2pm, all day Saturday but not Sunday. You can buy just about anything. There are large stalls for fruit and vege outside while inside you can get as many cuts of meat, cheese and bread as you like! Like all central markets the energy of the people is great. It's a shame there is no where to sit and enjoy - Lucia's style - it's strictly business.
Travis and Em also told me that food doesn't last long. This is annoying but a great sign that it's fresh and chemical free. I shortened my expectations but even then, yesterday I had so smash some food to get in before it went off!
My missions to the markets are usually to get some bread and vegetables. Along the way I have been trying little nibbles particularly the italian sweets. The Cannoli's are yum!
My effort has been put into learning how to bake italian good. Tonight I tried the Focaccia and I must say I think I have had some success. By following a website www.theartisans.net I have been able to get closer. I'd love an italian baker to show me but with limited language and the fact that their food must be pretty 'trade secret' I don't like my chances!
The pizza's here are -as you would expect- amazing but again I want to learn how they get the dough so thin yet so firm. The other specialty of Torino is Risotto. Apparently they grow a huge amount of rice in the area as they have lots of sun and plenty of water from the mountains. Katherine has offered to teach me Risotto better than the Torinese although the one I had on Friday night was pretty good!
After focaccia is another attempt at pizza dough then I might move onto sweets!
It's just that the tomotoes taste so much better. I mean, I don't think i've ever eaten anything so jam packed with sweetness. Although on the outside the tomatoes look a bit bashed up they are super juicey inside and sweet.
Travis showed me the Torino markets and I have been there everyday since. They are open every morning til 2pm, all day Saturday but not Sunday. You can buy just about anything. There are large stalls for fruit and vege outside while inside you can get as many cuts of meat, cheese and bread as you like! Like all central markets the energy of the people is great. It's a shame there is no where to sit and enjoy - Lucia's style - it's strictly business.
Travis and Em also told me that food doesn't last long. This is annoying but a great sign that it's fresh and chemical free. I shortened my expectations but even then, yesterday I had so smash some food to get in before it went off!
My missions to the markets are usually to get some bread and vegetables. Along the way I have been trying little nibbles particularly the italian sweets. The Cannoli's are yum!
My effort has been put into learning how to bake italian good. Tonight I tried the Focaccia and I must say I think I have had some success. By following a website www.theartisans.net I have been able to get closer. I'd love an italian baker to show me but with limited language and the fact that their food must be pretty 'trade secret' I don't like my chances!
The pizza's here are -as you would expect- amazing but again I want to learn how they get the dough so thin yet so firm. The other specialty of Torino is Risotto. Apparently they grow a huge amount of rice in the area as they have lots of sun and plenty of water from the mountains. Katherine has offered to teach me Risotto better than the Torinese although the one I had on Friday night was pretty good!
After focaccia is another attempt at pizza dough then I might move onto sweets!
Turin
I have finally arrived in Turin which I have planned to be my home for three weeks. This has come about because James Hannam's brother lives with his girlfriend Emily in Torino and are travelling to Greece for three weeks ending at the end of September. Emily works for GM as the Director of Communications for Europe! Trav and Em both hail from Adelaide but met in Melbourne.
This has worked out super well for me and I am most grateful for their generosity.
Travis picked me up from the train station which was a luxury and after dropping off my gear he took me on a tour of the town. He showed me his favourite lunch, coffee, gelati and sights. Most of which I forgot the next day but as I slowly learn more about the city I am reminded of where he pointed things out.
Torino is a little more touristy than Milan but is probably as touristy as Adelaide! In fact Torino and Adelaide are very similar in size. It's a beautiful city that has had an interesting past.
On the first evening Travis took me to a bar along the river Po for an evening beer while Emily was at the gym after work. It was lovely to sit literally a metre from the river sucking down a beer and communicating in a language that I can speak! They cooked a little BBQ that night to make me feel at home!
A business idea for someone is to import BBQ's to Europe. They all talk about them but don't use Gas ones only disposable ones from the supermarkets!
They have a great apartment a stones through from the Gran Madre which is just across the River Po from the city. In fact it looks over the Piazza Vittorio which is one of the biggest in the city. Turin likes to claim they have had many big things over the years. Their shopping mall (Via Garibaldi) is apparently the longest in Europe (it is pretty long!) and the Mole was the biggest brick structure in its day. They claim that the porticos all add up to around 30kms meaning you can walk around the city without getting wet and cover 30kms. Torino was the capital of Lombardia before Italy united. Even then I think it was the capital for a while. Milan stole its limelight as the largest in the North although Torino hosted the Winter olympics in 2006 and holds many conferences and expos of worldy note.
My days here revolved around exercise (bike riding into the hills and running, food (the Markets at Piazza Republica are amazing!) and doing stuff. Stuff includes internet time, German reading and sketching.
Emily and Trav introduced me to their english speaking friends. They are from all over the place. Katherine is a New Zealander, her boyfriend Falsto is Italian but speaks very good English. Lisa is a graphic designer from London that has lived for 10 years. Brid is from Ireland and an English teacher. Ester is also an english teacher that seems to be the common link between them all. Anyway, they invited me out on Friday night so I joined them for an apertivo and then a meal. It was my first proper Italian meal. They go well into the night and get pretty serious. This was where I met Paulo, the economist. He was pretty impressive in the sense he could speak 4 languages, has worked in London, Spain, Italy and now in the US. It was good company.
Similarly, Katherine and Falsto dropped by on Sunday to see if I wanted to hang out with them at Cafe Fluido in the park on the River Po. That I did and enjoyed a fun evening with them that included Indian, Gelati and many laughs. I'd worked up a pretty serious appetite by riding up to Magone (via Viu) so had 140kms in the legs with 600m altitude climbing. The curry really hit the spot and have me inspired to learn more about indian cuisine.
I'll keep living the Italian dream!
This has worked out super well for me and I am most grateful for their generosity.
Travis picked me up from the train station which was a luxury and after dropping off my gear he took me on a tour of the town. He showed me his favourite lunch, coffee, gelati and sights. Most of which I forgot the next day but as I slowly learn more about the city I am reminded of where he pointed things out.
Torino is a little more touristy than Milan but is probably as touristy as Adelaide! In fact Torino and Adelaide are very similar in size. It's a beautiful city that has had an interesting past.
On the first evening Travis took me to a bar along the river Po for an evening beer while Emily was at the gym after work. It was lovely to sit literally a metre from the river sucking down a beer and communicating in a language that I can speak! They cooked a little BBQ that night to make me feel at home!
A business idea for someone is to import BBQ's to Europe. They all talk about them but don't use Gas ones only disposable ones from the supermarkets!
They have a great apartment a stones through from the Gran Madre which is just across the River Po from the city. In fact it looks over the Piazza Vittorio which is one of the biggest in the city. Turin likes to claim they have had many big things over the years. Their shopping mall (Via Garibaldi) is apparently the longest in Europe (it is pretty long!) and the Mole was the biggest brick structure in its day. They claim that the porticos all add up to around 30kms meaning you can walk around the city without getting wet and cover 30kms. Torino was the capital of Lombardia before Italy united. Even then I think it was the capital for a while. Milan stole its limelight as the largest in the North although Torino hosted the Winter olympics in 2006 and holds many conferences and expos of worldy note.
My days here revolved around exercise (bike riding into the hills and running, food (the Markets at Piazza Republica are amazing!) and doing stuff. Stuff includes internet time, German reading and sketching.
Emily and Trav introduced me to their english speaking friends. They are from all over the place. Katherine is a New Zealander, her boyfriend Falsto is Italian but speaks very good English. Lisa is a graphic designer from London that has lived for 10 years. Brid is from Ireland and an English teacher. Ester is also an english teacher that seems to be the common link between them all. Anyway, they invited me out on Friday night so I joined them for an apertivo and then a meal. It was my first proper Italian meal. They go well into the night and get pretty serious. This was where I met Paulo, the economist. He was pretty impressive in the sense he could speak 4 languages, has worked in London, Spain, Italy and now in the US. It was good company.
Similarly, Katherine and Falsto dropped by on Sunday to see if I wanted to hang out with them at Cafe Fluido in the park on the River Po. That I did and enjoyed a fun evening with them that included Indian, Gelati and many laughs. I'd worked up a pretty serious appetite by riding up to Magone (via Viu) so had 140kms in the legs with 600m altitude climbing. The curry really hit the spot and have me inspired to learn more about indian cuisine.
I'll keep living the Italian dream!
Milan
What was instantly more noticable about Milan was the pride taken and thus effort in making the city look good. Perhaps this was due to my eyes last seeing Italy in the dirty museum of Florence.
I might seem as though i'm being harsh but what it noticable in Germany and other successful countries is the ethos that although one must continue to acknowledge and learn from the past, the present needs to be lived to continue to create valuable history for the future. This sliding timeline means each day new things need to be created and lived. I guess at some point the world is only so big and you can't keep creating without losing some history. Now i'm getting a little philosophical. However my point is that to keep feeding its people a government must move forward and the different feelings between Florence and Milan helped me appreciate this. Although I haven't crunched the numbers on the Italian economy, I do know they have relied on 'old' industries such as motor car manufacturing and real estate only to be left behind to thus have to rely on their country to be popular as a museum to survive. These are rash generalisations because Italians are at the forefront of design however they perhaps need to use this creativity for other industries.
Milan isn't a tourist focus but has some great sights. The Duomo di Milanl is one of the biggest in Italy and watches over a massive Piazza del Milano and the spectacular Galleria Vittorio Imanuele II. It was seriously hot in Milan but I decided it was appropriate to dress a little more suitably for Milan and wore pants and nice shirt. As a result I didn't feel too bad to drop into all the shops that make Milan famous. I pretended to buy many things from D&G, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Georgio Armani etc. I thought that RM Williams also had a shop there and searched because my boots desperately need some polish! The book shops were actually my favourite. The old bookshops that line the footpaths were stacked with what seemed to be an endless number of great look books. Pity I can't speak Italian...
I was staying in a great little 1 star hotel near to the Centrale station which worked really well and was cheaper and better than all the Youth Hostel I had been staying at. Hotel Arno I think it was called.
On Wednesday (4th August) I took the train to Como for a day of walking Lake Como. After abolishing the idea of catching a ferry around as it was going to cost 40E I decided to wander up the western bank..and kept walking! It was a gorgeous day walking along what is an absolute wonderful lake. The buildings, the boats, the back drop and the water all combine to create a truly amazing place. All I could think all day was that I will need to get my act together a buy a villa and a beautiful mahogany boat! I walked up to Urio and then caught a ferry back (only 3E - eg not Tourist prices!).
I might seem as though i'm being harsh but what it noticable in Germany and other successful countries is the ethos that although one must continue to acknowledge and learn from the past, the present needs to be lived to continue to create valuable history for the future. This sliding timeline means each day new things need to be created and lived. I guess at some point the world is only so big and you can't keep creating without losing some history. Now i'm getting a little philosophical. However my point is that to keep feeding its people a government must move forward and the different feelings between Florence and Milan helped me appreciate this. Although I haven't crunched the numbers on the Italian economy, I do know they have relied on 'old' industries such as motor car manufacturing and real estate only to be left behind to thus have to rely on their country to be popular as a museum to survive. These are rash generalisations because Italians are at the forefront of design however they perhaps need to use this creativity for other industries.
Milan isn't a tourist focus but has some great sights. The Duomo di Milanl is one of the biggest in Italy and watches over a massive Piazza del Milano and the spectacular Galleria Vittorio Imanuele II. It was seriously hot in Milan but I decided it was appropriate to dress a little more suitably for Milan and wore pants and nice shirt. As a result I didn't feel too bad to drop into all the shops that make Milan famous. I pretended to buy many things from D&G, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Georgio Armani etc. I thought that RM Williams also had a shop there and searched because my boots desperately need some polish! The book shops were actually my favourite. The old bookshops that line the footpaths were stacked with what seemed to be an endless number of great look books. Pity I can't speak Italian...
I was staying in a great little 1 star hotel near to the Centrale station which worked really well and was cheaper and better than all the Youth Hostel I had been staying at. Hotel Arno I think it was called.
On Wednesday (4th August) I took the train to Como for a day of walking Lake Como. After abolishing the idea of catching a ferry around as it was going to cost 40E I decided to wander up the western bank..and kept walking! It was a gorgeous day walking along what is an absolute wonderful lake. The buildings, the boats, the back drop and the water all combine to create a truly amazing place. All I could think all day was that I will need to get my act together a buy a villa and a beautiful mahogany boat! I walked up to Urio and then caught a ferry back (only 3E - eg not Tourist prices!).
Picasa
For some reason i'm having all sorts of problems uploading larger emails, photos and blogs here. I think the router struggles with the data although things like Skype work well...frustrating
I have plenty of photos of Torino that will have to wait!
I have plenty of photos of Torino that will have to wait!
Firenze
Firenze
I decided the next stop was Firenze (Florence) and because the train line goes through Pisa, I stopped there too! There isn't a whole lot to Pisa other than a run down city that has a beautiful tower that the Italians didn't build too well. That being said, the place was crawling with tourists! Most I imagine were doing the fly by just the same as I was. The Duomo and tower are very nice. They have been looked after and stand out as a spectacular sight. I sat and watched hundreds of thousands of tourists doing all the stupid holding up the tower pictures and all of that! Con artists flock to drain more money from tourists wallets. There was no way I was going to wait 2hrs and pay 15 euro to climb to the top though. It was very funny and a good break on the way to Firenze.
For some reason all the Youth Hostel International hostels were located right at the edge of the towns. That means finding the right buses and trekking out there. It can't be a function of being cheaper because we met others who were staying right in the centre paying less at a better youth hostel! However, the hostel in its own right was pretty cool being an old villa with lovely gardens. The 500m trek from the front gate to the hostel meant the place was very quiet.
I met a Canadian and Californian as I arrived and we arranged to head into the city later that evening to meet some other friends for some beers. The friends turned out to be some Norwegians Stephen had met on his travels. This hostel was relatively new and bursting at the seams with young people (as distinct from the hostel we were at with lots of oldies and families!). We had a few beers on the roof and got some great views of the Florence skyline by night. We met plenty of Americans who were very good at keeping up their stereotypes sadly!
In Turin I had dinner with a group of people, one of which was an economist who now works in Washington, he always talked of Firenze as a Museum. I laughed every time because it was pretty much what I was feeling when there. Because I was avoiding paying for entry into museums and churches etc, Jon (the Californian) and I walked and saw all the sights. I felt hugely ignorant to so much roman history. Had I even a snippet of history it might have made sense. Travelling around with Jon was good fun. He would often stop for a beer while I would sneak in a few coffees! We found the central markets by accident. It was the first central market I had seen in Italy and it was suitably amazing! I had an animated conversation with the lady of a coffee bar asking about the differences between all the coffees. I ordered a Latte and shed delivered! After drinking crap coffee in France, this was heaven.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/archive-2/
[Got distracted writing!]
The last stop for the day was to the Piazza Michaelangelo. Here we witnessed an amazing panorama of the city as well as saw a bronze copy of the David statue in all its glory! Jon had insisted we carry beers around that he had bought for 1euro for later that night but instead we sucked on two 1L Morettis looking over the city we had walked through. After the feeling of constantly being trapped in the tight streets with thousands of people this was a great vantage spot. The photos worked out well looking along the river to the Ponte Vecchio.
Once back at the hostel, my mind was restless over so many issues. I threw on the runners and headed for the hills. Although I was pretty tired from wandering the streets, this was one of the best things I did in Firenze. I trundled up to Maiano and then across to Fiesole. I really should have spent a day in Fiesole. This was my first introduction into the real Tuscany. The old villas, the olive groves, the grape vines, the old restaurants etc etc...it was all there plus a magnificent view of Firenze from the back of the city. The colours were beautiful. Because I was running I didn't have a camera which was a shame. I ran back a lot happier than when I left. Sadly the Youth Hostel only served frozen food. I was starving and by the time I got back most places would have been closed. The poor lady running the bar was so embarrassed to pull it out of the freezer! It tasted terrible. I wouldn't have thought that could happen in Italy! Needless to say, I was happy to leave Firenze the next day...
I decided the next stop was Firenze (Florence) and because the train line goes through Pisa, I stopped there too! There isn't a whole lot to Pisa other than a run down city that has a beautiful tower that the Italians didn't build too well. That being said, the place was crawling with tourists! Most I imagine were doing the fly by just the same as I was. The Duomo and tower are very nice. They have been looked after and stand out as a spectacular sight. I sat and watched hundreds of thousands of tourists doing all the stupid holding up the tower pictures and all of that! Con artists flock to drain more money from tourists wallets. There was no way I was going to wait 2hrs and pay 15 euro to climb to the top though. It was very funny and a good break on the way to Firenze.
For some reason all the Youth Hostel International hostels were located right at the edge of the towns. That means finding the right buses and trekking out there. It can't be a function of being cheaper because we met others who were staying right in the centre paying less at a better youth hostel! However, the hostel in its own right was pretty cool being an old villa with lovely gardens. The 500m trek from the front gate to the hostel meant the place was very quiet.
I met a Canadian and Californian as I arrived and we arranged to head into the city later that evening to meet some other friends for some beers. The friends turned out to be some Norwegians Stephen had met on his travels. This hostel was relatively new and bursting at the seams with young people (as distinct from the hostel we were at with lots of oldies and families!). We had a few beers on the roof and got some great views of the Florence skyline by night. We met plenty of Americans who were very good at keeping up their stereotypes sadly!
In Turin I had dinner with a group of people, one of which was an economist who now works in Washington, he always talked of Firenze as a Museum. I laughed every time because it was pretty much what I was feeling when there. Because I was avoiding paying for entry into museums and churches etc, Jon (the Californian) and I walked and saw all the sights. I felt hugely ignorant to so much roman history. Had I even a snippet of history it might have made sense. Travelling around with Jon was good fun. He would often stop for a beer while I would sneak in a few coffees! We found the central markets by accident. It was the first central market I had seen in Italy and it was suitably amazing! I had an animated conversation with the lady of a coffee bar asking about the differences between all the coffees. I ordered a Latte and shed delivered! After drinking crap coffee in France, this was heaven.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/archive-2/
[Got distracted writing!]
The last stop for the day was to the Piazza Michaelangelo. Here we witnessed an amazing panorama of the city as well as saw a bronze copy of the David statue in all its glory! Jon had insisted we carry beers around that he had bought for 1euro for later that night but instead we sucked on two 1L Morettis looking over the city we had walked through. After the feeling of constantly being trapped in the tight streets with thousands of people this was a great vantage spot. The photos worked out well looking along the river to the Ponte Vecchio.
Once back at the hostel, my mind was restless over so many issues. I threw on the runners and headed for the hills. Although I was pretty tired from wandering the streets, this was one of the best things I did in Firenze. I trundled up to Maiano and then across to Fiesole. I really should have spent a day in Fiesole. This was my first introduction into the real Tuscany. The old villas, the olive groves, the grape vines, the old restaurants etc etc...it was all there plus a magnificent view of Firenze from the back of the city. The colours were beautiful. Because I was running I didn't have a camera which was a shame. I ran back a lot happier than when I left. Sadly the Youth Hostel only served frozen food. I was starving and by the time I got back most places would have been closed. The poor lady running the bar was so embarrassed to pull it out of the freezer! It tasted terrible. I wouldn't have thought that could happen in Italy! Needless to say, I was happy to leave Firenze the next day...
Genova
My last blog ended with the Cinque Terra and exploring the coast near Genova. It feels like an age away but i'll continue with this from Genova!
Genova
After having seen the beautiful northern coastline around Genova, I decided to walk inland. Luckily our Youth Hostel was pretty much the last building of the city so from the back car park I climbed pretty steadily up into the park. It was beautiful and lush and most of all relatively cool compared to the steamy hot city. I had been told that there were many forts up in this park. The Italians also spend much of their time sitting around in the parks, lunching, sleeping and enjoying the park.
As I was climbing upward my mobile rang: it was Kate! We had a great little chat. Gotta love technology. It made me really miss her and all my mates that's for sure. It is a little sad that all our close friends are scattering to all parts of the world but such is life I guess.
I found one of the forts, Forte di Betago and although I tried to walk in and have a look it turns out all the forts are inaccessible. I found this strange but later found out they are only used for raves and functions, not general public! It's a bit mind-boggling to think of a place that is 600 years old built by hand from local brick and that had survived numerous wars! These mind-blowing ideas of time were only going to begin now that I was in Italy!
I walked for much of the morning enjoying the wide panorama of Genova far into the distance. It is a smoggy city (like much of Italy) but great to escape the hustle and bustle for a while. The park was full of forts but after walking around and seeing a few, but not being allowed in, I decided to head back. I stumbled upon the Rhigi funicular (cable car) and caught it straight into the city! It saved me about 400m of descent.
The rest of the day I explored the harbour. I caught a ferry around to Pegli and saw the airport and the significant harbour along the way. I always like seeing things from the water! The Genova harbour is mainly lined with pleasure craft with some as large as we saw in Monaco. I keep imagining myself cruising the entire coast in the same manner!
The old city is directly on the harbour so it was easy to go and find some food in the back streets away from the touristy prices! Genova was a significant harbour but the military base was moved to Le Spezia and I think over time the sea freight has slowed meaning Genova has lost much of its marine connection.
The old buildings in the old city all have their own stories. They are all spectacular in their own right. Notwithstanding this, like much of Italy, it could do with a good clean! The Piazza Ferrari gives a good example of what the place could look like!
Not only was it a bit of shock to find myself backpacking unplanned but also living again on a shoe string! The Nice experience was certainly a treat! It is possible to live very cheaply but each day accommodation, transport and basic food all adds up. Luckily I didn't venture into the museums and other touristy things that all suck more money from wallets!
Travelling alone has its merits but equally it has its lonely times! Again, after having been with close mates in Nice, being alone was tough on the mind. It was good to meet random people along the way like the German girls, the crazy busker who was in my room in the Youth Hostel in Genova and I also met a British guy travelling as much of Europe as possible in 4 weeks! Because my travel plans were always different all my travel was along.
Genova
After having seen the beautiful northern coastline around Genova, I decided to walk inland. Luckily our Youth Hostel was pretty much the last building of the city so from the back car park I climbed pretty steadily up into the park. It was beautiful and lush and most of all relatively cool compared to the steamy hot city. I had been told that there were many forts up in this park. The Italians also spend much of their time sitting around in the parks, lunching, sleeping and enjoying the park.
As I was climbing upward my mobile rang: it was Kate! We had a great little chat. Gotta love technology. It made me really miss her and all my mates that's for sure. It is a little sad that all our close friends are scattering to all parts of the world but such is life I guess.
I found one of the forts, Forte di Betago and although I tried to walk in and have a look it turns out all the forts are inaccessible. I found this strange but later found out they are only used for raves and functions, not general public! It's a bit mind-boggling to think of a place that is 600 years old built by hand from local brick and that had survived numerous wars! These mind-blowing ideas of time were only going to begin now that I was in Italy!
I walked for much of the morning enjoying the wide panorama of Genova far into the distance. It is a smoggy city (like much of Italy) but great to escape the hustle and bustle for a while. The park was full of forts but after walking around and seeing a few, but not being allowed in, I decided to head back. I stumbled upon the Rhigi funicular (cable car) and caught it straight into the city! It saved me about 400m of descent.
The rest of the day I explored the harbour. I caught a ferry around to Pegli and saw the airport and the significant harbour along the way. I always like seeing things from the water! The Genova harbour is mainly lined with pleasure craft with some as large as we saw in Monaco. I keep imagining myself cruising the entire coast in the same manner!
The old city is directly on the harbour so it was easy to go and find some food in the back streets away from the touristy prices! Genova was a significant harbour but the military base was moved to Le Spezia and I think over time the sea freight has slowed meaning Genova has lost much of its marine connection.
The old buildings in the old city all have their own stories. They are all spectacular in their own right. Notwithstanding this, like much of Italy, it could do with a good clean! The Piazza Ferrari gives a good example of what the place could look like!
Not only was it a bit of shock to find myself backpacking unplanned but also living again on a shoe string! The Nice experience was certainly a treat! It is possible to live very cheaply but each day accommodation, transport and basic food all adds up. Luckily I didn't venture into the museums and other touristy things that all suck more money from wallets!
Travelling alone has its merits but equally it has its lonely times! Again, after having been with close mates in Nice, being alone was tough on the mind. It was good to meet random people along the way like the German girls, the crazy busker who was in my room in the Youth Hostel in Genova and I also met a British guy travelling as much of Europe as possible in 4 weeks! Because my travel plans were always different all my travel was along.
Nice - Genova
Nice:
It took me a little while to get into the Nice mindset. I think the fact that my Adventure to Ventoux was a little on the wild side meant my stress levels were up. Stress and Nice don't mix!
The boys taught me a few phrases of French which enabled me to integrate a little. Most days included some beach time, some swimming, a bike ride (both boys took my bike for rides which worked out well), time in the Flower Markets, time wandering the streets of the Old City and last but not least French Champage, French Wine and French cuisine.
Bike rides really enabled a sense of freedom and an escape from the tight streets of the old city. The options were endless. I did a ride around to Cannes via Antibes. It was absolutely spectacular following the coast. For much of it there were bike lanes on the roads. Many Australian riders call home Monaco and the south of France. Stuart O'Grady for examples chooses to live in the south due to it's close proximity to all the races he participates in, because it is great riding, the weather is always good and because he can get tax breaks!! As a result of the cyclist population, the drivers are very patient with bikes. Antibes is perfect to explore by bike. I rolled around the old harbour and then through the town following the coast around to Cannes. The Bottecchia wasn't a supercar but still looked good rolling around Cannes! I think Antibes and the Juan-les-Pins would be my favourite place to park a boat or live. Nice really grew on me, particularly because of the location of our apartment but I also enjoyed the serenity of the the places south along the coast. Monaca was just a little too extreme. Perhaps after winning the lottery it wouldn't seem too in your face!
The theme of Nice, according to Hannam and Hay was 'Let's get Serious' referring to living the French life as best they know how. Hay's local knowledge combined with the wine purchased by Hannam in Chateauneuv de Pap meant I was priveledged enough to join them in spectacular wine and Champagne. The cheeses were a combination of Hay's favourites including a goats cheese that was in fact a homebrand Chev but really delicious. To go with the wines and cheese, the mains were cooked in house with Hannam starting off with a locally sourced hand-made gnocci and ragu type sauce topped with fresh parmesan. The next night, Hay produced as french a dish as he could. In typical french style it contained only 6 ingredients but was mouth watering. As I learnt, all the best French food comes in a can. Hay prepared duck, pototoe cooked in duck fat and beans cooked with shallots, onion and red-wine vinegar. Really really good. The following night I opted to prepared dinner. The level was set pretty high! I was on the hunt for seafood as I had a craving for a spaghetti marinara however I didn't find a fish monger til I had bought some other things that took my fancy. My dinner theme became a 'taste of the old town' by finding recurring produce that was sold in all the stores, finding what looked like the best producer and buying it. In the end we had a series of French sausages (blood, chorizo style and feta, fennel and spinach beef), some stuffed vegetables (veal stuffing), olives, rotolo (pasta scroll with feta filling) cooked in a basic tomato sauce, a potato thing (!) and some sun dried tomatoes. All this was matched with some fresh baguettes and a bordeux red. So all in all, it was pretty bloody serious!
There has been much talk of our next French adventure. The general feeling is that one (or all) of us needs to make a squillion dollars pretty soon to get an apartment or yacht or both and do it properly. Til then, we just get as serious as possible and i'll remain a free-loader until I finish my masters and move up in the world again!
Plans I spent a little time hunting for work. There were possibilities to work at bars and it sounded like there were opportunities to work on boats. In the end a conversation with Trav culminated in he and his girlfriend offering their apartment in Torino to stay in for three weeks while they are on holiday in Greece. I accepted this offer on the grounds that I can get some time to focus on consolidating what I learnt at the Goethe, get some of the many new business ideas on paper and generally live very cheaply. All this wouldn't be achieved working in a bar only to be able to afford accommodation. As the Torino option isn't available til late next week I have taken the opportunity to travel around. I was hoping for some cheap flights to random places but on one day's notice this was a bit hard.
Genova
Feeling I couldn't top the French experience after Nice and because I have never visited Italy I caught the train to Genova on Thursday. I arrived after a long, hot and cramped train ride to the Genoa Principe Station only to realise I had no idea what I was doing in Italy, no plan, nothing booked and no real idea of what even happens in Italy. After waiting for the tourist office to open (not a whole lot happens around lunch time in the mediteranean!) I was given directions to the Youth Hostel and some maps. Luckily there were some spare beds and I dumped my stuff and headed straight back to the city. I wandered the city and learnt many things and conjurred up some focus for the remaining 5 days! I'm told that Genoa was the first european city to have a bank hence inventing the banking system, it was the birthplace of the Christoper Columbus and claim to have invented Ice cream. All bold claims...but there you go. I had my first pizza in Italy in the Piazza delle Erbe before wandering around the seriously tight streets of the old city. There is a lot to see here. The charm of the old buildings are starting to wear off a little although th Italians are certainly impressing me with their old architecture.
I don't know the exact political and financial situation of Italy but so much of the city seems worn down particularly public infrastructure. I'm guessing the government in struggling and property market is too.
Golfo Paradiso and Cinque Terra:
I met some Germans the day before and we planned to meet at 8am in the foyer of the Youth Hostel. They didn't show and so I went solo...my adventure was focused on the coast east of Genova, the Golfo Paradiso and Golfo . I took the train (which like every other train I have used in Italy was 10-40mins late!) along toward Le Spezia. I stopped at Santa Magherita for a little look around. It was a beautiful little fishing harbour with sandy beaches and lots of old buildings. It felt very comfortable! I found a little bakery that produced the best foccacia i've had to date. The foccacia is a lot better than their pizza here in Italy which I find funny. I guess it's just different to what we are used to in Australia. After waiting ages again for the train, I went to Riomaggiore to start the famous Cinque Terra walk. The walk is a coastal way that joins five amazing villages wedged into the side of the hill. The first two sections are very well travelled by millions of tourists but the last three are a little harder work and hence less tourists which was nice. The little villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are all very beautiful and as typically Italian / Mediteranean as you like. Each village had it's own beach and was very tourist focused. The walking was either along well made paths or goat tracks with plenty of stairs. Needless to say, due to the fact it was over 30 degrees I was sweating to the point when my t-shirt was saturated and I had sunscreen in my eyes and dripping everywhere. There were so many amazing views.
Next time, I reckon the way to see this part of the world is based on a boat and taking day trips onshore. There is nothing more annoying than these trains!!! But having no boat, I took the train back to Comogli. Again another gorgeous little village with a large beach and plenty of fine restaurants on the Promenade. There is an old castle on the headland splitting the east and west beaches which made for a nice spot to watch the sun set. Then I headed home only to run into my German friends, who apologised as they had slept in! We wandered the streets until quite late and then crashed out.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/Genova#
It took me a little while to get into the Nice mindset. I think the fact that my Adventure to Ventoux was a little on the wild side meant my stress levels were up. Stress and Nice don't mix!
The boys taught me a few phrases of French which enabled me to integrate a little. Most days included some beach time, some swimming, a bike ride (both boys took my bike for rides which worked out well), time in the Flower Markets, time wandering the streets of the Old City and last but not least French Champage, French Wine and French cuisine.
Bike rides really enabled a sense of freedom and an escape from the tight streets of the old city. The options were endless. I did a ride around to Cannes via Antibes. It was absolutely spectacular following the coast. For much of it there were bike lanes on the roads. Many Australian riders call home Monaco and the south of France. Stuart O'Grady for examples chooses to live in the south due to it's close proximity to all the races he participates in, because it is great riding, the weather is always good and because he can get tax breaks!! As a result of the cyclist population, the drivers are very patient with bikes. Antibes is perfect to explore by bike. I rolled around the old harbour and then through the town following the coast around to Cannes. The Bottecchia wasn't a supercar but still looked good rolling around Cannes! I think Antibes and the Juan-les-Pins would be my favourite place to park a boat or live. Nice really grew on me, particularly because of the location of our apartment but I also enjoyed the serenity of the the places south along the coast. Monaca was just a little too extreme. Perhaps after winning the lottery it wouldn't seem too in your face!
The theme of Nice, according to Hannam and Hay was 'Let's get Serious' referring to living the French life as best they know how. Hay's local knowledge combined with the wine purchased by Hannam in Chateauneuv de Pap meant I was priveledged enough to join them in spectacular wine and Champagne. The cheeses were a combination of Hay's favourites including a goats cheese that was in fact a homebrand Chev but really delicious. To go with the wines and cheese, the mains were cooked in house with Hannam starting off with a locally sourced hand-made gnocci and ragu type sauce topped with fresh parmesan. The next night, Hay produced as french a dish as he could. In typical french style it contained only 6 ingredients but was mouth watering. As I learnt, all the best French food comes in a can. Hay prepared duck, pototoe cooked in duck fat and beans cooked with shallots, onion and red-wine vinegar. Really really good. The following night I opted to prepared dinner. The level was set pretty high! I was on the hunt for seafood as I had a craving for a spaghetti marinara however I didn't find a fish monger til I had bought some other things that took my fancy. My dinner theme became a 'taste of the old town' by finding recurring produce that was sold in all the stores, finding what looked like the best producer and buying it. In the end we had a series of French sausages (blood, chorizo style and feta, fennel and spinach beef), some stuffed vegetables (veal stuffing), olives, rotolo (pasta scroll with feta filling) cooked in a basic tomato sauce, a potato thing (!) and some sun dried tomatoes. All this was matched with some fresh baguettes and a bordeux red. So all in all, it was pretty bloody serious!
There has been much talk of our next French adventure. The general feeling is that one (or all) of us needs to make a squillion dollars pretty soon to get an apartment or yacht or both and do it properly. Til then, we just get as serious as possible and i'll remain a free-loader until I finish my masters and move up in the world again!
Plans I spent a little time hunting for work. There were possibilities to work at bars and it sounded like there were opportunities to work on boats. In the end a conversation with Trav culminated in he and his girlfriend offering their apartment in Torino to stay in for three weeks while they are on holiday in Greece. I accepted this offer on the grounds that I can get some time to focus on consolidating what I learnt at the Goethe, get some of the many new business ideas on paper and generally live very cheaply. All this wouldn't be achieved working in a bar only to be able to afford accommodation. As the Torino option isn't available til late next week I have taken the opportunity to travel around. I was hoping for some cheap flights to random places but on one day's notice this was a bit hard.
Genova
Feeling I couldn't top the French experience after Nice and because I have never visited Italy I caught the train to Genova on Thursday. I arrived after a long, hot and cramped train ride to the Genoa Principe Station only to realise I had no idea what I was doing in Italy, no plan, nothing booked and no real idea of what even happens in Italy. After waiting for the tourist office to open (not a whole lot happens around lunch time in the mediteranean!) I was given directions to the Youth Hostel and some maps. Luckily there were some spare beds and I dumped my stuff and headed straight back to the city. I wandered the city and learnt many things and conjurred up some focus for the remaining 5 days! I'm told that Genoa was the first european city to have a bank hence inventing the banking system, it was the birthplace of the Christoper Columbus and claim to have invented Ice cream. All bold claims...but there you go. I had my first pizza in Italy in the Piazza delle Erbe before wandering around the seriously tight streets of the old city. There is a lot to see here. The charm of the old buildings are starting to wear off a little although th Italians are certainly impressing me with their old architecture.
I don't know the exact political and financial situation of Italy but so much of the city seems worn down particularly public infrastructure. I'm guessing the government in struggling and property market is too.
Golfo Paradiso and Cinque Terra:
I met some Germans the day before and we planned to meet at 8am in the foyer of the Youth Hostel. They didn't show and so I went solo...my adventure was focused on the coast east of Genova, the Golfo Paradiso and Golfo . I took the train (which like every other train I have used in Italy was 10-40mins late!) along toward Le Spezia. I stopped at Santa Magherita for a little look around. It was a beautiful little fishing harbour with sandy beaches and lots of old buildings. It felt very comfortable! I found a little bakery that produced the best foccacia i've had to date. The foccacia is a lot better than their pizza here in Italy which I find funny. I guess it's just different to what we are used to in Australia. After waiting ages again for the train, I went to Riomaggiore to start the famous Cinque Terra walk. The walk is a coastal way that joins five amazing villages wedged into the side of the hill. The first two sections are very well travelled by millions of tourists but the last three are a little harder work and hence less tourists which was nice. The little villages (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso) are all very beautiful and as typically Italian / Mediteranean as you like. Each village had it's own beach and was very tourist focused. The walking was either along well made paths or goat tracks with plenty of stairs. Needless to say, due to the fact it was over 30 degrees I was sweating to the point when my t-shirt was saturated and I had sunscreen in my eyes and dripping everywhere. There were so many amazing views.
Next time, I reckon the way to see this part of the world is based on a boat and taking day trips onshore. There is nothing more annoying than these trains!!! But having no boat, I took the train back to Comogli. Again another gorgeous little village with a large beach and plenty of fine restaurants on the Promenade. There is an old castle on the headland splitting the east and west beaches which made for a nice spot to watch the sun set. Then I headed home only to run into my German friends, who apologised as they had slept in! We wandered the streets until quite late and then crashed out.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ajoest/Genova#
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)