Camino Musings

11. Parallel parking: Parking spots are at a premium in Italy. It’s quite similar to the parking situation in New York City. Fortunately, most of the motor vehicles in Italy are considerably smaller than the behemoths that Americans drive. There are two reasons: fuel prices, which are 3 to 4 times the cost in the USA, and the dearth of parking spots. It’s not uncommon to see a SmartCar (you know, those little clown cars that are rarely seen in the States but are found everywhere in Italy) wedged between two other cars in a perpendicular orientation. Italians have an uncanny ability to wedge a vehicle into a parking spot with mere centimeters to spare.

There was about a two-inch gap between the front and back bumpers of this car, and this distance was quite generous, by Italian standards! How the driver was able to exit this spot without crushing a bumper is beyond my comprehension.

12. Outdoor markets: Farmers’ Markets have become quite popular in the States in the past decade. But your average American farmer’s market pales in comparison to the Italian markets. Every city and village has an outdoor market at least once a week and up to six times a week in the larger cities. Not only can you purchase fruits and vegetables, cheese, fish and meat, but most Italian outdoor markets also sell household supplies, shoes, inexpensive clothing, table linens and (probably pirated) CDs and DVDs. It also provides a great opportunity to get a “feel” for the town, a great place to people watch, and a great spot to purchase and sample locally produced food.

13. Italian version of “fast food”, also known as take away: As a rule, Italians don’t “do” take-out food. You don’t see people walking on the streets drinking cups of coffee or munching on a sandwich. Pretty much the only acceptable thing for Italians to eat while strolling is a gelato. But there are a couple of other types of street food – pizza al taglio (by the square slice) and supplì (fried and breaded balls of rice with a bit of tomato sauce) in Rome and a cuoppo di pesce (fried fish/calamari) here in Salerno.

Every part of Italy has its own typical street food. This quite different than the cookie-cutter fast food experience in the States that is dominated by the Golden Arches. Sure, one can find the occasional McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, or KFC in Europe, but the food is way more expensive than in the States and is primarily frequented primarily by young people.

14. Handicapped parking signs: They are a bit sardonic but certainly make their point!

Translation: Do you want my spot? Take my handicap!

Well, that’s it for today! More to come……including some not so great things here.

1. Coffee, in all its variations, from the simple morning caffe’ (otherwise known as espresso outside of Italy) to the latte macchiato, a glass of hot or cold milk with a shot of espresso (what Starbucks would call a latte or possibly a macchiato if you added caramel syrup).

A macchiato means a drop of something. So if you order a macchiato at a bar in Italy, you will get an “espresso” with a dollop of milk foam. If you want the Starbucks version, milk with a little coffee, you would order a latte macchiato. If you just order a “latte”, you will receive a glass of milk!

2. Gelato, the real thing, made with milk, sugar and all natural ingredients- not like ice cream which has a higher fat content, additives and thickeners like guar gum and air whipped into it. And it’s served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream (panna) and a biscuit-like crunchy cookie.

3. Pizza, especially in the Neapolitan style, with a very thin crust, a small amount (by American standards) of toppings, baked in a 900 degree Fahrenheit wood-fired oven for 90 seconds.

No weird toppings like pineapple or pierogis and the pizza is eaten for dinner with a knife and fork. And you drink beer with pizza, not wine!

Now Roman style pizza is quite different, with a slightly thicker and crunchy crust, usually sold by the slice (square or rectangular in shape), but equally delicious and not overwhelmed by a plethora of toppings.

4. Pasta in all its forms, cooked al dente, with just the right amount of sauce, served in appropriate amount, and most definitely not served with meatballs!

5. Pastries, not as elaborate,sweet, or artistic as the French variety, but quite lovely when paired with a cappuccino.

6. The Passeggiata- an early evening stroll just before dinner, meeting and greeting friends and presenting “la bella figura”, i.e. not dressed in sweatpants, droopy jeans, or pajama bottoms!

7. Importance of family – parents pushing strollers or walking with young children, adult children with their elderly parents, couples arm-in-arm, the bonds between family members are quite evident.

8. The piazza (town square), a gathering place where the people gather to interact and gossip and the overall social interaction not seen in the USA because of our tendency to close ourselves off into our little bubbles.

9. The abundance of outdoor cafes, a great place for a coffee, aperitif, or quick snack and a great place to chat with friends.

10. The concern for our environment – energy is especially expensive in Italy; ergo the small cars, strict recycling requirements, and stress on renewable energy.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and for a blog on some things Italy doesn’t do very well.

Well, actually it’s rainy day, not days, as this is the first truly rainy day I’ve experienced in Salerno. The morning was overcast, with a little nip in the air- the temperature probably in the low 50s Fahrenheit. The sweater and scarf emerged from the suitcase for the first time this month. The usual cappuccino and cornetto at Bar Rosa for colazione (breakfast) and it was off to class. Today is transition day, when a new group of students begin their stay. It was a small crowd of probably around ten new faces that doesn’t come close to replacing the thirty or so students that left last Friday. Both the location of my classroom and the teacher are different for my last two weeks. I’m now in Aula B (with a view of the Mediterranean versus Aula N with its view of via Roma and tremendous traffic noise. My new instructor is Ricardo, the director of curriculum. He is from Rome and has had extensive experience teaching Italian to foreigners in Rome and in Nicaragua. He is animated and speaks slowly and clearly. My class only has a total of five students- a Swiss woman from my last class, a German woman (psychotherapist), an American woman (retired teacher from New Jersey) and a 20-year-old Swiss young man who must feel like he’s in a room full of nonne (grandmothers). We spent a good part of the time interviewing each another student and presenting him/her to the rest of the class. The pausa (break) at 11a.m. was a dash across the way to the bar on the waterfront for a latte macchiato (a hot one this time). The raindrops started as we were on break and it was another quick dash back. After my private lesson, it was back to the apartment as the skies appeared threatening, despite the cessation of precipitation. But it wasn’t long before the rain really started to come down.

I spent the rest of the afternoon on a homework assignment, eschewing lunch in anticipation of a nice dinner this evening. And it truly was a pleasant and delicious meal at my new favorite restaurant, Cicirinella. The host now recognizes me as this is my third time at the restaurant. As usual, I had the appetizer selection and the primo piatto del giorno, a pasta with baccalà, and panna cotta for il dolce and limoncello as a digestivo.

Then it was back to the apartment for some blogging and recreational reading (i.e. in English). So overall, it was a pretty uneventful and rainy Monday.

The weather forecast for today was perfect for a day trip to Amalfi – warm, sunny, no humidity. A mere 40 minutes by traghetto (ferry) and eight euros are required for this brief escape to one of the iconic towns on the Amalfi coast. Although it is October 22, it still looks like peak tourist season judging by the crowds of humans filling the streets, restaurants, and shops.

The main site is the Duomo of Saint Andrew, originally built on the ruins of a temple in the 9th and 10th centuries, the present cloister dates from the 13th century and parts of the Duomo were rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries. The remains of the apostle St. Andrew were brought here from Constantinople in 1206 and are housed in the elaborate crypt under the church.

After visiting the Duomo complex, I wandered the streets and did a little window shopping. If one ventures off the main street the true face of Amalfi emerges.

Before returning to Salerno, I decided to treat myself to an overpriced lunch at a waterfront restaurant. The food was delicious (insalata caprese and linguini with calamari) and the ambience was worth the 35 euros!

On the return trip to Salerno, the clouds started rolling in and by the time the boat docked, the skies were overcast and the temperature had dropped about 10 degrees Fahrenheit. But this did not deter the Salernitani who were dressed in their finest and were strolling the lungomare. There was even a puppet show to entertain the children.

After such a substantial (and substantially expensive) lunch, tonight’s dinner will consist of a gelato (sorry, I’m addicted!) and most likely a yogurt.

Tomorrow starts week 3 of my four-week sojourn, in anticipation of a new teacher and new classmates and cooler rainy weather!

La Reggia di Caserta (Royal Palace) is located northwest of Salerno, about an hour ride by local (i.e. slow) train. Constructed in 1752 for the Bourbon (Spanish, not alcohol-related!) King of Naples, Charles III, it rivals Versailles in its sheer opulence, and is the largest Royal Palace in the world, with 1200 rooms and covering 2 million square meters.

A mere five minute walk from the train station, this UNESCO World Heritage site is a popular site for tourists and is an easy day trip from Naples. The day was quite warm and sunny, and the crowds exponentially increased in size as the day progressed. Our group of ten students from L’Accademia Italiana was accompanied by the charming and debonair Renato, one of the teachers, and Veronica, the leisure activity director. We arrived by train from Salerno around noon and went directly to the Palace. The courtyard was being set up for an event for Thun Club members (apparently for collectors of Christmas-themed collectibles). They were literally coming in by bus loads, especially after we finished our tour of the palace. We toured part of the first floor, predominantly receiving rooms and salons decorated in a baroque/rococo style. It was truly “over the top”, and difficult to reconcile the garish excesses when considering the profound poverty that the local population suffered.

An extensive presepio was displayed in the palace, representing the local Neapolitan population in the nativity scene.

Note the water bufalas (as in mozzarella di Bufala).

The grounds were equally impressive, with the symmetric Italian-style garden extending for three kilometers to an ornate fountain fed by waters transported from 30 km away by an aqueduct built expressly for that purpose.

In contrast to the formality of the Italian garden, there was an adjacent English-style garden, with its meandering paths, ponds, and many varieties of trees.

After about four hours in the palace and gardens, we headed back to the train station, anxious to get back to Salerno and take a well deserved nap on the return train ride.

I was especially tired as I had spent a couple of morning hours exploring the public market prior to joining the group. It’s not a huge market but pretty much sells anything, with an extensive selection of clothing items, albeit of low quality, in addition to the usual fruits and vegetables.

And I saw some interesting characters, too! The rest of the evening consisted of a quiet dinner a fuori – it’s still quite warm here.

But no, I did not have any cake today – not even any gelato.

Every Friday at L’Accademia Italiana in Sorrento, Italy is graduation day as a group of students completes their tenure (usually two weeks) and returns to their native countries, hopefully with a greater knowledge of the Italian language. Today, seven of my eight classmates are departing. It’s always sad to bid farewell. In the short span of two weeks, I gained the friendship of two wonderful women with whom I shared fun times. Christina is outgoing, classy, and embraces the Italian concept of “la bella figura”. She is friendly with virtually every waiter and barista in Salerno and exudes an aura that embraces a joy for life – “la dolce vita”. She is a Muscovite (native of Moscow) who is totally enamored with everything Italian. Ulrike is from Switzerland. She is kind, friendly and and sincere. We shared many conversations after class and during the extra-curricular excursions. We three had a farewell dinner last night at Cicirinella, a quaint restaurant that serves local cuisine, albeit in an upscale manner.It’s sad to say “goodbye” but I now have two new international friends.

Most likely, I will also have a new teacher on Monday. Anna has been a wonderful teacher these past two weeks, always concerned not only about our comprehension of Italian but also about our well-being (especially since I was likely the source of an upper respiratory infection that spread to some of my classmates).

Since it’s a Friday where likely half the students have “graduated” and there will likely be a rearrangement of classes, there is no homework to do, and therefore a perfect opportunity to catch up on some laundry with the European washer/dryer combo that takes forever (i.e. 3 hours) to run through the cycles and still leaves the clothing wet.

A Ph.D is almost required to decipher the operating instructions and there are way too many buttons and dials to adjust! What better way is there to while away three hours than watching MasterChef Italia!

And what better way is there to assuage the hunger pangs of skipping lunch than enjoying a gelato!

Of course, seeing a cute puppy always brightens the mood (and the gelato didn’t hurt!).

So to all the fascinating people whom I have met and to whom I have bid farewell…………….Salute!

This is a latte macchiato –

Milk ( in this case, cold milk) with a shot of espresso. If you just ask for a macchiato in Italy, unlike at the local Starbucks, you will get a shot of espresso with a tiny splash of milk foam. So, if you want an American style macchiato in Italy, it better be prefaced with the word “latte”.

So, I came across this sign on the window of a bar on the street of my apartments-

I don’t quite know what a mixed plate of sea or chopping salami and cheese are but I suspect that the Google translate app was the culprit.

And why are these “turn your coin into a souvenir of ……..(fill in the blank)” found everywhere on the planet.

I can think of better ways to waste a one euro coin – like maybe for a latte macchiato?

Speaking if souvenirs, there’s the high end variety –and the lower end version –

And then there are the souvenirs that just scream that they are from the Amalfi Coast and/or the Mezzogiorno (southern Italy) – anything with lemons-

especially limoncello or a red chili pepper (that is called a cornetto) that will ward off the malocchio (evil eye)

and can be found in many manifestations, such as a Christmas ornament, piece of jewelry or a plaque.

There is the occasional oddity of a store space dedicated to vending machines, just in case you have a craving for a bag of M&Ms and all the stores are closed (which in Salerno and most of southern Italy means between 1:30 and 4:30 pm).

Looks like this pup was on the hunt for a biscuit, but none of the vending machines carried Milk bones!

And those ubiquitous chihuahuas!

And if you think the Christmas decorations appear too early in the USA, Salerno is completely overrun with light displays which will be turned on in the beginning of November for its annual Christmas light display.

And last but not least, the Italian version of Jello (not really, it’s panna cotta)!

Dogs are everywhere, all shapes and sizes, on leashes with harnesses, being walked by women and men of all shapes and sizes. Chihuahuas and Jack Russell terriers appear to be trending but one can see just about every purebred variety and a wide assortment of mixed breeds (AKA mutts).

These canines are walking the streets and frequenting bars and restaurants (with their owners), the latter scenario never seen in the USA except for service animals. Of note is the utter lack of felines, domesticated and feral, on the streets of Salerno. Rome has its feral cat colony/cat sanctuary at Torre Argentina, but Salerno apparently does not need such a place as I have only encountered one cat in two weeks.

Also omnipresent are the stiletto heels worn by Italian women in the quest to maintain “la bella figura”. In the past twenty years, athletic shoes/sneakers/trainers have become prevalent even on the feet of the female population, but I would dare say that stilettos are worn at a higher frequency here than anywhere else in the world. And the ability to wear them while walking on cobblestone street, amazing!!!!

This evening, however, I did witness an older woman who had her heel stuck in the space between two cobblestones.

Walking the streets is always entertaining, lots to look at, street art/murals, posters, and restaurant menus displayed outside the door. I don’t think I’ll try this Indian restaurant – seems almost sacrilegious when there is so much delicious local cuisine!

It’s been quite warm here, temperatures in the mid 70s (mid 20s degrees Celsius), but many of the local citizens are donning coats and scarves, as it IS October, and Italians dress by the calendar, not the actual weather. But some “brave” souls (probably Brits or Germans) are out on the beach, catching the last rays of the year.

Today’s food porn includes “un caffè e un cornetto” with pastry cream for breakfast and a really delicious grilled pork chop with a contorno of escarole with capers and olives.

A local author gave a talk on his latest novel. I bought a copy and he signed the inside for me. If he wins the Nobel prize (highly unlikely for a detective story), I can sell it on eBay!

There’s no theme or witty title for today’s blog – just some random stuff.

The usual morning stop at Bar Rosa for cappuccino and cornetto (with vanilla pastry cream today) yielded a couple more dog sightings – this time a Jack Russell terrier begging for a piece of his owner’s cornetto

and a dachshund who wouldn’t demean himself by groveling for a treat.

Our lesson today centered on a two-letter word that does not have an English equivalent: ne. It is used as direct object pronoun when referring to a specific quantity, a non-specific quantity or none of something but it is never used when referring to all of something. Confused yet? Well, it’s impossible to explain and even a little difficult to conceptualize after listening to the teacher explain it for about an hour. Let’s just say that if you don’t speak Italian, you don’t need to understand it. We spent the rest of class reviewing direct and indirect object pronouns and even played a little review game that resembles dominoes.

My mid-morning break cappuccino was “special” today!

And we finally received our textbooks today. Most of my classmates are returning home at the end of this week but I’ll get some good use from them as I’ll be here an additional two weeks.

I’m becoming a regular around here – I received a “sconto” (discount) on my lunch at Nonna Maria. I’m obviously a fan of the Cacio e Pepe pasta ( see earlier blog for details).

Straw dispensers are really colorful here. Plastic straws haven’t been banned yet here, as you can see. And Aperol Spritz mania has gripped Italy, too.

On the floor below my apartment, there is an interesting sign on the door –

Hmmmm……master of occult science and constructor of talisman…..maybe that’s where those strange sounds I’ve been hearing at night are emanating from????

After lunch and a seminar of Italian idioms and tongue twisters, I got some gelato and took a long walk to burn off the calories from the gelato and to reach the 10,000 step goal on the Fitbit. Here are two photos of one of the old gates to the historic center.And you will never see this sign in the States. And this is really ridiculous! I guess if I’m craving Skittles, peanut butter, Heinz ketchup or marshmallow Fluff, all I have to do is walk down the street.I arrived back at the apartment around 6pm and settled in for the evening. The lunch and gelato were pretty filling and I’m not really hungry. So it’s a cup of tea and a container of low fat yogurt for dinner and a couple of hours of homework for the rest of the evening.

Today commences week 2 of my four-week stay in Salerno. It was back to Bar Rosa for my morning cappuccino and cornetto. I’ve become a “regular” now as the barista no longer asks if I want “cacao” sprinkled on my cappuccino and the woman behind the pastry counter now greets me with a smile and a “buon giorno”. I still have the same instructor, Anna, and essentially the same group of classmates. We lost one student to another class and one went home to France, but we have an addition of a (or should I say another) woman from Switzerland. After our customary “go around the room and tell us what you did yesterday/this past weekend”, Anna began a lesson on direct and indirect objects – when and how to use them. We took our usual break at 11a.m. and Christina and I crossed the street towards the sea. She treated me to a cappuccino, and we enjoyed our “pausa” while overlooking the shoreline.

She seems to be a regular patron, as her cappuccino was special.

Instead of a heart, there was an amorphous blob on my crema!

After my private lesson (will I ever completely decipher the difference between passato prossimo and imperfetto?), Ulrika and I decided to gave a light lunch, perhaps a salad. Another discovery – at 2:30 pm on Monday most of the restaurants are closed for business. We ended up at one of the few places that was open, on via Roma (a main thoroughfare) that clearly catered to tourists. It had many and varied items on the menu (a bad sign) and a hostess outside the venue beckoning us to enter (another bad sign). It was probably the least impressive thing I have eaten during this stay. It was a simple Caprese salad, but it was filling and I really was not in the mood for pasta or pizza.

There was an optional seminar on what I had interpreted to be on how to order coffee at a bar, but it ended up as a one-hour rambling discussion on various topics. However, at the end of the session, five of us did end up at the bar along the water anyway and, instead of coffee, we enjoyed Aperol spritzes, the trendy aperitivo that sort of looks like an orange soda, and about 90 minutes of conversation, predominantly in Italian!

Tonight, I’m slumming it for dinner – I stopped off at the grocery store and picked up some bread, cheese and prosciutto – dinner is a panino (sandwich). By the way, panini refers to more than one sandwich!

An exciting evening lies ahead – I have some homework to do 😉.