Saturday, October 30, 2010

Singles Girls "Guide" To Meeting European Men

 My new favorite YouTube videos are from an American girl called Katherine Chloe Cahoon, who wrote a book called The Single Girl's Guide to Meeting European Men, and she has these awesomely quirky videos to go with her book and I love them in a horribly cheesy way. Check out one of my favorites:




P.S. Happy Halloween Everyone!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Il Menu at McDonald's Italia

There are two new hamburgers, or panini the Italians prefer to call them, that I think are quite interesting mostly because they have fancy cheese.
The McItaly Pecerino, hamburger on a ciabatta bun, pecerino cheese, lettuce and mayo.
The Mozzarillo, hamburger on focaccia, lettuce, tomato, and a large slice of fresh mozerella cheese.

Of course purely for scientific taste testing reasons, I tried both of these and am happy to report that they are both tasty, surprisingly made with really fresh ingredients including the bread, and are smaller and mostly without sauces so are a tad healthier than say a Big Mac. When in Italy, go ahead and try the Micky Dee's, its different that you might expect. The fries are the same though.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Fall Around Torino

Just a few pics to show the fall coming to the city.
There was the ride your bike to work day. They closed down some streets to only bike traffic.
The smell of truffles is in the air as all the cafes carry some sort of truffle infused goodies. Truffles are the tale tale sign of fall much like pumpkins.
Bread, wine, and cheese markets are happening every weekend.
The older ladies start to wear their scarves on thir heads.
And that's a little bit of fall from Torino. What happening where you are?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Door Series #33

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Happy Halloween Party 2010!

Hellloooo my fellow spooks... Welcome to our haunted post.
Let me get a good look at you..
Just as I suspected....you need a drop of my special potion....
It will make you feel like this...
...and NOT like this.....
I promise.
Enjoy the party my pretties.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Trucco O Dolce (Correction) Scherzetto O Dolcetto

Thank you to my Italian friends and family whom have corrected my Italian:  "Scherzetto O Dolcetto" is the correct way to say "Trick or Treat".

I always say it's the little things. When you move far away from home that's what you miss, those little things. So when I walked by this window that is usually filled with gardening tools, I stopped in my tracks...and then took a picture. I really miss Halloween. Especially choosing the perfect pumpkin, carving in a scarier face than last year, and then roasting to perfection the yummy seeds. So this window says that maybe Halloween is on it's way to Italy? Well Trick or Treat in Italian is "Trucco O Dolce".

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

First Look: New House

Soon we are headed to Rapallo or Pier's work. We will still be in Torino sometimes but for a little while we need to be in Liguria. We are going to be living in a condo that is owned by Pier's Grandparents but it has not been lived in for years. We headed down last weekend to take a look and to see what we needed like towels, sheets, etc. I took some pictures. Here is a first look of what our new house look like by the sea.
Living Room:
Entryway:
Master Bedroom:
Main Bathroom:
Kitchen:
Patio Area:
Our View:

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

New Music Discovery

Before coming to Italy I really didn't know much Italian music aside from the opera. So when I discover new music, I like to share.
Introducing Marchio Bossa:



Monday, October 11, 2010

BAD Reality TV :Sad Sad Story

 Coming out of Italy this week is the sad story of a missing girl and a reality TV program reviling the details of her death to her mother for the first time on live TV.

Similar to America's Most Wanted, Italy has a television show called Chi l'ha Visto? or Who have you seen? It is a live show that broadcast details of missing people, hoping to get clues and tips on finding them. Last weeks live show featured a family with a missing daughter called Sarah Scazzi. Sarah went missing when she went to the beach in Taranto, southern Italy, to meet some other family members there and she never arrived.

The following taken from here.

"Concetta Serrano was participating in the Chi l'ha visto program which tracks down missing persons after her 15-year-old daughter Sarah Scazzi went missing in August in Taranto, southern Italy.

The show was being filmed live from Ms Serrano's brother-in-law's house on Wednesday night when the anchor of the show informed her a body believed to be Sarah's had been found and that Sarah's uncle had allegedly confessed.

A shocked Ms Serrano reportedly murmured "my brother-in-law is innocent," and "I can't believe it" as she sat in the dining room.

While much of the nation watched, calls were made to the mobile phone of the uncle, Michele Misseri, who, along with his wife, Ms Serrano's sister, had been interrogated for hours and was still being questioned at that moment.
Misseri didn't answer Ms Serrano’s calls. At one point someone telephoned the mother, who went pale. She then asked the TV show's reporter at the uncle's house if the news was true.

It was not until eight minutes after learning the news about her daughter and brother-in law that Ms Serrano was asked if she would like filming to stop, which she responded to with "it is better", however the broadcast continued for another three minutes."

This is the mother at the moment they told her they had found her daughters body and that her own brother in law confessed. Why would they do this on live television? Nobody wants to see a mother in pain. All of Italy is debating this story this week. What do you think?

Friday, October 8, 2010

Semi d'Arte

Last night I attended an art gallery opening. My friend Mirella, who is also on Etsy, had 2 mixed media pieces in the show.The gallery was called Semi d'Arte or Seeds of Art. Aside from the great art there was wine and mini focaccias!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

It's Time!

It party time. I look forward to this one all year. Sign up now kidos. Click here to be added to all the fun, but don't forget you have to ask to be added. See you there!

Door Series #32

Monday, October 4, 2010

Noooooo Not theWine!!!!

Take anything but the wine!!

This news is French and not Italian but really it affect all of us. All of us that love wine that is.
(Taken from the BBC website):

French thieves steal entire Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard

Thieves in France have broken into a vineyard and stolen an entire crop of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, say police.
They struck in Villeneuve-les-Beziers on Sunday night, taking advantage of a full moon and using a harvesting machine to seize 30 tonnes of the crop.
Farmer Roland Cavaille said similar crimes had taken place before in the Languedoc-Roussillon, one of France's best-known wine growing regions.
He said the theft amounted to a year's work and about 15,000 euro (£12,900).
"They used a harvesting machine to gather grapes. This means there was no need to have lots of people, two people would have been enough," Mr Cavaille told Le Parisien newspaper.
"The area was quite isolated, it is a a few kilometres from the village and near a river. So the thieves were able to work safely."
One witness reported hearing engine noises in the early hours of the morning and police have been examining footprints left at the scene, said the newspaper.
But Mr Cavaille said the thieves were clearly professionals who could easily sell on the grapes.
He said there had been a similar grape theft had been reported in the area four years ago and that another complaint had also been filed this year.
While his vineyard was insured, it did not cover the loss of the grapes themselves.
Mr Cavaille told Europe1 news he had no idea who had taken the grapes but that he was angered and surprised by the theft, as he believed there was a "degree of solidarity" between winemakers.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Teenagers Equal Trouble

Here they come. I was minding my own business, walking home from the post office when they came right at me. Thousands of TEENAGERS protesting something or another (probably just excited for a day off, just one month into the school year).
They looked angry, but they I realized that they were drinking mass amounts of beer at 10am so they couldn't have been that angry.
They stopped here, at this building, an old palazzo, where there are some government offices. They were shouting their message which seemed to be in the form of a rap song and some smoke bombs.
These guys had the right idea. Riot gear becauseTeenagers = Trouble.
Still reading the paper to try and decipher what they were protesting, I'll let you know whenever I figure it out but if you ask me, right now it looks like an official, school sanctioned, day off to drink beer in the morning and shout at The Man. Teenagers?!