Bellissimo!

We had a white Christmas! Here are a few pics of a snow covered Torino, Bellissimo!

Babbo Natale

Here in Italy Santa (or Babbo Natale as he is called) can't always make it down the chimney because not everybody has a fireplace in the busy and crowed Italian city life. So Babbo finds other ways to get in. He is pretty agile for an old guy...But for some houses its not Babbo Natale that brings the presents, its baby Jesus. On Christmas Eve children write letters to the baby Jesus telling him what they are thankful for and what they want for the next year. And then Santa comes (sometimes by vespa) after the baby. Oh, and then the 3 wise men come on Jan.6th. BUT that another blog post! Merry Christmas from Italy everybody!

Sunday At The Market Christmas Time!

It's the last marketini Sunday before Christmas and I went in a festive mood hoping to find some holiday cheer. I brought my own hot chocolate.

Found a few gems and added them to my shop! Check -em out.

Life In Europe, Front Page News Edition

Europeans take their theatre very seriously. Some even too real. Like something out of a Masterpiece Theatre Mystery, over the weekend in Vienna, the Swedish-born actor Daniel Hoevels was performing a scene where he commits subside by slitting his neck. BUT someone switched the fake prop knife for a real one and the actor slit in his throat for real. He then collapsed on stage with blood pouring from his neck as the audience started to applaud the spectacular special effects. It was only when the actor failed to get up to take a bow that they realized something was wrong.

Hovels is now recovering in an Austrian hospital knowing that someone tried to murder him, by his own hand. How is that for a twist?! Ah, If only Poirot was here...

The play, if you are wondering was Friedrich Schiller's play Mary Stuart, about Mary Queen of Scots. In history, if you remember, Mary, Queen of Scots, was the cousin of Elizabeth I and was beheaded for treason. That's right, head chopped off. I know, I know, you think I'm making this up but that's the crazy European life I live in.

Eat Your Heart Out Bing!

Welcome more snow to our little Italian village, I think it is going to be a white Christmas!
Are you having a white Christmas?

It's a Rather Blistery Day To-day

It's starting to look alot like Christmas on this blistery day. It's been snowing for 2 days straight and along with the snow has come the fog. So Jolie and I stay inside, wrapped up in our sweaters, having coffee, reading travel books by Rick Steves, and watching period films. Even the grapes have frozen to their vines.

But while in the center of Torino, Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia rests high above the snow looking down and slightly laughing at all of us plebs trying get get around in the snow, I wonder if he knows that there is a bird pooping on his head?!

Great Door Series #4

Continuing my series great wood doors Piedmont, here is door # 4. I found this one in the center of Torino. And on a side note, Pier discovered that he loved turkey so much after having our American Thanksgiving that when we arrived home, he had me make a turkey for his parents. So we had another turkey dinner made with a bird we had to order special from our butcher, Giorgio. Giorgio was so excited to get it for us that he texted us when it came in. Here is the finished Italian turkey. We are still eating it.

Introducing the Caco

When the weather turns chilly and the leaves fall from the trees, here in Italy that is when the Caco (ka-kow) fruit is reveled. It's orange and beautiful and it brightens up a grey winter day but cut it open and it's slim city. Pier loves this fruit as a rare winter treat but be warned your gona need a stack full of napkins, 2 rolls of paper towels, and an apron or change of clothes.

Christmas at the Flea Market, Italian Style

Despite the temperatures being below freezing, The marketini went on and so I went. After all, I am a professional. And there was plenty going on to put you in the holiday spirit.

Like roasted chestnut stands:

Evidence of Santa:

And little chocolate houses:

Merry Christmas From Prada

An invitation from Prada doesn't come in the mail everyday. Or so I thought. Apparently my mother-in-law gets them all the time. When this one came in the mail for a private shopping day I kept it to share with you. It is an invitation, personally addressed to her, printed in gold on a very thick and heavy piece of black snake skin textured board. Sent with a catalog full of the 2008 Prada Christmas accessory line. I felt a little special just holding it. Behold! This is what it looks like when you are on Prada's private mailing list.

Italian Take on the Election

...And I say THE election because all the world was watching. Everyday on the news RAI, BBC, etc. etc. was keeping a close eye on who would be the next President because it affects everyone. Pier kept the Torino La Stampa newspaper of the day after Obama won and as you can see, the headlines say the same thing that ours did, only in Italian. Small world.
The middle headline says it all, "America Changes Skin".

And Were Back...

Our triumphant return to Italy after a month of indulging in American gluttony of Halloween candy, Thanksgiving stuffing , holiday shopping, and catching up on hours and hours of much missed T.V., has brought back the reality of everyday responsibility. Now I'm looking forward to an big family Italian Christmas. My sense of travel and adventure is revitalized and ready to take on another year in the old country. On that note, here is the a photo of a typical December morning here in Torino, taken just this morning.

For My Birthday I...

Today is my 33rd birthday. 20 years ago for my 13th birthday I made my parents take me to the Ramses exhibition at the Dallas Museum. It sparked a lifetime passion for ancient civilizations. Today, the Dallas Museum is visited by Tutankhamen and I made my parents take me once again. This time the exhibit was full of treasures from King Tut's tomb. I could never choose my favorite thing but there was some amazing jewelry dripping with gold and semi precious stones that would make any girl fall in love. Perhaps in another 20 years I will make my parents take me to Egypt to see the actual pyramids.


Also on this whorl wind birthday weekend, I got to meet one of my most favorite people. The famous travel writer and PBS star Rick Steves! He was giving a talk and slide show at the local library and so my mom and I went to see our travel guru and get some books signed. Here is a blurry picture my mom took of me and the man himself. And here is a non blurry picture of him. He gave a really inspiring and eye opening talk and got me excited to keep seeing the world! So, overall an awesome birthday! One to remember for sure.

Round Two From the Expo!

There were so many things to see at the Wholesale Expo, I had to have a round 2. Check out some more craziness of what we saw.

See You at the Expo

Here in Texas there is enough room to do everything big. Therefore, Dallas holds alot of expositions from the Monster Truck Show to the Home and Garden Expo. This weekend we headed to Dallas for the "Below Wholesale Expo". An exposition for the shopper who loves to buy Christmas presents direct from a seller who has below wholesale prices. Here are a few pics of the best of the expo, and there were some wild finds! They even had Santa on hand so you could point out your immediate wishes!
There's more! Catch it on tomorrow's post.