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:

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:

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?

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!

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

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.

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?! 

Check Out My Uniform

 Leave it to the Italians to make even work wear stylish. This is a picture of the window display at the store that sells uniforms here in Torino. It caught my eye. It looks like it would make working in that purple shirt (notice the collar up) and matching apron (comes with that floral broach) fun ! I would hate to get it dirty. Italians take uniforms seriously, after all Armani designed the police uniforms in Milan.

Thirty Minus One

Happy Birthday to Pier who over the weekend turned 29, or as my father-in-law put it, 30-1. For his birthday he wanted to have a champagne dinner at our house with his family. I decided to make it an appetiser heaven. It was alot of work but here is what I made.

Il Menu
Roasted potatoes with ricotta and salmon caviar
Baked Gorgonzola  wrapped in prosciutto
Tomo cheese and baked crackers
Smoked salmon with lemon and dill
Salami
Marinated artichokes
Whole wheat bread sticks
Ground turkey meatballs with mushrooms on crostini

For dinner we had individual calazones with ricotta, ham, and mozzarella cheese. Sauce on the side.

For dessert I made a cream cheese and mascarpone torte with almonds and cherry marmalade on top.
And even though I was doing dishes for 2 days, a good time was had by all!

Coming To a TV Near You...US!

 I am back to blogging after several days of filming an episode of House Hunters International! We had a great time with a camera crew following us around as we viewed several different apartments around Torino and then ending up at our current apartment and filming us moving into it.

TV is funny, having to shoot scenes 3 times in a row, each time more enthusiastic than the last all while acting natural. Our episode won't show until 2011 and we are curious about how they are going to edit us, especially our cheesy kiss at the end in our "new" home.

We met some great people and a once in a lifetime experience was had by all and soon, coming to a TV near you on HGTV, everyone will be able to see what a great city Torino is and maybe a shot or two of me with gelato on my nose.

It's Following Me

Everywhere I go in Torino, The Mole seems to peek out from every corner. I can't escape it. I think it follows me....

We went to the top of it once and it gave such a good view of the city but you can't be afraid of heights because the way you get to the top is by a glass elevator (glass bottom too) which is NOT for the faint of heart.

It was built to be a Jewish Synagogue but was never used for that. In 1953 a tornado took the roof off and even though it is the symbol of the city, they took almost 10 years to put it back.

I even went to a friends house which was a tram ride and then a bus ride away, and there it was, still staring at me.

I imagine this is what it is like to live in Paris with the Eiffel Tower always around the corner, although The Mole was built 10 years before the Eiffel Tower and it's Metropolitan architecture is what inspired Mr. Eiffel....I'm just saying. (That's true, look it up.)

Anyways, like an annoying little brother, I guess I have gotten used to having The Mole around and now when I see it, it feels like home.

Discover Something New About Your City: Part 4

Perhaps the qusrkiest museum in Torino is the Museum of Human Anatomy. Located at the University of Turin, it was opened in 1898 and houses a collection of curiosities like a Victorian curio cabinet, all pertaining to the human body. It's a museum not for the easily grossed-out and might slightly remind you of the Body Works Exhibition traveling the world now with that aim of education. As you would expect, there are real skeletons, organs preserved in large jars behind dark stained wood and glass cabinets, and examples of diseased parts from medical science. You can even find the brain and skeleton of the museum's founder who's wish it was to be displayed in the museum after his death. Come to think of it, this might be the most fun idea for Halloween.

Museum Link

Two Shopping Experiences

 This week I have had 2 completely different shopping experiences. Both sublimely fun and unique in their own way. Bright and early, well 10am, Pier and I put on our best crisp and clean outfits to step out on the town looking as snazzy as we could muster because we were headed on a mission to... Armani! That's right, we had official business (for Pier's work) to be at the Torino Armani store. I got to go along to lend my fashion expertise to choose 2 ties as business gifts for an meeting Pier had with some important clients. First, let me say that I LOVE shopping at Armani. We had to be buzzed in. Once we were in we were greeted by not 1 but 3 associates ready to help us. We asked for the tie department and were escorted downstairs where the kind man, who spoke many languages, opened several drawers with ties of every color. Choosing was the hardest part but finally 2 gray patterned ties were chosen and we were escorted back upstairs. It was blissful. Here is a peek at the chosen ties.

On the complete opposite of shopping experiences, I next went to Triciclo. Triciclo is a way off the beaton path thrift store that is only know by the locals and only open 2 days a week. All the clothes are prices by weight, 3 euros a kilo. I would have never found it if a friend had not told me it was there. All of the money made goes to charity, which I love. There was a fun atmosphere and they were playing Bob Marley while I was shopping (something I'm sure never played at Armani). This is the a picture of the front.

The point is that Italy has many different and exclusive shopping to be had, but it helps if you know a local!

One Night at Turin's Most Famous Restaurant

The most elegant and famous restaurant in Torino is Il Cambio. It is, of course, not cheap serving traditional Piedmontese style food including agnolotti, grissini, and veal tonnato. They have a never-ending-basement secret-tunnel-wine-cellar and an in house pastry chef. We started our party on the patio.

 We were lucky enough to be invited to a meet 'n' greet aperitif party for a some out of towners and we jumped at the chance to eat there! The bar was open and free flowing and the waiters were dressed like penguins.

Frescos of cherubs watched us while we ate which reminded me that Il Cambio has been there since 1757. Before that is was a changing station for horses for the mail service. That's where it gets it's name, cambio is Italian for exchange.The first prime Minister of Italy ate lunch here everyday, sometimes with the King of Italy together. What history.

The food kept coming and just when I thought it was finished, the desserts arrived. It was probably the most elegant dinner we've had in Torino.

Door Series #32

Scenes From an Italian Wedding

Here are some scenes from the 3 day Italian wedding, we were lucky enough to be invited to. Italian weddings really are the best. From the food, to the music, to the fashion, to meeting the relatives from all over. This wedding had a twist because a beautiful Italian woman was marring a witty and handsome Brit man. The two cultures collided in a grand way and with a little help from champagne, made a seamless connection.

The most romantic part of the evening was the grooms speech. It was long and in two languages but very funny and sweet. I did record the best part and that was the end when he professed his love which made every man in the audience use his name in vein as they are now going to be held at an impossible standard.Watch and saw "ahhhh", like I did.