Italian Style

Today I was going to do a day trip to Milan. I haven’t been to see anything other than the train station and the airport. It is the fashion capitol of the world. It is only 2 hours away, and that is taking the slow{=cheaper} train.
So I got up early with some of my friends. We knew that there would be a bus and metro strike so we wanted to ride the metro while we could. We got to the train station and looked at the board and this is what it looked like:
So much for a day in Milan. So glad I didn’t get the tickets for the Last Supper that are time blocked. So glad that I had a good attitude about the day. Tomorrows plans were mostly executed for today, and tomorrow, well, hopefully I’ll make it to Milan…

This brings me to “Italian Style” or “Stile Italiano”, a phrase that is used when something is distinctively Italian. It is why the bus and metro strikes are published and even run during the hours that people are going to and from work. It is why the train conductors said, “hey why don’t have a strike today too?” And it is why there is constant honking from double parked cars. Italians do things differently. There’s something that can’t be explained by anything other than saying “Italian Style” and moving on.
It’s the reason that you can see cars parked like this:

It’s reason that businesses usually close from 12.30-3.30pm every day.
It’s why some people seem to not work because there are honestly laws on the number of hours a shop can be open.
It’s the reason that cappuccinos can’t be ordered after 11am and that walking around with anything other than foccacia or a gelato is frowned upon.
It’s the reason that people stare at everyone that they pass on the street.
It’s the reason that politics and religion are not a taboo topic.
It’s the reason that if you go back to restaurant or are friend s with the owner you may get a discount.
It‘s the reason that people travel farther to purchase bread or vegetables from the shop that they have ‘always gone to.’
It’s the reason that fast food does not exist, and meals are elaborate.
It’s the reason everyone says bonjourno or ciao as they walk past.
It’s the reason that they always try to speak in English, even if you are trying to practice your Italian {and they don’t know very much English.}

It’s just the way that Italians do things.
Italian Style.

Indulgences

You all on have had a the pleasure of viewing my {sweet}indulgences here on the blog. I am of course talking about the food. But today I mean the museums too.
Torino is a city of cars. Yes they are everywhere and parked in the most random places and at the most interesting angles, but that’s not what I mean. See Torino is {well it used to be more than now} an industrial city, but that is because of the auto industry. There is a lot of car stuff around here, from famous designers, to factories, to museums.
I am one of those girls that grew up around cars. Sometime I like cars, other days not so much {check engine light you make me nervous}. Growing up I went to car shows trailing my daddy while holding his hand. He would point and spout off the facts of the car in front of us. Most of that stuff still goes over my head. All of it, built up an appreciation in me for old cars and eventually a little bit of a love from ‘em too.
Yesterday I filled this indulgence by heading to a new museum here in Torino. When I mentioned that this museum was new a friend said “oh, that’s cool.” Then I said, “No, as in it’s only been open for 2 months” to which she replied “Ohhhh!” Yes, it is that new.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Europeans know how to do museum layouts. It was done to not only delight the car enthusiast, but those that are interested in design and those that are new to the whole car world. The displays had movement to attract attention and there was a mix of history, pretty cars and hands on activities.
I love the oldies more than the new flashy cars, but they didn’t have my favorite and dream car. You all are going to think I’m crazy, but my dream car is a truck. A truck between the years of ‘34 and ‘50 to be specific. I love the old pickups that were used for market.

Another indulgence I’ve tried a few more times is a local specialty. Yes it’s in the food category. Bicerin. I can indulge since it won’t be getting any in US, right? This drink is truly the way a mocha is supposed to be. Layered espresso, hot chocolate, and crema. Yum!

{Don’t worry Mom, the marathon in Torino this weekend made me want to exercise a little bit more}

Getting there is {more} than half the fun

Last Saturday I took almost the entire day to make my way to Bruges. It was not supposed to take that long but because of the company I didn’t mind so much. Well except for the almost missing the boarding time for the airplane. It was another lesson for me that no matter how much you plan, you don’t control the world or the circumstances in it. It was also a lesson not to fly out of that particular airport if at all possible because getting there is a pain!
My traveling partners and I took a series of transportation that day; metro, train, train, bus, plane, bus, train, train, and then more feet. That is the simplified version. And leading up to the plane it was what we have now coined as “Italian Style.” This term is used in a variety of situations.
When we arrived in Bruges we walked out of the door {to a huge “pickpockets beware” sign, why thank you} and into sweet little town. We walked to our hostel which was quite the trendy little place. Emphasis should be added to both those adjectives. Then it was off to a free walking tour. Did I learn stuff on the tour? Yes. Was the tour good? Ummm, not my favorite. Do I now not like the movie ‘In Bruges’ as much as the locals? Getting pretty close. Will I watch said movie? Yes…I guess…I will
Part way through, we stopped following the tour and got Belgian fries. They make a great dinner for very hungry on a budget students. And then we headed back to where the tour was but they had left so we settled down in the crazy Irish pub. It was such a neat place, called Druid’s Cellar and was underground in a cellar. The bartender was so nice and soon everyone was joking around. We met some guys that were there for a Parkor like competition and they were from the Netherlands and then some locals. After a bit we headed out and it was time for bed. It was a little earlier than expected but it took so long to get there I was tired!
Sunday is not the best day to be in any European city, especially a small one but we managed just fine. After breakfast we headed out on the town. We went under a hotel that used to be the foundation of a church that was destroyed. It was so neat down there! And then we traveled the streets stopping and looking in all the windows at the delicious chocolate. Some of the other girls wanted to do a boat tour but instead I just walked around and tried not to get hit by bikes.
Afterward we found a waffle place and had a little snack and then we were off exploring again. We decided to rent bikes and it was so fun. Although I do not recommend cobblestones if you can help it! I was sore the next few days. We stopped and got more fries, looked in more chocolate shops where we got delicious hot chocolate. The real stuff warm milk and melted chocolate. And yes I even bought some truffles. We spent the rest of the afternoon riding around the city and out to the windmills, enjoying the fall leaves and the crisp air. That night we went to the hostel’s restaurant for dinner and I got a veggie burger. It was literally a patty made out of vegetables and mashed potatoes fried to keep form. It was good though.
After our food we headed back to the pub from the night before. It was a little bit of a different scene. I discovered that there is a thing called pub quiz and that it is very competitive.
The next day we headed out for Brussels. It was a short stay in this town that I have fallen in love with, but I am so glad that I got to spend some time enjoying it!

Disclaimer: I wrote this and then the days got really busy so I didn't post it. I figured that ya'll would want to see pictures. And then I remembered that these were the days that my camera battery was dead...so there's not very many pictures. So sorry!

Final Day {Paris 4}

This was our last morning so we were all packed up and ready to go for later that evening. We got some breakfast and then headed to the D’orsy. Remember top 2 museums in Paris this is the other one on that list. Hello impressionism.
We got there when they opened so we only had to wait in line for a little while. We walked the museum and I was enjoying it all. It’s the imperfect making a perfect picture. So much like people.
Last time I was here you could take pictures. This time that was not an option. And they had redone a lot of things, so the walls that were white were now purple. {Why do I remember these things?} It was still wonderful. You know how I told you it was supposed to rain Tuesday. Yeah well we spent the clear part of the day in the museum. And then it was raining when we were done. Bright side, the line was really long and everyone was trying to keep under an umbrella when we left.
For lunch we went in search of the oldest café in Paris. It took us awhile and stopping in multiple hotels to ask for directions before we found it. It wasn’t as great as we thought so we continued to wander looking for food.
Tip 9: Ask for directions at hotels or cafés. There is a likely chance they will know the place that you are speaking of, usually speak English, and in the case of hotels usually have internet if they need to look the place up
We ended up finding a place that had the perfect French meal for a rainy fall day. Appetizer was French onion soup with bread and lots of cheese. Then came the beef bougion and finally crème brulee. We were all so full by the end that we wandered the streets some more trying to walk it all off. It was at this point that we decided that seeing Notre Dame was not needed. Robyn and I stayed and looked at famous cafés. We wanted to people watch. We ended up at a café that was not on the famous list but we could stay dry and watch people and have coffee. It was so nice to sit and enjoy the last few hours in Paris!
We headed out of Paris that night after grabbing our last baguettes. After arriving near the airport for our morning flight we walked out of the train station into fog. Looking for our hotel that night was interesting. We arrived safe and sound and snuggled in for the night. The next morning we flew back to home sweet Torino.

A Walking Day {Paris 3}

There was this great idea to see the city and walk to the Louve…yeah I walked along half the river Monday morning. Adventure.
Arriving at the Louve we knew that we would get in free {See Tip #5 and know how wonderful France is to students} but we still had to wait in line to get tickets. The line was long. We stood for 1.5 hours in line to get our free tickets. Dedication. We would have come back the next day when it was supposed to rain, but the Louve isn’t open on Tuesdays.
Tip 6: know what days the museums are open, or rather when they are not.
We finally made it in and enjoyed walking around and seeing the things we wanted to see. We spent a good 2.5 hours there before heading out to find food.
We were going to go to Notre Dame so we decided to head in that direction. We walked. Because we are poor college students we walked and didn’t pay for the Metro. I don’t know if that was smart or not, all I was thinking was that I needed to find a chair. And I did and some food. Finally. The water was expensive because apparently it was not clear that I wanted tap water. {Lady at the café, you are not my favorite and I’m not going back to your café.}
Tip 7: You will make mistakes as a tourist because this isn’t your city. I make one at least every trip and it costs dearly {in my eyes}.
Tip 8: When you order water in France you can get free water. {You can’t in Italy so don’t try it} Just ask for a craft, not a bottle. Its tap water but it’s not bad.
Anyways we then went to Notre Dame and saw a huge long line. I decided that I didn’t need to go in that badly. And I figured that I would go the next day…but somehow that didn’t make the priorities list for Tuesday. Then we walked some more.
When I think of Paris I think of a little street on the 2nd island in Paris {there are 2 islands in Paris did you know that?} that has ice cream shops and little boutiques. We got ice cream. I don’t really know what flavor I got but I know that it was raspberry, mostly…
Then we hopped on the metro and went home to get ready for dinner at a crepe place near us. On the way home I got an éclair. I figured I was in Paris and I don’t know when I’ve had a real éclair. It was delicious and a perfect before dinner snack.
We got crepes. The first one was savory and mine had an egg on it. Parisians love eggs, they put them in/on everything…quiche, pastries, ice cream, sandwich. Everything. Fitting that I would order that. The second was a savory crepe. I split one as I had had plenty of sugar. Mine did not say that it would be flambéed or lit on fire on the menu but I think the waiter was a little over eager and decided to do it anyways.
Then we walked {had to put that in there again} to the Eiffel tower. It’s so fun to see it sparkle. And that is how I ended a perfectly un-scary Halloween…

Changing Plans {Paris 2}

Paris day 2 ended up landing on a Sunday. Sundays are important days in Europe. It means you usually end up rearranging your schedule multiply times because shops are closed or don’t open at the time you thought. In a big city and such a touristy place it is not such a big deal but it changes the name of the game none the less.
The little shop with the coffee and delicious pastry was closed…but there was something better!
A market.
I have to say that I love my markets. I’ll stop gushing and tell you that we shopped for food. For breakfast and for our picnic lunch that was yet to come. It smelled wonderful and I wished I could wake up to it every day.
Then it was off to Saint Capelle to see beautiful stain glass windows. We picked a day that had some decent light that shone through windows.
Tip 4: Get any discount you can. Student Visas in the EU gave me a discount to Saint Capelle. Score.
Then I did something that 4 months ago I would not have thought was a big deal. I got a coffee to take away. As in, it was in a cup that I could walk out the door with and then I could throw the cup away. Did you know that this was possible?!? I felt like such a traitor to the Italian tradition of enjoying a coffee. But I was in France, right?
Afterwards we went to meet our friends for a picnic lunch. We chose to go to Luxenbourg gardens. It is huge and gorgeous and there are trees everywhere. It took awhile to get there. There was a direct metro line but it was naturally closed for construction. And so we walked. It wasn’t supposed to be that far. But it was and then we were late for our meet up time. So we stopped to buy wine to make up for it. And in the process of buying wine realized that we could only buy a bottle that had a screw top because we didn’t have a bottle opener. Why don’t I live in a movie where this wouldn’t have been a problem?
Tip 5: Have at least one picnic in Paris. There are beautiful parks everywhere {ok that’s just how it seems}.
The picnic was great and nice. So fun to people watch and overhear conversations. And then we decided to look for a famous macaroon place. Wouldn’t you know that that would also be difficult? When we finally found them we then took our goodies to Montre Mart. Yummy!
We climbed the staircase to the top where there is a church and looked at the sun going down over the city. Paris is huge. We went into Sacre Corre the beautiful white cathedral/church at the top of the hill. They have the most interesting painting on the dome. Sorry I couldn’t take a picture. {I went in twice, yep I’m one of those…it was free though!}
Afterwards we headed to the “shopping” district up there on the hill. If I don’t see another souvenir shop I might be a happy camper. There was some cute stuff, but most of it was the same ole stuff. We walked around the district up there looking at the tourist shops and restaurants. Trying to decide where to eat and still have enough money for meals the next few days. We went back down the hill and looked around. And then we climbed the hundreds of stairs again in search of cheaper more authentic food. I had my first Croque Mousier. Again Yum!
We headed down and found Moulin Rouge which wasn’t too far. Then we went back to our itsy bitsy apartment. The end of day 2 in the adventures of Paris saga…

Bonjour {Paris 1}

There is so much to say about Paris! I have been learning the last 2 months how to live in a city and like it. Boy oh boy was that tested this last weekend. Paris is a city like you have never seen! And I have to say I was quite comfortable in it. Do I still feel incompetent that I don’t speak any other language well? Does looking at French words and trying to pronounce them seem like a headache? You bet! But, I saw a beautiful city full of history and people and places that have a story that makes it worth it to stop and say hello. So here is a rundown of day 1 and how we arrived…

Tip 1: Avoid the RER trains at all costs. If you are going to Versailles tough luck…But we didn’t! yay! But seriously avoid ‘em…

Story 1{arriving}: welcome to Paris, ‘er , the airport way outside Paris. So we had to take a bus into Paris and then the metro. I love metros. But…when you get a metro pass and then wait 30 minutes and there hasn’t been a train in the right direction you look at the other routes. After a lovely waiting underground and extra stairs while carrying luggage we made it to the apartment we were renting and found the key. Another tenant in the building thinks we are the crazy American girls because I couldn’t get the doors open with the code. Sigh. We did it though.

Tip 2: figure out every discount possible. I love that I have an Italian visa in my passport…yay free museums!!! And if you are a young person {between the ages of 18-25} + traveling on the weekend =get the discounted metro pass. {There are discounts for children under the ages of 16 and often 18, but I didn’t fit into that category…}

Story 2{day 1}:The next morning Robyn and I went in search of the usual. Coffee and pastry. We had to walk a ways but we found both in the same shop finally. I had a croissant. With lots of butter and flaky-ness. Can you tell what I’ve been missing?! Butter, you can never have too much butter {name that movie…we quoted it a lot this weekend}
We then took a less amazing metro ride to the cemetery. Yep the first place I went was the cemetery. And I saw the grave of Colette and Jim Morrison, and other famous dead people. And then Oscar Wilde’s grave which is under restoration… who restores a grave? Isn’t it supposed to look old? And really what is restoration going to do, restore the person?
Then we went to the center of Paris, well close anyways. We came up by the Tuleries garden. And we walked around enjoying the leaves and got a crepe. And then we realized we weren’t in the Tuleries garden but across the street. And then we walked to the Tuleries garden, for real this time. And we sat at the pond and people watched. And we got another crepe for good measure. And then I watched people running and vowed that if I ever live in Paris {knowing me highly unlikely…truly highly unlikely} I would gladly run through the garden for exercise.
There is an amazing museum on the corner of the garden called the L’orangerie. It has Monet’s water lilies. And it was amazing! Def in the top two of my favorite museums in Paris.

Tip 3: go to museums in Paris. They are well done and worth every cent. They make me happy!
Next came the famous street. We walked the Champs Elysee and I’ve decided it’s a shopper’s amusement park. There are massive amounts of people and you have to wait in line to get into stores (the winner of the longest line is Abercrombie & Finch). There are lights and famous people shop there and you can buy expensive food. Needless to say we didn’t do any of those things…
We then went back to the apartment and met up with our friends that we were renting with. We tried going to a restaurant that was supposed to be good, but we didn’t make I that far. We stopped before we got there as it was sprinkling and a little bit of a walk. It was a cute little place and it was clear that the locals came here often. I ordered a beef dish {yeah it was steak} and delightful!

A good end to a long day and more to come…