This week was a whirlwind tour through Italy mainly for work, five cities in six days. My trip started in Torino which had some of the familiar qualities of a major Italian city (sprawling piazzas, imposing duomos, abundant gelaterias) but it didn’t do much for me. I should qualify that statement with the fact that I completely blew through Torino and didn’t spend more than a couple hours wandering the downtown area looking for a nice place for dinner. I was looking for a restaurant called Mare Nostrum which came with high recommendations. For some reason when it was described to me, I took the restaurant to be a quaint little trattoria where I could just stop by and easily get a table. It was a Monday night after all. I strolled in around 8pm and was immediately turned away as they didn’t have anything available the entire evening. I came to learn later that Mare Nostrum is the best place in Torino to have seafood so I was sadly mistaken when I thought I could get seated instantly.
The next evening in Milan more than made up for my loss though. During the day I asked a local for a restaurant recommendation and he quickly called and made reservations for me at, in his words, “a good and reasonably priced” restaurant near downtown Milan. The main attraction for my evening though was an opera at Teatro alla Scala. Knowing I was heading to Milan I had secured a ticket to see Macbeth at the famed opera house. Teatro alla Scala had recently undergone renovations that included the addition of a new surtitle system. The theatre and the music did not disappoint even though I had the most uncomfortable seats I’ve ever experienced in my life. If I merely twitched in my seat I’d bump into my neighbor. My fault for not wanting to spend 500 euro on a single ticket. Dinner afterwards at Il Pontaccio was impressive as well. When I walked in the waiter knew exactly who I was without me saying a word. He sat me down in a nice corner table and immediately poured me a glass of prosseco. Next to the glass he put down a basket of bread cubes that had been lightly toasted and tossed in olive oil. After a few questions about the menu he decided himself on what I should have for dinner. I started with a beautiful and fresh lobster salad with watercress and pomegranate, followed by risotto Milanese and osso buco for my main, ending with a light and fluffy tiramisu. The waiter also gave me the tastiest glass of Barolo to go with my meal. By midnight I was full, drunk, and happy and ready to get back to the hotel to sleep it all off.
After my seminar finished I had about a day and half to do some sightseeing. I decided to check out the towns that are the setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I first took a brief tour of Padova (Padua), the city Romeo flees to after he kills Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Padova is known as the city of the “Saint without a name”; the city of the “meadow without grass”; the city of the “café without a door”. I was able to see the Prato della Valle, an elliptical square that is the largest in Italy (the meadow without grass), and the Basilica di San Antonio (the Saint without a name because his worshipers referred to him just as Saint). I ended my visit with lunch and a macchiato at the Pedrocchi Caffé. The Pedrocchi Caffé was built between 1826 and 1831 as a place where professors, students, and merchants came to discuss political and social matters. It made me think of Sproul Plaza in Berkeley. During those days it never closed so became known as the café without a door. I headed to Verona (the main setting of the Romeo and Juliet) to see the outdoor Arena di Verona and Juliet’s balcony. The Arena was built completely of stone in 1913 and is home to the most famous open air opera season in the world. Unfortunately I was a bit early and since the season doesn’t being until the weather gets a bit warmer. Although no one has proved the existence of the star-crossed lovers, the del Capello family did exist and owned the house on Via Capello which has the balcony that supposedly inspired Shakespeare’s work. After some shopping in Verona I continued on to Sirmione on Lago di Gardo. Sirmione is a beautiful little peninsula that is considered the pearl of Lake Garda that has given inspiration to figures like Dante. Perhaps it was the season or the late hour of the day but Sirmione is what I see when I imagine a quaint Italian town. It was fairly empty and quiet when I came up to the site of the overbearing Castle of Sirmione. There were plenty of winding alleys and I could hear the water all around me. When I came up to a shop that listed enoteca and formaggeria on the window, how could I not walk in? I had no idea what cheeses I ate or what wine they gave me but it was the perfect ending to my day.
I think instead of living la dolce vita (the sweet life), I'd like to experience some more days of la dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing).
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Easter Sunday
I was back in the San Francisco Bay Area last week for business and it happened to coincide with Easter Sunday. That meant that as soon as I turned up at my parent's house they turned me right back out the door to go to church with my little brother. Although I grew up Roman Catholic, I've been less than religious since I moved away from home so going to mass was fairly excruciating. My little brother and I got each other through it though so that meant there wasn't much left to the Easter holiday except to eat. I was able to spend Easter Sunday with my friends, the Beckers, and they cooked up a great meal complete with Easter ham, a cheese blintz souffle with blueberry sauce, fruit salad, and cake with lemon custard. All homemade of course.
It does tend to seem that I spend more time eating when I'm back in the San Francisco Bay Area than doing anything else. I also have the pictures to prove it.
Restaurant/cafe list for this visit in no particular order:
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