Questa Dolce Vita

Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication. 
- Leonardo Da Vinci

Back in Canada, when I was practicing pharmacy full-time, I felt like my life mainly consisted of working and buying things with the money made from the former. I thought I was pretty darn sophisticated actually. Blessed for sure, but also blissfully unaware of how ignorant we can become from living this kind of lifestyle as if it's the norm. I suppose it's not so much the norm, but rather a twisted expectation of young professionals. We studied hard and paid a good sum to a university, so we should get to reap all the benefits, it's only fair right? And it was so easy to get trapped in the dizzying cycle of consumerism and materialism. Admittedly, some of us are more cognisant than others in this respect, so I should be clear that this is more me judging versions of myself in two different countries than anything else. Italy helps me get back to the basics and I think I love her for that reason alone. In Canada, I had a personal trainer. In Italy, the hills and valleys dotted with vineyards is my gym. In many ways, that says it all. Here, you don't have to spend $50 minimum for an excellent bottle of wine (as often is the case on the other side of the pond), in fact €5 can get you a pretty darn good wine and you can even enjoy it whilst drinking in an equally impressive view (because drinking in public is allowed, yipee!). Most times, I am happiest with a view like the one above- a plate with warm bread and a milky ball of just-made mozzarella. So I think Leonardo had it right saying simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication, although for some of us, it takes changing countries to realize it. 

I just had to share this newest ad for Baci chocolates (my favorite) that was obviously strategically released just in time for Valentine's Day. In case you've never had one, the best part about these chocolates is that they come with a hidden love note, usually a quote about something that, depending how much of a romantic you are, will either make you sigh, cringe, or if you're me- even cry. Evidently you can now custom-make notes (kind of like personalized M&M and fortune cookie proposals). Anyways, here's the jist of it in English: 

This little note will take you
 ...to the place where we first met,
...to where we had our first kiss,
...to where we had that fight,
...to where we then made up.
This kiss will make you mine forever. 

*collective sigh from all the ladies please!* 

Awhile back, I entered the Trafalgar Photo Incentive and was beyond pleased that they chose a food photograph to use as part of their marketing material. They are an excellent travel company and took myself and my mom on a whirlwind tour through Italy's highlights on their "Italian Glory" itinerary. Highly recommended for any Italy first-timers, especially helpful should you lack some language skills because they organize everything wonderfully from hotels to restaurants. My tour guide was Anna (see us in the photo below) and she was spectacular, impossibly energetic despite our jam-packed days, and so enthusiastic about her country and Italian roots. Anna, should you happen to read this- grazie mille di nuovo! 

Keep an eye out for this photo on the Trafalgar website and catalogs and let me know if you see it! 

1. The bidet- ah, instant freshness and assurance you won't go the whole day with pieces of toilet paper (or worse) stuck to your backside. 
2. Chilly Gel- see previous post all about this glorious invention. 
3. Bathrobes- while they exist back home, I never used one habitually but the Italians love them and will use them post-shower in place of a towel which I find slightly annoying because I can't wring out my hair properly with one. 
4. A food scale- necessary because the recipes here don't use cups and tsp, so you have the great pleasure of weighing each and every ingredient. 
5. Collared shirts under sweaters- Italian men might be allergic to wool or have a phobia of sweater to skin contact because anytime they wear anything resembling a sweater, a collared shirt must go under it.
6. Bottled water- actually quite a waste and not good for the environment at all, but I'm impartial to fizzy water now. I have absolutely no idea why few Italians will drink tap water, it tastes absolutely fine in my opinion but I've heard some whisperings of excuses like it's too high in calcium and will cause kidney stones, or to never trust anything provided by the government. At least this is what they say in Rome, maybe there are better reasons here in Bergamo. 

7. Stovetop espresso maker- that little Bialetti is probably as important to an Italian household as their first-born son. 
8. Felce Azzurra and Ultra Dolce Garnier products- can't get enough of these. We have the shower gel and the bar soap of Felce Azzurra while I love Ultra Dolce for all the inventive shampoo/conditioner scents like Tesori di Miele (Honey treasures? Not as intriguing in English I suppose). 
9. Timberlands- I don't know who decided that these would be qualified as fashionable footwear since I was most used to seeing them in rap music videos or on construction sites back home but yes, feel free to stomp all over Milan with these. 
10. Starch for ironing- do people still use this back home? 
11. Slippers- due to abundant carpeting in my old house, I bounded about with barefeet all the time. Try doing that on tiled floors here and you'll soon realize that slippers are your best friend. 
12. Cesto di frutta (the fruit basket)- to be filled with fruits of the season and coerced onto anything with a mouth after meals and in-between meals. A great way to get your daily servings because for me, it's always a constant reminder right in front of me. 
13. Door nubbins- I don't know what to call these but 'nubbins' seemed appropriate. You attach them to door handles to prevent them from banging against the wall. Genius. 

14. Toothbrush covers- yes, we also have these on the other side of the pond but I rarely used them. Instead here, it's like they're mandatory and no one wants to see the top of your toothbrush all exposed and stuff...
15. Camomilla- The Cure. For everything. Stress, insomnia, upset stomach. Comes in a powdered form, ready to use and sweetened to perfection. 
16. Borotalco- Old school, a true classic. What I imagine Italian nonni (grandparents) to smell like and currently what Massi smells likes. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. Basically just a talc powder for absorbing sweat and acting like a deodorant; used like American adults use baby powder I suppose. 

Got any others to add to the list? Let me know! 

Bloglovin' is essentially a place where you can sign-up for all your favorite blogs across the board and find their updates and posts all in one place instead of having to visit each site separately. I've even made a new fancy link button (above) that you can click on to go directly to my Bloglovin' page and you'll find it at the end of my posts as a constant reminder that you should add me. Do it, do it now.

I had another interview recently go live so please pop over to ExpatsBlog to check out how I answered their questions about life as a Canadian in Italy. Here's a quick sample: 

Ciao! I've recently overhauled the blog's categories to make it easier to navigate, as well, don't forget you can use the 'Search' box option to find whatever you might be interested in. The categories are pretty straight forward, the only thing that might require explaining is that quotes and Pinterest-type graphics are now under Inspiration and Motivation. Under Interviews and Features, expect to find interviews or features with friends and other blogs or sites. Anything that my blog is featured in on other websites (ex: expat interviews) will be under Blog News. Clear as mud? Awesome. And these banner graphics don't really have anything to do with this post but I just put them here because they're cute. 

Could this photo BE anymore stereotypical? One night in Tuscany, I happened to be wearing a red dress and stumbled upon this beauty. I then felt obliged to take a photo next to her and what resulted was the most quintessential 'me in Italy' photograph ever. Please note the shoe choice as well, all those expats trying to convince you that flats are the way to go are deceiving, I walked the entire night in Siena in those babies and the best part is, you avoid any discerning looks from fellow Italians who are wired to judge your shoes, they can't help it. 

One thing that is nice about being an expat anywhere in the world is that you get to give yourself a hypothetical pat on the back (or celebratory glass of wine)  for just about any minuscule accomplishment during your day. What I mean is that at the beginning, you get to be justly and superfluously happy for achieving a small victory of daily life such as taking the bus without ending up in the outskirts of town or ordering your coffee and having it arrive exactly the way you actually wanted it. Don't even get me started about surviving a trip to the Questura. Anyways, my small victory of today is that I helped an older Italian signora find her way to Albano S. Alessandro on the bus. I'm not sure why, but I always get asked for directions or for general advice here in Italy- it happens almost every time I set foot outside, I've been asked in Rome, Milan, and Bergamo. First off, there's the observation that I clearly do not look Italian. But for some reason, I MUST look like I know where I'm going no matter which Italian city I'm in! The other strange thing is that people always ask me in Italian, as if it's blatantly obvious or written on my forehead that I actually speak the language. I guess you can argue that we're in Italy so it makes sense to try the language of the country you're in first but still, I'm always baffled and pleasantly surprised. 

Sometimes I wonder what's going through someone's mind when they seek me out for directions: 
"Let's see who we can ask...hmmm, oh look, a generic looking Asian girl- she definitely speaks Italian and is a local here in ______(insert random Italian city)"...WHAT? What kind of logic is this?! 

Other examples are when you manage to not have an awkward staring contest with a salesperson or cashier, like when you can actually have a mini conversation while simultaneously getting your money out/bagging your items. Or ordering gelato without having to point. Or pretty much doing anything without pointing. 

Festa del Maiale literally translates to party or feast of the pig and is quite the custom in certain parts of Italy. It would have been an even bigger celebration in days gone by when each family would have a pig to kill since the day after would mean one of the most abundant and tasty meals of the entire year for everyone involved. 

This is one of the 'after' photos taken on January 6th, the day that everyone eats the pig and prepares the numerous different versions of deliciousness such as prosciutto, salsicce, salame, and the infamous porchetta. You probably wouldn't want to see the 'before' photos, yummy as everything is, it's always hard to see where it came from. The tradition is that the pig is killed on the previous day, the blood drained and the hair burned off, then it is left to cool overnight before sorting out the bits and pieces that go into each type of cured meat. Too much information? Just promise me that next time you're enjoying your delicious panino with prosciutto, mozzarella, and pomodori freschi, you take a moment to think about all the hard work that went into making something so tasty! Buon appetito! 

Sorry for posting a million times today but one last update- I've now added an actual RICETTE section to the blog so all recipes will now be slotted under there (see top of my blog, to the right of 'lifestyle blog'). This is just to help readers find things more efficiently (gasp, what a concept eh?!). Everything else to do with Italy and my travels etc. will still be right here. 

Just had to share this being a pharmacist and all- such a clever ad from Fiat. Gotta love the Italians and the fact that this is totally appropriate for all audiences here. I guess they've never seen the head-scratching Cialis ads that are barely allowed in Canada. 

So happy to be one of the select few blogs about Italy currently recommended by InterNations, the list is still on the small side but I can't believe I'm in the company of some very seasoned expat bloggers such as Girl in Florence (check her out if you haven't yet!). InterNations is an excellent expat community that is also by invite-only, so you can rest easy that you'll be connecting with globally-minded people like yourself. The Milan community hosts rather exclusive-sounding events for members such as aperitivo hour at Just Cavalli (I'm so fancy, you already knowwww. I'm in the fast lane...ok, basta). The Bergamo group is just getting started so send me a message if you are reading this from Bergamo and would like to join! Here is a sample from my featured interview: 

Which three tips would you like to give future expats before they embark on their new life in Italy?

• Throw caution out the window, especially in learning the language. Children are so much better learning languages and one of the reasons is that they don’t get embarrassed to try! I have spoken with many expats who want to learn the language, yet they are scared to speak. You need to just go for it, even if you know your accent is off and your grammar is imperfect. Sbagliando, si impara is a saying here in Italy – you learn from making mistakes.

• Get as much information about visas/required documentation etc. from the consulate or embassy in your home country as you can. The immigration offices here can be extremely busy, crowded, and unhelpful. Best to do your homework before arriving.

• Join an expat community and start getting information and general tips from others that are already living in your choice city or area. You won’t get better information than directly from the source and expats have a very unique and relatable view on issues that natives can’t even begin to understand. This also helps in that when you arrive, you won’t feel so alone, you’ll already have a group of instant friends ready to show you the ropes!

Click here for the full interview (although it may be partially obscured to non-members, sorry!). 
P.S> Thanks for the nifty badge InterNations- I've given it a permanent spot under my affiliates. 

I think some people live their whole lives and never get to experience a view like this one. We try to count our blessings each day but Italy makes it so hard to not feel deliciously spoiled...I've had a couple previous posts featuring Pacentro, find them here.  However, a snow-covered Pacentro is beyond words. This panorama, combined with the warmth of the Italian sun made me want to stay out on that terrace forever. Pacentro is also included on the list of I Borghi Più Belli d'Italia, obviously. If it weren't for the fact that I just couldn't bear to keep these photographs unseen, I would actually prefer not to write about this mountain village and hoard it all for myself. But I'll be a generous expat this time around and share. Besides, Italy has enough slices of heaven to go around right? 


Do any of you have a hidden treasure of a city or village in Italy that few tourists put on their whirlwind itinerary?  I'd love to hear them! Share in comments or message me privately via e-mail if you're the greedy type. 

I am a firm believer that the greatest of life's pleasures are the simple things like getting lost in the middle of Rome on a glorious summer's day amongst the cobblestone and a thousand years of history. Buona domenica a tutti! 

Kind of a jam-packed post but I wanted to talk about I Borghi Più Belli d'Italia, as well as two towns that we visited one night before our return to Pacentro- Popoli and Pettorano sul Gizio (Pettorano sul Gizio which is associated with the aforementioned 'most beautiful villages in Italy'). I Borghi Più Belli d'Italia is basically a private association that nominates little villages or hamlets each year from all of Italy's regions to be part of their coveted list. They aim to bring attention to hidden gems of the country. Essentially, to be considered, a village must have a spiccato interesse artistico e storico - a stand-out appeal or attractiveness in an artistic and historical sense. The photograph below was taken from a piazza in Pettorano sul Gizio while we were waiting for a table at a nearby restaurant (Il Torchio) which was still beyond boisterous at 10pm. The following two photos were taken at Popoli. We had gone for a walk around the upper part of the town and I couldn't help but get chills from how deserted it was. Not even a dog in sight, and mysteriously, the church clock read midnight when it was only early evening. Due to the earthquake several years ago, many buildings were still un-restored and the cracks and crumbles only added to the feeling of an Italian ghost town. 

At the beginning of the month, we returned to Pacentro in Abruzzo for la festa del maiale (basically a big feast, more description in a future post that you won't want to miss). On the 6 hour drive (5 hours if your name is Massi and you drive like an Italian male)  to central Italy, we decided to stop at Castello di Gradara which is a gorgeous castle perched high on a hill in the city of Gradara. We spent about an hour touring it's innards which were completely refurbished and reminiscent of the early 1900s even though it supposedly dates back to the 15th century. If you're not able to visualize this, it might be enough for me to say I felt like I was at King's Landing in Game of Thrones. It's a tad on the tacky side, complete with touristy shops selling fake swords, so perhaps avoid if you are an intense Italian history or architecture aficionado. Otherwise, the view from the CAMMINAMENTI DI RONDA (the walkway around the walls surrounding the fortress) is worth the trip- especially if you're like me and get your kicks out of pretending you're the princess of a far away land...

There are a million aspects of life that change dramatically when you move to a new country. Here's a few that I come face to face with every day that still catch me off guard. 

1. Having to "close up" the house at night. Italian houses all have these heavy wooden enclosures on the outside of the actual glass window that must be opened and closed every day. I keep forgetting to close them and Massi freaks out every morning thanking the Lord we weren't robbed or murdered in the night. 

2. Keeping my purse closed. There is not a huge likelihood of getting mugged or pick-pocketed on the streets of my hometown, thought I'm sure it happens every now and then. I'm used to a sense of security therefore not having to clutch my purse to my chest on public transit. 

3. People being un-Canadian. This really just goes for one instance where we were at the supermarket and we had bought and paid for a cookie sheet. We made it all the way home before realizing we must not have put it into our bags. We returned to the store immediately and I honestly expected them to have held it for us but turns out the cashier hadn't noticed anything, meaning the people behind us in the line swiped it for themselves! I was blessed to grow up in Canada because I would bet a pretty penny that if you left something at the cash (that you paid for!), everyone would be running after you in a jiffy. 

4. Not acknowledging people as they pass by. This could have gone under the last point I suppose although I'm not sure it's just Canadians that do this. Here in Italy, people either a) totally avert eye contact as they pass or b) stare intensely without smiling (maybe just in my case as I'm clearly not from these parts). I often have to bite my tongue because I get an instant urge to say hello and smile to every passerby and it's just not done here. 

5. No carpets. Yes, I know carpets are 'disgusting' and slowly getting phased out but having grew up in a house full of carpets, I still miss being able to stretch out on the living room floor and roll around as I pleased. Not ever happening on our tiled floors. 

6. Cooler house temperatures. The average temperature that Massi likes to keep in our house is between 16-18 degrees C (18 is the very max). I'm basically freezing in my own house all day because I'm not quite used to it yet. In Canada we keep our houses above 20 degrees. I miss walking through the door and feeling that whoosh of tropical heat. I'm also convinced that this is the reason all the Italian girls are so skinny (combined with the smoking)- they must burn 1000 calories to stay warm! 

7. Waving down the bus. So I missed a bus the other day and had to wait another whole hour and a bit simply because I was not informed that they won't stop unless you make the 'hailing a taxi gesture'. I figured it was enough to be waiting at the stop. Guess not. 

8. The lack of line-forming skills. The concept of forming a line-up does not exist here. I'm not sure why there's even a word for it (fila or coda) because no one knows what it means. I struggle with this alot because people will squeeze their way in front of me but my Canadian-ness prevents me from bringing this to their attention, I have this grin and bear it affliction unfortunately. This results in me often getting pushed to the end of the crowd (I can't even call it a line, it's usually just a mass of pushing bodies). 

9. Dubbing. I can't stand all the movies and English television programs that are dubbed in Italian. I hate that the words don't match the lips and that Ben Affleck doesn't sound like Ben Affleck. I know this is just being greedy but I honestly think they should subtitle original programs like they do in Northern Europe. 

10. Wine at every meal. Just kidding, I'm not having problems with this at all.

Cheers friends and thanks for stopping by!

I've developed a love of signs here in Italy and have taken to photographing them everywhere I go. The locals think I'm just another crazy straniera (foreigner), because what's so interesting about the butcher's placard or a sign for the neighbourhood gelateria? Perhaps it's how old some of them are or the fact that nothing like them exists in North America. These signs seem to ooze a kind of Italian charm that makes me want to eat a brioche  (a croissant in the North) in front of them wearing a set of pearls and sunglasses. I'm not even joking. I'll probably do it today, I'm wearing the perfect little black dress...

I should have a fun post coming up for tomorrow or Saturday as venerdì sera (friday night, yes I'm secretly plotting to teach you Italian subconsciously), we are going out for drinks with my new American friend Chiji who is quite probably one of the most hilarious people I've met lately- we even got "shushed" while being overly zealous in our conversation and laughing out loud in an American café in Bergamo. For readers planning a trip to Bergamo, the aforementioned café is called Yoguito Coffee and Bakery and will do nicely should you have a sudden Gingerbread Latte craving. 

I'm already falling a bit behind with blog posts so I'm doubling-up , I never got the chance to share what we did to ring in the new year for my first time in Italy. We ended up spending the day in Vicenza (a city in Veneto) and met up with Alberto, a friend we had actually made back in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada as Vicenza is his stomping ground. It is spectacular and may even top my Veneto region list, stealing first place from Verona. Vicenza is charming and full of little bars that we ended up taking full advantage of by doing an Italian-style pub crawl (going from bar to bar for a round of aperitivi). I can normally only get to the second stop before having to switch to water as the cocktails here are not measured in oz. or by measuring using shot glasses if you get my drift. For the evening, we drove out to a villa in the countryside with a group of Italians (over twenty of us in total) and celebrated until the wee hours with fireworks and food. 

I recently had the honour of being interviewed by Cher Hale, creator of The Iceberg Project. If you haven't heard about her site yet, get on the bandwagon! She's a feisty and passionate American who, like myself, fell in love once upon a time with Italy and more importantly, the Italian language. She wants nothing more than to help you learn the most beautiful language in the world and has since taken to her site to share tips and tricks and stories like mine about the journey to conquering la bella lingua. So whether you're a new expat or have dreams of moving to Italy in the future, you'll definitely want to bookmark The Iceberg Project. If you want to read my initial post about Cher and linguistic love affairs, read this previous post. 

Check out our interview and download the podcast here or simply click on the photo above. 

I have officially claimed one of the spare rooms as my creative space to write and read and hopefully paint should my brushes and oils ever arrive from Canada. Rather minimalist at the moment, but I find it helpful to concentrate on what's at hand rather than having a thousand distractions in the room. The best part is the view from the window. If I lean back in my chair, I can see our palm tree in the front yard, as well as a few other trees that somehow look distinctly Italian in nature which instantly reminds me of a scene from Under the Tuscan Sun: 

Patti: There's something strange about these trees. It's like they know.

Frances: And they know that we know that they know.

Patti: They're creepy. Creepy Italian trees. Of course, the baby's going to like them cause it's going to be a creepy Italian baby who goes around saying things like 'Ciao mama' and doing that weird backward hand wave thing. Life is strange.

Life is strange indeed. But I'm loving my creepy Italian trees and saying 'ciao' instead of 'hello'. Not sure entirely what the weird backward hand thing is though. 

Check in under "Italian Music and Media" for links to the tunes that we're obsessing over on this side of the pond. What I love about Europe is that the radio plays music from all around the world, no matter what language it is (although of course, English and Italian are the most popular). So unlike Canada, we get to hear a huge diversity of music. And for some odd reason, Europe also seems to get new material first. It was not unusual for me to come back from Europe in the fall and not hear the huge summer songs until the next year in North America. Enjoy!