Archive | Market Day RSS feed for this section

Buon Appetito…and Immersion!

1 Jun

A few years ago, knowing that my dream of travelling to Italy annually was about to begin, I began a two-year search for Italian classes. I wasn’t looking for academic credits, or a class filled with grade conscious students; rather, I wanted to join a group of like-minded adults who yearned to improve their knowledge of everything Italian –  the language, food, culture, holidays, nuances, etc. This also meant I needed to find a native Italian teacher, not someone who merely majored in the subject. Luckily, my search finally led me to Giovanna Dimetros. I must admit, her Greek last name puzzled me at first, until I learned it was her married name and she’s actually a native of Tuscany. Pictured below are Giovanna (left) and two classmates who hosted a dinner for our class last December at Giovanni’s (right) house. As you can see, we are big on immersion!

Photo0014

Simply put, Giovanna’s classes provide me with more than I had hoped for. Each session is interactive, dynamic, challenging, and filled with great camaraderie. Of most importance is Giovanna’s desire to have us learn and understand what she teaches, not just memorize.

My goal was to reach a point where I no longer felt like a tourist in Italy, and while my learning will be a lifelong pursuit, I’m now comfortable conversing with locals who speak no English at all – a great tribute to Giovanna!

In our book, Unit 5 is called Buon Appetito, and we learned how to prepare a shopping list, go to market, and make lunch or dinner. Today in Cortona, we did just that. Our list included roasted chicken and turkey, cheeses, tomatoes, basil, bread sticks and vino.

While we order the roasted chicken weekly, our favorite “chicken lady” had a special this week: roasted and boned turkey leg with herbs. No antibiotics or preservatives…just incredible flavors and a heavy dose of fresh sage leaves and dill rolled inside. How does one have the patience to bone a turkey leg????

IMG_0488

We carried everything home and set out our feast. The only thing missing was all of you, and we could have fed all of you! Good for us we like left overs.

Mozzarella fresca e pomodorini

IMG_0001

Grana Padano Parmigiano

IMG_0002

Boned roasted turkey leg (left)  and roasted chicken (right)

IMG_0003

Una vera festa…A true feast!

IMG_0004

Even the constant rain decided to pester others today

IMG_0540

and granted Cortona a rain-free and sometimes even sun-filled day…

IMG_0556

Listening to Andrea Bocelli as I write…Perfetto!

And to my Italian class:

Vorrei che tu fossi qui per andare a fare la spesa con me e gustare un delizioso pranzo. E sto anche usando il passato e il futuro bene!

Ci vediamo a settembre! Ciao, ciao,

Giuditta

Tags: , , , ,

A Day at the Market

31 May

If it’s Thursday, it’s market day in Camucia, the town at the base of Cortona. Vendors of every type gather to sell their wears. Vegetables, poultry, meats, salamis, men’s, ladies’ and children’s clothes, leather goods, shoes, boots, flowers, candy, pastry, spices, household goods, luggage, scarves, lingerie, socks, and just about anything you might need.

We woke to a morning sun, an amazing sight these days, and took the morning bus down the hill to Camucia, a ten minute “switchbacking” scenic drive. We began the day at Vanelli Caffetteria for cappuccino and dolce. They pride themselves on the most artistic coffees and it’s fun watching their artists at work:

IMG_0462

IMG_0463

Then to the market we went. Most of the men gather at the front, their version of a man cave…

IMG_0470

while most women roam the market, a great idea as each group is happy.

IMG_0486

Len and I usually begin together, then when Len has seen enough, he heads to the male section.

I think the food is always the most interesting, and the locals happily shop for everything fresh. Feast your eyes:

Porchetta, about four feet long

IMG_0472

Prosciutto

IMG_0479

IMG_0475

Formaggio and Salumi

IMG_0481

IMG_0482

IMG_0484

Fresh Porcini, bigger than my fist

IMG_0490

Anchovies (Yikes!)

IMG_0483

Just picked garlic

IMG_0491

And despite all the local cuisine, for those needing an American food fix…

IMG_0489

We had fun shopping and bought a few things including several pair of socks since it has been so cold and wet! Waiting for the bus to take us home, the skies opened and it began to hail. Locals say this is the worst weather in 100 years and I believe it. And it’s not supposed to break for another 10 days. Glad we are not having many guests this year.

So, if you are wondering why I am mostly writing about food, it’s because restaurants are one of the few places to keep dry.  The good news is that we are getting to know the locals better, and that’s a big reason we are here. The healthy news for us is that to get anywhere, we need to climb one of the steepest streets in Cortona, coupled with the  35 steps in our house. So, although we haven’t been able to take our usual hikes, we are still getting plenty of exercise. Here’s hoping for the return of sunshine!

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: , , ,

Newer Entries →