Jounally bits! Day 1 (I’ll add pics later I promise!)
Anyhow.

So I got the flights went well, they were good, but sheesh.  I didn’t get much sleep at all  I got about and hour of sleep, got to Amsterdam and was freaked when I realized I the plane was supposed to board in twenty minutes, and leave in an hour and a bit.  Well, actually boarded in about forty minutes and left in an hour, so whatever.  Sat on the plane next to an Ecuadorian man who let me lean over him to take pictures when I wanted and we communicated a little, he knew NO English, so it was up to my minimal Spanish.  And also next to a lady going to an optical faire (right, faire for glasses) in Milan.  She was from a place on the northern coast of south America, I forget the name.  She was quite nice though.

Got in and Milan… customs… either I got it WRONG or they just don’t bother with such things.  Walked out of the plane followed the signs for exit.  Followed the signs and passed though an area where it looked they could put a queue. and then I was out.

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So John was right there and happy to see me!  It was good to see him.  Kaity is still kind of sick so that is why she didn’t meet me.  But we went and he said rather than rent a car or try and take the train (which requires a bus to the city to meet the train and then another bus) he just got us tickets to the bus.  So we waited around the airport for about an hour and had coffee (Mmmmm delicious cappuccino) it is SO good to see him.  He was glad to get caught up on some church/family/people stuff.  Then bus to Torin.  Bout an hour and the scenery is just STUNNING. I’d love to come is spring. though if I come then you may never get me to come home    So we chatted and then got to Torin.  Which is a big city!  took us a tram and a bus to make it to his place and then YAY! Kaity!  She is so fantastic! We hung out just catching up for a while, ran to the grocery store (which is right across the street, a little market store no big super store and everything here is SUPER fresh – which means you only get what you are going to eat in the next few days b/c they aren’t big on preservatives or chemicals! How great is that?) and got CHEESE tried camembert (sp?) and we had a lovely little luncheon of grilled cheese (with this nice mild white cheese they have that is stringy like mozzarella but tastes a bit stronger/different/is more creamy) and soup, and I got a chance to take a bath… ooooh so nice after the plane ride… loosened up my neck/back/sacrem… I had gotten all out of whack.

Their apartment is SO lovely.  All tiled and hardwood floors and frescoed ceilings.  Just beautiful, there is a balcony off of my room that looks down the street and on clear days I can see the alps. So stunning.  The bustle of the market is visible when it is running and the park jobs – oh the park jobs in Italy. Double parked, parked on the sidewalk.  It is quite fun to see.

And dinner… we took the bus to a pizzeria, and I have to say. I needed proof that a)I have good taste in food/pizza  or b)New York/Jersey Pizza is better/more authentic, I have it.  I didn’t get pizza but had a SMALL piece of Johns and it was very Jersey style, my fave pizza. Omnomnom.  I had risotto (rice – generally cooked in broth) with scallops and artichokes (nummy nummy nummy) and so filling.  Happiness.  John had a salad with octopus and a pizza (minus the two small pieces Kaity and I stole) to himself.  Love it.  The pizzeria itself was lovely, with exposed arched brick ceilings, and plaster statues withing.  One of them was rather unfortunately painted and made my eyes hurt, but what can you do?

Went back and watched a TV show that they have about the Italian/Swiss alps as we may go there next weekend pending Kaity getting her resident visa thing. Which she should hopefully have this week.  By the end I was done though.  Went to bed and CRASHED  I was tired.

End of Day 1!

Begin Day 2

Of course I woke up at 3 wide awake, but got back to sleep and got up at 9:30
Had a lovely breakfast, Kaity made me eggs with the same delicious cheese and mushrooms. omnomnom and once she had her shower we went to the post office, the weather was beautiful.  I did not bring the right slacks though. I thought I brought my lined ones.  erm. no.  Wind goes right through these. Looks like I’ll be wearing my jeans just about the whole time. Oh well. Then Kaity and I went to the street market… I almost found a little Buddha for my boy but he was REALLY expensive.. so he stayed there.  The place had a lot of really nice stuff, unfortunately they had it priced right/normal.  Or I would have gotten the little Buddha for and a pair of moonstone earrings.  Oh well.  Lots of very gypsy jewelry, way cool.  Street markets are always fun, seeing the piles of product, shoes, scarves, perfume, stockings, jewelry and  more.  Nothing I needed but tons of fun to see.

Then back to the house, had a lovely little salad for lunch, (the tomatoes here are fab!) and cappuccino.  Then out, walked to Romo (not Rome, but an area in Torin) to try and get Johns cell fixed (had to walk another 15 blocks or so from there and they couldn’t do it, he’d have to leave it for at least a week and it’s a work phone soes… not now, then back the same 15 blocks) and the district is having a Chocomotion celebration this weekend. Apparently Torin is the chocolate capital of Italy, and walked for blocks sampling chocolate and watching this guy makes sculptures out of chocolate, and seeing all the Easter paraphernalia.  I tried chocolate with lavender and it was meh.  Sad.  Smelled LOVELY.  Kaity got a brick of mint dark chocolate that is HEAVENLY.  I got some chocolate covered candied oranged and clementines, a few pieces of chocolate with raspberries (lampones), one with rose petals, and one with toasted rice.  Also found some amazing nutella like chocolate.  Thick chocolate with ground hazelnuts, best on crepes or in coffee, according to shop lady.  Walked more, saw lots of BEAUTIFUL architecture and statues (they are EVERYWHERE).  Got COLD towards the end there, but it was still stunning. the alps are almost always in view… so fantastic.  Can’t see them over the buildings, but at the end of the street…  I’m trying with the language but I’m having trouble… awful close to Spanish but NOT the same, the numbers really mix me up.

Umm.. back to the house one more time, ran to the grocery (closed on Sundays so needed food for tomorrow) picked up some prosciutto to see how it is, some more cheese (he he he – my stomach is going to hate me and I don’t care).  I love the grocery store, less than 1/3 the size of the supermarkets here and 1/2 of it is fresh fruit/meat/pasta/cheese.  Such a difference in attitude. Then had dinner at a local sushi joint. Omnomnom.  Kaity and John split ‘the boat’.  It was HUGE!  Started with a salad (which Kaity must be allergic to something in it – she took on bite and her lips were burning – now she has a rash on her hand – needless to say she stopped eating that right away), then tempura, then sushi ‘boat’ which was pretty big, then fried rice with seafood, then half a lobster (each) and I think there was one more thing but I forget what it could have been.  We split some white wine.  I just had a small sushi boat – there is octopus EVERYWHERE here and it is lovely… omnomnom.

Back to the house watched some big bang, and it was 12 something when I started this it’s almost one now and I’m going to sleep.

Filed under: Italy 2010, Travel by Laura