Day Five in Italy!

In my real life, I live in a tiny little town called Modena. The legend is that when the early settlers (who were from Italy) saw the beautiful landscape of the area, they decided to name it 'Modena' because it reminded them so much of their homeland. So when we went to Italy, the one place my friend Pam had to see was Modena. But let me tell you, the city of Modena looks nothing like where I live. I will agree though that the hills of Buffalo County (where I live), really do look a lot like Italy, minus the tall arborvitaes and Terra cotta roofed villas of course. So on Day Five in Italy, we took a long drive to the city of Modena. The outskirts of this city looked modern, new, and grungy, like any typical American City. But the historic city centre, looked beautiful and that's where I took all my pictures.

Pam and I wanted to try Italian Ice Cream. I'm a big fan of Ice Cream, my favorite American Ice Cream is Hogen Daaz (which really isn't American...ha, ha, ha) Swiss Chocolate Almond, so I decided to try the Italian Cocoa Ice Cream. Mmmmm, it was too die for! The chocolate was just so rich! Here I am enjoying my ice cream cone in a 'bar'. Isn't that hilarious! No one serves ice cream in American Bars! One of the main modes of transportation in Italy is by Bicycle, and this is the typical bike you see everyone riding. They are not the fancy, brand-spanking new bikes we have in the States. Most of them are very old and beat up. Bicycle theft is a huge problem in Italy, so most people just ride on junkers, that way if someone steals it, its no big deal.

I've always loved the Xmas song 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire' but have never tried roasted chestnuts before. Apparently it is a popular snack in Europe. So Pam bought some and gave me one. It was mooshy inside, warm, but really didn't have much flavor. It was good, and probably nutritious, but I think I prefer our sugary coated roasted almonds in the States much better.

In the town of Modena they had a huge food market where you could sample and buy the various types of Italian foods.

I was amazed at how they protected their cheese in Italy. They don't use wax like we do in America, rather they used a variety of natural products like herbs, large leaves, seeds, and even STRAW!!!!

This is Focaccia Bread. Francesco actually bought some for us to eat for dinner last night. It was SO GOOD. He bought several different flavors: Rosemary, Onion, Olive, and one plain. They were all delicious, but my favorite was the onion one.

Here are some examples of all the different types of Olives and Nuts Italy has to offer.

After our visit to the food market, we just strolled through the city streets. I was amazed at all the Italian couples holding hands. I see now why they call Italy the Country of Love. Everywhere I looked there were couples walking arm in arm or smooching...young and old alike. It was so sweet seeing people in their 80's or 90's walking with linked arms. The women also walk arm in arm in Italy too. The people in Italy seem to just genuinely care for one another. You just don't see that in America

Here is a view of one of Modena's City Streets. Notice the bicyclists?

Here is a close up of some interesting architectural art work.

Another gorgeous view of a narrow city street.

This beautiful fall city street actually reminded me of some fall streets you'd see in America like in Boston or New York.

This is Modena's Piazza.

What a beautiful piece of architecture this building is. Don't you just love the color?

And finally, another beautiful narrow street. I just love the colors of the buildings in Italy.

And that is all of my pictures of Modena. I fell asleep during the long car ride home and enjoyed a much needed rest after all the walking we did. When we got home, we enjoyed a delicious Italian meal of salad sprinkled with Olive Oil , and Balsamic Vinegar. We also had bread, olives, and herring. It was the first time I tried Herring, and probably my last. It was o.k., but not something I would eat again. LOL!

Have a great day! Amy

Day Four in Italy!

Day Four in Italy was a Saturday so Francesco had the day off of work and he joined us in our sight seeing adventures. We decided to take a drive through the Italian Countryside and visit the towns of Scarperia and Fiesole. Unfortunately it was dark by the time we arrived in the Fiesole, so I really don't have any photographs of that town worth showing. I was kinda disappointed that we got there so late and it was hard to see in the dark, yet at the same time there was such a quiet beauty about it...seeing the town lit up at night and not so many tourists. Fiesole also has a beautiful view of Florence, I imagine it is quite the view during the day, but it was so beautiful seeing all the city lights too. I remember just sitting on a bench overlooking the city and trying so hard to soak up the experience and implant a vision in my memory that I would never forget. It was so lovely.

Saturday was another cloudy, overcast day, but we still enjoyed ourselves and the gorgeous views of the countryside as we drove. When Pam and I saw this view, we both screamed 'Stop!' so we could take pictures. Don't you just love these Tuscan Villas? Here is a close up of one of the homes on this hillside. Can you even imagine living here? I can!

By the time we arrived in Scarperia we were hungry for lunch and stopped at an adorable ristorante. I really learned a lot about Italian Cuisine on the trip. They do eat a lot of bread, pasta, and vegetables, and they dip everything in Olive Oil. They also love coffee, chocolate, and wine. And the food is never too strong or spicy, it is very easy on the palette and the stomach. It is very much to my liking since I have gastric-intestinal issues. I have loved just about everything I have eaten. I ordered Tortellini Bologna. It was good, but I liked what Pam had better: Ravioli stuffed with mushrooms and cheese....yumm.. I also shared a bit of Anny's and Francesco's dish which was more of an egg noodle with a different type of mushroom and sauce. I also tried REAL Mozzarella and Fried Octopus, and you know, that was really good too. I was so happy I was eating with people that didn't mind 'sharing their dish', because I really enjoyed trying everything. Eating in Italy takes a REAL LONG TIME, it seemed like we were in that restaurant for hours. First we started with horderves, then a first course, then a second course, and some people even get dessert, but of course, our tummies were too full for that.

After dinner, we really needed some exercise so we walked through the quaint town of Scarperia, which is known for making high quality knives. Pam bought a pocket knife, but I really had no use for any knives so I didn't buy anything.

Here is a picture of Scarperia's Piazza.

In Italy they have what they call 'Bars', but they unlike the bars in America where the prime purpose is simply to get drunk. Italian Bars do serve alcohol, but most people seem to go there to drink coffee and eat pastries. You usually don't sit down at these bars, but you stand. Maybe that's why Espressos are the popular choice of drink....they are so little, they don't take too long to drink. Here is a picture of Anny and Francesco in a Bar.

This is the Cathedral in Scarperia. Doesn't it just look so ancient? I did go inside, but it was too dark to take a picture. It was very plain inside with beautiful high ceilings, and yes, it is still used today as a church.

This is the town hall of Scarperia....and the main tourist attraction.

These are the doors to enter the town hall. Can you believe how mammoth they are! They must have had some very tall people back then. LOL!

This is the inside of the town hall. I thought it was interesting that it was partially open inside.

And finally, this was a look nook and cranny I found behind the town hall. It had a lovely view of the Italian countryside behind it, you can see a bit of it in the left side of the picture. I just loved this ancient wall and arch....boy, would I love to transplant this in my garden!

That's all for today. Tomorrow, were off to Modena, Italy! Have a great day! Amy

Digital Tuesday Challenge "Christmas Sparkle!"

Hi all! I am exhausted and stressed, but I survived Black Friday Weekend. I worked four 9 hour days straight in a row, and I am so looking forward to having the day off today. Our store did really well, we not only met our sales goal, but topped it by $33,000 dollars. Can you believe it? There were so many customers; the cutting table line had a two to three hour wait just to get your fabric cut. It was madness. For the most part, the customers were well behaved, but we did have quite a few 'grumpy' ones to deal with too.

Now enough personal business and onto the Digital Tuesday Challenge. This week's Challenge is 'Christmas Sparkle!' Simply make a Christmas Card or Project and put some 'sparkle' on it. Our sponsor this week is the fabulous Mo Manning! What an amazing artist she is. You really must check out her website to view her beautiful artwork. Mo is giving away THREE digital images to one lucky randomly chosen winner this week, so be sure to play along so you get a chance to win some of these gorgeous images!

For my card I chose the image "Hanging Stockings" because I just loved the vintage feel to it. I colored the image with Copic Markers and I added Liquid Applique to the stockings. The dog is cut out and mounted up on dimensionals. The 'Sparkle' is Stickles on the candle flames and the three crystal brads. Here is a close up of the image so you can see the dimension, 'sparkle' and liquid applique.

If you'd like to play along with us this week, simply click on the Digital Tuesday Challenge Blinkie in my sidebar and it will take you directly to the Challenge Site with further instructions.

Have a great day, and on Wednesday I'll return with more pictures and stories of Italy! Amy