alltheleavesaregreen

Have just moved to opicina (near Trieste, Italy) and am starting to discover the local shops. Would like to visit each of them by Christmas.
I’ve already been to the butcher’s (macellaio), the stationer’s (cartoleria), the newsagent’s (giornalaio) and the ice cream shop of course (gelateria) – as well as the Caffe Vatta…probably some others that I forget. But here’s an account of my trip to the fishmonger’s this morning – and why I think shoping locally is a good idea:

This is an extract from my blog:) http://tonyablowers.wordpress.com

I trundle off to Aldo’s the fishmonger, tell him that although the wild sea bass I bought last time was wonderful I can’t be doing spending that much on a family meal. But I’d still prefer to buy fish that weren’t endangered, or farmed, or fed antibiotics (but can’t be bothered to do the research myself, I could have added). He went through all his gorgeous looking fish:

“Signora, ci sono tre tipi di pesci.”

Madam, there are three kinds of fish.

This one is farmed and fed antibiotics – “non la consiglio”; this one is farmed, but naturally, in the sea and not fed anything, they just can’t swim very deeply, and they’re a bit limited in their enclosures; these, on the other hand, are fished in the open sea. The sea bass is expensive, but this, for example ‘Dorato’ – it’s also called ’salpa’, remember that Signora – is not so expensive and it’s very good.”

So I took some – and fresh anchovies for the cat. We all eat well here!

This is really what I was hoping for – my very own personal fishmonger, who can help me choose the fish, and tell me how to cook it. How great is that?

That’s generally what I love about living in Italy – often there is the time and space for these kind of encounters – the very thorough, personal touch, with people who really know (and need!) their business. Yesterday, for example, Fran and I went to the dentist’s (she’s getting braces in 2 weeks) and he gave me the most thorough (if painful) clean of my teeth I have ever had. Last week we went to a furniture store and had a personal assistant who guided us around the shop, looked through catalogues with us, introduced us to the boss who gave us a “personalised discount” – and then presented us with a ceramic jug as a take away gift.

Obviously, it’s all for sales – but certainly helps to soften the chores.

Have decided to start recording the words and phrases that I overhear or read that I especially like, or didn’t know before. This should be a very good way for me to improve my spoken and written Italian. It also gives me a very valid reason for buying “La Repubblica” every day and sitting outside Caffe Vatta highlighting interesting phrases when I should be at home cleaning toilets.

Today, cycling home from my successful trip to the fishmonger’s, I met an elderly neighbour and his grandchild out in the woods, passing the time. He has been very disappointed with us since his two grand children often come to visit and he was hoping they could play with our kids – but, “your kids are at school until 4″ (outraged – most Italian children go to school till 1.30). “Yes”, I agree, “and then we’re not usually home until 5″ (after swinging on the monkey bars, or buying a gelato…).

“Ah”, he says, discouraged, “Non si combaccino i tempi”. (I guess that’s how it’s spelt, and I guess it means, “the times just don’t match up”, or as I like to think of it literally – possibly – “the times just don’t kiss each other”.

Even if that’s not the right translation, I like it.

I’ll do some surfing now to see if I can get the lowdown. Might get back to you on this…

[2 mins later] Okay, just googled combacciono to discover the word is combaccino – which I’ve now changed in this post, obviously (but I want you to know I’m not perfect), anyway, here’s a good example of it in use:

Due persone dello stesso sesso non hanno gli attributi che combaccino con cio’ ke e’ la loro natura?

which translates (very) roughly as – “Is it true that two people of the same sex don’t physically complement each other ?”

Pretty lame discussion that one, but – you get the idea.

I’ve had to copy this off my blog http://tonyablowers.wordpress.com cos I’m not sure which way round I’m going yet with writing these entries – but I’ll get over it!

Went for a long jog to the ‘glade’ on the Carso this morning. Maybe 5k. Took 32 minutes. Am tracing the same route we took by bike on Sunday – that way I know how far I still have to go (+4k) before I can sit down and order lunch at the trattoria in Grapado. That’s motivation.

Next time I’m going to aim for the car park (where those cyclists stopped us and asked if Stef had his wheel on back to front.

When I get home after jogging, I have to sit down and sweat. Never seen anything like it. Is this healthy???