A Trip to the Market

A Trip to Italy is not complete unless you take a trip to the market. We have been here a week and a half and have visited 3 different street markets AND have gone to I think maybe 5 different Esselauga's (a local grocery store chain). On Saturday we left Gio napping with the kids and took a quick trip to the market up the street. It is like a T. The clothing and shoe vendors are all lined up down the street under big pop up tents and their cars stationed behind them. The food vendors are lined up down the center of the T.

I find street markets fascinating. There are so many different foods there: cheese Vendors selling 100s of cheese varieties, meat vendors selling chicken and veal and rabbit and pig, tons of fruit & vegetable vendors with fresh produce ( you wouldn't believe the strawberries Rod and I bought last week). But what is also fun to see are the variety of people pushing their way through the crowded stalls.

When you come to a big city like Milan you have to dress warm and carry your shopping bags. I thought this woman was sweet in her fur hat and collar


This is one big stick of bolognia that Oscar Meyer would be proud of.
The meat trucks serve raw meat on one side and a small cooked section on the end with roasted chicken and fried vegetables to snack on.
Olives, capers, and other brined items and salted dried fish
Cheese stand (notice the wheels-- these trucks can fold up and drive away)
Check out the cool cauliflower. It looks like an alien life form.
This guy selling fis was also eating a sandwhich with his other hand. (kind of grossed me out a little after I just completed my food handlers safety permit at work a few weeks ago)
Rachael and Rod buying strawberries, artichokes (in season now 10 for 3 e),
This is the stack of boxes beginning to form from the food vendors as they get ready to pack up for the day.

Rod commented on how all of the young women are hot but what happens when they get older? The we saw this lady all decked out in her fur, sunglasses, leggings and high heeled boots for her trip to the market. Very elegant!


In the end we rushed through the market, picked up a couple of things and I found a pair of sparkely ink Lilly & Kelli shoes for Lottie for 15e. I would have payed $25 at Nordstrom Rack for the same pair. So it was a good trip. Sometimes you dont find anything.

Lets go play!

When Lottie Bug wants to go play, there is a variety of little parks around the house. One park is behind the building, over a busy road and tram way and past the doggie run (you cant just play on the grass because doggies go potty there and it isn't usually cleaned up). The playground we took Lottie to was fun. There are a couple of slide sets and a couple of swing sets and a couple of spring riders. Lottie loves the slides. She swings from the bar at the top of the slide a few times and then down the slide she goes. I am actually really grateful they fence in the area. You dont have to worry about her fast little legs taking her someplace she shouldnt be going.

On the street where you live

Lets go visit the Criscione's. See the building on the corner? That is where they live. See all of the cars? Every night they have to find a place to park their car. Along with everyone else that lives close by. Gio takes a bus to work in the Center of Milan. It takes about 15 minutes to get there. Quite often the transit workers like to strike. Today is one of those days. But they usually only strike from 9 A- 4PM so people can still get to and from work. There is a grocery store behind me about a block. So Rachael can put the kids in a stroller and roll down to the store for milk and bananas. Right behind their house is the green metro. It is a rail system. This city is easy to get around IF you get your bearings and know where you are. It is built like a big spirograph. Not the circle ones but the oval ones that go in crazy spiral circles.


This is the entrance to the building the Criscione's live in. The doors to many buildings in Italy are big heavy wood doors. (not the glass ones where Rod is standing but the wooden ones folded back against the wall) They are open during the day when the door man is there. But at other times there is a small door cut into the bug wood door for entrance. I think it is very charming as you walk down the street too see what is behind the big wooden doors and into the courtyard & entrance. Also, this building has some fun character. It has corbels and stone pillar balconies. SOme of the other buildings arent as nice. Inside of the big doors looking back into their courtyard where people keep their bikes. The trash containers are back there too hidden behind a wall. The little room to the right is Lido the door man's office. It is so cute to see little Lottie run past this office-- look up to see if Lido is there and then regardless, wave and yell "Cioa Lido!!"

This is the evelator shaft that is in the center of the left wing. It is a small elevator that fits 4 adults or 3 adults and Rod's camera case. Charlotte prefers to take the stairs. So that means Mimi takes the stairs with Charlotte. The Criscione's live on level 3 which in USA terms means the 4th floor (Terra plus 3).

This is the entrance to the Criscione home. I love how Rachael does a wreath that makes it feel more like back home. When Lottie was born we put a little pink mouse in the wreath she had up at the time. Traditional Italian protocal calls for a big bow in either pink or blue to signify a birth in the family. I think they are kind of tacky but we havent come up with an option this time.

Paris

Mon cherie a'more....
The last time I flew to Italy for Charlotte's birth, I took a red eye to NYC, took the subway into the city and walked around all day including a ricky first time all by myself shopping experience with the black market on Canal Street. Then I boarded another overnight flight to Charles deGaul. As we landed about 5am I looked out my airplane window and saw about 2-3 inches of new snow with a little tonka truck sized plow and knew we were in trouble. I wove my way through the very confusing airport, trying to decifer the difference between Terminal F & Termindal F2. Eventually I found my way back through security and to my connecting flight gate only to realize that very few flights were leaving Paris that day. That would mean my third day sleeping either in an airport or ?? They unchecked all of our bags but now there were thousands of bags piled up with 2 days of stuck travelers. I realized my best option was to try and get a flight out and connect into Milan. Fortunately I was able to get to Rome, then a connecting flight into Milan that night arriving about midnight. Honestly it was a miracle I could get out of Paris at all. If ever you are stuck in Paris, look up and appreciate the architecture of such a beautiful airport. Because, besides its beauty and Chocolate croissants, its was recently rated #1 worse airport in the world. But this time Rod and I had no problems. And neither did our luggage! We were even able to stop for a croissant. Now Paris is redeeming it self.... slightly.

Sunday with Isaac

Isaac LOVED the potato bug position
Mimi is so in love with little brother
Isaac playing "little fingers" with Lottie

Sweet heart & sweet tooth

Happy Valentines Day! My Valentine cooked me a steak and brussell sprouts and I cooked him a chocolate molten lava cake.
I can highly recommend two out of the three. I will let you decide which two.

Hangin' with Oli

Oli and Jack have been hanging out with Mimi & Papa this week.



Helping with the laundry

eating his breakfast