I have one thing on my shopping list: cotton Italian socks for my son. Once I found them, I purchased 16 pair, 8 pair for 10€. I relaxed and walked.
The streets here are beautiful! Best to buy Italian shoes for walking. They are built to keep your feet comfortable.
Rosa has a shopping list today: lettuce and fresh cherries. While she waited her turn, I snapped a picture of the vendor. She resembles a character from a fairy tale. She sports only two front side teeth and keeps her customers in line, scolding one woman for touching the vegetables. I wonder how she can be almost toothless if her life work is selling this fresh healthy food.
Rosa and I walked home, stopping along the way to try on shoes. All the shoe stock are displayed right in the windows. No need to go inside, unless you have an interest to buy. We saw adorable leopard skin sandals, made in Turkey. Unfortunately cute but uncomfortable.
The days here are so long! We had lunch which included one of my favorite comfort foods. Cotelleto, Nonna's recipe. Thin pounded chicken breast, breaded and fried. I watched Marina make zucchini flowers. I ate every morsel on my plate. I never feel the need to snack here. Although we did have a handful of oven roasted hazel nuts while we watched Marina prepare the food. I need to fix my own jar of these nuts at home!
At 3.30 Rosa and I left for an afternoon outing in Crema with her friend and work colleague Alice. Our destination is a shop which does ear piercing. They've been think of doing this and are scared-excited. I'm just here to watch, I tell them! It rained softly all afternoon.
Two years ago we went to an all day natural hot spring spa together. It was fabulous. Today we promised each other to go again, during my next visit here.
The rain persisted. I was the only one with an umbrella. We stopped in at Bar Duomo to wait out the rain and had hot chocolate. Fabulous and warm. Alice offered to take a picture as I was focusing this. Rosa explained, I do this all the time. These food pictures. We laughed! My family is used to my obsession with capturing the essence of life here. And I need to be able to re-create this food at home.
We walked back to the car. We'd been gone exactly 2 hours, just in time for our parking ticket to expire.
Rosa continued her wait while I moved onto the traveling shop which sells all things fried and grilled. I've been wanting to try the fried fish. Last time I was here I tested the stuffed fried green olives. Yumm!
I took a number and waited my turn. Both the wait and the taste were an experience. These people were not patiently waiting in line. Wait numbers were called out. Better be quick to wave your number, otherwise it was onto the next number. I love to watch and learn in these situtations.
I had my number ready: 93 novanta-tre. I decided to just point when my turn came. This fish, one piece. 'È basta così. Grazie' (That's all, thank you!)
I chose the 'merluzzo fritto.' It was good, but it was not at all like fish and chips. It tasted like fried super fresh fish with crispy skin I remember from my childhood. My curiosity was satisfied. It was only a small piece. I tossed out the wrapper containing the last bit of skin.
We headed home. Since no one was around, we left again and walked to COOP grocery store to look for a shopping bag. My purchases have filled my suitcase and I don't want a bag weighing more than 50 pounds. I desperately need a plastic shopper.
When I first started visiting this store, my family told me it was rather communist and just a tad unsavory. Times have changed. COOP has aligned itself with the Slow Food movement and sells many regional products. Also their brand name is trusted for its excellence.
We could not find a heavy duty shopping bag. Rosa will give me one of hers! But she did cause me to buy one more thing!! I'm really really done shopping. A book. I read the synopsis. She was right. I couldn't pass up this book. I love this family so much. We are attached at the heart.
I've just now noticed something on the cover of this book. A feather.
We found the shop! Not a jewlers as I was thinking. I'm in a tattoo shop for the first time on my life! Oddly, the girl behnd the counter has neither tattos nor piercings. The artist is out today. They need to return on Wednesday. It's walk-in only, without appointments. Outside, I mentioned my observation about the countergirl. They had noticed the same and had asked her. I missed that part of the conversation. 'Not good for the health,' said the shop girl. They are not deterred. Wednesday they'll be back.
EXPO 2015 is being celebrated all over Italy. Here in tiny Crema, a huge ferris wheel takes up the entire piazza.
Dinner with Marta and family! Marta like her mother Martina and her sister Rosa is a wonderful cook and hostess. We eat better at home than any restaurant. We end the evening with a 'game' of hide and seek. Baby G knows his numbers, just not in the right order yet. Hugs all around. I depart in the morning. I hate leaving.
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