Friday May 30 & Saturday May 31
We finally got to Mari's(Luigi's sister) apartment almost three hours later!! We crashed for three hours in the afternoon, and I would have continued to sleep the rest of that day and all night. But we had been invited to dinner at Luigi's Aunt (Zia) Sylvana. My first introduction to eating cuisine from an Italian household.
She served us some yummy Antipasti(appetizers). Prosciutto and melon. I knew not to stuff myself, as there would be the main course. So I passed on the second appetizer. We sat down at the dinner table and had incredible pasta. I cleaned up a huge bowl. I expected that was the main course. When she came out with another plate I realized what I just had was the Primi ( or first dish). o.k. So I now would be eating a Secondi (second course) which is usually a protein. The steak Milenese was great, so when she encouraged me to have another helping, I did. Soon she went back out into the kitchen and brought out some other dish, which I have forgotton by now. I told myself that this was to go with the meat. O.k., I can handle that. Over the course of the next few minutes, she brought out salad and a couple of other dishes.
It became quite clear that, If I continued eating this way, I would have to roll out of there, and I would be putting on extra weight if I were to continue to eat this way at Luigi's family invites.
We had two different desserts. One of which was Gelato(Italian Ice Cream--the best!!!) So I couldn't very well say no to that.
I was beginning to feel very sleepy and could barely keep my eyes from closing. This should have been the time for me to get back and go to sleep. But that did not occur. They were having a political discussion of which everything was spoken in Italian. I knew it was political because I heard a "Bush" and 'America' words in the discussion and Luigi translated a couple of things, but mostly not. So I just sat there, full of food as Miss Roly Poly and 'listened' to their Italian discussions. Even though I was sleepy, it was still very frustrating to sit there like a mute and not participate in the conversation. Especially since they were talking about my country!
They were speaking. at one point about GMO's and why Europeans don't want them. His Aunt was saying that Monsanto(manufacturers and distributors of GMO's) was cheating the countries it was selling it to because the seeds could only be planted one time. Strange. Maybe that is just the character of the seeds. And I would have thought there would have been some other protest regarding environmental and nature changes. (Re: Birds traveling south who ate GMO corn died. And the discovery of some seeds getting mixed up with 'real' seeds and corrupting them.)
I wanted to find out exactly what they were saying about Bush. But why even bother to have it translated when I knew the coversation would not be positive.
We were there til 2:00 a.m. I did NOT fall asleep. My body clock was just too messed up. I fell asleep finally at 6:00 a.m. and slept til 7:00. Then fell asleep once more after breakfast at 10:00, but only slept til 11:30. I was not thrilled at sleeping only2 1/2 hours.
We eventually made it to the Duomo of Milano(main Cathedral in a city). We also went across from the Cathedral to the Galleria, a structure from the turn of the 20th century. I now know where these 'Galleria' shopping malls in the states got the idea. The Galleria housed shops and several restaurants. In the center was a new car pitched on it's front bumper and the tail in the air. Some kind of marketing set up. One positive thing for me was that any person handing out pamphlets or immigrant vendors trying to sell me something, I had a great excuse. 'No speaka Italian' Actually I said "No parla Italiano!"
We went to a Gelato ice cream place. There were a zillion flavors and quite a crowd of people waiting (NOT in line---Italians do not form regimented lines---they are all over the place!). The Gelato was, please excuse the truism, out of this world!! I love it! I would go back there tomorrow just for the Gelato. There was a Gelato place, I learned later, on 'almost every corner'. If we could just get rid of all those crappy Burger Kings and McDonald's and replace them all with Gelato ice cream stores, I think this country would be a better place. Shall I list all the garbage Americans eat. How about the worst meat they use for hamburgers. And those Big Gulps?! Soft drinks are not exactly the best thing for you. I wouldn't give it to my kids (if i had any kids). There is nothing that great worth saving in a fast food joint except the saving of your time('FAST food'). At least Gelato is quality food. Ironically there was a McDonald's right in the Galleria, across from the 'handstand' car. Mari told us that most Italians didn't go in but a heck of a lot of tourists did!
Enough of my hatred of Fast Garbage places. That night I couldn't fall asleep again. We had come home and Luigi made some steak for dinner and fell asleep while it was cooking. I went to bed at Midnight. When sleep wouldn't come I went into the kitchen and turned on the T.V., and sat there eating chocolate and cookies. Sometimes when I am at home I will eat chocolate at night and it puts me right to sleep. Unfortunately, my darn stubborn time clock would not change.......sleep did not come. So I watched Italian programs, trying to figure out what was going on and wondering why I never saw any fat Italians and dreaming of Mango and Straciatella(chocolate chip) Gelato.
