#5: Ge(lat)opolitics
Ciao!
I always thought that Italy was located on the other side of the world to Australia, but it turns out that actually it is on the face of the sun.
The temperatures this week have stayed around 37-38 degrees every day and we, along with the antique electrical wiring in our apartment, are struggling. Yesterday we found the limit for the fuse box. Fair enough, we had every air conditioner and fan in the place running at maximum power, but we tipped the poor system over the edge by also running the washing machine (me) and the dishwasher (David) at the peak of the day's heat.
Luckily we only tripped the main switch located in the meter box downstairs, which was easily fixed. Thus admonished, we are now being much more frugal with our power consumption. I can only imagine in my darkest nightmares how impossible it would be to find an electrician who was available on the hottest day of the summer...
Our project for the last couple of weeks has been to find a couple of reliable babysitters in town who can help out on the afternoons / evenings when we need a little break from our always angelic (hmm) figli. One girl, Ilenia, has won over our hearts (and stomachs) by bringing some tomatoes from her vegetable garden at home. My goodness, they brought tears to our eyes when we ate them. So much flavour! All other tomatoes have now been ruined forever.
She also recommended a restaurant that served the most delicious spaghetti alle vongole I have ever tasted, or could even have imagined. I'm still dreaming about it a week later.
While pasta is our staple food here, gelato is running a very close second. Our local favourite, Momo Gelateria, is fantastic. We think it is owned and operated entirely by a single family. The 20-something year old boy and girl who are always serving seem to be siblings, while you get the odd sighting of a 50ish year old man as well who looks a lot like the boy. No sighting yet of la mamma. I can only imagine the strings she is pulling behind the scenes!
My favourite thing about Momo's is the absolute confusion that their ordering and payment processes wreak on their customers. They have a big sign, in Italian and English, on the counter which clearly instructs you to pay (and take a receipt) before you order your gelato. This is quite common in Italy (often without the sign, you just have to know) however the curve ball here is that I have never once seen them actually take payment before they scoop the gelato.
The till is right at the back of the shop - you have to walk past the sign first and then the display cabinets full of ice cream before you get to it. On your way, you will be greeted by the boy who will stand expectantly in front of the tubs as if waiting for your order. You pause, confused, and see that there's no one at the till. You take a step in that direction, but the boy doesn't move with you. He waits for your order.
So you say what you want.
He scoops it out and puts the cone on the top of the counter for you to take. Which you do. You then head towards the till to pay. Again, he doesn't move with you. He looks to the next person to order. You are lost. What now? You walk to the till anyway and wait. Eventually the girl or the father will appear from somewhere and take your money, however you get the strong feeling that even now, you are trying to do this too soon.
And this is when the shop is otherwise empty - it is diabolical when it is full of people all at various stages of this ungainly dance.
I haven't yet dared to eat the gelato before paying as this seems entirely backwards, but maybe that's the idea? In any case, I'm comforted by the fact that even local Italians seem wrongfooted. My latest theory is that the sign is la mamma's work, but the children and the father are not so keen to be bound by such strict processes. Who knows?
Lots of love,
Kate
