Italy 意大利之旅[12]: Food! Glorious Italian Food!人间美食!

I’ve always find one of the best way to get to know a culture is through its food. Italians love their food and their coffee.

The coffee bar culture is truly interesting, unlike the American coffee bar where you go and get your cuppa on the go. Italians like to sip their afternoon cuppa at the bar counter, while enjoying their cuppa, they catch up on the day’s events by chatting either the barrister or others coffee drinkers. Italians are truly a very friendly bunch, we almost never notice anyone standing alone by the corner, everyone is chatting. Well, with the exception of us since we don’t speak much Italian and vice versa. Nonetheless, we enjoy standing at the counter and “listening” to other chatting, just enjoy the friendliness.

I’ve been writing about my Italian holiday for the past 3 months, is time to conclude the unforgettable journey of discovery, and what better way to conclude than with a feast for the eyes? The taste of fine Italian food – from the simplest lunch time snack to the down to earth hearty traditional Italian fare – will lingers in my taste forever!

Italy 意大利之旅[11]: Basilica 教堂

2 weeks in Italy, what was the biggest impression? Basilica!

Everywhere you go, every corner you turn, you will definite see a Basilica. Big or small, grand or ordinary. Basilica is everywhere! They testified to the important role of religion in Italian people, where they remain the largest Catholic country in the world.

Every town or city has a famous basilica, of which we visited:

1. The golden basilica – Basilica di San Macro in Venice
2. World heritage Romanesque basilica – Corso Duomo in Modena
3. The world 5th largest basilica – Basilica di San Petronio in Bologna
4. One of Italy’s “Big Three” – Duomo Firenze in Florence
5. The famous cousin of The Leaning Tower of Pisa – Pisa Cathedral in Pisa
6. The Holy City of Catholic – Basilica di San Pietro in Vatican City
7. The world largest Gothic basilica – Duomo Milan in Milan

I stood in owe at every one of these Basilica, they are indeed architectural art piece and religious devotion. These Basilica took years to build, spending millions in the process. They still cost millions to upkeep today.

If you’re in search of spiritual enlightening, then Italy is definitely the place to find God!

Italy 意大利之旅[10]: Retire to Lake Como 退休在科莫湖

Our final and last destination in our 2 weeks Italy trip was the famous Town of Como, 30 minutes north of Milan by high speed train. It is a quiet and quaint lake side town, where you can definitely sit by the lakeside and idle the day away by admiring the beautiful Lake Como and its surrounding surreal summer villas build alongside the hill slopes.

You’ll find warm family restaurants own and operated by generations of families, where children made it their playground and you’re known by name. Homemade biscuits and the fine aroma of coffee make it ever more welcoming.

A century-old funicular run alongside the hill slope to the top of Brunate hill, offering spectacular panoramic view of Como and its lake. Residents here lived a simple and uninterrupted life, where time seriously stood still.

If I had the choice to choose where to retire, Como will definitely be my first choice, where else can one’s heart be clam and time stood still?

Italy 意大利之旅[9]: Fine Food in Milan 美味米兰

Milan, the fashion capital of the world, was the last stop of our Italy holiday. It was supposed to be the perfect end to our holiday with crazy shopping of famous Italian fine leather handbags and designers’ wear. But, it was raining through the 3 days we were in Milan, which spoiled our shopping plan.

Well, it was not all that gloom when food is concern. We went looking for the famous Peck, a fine food deli cum restaurant. It opens its door way back in 1883 and through years have expanded from a deli to restaurant and wine bar.

The restaurant section has both counter service and table service. If you want a table be sure that you’re early! Peck served very familiar traditional Italian staples like pasta, pizza, coffee just to name a few. Unfortunately,the menu is only in Italian, so we made a best guessed choice of food. I believed this is what Italian cuisine should taste like in its most original form.

You’ve not been to Europe unless you visit one of the deli, this is where fine living is exemplified, where you’ll find large array of the finest cheese, ham, bacon to name a few. It is a sheer pleasure by itself browsing through the deli and being amazed!

Oh, don’t just stop there, bring some home! The servers are very knowledgeable and is able to vacuum packed all purchases to ensure freshness and easy to carry package. Never just drool at the food from outside the window, either you eat them (if you can’t bring them home) or bring some home to share it with friends and family! For me, I’m greedy, I did both. :p