Category: italy

When you are around the neighbourhood in Italy, you’d notice some places which looks something like this :

This one is in Monte Verde near my FIL. I’ve never seen it functioning though.

This one is in Tor Pignattara which around the corner by the way has the best kebab shop that I’ve ever been to.

These are called “Centri Sociali” which is something like a community center in Singapore. They are almost always abandoned buildings which is renovated and refurbished and converted into a social center.

The hammer and the sickle symbol is for the communist political party and might look scary and apprehensive but here you could do a lot of interesting activities here such as learning another language, cooking classes at a fair price as well as meet other like minded, working class people. I’ve yet to meet a deranged politically crazed person here.

Basically these centers are made to bring the people in the neighborhood together.

Anyway, Cart and I were here in La Citta Della Utopia which I think is probably one of the prettiest Centro Sociale that I’ve ever been to.

Originally a building which was said to house Garibaldi, it’s such a charming area! Though it might look so here, walking in the area makes me feel as if I was in a fairy tale. I really liked how rustic everything looked like. Pity I didn’t take more pictures.

But even then, I doubt that the pictures would give it justice. Like this verandah here, filled with beautiful hanging purple flowers. Just walking across it made me feel very tranquil.

In any case, we were here to attend the 4th annual Soup Festival where participants do a cook off and visitors attending give their soups a try and vote for the best one. The winner will get a golden ladle.

It was interesting seeing people busying themselves setting up and decorating their booths, making it all pretty. Cart was excited to try out the double potato soup from this particular booth.

But we reached there too early at about 3pm while the taste test only starts at 4.30pm. We didnt want to wait for over an hour and also didn’t wanted to jostle with the crowd that was sure to arrive then.

So we left.

But I’d like to be here again in the future, maybe to take up one of their courses or just to hang and chill out with the people there.

Maybe I could try to participate in  the soup festival too next year. I’ve already thought up of something to make. A nice bowl of Soto Ayam.

I wonder how well Italians can take the spiciness. I might not win, but it’ll be worth it just to see their expression  Padan muka

There was a riot in Piazza del Popolo yesterday when Prime Minister Berlusconi narrowly won the confidence vote, 314 – 311. He would be forced to resign if he had lost.

A group of about 50,000 people, mostly comprising of students and foreign workers, who expected the premier to lose, were fed up and started to throw eggs to the police in riot gear, setting cars on fire and mayhem ensued.

Inside the parliament house was just as chaotic as claims from the opposition party that votes were bought and when a member decides to give her vote to Berlusconi.

Cart mentioned that there hasn’t been such violence since the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001.

This is scary stuff. Don’t worry everyone, we are fine since we are not living near central Rome. But its creepy to think that we were here just a few days ago and I pity the tourists, the shopkeepers and generally everyone who were caught there.

Read more about the riot via dailymail.

I only knew that there was a Farmer’s Market in Rome when Anna A. was posting some pictures on her facebook album. A farmer’s market are markets where the farmers sell their product directly to the public. And since it is usually items cultivated in the area, without the need to travel much, the items are very fresh

For me, I appreciate farmer’s market because the items sold are usually organic, and one could appreciate items which are local and seasonal.

Intrigued, I asked Anna where it was, and when we found out, the first thing we did was to look through google maps on where it was. I was surprised at how close it was to the touristic monuments. It wasnt too far off where Cart and I were watching the Earth Day concert in April this year either.

But despite our scepticism, we found it, the Mercato Campagna di Amica

It was a lot smaller than what I thought it would be, but its interesting to see nevertheless. At every booth would be the homesteader, proudly showing off their wares and explaining more about their items.

As we reached there in the afternoon instead of early morning, there were lesser items. Like there were only a few breads left when we arrived. And some booths had just a few items left. Luckily we still had an eyeful.

This woman from this cheese booth was slicing up some cheeses and Cart was intruiged by the choices that he got a couple of them like a piece of fresh cheese filled with pistacchio. And one piece of a more matured variety. I’m not too fond of ripe cheeses though.

Whereas I got a bottle of honey with hazelnut and a bottle of onion jam. Onion jam probably doesnt sound appealing nor visually very appealing either but, trust me, its totally delicious! If you like caramelised onions (and who doesnt like caramelised onions?!) you’d definitely love onion jam. Really good in burgers or just a simple toast.

I could finish a bottle in just a few days.

Anyway, it was an interesting tour and in case if you are in Rome (there are also others in other regions too!) and if you’d like  to take a peek.

Mercato di Campagna Amica – Circo Massimo
Website : www.campagna.it
Address :Via San Teodoro 74
Opening hours : Every Sat & Sun from 9am – 6pm

Sidenote : I have a small announcement on my facebook page. Do take a look and participate 🙂