Easter treats

Well would you look at that. Easter is almost upon us! It's almost time to start scoffing chocolate eggs, which makes me very excited indeed. What makes me even MORE excited than consuming vast quantities of chocolate however, is that soon my parents will be arriving. It's been several months since I've seen them, and so it's about time that we saw each other. There are already several family meet-ups organised, the majority of which involve lunches or dinners (of course), and I'm once again looking forward to witnessing the (amusing) reliance on non verbal communication. Mine don't speak Italian, his don't speak English; you get the idea. In all seriousness though, it's amazing how much a big smile and a warm embrace can show affection and can create bonds. My boyfriend's dad does have one token phrase though; the ever-useful 'WHAT TIME IS IT?!'. I'm quite sure he doesn't know how to actually tell the time in English...but at least he's making an effort.

In other 'news', it has been a while since I've posted some pics of delicious dolce, so I thought I'd better deliver. The other morning, myself and my man went out for breakfast, and instead of a nice healthy colazione, we went for nice and unhealthy instead. Cappuccino? Check. Crostata alla nutella? Check. Small, cream filled croissant? Ohhh yes.

As I was enjoying my sweet breakfast, I also snapped a few pics of the cream cakes on offer at the bar. Sunday is the day of dolce, and so the counter was filled with all sorts of tasty treats.

And finally, a little while ago I discovered a cute little bar which serves great cocktails. Not only this, but their aperitivo is also pretty impressive.  And all for €6, cocktail included? Yes please! I recently went there with a friend and we had a very nice evening indeed.

Have a happy Easter folks! :D

(Sweet) Breakfast Time

Breakfast is possibly my favourite meal of the day. This may be because it's so satisfying; after a good few hours of not eating, it's like the body is well and truly ready to start scoffing something. Well, at least mine is. Or, it may also be because here in Italy, breakfast is made up of all things sweet: bread with jam or nutella, brioche, croissants, biscuits, cakes...as long as it's dolce, it has a place at the breakfast table. If you go to a big (or even medium) sized hotel here in Italy, especially in the more northern parts of the country, you'll find all manner of yummy breakfast items, from sweet to savoury and everything in between. But in southern Italian homes, and many little b&bs in the south, you may only find sugary treats. My favourite breakfast consists of a croissant, a delicious cappuccino and maybe a glass of orange juice. Whether it's at a bar or in the comfort of my own home, I will never miss my sweet, sweet breakfast.

Brekky at the bar...

...or brekky at home!

 For some Italians however, a sweet, sweet breakfast like mine is just not an option. Instead, they plump for a shot of espresso and continue on their way. Well! Apart from the fact that these folk are well and truly missing out on a delicious meal, it's a wonder that they can function without eating something. My brain definitely doesn't get going before the coffee and croissant and possibly biscuits and juice and... anyway. I am a true advocate of la colazione and will continue to preach to all and sundry about the importance of a good brioche or two come the morning.

What are your favourite breakfast treats?

Saturday post (5 things)

1. Saturday is my favourite day. This is one of the reasons why:

At around 10.30am me and my boyfriend go out for breakfast. There's nothing I like better on a Saturday morning that sinking my teeth into a lovely pastry and drinking a gorgeous cappuccino. It's so unbelievably relaxed.

2.For a little while, at the start of September, I thought autumn was slowly creeping in. I had taken to wearing jeans and a cardigan, boots, a jacket in the evening, even a light scarf! But it seems as though the weather is all confused, because once again I'm back in shorts and sandals. I'm pretty happy to have a last little bit of summer. Beach tomorrow! :D

3.Unfortunately, this late summer heat has brought a load of horrid flies with it. They are gross and they are EVERYWHERE.

4. I learnt today that my sleepy little town is, well, not so sleepy after all. I read in the local paper that a (and I quote) 'Bonnie and Clyde' couple were recently pulled over by the carabinieri with a gun and a load of cocaine in their car. It's always the places you least expect....

5.And finally, thanks to all you fantastic people out there, my blog has reached over 10,000 visits since mid April. Thank you so much for popping by, and I hope you will again in the future!

Have a smashing weekend!

Coffee...part DUE

So here you have it. A (rather very delayed) part 2 of my post on coffee. Do have a look HERE if you haven't yet read part 1! It's 'stimulating' stuff...! (rolls eyes at self)

So what kind of coffees do people go for here? Well, of course, there's the caffe or espresso. A strong shot of coffee which will definitely wake you up.

If this is a bit to strong for you (believe me, it's pretty strong) then you can add a dash of foam to make a macchiato. Or, a tad more milk and you've got yourself an espressino- my personal favourite. Sometimes they ask you if you want a dash of cocoa on top. I always say yes.

If even this is a bit too strong, or not 'long' enough, you can ask for a Latte con caffe. Don't just ask for a latte, or all you'll get is milk!

Then there's the cappuccino. Perfect with breakfast in the morning. I've heard a lot of people going on about how you 'can't possibly drink it after midday, it's just not Italian!'. Well, I say if you want one, have one. When you drink your cappuccino won't give away that you aren't Italian- I'm sure the locals will know that even before you've opened your mouth to order!

Then, when it gets all hot and sweaty in the summer months, you can go for a colder option- the crema di caffe or slightly more elaborate espressino freddo. Both are like a thick, creamy, coffee ice cream/milkshake type thing. In other words: awesome.

Down here in the south, you'll get some water with your coffee. This is gratis and often sparkling, so if you want naturale, make sure you ask for it. Whether you should drink it before or after your coffee I'm not really sure, but I do know that it's nice and refreshing after a strong espresso!

So how many coffees a day do people drink here? Well, quite a lot. Several of my students have told me that they drink 5 or 6 a day. Good grief! I can manage a maximum of 3, and even then I feel a bit queasy (although right before the queasiness comes 'animated, excitable and twitchy Amy'). My boyfriend isn't awake without a coffee in the morning, and my colleague can't open a textbook without having knocked one back. And she's not even Italian!!

Whatever type of coffee you want, it can be made for you. And it doesn't cost that much, especially round here. No more than €1 for a caffe. Drink it in the morning, before and after lunch, after your afternoon nap (yes, really) or before you head off on a night out. But don't expect a nice big cup full of it. It's short, sharp, tasty and oh-so-effective. None of those bucket-fulls that you get at Costa (sorry Costa....)