Afternoon snack, anyone?

In case you didn't know, Italian mealtimes are somewhat different from those in the UK. Lunch is at about 1.30pm, which is similar enough, but dinner? Down here in the south, the earliest you'll eat is at about 9pm. That took some getting used to when I first arrived here!

Even though lunch is the biggest meal of the day, sometimes you need a little extra something to get you through until the evening. So, make way for: The MERENDA. 

This fancy sounding name actually means afternoon snack, usually eaten between 5 and 6 (although this may vary somewhat). Almost everyone I know has a merenda, and it can consist of all sorts of snacky bits. For example, you could have this:

or this:

or this:

or this!

Due to my working hours in the afternoon, I sometimes don't have the chance to have a merenda. But when I do, I must admit that I choose something sweet. A biscuit or two, a cereal bar or a plumcake (those living in Italy will know that this has nothing at all to do with plums..) and some tea (usually iced). It gives me a nice (albeit unhealthy!) sugar rush to get me through the afternoon. What do you have, or what would you choose for your merenda?