The Italian Voice

DETAILS

Directed by: Matteo Garrone
Produced by: Domenico Procacci
Subject: Roberto Saviano
Written by: Matteo Garrone, Roberto saviano, Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni Di Gregorio, Massimo Gaudioso
Starring: Toni Servillo, Gianfelice Imparato
Music by: Massive Attack
Cinematography: Marco Onorato
Editing by: Marco Spoletini
Scenography: Paolo Bonfini
Costumes: Alessandra Cardini
Makeup: Alessandro Bertolazzi
Production House: Fandango, in cooperation with Rai Cinema and SKY and with the support of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Assets
Release dates: Italy May 16, 2008 - France August 13, 2008 - Germany September 11, 2008
Running time: 135 min.
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Year: 2008
Series: Dramatic
Prizes: Grand Prix at the Festival de Cannes 2008 and Premio Città di Roma - Arcobaleno Latino
Official website: Gomorra

Roberto Saviano, writer of the book which inspired
the movie called Gomorra, with the homonym title

Watch the official trailer HERE

MY BRIEF REVIEW

Gomorra is the docu-movie, based on the famous homonym bestseller written by the young journalist and writer (under police’s escort service) Roberto Saviano; it is a book-denunciation against the criminality of the camorra, set in Scampia, a quarter of Neaples which is situated in the northern suburb of the city.
The movie shows exactly the operation of the illegal traffics and of the inner equilibriums of the Italian criminal enterprise where anyone is excluded, because the emotional bonds do not mind, everyone is submitted to the hard-and-fast law of the camorra.

The title is a wordplay among the name of the city of perdition, Gomorrah, together with Sodom, which are mentioned into the Bible, and the consonance with the name of the camorra.

The plot of the story is a weave of lives who contribute in different ways to fuel the crimes of the families’ clans.

The main characters are: Franco, seasoned professional of the international toxic garbage disposal; Pasquale, always exploited dressmaker of haute couture; Totò, promising young who does not want to lose his innocence; Don Ciro, consignee of money to the families into the war of clans; Marco and Ciro, two young ones who want to prevail on the boss.

The movie goes at the heart of the matter, the scenography makes it an exploitation one, but very realistic and for this reason it is very appreciated by the public; it offers perpetual suspence, also due to the fact that the cameras are always on the move, it makes you stay literally glued at the seat of the cinema for 2 hours.
The colors of the shots are not too brilliant to give a sense of urban blight of the area and also of the corruption of the life, they highlight the typical high shabby buildings, stairs, corners, tiny streets, sheds, pits and so on.

So my message for you, folks outside Italy, is: stay tuned for the release date in your Country and do remember the name of this Italian movie, because you will esteem it very much, as everyone already did it with the Saviano’s book; as soon as it arrives in your cinemas, you will not forget its subject so easily!

* * * * *

REMINDER FOR MY READERS: Tomorrow I will leave by train to reach my boyfriend at the new flat and I will be back on Saturday late evening, so see you on Sunday with my updates. Have a nice weekend everyone!!

The Aemilian cooking is one of the most tasty and ancient in Italy, it has several famous dishes, especially for the first course.

Today I am here to suggest you the sublime ragù bolognese. Everybody tries to imitate it, but they do not know the secrets of its recipe.

Now you have the chance, like me, to try the official recipe, which a delegation from Bologna of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina (which means “Italian Academy of the Cooking”, editor’s note) has issued to assure the continuity and the observance of the bolognese gastronomic tradition in Italy and in the world.

There is nothing like the taste and the satisfation given by an homemade dish, especially with this sauce, you will see it!

Ragù bolognese
(official recipe)

shot by teresa_gennarino

Ingredients for 4 persons

- 300 g of beef pulp (part between the lungs and the ribs)
- 100 g of sweet bacon (so not the smoked one)
- 5 spoons of double or triple tomato paste
- 1/2 glass of red wine (the Sangiovese secco is ideal)
- 1 glass of meat broth (but it is ok also the veggie one)
- 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery (50 g each one, minced)
- salt and pepper
- milk
- extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Let the minced sweet bacon and the vegetables fry together in a pot with a few spoons of extra virgin olive oil, then add the minced beef pulp and, after they have browned abundantly, pour 1/2 glass of red wine.
When the wine has finished to boil off, add 5 spoons of tomato paste, with desired salt and pepper, 1 glass of bouillon and continue the cooking at low flame for a couple of hours, during which you have to reshuffle and to add every time some spoons of milk; the milk is added to avoid that the sauce appear too red and to let it take the typical brown colour and the typical sublime taste of the ragù bolognese.

The modern version mixes the beef meat with the pork meat (for example, the fresh salsiccia, which is the sausage).

You can use immediately the tasty ragù onto your dishes of pasta and you can also put it into glass jars to preserve into the freezer so that they will be available every time you need and you want them, remembering to take them out some hours before the meal, letting them defrost naturally.
Someone even affirms that the ragù bolognese have a better taste the day after its cooking.

Tonight I was not able to sleep properly, I did it only for a couple of hours and then I had to stand up to finish what I started yesterday afternoon: the translation and transcription of a sensational interview made two evenings ago by Striscia la Notizia, an Italian famous satirical newscast (which in reality is more serious than the real ones), to the nephew of the Padre Pio’s doctor.

I guess you all know who is Padre Pio, the Italian friar who received stigmata, who has been proclaimed Saint and who has been recently exhumed by the religious authorities.

shot by Darriuss Royce

Tonight I could not sleep because I wanted to finish my important translation and transcription to let you know what that man told at the tv, which really could cause an investigation about the wonderful things which he told about and, I guess, even convert more people than how much the Saint’s life and death already did.

I place here the original video of the interview in Italian, which lasts 7 minutes, and below you can find the whole translation, I hope that you will appreciate my work and that you will leave me your opinions about these incredible news. Enjoy!

Showman: …citizens, because it’s the moment of the exclusive interview to the nephew of the Saint Padre Pio’s doctor; in addition to some unexplainable facts which are about the exhumation of the Saint, we are about to listen to different exstraordinary revelations. Do follow carefully this shoot.

Q: Well, friends of Striscia (“Striscia la Notizia”, editor’s note), today we will tell you about Padre Pio. We are with Alberto Festa, nephew of the doctor Giorgio Festa, the Padre Pio’s doctor for 21 years. Good morning, Alberto.
A: Hello.

Q: You called us because lately..people always spread rumors about Padre Pio, but lately we talk more about him because his body has been exhumed. You called us to tell us something sensational.
A: I noticed a very strange thing.

Q: Yes…
A: In the reliquary where the Padre Pio’s body is placed, it’s very clearly visible that onto the reliquary they places some seals (red rounds, editor’s note). The seals are placed by the authorities of the Vatican, Friars Capuchin, but surely the ones of the Vatican just to seal up (red rounds, editor’s note) something which mustn’t be profaned in time. Here there is also in this quite big photo of the Padre Pio’s sister who pray, then you see…(white rounds, editor’snote).

Q: And also in this photo in black and white you see…(red rounds, editor’s note).
A: The strange thing which I noticed is that at the opening of the Padre Pio’s reliquary at his exhumation, which is called canonical inspection…

Q: There is a plate of zinc…
A: There is a plate of zinc which has been placed onto it. When they removed the plate of zinc - and it is clearly visible - uncannily you can not see the seals anymore. It is clearly visible, these seals (white rounds, editor’s note) are not present, in any way! In addition this is the official photo.

Q: And let’s talk about these books. Are they abducted?
A: Yes, i.e. this is a book which at the beginning was labeled by the Vatican. This book is of the 1933 (entitled “Among the misteries of the Science and the lights of the Faith” by Giorgio Festa, editor’s note), when a few people knew who was Padre Pio.

Q: And…what you can find in this book?
A: In this book there is a fact which is well-know not really by everybody, but..let’s say..surely by the experts about Padre Pio, that is that my uncle operated Padre Pio twice. He operated him in quite particular circumstances because he operated him into his cell, into the cell n°5, which was used as operating room without any kind of anaesthesia because Padre Pio refused the anaesthesia, also the topical one.

Q: What kind of…?
A: The first operation, which was the most important one, was due to peritonitis with complications of hernias, so it was a quite complicated operation because it also had some complications, etc. (white rounds, editor’s note). I repeat, this scenario suggests some hypothesis: could the Padre Pio’s body be moved? I tell that do not know it, but I say another thing, that there would be a proof, that is my uncle operated him…onto this Padre Pio’s body…

Q: There would be…
A: The signs must be visible…

Q: The scars…
A: They found also signs of operations also onto the mummies, so..

Q: So, theories…
A: In theory the proof would be present, now..

Q: Exact, so you say that, if the corpse has been moved somewhere else, the corpse that they found at the opening of reliquary could be another one.
A: I repeat, I do not know it, I can not affirm it.

Q: The theory is that, you told me with the cameras off, that (the body, editor’s note) could be moved even at the Vatican..?!
A: This are rumors which are spreading for several years, which surely does not come from me but, among the different hypothesis which I heard, they said also this one.

Q: You inherited a lot of objects from Padre Pio: the first glove, the lints of the operation…(relics in the frame, editor’s note)
A: Yes, a lot of objects.

Q: Very important objects, but we know that you also have a letter from Padre Pio.
A: Yes.

Q: Could you tell us about it?
A: Yes, I tell about it in complete way..finally..after long time, about which there has been a big misinformation and also, I must tell the truth, they created a ponderous journalistic and television censorship.

Q: It is ok. Now we have the chance in this moment to talk about this letter.
A: Great. Finally, finally.

Q: Ok. Can we see it?
A: Yes. This letter is a letter written by Padre Pio on March 20th, 1968, that was a few months before his death (red round, editor’s note), and it is the content which is, for me, the one which is absolutely shocking, it can be defined a spiritual testament of the friar.

Q: Do we want to read it?
A: Well, the letter is addressed to the Father Cristoforo Arrigo from Vico del Gargano and the letter quotes:-”Brother, God calls me and I put in your hands the remains which humble secrets which were given to me by faithful Christians to deliver: to Father Fortunato from Serra Capriola the bowl which, with its water, wet our Lord’s lips onto the Calvary; to Mr Manuelino, approached to the sacred altar, the lamp which enlightened the path of the Christians at the Colosseum; for you I give the little greek jar of the Apostle Peter, kept secret in me, because God’s present to my father and witness of the immense light, hold it for the poor ones in faith“.
Vice versa, I think that these poor ones in faith do not know nothing at all about this story, but not for my will, which is exactly the contrary but, I want to tell it, for the religious authorities’ will, who did not want in any way to let people talk about this story.
He gives objects which are strictly linked to Jesus Christ! The bowl which wet the Lord’s lips onto the Calvary! The jar of the Apostle Peter containing the God’s immense light!
That is..the God’s immense light in the Christianity, if you allow me…

Q: I am sorry, we’re talking about the Holy Grail…?!
A: This is what several people claim, I can not do this statement, but if you want my own opinion…

Q: Can I turn it?
A: This would be the object (little jar, editor’s note) that Padre Pio enclosed to this letter.

Q: I am sorry, Alberto. Now, we..the tv audience at home..in this moment I jump onto the chair and also the tv audience at home because, if all this would be true, you tell me that anyway this letter has received assessments, there are some assessments and the object is actually that one…
A: Yes, well, I immediately tell you.

Q: I do not know, we take everything cautiously.
A: I take it upon myself about what I am telling, but I really take it upon myself, because I show you two things. There is a report of 60 pages of the doctor Brown, who affirms absolutely (red round, editor’s note) that there is no doubt that this letter has been written by Padre Pio. But there is something more, because there is also the assessment by the doctor De Rossi, in which he claims that this object is placeable in the Roman period, that is about 2000 years old. I do not need absolutely notoriety for this thing. What I am interested in is that the Padre Pio’s devotees know that this thing exists and that…

Q: Clear.
A: …the authority does not want that this thing be revealed, they do not want..for what reason?

Q: Why?
A: You do not have to ask it to me.

Q: Did you also receive menaces, did not you?
A: Yes. I received menaces also for physical retaliation.

Q: Ok. I shake hands with you. If all this would be true…who knows?!
[Jimmy Ghione, Striscia la Notizia, Rome]

Bologna is my capital of province, I am always happy to write about it.

Today I am glad to suggest you a nice event all’italiana, which means “in the Italian way”, which will take place just here.

For the ones who are in Bologna during this weekend or who are planning a getaway here, it will be funny to attend a particular bolognese evening called “CENA Stuzzicando all’italiana”.

On Saturday May 24^th, 2008 at 8:30 pm the Mokita Cafè will offer an odd dinner based on salty and sweet appetizers with rigorously homemade and well-groomed foods, for an amount of Euro 22 per person (all inclusive, only with reservation).

The menu will be composed of:

- Antipasto and Aperitif
- Mixed Croutons and Fantasy of Appetizers
- Salty and Sweet Fritto Misto all’italiana
- Poker of Desserts
- Water, Wine and Coffee

info and reservation, please call Daniela at +39 31974600 or +39 051 6332471, website (in Italian): http://www.mokitacafe.it/mokita-eventi-bologna.asp - email: info@mokitacafe.it.

I heartily suggest this nice event if you are around Bologna, it is a wonderful occasion to spend your Saturday evening and to discover the ancient dishes of the bolognese area.

You can easily reach the Mokita Cafè, which is not too far from the Fair District in Via Caduti di Via Fani n°15, between Viale della Repubblica and Viale Aldo Moro (from the airport, take the airport shuttle called “Aerobus BLQ ” - from the railway station, take the buses n°10 or 35 or 38 with the tickets bought before going aboard - from Bologna downtown, take the buses n°10 or 28 or 38 with the tickets bought before going aboard - from the highways coming from Milan, Florence and Ancona, exit at the new tollgate called “Bologna Fiera” – from the highway coming from Padua, exit at the ring road n°8 for Ingressi Nord, Michelino, Moro and Parcheggio Michelino or at the ring road n°7 for Ingresso and Parcheggio Costituzione).
They have a comfortable parking just in front of the restaurant bar.

The Mokita Cafè is always open Monday to Thursday 07:00 am to 01:30 am, on Friday from 07:00 am to 03:00 am, on Saturday from 05:00 pm to 03:00 am, during the periods of the fairs it is open on Saturday and Sunday 07:00 am to 03:00 am.

I do not know how to act and what to think anymore.

I want to share everything about my Country.
Yep, Italy has wonderful cities, wonderful landscapes, wonderful art, wonderful history, wonderful food, but I can not avoid to report what I know.
Everything is wonderful here. Everything but the interests of the politics.

I get totally troubled and shocked every time I look for online news which are offered by journalist who still have a conscience, who still spend their working hours hunting and reporting the truth without altering it; they are often in peril because they tell the facts as they really are, without protecting anyone and, on the contrary, telling on everything without filters.

I am very glad that we still have those good journalists here and I am very thankful that there is still someone who is able to do his/her job in the proper way, but I can not do anything to help people if they do not want to open their eyes.

I am sure that Italians are totally asleep and the worst thing is that it seems that they do not want to wake up at all…othrwise they would do something necessarily, I want to believe it!! Do not you?
They do not care about what it is happening in their Country, about what is good and what is not, they probably believe in fairy tales where the good always wins out and the evil is always knocked down.
Unfortunately we do not live in the fairy tales and, if someone does not stop the evil, it tends to increase until influencing everything and everybody.
I am not too much catastrophic, I am not catastrophic enough!

Today I am shocked by a map about the incinerators who are situated in the whole “boot” (and you know Italy is planning to increase their number in a not too far future); together with the areas of their localizations, it is shown a scheme of colours demonstrating the decrement of the estimated life in months due to the anthropogenic fine particles called PM 2,5: it is expressed starting from 1 month with the lighter colour to 36 months with the black one.

Map of the decrement of the estimated life in months
due to the anthropogenic PM 2,5

Looking at the map deeply (and I heartily suggest you to check it HERE using also the zoom), you can first notice that there is no place enlightened with the lighter colour, but even with the immediately subsequent ones; in fact, you can see the warmer colours starting from the middle of the scheme!

Now…do you really think it is conscientious for Italians to watch tv programs where experts suggest to maintain incinerators and even to build new ones, especially if these experts are people such Mr Umberto Veronesi (read also THIS ARTICLE ), who is a doctor, a surgeon and even a politic (now do you understand why he is not against incinerators even if he is a doctor and knows very well the effects of them on our health)?

You know that I am going to move to another region of Italy. In these days I am deciding what to carry at the new flat and what not.
After deep considerations, I must admit that I am very tempted to leave the tv, especially after this last year; in fact, thanks to internet which appears to be free, at least until now, I discovered that the Italian citizens are strongly manipulated by the media which tell wrong news and systematically catch the truth.
Together with this temptation, I am wondering how could I do without my favourite tv serials, shows and documentaries, I could find them online, but yep…unfortunately I am a victim of the idiot box like many others.
So I really guess that I will carry it at the new flat, also because my parents want to change it and they would give us their old tv (which in reality is not old at all).
In this way, I will be able to follow my favourite tv programs and even to record them if I will not be home at those moments, yippee (later I will write an apposite entry about the Italian tv’s system)!!

Anyway, these thoughts today forced me to think about what it is worth the while for me at the tv in this period and I realized that there is something which I really appreciate from its very beginning.
What do you think about if I tell you that is “an enlarged family of 7, facing life in the typical Roman way (and accent)”?
Sure, they are “I Cesaroni” (which sounds like a typical Roman last name)!!

The tv serial “I Cesaroni” was inspired by the one called “Los Serrano” which was conceived for a Mediaset’s Spanish format and produced by Telecinco and Globomedia and I can add that the both the Italian and the Spanish versions had a big success.

Unfortunately the characters are written only in Italian in the dedicated page on Wikipedia, maybe soon I will translate the page in English and I will let you know; anyway, you can also visit the official website , even if it is in Italian as well.
To discover the story, you can basically know that:

- Giulio Cesaroni (actor: Claudio Amendola) is thehead of household, prototipe of the real Roman; he owns a bar called Bottiglieria Garbatella in the homonym quarter with his brother Cesare; widower of Marta with 3 boys, Marco, Rudy and Mimmo; after several years alone he met Lucia, her favourite woman of his youth and decided to marry her;
- Lucia Liguori (actress: Elena Sofia Ricci): ex wife of a rich and snob businessman called Sergio, teacher at the junior high school, relocated in Rome which was her hometown, mother of 2 girls, Eva and Alice.

Elena Sofia Ricci and Claudio Amendola in “I Cesaroni”

The events revolve around this couple, facing the daily problems of an enlarged family, first of all during the period of acquaintance of the respective families (Giulio Cesaroni with his 2 sons and Lucia Liguori with her 2 daughters, but also the other relatives, such as Giulio’s brother and Lucia’s mother, and even with their friends’ family and the neighbours), then during the cohabitation, which results to be forced for the young ones and it ends up even that the older sons of both of the parents fall in love, pressed upon the doubt if it is right to show their own feelings or if it is better to because they are stepbrothers.

Matteo Branciamore and Alessandra Mastronardi in “I Cesaroni”
play the role of the old sons, respectively of Marco and Eva

I am sure that this wonderful success of “I Cesaroni” was and is still due to the genuineness of the performing and of the story itself, because this tv serial shows the reality of a typical Roman family dealing with the daily problems caused by a wedding between two adults who already had children.
It is true because it really happens everywhere and, in addition, the Roman characters contribute to have fondness for them because of their typical way of speaking, of thinking and of acting.
The 2nd season is just finished at the tv, but in this period the cast is already busy with the recording of the new one and the producers announced even a movie at the cinema for the 2009.

You can watch some videos on Youtube about this enlarged family, simply type the word “cesaroni ” in the search bar and you will find clips, mosaics and even songs of the tv serial which are sang really by the actor and singer Matteo Branciamore who plays the role of the older boy Marco.
Just for fun, I wish you a nice prosecution of weekend with a couple of videos about “I Cesaroni”, enjoy and see you later!

The theme song of the 2nd season of “I Cesaroni”

Funny clip of the enlarged family of “I Cesaroni” and friends

WARNING: this entry could annoy other Italian citizens with different political views, I am sorry, but the point #21 of our Constitution ratifies the freedom of speech and expression.

* * *

As my blog is brand new, I wanted to know what people would like to read about Italy and Italians and I started to ask it on a famous website for social bookmarking and online earnings.
I already received some answers, but one of them immediately attracted my attention because I think it is a crucial point of these days to tell about: the campaign against certain foreign people who want to come to live in Italy.

shot by Misanthrop

I must admit that the general thought here is by now the difference between foreign people and foreign people.
What a shame telling that people here make a difference between people from Western Europe and people from Eastern Europe, but it actually goes in this way and I know exactly the reason.
Anyway, go on reading because you are about to know the truth about this story.

Everybody is able to know through newspapers and newscasts that the Italian government is starting to apply a strong campaign against a certain kind of foreign people who want to come to live here and it is evidently unexplainable because those foreign people are mainly other European citizens and because it is evident that an exchange of cultures is always an enrichment.
But what part of Europe do they come from? Do you know it?
The answer is “they are from Eastern Europe, especially from Romania and Bulgaria“.

After several facts of homicide, sexual assault and burglary which were committed by Eastern European citizens during the past months, the Italian government decided that we have to “fight” them to preserve the basic freedoms of the Italian citizens in their daily life, which means in their houses, in their workplaces and so on.

But this does not mean that Italians are all wonderful people who do not commit those kinds of crimes!
You know what? I think there are more Italian bad people than other European ones (first of all our politicians), but the communication means obviously do not report about their bad behaviours or at least give more relevance to crimes made by foreign people.

Mr Berlusconi and especially his “friends” of the party of the Lega Nord want to stay at the government as much as possible, modifying laws at their pleasure and advantage, money-grubbing and stealing freedom to citizens and visitors.
But what? Does not Berlusconi own the leadership of the party called “House of Freedoms”? What freedoms? For them, surely not for people!

The proof is represented clearly by the fact that Mr Berlusconi and his family members and friends own every sort of communication means, such as tv stations, newspapers, magazines, movie theatre and who knows what else!!
Looking at the tv newcasts, for example, provokes me a perpetual revulsion of the stomach, it is clearly visible at people’s eyes that news are completely manipulated how they want, corrupted journalists (the major part of them) avoid to report what is inconvenient and, on the contrary, they tell about silly news or even tell what they want us to think (for the manipulation of the Italian mass media, you can read my latest article written some weeks ago for GroundReport).

Do you know what I mean?

During the last days of the last political campaign, at the tv we saw continuous reportages about homicides, sexual assauts and burglaries which were committed especially by Eastern European citizens; it is easy to understand that with these news Italians do not know the truth and now have the fear even to stay at home and have started to give support to the extreme political party of the right wing.
For me this is called “manipulation of minds” and it is a crime!

For the ones who can read Italian, I give you the link to the latest entry into the Antonio Di Pietro ’s blog, who has the leadership of the extreme party of the left wing, called “Italia dei Valori”, the title tells exactly about this “Information to misinform” campaign of the right wing which has the power in the current Italian government; I strongly hope that his blog will be translated soon also in English for letting people know what it is happening in reality in Italy.

Anyway, the saddest part of this bad evolution, or better called regression, in Italy is that people act without thinking about the truth: bad people live everywhere, but also good ones!!!

In conclusion, I really hope we could open our eyes soon, otherwise Italy will digg its own grave.

Prices for food are increasing exponentially world-wide, it is not a secret anymore.
Italy is not exempt from this matter, families have serious problems to do the grocery shopping, that is why the food expenses are decreasing rapidly, when it is necessary and possible.
We all must find good solutions.

In Italy there is a fantastic reality which started to grow slowly some years ago, thanks to the consciousness raising of the citizen of small municipalities, and which is creeping in the whole peninsula because it offers a cheap and healthy basic food: raw milk.

shot taken from Cox & Cox

I found a wonderful website about this reality, it is called “Milk Maps “.
It offers the map of the milk stations located in the whole Italy, a page with the explanations of the service and the advantages, a page with the comments of the ones who already tried the raw milk, a page with the contacts and the blogs which mentioned the service and the area for the cattle farmers.
As the website is written in Italian, I will try to report in English its most important parts.

What is the raw milk

The raw milk is the milk at the natural state, as it is just milked from cows, before its pasteurization and packing.
Practically, you can fill up your bottle of daily raw milk at an automatic machine with coins, at the equipped cattle breedings.
It is milk which did not have heat-treatments: raw, whole and genuine, tasty, creamy, active, with lots of vitamins.

Quoting William Campbell Douglas, well-regarded American doctor and credited expert in the field of the milk products: «Today our most serious agricultural loss is due to the senseless destruction of the raw milk through the pasteurization, the radical pasteurization (UHT) and now the radical pasteurization at high temperature, which convert a great food in a white drink with milk flavouring, which is nutrient more or less like the milk of magnesia».

FAQ

Q: For how many days you can store the raw milk?
A: 2 days if raw, 4 or 5 if boiled (it is suggested to boil it lightly after the purchase).

Q: Can I buy less than a litre?
A: Sure, depending on how many coins you put into the automatic machine. If 1 litre of milk costs 1 euro, with 50 cents you can have one half-litre or even 20 mls introducing 20 cents.

Q: With what frequency the automatic machine of raw milk is filled up?
A: Daily. Every day the bin of left milk is replaced with another full one.

Q: Where does the left milk goes at the moment of the replacement?
A: It is used to make the ricotta cheese and other cheeses.

Why to buy the raw milk from the automatic machines?

1. It maintains all the natural characteristics;
2. It is creamy and intense flavour;
3. It is cheaper than the milk which you can find in the supermarkets.

Environmental Benefits

1. Less trucks on the roads! The raw milk is not shipped for kms and kms, it comes from your surroundings;
2. Less garbage! The raw milk is not packed (you can go to take it with your glass-topped bottle, which is washable and reusable);
3. No waste! The milk which is not supplied at the automatic machines after 24 hours is used to make the ricotta cheese and other cheeses.

The comments of the ones who already tried the service of the raw milk at the cattle breedings denote enthusiasm for the flavour and the 24-h availability of that food, they told that it reminds the past times and that it gives intestinal regularity just because it is totally healthy.

I experienced it myself too, as we have two automatic machines in my area, and I must say that this service represents a wonderful opportunity to save money and to learn to have again healthy breakfasts.

So what are you waiting for?
If you come to Italy for a getaway or a longer holiday, visit the “Milk Maps ” and check if there is one or more automatic machines of the raw milk in the province (choosing it from the left column of the main page of the website) where you planned your trip and try this wonderful back-to-the-past, you will not be disappointed!

It’s hard to leave Bologna and its area, I am starting to take shots of every corner to create a scrapbook to take with me in my future city, just to remember the beautiful places of my homeland.

Today I will do something which I did not do for long time.
I will take a bus from my town to reach my mother in front of her working place and we will spend a couple of hours together, taking the chance to do shopping and to look for furnitures for my new flat.

I think that my passion for Bologna started when I was a child.

shot by sem07

On Saturdays I had to attend school, but I remember that sometimes my mother kept me home to go for walks somewhere and to spend special mornings together.
That “somewhere” was often the weekly market in Bologna.

My mother used to attend the high school in that city when she was young, so I guess that Bologna had the same effect on both of us, it is cosmopolitan, each corners has something to discover, but at the same time it is well livable and handy.

In those Saturday mornings with my mother, we used to go downtown to see the pigeons in the main square, like every other kid I wanted to feed them, to play running towards them and to have fun; then we always walked along the tiny streets weekly market made my stands which were placed one opposite to the others and vice versa, looking at the sold seasonal clothing and stuffs, tasting sometimes a piadina romagnola or a pizza from the wonderful take-away called “Altero“.

shot by Semi93

I loved so much those special moments in Bologna that, when I was teenager and used to come home from the high school in Lugo (province of Ravenna), sometimes I wanted to continue the route by bus until Bologna, to spend the afternoon looking at the beautiful shop windows, enjoying some relaxing moments into the Park of the Montagnola, buying new books and stationery stuffs and so on.

Well, I really look forward to live again my memories of teenage today, some hours and my mind will be carried back in time, how exciting!

Do you have memories which are linked to special places of your teenage too?

There is a nice highway stop in my area, just between Bologna and Imola. In Italy the major part of them is called autogrill.
Every time I pass through that road I see it.
I start to peer at it from the bridge onto the highway, I observe the cars darting and the people over there like little ants, I wonder what will be the destination of who stops off there and have long have they had on the road.

The autogrill for me is a place which always represented a sort of freedom, for me this is the reason for travelling, stop off there is like stopping after a long hard day of work and tasting the air onto the skin, listening to the clatter of the people who are crowded at the bar, imagining the taste of the typical foods and touching the softness of the plushes set onto the shelves of the mini market, glancing at the headlines of the newspapers and of the magazines which are displayed before the exit door.

shot by A. Guandalini

In this area, only a few people know the access to the highway stop, even if it situated outside the highway, maybe only who works there and who arrived by chance and friends who spread the word.
To me it happened the last case.

For me that autogrill is so much tempting that often, passing onto that bridge, I even try to make me come to mind some good reasons to enter by car the tiny and not paved street which takes to the highway stop, sometimes I desist to avoid to spend money or to get left behind in my daily tasks, but other times I can not resist.

What I feel entering the gate behind the autogrill from the parking and entering the door of that public place is almost indescribable, it sounds odd to feel such a strong emotion, but I really arrive there with such a big sense of excitement that the adrenaline stays in my body for several minutes also after my visit there.

I am not embarrassed to say that, in these cases, I feel like a kid who is able to obtain what she wants: that sense of freedom which sometimes I need to taste to feel alive.

Have you ever tried to enter a highway stop when you were not on vacation?