The Italian Voice

I decided that I have mulled over too much, now I want to react, even if my boyfriend and I will be in the distance at least for a while, even if nothing is ok for us yet, even if I have to do something which I never imagined to do here once again.
I want to stop crying, I already did it for 8 consecutive days, and I want to roll up my sleeves while waiting to change things and have my life with my boyfriend back (I really hope so).
I also want to stop telling a lot about this situation, because I have the fear that something could be misunderstood, like in fact happened some days ago.

I prepared my CV, I asked myself what will be my ideal job in this situation and I started to send my application to some agencies, supermarkets and ipermarkets which offer a job as merchandiser.

Fortunately my mother has a very kind friend who works for a supermarket of the same chain for which I worked some years ago, she wants to tell about me at the director so that maybe he will be able to offer me a position soon, it would be great!
That friend works during night shifts and I must admit that I would appreciate the same hours, as I am almost used to be awake during nights, especially in this period with this love difficulty, and as it would allow me to be free during the days and maybe also to reach my boyfriend more than what I could do with day shifts.

I started to remember that I loved that period in 2004 during which I worked as cashier into an ipermarket near Bologna, I worked only 18 hours per week receiving a nice salary and everything I did in addition was all cashed as overtime, it was wonderful!!

Cashes at the ipermarket where I used to work in 2004 and
where I sent my application again in these days (my own shot)

I know it will be hard to meet my boyfriend a very few times per month or maybe only once or nothing at all, but I totally trust in him and I know he loves me, I am sure that he knows what to do with time to avoid to force the situation, especially with his family.
Anyway, I hope he will really be able to give me another chance soon, that is why I want to wait and to “follow his rules”, showing him that I am judicious and adult, I hope that this good behaviour will pay me in the future, I really love my boyfriend and I want a future with him.

Well, I just realized that probably titled this entry in the wrong way, because nowadays the young Italians do not care much about love; if they do not have what they want, they immediately look for it somewhere else, they do not fight but, on the contrary, they choose the easiest way to be happy, which is often a fake happiness.

Sometimes I think to be very different from the major part of the young ones, I am a sort of “old fashioned” girl, the first and most important valour for me is LOVE LOVE and LOVE again, in every form, for my point of view without it I am nothing, we are nothing!!

So please, wish me good luck with the job, but especially with love, I am determined to resist and struggle because I totally love!!

I feel so bad in these days.

Three days ago my boyfriend’s family found old entries of my Italian blog where I put them down, it was when I didn’t even know about the relocation and something also later, but all written no more late than this spring.
They found harsh word which I never wrote, I realized that someone had access to my Italian blog and changed a lot of things. Yes, I criticised my boyfriend’s family and I am convict about it, but I never thought and written those bad words.
My boyfriend’s family does not believe me or maybe they even do not know this fact.
I do not know how to explain things if someone does not give me the opportunity to do it.

They obviously took offence, I felt bad even by myself reading those words which I never wrote, and now they do not consider me anymore. My boyfriend is unsure about what to do, he took offence too, but maybe he still feel a little bit of love for me.

I had to leave with my parents for Belgium now, but I decided to stay at home to have more chances to talk to my boyfriend as much as I can. I want to proove him that I am not that bad person, that I stopped to think and write those criticisms for several months now, that I was very happy to get along well with his family and to move and that I love him with all my heart.
I hope he will be able to give me that opportunity, but I am not sure at all.

I can not think about these 4+ years together, we were almost ready for the final relocation and we were so happy to start a new life, me too, absolutely (I also wrote it in several entries here).

The unique thing to do now is to stay in touch with my boyfriend, who asks for time and space, and to show him my real intentions and the truth about who I really am.
I hope so badly that he will give me the chance to do it!
Now he does not want to meet me, only phone calls and one or a very few ones per day.

It is ok for me, I can imagine his contrasting feelings, but I also hope that he will think about our relationship, I am ready to be put to the test completely, I am determined to fight for my love and future with him, but I really need to act immediately about the flat and the job.

photo by sp_clarke

I am deciding to spend the major part of the day at my parents’ flat (fortunately they live just at the end of this street) to avoid to see the bills here growing and I am planning to send my CV at some job places around here.

I feel so badly, I hope to retrieve my life with him, but I need him to give me another opportunity, please please please pray for us!!! Then maybe, later in the days or months, I will get the chance to talk to his family.

Everything changes so quickly in this life, I was not ready for something like this, I was ready to move and start a new life with my boyfriend, I love him so much!!!

P.S: Sorry for the whining entry, but I really need to give vent to my feelings.

This morning I thought again about my capital of province, Bologna.

photo-postcard by Alessandro Canova

I can not stop to realize that I will miss it a lot.
Well, this morning, almost involuntarily, I started to note down a list of points about “How to know that you live in Bologna or province” which I absolutely want to share with you now; some of these points are even hilarious, but you can also learn more about the city.
Enjoy!!

• when someone tells you about Neptune, you do not think only about the god of the sea, but also about the big statue in the middle of the Piazza Maggiore (Major Square), which is one of the symbols of the city;
• when someone tells you about the Piccola Venezia (Little Venice), you immediately understand that he/she tells about part of the Aposa torrent which flows at the open air between the buildings of the city;
• when someone tells you about the Due Torri (Two Towers), you do not remember only the ones which collapsed in NY, but also the Twin ones downtown (called Garisenda and Asinelli, from the ancient two families’ names who owned them), which are other symbols of the city;
• when you think about the most ancient university of the Western world, you picture in your mind all the ones of the city;
• when you can not decide if the appellation of La Rossa (The Red One) is attributed more to the colour of the red houses and their roofs or more to the historical preference for the Left wing of the citizens (both true);
• when you do not worry too much about reaching every place you want in Italy, because the major part of the trains passes through the Central Railway Station of Bologna;
• when it rains, you do not soak even if you do not have an umbrella, because you can walk along the long porches almost everywhere;
• when you do not find into the menu the dish called “spaghetti bologna” which does not exist, because here spaghetti are eaten with tomatoes, vegetables and other sauces, everything but not ragù (!!!);
• when you can not breathe because of the dampness all day and night long for at least 4-5 months a year, when the fan becomes your best friend in that period and when you see never-saw sort of African insects walking onto your mosquito nets;
• when you have to leave, driving along the A14 highway, at improbable hours of day and night to avoid the traffic jams everywhere, especially from Easter to the beginning of school;
• when you can not find open shops and shopping centres on Sundays (except during Christmas holidays) in the whole province, except the Outlet Factory Store and the Ikea Store;
• when, driving to the Ikea Store coming from the Eastern part of the province, you turn your eyes trying to catch sight of football players at the head office of the Bologna Football Club;
• when you speak the bolognese dialect, you are totally able to talk with French people.

I could go on until tomorrow, hahaha!!
I hope you liked these points, they are very important to remember if you decide to move here =)
Have a nice weekend and see you soon with great news!!

Ciao amici, as promised I am here today to report about yesterday evening when I spent a couple of hours with my mother at the nice Notte Bianca in Bologna.

As we live in province, we left at 7 pm, driving the car until the periphery to take a bus to the city. We got off 5 minutes far from the street of the event; the close streets were crowded and the weather a bit hotter than in the past days, but it was pleasant to walk with no hurry under the typical porches and looking around at the monuments, churches and palaces.

The event was located just downtown, in via S. Isaia, which was completely closed to traffic for the occasion.

I add here the mosaic which I prepared with my most relevant shots and here below I am going to tell you what we experienced at the Notte Bianca in Bologna.

We immediately met the ice cream man and a nice fruit stand, then we found a wonderful show at the open air with ballett dancers which attracted a lot of visitors.
I also took a video about a ballett performed in honour of the upcoming Olympic Games 2008 of Beijing of the , today I was not able to reduce its size as I was a bit busy, but be sure that I will show it to you as soon as possible, I liked it a lot, so stay tuned to watch it when it is ready!!

Going on along the street called via S. Isaia, we saw an exhibition of firemen who prepared a sort of wall climbing for children; in fact, one of the kids was too sweet, climbing the wall, all dressed with the typical helmet and jacket, helped by two men.

Not far from them, there was a special small area dedicated to a tango school literally at the open air, where couples could learn to dance that faschinating dance with a soft light.

All along the street, visitors could appreciate the music offered by disk jockeys at several consoles under the porches and fabulous jazz bands in front of the historical coffee bars while tasting a fresh aperitif and looking at the children while playing with air-balloons, as well as hunting for nice bargains into the shops which already started to sell with the summer sales.

Just before leaving, I wanted to offer to my mother the heavenly ice cream by the famous Gelateria Gianni, which is situated just behind the corner between the central streets called via Indipendenza and via U. Bassi (see this map); it was just the right conclusion for that nice evening!!

When I used to live in Imola (province of Bologna, Italy) more than two years ago with my boyfriend, we discovered a wonderful Restaurant Pizzeria which quickly turned out to be our favourite one, it is called “La Toscanella“.

A couple of evenings ago, I went to have a fantastic dinner with my mother, as my boyfriend and my foster father were not at home, so we decided that we finally deserved a night out there together.

Entrance of La Toscanella Restaurant Pizzeria

La Toscanella is situated just along the main street called Via Emilia between Imola and Castel San Pietro Terme, in the town of Toscanella di Dozza, from which it takes its name. It is almost impossible to miss it, driving from Imola to Bologna.

The atmosphere is relaxing and quite elegant. Now that it is summer they suggest to eat under the nice big veranda just at the entrance, you can enjoy the gentle breeze of the evening and choose between the tables for smokers and for non-smokers.

The main specialty of La Toscanella is the giant pizza in several flavours, but they also offer a huge variety of great dishes with meat and fish.

My mother and I wanted to try a dessert which one of my mother’s colleague heartily suggested, so we decided to avoid to order a pizza and to eat only a first course per head, in order to feel not too full.

Risotto di mare

We both ordered this wonderful first course of risotto di mare, of course with seafood and parsley. You can see that it was really full of every sort of fishes: clams, mussels, shrimps, squids and squilla mantis.
It was really hard to finish the dish, but it was absolutely tasty.

Cestino dessert

Then we immediately ordered this awesome cestino dessert, which means “little basket”, with the choice of mascarpone or chantilly cream or soft fruit, with the add of Nutella, whipped cream and hot chocolate in a basket of wafer covered by icing sugar.
My comment can only be: heavenly!!

At last, we realized that the prices are quite cheap at La Toscanella; in fact, for two very bid dishes of risotto, two big cestino desserts and one litre of water, we spent only euro 32…and not per hea, but as total amount!!

So, if after this little recap of our dinner and this review of the suggested Restaurant Pizzeria, you are starting to have your mouth watering, you undoubtedly have to visit my area and book your place at La Toscanella for a fantastic dinner like ours, you will be totally satisfied by your choice!!

Details to find the place:

RISTORANTE PIZZERIA LA TOSCANELLA
Via Fernando Santi n°25
40050 Toscanella di Dozza (BO)
Italia

Phone n°+39 0542 672601
Interactive Map HERE (powered by Pagine Gialle)

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.

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.