Stories From Accidental Tourist
Stories from Accidental Tourist
NOTES FROM A PRIVILEGED LOCKDOWN (written March 13th)
No school, no work, no guests, no social life, no sport. The official Italian hashtag for the COVID19 emergency is: #iostoacasa: #imstayinghome. Our family of 4 (Marco, 60 in a few days; Majla (me), 56 this summer; Eva, 22 on summer solstice and Giotto, who will be an adult next September) are going to retreat for the mandated 14 days to reset. All routines are off. We have about 16 hours a day to fill, nowhere to go with them, and only each other to spend them with. Let’s see how that goes! (This picture is as far from Tuscan lockdown and…
NOTES FROM A PRIVILEGED LOCKDOWN
NOTES FROM A PRIVILEGED LOCKDOWNNo school, no work, no guests, no social life, no sport. The official Italian hashtag for the COVID19 emergency is: #iostoacasa: #imstayinghome.Our family of 4 (Marco, 60 in a few days; Majla (me), 56 this summer; Eva, 22 on summer solstice and Giotto, who will be an adult next September) are going to retreat for the mandated 14 days to reset. All routines are off. We have about 16 hours a day to fill, nowhere to go with them, and only each other to spend them with.Let’s see how that goes!
NOTES FROM A PRIVILEGED LOCKDOWN, DAY 12ish (but more like 16ish)
So yes, a few minutes before 10am I did have a list of 3 items to be accomplished by the end of the day;but they mostly relate to grooming of house, pets, self:a bit too trivial to be shared, even for a FB post. – – – – – – – – 5 items for the bucket list: that was a challenge. Still is.But then again, finding it hard to come up with things I want to do before I die, must mean I either lack any kind of imagination, or I have had a decently adventurous life. (Or I…
And here goes LOCKDOWN
Prequel to LOCKDOWN During voluntary lockdown, we have more time to cook, more time to read, more time to open drawers and rediscover forgotten little objects gone missing. More time to be amazed. Our 17 year-old-son (all school, basketball practice, tv-series, social networks) is helping his dad with gardening. Just brought me this little treasure, with that old childlike wonder I thought was lost. I had forgotten how much I missed it…. not all is bad. #thistooshallpass
Besciamella
A great white sauce for many oven pan delicacies. Indispensable for lasagne. One of those worth knowing by heart. And don’t let any french chef tell you otherwise: besciamella was taught to the French by Caterina de’ Medici, when she married the Kings of France. Ingredients: 100 gr of butter 100 gr flour 1 lt warm milk salt nutmeg Preparation: Melt butter on mild flame (do not allow it to fry), add flour. Take the blend away from the fire, and slowly add warm milk. Add a pinch of nutmeg and salt, and return it on the stove; the sauce…
The Real Spaghetti al Tonno (tuna spaghetti)
If you are not stranded in a snow storm and can buy what you need, here is my favorite use for a can of tuna: Ingredients: 1/5 kg of spaghetti (de Cecco, Barilla) 1 onion (red if possible) fresh parsley, a bunch cherry tomatoes in a ridiculous amount ( like 5) extra virgin olive oil one or two chili peppers (optional, depens on your taste for spicy) a 1/2 glass of average white wine (this one goes in the sauce) a 1/2 glass of good white wine ( this one is for you, while you prepare) a can of tuna…
Cristiana’s Unbeatable Zucchine Frittata
NOT to be translated with “Squash omelette” (although technically…) Ingredients: Frying pan, better if non-stick (but that is bad for you. How about ceramic lined? I just got a new one, expensive but gorgeous) 6 TBspoons extra virgin olive oil (Cristiana uses her top quality, but this is a luxury only few can afford. I go for medium quality) 2 cloves of garlic 4 zucchini, firm and not oversized 2 cherry tomatoes oregano 2 TBspoons freshly grated parmigiano. Preparation: Heat the oil, cut the garlic cloves in 4, and let it become golden. Slice the zucchini (not Japanese-thin; Italian thin)…
Solo Traveling Does Not Mean Traveling Alone
Loved this video about solo travel, it really is up our alley! Check it out. Here is one of our favourite solo Accidental Tourist!
Suspended Coffee, going international
Ever heard of SUSPENDED COFFEE? No, it is not a gravity-defying beverage… It is a noble and nearly forgotten neapolitan tradition. We wrote about it last year, and now a more professional and worldwide approach is making it an international soon-to-be classic. Read on! , spread the news and make it an occasion to feel good about making someone else feel good. I just spent 24 hours in Naples. There is so much talk about organized crime and the mountains of unattended garbage, that I will not bother mentioning either any further. Instead, I want to tell you about…
