What would Italy be without wine...?

Oct 26

Ok, I must apologize for the lack of blogging lately. It's a long story, but I've been very focused and caught up in the mess of trying to plan my entire future. It has taken up the majority of the little bit of free time that I leave myself here. However, that is all another story for another day.

Our prized white truffle
For now, I wanted to update everyone on how the truffle tasting went! I know the suspense has been killing you. We had quite the feast, as typical here in Italy. 'If you're not going to do something the BEST, don't do it at all'. There were many courses to our meal as well as very expensive drinks. Although, the main event was the truffle. First it was brushed off and examined, then passed around the table for each person to individually examine and smell (as if the odor wasn't strong enough for our neighbors down the hill to pick up). Finally it was carefully sliced over everyone's egg pasta noodles, and next thing you know...it's gone. Just like that. Devoured. Verdict: I thought it was actually quite good. Better than I expected based on the smell. I was told that it is a bit of an acquired taste, but the taste is not very strong. From what I understand, you are mainly paying for the 'aroma'. Anyway, I would eat it again anytime that it was served to me, but I don't know that it's worth it to me to spend that kind of money on something. You guys know me...practical and cheap.

Fishing for wine
Meanwhile, the White Truffle festival here in Alba is still going on in full force. Sunday (the 17th) was a day full of truffles, games, parades, and of course wine. Vino flows like water through the streets here in Alba...literally. I walked right through a river of red wine on accident and almost ruined some of my new shoes. Everyone in town that was working the festival was dressed in their full renaissance garments. The town center was divided into different sections for each 'borg' to decorate and show off their traditional foods, wines, and other gift items. They also had all kinds of games and competitions such as archery, dart throwing (where the target was a hanging piece of salami), ringing a wine bottle with a fishing pole, and guessing which house a guinea pig would go into. Each of these cost €1 to participate in and guess what you win?!? A bottle of wine. Needless to say, throughout the morning/afternoon/evening you couldn't walk through the streets without seeing groups of families and friends passing around their winnings and then going back for more. I actually saw one big group hanging out by the salami darts game while their chosen competitors were winning bottle after bottle and giving them each to the mother who was using the bottom shelf her sleeping baby's stroller to stack and transport all of them home. All in all, it was a great day of being with friends and making new ones!


Next topic...Halloween! We have been very deliberate about getting people together to celebrate and dress up for Halloween (because it's not really a big thing over here), but I haven't thought once about a costume. Now I've got a party to attend on Sunday night and I have no ideas. Any help? I have to find something that is easy to make or buy here in Italy, and something that Italians would know and understand. My 'host mom' has offered me her red devil horns, tail, and cape that she used while she was in D.C. a while ago. However, that's just not quite me. I mean really, we all know I'm an angel.  :)  I would also love to hear back from you guys on what you are going as this year!! Let me know and feel free to share any ideas with me.

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Truffles...everywhere!

Oct 13



Sunday, October 3rd marked the start of the 80th Annual Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d'Alba (International Festival of the White Truffle of Alba). For those of you that don't know anything about what a truffle is, and it's not a candy, please go to the link and check out the info. It's basically a type of underground funghi that 'truffle hunters' use dogs to sniff out in the woods. My town, Alba, is obsessed with them. This festival is well-known throughout Europe and people have come here from everywhere. Every Sunday in October (and into November) there are events, markets, parades, shows, and all kinds of food. The town is packed to the brim with tourists from all over the world. It's quite crazy, but I'm loving hearing some more English speakers come to town. :) 
The first Sunday, I ventured out on my bicycle into town and, after navigating through an entire main street that was shut down due to the market, I ran straight into the Renaissance Parade. This was no ordinary parade. It was everywhere. Various parades through all the different streets in the main center of town hosted by different 'borgs'. There are 9 borgs here in Alba (which are like different neighborhoods or sections of town) and they each have their own names, traditions, colors, foods, etc. So the whole day was a competition between the borgs - who had the best costumes...who gave the best parade...who showed the most entertaining exhibition...and lastly, whose donkey won the race. That's right, at the end of the afternoon was the 'Palio degli Asini' (aka...the donkey race). It was one of the most ridiculous things I've seen the Italian people do. A bunch of men dressed as jockeys and riding these extremely slow and stubborn animals who proceed to stop and go the opposite direction, or better yet to jump over the hay bail barriers or buck their riders off. Yet, this is what the people of Alba live for each year. The winner of the Palio degli Asini is a very big deal.  

Most importantly...how to eat the truffle. I am not an expert on this yet, but I have just been informed that Sara and Luca have purchased a white truffle so I will finally get to taste this famed food. The festival does not give out any kind of free samples because they are so expensive, in fact you have to pay just to get into the certified 'truffle market' to make a purchase. One truffle, about the size of my fist, can cost several hundred euro. You do not wash the truffle and you keep in enclosed at all times in order to preserve the very pungent odor (because that's what you're paying for). After brushing it off, you use a very special truffle slicing contraption measured for just the right thickness of slice you desire. Generally the shavings are very thin and eaten over egg noodles, eggs, or raw meat also from this region. I think our big dinner is tomorrow night, so I'll let you guys know how it goes. I hear they are an acquired taste!  

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Humorous tidbits

Oct 03

1. I heard a statistic this week that the average age for Italian 'children' to move out of their parent's house is now 31 years old. I think the average marriage age is about 30 years old, so this corresponds well.

2. I weighed myself for the first time since I've been in Italy (4 months)...Verdict: I have gained 7 lbs.  :(  I was really hoping that all the walking, hiking, biking, swimming, and playing I have been doing was counteracting the Italian food. Guess not.

3. Even though technology here is sometimes very behind, in my opinion, there are still many places with high-tech, systematic processes, and I often do not know how to carry out simple functions...like paying for food. Here are two examples from last week:        

Coppa Gelato
At the Bowling Alley: As you are bowling you receive tickets (much like at Chuck E. Cheese) based on your score. I tried to simply take these to the case of prizes and tell them what I wanted. But no. First, you must enter the tickets into the counting machine to get a printed receipt. Take that to the counter, and you then must register all of your life info in order to receive a membership card. Take that card to another machine, scan the barcode, search online until you find the prize you desire, enter that code number, and get yet another receipt. Take this to the main counter and the man will go to the back room and bring you your prize. Mine was a gelato dish. :) However, they also had everything else you could think of... kitchen appliances, hair straighteners, alcohol detectors, watches, skates and skateboards, flasks, helmets/bikes, and much more.

At a Turin Discoteca: When we walked in we received a punchcard because apparently you HAVE to drink something before leaving. They stamp your card as you order drinks. Then you must take that to the cash register hub (across the room) and pay for everything. This is when we discovered in dismay that getting just a coke was going to cost 18 euros! We just wanted to dance! Anyway, they then print you another special receipt which you must present to the bouncers in order to exit. The coat check is a whole other story...

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Lori
Alba, Piedmont, Italy
My life has taken some interesting turns lately, forcing me out of my comfort zone and allowing me the opportunity to follow where I think God is leading me next. I know that I'm not alone when I say that I fear the unknown, but I wouldn't have it any other way! Let's see what happens next...
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