COVID19 Easter

This will go down in history as the covid19 Easter when the Easter bunny was challenged to wear a face mask and gloves to hide the eggs in people's apartments.

Piazza San Carlo in this half XL choco egg of Caffé Torino in 2015

COVID19 lessons

March 25th was the deadline of the Italian lock down: everyone homebound, except for the super essential businesses such as pharmacies, food and other few essential shops. Then, the full factory shut down came: all but 80 vital industrial productions were shut down to keep the workers safe at home, in Piedmont this means 1 out 3 factories is closed.

Now Italy is surfing the COVID19 waves as they come and is deciding according to the immediate needs.

Many balconies all around Italy have the Italian flag, this one has the Chinese one too

COVID19 lifestyle

Italy is in covid19 mood since February 23, when people emptied the grocery stores for the first time.
Italians stocked up on all the pasta shapes but smooth penne, all sorts of pasta sauces, canned foods, as many bananas as the 15th century sailors going to the New World, detergents and disinfectants, frozen foods and all the antibacterial products available.

After the first PM, Mr Conte's announcement, all of a sudden Italy discovered her love for Amuchina the main local brand of antibacterial gels and disinfectants.

San Carlo Borromeo church

Turin is the city of the Holy Shroud and even though our many churches spanning from 11th century to these days may look unassuming, once you get inside, you do get breathless by the gold, colorful marbles and especially by the architecture 😍

Piazza San Carlo, Turin's twin churches: San Carlo Borromeo on the right, Santa Cristina on the left

the emperor rice

Besides the Italian famous white rice, the Piedmont rice paddies also produce black and red rice.

riso nero integrale or whole black rice

Piedmont rices

Up here in Piedmont, rice is definitely one of our local passions together with wine, chocolate and coffee. Our passions have always grown organically and exponentially, till reaching the European royal courts, the most remote international markets, and have conquered the most refined tables of the world.

risotto alla milanese with Italian saffron, you can see the short gran rice

Mardi Gras season

In Turin though every season is a great season to visit and currently, we are in full Mardi Gras season aka il carnevale 😆

The Italian Holidays officially end on January 6th and that's exactly when in Piedmont we announce the beginning of the Carnival weeks. This is a traditional Roman Catholic celebration that officially ends on Mardi Gras or Martedì Grasso as the local say.

Coffee shop and pasticceria Tamborini, Via Garibaldi 31