Our Next Step

As you can imagine there has been a lot going on in the D’Ambrosi household.

1) My mom left on February 20, three days ago, Demetrio and I have been feeling the pinch. We are now both fully in charge of taking care of Veronica. She goes where we go and lives a truly Mediterranean lifestyle. We try to get her home for naps so she does not get too cranky. So far, she has proven to be very adaptable.

2) I have been extremely preoccupied with studying for my Italian driver’s license. While my mom was here, she took care of Veronica in the mornings for one to three hours while I went to the driving school. Sometimes Demetrio would go with me and wait for me there and sometimes I would take the bus to and from.

3) My DH (dear husband) has decided that enough is enough. Since September 15 (the day that the project he’s been working on with Microsoft and Fiat ended) he has been a stay-at-home daddy. Microsoft Italy was supposed to find him another position within its subsidiary but after five months they have failed to do so and they have asked him to look for position outside of Italy. They told him that they do not have a position for him; his dream of possibly living in Rome has been dashed. So the crafty DH sent his resume out and began working towards finding another job. He flew to Seattle for a round of interviews and was offered a position right away. They want him to start as soon as possible and so assigned us a relocation specialist to get us moving.

My thoughts:

I think everyone knows that my first six months of Italy was very difficult. The language barrier really alienated me from the Italians around me. Slowly though I began to meet more and more ex-pats. (Laurie being the first) I saw my social life looking up. Finally, it felt like I had found a group of people I could really trust, talk to and lean on for support when living in Italy had gotten the best of me. My social calendar was busier than most of the Italians I know.
I can say without hesitation that I am really going to miss all the new friends that I have made in Torino. I personally would like to stay for two or more years so my Italian can improve and I can possibly start a mommy and baby group. Part of me feels like a failure, our experiment to live in Italy just was not feasible.

I think its hit my husband worst of all he said to me the other day “I think I got Italy out of my system.” As he reminds me that he’s only been a tourist in Italy for the past 20 years and have never lived here. Little things frustrate him a daily basis but I think there is a bigger philosophical picture too.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue blogging on Gia-Gina in Italy. Nevertheless, I know I will keep the baby blog as Veronica daily happenings are two Important to let fall by the wayside.

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Driving School Update-I Passed!!

I was told to be at the DMV at eight a.m. sharp, which we were. (I was there right on time even though I had a raging fever the night before 39C or 102F and was still feeling ill.) Veronica and Demetrio were there for moral support. Shortly after eight, my driving instructor arrived. He paced the room but looked calm and he chatted with other driving instructors and their pupils. When 8:30 came around and the examiners were filing into the building, he made his way over to get a look at the examiners. He saw someone he recognized and came over to tell me that this man in particular always asks to particular questions:

1) With my driver’s license, called Patente B, what type of motor vehicles would I be allowed to drive?

The answer is any motor vehicle weighing less than 3.5 tons and with nine seats or less. This means I’ll be able to drive: snowplows, tractors, bulldozers, small buses, mopeds (less than 125 cc) and many other types of wonderful agricultural vehicles.

2) He is also likely to ask about the towing capacity but I am allowed.

I am supposed to explain that if I wanted to tow something behind my car, this is something must weigh less than 750 kg. The weight of the car and the towed item must not weigh more than 3.5 tons and the towed item must not weigh more than the car.

I am not sure if I got the examiner that my driving instructor thought I would but I was not asked these questions. Instead, I was asked about street signs, road signs and general rules of the road. The man next to me, who was trying very hard, failed the exam because he got two street signs wrong and he did not answer correctly the following question:

What is the minimum safety distance but you need to keep from the car in front of you? In addition, what determines this distance?

The answer is (although there is some sort of formula for this safety distance) the examiners do not want to hear the formula. What they want to hear is that this distance depends on these things: your velocity/speed, the condition of the driver (sleepy/tired/ill), weather, visibility, weight of your vehicle, condition of your brakes and the condition of the road.

I was very nervous throughout the whole exam. I felt very lucky to be able to take the exam orally as I was allowed to gesture and look at diagrams. Overall, I am happy to have passed the first part of the exams and therefore be a little closer to actually receiving my Italian driver’s license. I must say that as a reasonably educated woman I felt very small sitting there being interrogated in Italian about rules of the road but many Italians themselves to not follow. Now cross your fingers for me, as I have the actual driving part of the exam this coming Saturday.

* A few people have asked me why I have bothered to get my Italian drivers license when I plan on moving back to Seattle. Demetrio thinks it would be handy because the Italian driver’s license does not expire for 10 years and I do plan to come back to Italy for vacations. Also in Italian drivers license allows me to drive almost anywhere In Europe, so I guess it is somewhat handy.

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Cramming

Wish me luck; I am cramming for my oral driver’s exam tomorrow at 8 a.m. and it looks like we will soon be cramming stuff into boxes as we are moving back to SEATTLE in 1-2 months. Yikes! My thoughts and commentary after the driver’s exam.

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More Driving School

I have been studying street signs, memorizing all I can about what to do in the event of an accident with and without injuries, learning all the parts of my car, when I am allowed to pass on the right and all manner of interesting facts about driving in Italy.

I am now ready to share a few of these tidbits with you, did you know:

1. If you are in an accident and someone is injured you are obligated by law to help them or face criminal charges. Some first aid I need to know: Do not remove any objects that are lodged in someone’s or your eyes. Cover with a sterile gauze and wait until the medic arrive. Also if someone is has been burned, try to put out fires on their clothing but do not remove any burnt clothing or other articles. Try to immerse the burned part in water to cool and help relieve pain.

2. The is a fund called "fondo delle vittime della strada" which is a sort of charity that helps victims of accidents in case the perpetrator runs away from his or her responsibility.

3. If a giant rock falls from a hillside in front of your car you should try to stop as to not run into it, then get out of your car, try to move it out of the way so other cars do not have the same problem and cause an accident. If it is too heavy for you to move, call the police.

4. If you have a new license, you are obliged to drive 30 km/hr slower on the motorway for three years or face stiff penalties.

5. Obviously do not honk your horn in the city unless you have to, ie. In case of danger not when the shmuck in front of you is too busy on the cell phone to step on it.

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Finally Mommy and Baby

I am busy studying for my drivers lic. but last night we went to an Expat Meet Up and Marsha took this photo. I am usually the one behind the camera, not in front. V was cranky but fell asleep eventually.

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Driving School-Part 1

Now that I have tried and failed once at the oral theory exam in Italian, I have decided to better my chances the next time around (while dishing out €300) by taking lessons at a driving school.

When I got my practice-driving certificate, I had up to six months and three chances to pass both the theory and practical driving exams. (After having lived in Torino for a year my American driving license was no longer valid for driving in Italy.) I applied for my practice certificate while I was pregnant. With a long summer vacation lasting the months of June July and August and Veronica coming early in October, I have neglected my studies until now.

The DMV in Torino is also very frustrating. At first, I was first told that it would be possible for me to take the oral exam in English, so I began to study all the rules and regulations in English. When I went to finally book my appointment for the oral exam, I was to hold English was no longer being offered and I had to take it in Italian. I believe what annoyed me most was the impractical way in which the DMV in Torino set appointments for the oral exam. They would call me on my cell phone and asked me If I could take the exam in four days time and I would tell them “no, I can’t I’m not ready“. Then they would call me a month later and asked me if I could take the exam in today’s time and I would again say “no, I couldn’t I’m not ready“. (With Veronica around it was harder than ever). I just wanted to set a date that I could shoot for and count on but they did not have a booking system and asked to call me on my cell phone with two to five days warning before they set up an appointment. Now I only have a month left before my practice-driving certificate expires, I have to bite the bullet and get cracking.

The driving school recommended to me by Sharon is wonderful; she managed to pass the oral exam on the first try in the driving practical exam on the first try also. All I can say is I am now studying my butt off and going to the driving school two to three times a week for one to two hours at a time. (The book in which you study to take the test is over 300 pages long.) Part 2 to follow. . .

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Osteria All'Arco

From all the Slow Food stickers I saw on the door of this osteria I knew it was going to be good; it's just a hop, skip and a jump from the Rialto Bridge too. Be prepared to be wowed by the delicious bites (crostini) you will be able to sample here. We had aperitif here twice in three days. In this small osteria it is standing room only with no tables inside and only four tiny ones outside. It was hard to maneuver with the baby but we did it! There is a long bar in which you crowd up to and either point out what you would like to eat. If you know a Venetian (and we do) ask for the musetto caldo (a tiny toasted bun with a kind of sausage (much like a cotechino) you can have them plain and with mustard.) My favorite were the crostini with the baccala' mantecato, the little sardines breaded and fried then cooked with a sweet and sour sauce with raisins, the giant shrimp crostini with just a dab of balsamic vinegar and freshly sliced artichoke hearts. Need I say more?

Thank You to Francesca our Venetian friend and to Shilpa who introduced us to her. We are a great team and hope there are more food adventures to come.



All'Arco
S. Polo 436
Calle de L'Ochialer
Closed Sundays
Tel: +39 041 520 6600

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Caffe' del Doge-Venezia

Italy has great coffee there is no doubt about it. I usually end up ordering a cappuccino in the morning and a macchiato in the afternoon or evening. Every once in a while I long for some variation in the coffee offered in Italy and Caffe' del Doge offers just that. Demetrio had an Otello, which is a coffee with whipped cream flavored with gianduja and creme di nocciolo (hazelnuts). Very yummy! They make great coffee with touches to spice and flavor without going overboard.

*I have to admit I used to drink double shot mochas with a touch of mint but have never ventured into the "spiced pumpkin pie latte with marshmellow flavored whipped cream or the white chocolate mocha that you stir with a peppermint stick.


The inside of the cafe is really cool with different types of beans offered for your expresso. You can chose from 8 kinds of beans and have then ground to your specificaions.

We met with (J) whose full name is a secret since she works there and treated all of us, my mom, Cyndi, Deme and I to free coffees. Thanks J!

Caffe' del Doge
Calle dei Cinque
San Polo 609
30125 Venice, Italy
+39 041 5227787
www.caffedeldoge.com

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Osteria Anice Stellato-Venezia

We opted to stay at the outer edges of Venice at S. Alvise in Cannaregio (at the mouth of the lagoon that leads to the Grand Canal.) About 100 meters from the front door of our hotel (The Residenza Cannaregio), there is a quaint, little osteria. It looked newly remodeled with comfortable eating nooks as well as a bar area. The staff was wonderful and very accommodating, as we needed extra room for the baby's car seat.

We loved the antipasti of mixed crostini, misto di cichetti di pesce; there were 7 or 8 types of fish all done in different ways. (sweet and sour with raisins, curried with cumin seed, marinated, pureed and blended with cheese, just to name a few.)

We ordered three kinds of pasta: spaghetti with tuna and green peppercorns (this was done well but the flavor did not really knock us off our feet), spaghetti with mussels, clams and sun dried tomato (this was a great dish, the sun dried tomato added a nice bite to the pasta and the shellfish was cooked perfectly and very fresh but all in all the pasta was over salted.) Same goes with the third pasta dish, tagliolini with beans, rosemary and squid. I have never had a pasta dish with beans and seafood before. The flavor combination of the mild white beans (cooked with rosemary) and the squid were heavenly but again over salted.

The main dish we chose was the lucerna (a kind of snapper) breaded and baked in the oven accompanied by cooked radicchio, was lovely to look at and cooked perfectly but the fish itself was lacking a bit of flavor. I am not sure if this time the fish was under seasoned or just a bland tasting fish.

As a whole the place was charming and the quality of the food was top notch, maybe they were having an off night. I would have definitely given it another chance to wow me but unfortunately we left before I had the chance to eat there again. Read another review here.


Our snapper


A wonderful dessert with zabaglione and chocolate.

Osteria Anice Stellato
Fondamenta de la Sensa, Cannaregio 3272
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
Tel: +39 041 720 744

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