Friday 10 November (Day Fifty-four)
Today Krish was going on a tour to Thales Aerospace and I stayed behind. It was a lovely clear morning.
I stopped by the pasta shop to buy some ravioli. I feel like my Italian has halted and I need more practice! However, at least I can buy what I want and make myself understood. It’s vocabulary and fluency that I need to build.
I’ve decided to stop by the lovely little toy shop in the Quadrilatero and also visit the Santuaria della Consalata, since I had loved it on my very brief visit earlier.
The toy shop was chaotic as expected from the window and I had a lovely (English) chat with the owner about ‘Made in China.’ Bottom line, the items made in China are about a quarter of the price of those made in Italy, Germany or Czech. That’s a huge difference.
I went in to the Consolata and again was struck by how beautiful it was. There are several domed areas and each is different. Little chapels, a prayer area with confessionals, altars, an organ, balconies… This is a real treasure and, although I prefer plain, humble churches, this one has really caught my imagination. I wander around as quietly as I can among the people praying, and I light a candle to my mum and dad and whisper a silent thank you to them.
I head over to the little square at IV Marzo and treat myself to an ice cream. I choose lemon and sage (can’t taste the sage), and Crema d’uova. It’s delicious. I took a photo to show how very small the cups of gelato are. I haven’t ever wished they were bigger. It’s just enough for me.
Up on the large dome at the Duomo that houses the shroud, I see they are hard at work, the orange construction vests contrasting with the grey of the dome and the scaffolding.
And then through the Porta Palatina, noticing the building near to the entrance. I’ve not looked at it as closely before and it’s apparently one of the oldest in the city.
Krish gets home and we have some ravioli and relax.
Continue reading “Santuaria della Consalata, Pingone, Burgheria and the Mozart hotel”