09 September 2008

Home or store front


Visiting the small towns of Italy sometimes gives you the impression of a place with little life, where everyone either has moved to the larger cities for jobs or they commute there daily. You drive through and at first glance may see nothing that could make that town a place where you could live day to day.

We have learned that this can be deceiving. In some of these towns you would be surprised how much is going on that an outsider is just not aware of. One of the things we look for when visiting an area is if it is a place you could live without having to get into you car to get your basic needs. We have learned that to find this sometimes you have to look beyond the obvious.

This photo represents what we have seen on more than one occasion. If you look at this building it looks like so many other houses in small towns around Italy. On looking at the building you would not expect that there is an alimentari inside that door, there is no sign or even a light on the wall. We were walking in this town and saw no signs of any stores but noticed a woman carry a bag of groceries, as we walked past this door we could smell the familiar scents of fresh fruits and vegetables and we heard the proprietor and a customer discussing the selection available. A closer look and indeed this was the local alimentari.

So next time you are exploring off the beaten path in Italy be sure to rely on more than just what you see.

1 comment:

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

I saw lots of places like that, when I visited Italy...very surpising what you can find, in the tiny little back streets as well..tiny little Panifico..little fruit and veg shops, amazing!!