MNiFA, installment #30527

FINALLY! The day arrived which I feared might never come – the shop owners of Torino are back from vacation! Whew!

Little by little, shop by shop (of course they don’t all reopen on the same day – the Germans might do it that way, but not the Italians!), I return to the culinary standards I got used to in July; but was so abruptly deprived of in August. I went foraging this afternoon to see the latest new possibilities (still no fresh pasta, wah!), and my favorite so far is the produce guy on the corner – he’s like Pinchas, he knows everyone! That, and the supposed fact that I live in a pedestrian-free area, will never cease to amuse me – a couple of this guys’ buddies came rumbling by in an ancient-looking pickup truck. The one riding shotgun yelled something presumably funny, such that Mr. Produce Man ran out to the truck and seemed to say the Italian version of “gedaahttatowwn!” – but not before he threw them each a banana from the box just inside the door. All around me, in the shops, in the street – I hear a como stai here, a ciao bella there, as if my little Contrada dei Guadinfanti neighborhood was having a big 8-block family reunion and we’re all related.

Mr. Produce Man tallies up my nectarines (sooo yum), kiwis, and peaches – my lot comes to a whole Euro 4,80 – and he says – as if this is some special deal – for you – 10 Euro! I was so focused on getting my Italian right that his joke didn’t sink in until I was walking down the street with more change than I had expected to have…at which point I hear behind me a general hullaballoo and “signora, signora!” The shopkeeper is running after me – “signora, your shopping list!”. Oh heavens yes, must have one’s shopping list! Whatever would I do, if I returned home without fresh mozzarella in hand? That would make a very sad Trevor indeed!

I wonder who will be open tomorrow. Will I finally get my Nebbiolo, per favore, bella per favore – con ciliegia a sopra?