16.02.2008

Our objective for Saturday was take the bus to the shopping center and find sheets and towels and things I would need in my new apartment. Good thing I brought along my pocket dictionary because I never would have been able to say hair dryer (asciugacapelli). We tried to find stamps (francobolli) for our postcards in the centre, but none of the tobacco shops (which are everywhere, and sell stamps, newspapers, etc) had any. Stamps for letters going anywhere in Europe are easy to come by, but not international ones. We returned to Villa Madruzzo for dinner. I had grilled vegetables and cheese for my appetizer, and my dad ordered a plate of typical cheeses and meats of the region. They were all excellent and they brought out honey to go with the cheeses. I guess honey is a big deal here and there were 5 different kinds. Some were syrupy like the ones I was used to, but a couple were harder and crystallized and had to be scooped out with a small spoon. Apparently you were supposed to put the honey on the different cheeses, and it was really good. For desert we had caffe as usual but this time we ordered it with grappa (a spirit that accompanies the caffe after dinner). Grappa is made from the leftover grapes after the wine has been made, and my dad and I decided we had to try it “when in Trento.” They brought us out an entire bottle of grappa and two small glasses similar to wine glasses but only maybe 4 ounces. I expected grappa to be mixed in with the caffe, but apparently you are supposed to drink your caffe and follow it with the grappa. It was pretty bad, and was like taking a shot of vodka. Good thing my dad had ordered a dessert so I could get the terrible taste out of my mouth.