Mercato dell'Erbe

I did not want to get out of bed this morning. Getting out of bed meant facing the cold weather, studying for exams, and interacting with people.

However, after somehow living off of very little food in the refrigerator for the past week, I convinced myself last night that today I would finally go to the Mercato dell’Erbe. I was a bit apprehensive, having very little experience purchasing produce according to weight. Since it is Thursday, most shops in Bologna close for the afternoon. The mercato is no exception, which meant that I really did have to get out of bed if I wanted to do my shopping on time. I thought about how easy it would be to just go to the supermarket around the corner, but after having been to the mercato with my parents, it seemed sacrilegious (and more expensive) to buy produce at the COOP. While I lamented to myself about how far away the market was (about a 20 minute walk), I realized that were I home, I would gladly make the trek to another city just for food (n.b. the subjunctive does exist in English). Yet something about the way Bologna is divided makes “going into the city center” such a hassle. Maybe (most likely) I’m just lazy.

Everyone at the market was so friendly and helpful, and I left feeling very proud and accomplished. Vito the Pugliese bread man (whom I met with my parents) remembered me. The lady at the salumeria gave me a sample of salami al contadino. My only setback was buying potatoes. As I mentioned before, I’m not so familiar with weight. Usually, when buying something like pancetta, un etto is enough: 100 grams. Apparently, un etto di patate is about half a potato. The guy probably thought I was insane, but he warmed up after I explained what I wanted. It turns out a kilo of potatoes is much more reasonable. As with everything here, it’s a learning process.

I also finished some Christmas shopping, which put me in an even better mood. Every day the weather forecast changes…they are predicting snow on Saturday, but I won’t believe it until I see it. Everyone else said it snowed in the city center for two minutes the other day, but I think they were lying. Even though I prefer my winter days to be dry and 60, I am looking forward to a White Christmas this year. Every street in Bologna is strung with lights, making the city sparkle with Christmas charm.

Well, that’s all for now. A dopo!