And with almost no mention of art, but lots of animals, including cinghiale (wild boar), goats raised for cashmere production, and chiana cattle grown in Maremma to supply the famous bistecca fiorentina.
Then there is horticulture as well, as in the San Giovese grapes used to make chianti classic.
And busatti textiles made in Anghiari.
So much Italy, so little time.
“See Naples and die” are the famous words first spoken by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his Italian Journey (1786–88).
In this breath-taking episode of the PBS show, Dream of Italy, you will make pizza in Naples, hear why Naples coffee is the best in the world (hint: the expert thinks it has to do with the water and air of Naples), see the famous Neapolitan hand-made creche figures, and have a up close look at the magnificently dangerous Mt. Vesuvius. You’ll learn about American grape stock providing Europe with a unblemished basis for wine production and how to make limoncello from the glorious limone that grow in this blessed region.
Divertiti!
The architecture, the food, the gelato, the cars…
who is fascinated by European supermarkets!
Check out this great article on French yogurt!
Walking through the well-worn streets in Florence, I am often entertained by the signs I encounter. I like to walk slowly and take in all the wonderful messages all around me.
For example, the following sign below is very, very clear about their products. It is outside the butcher shop and says, “Fresh meats, cattle, sheep, pork, poultry and game.” Wow, that’s a wide ranging offering!
The lower sign (in picture above) expands the offerings slightly. It reads “Meats for sale, fresh meats, cattle, sheep, pork, poultry and rabbits.”
The bicycle shop below caught my eye for the colors and fonts. I sometimes think of buying a biciclette here, but fear it would be stolen and so I doubt I will buy one.
get back, lauretta! 
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