Visions of Sugar Plums

A few weekends ago when I was up in Milano and a stroll along Via Monte Napoleone was, as always, a treat for the eyes. All the upscale shops were sporting their Christmas decorations - some traditional, some trendy but all with that flair that is so Italian. Most were selling luxury items of the wearable sort but one was selling wonderfully over the top eatables.

Cova Pasticceria Confetteria has been around since 1817 when it was founded by a pastry chef who had been a soldier in Napoleon's invading army. Until 1950 the Cafe was located next to La Scala but after sustaining damaged during WWII they moved premises to Via Monte Napoleone. Their coffee is still amongst the best in town and their pastries and sweets fancy and fanciful but at no time are they more fanciful than at Christmas.
Though nowadays the Castagna (chestnut) seller is most likely to be a recently arrived immigrant the pastry chefs at Cova have harkened back to earlier days with this jolly be-moustached Italian marzipan street seller.
I'm not sure what they were implying with the Babbo Natale with the pacifier in his mouth and very Italian looking Mrs Santa but this is certainly a fun piece of spun sugar art.


The expression on this "tiny reindeer" suggests that he may be a little less than pleased with the idea of having to fly around the world tethered to a sleigh carrying a slightly over-weight man in a red suit. Particularly since the Jolly Old Man seems more interested in playing golf!


And this sugar and icing Alto-Adige ski village seemed almost prophetic for this year's ski conditions in the North. Santa is finding the skiing just perfect thank you! And for apés-ski he can have some of Cavo's wonderful hot chocolate.

The problem with all of these wonderful creations is that if I bought one I would hard pressed to break it up and eat it. Though I do know quite a few people who would have no such qualms.

24 decembre - Sant'Adela di Pfalzel

Window Dressing - Milano December 2010

I gave myself a day to wander around Milano's shopping district before heading back to Roma after last night's performance of Die Walküre at La Scala. As I've mentioned more than once I honestly don't believe that anyone beats Italians for window displays at the best of times and at Christmas design runs to the extravagant as well as the traditional. And nowhere in Italy does it get more extravagant than Milano.

One of the most original displays I've ever seen has to be this perfect party frock for New Year's Eve made of...

jeans!  For a close up just left click on the photo.

Who ever does the windows at Patrizia Pepe on Via Manzoni knows how to make people stop and look. Complementi!

11 decembre - San Damaso I Papa

Dolci in Bologna

I'm not sure that anyone can beat Italians for window dressing - its all about La bella figura - eye appeal - how does it look? And be it a small shop selling vegetables or a designer shop flogging this month's fashion most merchants treat displaying their wares as an art. And like most art sometimes it goes a bit over the top.

Take as an example these two displays viewed this past weekend in Bologna.

Dolci Sweet

We had gingerbread houses when I was a kid but these one's fashioned at Colazione da Bianca beat them hands down. Ours were very Hansel and Gretel country cottage - their's are the elegant Palazzi around their shop on Via San Stefano. How Italian is that?



And if the gingerbread doesn't tempt then maybe the boxes of truffles, torte and mille foglie surrounding them will bring you in to get that Sunday pranzo dolci.

Dolci Silly

Truffles - or rather the packaging for truffles - feature prominently in this display for dolci of a different sort. It took a minute or two to figure out what these mannequins had on their heads.



The silver and gold boxes, wrapping and trays for the delicious chocolaty delights that fill the confectioneries here year round but especially at Christmas make for interesting headgear.

And of course no one who wants to fit into any of these dresses would even think of consuming one truffle let alone the number needed to empty those boxes and trays!

07 decembre - Sant'Ambrogio

But Are They Lined With Plaid?????

Okay let's get one thing very clear, if I said it once I've said it twice: I am not becoming a shoe fetish. Its just not easy to ignore footwear in this country. As I was strolling through a very high end shopping arcade in Bologna last week I stumbled upon this rather startling display of, I guess you'd call it "punk", footwear.




What made it even more startling was the store window they were displayed in. This is not exactly a brand name I'd associate with cutting edge or even things with edges that cut!!!!

Any guesses?

29 ottobre - Sant'Ermelinda

If The Shoe Fits ....

... wear it!

Okay I haven't developed some sort of foot or shoe fetish! Honestly! Its just that its hard to ignore shoes here in Italy. Particularly women's shoes. What is often considered acceptable day/office wear I still find a little startling even after three years. And the footwear often does give rise to questions such as:

• How does she walk on heels that high?
• Don't those leather straps going half way up her leg chafe?
• Where does she put her toes?
• Doesn't that clanking she makes when she walks bother her?
  
• Why the hell was she thinking when she bought those?

Last weekend on the trip to Milan it was a little hard to avoid fashion footwear. After all it is the fashion capital of Italy and one of the hottest fashion venues in the world, so it should come as no surprise that shoe shops abound and window displays are filled with enticing little bits of leather and sparkle.

Most of these shots were taken during a Saturday stroll around the fashionable shopping area of quadrilatero della moda - Via Montenapoleone and environs.
One of the first stores you hit as your turn off Montenapoleone to Via Sant'Andrea is Rene Caovilla, which means shoes, shoes and more shoes. If the red logo isn't enough of an indication then the delightful window display - my god but Italians know how to dress windows - leaves no doubt. And though those fanciful little numbers hanging in the window are strictly for display they does have some serious shoes for sale. Including those little studded numbers which can be all yours for only €595,00 (CAD797.37 - USD776.32)- obviously they weren't on the July sales list.
But these stylish bits and pieces of leather and other sundry materials were all marked at 40% or 50% off. I should explain that there are two legal sales months here were everyone and I mean everyone knocks their prices down: January and July. So these charmers can be had for as little as €150,00 or as much as €275,00 - cheap at half the price! Oh wait a minute that is half the price.
However there were no discounts for these mesh numbers nor the studded ones but I won't be surprised to see some one sporting them at our local tavola caldo come September. And I was happy to see that leopard spots never seem to go out of style!

And the men aren't short changed in the shoe department either. I actually found two pairs I wanted at Massimo Dutti but they didn't have them in my size - no honestly! However for a mere €1200.00 I could have had a pair custom made. Or for a 10th that price I could be sporting those smart blue snake skin numbers with the sparkly buckles. I'm just not sure they'd work with my current wardrobe. Maybe I'll just wait until the January sales.

01 agosto - Sant'Alfonso Maria de' Liguori

Images of Athens

I'm never really too sure who these sort of window displays are aimed at? I mean would anyone really buy stuff like this? Well okay the two women of an indeterminate age walking into the Megaton ahead of Fotis and I on Thursday night maybe! But I mean anyone other than them?

25 ottobre - I Santi Crispino e Crispiniano

Dora's Mojo

My darling Dora seems to have lost her mojo. Strano! Molto strano! As we say here in Italy - well actually they say it, when I say it, it comes out sounding like Straino! Mole toll Straino!

I wasn't able to find it anywhere in Pesaro this past weekend but I did find something that might encourage it to come out of hiding.



Just thinking someone would look good looking for her mojo in that little number.

24 agosto - San Bartolomeo

Pretty Yellow Things

Well I finished the David Hewson book - The Seventh Sacrament - last night in a marathon "I've got insomnia so I might as well read" session. He's a damned good read and because its set in Rome I have a fairly good idea of the geography of the action.

On the medical front there were a few more tests today with negative results but tonight started the English salts segment in preparation for the Endoscopes tomorrow - and it ain't been fun. So because my snow bound friends in North American need a little cheering up, a few of my blog buddies are in need of a bit of colour and I have to keep what's left of my mind occupied - here's a Spring Windows display from one of the local bakery-candy shops just down the street from us.






Hidden somewhere in amongst all that yellow are bonbons, Easter eggs and all sorts of goodies. I feel better already.

04 marzo - San Casmiro

29 Hours in Milano - Savini Sweets

On Wednesday I headed into Centro - which in Milano means the area of the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuale. And wouldn't you know it I hit Savini just in time for a morning cappucc and a pear and chocolate fagottini - no it's a pastry, okay! Honestly you people!

Though I'm not all that big a sweet person I love the displays - you can almost feel the pounds going on as you look at them.

I really want to try that little mountain of meringue and whipped cream in the upper left, all studded with candied fruit and violets... hmmm candied violets. No don't think Homer ever said that!

A simple fruit salad becomes a work of culinary art. Notice the red-green-white of the Dragon Fruit - the colours of the flag of Italy.

It may just be me but even the flowers look good enough to eat.

14 febbraio - San Valentino

Window Shopping

I'm really not that much of a shopper myself - I prefer online where I don't have to deal with snotty clerks - but window shopping here in Roma can be great fun. The Corso is the ultimate in chic shops though Nazionale and Victorio Emmanuale have their share of name designers and boutiques.

The Galleria off Corso is a bad imitation of the glorious Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in Milano - they try but....

And for the man who still uses a straight razor - or Sweeney Todd

And should you need that ancestral bust for the entrance hall or cherub for the garden walk.

You may have heard about how stylish Italian woman can be; well there's stylish then there's...... downright slutty.

I thought of one or two people I know when I saw these shoes - and most of them where women.

And how practical would these little items be?

Borsalino makes hats for men, women and, if that orange one is any indication, pimps.

Then there's those Christmas chatkas that we all need - like Faberge egg presepe and sterling silver Santa sleighs.

And looking forward to the blushing bustiered brides of spring:

And for all your devotional needs:

16 gennaio - San Marcello papa