When in Rome part 5

It was another one of those days when we got lost in Rome.

Now I know how pretentious that sounds but it was true, and it was hot, getting hotter and there seemed no end to the little back alleys we encountered.

So when we came across this fruit and wine shop I think we were all happy.  It was no different from one of our corner shops, although it was set into a building and what you see was pretty much all there was.  But it did the business, and like our corner shops was aimed mainly at the local trade.

So our lady with the shopping trolley bought a bottle of wine some fruit and some cheese.

Now I do like shopping for food in Italy and when we are in Varese we always go to the local supermarket which is just a tad more exciting than the ones at home.  Ah I hear you mutter he’s being pretentious again.  But there is something about the food that they sell.

For a start there is a greater variety of cheese, fruit and vegetables, and they don’t all come in regular shapes and sizes.  They look like they have been grown and not produced to a format and some still have the earth from the land clinging to them.  Is this good?  Well I think so.  It reminds you of where they have come from and some of the effort that went into bringing them to the shop.

And it being Italy there seems to be no end to the type, shape and size of the pasta.  One of my favourites is mist corto which is mix of different small shapes and ends up in one of Rosa’s soups.

Location; Rome


Picture; Rome, 2010, from the collection of Andrew Simpson