We survived Europe !

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:24:58 +0100, Dave Frightens Me
wrote:

I am definitely the type of tourist you guys are describing, and I
feel I'm a pretty good judge of culture. I do have my prejudices, but
try to keep them malleable. The language issue is pretty minor really,
as one doesn't need to be fluent in the local tongue to figure out the
mentality of the people. It's usually pretty obvious from what you
see.

Assuming you really have it figured out and aren't just deluding
yourself. I don't think anything as complex as a culture can be
understood quickly, unless you're willing to define "understanding"
rather broadly.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:15:05 +0100, Dave Frightens Me
wrote:

If there are specials written up on the wall somewhere, find an
English speaking staff member, and ask them what it is. If the
description doesn't turn your stomach, it's probably worth trying.

I asked a guy at the table next to me what he was eating once when I
was in Hong Kong. It was congealed pig blood. I ordered it out of
curiosity, but I can't say I would order it again.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Sat, 03 Jun 2006 20:26:36 -0700, poldy wrote:

In article ,
B wrote:

Italy
probably has fewer ethnic restaurants per capita than any other
European country. So close to Greece, and no Greek restaurants. So
close to north Africa, and a former colony in Ethiopia, and no north
African restaurants. A fairly large German-speaking region, and,
outside of that region, rye bread is not to be found.

Maybe some chauvinism about Italian cuisine?

Or just no genuine interest by the natives in other cuisine?

I think it's the latter. Many Italians think the cuisine in the next
region is very strange. Some don't even trust the way things are
prepared in the next town. I realized this the first time I went on a
tour to Puglia with our local ski club . Some of the people on the
trip really didn't even want to try some of the things we were served.
You would think they were being offered snake.

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 13:21:01 GMT, Cathy L
wrote:

Europe had some of the greatest breads and rolls we have ever had.
Except in Italy. All the Italian bread just had no taste. Like there
was always something missing.

Some places in Italy have good bread, but I agree that the usual
Italian bread is nothing to write home about.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 16:29:01 +0200, ~* Magda ~*
wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 13:21:01 GMT, in rec.travel.europe, Cathy L
arranged some electrons, so they looked like this:

...
... Europe had some of the greatest breads and rolls we have ever had.
... Except in Italy. All the Italian bread just had no taste. Like there
... was always something missing.

I believe that in Umbria the bread is still made without any salt. There are traditions I
can surely live without...

I thought it was Tuscany that made bread without salt.

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 20:52:10 +0200, B wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:15:05 +0100, Dave Frightens Me
wrote:

If there are specials written up on the wall somewhere, find an
English speaking staff member, and ask them what it is. If the
description doesn't turn your stomach, it's probably worth trying.

I asked a guy at the table next to me what he was eating once when I
was in Hong Kong. It was congealed pig blood. I ordered it out of
curiosity, but I can't say I would order it again.


Something like "sanguinaccio" ? (according to my dictionary).
--
Tim C.

Tim wrote on Sun, 04 Jun 2006 21:14:31 +0200:

?? On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:15:05 +0100, Dave Frightens Me
?? wrote:
??
?? If there are specials written up on the wall somewhere,
?? find an English speaking staff member, and ask them what
?? it is. If the description doesn't turn your stomach, it's
?? probably worth trying.
??
?? I asked a guy at the table next to me what he was eating
?? once when I was in Hong Kong. It was congealed pig blood.
?? I ordered it out of curiosity, but I can't say I would
?? order it again.

That doesn't sound great but what's the difference from blood
sausage or English Black Pudding? It may not be very healthy but
I seem to remember it tasting quite good.



James Silverton.

James Silverton not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.net wrote:

Tim wrote on Sun, 04 Jun 2006 21:14:31 +0200:

?? On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:15:05 +0100, Dave Frightens Me
?? wrote:
??
?? If there are specials written up on the wall somewhere,
?? find an English speaking staff member, and ask them what
?? it is. If the description doesn't turn your stomach, it's
?? probably worth trying.
??
?? I asked a guy at the table next to me what he was eating
?? once when I was in Hong Kong. It was congealed pig blood.
?? I ordered it out of curiosity, but I can't say I would
?? order it again.

That doesn't sound great but what's the difference from blood
sausage or English Black Pudding? It may not be very healthy but
I seem to remember it tasting quite good.

Blood sausages have a lot of other things in them though. I generally
like them (very fond of local black pudding from the Bury area!) but
they vary a lot in taste- maybe congealed blood by itself isn't so
great?

--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer http://soundjunction.org

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 21:50:42 +0200, Martin wrote:

I find Scottish black pudding tastes better than English black pudding

What's the difference? I've never had it in Scotland.
--
Tim C.

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 20:52:10 +0200, B wrote:

On Sun, 04 Jun 2006 18:24:58 +0100, Dave Frightens Me
wrote:

I am definitely the type of tourist you guys are describing, and I
feel I'm a pretty good judge of culture. I do have my prejudices, but
try to keep them malleable. The language issue is pretty minor really,
as one doesn't need to be fluent in the local tongue to figure out the
mentality of the people. It's usually pretty obvious from what you
see.

Assuming you really have it figured out and aren't just deluding
yourself. I don't think anything as complex as a culture can be
understood quickly, unless you're willing to define "understanding"
rather broadly.

I couldn't define culture in any terms but broadly either.
--
---
DFM - http://www.deepfriedmars.com
---
--