The world says floor and wall tiles are massively cheaper in Italy – and you know what they’re right.
This I know because of my road trip over the border into Italy to an incredibly camoflaged building – built in the style of a private house – almost invisible from the road in the town of Cesana, which is just at the bottom of the hill you drop over when heading towards the TGV railhead in Oulx or the airport at Turin, the best two points to know about if visiting Serre Chevalier.
It was the discreet nature of the building that saw us miss it and have lunch in Oulx, but even in this short 40 minute drive there were many differences between France and its neighbour.
First was the radio, I hadn’t noticed before but they play quite a lot of music in France, there’s a bit of chat and some ads but generally there’s not too long a wait for a tune – which is generally an English 80s number, interspersed with a modern French one.
Italian radio is yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba. It’s all opinion – expressed at high speed, so they’re probably paid by the word, and adverts, mind you as all the stations are owned by Berlosconi he probably needs the money for back-handers and a good legal team to stop him being tried for his many “alleged” impropieties.
I don’t know if the Italian diet is as good for you as you think because the only words that came out of the radio I could take a stab at, I am not an Italian speaker, were “instestinali irritationi”.
This phrase was said so many times you couldn’t help pick it up.
One reason that “instestinali irritationi” might be a problem is how they eat. We ate at some little place on the main drag in Oulx, the prices are much cheaper than France, Eur7 for a pizza and the same for a pasta dish, however it’s not a ski station with 250km of groomed, north-facing, pistes and boasting 300 days sunshine a year.
But, get this right, if you order a “menu” you get a big plate of risotto or pasta as a starter, then you get, what I would consider a second main course, a plate with the meat and vegetables on it, with a basket of bread to wipe up the sauce with. No wonder “instestinali irritationi”.
The Italians are also more generous than the French, if you go into a bar – there is a great one opposite the train station – there are loads of simply darling, complimentary snacks set out for you if you’re drinking – including coffee.
Also if you buy your fags in Italy – and I suggest you do as there is a big price difference between there and France – they always chuck in a few lighters for free. It’s cancer at low, low prices – but with shiny, free lighters.
Oh yes everything but the bars and restaurants is shut 12-2pm so you may as well check them out – the waitress was also much better looking than the locals in Serre Chevalier, trouble is in Italy I’m the ugly one – doh.
Tags: italian radio, Serre Chevalier, ski station, pasta dishNo related posts.
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Nice to see you getting out of the valley, country even! I hope you don’t mind, but I had to correct your spelling of Cesana, which probably explains why you pronounced it a bit odd. I believe it is ‘Che-Zah-Nah’ what with them Italians softening their Cs when followed by a vowel.