Monday, December 31, 2012

Buon Anno!

It is officially 2013 in Italy!! Here's to a new year filled with success, health, and happiness!! 

Below is a webcam shot of Marostica, Italy, my family's hometown. I found it on Webcams.travel. Various Italian cities, such as Vicenza, Bassano del Grappa, and Rome are available for viewing, along with other cities around the world! 




Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Italy Expression

Once in awhile, I like to get creative on Polyvore, and see what types of Italy photos are on the website.   Today, I created a collage of photos from Milan, Venice, Rome, Capri, and Pisa...plus an adorable distressed Italian flag. Daydreaming of Italy today!



Sunday, December 2, 2012

Local La Bella Vita

I feel so blessed to live in such a large city, especially because Chicago has a large Italian American population.  There are enough restaurants, festivals, and other activities to partake in when I am just wishing I could visit the boot.

As it is unseasonably warm in the city, one of my sorority sisters and I walked around downtown last night, went to some stores, and checked out the city's holiday decorations.  After awhile, we were parched and looking for a snack so we went to Bar Toma, a modern Italian restaurant.  Although it is not your typical Italian restaurant with pasta plates and cannoli, the atmosphere is typical of the country.  The menu is based in small plates so groups can share easily - similar to a tapas restaurant!

Stratcciatella and Vanilla gelato at Bar Toma!! 


The best part of Bar Toma is that when you feel as if you are in an Italian cafe the second you walk in. With an espresso bar, gelato year round, and various pizzas and appetizers, Bar Toma is a slice of contemporary Italy in downtown Chicago.  Many may long for checked red table cloths and heaping plates of pasta, but Bar Toma provides Chicagoans and tourists with a snapshot of modern Italy.

As someone who went abroad with a romanticized image of the country dancing in her head, I grew to love the Italy I lived in for six and a half weeks. Bar Toma reminds me of Rome.