Buon Giorno,
Well, that was interesting. It's Monday. And May 1. International Workers Day. The museums are closed and I had no plans beyond wandering around and seeing if there were fun things to buy. It began to rain pretty heavily, but sidewalks of the historic center are covered, and I have a good umbrella, so no big deal.
When I emerged from my building I found Piazza Vittorio Veneto packed. Despite the rain a big crowd had gathered. There was a loud speaker. I saw banners and flags. Clearly it was some kind of May 1--I'll call it a celebration. I figured I'd soon leave it behind.
Nope. The crowd was on the move and Via Po was packed. I got stuck behind a brigade of police. They had nightsticks, but they didn't seem too concerned. The crowd was lively and there was lots and lots of noise, but no one seemed to be doing anything but expressing themselves peaceably.
There appeared to be several groups. I don't think they were competing, but I couldn't tell from the banners and signs what the groups stood for. I mean I saw the word "Democrazia" pretty frequently, but recent developments show us that that word can mean different things to different people.
Clearly I wasn't going to be able to get anywhere, so I gave up, came home, and made myself some green tea. I'll have another chance tomorrow. In the meantime I can keep myself amused with shows from my streaming services.
Today I'm feasting on Piedmontese cheese and lovely red Piedmontese wine. The cheese has a wonderfully creamy texture I appreciate. It's not strong like the French cheeses I enjoy, but the flavor is rich, but subtle.
Ciao for now
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