Countdown to Christmas (Natale) - Italian Style! December 1

        

                                                          photo courtesy www.theidearoom.net

As soon as the end of November rolls around, I find myself out shopping for Advent calendars. I've been a sucker for the kind with the little doors you open up, the ones with piece of  chocolate behind each door. There was never a year my two girls didn't receive one of those on December 1. I love starting the holiday season in this way!

This year, I've decided to create my own Advent calendar here on the blog. Each day leading up to Christmas I will post something I enjoy about Christmas in Italy. It will be a bit like opening one of those doors with me each day. 

Behind door Number One (Uno)  - Panettone

                           

When I spot Panettone in the grocery stores and bakeries around town, I know it's the beginning of the holiday season.  Panettone, served all over Italy, is a traditional Christmas sweet treat. It's a cross between a bread and a cake, and is sold with just raisins in it, or with raisins and candied fruits.  My favorite is with the candied fruits, but I'm not fussy, I'll take it either way.  I particularly like using Panettone for making french toast. Yummm! Delicious.

Nowadays, you can find Panettone sold in the United States too.  If you have never tasted Panettone, I recommend you purchase one this holiday season, and enjoy yours along with me!

And if you really feel like getting in touch with your Italian mama side, here's a link to Chef Mario Batali's panettone recipe



Buon Natale!

A little bit more Christmas in Venice

It's not Christmas in Venice without at least a few sightings of Santa Claus..opps... make that Babbo Natale!  Santa delivers gifts to good children (but of course, only the good ones) by climbing up the balconies on rope ladders. No chimneys to climb down here in Venice. Here's a selection of a few Babbo's I spotted yesterday on my walk from Sant'Elena to Via Garibaldi.

I loved this one, looks like he's rapelling down to the window! Brave Babbo!

In addition to Babbo sightings, you can't help but know it's the Christmas season when you start seeing all the Panetone's stacked up in all the bakery windows.

And while this guy isn't quite the same as the other Babbo Natale's I've seen, I had a hard time passing -him by. This life size Babbo - well, at least my size Babbo (he's as tall as I am)- is standing in front of a shop on Via Garibaldi.  I particularly love his fur trim jacket and hat. Fits right in with winter in Venice.

 Yes, there are Christmas trees (alberi di Natale) in Venice. Not many, but you can find them. These are at the little nursery close to the Giardini vaporetto stop. Most likely you would need the vaporetto to get the tree home after buying it. Can't imagine carrying a live tree through Venice. As much as I regretted giving up having a live tree when we moved here, we did break down and by a very nice "imitation" one a couple of years ago.

I loved the red balls on this gate decoration on Sant'Elena. Note the Babbo Natale at the window ....

And finally....it wouldn't be Christmas in Venice without some Murano glass Santa sightings. This whimsical little tiny one standing only 2 inches high  is in our living room.  It's blown by Igor Balbi, a talented glassblower who has a shop near the Rialto market.

Buon Natale from our house to yours!

Life in Venice - A little bit of holiday spirit- Venetian style

This being our first Christmas here, we've been eager to see how the holiday is celebrated. We've noticed that decorations are not "in-your-face" as they are in the USA. Shops are just now beginning to have some Christmas color in their windows, but nothing over the top. We've seen a few homes with twinkling lights on their balconies, and yesterday I found this Babbo Natale. I found myself with a huge grin on my face, wondering what he might be bringing the children at this apartment this year!!