It has finally dawned on me how cheap stuff here is. Okay, so we already knew that coffee was pretty reasonable. And last night's dinner only cost us 35 euros for seven of us. That was for three large pizzas, two platters of crostini, a carafe of red wine and a bottle of coke. But it was when I went up to the supermarket to get four large bottles of water that I really 'got it'. The tap water here is non-potable. Interpretation: you can't drink it. Which means you have to buy bottled water. If that was the case in Australia I think you'd see a lot more alcoholism since bottled water costs more than most cheap wine and beer. I returned to the apartment with my spoils and did a quick straw poll among the family: "how much do you reckon this bottle of water costs?" They glanced at the two litre bottle I was holding and threw up various answers; five euros, nine euros (where is this kid buying her water?) Answer: forty euro cents. Of course you can't price basic essentials beyond the reach of the general populace but this makes an absolute mockery of the bottled water industry (and their consumers) in Australia.
I also noticed the price of bottles of wine while in the supermarket: two euros. And vine ripened tomatoes. That. Smell. So. Good? 99 cents a kilo! Stone fruit is in season right now and they have varieties I have never seen before. Just check out the peaches here. And the flavour is really concentrated. In the evenings we have been popping in to a local bar for a quick drink before dinner. With our order we receive complimentary bar snacks. Tiny ham or mortadella panini, bowls of peanuts, crostini. Two or three plates with each round of drinks. Who needs dinner?
I have been trying to find a panicceria, a bread shop, in the neighbourhood for the past few mornings. In the end I gave up and bought two cornets and a brioche over the counter at the local bar to take home for breakfast. The total cost including two coffees? Five euros fifty! You can't get two coffees back home for that.
Go to next article Syracusa and Sunstroke
I also noticed the price of bottles of wine while in the supermarket: two euros. And vine ripened tomatoes. That. Smell. So. Good? 99 cents a kilo! Stone fruit is in season right now and they have varieties I have never seen before. Just check out the peaches here. And the flavour is really concentrated. In the evenings we have been popping in to a local bar for a quick drink before dinner. With our order we receive complimentary bar snacks. Tiny ham or mortadella panini, bowls of peanuts, crostini. Two or three plates with each round of drinks. Who needs dinner?
I have been trying to find a panicceria, a bread shop, in the neighbourhood for the past few mornings. In the end I gave up and bought two cornets and a brioche over the counter at the local bar to take home for breakfast. The total cost including two coffees? Five euros fifty! You can't get two coffees back home for that.
Go to next article Syracusa and Sunstroke
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