Of malls, markets, and mysteries

I took yet another journey to the mall yesterday. And to all my EB people out there reading this: Le Mura doesn't have anything on Brunswick Square Mall, which is an indicator of just how small this mall is in comparison to any American mall out there. For reference to people who have never set foot in the degenerate Square... think of Le Mura as the tiniest square of your local mall (Freehold, Woodbridge, Bridgewater... geez, I don't know where you people shop!)

[I don't have a picture for you and people don't seem too keen to post pictures of the "mall" on Google images, so you'll just have to use your imagination.]

BUT! The one redeeming quality of the mall, besides this really sleezy discount store that I am pretty sure is run by the Chinese mafia and which provides endless amusement to me:

How do you like my stealth pictures of the underwear/lingerie/shoe department??

No, the only real redeeming factor of the mall is Ipercoop.

This place is the mecca of anyone looking for cheap food in Ferrara. I would live there if I could. This is basically the Italian equivalent of BJs or Sam's Club or Costco, etc. It is the BEST!!! I can find almost anything I need here... except all Heinz ketchup in Italy comes in the glass bottles that have kind of been phased out in US restaurants. I guess I know where they all went!!! The only thing I have not been able to find are notecards. I think Italians just don't believe in or know about these wonderful little pieces of re-inforced paper with lines on one side and none on the other.

In fact, I find so much stuff that I risk falling off my bike on my 10 minute ride home. On real streets. No sidewalks. With real cars zooming by. I would take a picture, but navigating a traffic circle on a bike is hard enough!

So, I feel like this wasn't the safest way to ride home, but it was efficient. No way was I about to walk my heavy bike all the way home. And hey! I got a nice workout... trying to balance 50 extra pounds on my bike and having to sit on the front of my bike seat.

By the time I got home... I really regreted buying that 1.5 liter bottle of water for 14 cents AND both 1liter juices. But now I don't. :D

In other news, I went to the market on Saturday (Ferrara has a market in the central square every weekend with a different sort of "theme").

This week's theme I think... I think, was meat and cheese. You think?

I guess this is the best of both worlds?

Roasted pig head anyone?

Now I really get to see who reads this blog... What kind of cheese is this?

(A fabulous prize from Italy could be in the mix!)