
It has been a few years since I last visited Italy, but a recent work-related matter brought me back to this lovely country. The land famous for its culinary specialties and fun loving people.
Who does not know that pasta and pizza are national dishes of this southern European country? With Spaghetti bolognaise and pizza being one of the most renowned and cooked all around the world!
The foundation of this cuisine is the use of fresh ingredients such as Mariano tomatoes and virgin olive oil that is produced locally. Of course we will not forget to include the famous Tiramisu (Veneto) which literally means, pick me, or cheer me up! And when made in the proper manner, Tiramisu is one of the most delicious desserts.
Italians are very family-oriented people. Besides good food, loving arts, fashion and music, their love for their family is one of the strongest I know of, at least in the European continent. However, that is of course my view.
My trip consisted visiting some furniture and stone factories, visiting showrooms and expositions in a few Italian cities known for such things. As we were in wood industry for several years, I have been to many European exhibitions where Italians were prominently present, mostly with their machinery that is high quality and with competitive prices compared to German machinery.
In all honesty, as they were less complicated than the German machinery, they were quite good for a place like Uganda, where power fluctuations and lack of spare parts could bring the production line to a halt. My husband was quite happy with his choice of Italian machinery.
As for furniture and kitchen styles, it is also a fact that when you read ‘ Made in Italy ‘ on such items, you know that you are talking about the Rolls-Royce of this industry, a place where style and quality compliment each other. During this trip, I managed to see Italian kitchens made for the American markets, and of course as is all with American taste, they are made big and shiny. It is seldom to find such models in European homes.
For my own matters, I visited the town of Pesaro. One of the Cities in the region of Marche on the Adriatic Sea, it is also called the city of music because it is the birthplace of Gioachino Rossini, one of the most renowned music composers. This town is also known for its furniture, three big manufacturers came from here.
And as we drove past hundreds of metres of warehouses, I was informed that not everyone survived the 2008 work economic crises. And then, Covid-19 came to bring another hit to an ailing economy. It was the first time I came to a place where I could witness what it means to shut down a business and send hundreds of workers home. Pesaro did not become a ghost town, but it also did not regain its glory.
However, the silver lining is that smaller furniture-making places pulled their act together and managed to survive. It is indeed a unique way of working too, because they have divided the process of manufacturing among themselves. For example, some make the carcass of the kitchen, another provides the hardware, some paint and some assemble. Everyone works and everyone is happy!