Italian consul-general Cesare Bieller and Tollywood actress Parno Mittra talked up a storm about Italy over a lunch of gnocchi, rocket salad, zucchini quiche, molten chocolate cake, wine and coffee at his Alipore residence. Only t2 was there.

Cesare: Have you tried gnocchi in Italy?

Parno: Yes, of course!

Cesare: When Parno put in her papers for the visa, I said let us call her in for an interview.

Parno: I was so paranoid. I was like ‘Why did they call me for an interview?’ I called up the entire world to find out what they could possibly ask me. Then I read up about Italy.

Cesare: She came like a good student. She studied everything. She had her itinerary all ready. She did her homework very well. I was very impressed. People usually don’t do their homework.

Parno: It was a holiday trip with a friend from school. We’ve been friends for years now. The two of us decided to take off because we’ve been working for a very long time and we’ve not been able to spend time together. Initially we planned Bali, then Langkawi, Sri Lanka. Then I said we have to just do it, enough of planning! So I got my tickets and then she had to get hers too. We went end of September.

(To Cesare) My friend wasn’t called for an interview!

Cesare: I saw she was going with a friend and I think it is good if young people start travelling with their friends. Like for us it is important to come to India because it is a lifetime’s travel experience. Young people are just starting to travel from India to Europe. You know, we see that many of the applicants say their friends are applying from Bombay or Delhi. I like that spirit.... But now I know why you came so prepared.

Parno: I’m very scared of interviews. I did not want my visa rejected.

Cesare: Whenever I thought of the two girls travelling alone I sent them messages asking if all was well. And she sent me photos from Florence and Venice.

Parno: And he sent me his pictures that came out in Metro and t2 with Paoli (Dam) at the CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja judging! He said he would like to do next year’s judging with me but I told him that next time I would be in Italy again!

Pompeii

Piazza Navona

San Gimignano

Venice

 

Cesare: She is becoming a brand ambassador for Italy. Like West Bengal has Shah Rukh Khan, we will have Parno Mittra! So, where did you go?

Parno: We did Florence, Venice, Rome. From Rome we did the Pompeii ruins and the Vesuvius climb.

Cesare: I don’t think you climbed Mt. Vesuvius!

Parno: I swear!

Cesare: All the way?

Parno: I even bought those (climbing) sticks for one euro. After a long climb we came to this flat place and I thought we had reached the crater because we were really high up. I had to keep telling myself ‘we have to keep climbing, we have to do this.’ And we did. I even saw sulphur coming out!

Cesare: If you put on some kilos eating the food, then it was a good way to burn it. Italian people believe in eating and burning it up. Eat and burn.... So, did you have gelato?

Parno: Yes. Though I am not a big fan of ice cream. But the gelatos were amaaaaazing! We did this Tuscany tour. And we went to this place called San Gimignano. There were two places there, both saying ‘world’s best gelato’. It was soooo yummy.

Cesare: Magic under the Tuscan sun, eh?

Parno: One was cranberry and one was hazelnut. Mmmmmm…. I want to go back. I really do. I loved going to Caffe Greco. They make the most amazing custard cake.... Dessert and wine!

Cesare: That was Parno’s Italian diet!

Parno: And steaks! The one we had in Florence, which we had to order by grams, was huge. One funny thing about Italy is that they charge you for the crockery. Oh and I love this place called ’Gusto. Lunch buffet for 10 euros and it was yummy. We went back there twice.

Cesare: But which place did you like the most?

Parno: I loved Tuscany and I loved Rome. I don’t think five days is enough for Rome. I want to go back, book an apartment and maybe stay for a month. At least two weeks. There is so much to explore. It is so beautiful... you just want to keep walking or sit down and chill at a cafe or on one of the steps just looking at the beauty around you. It is mesmerising.

Cesare: Did you wear a sari in Rome?

Parno: No no!

Cesare: But you should have. All the Italian men would have fallen for you. Can you imagine two beautiful Bengali women, wearing saris, sitting at a cafe and sipping coffee in a Florence or Rome square?

Parno: No. Because you cannot imagine the amount of walking we did. I haven’t walked so much ever in my life. We missed train stops. We were supposed to get off at San Giovanni in Rome. We had to take Line A. We ended up taking Line B and got off at the Colosseum. It was lovely just getting out of the station and seeing that. But we were carrying humongous bags. I don’t know why we carried the entire house with us. And I had to lug my luggage around.

Cesare: First rule about travelling in Italy is, empty luggage.

Parno: You should have told me not to carry luggage.

Cesare: So next year what is the plan? Will you do the lakes? The lakes are very romantic.

Parno: I know. Lake Como. It is beautiful.... You know in Florence we overslept and couldn’t go to Pisa! We missed our train. The night before we had polished off a bottle of Chianti Classico. It was lovely. But then in the morning we couldn’t wake up! We spent the day in Florence and it was lovely too. The people are amazing. The Italian men are so cute! Our guesthouse owner, Daniel, was very sweet. We made lots of friends. The guesthouse owner had this deal that if it was two people it was 75 euros per person, and if four people go then 50 euros. So we asked other people in the guesthouse to tag along. It was so much fun! We became friends with them. One guy was from New York, Leslie.

Cesare: So, did you go to the wineries? See how wine is made?

Parno: Yes, yes we did. For the first time I saw grapes growing on vines! I plucked them and ate them. They were so sweet.

Cesare: I know you are all non-vegetarian but I prepared vegetarian food today because I know that actresses like to watch what they eat. Italian girls are always being careful about what they eat.

Parno: Where are you from?

Cesare: The Alps, where you will have to come skiing in winter.... Next time Parno travels to Italy, her itinerary will have the Pisa Tower, romance by the lakes and adventure on the slopes.

Parno: I want to go back to Rome. I really do. And I don’t want to go during the touristy season. This time I wasn’t missing Durga Puja, it was so crowded. But it was great travelling on our own. We met so many people who we are still in touch with.... One of my friends suggested I write a script on it. Maybe I will.

Cesare: Whenever you travel it is a lesson in humility.... I think you did well. You enjoyed the place instead of running from place to place. But was it expensive?

Parno: No. I mean it depends. You can make it expensive if you want to. We did the Airbnb thing and it worked wonderfully. We met so many people that way too.

Chandreyee Chatterjee of t2 sat in on the chat (and the lunch)
Pictures: Pabitra Das