Chapter 125: Italy's Efficiency

Xiao Peng felt that this place was unreliable not because it was dilapidated, but on the contrary, it was one of the few new buildings in Messina.

Although Sicily is very famous and there is a famous movie "Sicily's Beautiful Legend" to promote it, it is actually a very poor place.

The economic disparity between northern and southern Italy is particularly large. While Sicily and mainland Italy are separated by the several-kilometer-wide Strait of Messina, mainland Italy north of Messina is a fully developed country, while Sicily to the south is at best a developing country, a vast rural village. Traveling from mainland Italy to Sicily feels like traveling back in time for at least half a century.

It’s not that Italy doesn’t want to develop Sicily, it’s just that it has the will but not the ability. After all, there is a strait between them, and transportation is a big problem.

They wanted to solve this problem by building a bridge between Sicily and the mainland, with both rail and road connections, approximately 3,300 meters long. The idea for the bridge was first proposed in 1969, but the project wasn't finalized until 2000. To this day, construction has yet to begin.

This is also a characteristic of Western countries: no matter how good your idea is, there will always be opponents who stand up and say: This is not how taxpayers' money should be spent! There must be a cheaper way!

China's 55-kilometer-long Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was built as soon as it was announced, while this bridge in Italy still exists on paper for more than half a century.

In addition to the money spent on building the bridge, another problem is that the bridge is too difficult to build.

The Strait of Messina is uniquely situated, flanked by two extremely deep ocean basins. This results in extremely strong currents, and the coastline is directly adjacent to high mountains, resulting in strong winds daily. This creates a high demand for bridges with strong wind resistance, and the region is also at the intersection of the African and European tectonic plates. This also places extremely high demands on bridges' seismic stability. Throughout history, the city of Messina alone has been destroyed by earthquakes three times!

Without exaggeration, the only person in the world who could build this bridge independently is a "construction freak." However, given Italy's efficiency, it seems construction on the bridge won't begin for another 50 years. So, Sicily can remain a "large rural village" for another 50 years.

Xiao Peng felt that it was not reliable to eat here because this restaurant was actually an open-air restaurant and all the guests sat under the awning outside the restaurant to dine.

The scenery here is really amazing. The Strait of Messina is right in front of you, and the Italian mainland is just across the strait. You can even see what people are doing on the other side. The location is relatively high, so you can think of it as sitting on a cliff to eat, watching the buildings across the way and the ships coming and going on the Strait of Messina. It feels really comfortable.

It is probably because of the scenery here that it is rated by tourists as "a restaurant that must be visited when visiting Messina".

However, the sea breeze is a bit too strong! It's a pleasant experience to sit here and eat in the summer, but in the winter? Haha, forget it!

What did our ancestors say? You can't eat in the cold wind!

"Xiao, that's recognized as the best restaurant in Messina!" Fabian said, "And let me tell you, although Messina is most famous for its seafood, this restaurant is famous for its meat!"

Xiao Peng blinked after hearing this. "Okay, fine. Since you say so, let's go try it. But Fabian, don't say I'm being blunt. If it doesn't taste good, I'll throw you into the Strait of Messina to swim!"

His eyes turned green when he heard the word 'meat'.

He was a typical carnivore, but during the few days in Lampedusa, Ancelotti had treated him and Pascal to the island's best seafood every day to express his gratitude. Xiao Peng finally understood the saying: "Eating delicacies every day is just as painful as being hungry every day!" There are only blessings that cannot be enjoyed, but no suffering that cannot be endured!

Just because the main dish here is meat, Xiao Peng decided to have a good meal here. His only worry was that the meat dishes here did not suit his taste.

Facts have proved that Xiao Peng was really worrying too much!

In fact, Italy is the true birthplace of Western cuisine. The national cooking craze during the Roman Empire established Italian cuisine as the "ancestor of European cuisine."

Moreover, this place integrates the culinary styles of the four directions of the Mediterranean, east, west, south and north. Different regions have different cuisines. People in the north eat rice, people in the middle eat meat, and people in the south eat noodles. In Sicily, seafood is usually eaten.

In fact, most restaurants in Messina focus on seafood, and this restaurant has a bit of an unusual flavor.

The squid ink pasta here is absolutely delicious! The combination of dark squid ink and springy pasta might seem like a dark dish, but it actually has a unique flavor. The T-bone steak is also excellent, but Xiao Peng's favorite is the fragrant pork roll. It's made with pork belly, salmon, garlic, seaweed, onions, and chilies, rolled up, and then slowly roasted in the oven. The crust is crispy but not burnt, and the interior is tender and flavorful. The juiciness is unbelievable!

Don't think that foreigners can't eat spicy food, especially in Italy, many people love spicy food. Italy is the only country in Europe where Chinese people can eat without it!

When it comes to food, Italy is the China of Europe!

And there are also skewers here! It's similar to the skewers in China, but they are very particular about the way they skewer the meat, with a piece of fat and a piece of lean meat, and they also grill vegetables and seafood in the middle. Although the seasonings are a little different from those in China, the artistic conception is infinitely similar, and the taste is so delicious!

Xiao Peng's favorite is a local snack called "tangerine." It's a fried rice ball filled with diced ham, peas, cheese, and minced meat. It gets its name from its golden color, which resembles tangerines.

There are similar fried rice balls in Xiao Peng's hometown, but the fillings are not as rich as this "citrus". It must be said that if compared with this "citrus", the fried rice balls in Xiao Peng's hometown are far inferior.

What surprised Xiao Peng the most was the prices. Messina, known as the cheapest city in Italy, has the lowest cost of living and consumption. After getting used to the prices in Marseille, Xiao Peng thought the prices here were damn cheap!

A meal at the "Little Nice" that was not enough to fill my stomach cost 305 euros, but here three people ate their fill for less than 400 euros. Xiao Peng was shocked when he paid the bill. Is this a two-star Michelin restaurant?

What a fucking deal!

"How is it? Is the food here to your liking?" Fabian asked proudly as he looked at Xiao Peng's satisfied expression.

Xiao Peng nodded: "I want to move here! Living here, I don't have to cook for myself!"

"No!" Pascal said anxiously, "If you move here, where will I get food?"

Xiao Peng was happy: "Where are we going next?"

"Follow me! There are plans for the future!"