Opening Pandora's Box

I can't decide which I'm more excited about: the super-cool-new-iPhone-4-that-my-baby-got-for-me or all the fun new very practical apps that I can now distract amuse educate myself with.

My latest rabbit hole is Italian internet radio and automated music recommendation services. As a long-time fan of Pandora (and a never-will-be fan of Dutch radio), I was devastated the first time I tried to log in - all revved up and ready for an at-home DIY body-pump workout - and was denied access because apparently they haven't sorted out all this global licensing business. Bastards.

More importantly, I've been on a rabid search for new Italian music as I am in desperate need of some variety. Constantly listening to Italian songs is my feeble attempt to learn Italian through osmosis.

It's also my latest coping mechanism for not actually being there yet.

I blast Italian songs on my iTunes while I'm biking through the Dutch countryside, mentally transporting myself to Tuscany. Even when I'm in Italy, I love to walk around with my own soundtrack - makes it seem like I'm in a movie and has the added bonus of drowning out the cackle of obnoxious tourists.

According to iTunes, I've played songs fom Ligabue, Tiziano and Laura over 150 times. Each.

Grazie di cuore to Nicole at zoomata for popping my bubble and introducing me to Soundtracker, an internet radio/automated music recommendation service like Pandora that 1) doesn't hold the fact that I'm in Holland against me; 2) offers a lot more Italian music than Pandora did anyway; 3) has an English interface; and 4) is free. It's like it was custom-made just for people me who want to bring a little slice of il bel paese into their lives. Evivva!!!

So here I sit, still listening to Tiziano but also enjoying the musical stylings of Angela Tatangelo, Paolo Meneguzzi and Jovanotti while engaging in a futile search for an app that will do the laundry.

And as usual, my advanced A.D.D. turned this rabbit hole into a wormhole with countless tangential offshoots, prompting me to free-associate Soundtracker to Pandora to Pandoro, a traditional Veronese holiday cake.

Naturally, this inspired me to search for a recipe.

It's also inspired me to post our photos of Verona since the only ones I've shared so far are from the 5 minutes we rolled through during the Mille Miglia. So stay tuned.

Much gorgeousness (and a great recipe for linguine alle vongole) is coming soon...