At the Grocery Store

I know that I have written several posts before about grocery shopping but I can't resist another. The thing is, we all eat everyday, several times a day, so food takes a prominent place in our lives. We actually did visit the Volcano Buono (Good Volcano) shopping center in Nola today and visited some other shops before we ended up our trip at the Auchan again.

Seafood
Keep in mind Italy's location and you will understand why seafood is such a huge part of the diet here. We are anxious to learn how to cook the various fish and shellfish we see. These photos were taken middle of the afternoon when quite a bit of the catch of the day was already sold. Fresh is the key for all Italian groceries, so very little seafood is frozen. What is for sale is what is caught that day locally.

An amazing assortment of fish

Do you recognize this fish?

Squid, octapus

Lower left - large langoustinos (similar to shrimp)

Verdura (Produce)
Another really fun section of the grocery where we always spend time looking is the Produce section. Not only do you have the different local varieties of things grown here, but imports that cater to the immigrants of Italy. So you find middle eastern vegetables and fruits, Indian, and of course Northern European fare. We are pretty adventurous eaters, so once we figure out how to prepare something, we'll try it. Big items in the Italian diet are squash, seasonal fruits, eggplant, and greens. Here are a few things we see quite often.

Indian fruit, like a prickly pear

Johnnie surveys the Melone Verde

Scarola (escarole) - (center) is even put on pizza!

Melanzani - prepared many different ways

Meats and Cheeses (carne i formaggio)

On to the cheese counter where we are faced with so many varieties of cheeses it simply boggles the mind! This is actually just the one counter where the large chunks of cheese are cut to order; there is an entire aisle on both sides filled with pre-cut  chunks and slices of cheese. What will you find here? Goat cheese, cow's milk cheese, sheep milk cheese, water buffalo cheese, fresh cheese, smoked cheese, soft cheese, hard cheese, but, you will not find Cheddar cheese! That is strictly an American cheese and no one is interested in even importing it.

The cured meats are really amazing as well. I know I have mentioned this before, but I guess I continue to be amazed by the variety and flavors. We could not even begin to sample all the different types of meats in the two years we will be living here. Because of the language barrier, we tend to select things from the pre-cut packages but eventually I will learn to ask for how much and how I want things cut. Then watch out! We will be sampling our way down the aisle.

Cured meats

Cheese counter

Wines

Then there is the wine selection. Remember, wine is considered a food here. It is consumed in small quantities often but drunkeness is frowned on. It is such a different attitude toward wine that it is hard to explain to people in the US.

I have no idea about the different regions of Italy where most of this wine comes from. I have been told that very little is exported, simply because they tend to consume all of their own products locally. Many of these wines are made in small batches at a regional level by small family vineyards. This one aisle is organized by region; then in a completely different part of the store, we found another aisle of wines. Many of the wines are 1,5 euro (about $2 -- like Two Buck Chuck) and around that price point. Certainly there are lots of excellent wines under $10 a bottle.

By region of Italy

On sale - Offerta

Pasta

Then, one cannot neglect talking about the pasta. Pasta is a staple in the Italian diet, and practically it's own food group here. These photos are of the dried, packaged pastas, but keep in mind there is an aisle in the refrigerated section with all fresh pastas as well. I have been told there are over 200 different types/shapes of pasta here -- I believe it! Several different types of wheat, some without gluten, some made from rice and other grains, with egg and without egg, every imaginable shape, length and thickness; it is pretty incredible. I suppose a good Italian cook knows what to do with each of them. I will have to take a class or buy an instruction book to sort my way through all these choices.

Over 200 types of pasta

And more pasta

There are a couple other things about the grocery experience I should mention. We take our own reusable bags; they are very sensitive here about that. You sack your own groceries, even at the small stores you do your own unless you specifically ask for help. Then, usually a tip is expected.

I have not mentioned the fresh breads that are abundant and such a huge part of the Italian diet. We are not big bread eaters, so we have not spent as much time there as others might. The selection is huge and portions very generous.  I may devote a completely separate blog one day just to bakery goods.

Prices are similar to the US. Some things might be cheaper, some more expensive but the key is everything is very fresh. Hormones, pesticides, preservatives, genetically altered types, and all those man-made interventions in the food chain are very limited here, so things are very tasty but need to be eaten in a few days because they will spoil faster, even in the frig.  A few imperfections in the fruits and vegetables are tolerated here and it does not stop their sale. In the US, people generally won't buy a tomato, for example that is misshapen or has some discoloration but here, that doesn't really matter.

Speciality items/Organic (Biologica)

There are a couple of aisles dedicated to organic foods and specialty dietary items. For example, one entire aisle to senza gluntine (without gluten) which has a full range of breads and pastas and many other products I had no idea even contained gluten. So glad I don't have that to deal with!. Another aisle is Biologica and is more than what we think of as organic; it includes a smattering of items we might see in a Health Food store, such as Herbal ingredients (erba) and diabetic substitutes. There are Health Food stores here and one not far from us which I will explore. That is where I get my oatmeal, since that is a grain not commonly eaten in Italy.

Taking photos at the grocery store

You will look like a tourist if you take your camera to the grocery store and start taking photos of the food. People looked at us like we are nuts. We were tempted to take photos of a few fashion faux pas while there but we resisted. We managed to contain our amazement and giggles until we got to the car. Wow! Lots of sights to see, and who would have thought going to the grocery could be so much fun! Ciao!

At the Beauty Shop

This morning as I sat in the Beauty Shop waiting to become more beautiful (alright now, I can already hear some of my friends snickering over that one!), it occurred to me that a person going into a new culture and new language needs a series of books like we had as kids:
At the Beauty Shop
At the Park
At the Grocery Store
At School
At Work
At the Post Office
etc.

You get my drift. These books should have lots of photos and illustrations and simple nouns and adjectives like Ella needs for learning new vocabulary.

So how do I say, color and pluck the eyebrows, color the roots and give me an overall micro-trim with some wispy bangs? Rosetta Stone hasn't covered that yet. Hm, that one escaped me but through pantomime (I was always good at charades), a few words of Italian with a few Spanish connecting words thrown in for good measure, and we managed to get it done. I also met up with an Italian lady at the end who was fluent in English, in fact I thought she was from the UK. She works at the US Navy Base here as a Financial Analyst and so she helped me through some of the last bits of explanation.

This is my second time at this salon, and while they are expensive, they do a nice job and are very busy. My new Italian friend confirmed that this is one of the best shops and they are right around the corner. Better to pay a little more and know that I will be happy with the results -- especially when I can't really explain what I need-- than to end up looking really bad for less money.

I wish I could take some photos, and maybe when my Italian is a little better, I can ask permission to take some pictures. I think you all would get a kick out of some of the small differences in the salon experience. For now, you will have to use your imagination as I attempt to explain some things about this part of Italian life.

First of all, get there early. No appointments, you just walk in. Plan on being there several hours. Nothing in Italy is done in a hurry, and the beauty shop visit on a Saturday morning is a social outing for the ladies. I saw many of the same customers as I saw last time I was there, and many of them obviously know each other as they greet with the traditional hug/two kisses and chat while having their treatments.

The rest of this description is women only: guys you will need to page forward. In any culture around the world, women NEVER divulge their beauty secrets so what I am about to discuss is strictly forbidden to men! If you try to sneak a peek, God will strike you blind (probably).

This shop is called WoMan, and uses products like Loreal, Paul Mitchell, Clairol, Infusium, and many other names you would recognize. There are several men working there, and the owner is an older, distinguished looking man. You are greeted at the door and issued a black nylon knee-length jacket (and they actually have sizes that fit me, unlike hospital gowns) that velcros in the front.

Since I had color, you get that first. A small plastic cape is added on top of the jacket. They weigh the color ingredients -- some I recognize, and some I don't. It looks a bit like a science experiment and I never saw them refer to a book or reference guide but clearly they must write down what the mix is for different people. He knew exactly what to add for my color. First the roots are colored. Apparently when you have roots done, they automatically refresh your highlights as well. I suppose if I had better language skills I could say "No, don't do that" but since I usually have my highlights refreshed anyway, it was fine.

Once the roots are done, she mixed up the blond for the highlights and began pulling out plugs of small bits at various places around my scalp. Instead of using foils or a cap, they have this wooden paddle. So she takes a plug of hair, paints it with a brush, then lays in on the paddle and finishes brushing the full length of the strand. When I am done, I have these highlighted bits sticking out all over. It turned out just fine but looks very strange.

A man came around with a paint brush and put color on many ladies' brows while they were sitting there letting their color cure. He is very good and fast, obviously does this all the time. There were no stray drops of color anywhere except right on the brow. Later he came back and wiped it off; he was keeping track of cure time on all these different women in the shop. Pretty amazing.

At the shampoo station, there was a bit of wait. I sat there awhile and listened to the conversations, understanding none of it, but understanding all of it, if you know what I mean. I had a very thorough shampoo -- maybe 15 minutes long -- where they do two soaps, a comb out, then a conditioner, and another comb out, all while you are in the basin. They use very little water, it is just a trickle.

I saw no curlers and no curling irons. All the curling is done with the blow dryers. They are masters of the blow dryers. I watched one older lady get what I would call a traditional "old lady" hair do, all done with a tiny roller brush and blow dryer. They section of the hair, use various mousses and sprays, and then one by one make each curl running the dryer on low and constantly using the brush until the curl is the tightness they want. Then they carefully lay down or sometimes pin the curl to hold it in place, and go to the next curl. It is a fascinating process to watch. No back combing is used either. One lady kept wanting more body and a higher poof to her hair, so the stylist used her fingers from underneath and literally massaged the scalp in quick motions stimulating the hair follicles to stand up. Sure enough, it worked!

I also saw lots of long hair -- long hair is in vogue in Italy, they haven't heard the news that women over 40 shouldn't wear long hair so all age groups were sporting long hair. The long hair was blown dry the same way only with very large round brushes, slowly working their way around the head. The blow out on one long-haired woman took 40 minutes. I did see them use a flat iron on one person at the very end as a finishing touch. They also added some curl to the bottom of one woman's hair, by switching to a smaller diameter brush at the last. I may have to let my hair grow out to stay in step with the fashion here.

For the trim, they placed a rubberized mat around my neck. He cut my hair with a razor, something I have not had done for a long time. Then she did my blow out using a medium round brush and some hair spray. My hair turned out really nice.

After that  I had my eyebrows plucked. They don't do waxing here. Same fellow that did the color, did the plucking and he was fast. His tweezers were going 90 miles an hour and almost felt like a razor on the skin, but no red marks afterwards. Then he gave me make up -- I had not asked for that but maybe everyone gets makeup, I don't know! I walked out looking like a million dollars! In total I was there 3 1/2 hrs. and it was a totally fun experience.

So a couple of other things I noticed. They shared brushes among clients and combs as well (not the ones used for color though). In the US, everyone gets a clean brush and comb, and if a stylist drops a comb on the floor, they are supposed to get a clean one. Not so in Italy. It really doesn't bother me since everyone's hair is clean anyway.

The make up artist used the same brush to apply eye shadow, blush and mascara on me that he used on other women. I really didn't think anything bad about it. He had wiped off my face before he started working on my brows. He used a disposable applicator for the lip stick though. Women do not put their purses on the floor; they put them up on the counter. I was the only one with my purse on the floor, and noticed that toward the end of my visit. Women dress up more for a trip to the beauty shop. I was the only one in jeans and athletic shoes.

The other thing I noticed is that different people did different operations to the clients. So instead of being assigned to one stylist who does it all, a different person did my cut from who did my color and style. It seems like they are all watching out for each other so when someone is ready for the next step, whoever is available does it. The main styling/cutting room is probably 14 ft. square and the stations (maybe 12 in all?) are around the outside with mirrors all over the walls, so that everyone can see everyone else. There is another small room for the entry and for the shampoos. In comparison to upscale shops in the US, this one is very small but I'll bet their business volume rivals much larger shops. Like many things Italian, it is smaller scale but organized in a very efficient manner. I am very impressed by what they do with very minimal equipment.

A possible permanent residence

Three months into this adventure and we are still in a temporary apartment. It is a beautiful temporary apartment, and as long as it is just me living here, it is fine. But with my sweetie relocating to Italy this weekend, it is time to get serious about a bigger space that will have some amenities he enjoys.

So I have seen a beautiful villa in Mercogliano (Avellino) a town east of Naples about a hour's drive. It is a quiet and beautiful small town up in the mountains with a nice fresh breeze and a view that is awesome. This particular villa is a huge old place, with high ceilings, two very large sitting rooms that each have a wood burning fireplace, three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, formal dining room, large updated kitchen, a lovely garden, and probably the neatest part of all is the courtyard in the center of the house that is a full two stories tall with glass enclosures all around. It is called the Winter Garden because it has a greenhouse style roof in it and is a perfect place for growing things in the winter months.

I took one look at that and knew that Johnnie would absolutely love this house. It is also a nice easy drive for me to work each day, which is another attraction. The main drawback (isn't there always at least one?) is the stairs: all three bedrooms and the two full baths are up two flights of stairs. So, we have asked the landlord to install a chair lift on the stairs to accommodate me. We will see what happens. If this is the house the Lord has for us, the He will work the details. If not, then there will be something else. I am posting some pictures for you because I simply fell in love with this house!

Mercogliano town center

Mercogliano town center

Living/Dining room

2nd Living room

Marble Fireplace

Keeping up with my followers

When you follow my blog, will you let me know? I often don't know who makes a comment and if you use your email name, sometimes those don't tell me who you are. You can email me privately if you don't want your name displayed for public viewing. I would just like to know who is reading and also if you have some special requests for what kinds of things you would like to hear about.

Clocks, table setting and traditional Italian coffee

Clocks
Have I mentioned that all the Italian clocks are 24 hr. military style? Takes a bit of getting used to.

Table setting
Here are the utensils we have in the apartment, 8 place settings. The tiny spoons are used for the little Italian coffee, and also for yogurt or custard desserts. The long handled spoons are similar to an iced tea spoon, and the large spoons I guess are soup spoons, although I don't see much soup on the menus here. Nothing that is the equivalent of our typical teaspoon in the US.

Traditional Italian Coffee

Now we will make traditional Italian coffee. I have two pots in the apartment, a stove top version you will see here, and an electric version I haven't tried yet.

First you place water in the bottom of the pot up to just below the rim. Do not over fill or you will have "explosive coffee" which is the joke with me and my friend because the first time she was teaching me to make this coffee, she over filled it and it spewed everywhere. We had a good laugh and decided she was teaching me what NOT to do.

Then you will place the basket in the bottom and fill with coffee, loosely, do not pack but mound it up like Vesuvius.

Many types of Kimbo are available

Kimbo is the best coffee here (kind of like Tully's in Seattle) with Illy running a close second.

Ready for the stove

Place the coffee on the stove top and put on gentle heat. When it starts to boil (steam comes out the spout), it is done. Pour some into a little cup, add either a little sugar or a little milk, or both, and now you have traditional coffee.

Rear Window

Being home sick these past few days I have the opportunity to observe the daytime life in the apartments around me. I feel a bit like Jimmy Stewart in the movie "Rear Window" (or Christopher Reeves if you saw the recent remake of that Hitchcock classic). I try not to stare or take photos of anyone in unflattering positions, nor do I zoom in on anyone's faces or home interiors -- that would feel like a paparazzi or voyeurism, and they presumably could do the same thing to me as well. There seems to be an unwritten code to only make polite eye contact if appropriate. In this kind of living situation where all the apartments are so close together, you see more into people's homes and lives that you do in a typical American suburb or apartment complex where we all tend to close our doors.

From my rear window

Here, people have their windows flung open wide for the fresh air, they call across to their neighbors greetings from their balconies, their clotheslines are draped off the balconies so the women are constantly hanging clothes, workmen are on scaffolding painting and repairing things. It is altogether an entirely different buzz than in any US place I have ever lived.

Actually yesterday I saw a man draping rugs over his balcony and using an old fashioned rug beater the get the dust out. He was a young man in his 20's I guess. Can you picture this? I also wondered to myself if anyone on the floor below him had laundry on the line because they might not have appreciated his rug debris getting on their laundry! It was out of my line of sight so I couldn't tell for use.

Laundry on the line

This lady does laundry all the time. She must have a large family. I see her everyday taking in laundry and putting out laundry. Who can imagine, no dryer? Ha! In simpler times my mother had no dryer either, or chose not to use it because she liked the smell of fresh sheets and towels. I used to hang my clothes also in KS but in our suburban neighborhood in Everett there was a restrictive covenant against "unsightly" clotheslines, even in your backyard behind your privacy fence! Hm, think about that one.

From my back terrace

This is a narrow side street right next to my palazzo which leads up to a central shopping area. The perspective gives you an idea of what the clusters of apartments look like in a rather typical Italian street.

Do not be fooled by the exterior of these apartment buildings. They may be old on the outside, and in some cases needing some paint and a "facelift" but this is a upper middle class neighborhood and the interiors of the apartments I have seen are grand and very modern, blending the best of the old and the new. Notice the satellite dish by the balcony?

My internet here is faster than it was in Everett, and our TV/Skybox reception is superb. Being on the 3rd floor of a building with a clear satellite view to the southwest helps that of course.

Bank building next door

From my terrace I have a view of a bank building. They appear to occupy all the floors on this side of the building, I have no idea if that is the entire building or what. I see people in there working in very modern looking offices and since they can look into my bathroom/closet area, I have to remember to close the blinds when I am on that side of the house dressing or bathing.


The trash here is a big problem, all wrapped up in politics and crime syndicates and who knows what all. There are some people's movements to recycle which could reduce the overall trash problem, but that seems to get undermined by the people making money from hauling trash -- or not hauling trash. This is really not an issue I care to get involved with; it feels like it is a deeply personal issue for the citizens of Naples and I am just a guest here. So when the trash gets picked up a lot of it gets burned, at least that is what I am told. Thus the pollution and smoke that started my sinusitis. When I ask Italians about the issue, it makes them visibly upset and I hear a string of Italian phrases that represent frustration, sadness, and anger at the situation.

A big hazy on the Naples skyline

The olives are ripe

How many people have their very own terrace-top olive tree? Well, I am delighted to report that I do. I hope some will still be left when Johnnie returns. Fresh olives, wow, what a treat!



I am still amazed by the structure of this palazzo (palace) built 800 years ago. Some of the original 1200 AD structure can be observed but it has had layers of work done to it over time where you can trace working from the 1700s or 1800s as well as modern day updates. One day my landlady will show me old pictures that have been in their family for years that show what it looked like before. My love of history and archaeology are being constantly stimulated by this wonderful place! I have a need to learn Italian quickly since most of the literature about the history is, of course, written in Italian!

2nd floor terrace and interior courtyard/parking garage

My first Italian medical appointment

My First Italian Illness and visit to the doctor
The burning in Naples is bad some days and about two weeks I ago I drove through heavy smoke in the city on my way to work one morning. I complained to my colleagues all day about my throat burning and my sinuses clogging up. It happened again the next day, and sure enough by the weekend, I have a full blown sinus infection. Took Monday off work and starting running a fever with tight cough and chest. So I call the International SOS referral that Boeing provides to us; they locate an English speaking doctor for me not too far from the apartment, and schedule me for Tuesday afternoon.

The doctor is a very nice older man, studied in the US at two prestigious East Coast universities as well as doing hospital work there. He speaks good English and gave me a good exam and prescribed what I would have expected from any US doctor (having been through these sinus and bronchial infections all my life). Altogether I am confident in the treatment and already feel better.

Here is my typical experience in the US: I am used to US medical clinics with receptionists, lots of paper, waiting in waiting rooms while people cough all over you and you cough all over them, medical assistants that take your vital signs, another wait in the doctor's back room, a quick visit by the physician who is booked at 5 minute intervals all day, a prescription and off you go.

This doctor's office is in what looks to be a residential apartment building in a middle class neighborhood. I had to ask directions because the street number turns out to be an apartment number, not on the building itself. The doctor himself buzzes me through the front door and greets me by name in the corridor. There is no receptionist, nurse or medical assistant. The office was indeed an apartment at one point in time, a bathroom and small kitchen/eating area to one side, and then the office/exam room to the left, all very clean but decor would remind you of the 1940s.

The doctor himself takes my history, looks over my current medications (looks up a couple things he wasn't sure about) and does the exam. The examination table is in the same room with his desk; he talks to me first, then has me get on the table and listens to my heart and breathing, etc., than has me sit back down again at his desk. He writes out a prescription by hand on a plain piece of letterhead paper, and explains how I will take the medicine. He writes me a receipt on a standard invoice pad you get at any office supply, puts his stamp on the top and collects cash from me. (He charges US prices) We spend a few minutes talking about what brings me to Italy, about his experiences living in the US, his children, his plans for retirement in the future. He shows me pictures on the internet of the retirement homes he is considering. Then he asks me to call him in one week to let him know how I am doing as he may want to increase my antibiotic if I am not better. He gives me his private cell phone number to call him. I leave the office after about 30 min.

This is a totally unique experience in my adult life; I can remember when I was very young and we still had a family doctor that did house calls, and vaguely remember visits to his office being more similar to this experience. I have no idea if this is typical of an Italian doctor visit or not as I have not basis for comparison. I did learn he is a private doctor and not part of the Italian national healthcare system. I don't know if public doctors see patients like me who are not covered under the national health care, or how any of that works. I will ask around and find out. I will probably never get reimbursed from my insurance as I am sure they will require multiple forms to be filled out and the simple receipt I got from him will never suffice. That paper chase will be a topic for a future blog!

Grocery Shopping in Napoli - the Supermercado and the SUPERmercado

Italy is changing. The traditional city shopping still abounds in Naples. This is where the shops are all small, specialized, and close to where people live and work. There are even larger "supermercados" in the traditional city. These are about the size of a small town independent grocer in the US; they carry a variety of food and all the basics, but not a depth of more unusual things. These are the people that delivered my groceries last weekend. Nice!

Along side the traditional city shopping areas, the large mall of the suburbs is thriving. I call it the SUPERmercado = Auchan or Ipercoop

Today I went to a Leroy Merlin (s/t Home Depot) and the Auchan northwest of Naples. These two megastores anchor the shopping area with a variety of other shops and restaurants in between. The Auchan is like a Super WalMart in the US and actually anchors it's own mall with smaller clothing and specialty shops.

The Auchan was very crowded today -- like the day before Thanksgiving at the Super WalMart! Families, kids, grandma and grandpa -- the entire clan showed up today.  People drive their shopping carts like they drive their cars in Naples, just crazy! I enjoyed the experience because it is so fun to watch the people, listen to them talk about what they want to eat and buy, and to see all the different and unusual foodstuffs. I could literally spend hours just looking. It was not a good day for getting special cuts of meat, or for lingering over the cheese to see exactly which ones I wanted to try -- too many people jostling for their place at the counters. I saw the butchers in back but I think they were hiding from the throng. Whenever one came out and delivered packages of wrapped meat on sale, they practically got mobbed by people. Must have been a sale on pork yesterday.

Hard to find things:
Cottage cheese -- they have excellent Ricotta in a wide variety but not cottage cheese
Vegetable peeler - must not peel their vegetables here
Baking soda or baking powder - surely they have these things? I just can't find them
Chocolate bits or Caramel bits - I was warned about this one but haven't yet found a substitute
Frozen lemonade or limeade - no frozen juices at all
Frozen berries - not here and only one tiny box of very expensive blackberries in the produce section
Ziplocs - not to be found
Lunch box - don't people pack their lunches here?
Travel mug - not in the culture to drink coffee in the car, or anything for that matter
Flavored coffee creamers - unheard of
Ranch dressing, Honey Mustard dressing or anything besides vinegar and oil

Johnnie is going to have to stock us up on some of the essentials!

Items in abundance in varieties I have never seen before:
Cured or smoked meats -- a huge array of types I can't even pronounce -- it will be fun eating my way through that counter!
Cheeses - a cheese counter that is double the size of Central Market in Mill Creek
Beer - I found so many German beers, not too many Italian beers though. You can buy them one bottle at a time, so I did buy a couple bottles of different ones to taste
Wines - two entire aisles on both sides filled floor to ceiling with wines from the different regions of Italy, some as cheap as 2 Euro a bottle ($3.50 US) - remember wine is considered a food in this culture, not something to get drunk
Breads - many types of fresh baked breads, the type you think of using for a hoagie or for dipping in olive oil (crispy outside, tender inside), all kinds of shapes
Yogurt - Wow, who knew there were so many kinds of yogurt! I found a couple varieties of soy yogurt that I like as well
Fish/Seafood - Italy is basically a peninsula surrounded by sea; many varieties of fish I don't recognize, and lots of clams and mussels that are farm-raised in the sea; I am going to have to get a guide to Mediterranean fish so we can start sampling


The Leroy Merlin reminds me very much of Home Depot except that they have a very large part of the store dedicated to curtains, drapes, rugs, and blinds and no kitchen appliances such as washers, dryers or refrigerators. They had just a couple ovens and ranges. I suspect there must be other stores that specialize in appliances. Otherwise, they have all the tools, lumber, paint, gardening, plumbing and electrical stuff you would expect. Johnnie will love the Leroy Merlin!