01x04 - Milan

[bunniefuu]

So here we are in Milan,

the fashion and industrial
powerhouse of Italy.

I've only been to
Milan a few times

and always in passing.

I've never stayed
here long enough

to really get a sense of it.

The first thing that
strikes you about Milan

is its dynamism.

No wonder espresso
was invented here.

I think I might
need a few of these

just to keep up with
the rhythm of the city,

but do the hard-working Milanese

bring as much to
the Italian table

as they do to the
country's economy?

I'm Stanley Tucci. I'm
Italian on both sides

and I'm travelling
across Italy to discover

how the food in each of
this country's 20 regions

is as unique as the
people and their past.

That's delicious.

Here in Milan, the menu is
nothing like you expect.

Up here in the north, forget
about pasta and pizza.

Oh my god, that's so
beautiful. Perfecto.

This is the land of
rice and polenta.

-Polenta in the ancient
time, it was like the bread.

-People from south of
Italy call us 'Polentoni'.

There isn't even
a tomato in sight...

This is amazing.

And olive oil plays
second fiddle to butter.

- Butter, a lot of butter.
- Jesus.

Woah, Jesus.

Warning - irresponsible
amounts of butter

were used in the
making of this program.

OK. I hate to say it but...

we need more butter.

Milan is the second
biggest city in Italy.

It's the capital of Lombardy -

a region in the north
of the peninsula,

the gateway to Northern Europe

and all of the trade
money that that brings.

Sophisticated,

elegant,

and rich.

Milan is the
epicentre of design,

fashion,

and finance.

The most iconic visual
representation of Milan's power

is its cathedral -

the biggest church in
the whole of Italy.

This breath-taking
architectural jewel

with its forest of
spires pointing upwards

is the perfect metaphor
for Milanese ambition.

Where are you taking me Beppe?

- It's a very...
- Up. Just up.

- It's a good place.
- Yeah?

One of my favourite
Italian writers

has spent his whole
life in Milan.

Beppe Severgnini is a regular
New York Times columnist.

-Milan loves the future.

-He is a master at
explaining Italians

to the rest of the world

and I want him to tell me all
I need to know about Milan.

-Welcome to Milan's
first ever skyscraper.

-Even better,

he has the keys to the most
exclusive rooftop in the city.

It's extraord... It's like
a city unto itself isn't it?

In miniature. Wow.

-It's amazing, it's
like a sandcastle

in the middle of
a European city.

And this was started in
the late 14th Century

and it's never finished. Never.
- Never been finished.

I've been told that Milan
is always looking forward,

more so than other
Italian cities.

-Absolutely, I
love Milan because

the success of Milan in my view

is you walk around
and you actually hear

all these fantastic
Italian accents

from Sicily to Trentino
Alto Adige near the Alps.

- Yeah.
- And all these young people

coming from all over Europe
and bringing new ideas.

-What are the politics
like here now?

It's tricky. It's...
Milan is center-left,

the rest of Lombardy is
solidly on the right.

Actually - the League, which
many people think can...

You know the League can be
very unpleasant, the leaders,

but the voters of the
league are alright.

But the good thing of Milan
is that normally in Italy

if you have a right-wing
region and a left-wing town

they'll spend their time
annoying each other,

boycotting each other.

- And nobody wins.
- And nobody wins.

-In Milan they decided,

look, Milan is more important
and wealth is more important

because Milan,
like the Americans,

oh they know about money

and money is serious stuff here.

Food is important,
money is important.

-What's the thing that
separates the cuisine

of Lombardy?

-In Milan it's food for work -

It's risotto, it's
cotolette, it's meat

it's like something
that will keep you going

and keep working in the cold.

-It's more Swiss or
Germanic almost in its...

Don't say this to an Italian.

No never, I would never
do that. Never do that.

Traditionally, food has never
been a focus of this city -

I think people are probably
too busy making money

to worry about
what's for dinner.

Despite this, Milan is a
trailblazing city at heart,

so in the past few years
it's become a culinary Mecca.

Cesare Battisti is one
of the chefs responsible

for the Milan food revolution.

He's at the helm of
the buzzy Ratana' s

a restaurant that's
been making waves

on the gastronomic scene.

Even though Cesare is
renowned for being innovative,

nobody knows how to make
Milan's classic dishes like him.

-Oh my god!

That's when... That was
the record they found?

And there you have it -

proof that Milan led the way

in the invention
of the schnitzel.

Any dissenting Austrian
out there, please call me.

Or call Cesare
actually, don't call me.

So this is clarified butter.

-In this climate olive
oil gives way to butter...

Woah, Jesus!

The king ingredient of
Northern Italian cooking.

Smell that.

Dry sunny fields of olive trees

are replaced by fertile pastures

irrigated by rivers and lakes,

perfect terrain for cattle.

When I was young we used to
have veal cutlets every week.

Love veal. I know you're not
supposed to but I love it.

I love it. Of course the rearing
practices are much better now.

Like this for instance.

In this wealthy city
humble rice is flavoured

with a spice worth
more than gold.

So they used the saffron

to color the stained glass
windows in the Duomo.

Those are very expensive
windows. Yeah, yeah.

Oh my god
that's so beautiful.

For you.

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

Proper.

It's just that
little bit thicker.

Wiener schnitzel is so thin

and it gets kind of dry.

It's so perfectly moist.

- So good! Grazie.
- You're welcome.

Cesare unlocked some of
the gastronomic secrets

of this metropolis for me.

But I hear that to
get to the heart of it

I may need to go underground.

People here are known for
their unrivalled work ethic.

They have always had to
overcome inclement weather

and build their livelihood
on treacherous marshlands.

The Milanese work hard
but they also play hard.

I've heard that within Italy,

Milan is known as
Milano da Bere -

a city to drink.

-It's very, very cool
because it's raining

it's cold but Italian people
they always go to do aperitivo.

-Aperitivo is a post-work drink
meant to whet your appetite,

or aprire l'appetitio
as the Italians say.

I'm here with Tess Masazza

who is something of an
expert on the subject.

I was watching your
stuff, so funny!

- Thank you.
- Oh my god, it's just brilliant

and you started doing it
like five years ago right?

-I started five years ago, yes.

-Tess Masazza is a Milan-based
social media sensation

who is known for her ironic
take on modern living.

Half French, half Italian,

like so many other young people
she now calls Milan her home.

-Now we are going to a
bar, a very special bar

and they do amazing c*ck.

Really?

I don't know if
you know, spritz.

- Is this the joint?
- Yes.

-Oh Jesus. Oh my god we
haven't even had a drink yet.

Spritz has taken the
world by storm...

Carefully.

But it was originally the
quintessential Milanese drink.

Hello. Buona
sera. Buona sera.

Campari, it's main ingredient
is made here in Milan.

- Great, thank you.
- Thank you so much.

- Cheers. -Cheers. -Salute.
- Salute.

Here, you have aperitivo
with a drink and you can eat.

-Yeah.
-And you go back home and you don't have to cook.

That's fine. Oh thank
you. Oh there's the food.

So you eat and you are
more hungry so you eat again.

-Every time you order
a drink you get this?

-It's fantastic, yes.
-Yeah. No, it's amazing. It's amazing.

A lot of Milanese take
their work so seriously

that they hardly stop for lunch.

No wonder they need an aperitivo

at the end of their day.

Luckily this led to

a revolutionary
Milanese invention

we're all grateful for -

the Happy Hour.

-Milan is very famous
also for the secret bars

- Yeah?
- And...

I love it because it's
like in the movies

because to enter you
have to have a password.

-Oh I love that idea.

So it's like the old speakeasys.

-Absolutely like old speakeasys.

- But legal.
- Yes.

- Maybe, I don't know.
- Maybe?

Tess has been given the password

for a secret bar just
behind the cathedral...

It's just
here. This is it.

This is it?

And the password is
the name of the witch

once believed to be the
protector of this neighbourhood

Oh, I thought
he was going to say no.

-Arima.

-Are you sure this
is the right place?

- I, I... Yes it is.
- Yeah? Yeah.

-Oh hello. Buono
sera. Thank you.

This place is so hip

it makes me want
to be 20 again...

- Wow. You like it.
- Wow.

Yeah I love it.

Or 40 or even 50.
50 would be fine.

- Hi.
- Hello. Stanley.

Nice to meet you.
You're welcome.

Morris Maramaldi
is one of Milan's

most in-demand mixologists.

Let's order a drink. What
are you going to have?

I think, I'm
gonna have the fresh mau.

I'm gonna have
the martini black saffron.

- Martini black saffron.
- Yes please.

He's known for creating
incredible drinks with a twist.

They are site-specific.

-Oh wow. Oh I see it's black.

Morris has invented a drink

to honour the history
of this building.

That's beautiful.

This was once the
residence of coal workers.

-Remarkably, despite being
among Milan's poorest residents

they all survived the
catastrophic plague of 1630.

-They thought it was her.
They thought it was the witch

but it was the coal?
- To protect... It was the coal.

-So this is gonna
keep me very healthy?

That's the best martini I've had in a very long time.
-Thank you.

-Wow. And you came
to Milan when?

I'm sorry.
- That's OK.

No don't let him in.

I wouldn't let that guy in.

It's really interesting, there's
a forward-thinking aspect

to this city - more than I've
seen in other Italian cities.

So many people.

They all come from
everywhere, all over.

-Yeah, because
there's a lot of work.

-You're fantastic,
you're just fantastic.

Milan is one of the fashion
capitals of the world.

The love affair between
Milan and fashion

goes back to the middle ages

when the city was already known

for the production
of luxury garments.

When Milan became the centre
of the post-w*r economic boom,

here was where ordinary
Italians learned to dress.

Milan spearheaded the revolution

that was Pret-a-Porter,
ready to wear.

I love fashion, always have.

Every movie I do, almost, I
like to have people dressing.

I think it's a really
beautiful process.

I feel very lucky

because today I've
been invited to meet

one of the most successful
fashion families in Italy.

The Missonis are known

for their instantly
recognizable colorful knitwear.

Their vibrant patterns

have revolutionized
the fashion world.

This multi-generational
dynasty built its success

on the local textile
manufacturing expertise.

30 miles north-west of Milan

next to their
factory in Sumirago

is their family home.

- Buongiorno.
- Buongiorno!

I was going out.

- Let's go.
- Follow me.

Of course, I'll
follow you anywhere.

I'm here for lunch... And
that's for the mushrooms?

But it seems like I am going
to have to work for it.

88 year old Rosita Missoni,
the matriarch of the empire,

is taking me on a treasure hunt.

Careful, eh?
Don't walk on my mushrooms.

-Tell me about when you had your show in 1967.
-Yes.

They gave us 16 models and they
didn't have the right underwear.

So I said you have
to take off your bra.

I did it spontaneously
because they had nice breasts

so I didn't see a problem.

So when the girls walked out
on the runway with the light

the clothes were transparent

and they wrote - Missoni
a Crazy Horse Collection

on The Pitti Palace Runway.

It was a coup d'etat!.

It was not calculated.

-You mistakenly changed fashion.

- Exactly.
- That's fantastic.

This is what my
grandfather used to do.

Rosita is a veteran forager.

There are many varieties of
edible mushrooms in Lombardy

but for today's meal, she's
only interested in porcini.

- No.
- What are those? -No.

No. No.

No. That's poisonous.

- Is that one?
- No.

-No luck today.

But you never know, that's the
pleasure of finding mushrooms

because it's the
surprise, the emotion.

-Luckily, we're not
relying on our pickings.

Who's cooking today?
Is it your grandson?

He said he's going to
cook mushroom for us.

-Oh nice. OK good.

Rosita's grandson Francesco

is so obsessed with
his family's cooking

that he's even written
the Missoni cookbook.

-His mother Angela
now runs the company

and she's just come over
from the nearby factory

to join us in the kitchen.

- Hello. Mum, Angela.
- Ciao. Hi.

- Ciao Stanley, welcome.
- Hi, how are you?

-We will leave her now
because she's the master.

She'll kick
you out anyway.

Yeah, yeah.

This was my
job when I was a kid.

My mother would give
me the mushrooms

and I would have
to brush them off.

Not ones we found,
ones we bought

but that was my job.

- What are you making?
- Polenta.

And what we do and this is
the recipe of the house,

I don't know where
it comes from,

we put in the water
a piece of garlic.

It will leave a flavour.

-Yeah, yeah, that's nice, yeah.

But you know a lot about the
food of Lombardy, this area.

-Polenta in the ancient
times, it was like the bread.

You eat it warm with
meat if you're lucky

or you would have
eaten it with cheese,

or you would eat it
just with butter.

Or my favourite dish as a
child was polenta e latte,

warm polenta and cold milk.

-You know, people
from south of Italy

call us from north
of Italy 'polentoni'

because we eat polenta.
- Oh is that true, really?

Usually you
accompany it with juice

and in this case we
have e' un brasato.

Braised with wine,
onions, carrots, celery.

-It's been cooked
for hours and hours

at a really low temperature.

My god, it
just falls apart.

We are also
having pheasant,

which is a rural tradition.

Oh wow, this
is beautiful, yeah.

-I'm cooking now the mushroom,
olive oil, a bit of garlic.

Well this is like
a perfect autumn meal.

Gorgeous.

Lunch is nearly ready, but
before we sit down to feast

Angela's taking me for
a peek around the house.

Not too shabby.

You
look at this room,

it's not that
everything is Missoni

but it's like, if
we look for things

which are part of our world,

you look at this
painting and you can say,

"Oh yes, this is part
of the Missoni world."

No, it's a Severini
painting, right?

Yeah, yeah.
- It's extraordinary.

And you grew up here?
- Yeah. -Wow.

-Nobody ever moved.

And even the kids,
the third generation,

they left and then they
all came back. Yeah.

That's nice.

Welcome
to the family.

Thank you
so much, thank you.

Grandma's
house is like a...

...the hub
of conviviality.

One of the perks
of living close by

is that the whole family

can drop in for
lunch at grandma's.

All three generations
come together

to share meals regularly.

How many of you are
involved in the business?

-One, two, three,
four... So six.

But enough shop talk.

As if by magic we were all drawn

to a beautifully laid out table.

So, polenta. Oh
and you wrap it in this.

Oh that's lovely.

I made a point of
doing all the traditional dishes

from the house, like
brasato, fagiano...

At least once
a year, we have this.

Yes, and lots
of that beautiful sugo,

oh my god, look at
that. Oh my god.

This is very exciting.

The pheasant is incredible

because so many times
you eat pheasant

it can be so dry.

-With this sauce, it's
really, really juicy and...

-This is amazing. When
you come home for lunch

and you're working,
what do you eat usually?

-She had guests on Sunday,
we might have that on Monday.

-Might have the leftovers on
a Monday? That's not so bad.

This is a
typical Sunday lunch.

-The brasato with the
polenta and the mushrooms

literally melted in my mouth.

It's always a real privilege

learning a family's home recipes

and their kitchen secrets.

- The sun is shining.
- I know, I know,

and I'm coming
back for breakfast.

This family clearly take
their food traditions

as seriously as their
fashion creations.

That's great. Mm.

It's snowing.

That's very exciting.

The geographical diversity
of Lombardy is astonishing.

Within a few miles from Milan,

the landscape
changes dramatically.

It could snow every day
as far as I'm concerned.

Here in the Orobic Alps,
you're in a different world.

Different culture,

different values,

different pace.

No Milanese in a rush

would have the patience
to do what it takes

to create the local
culinary delicacy.

In the village of Gerola Alta

they are prepared to wait
for more than a decade

for their cheese to mature.

Paolo Ciapparelli has devoted
his whole life to Bitto,

a 2,000-year-old type
of cheese so expensive

it was never eaten
by those who made it.

Wow. And it became
the local currency.

Each of these cheese
wheels can cost up to $850,

making it one of the
most expensive cheeses

in the world.

-Wow.

The secret to this
extraordinary cheese

is that it's made
from the milk of cows

that graze on alpine grass

at different altitudes
throughout the summer.

-Can you tell by the smell?

-Really? That's amazing.

Paolo saved this
cheese from extinction

when European regulation

led to cows being
given industrial feed

in addition to grass from
the mountain pastures.

-This is a cheese
to meditate upon.

Oh my god.

It's quite beautiful.

Oh my god. 12 years?

He says it opens up his heart.

Wow, wow.

It's delicious.

This incredible
cheese would not exist

were it not for the hard work
of a near-extinct community

of alpine herders.
Cheers. Thank you.

Paolo's determination to
protect their tradition

is inspiring and
now I am inspired

to cook with this cheese.

Anyway, I think it's time
to feed the film crew,

who have been watching
me eat all day.

I don't know who
these people are.

Paparazzi in Italy, they
follow you everywhere.

I'm going to make them
one of my favourites -

pizzoccheri, a very
special kind of noodle.

I've never made it

because there isn't a lot
of wheat in this area,

they use buckwheat
which is indigenous.

It's been one of Lombardy's
top culinary delights

for over 500 years
and rightly so.

I can't get enough of it.

So now, savoy cabbage.

Sort of cut almost like
the pizzoccheri themselves.

Then the potatoes.

Like all northern dishes,
it requires lots of butter.

I love this.

And now of course,
Paolo's cheese.

OK, I hate to say it
but we need more butter.

That's why nobody who eats
pizzoccheri lives beyond

the age of 35.

See all that nice
cheese melted in there.

OK everybody just come and pick.

That's enough pizzoccheri
for like a thousand people.

Jamie, Ja... Jamie,
give me the camera.

You eat.

Do you like it?

I like it.
Thanks very much.

Oh, they're eating it.

The crew is exhausted,

they're ravenous and
they're lapping it up

but will my efforts stand
the test of the locals?

The family that owns the
lodge we're staying in

have offered to be my judges,

including the
octogenarian patriarch.

-Very good.

Buonissimo.

-Don't say that
because I'm famous.

-Oh that's really good.

-No, no, oh no. Now
I'm very nervous.

-It's a good sign if
he's not saying anything.

-That's the best compliment
anybody could ever have.

I'd like to think it's
my culinary talent

that made this
dish so successful

but my instinct is
its Paolo's cheese.

That's delicious.

I'm so glad that Paolo

saved this cheese
from extinction.

I defy anyone who tries
pizzoccheri with Bitto

not to become a cheese outlaw.

Nice boat. -Yes.
- It's nice and calm.

This is the Lombardy I know -

Lake Como.

It's sheer beauty will
never cease to amaze me.

Merely 30 miles north of
Milan, just below the Alps,

this is Lombardy's most
fabled destination.

Let's go fishing.

-I am here with
William Cavadini,

a local textile manufacturer
with a passion for fishing.

-Como is a very important
city for the textile business.

- Yes I know, yeah. -For silk.
- For silk, yeah.

-Yes and my family is three
generations of textile business.

- Oh really?
- Yes, yes. And for that job

I travel around
Europe, Middle East

and after, I came back to Como

and decided with a few
friends to stay together

to work to help the lake.

-The few friends turned into an
association of 600 fishermen.

That's a nice one.
- Yes that is a nice one.

-They made it their job to
help the local government

enforce fishing limits
across the lake.

You can only keep fish that
are more than 6 inches long

and in limited quantities.

Are people trying to
stop fishing on the lake?

Is that what people want to do?

-What's going on
is global warming.

The lake's ecosystem has
started to have trouble

and we have to do something
to change the system.

-These fish that
come from these lakes

are really crucial to the
diet here for centuries.

-Exactly, you know
our tradition is...

it's fantastic.

-We're gonna fish
right? I'm very excited.

I love fishing. I
never catch anything

but I love fishing.
- Today you will.

- Today I will, I hope.
- I hope.

And down.

-How do you know when you...

- Can you... You can feel it?
- Yeah, you feel it.

You feel the nibble.

-And when you feel...

Ah, maybe you have.

I think you have. Yes you have.
This is a nice one.

- I could feel it.
- This is a nice one.

Three!

That's what
I'm talking about.

Who is the president?

-Don't cut this sequence,

make sure it's in one
shot so they know.

You are
invited to my place.

I'd like to teach you

how to cook the riso
con pesce persico.

I'm very, very excited.

I've heard that, like
many people outside Milan,

William supports the League,

a political party
born here in Lombardy

demanding the independence
of the north from the south.

It's leader Matteo Salvini

has polarized the country

with his extreme
anti-immigration views.

This is the
complicated moment to clean.

Just going up the spine.

I'll have to find the right
moment to broach the subject

with William while we cook.

Now you cut the head.

So you don't
cook the whole fish?

You can but
we keep our tradition.

In Como, you know, you
move just 10 kilometers

and everything changes.

This is the nice and
difficulty of Italy.

I think it's something
that is the Italian DNA.

We say, it's not difficult
to govern the Italians

You understand?

Now we're gonna cook
it. We need butter.

A lot of butter.
- Woah Jesus yeah.

Sage here, with the
butter and with the garlic.

-So tell me about
the political climate

in Italy now.

-It's very difficult to
make a good government

for all the Italians...

...because something
that is good in the south

maybe is not good in the north.

Mr. Salvini is one politician
that is born from Lega Nord

and step by step, he start
to grow also in the south.

-You worked all over the world

what do you think about

Salvini's attitude
towards immigrants?

-In Italy we don't
have the system

to bring these people
and help these people.

-But Salvini says,

don't bring these
people in at all,

stop them completely no matter
what, even if they drown,

even if... we're not even
gonna let them off the boat.

I can understand
limitations on immigration

but it's very hard to
swallow the idea of saying

there are children and
women, maybe pregnant women,

and we're not going to let them off the boat.
-Yes Stanley,

I agree with you.

Why today I have
to say no more people here

because there is
not enough space.

We would like to have a
good drink, good food,

we don't like to fight.

It is not in our DNA.

Beautiful.

You speak about Salvini -
you have to speak about rice.

Come on, not some
politician, you are Italian.

If you don't agree, you don't
have to go out from this house.

-I wanted to talk
to you about it

because I agree that

there do have to
be rules in place

however one of the reasons
America is the way it is today

is because it accepted
millions of Italian immigrants.

And that is what I think...

That's the issue I
have with Salvini

because what we're doing
is we're making an attempt

to regulate the human
instinct of saving people.

-My... What... Why Salvini...

Well, try because you know...

-Oh, it's really good.

Oh my god.

-Next time we'll invite Salvini, I know him.
-You do? -Yeah.

- Is he a nice guy?
- Yes, like me.

-Hmm, I'm not so
sure I would like

to come back and meet Salvini

but I'd be very happy to come
back and see William again.

I was surprised
William suggested that

as an Italian I should care
more about food than politics

because I believe the
two things are connected,

hospitality can also
be a political choice.

Are you happy
to be back in lake Como?

Of course
I am, it's amazing.

- This is where we met.
- Have you got some poetry?

-Not on me.

I tried to come to lake Como
without my wife Felicity

but she followed me.

It's one of the most beautiful places...
-I know you have the...

- It sounds silly to say it is.
- I love that you have,

you've got this,
the sun, the lake

and then also just
the snow peaks.

-Yeah.
-What is that mountain range over there?

-That's the beginning
of the Alps.

As much as Felicity and I love
spending time here by the lake,

there is a place in
Milan I want to show her

that's doing something
extraordinary.

A restaurant in the centre

embodies the spirit
and history of Milan

like almost nowhere else.

-Angelo Bissolotti

is the mastermind behind
Osteria del Treno,

a haven for the
hard-working Milanese

in an historical venue.

Felicity,

Nice to meet you.

-When Angelo acquired
this place 30 years ago

his mission was to create
an authentic osteria,

accessible to everyone.

You can have lunch here
every day for less than $11,

hang out in the afternoon,
but in the evening

this becomes a hotspot,

celebrating the region's
finest foods and entertainment.

-Oh my god, that
looks delicious.

We were joined by Angelo's
nephew, Francesco...

- This is nice.
- Yeah.

And our mutual friend,
the actress Lella Costa.

-Oh god it looks amazing.

My god.

- Oh beautiful.
- See? -Yeah.

For a long time
it's been the only place

where people could
afford to go and eat out.

It wasn't expensive.
- Right.

-Angelo couldn't have picked

a better location
for his osteria

as this place was created by
the workers, for the workers.

-In Italy, the first
rail workers' strike

was claimed here in this place.

-A bit of their salary, they
use it to help each other

they use it for a meeting
hall, a place to have dances,

to listen to music,
to build this place.

And in essence,
they create a union.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

...with
mashed potatoes.

This is something
for the workers.

Delicious,
that's delicious.

-Angelo has
brilliantly recreated

the spirit of
traditional Osterias.

Before I started this trip

I never would have
imagined such a place

could exist in fashionable,
money-driven Milan.

This seems like a
million miles away

from the nearby
stock exchange...

the trendy bars and the
luxury brand stores.

Here, in this Milan,

I recognise the
power of the pioneers

that changed the face of
Italy through sheer hard work.

This place, for
me, is living proof

that conviviality can be a
vehicle for social change

after all, most revolutions
begin around a table.