Help with the Dishes

Since we're not on vacation, we mostly eat our meals at home. OK, I lie…we go to the bar for cappuccini and cornetti most mornings but we usually go home for lunch when the rest of Soriano closes down around 1-ish. After only 2 1/2 weeks we haven't exactly established a routine yet, but instead of naping after lunch or doing chores we go out and explore. Then at around 6 or 7 we're home preparing dinner, dining at around 8:30 and done with the dishes by 10.

“Doing the dishes” is an expression I haven't used since childhood, before the first dishwasher ever appeared in my mother's kitchen. Well, there is no dishwasher in the kitchen here…only a small single basin stainless steel sink. With very little counter space, I've had to be creative about getting the dishes done. I know this is boring stuff, but I'm getting ready to introduce you to the item in this tiny apartment that rivals “la lavatrice” for my inestimable appreciation. I haven't learned the Italian name for this brilliant invention, but it's one of those “lightbulb” ideas that makes you wonder why every kitchen in the world doesn't have one of these. Ta Daaaaa...the above-sink dish drying rack!

Behind the overhead cabinet doors located above the kitchen sink is an ingenious device. It's composed of a couple of stainless steel racks that hold just-rinsed dishes, allowing them to drip-dry behind closed doors. There is a pull-out plastic tray below the racks to catch the drips. Some older versions of this device don’t have drip trays, so the dishes just drip directly into the sink. As soon as they're washed and rinsed, the dishes/glassware/ silverware/pots/pans...the works...are instantly put away and the dishes are done!

Pure genius!!

Exploring One Bite at a Time

One of our favorite afternoon pastimes is exploring the historic parts of Italian towns. Except for the occasional caffè/bar, most shops are closed between one and four o’clock and the local folks are home for their midday meal. Free from delivery vans, shoppers and traffic, views of the buildings, piazzas, streets and alleys are unobstructed and it’s easy to imagine life in past centuries. So it was for us this week in Viterbo’s San Pellegrino medieval quarter.

Viterbo is one of several provincial capitals in Italy’s Lazio region; Rome is the regional capital. Located 50 miles (about 82 kilometers) north of Rome, Viterbo held political and commercial importance for several hundred years thanks to a number of Popes and was at one time the seat of the anti-pope. Most significantly, Viterbo is where rules governing the election of the Pope by the conclave of cardinals were enacted by Rainero Gatti, the town’s captain (somewhat like an appointed police chief). Back around 1271, Gatti locked up the cardinals in the Palazzo Papale, removed part of the roof and reduced their food supply. Cold and hungry, the cardinals acted quickly to elect the Pope. Today the same rules (without freezing and starving the cardinals) are still used.

Last week we spent a several days in Viterbo – applying for our Permessi di Soggiorno, shopping, attending an exhibit of local food products, having a guided tour of Viterbo’s medieval quarter and having lunch with another American Italophile, Larry Theobald of Cycle Italia.

For twenty years or so, Larry and his wife, Heather Reid have been exploring the local roads of Italy perched on their touring bicycles which have afforded them unique, up-close and personal experiences often missed by us auto-bound tourists. Pedaling 60 to 80 kilometers at a clip, they guide small groups of serious bikers through the mountains, the countryside and small towns. Their one-week tours start in April in Southern Italy and end in late July up in the north. When they’re not riding or researching new itineraries, they're enjoying the best local Slow Food establishments in Italy (more on that in another posting).

Over lunch at Schenardi’s (a beautiful caffè and gelateria in operation since 1818 in a restored Renaissance building), Larry entertained us with stories of his and Heather’s experiences. Not surprisingly, each of the anecdotes contained a common and vital element…food. Larry told us that the best porchetta (a whole, boned young pig; seasoned with herbs and spices, rolled back up in its skin, slow roasted, sliced and eaten on a crusty roll) comes from nearby Bagnaia (another future posting).

Growing up, we never understood why the preparation and consumption of food was such an important part of family life. Whenever other friends came to visit, they brought a cake or a box of pastries and we’d never show up at someone's home without a bottle of wine or a dessert.

Food was always the center of very major celebration… birthdays, Christenings, Communions, graduations, weddings…even funerals. Even here in Soriano, a brief meeting with our landlord to complete our residency registration was conducted at the caffè over an espresso. Why always with the food??

Food is hard-wired into the Italian-American character… it’s in our DNA. Italians are very, very serious about their food. Strict laws protect the integrity of local food products; the place of origin, how and where specific cheeses, wines, pastas, cured meats, breads, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, etc. are produced, labeled and sold is a matter of extreme pride as well as economic survival.

So whether electing a Pope, bicycling across Italy, touring a medieval town, conducting official business, or visiting family, food will always be at the core of our everyday experience. And why not...here in Italy “si mangia molto bene!!’’

It’s Good to Make Friends in High Places

We started out for nearby Viterbo early this morning on a scouting expedition expecting only to locate the Questura (a sort of police headquarters) and the immigration assistance office of CISL. There are numerous blogs and forums filled with horror stories of people who have spent days, weeks and months trying to complete this initial phase of the application process for the coveted Permesso di Soggiorno (permit to stay beyond 90 days). Given what we’ve read and the advice we’ve received, this initial step today was only a logistical and fact finding mission with no expectation of accomplishing anything.

We arrived in Viterbo, and after a few missed turns, found the Questura and a parking space…bravo! At the Questura we were directed to the immigration office we sought, located in another building one block away…OK, no big deal. We found the right building but, lacking a directory, we asked around before finding the right floor and office suite…still, we were OK. We took a number and waited only a few minutes before talking to a friendly police officer who explained and confirmed the process as we understood it. We simply would have to return to this office once our forms were completed and processed at the Post Office. The helpful officer also explained that we would need a couple of additional documents that were not in the printed instructions (Ah Ha…Rule #2). We thanked the officer for the information and left feeling confident; so we decided to push our luck and find the CISL office.

Surprisingly, we used only 20 minutes of the three hours parking fee. Departing the parking lot we gave our space and the paid parking receipt to a woman who was in desperate search of a parking space. Having done our good deed for the day, we headed off on the next phase of our little adventure.

Our trusty GPS guided us a few kilometers to the CISL offices where we were warmly greeted by Sig. Eugenio. He explained to us once again the application process and proceeded to actually complete the required forms electronically and print them all. Within an hour Mr. Eugenio handed us our completed applications and then escorted us across the street to a bar where we purchased the required tax stamps (bolla) and an espresso. Then he escorted us to the Post Office back across the street where he introduced us to a senior official who reviewed and processed our applications on the spot (unheard of), collected the application fees and postage to mail the packets to Rome, and scheduled our appointment at the Viterbo Questura in three weeks. Mr. Eugenio provided all of this personal service at no charge…totally gratis!

Obviously, this morning’s experience was an incredible example of dumb luck and serendipity (disproving Rule #1). But we’re not done yet!!! And we’re absolutely not gloating. We still have to clear the final hurdles at the Questura in three weeks (a test of Rule #3).

With a handshake, Mr. Eugenio left us with a typical Italian gesture….a sentiment cloaked in an old proverb: “A small glass of wine makes good friends”; to which we replied “It’s good to make friends in high places”.

Our earlier good deed was repaid many times over.

Don't Let the Peas Touch the Potatoes

Our first 5 days in Italy were spent as house guests of Italian friends. We tried very hard to assimilate into their daily routine and stay out of the way because they work very hard and we didn't want to make more work for them. Enzo is a macellaio – a butcher. He and his wife, Paola, own one of several butcher shops in their little town. It's the kind of place you might remember if you're of a certain age. A full service, old fashioned shop, where customers are greeted by name, exchange greetings with each other and with Enzo and Paola and share news about their respective families. Enzo knows his customers well and provides individualized service to each one.

The shop is open 5 ½ days a week from 8am till 8pm (closed Thursday afternoons). They close up at 1pm to go home, have lunch, take a little nap or do domestic chores. They return to work again at 4pm for another 4 hours. At 8pm, they return home for dinner. This schedule is a ritual and doesn't vary.

Paola has the routine down to a science. Each night, after dinner, she begins to cook the next meal...tomorrow's lunch; a sauce for pasta and cooked vegetables. Time is precious and when she gets home at 1pm, the sauce and veggies get heated while the pasta cooks. The meals have certain constancy. Lunch is always pasta with a side of vegetables. The sauce for the pasta varies, but there's always pasta. Then there are the vegetables; fresh veggies, requiring preparation...and bread and wine. Then fruit. Then coffee. Meat at lunch…never!

Following lunch, Enzo heads for the sofa or the garden, depending on the weather. There's always pruning, picking or watering that needs to be done. After all, they grow their own produce. Meanwhile, Paola begins preparing the evening meal. Usually some kind of meat or fish, cheese, salad, roasted or sautéed vegetables. Sometimes there's time for a little nap, before returning to work.

Whenever we stay with Enzo and Paola, we try to lighten the workload a little. We set the table, slice the bread, start the water for the pasta and insist on doing the clean-up. For these small efforts, we have the pleasure of their company, we practice speaking Italian, enjoy fabulous meals and learn how to live all'Italiani.

What I really want to talk about here is the rhythm of the meals. It's very interesting to me that each item in the meal is eaten in a specific order, alone on the plate. Italians do not fill their plates with all the food groups. One item at a time. First the pasta…only the pasta followed by the vegetables. If there is more than one kind of vegetable, each is eaten by itself. For example, at one meal, Paola served roasted peppers in olive oil, sautéed broccoletti and a green salad. Each vegetable had its own turn on the plate. You CAN eat bread with all the veggies. I asked Enzo why they didn't just put a little serving of each item on the plate at once. His answer was quite emphatic. Each item has its own distinct flavor, and if you want to taste each, you must not mix different foods in your mouth at the same time.

Well, I never thought of that, but then, most American food doesn't deserve such undivided attention. At the Italian table even the vegetables are deliciously prepared and merit a staring place in the meal...which is why the peas never touch the potatoes!

La Lavatrice

After investing hours in research and planning we are realizing that we’re not totally prepared for living in Italy. We arrived about a week ago and moved into our own little apartment just 5 days later. With loads of help from real and virtual friends, we thought we were way ahead of the curve. But the little details of everyday life have proven to be weak points.

We’re the first tenants in a new, compact apartment…a bedroom, a bathroom and a combination kitchen/dining/living room. The rooms are fully equipped with new bathroom and kitchen fixtures, appliances and furniture… there’s even a flat panel TV with basic cable service. We can control the heat, air conditioning and hot water temperatures. Best of all, there is “La Lavatrice”… a new washing machine.

In the past we’ve spent summers at Carol’s grandmother’s old house in Calabria. It has electricity and plumbing but, lacking creature comforts, we’re accustomed to roughing it. So, for us, having “la lavatrice” in the apartment is a very big deal. “La Lavatrice” has roughly a capacity equal to a countertop microwave but that’s still better than hauling the laundry down to the fountain in the piazza and beating it with a stick.

However, the fountain and stick method is easier than understanding the instructions for operating “La Lavatrice”. The washing cycles are electronically programmed, but you need to know the weight of the laundry load, how much time you want it to agitate and how violently you want it to spin. Most importantly, you must use laundry detergent! That's right, laundry detergent. For as long as I've been studying the Italian language, I can't believe I bought laundry softener instead of detergent. Back to the store.

Next up: Our Italian clothes dryer (or the broomstick and radiator method for drying knickers).

Siamo arrivati!

Exactly 24 hours after take-off, we arrived to a welcoming dinner in familiar surroundings with wonderful friends. Our connecting flight from Frankfurt to Rome had been cancelled, resulting in a 4 hour delay. It could have been so much worse.

Despite the stupefying jet lag, we decided to test The Four Rules by attempting to convert our new smart phones to an Italian service provider and obtain a wireless Internet connection.

Stunned, surprised and amazed don't begin to describe it - we had new working cell phones and new numbers in about 30 minutes. As if that wasn't exciting enough, by the time we got back to the house, the Vodafone wireless keycard had us connected to the Internet. We're still experiencing some internet connection and signal problems, but we're working on that. All in all, remarkable progress.

This isn't our grandparents' Italy anymore...perhaps it's time to revise The Four Rules? No, not yet...that just might be a little hasty.

Tutto bene…Bravissimo!

Temporarily Off Line

Monday morning our Internet service will be disconnected. We'll arrive in Rome Wednesday and hope to back on line by the end of this week or early next week. During that time we'll be using Internet connections wherever we can find them...wish us luck.

Cent’anni

When we tell people “we’re going to live in Italy for a year” they usually respond with “please take me with you”. When asked why, we tell them our story and about the people who have inspired us over the years. It is those very special friends we thank…

In 1974 Ron, John, Bob, Tom and Mimi, John and Jessica, and Jack and Johanne introduced us to life in Naples. They helped us survive the culture shock and guided us through the everyday challenges.

In 1999 Joe and Mary opened the doors to generations of relatives and friends in Calabria and inspired us to learn more about our heritage and the history of il mezzogiorno.

In 2000 Ray and Sandy in Lucca showed us that, with patience and hard work, life in Italy can be a rich and rewarding experience.

In 2001 and 2004 Carla opened her home and heart to Carol with total immersion into the Italian language and all of Rome.

Since 2005 Mario and Anna, Maria and Pino, Franca and Antonio, and Maria kept us connected with family and friends (the heart and soul of our heritage).

In 2007 Michelle of BleedingEspresso helped us discover Badolato and the beauty of Calabria’s Ionian Coast. Her exquisite insights and generous advice convinced us that our dream could become a reality.

In 2008 Cherrye and Peppe of My Bella Vita and Il Cedro Bed and Breakfast provided great advice that helped us prepare for our adventure.

Also in 2008 Etore, Pina and their family opened their home and hearts to us and shared the wisdom and beauty of their everyday life in Lazio.

In 2009 Michael and Paola of DiscoverSoriano helped us find our way back to Soriano and begin our year long adventure.

Most of all we thank Valerie and Bryan of 2 Baci in a Pinon Tree and 2 Italy - Our Life In Italy. By their example they have been and continue to be our most inspirational friends with their generosity, hospitality, advice and encouragement. As true Italophiles they embrace life in Italy and have been the most help to us in realizing our dream.

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and friendship and for showing us the way. Our ultimate dream would be for all of us to gather at a table somewhere in Italy, raise our glasses and toast to one hundred years of happiness…cent’anni!

Michael and the Chestnut Festival

We’ve learned over the years to plan each trip around one or two regional locations with flexible itineraries. It is an approach that allows us to explore and discover each area and meet local folks who can guide us to lesser known sites and unique hidden treasures. While planning for our October 2008 trip, we were poking around the Internet, looking for local festivals in Central Italy and hoping to find a sagra or two in the small hill towns of upper Lazio.

In the fall, chestnuts can be found in abundance throughout Italy...in markets, on menus, scattered along the roads still in their prickly shells, and celebrated in festivals all over the countryside. One of our online searches brought us to the annual Chestnut Festival (Sagra delle Castagne) in Soriano nel Cimino. Promoted as the largest chestnut festival in Italy, it shot to the top of our itinerary, especially since Soriano was only a 50 minute drive from where we were staying.

Digging deeper into the Internet, we found a wonderful website called DiscoverSoriano, now CultureDiscovery Vacations. Owned and operated by Michael (an American) and Paola (his Sorianese wife), they offer cooking, culinary and cultural experience vacations in Alto Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria; living part-time in Italy and part-time in the US. We exchanged emails and arranged to meet Michael at the festival. However, our rendezvous was not meant to be; pouring rain cancelled festivities as well as our appointment with Michael. So we explored Soriano on our own, seeking shelter from the rain in shops, cafes and restaurants and talking to the shopkeepers, baristas and waiters …all in all, a somewhat damp but fun day and putting Soriano on our list of places to revisit.

As we planned “Our Year in Italy”, we sought advice on the message boards that have proven invaluable over the years and which re-connected us with Michael. To our surprise, Michael and Paola had since moved only 90 minutes away from where we currently live! We wouldn’t have to wait until our return to Soriano to meet.

Blogs, websites and social networks are a great way to meet people and exchange information but nothing beats sitting down over coffee or a meal and exchanging stories. So, at last we had an opportunity to meet Michael in person.

We arrived at noon for a leisurely two-hour lunch and departed seven hours later…very Italian. Michael is an engaging and warm character who spreads his love for Italians and Italy like Nutella on a warm cornetto. His stories about everyday life in Soriano kept us entertained and painted a wonderful picture of what we can expect when we get there. We left feeling like we'd had just been reunited with a long, lost cousin and can't wait to see Michael and Paola in Soriano.

It's just amazing what you'll find when you go looking for chestnuts!