TRANSITIONS

We should have named this blog Eight Months in Italy. When we began our “gap year” last March, some silly airline restriction wouldn't let us book our return for later than October 2010. But“Our Year in Italy” was the original plan and, besides, it sounded more solid, definite and lyrical, So that's what it became. We had no real clue where we'd go with blogging. Although I had been reading blogs for years (vicariously living in Italy via Michelle, Cherrye, Valerie, Nikki, Linda, Bryan, Laura and countless others), we had no idea whether we could make our adventures, observations and insights sound interesting enough to read about. But, alas, we've had lots of fun sharing our travels and have made new friends on this blog, so I guess we can conclude that it has been a very worthwhile endeavor.

We are now five weeks away from our departure (or is it our return?) and I suppose I thought it would feel sad to write about the end of “Our Year in Italy”. But in fact, it's not sad at all. Because as luck (or fate, or serendipity) would have it, we have stumbled upon the most wonderful opportunity that could very well return us to Soriano again and again and again.

Michael and Paola, at Culture Discovery Vacations, have the same heart-quickening feelings about Italy that we Italophiles know all too well. They have built a “live-like-an- Italian” vacation experience to die for. We've spent the past 6 months learning from them all about this rich and beautiful part of Italy. Now they have offered us an opportunity to join their vineyard touring, wine tasting, hazelnut harvesting, pizza making, gelato eating, pasta twirling, limoncello drinking, Tuscan-chicken cooking family next season. Pinch us.....Are we dreaming? Have we won the lottery? You bet!!! So as the Gap Year closes with The Chestnut Festival in Soriano, our Italian adventures continue with Culture Discovery Vacations...and we couldn't be more delighted.

We still have a backlog of curious and interesting things to write about and loads more pictures to share. Hopefully we'll find the time to catch up regularly over the winter, so please do stick around. We have so totally enjoyed all your comments and this amazing opportunity to stay in touch with old friends and to make new ones. Thanks so much to you all. Ciao for now. See you soon.

How do you say, "I'm NOT a Peeping-Tom" in Italian?

The windows here are works of art. Every town we visit, every corner we turn, there is another spectacular pair of shutters or flower box or stunning lace curtain. I'm not trying to peek inside...honest!!!

Coming Soon: Men in Tights

The days are clear and bright, the nights are cool.....it's beginning to feel like fall around here. And the signature event of fall in Soriano nel Cimino is the Chestnut Festival, La Sagra delle Castagne. It begins on the first weekend of October and continues for 2 weeks. Soriano really dresses up for this annual historical celebration. In preparation, newly laundered costumes can be seen hanging in doorways and shields and crests identifying the 4 neighborhoods (Rioni) are appearing around town. As the residents work in anticipation of thousands of visitors and tons of activities, we'll also be busy helping our friends at Culture Discovery with their tours and cooking classes. As time permits, we'll write about and photograph these events. But in the meantime, check out these links. See you soon.

http://www.sagradellecastagne.com/

www.culturediscovery.com

TOWERS ON THE COAST

It's just a 20 minute climb up a concrete staircase at the end of the lungomare in Minori. Then another 200 meters along the narrow Amalfi Drive with no sidewalk and cars and tour buses passing within a few inches of your shoulder. Hand-painted ceramic road markers indicate the route for drivers. Magnificant views of the beach and bathers are a distraction the pedestrian cannot afford.But it's such a rush to arrive at the entrance to the Torre dei Normanni Ristorante and the view over the top of the old Norman watchtower.
Towers like this one are scattered up and down the western coastline of Italy...reminders of Italy's history of constant invasion by occupying forces. Some towers have held up well and have been restored to house romantic restaurants and exclusive hotels. Others have been left to the elements suffering wind and water erosion. But they are all evocative of a rich, dramatic history.

BEEF and BIRTHDAYS

Italy is in our DNA. We knew it the first time we set foot in this beautiful country all those years ago. Our grandparents were born here. It is a part of us. Having said that, we are born and bred American...raised in the suburbs of New York, in the most American of times...the 50's and 60's. Wewere raised on Italian-American diets of pasta several times a week, red meat the rest of the time. We have adapted our diets in response to warnings of the perils of red meat, but there are times when the “ red-blooded American” side prevails and the craving for a big juicy steak is undeniable. Italians eat their beef in very thin slices, and in small portions.....meat is not the centerpiece of their meals. Typically the Italian meal consists of pasta, a small serving of meat, a vegetable, bread, fruit and coffee.

So last week, I asked Bill what he wanted for his upcoming birthday. Without hesitation, he replied “a big hunk of beef!”For this birthday dinner, we returned to Viterbo, to a little osteria at the Enoteca La Torre. Bistecca was on the menu at 4euro/100 grams. But the smallest cut they could serve was 700 grams. Prepared to perfection.... it was enough beef for a week of birthdays.

GOATS IN THE ROAD

You just never know what's going to turn up in the road that will cause you to slam on the breaks and shake your head in amazement! On a recent trip to Naples and the Amalfi Coast we (almost) ran into some very amusing and not-so-amusing obstacles. Negotiating the hair-raising switch-back turns that are the main road along this part of coastal Italy is a challenge. Add to that the inevitable cyclist, motorbike, pedestrian or tourbus.....and that's normal. Then you might come across a party in one of the roadside restaurants that doesn't have adequate parking......so....SURPRISE!!!!...a row of parked cars appears in your lane as you come around a tight turn. Or how about a tour bus driver and a city bus driver approaching a tight turn from opposite directions and neither one will yield.........or a rooster...or a herd of goats...or a spill of San Marzano tomatoes...all in a day's drive...and it's so worth it when you finally arrive at the restaurant for an authentic Neapolitan pizza!

Mamma Mia! Santa Rosa

I would never, ever consider going to Times Square in New York for New Years Eve. Crushed in a sea of humanity is not my idea of a celebation. Yet there I was on the night of September 3, in the provincial capital of Viterbo, packed into a narrow medieval street waiting with thousands of other people. Every piazza and side street was bursting with anticipation. TV camermen were strategically located to provide constant coverage of the Transport of the Macchina of Santa Rosa, Viterbo's biggest annual event.

The tradition goes back to1258, when, six years after her death, the body of St.Rose, patron saint of Viterbo, was moved from it's original resting place to the church of Santa Maria delle Rose. The Macchina (kind of like a parade float) has evolved over the years from a replica of an alter to its current incarnation - 30 meter tall (about 6-7 stories) aluminum and fiberglass tower lit with 800 candles and 1200 computer controlled LED lights, decorated with angels and crowned with a statue of Santa Rosa herself. Weighing in at 5 tons, it is carried on the shoulders and backs of 100 Porters (Facchini della Macchina) who transport the tower a distance of a bit more than 1 kilometer through the narrow medieval streets. Yes, you read that correctly...100 grown men carry a 5 ton/30 meter tower on their backs through narrow medieval streets for about a half a mile.) People crowd balconies, rooftops and upper story windows to get a glimpse of this marvel as it passes, sometimes so close that a spectator on the balcony could reach out and touch it as it passes. Street lights, shop lights and lights in the apartments are all turned off for maximum effect, as the electric and candle-lit tower passes through the town.

There are 5 stops along the route, where the Macchina is set down on a specially built platform, high enough for the Facchini to carry it safely into place before transferring the 5 ton weight from their shoulders to the scaffold. At each stop, the crowds go wild, cheering the Facchini as they file out from under the Macchina- row by row, with the precision of a military drill team. It is as boisterous and high spirited as an Italian soccer match, and the Facchini are the heroes of the day. The cheering masses scream “Viva Santa Rosa” as the Facchini file back under the Macchina after each stop, to hoist it further along the path to it's final destination.

Popping bottles of Champagne and fireworks mark the end of another years journey for Santa Rosa and the 100 amazing dedicated Facchini.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsg6fyk2tYo not our video, but excellent

(Mille grazie to Ivan and Manuela, without whom, we would not have attempted to tackle this event on our own.)

I spent the morning in Piero's Secret Garden, writing a post for today. But I seem to have neglected to save it to my flashdrive, and now I cannot post it here from the library (which is where I come to use a high(ish) speed connection.
So I will just paste up some random pictures of everyday Soriano... :)

THE PERGOLA

If there were a footbridge across the ravine, we could walk from our apartment to the piazza in about 2 minutes. But there is no footbridge, only a road that has three switchback turns. It takes about 15 minutes on foot by this road to arrive in piazza. There's a regal old palazzo that sits at the top of the hill, just before the first turn. The unpaved driveway is guarded by a decorative iron gate. Over the driveway is an enormous pergola where a few bare grapevines remained. When we first arrived last March, the pergola was brown and dry and dead looking. Those vines could not possibly be alive!
Along the left side of the pergola, a low stone wall stone wall steps down every few meters as it follows the driveway down into the ravine. At each step-down, a huge terra cotta planter holds a mature lemon tree. The right side of the pergola is bordered by a high stone wall that offers privacy from the street. Depending on the blooming season, a tangle of wisteria, jasmine and multiple varieties of roses is climbing the wall and perfuming the air. With the arrival of summer, the vines miraculously filled in and the pergola became laden with grape leaves, curling tendrils and budding bunches of grapes, that have recently begun to mature....right on schedule!
We've watched patiently as the changing seasons brought life and fruit to this fantastic pergola. You get to see it all at once.