Our Year In Italy

Alex's Video B'Day Card from Norcia, Italy

2011-06-23T05:54:00.003-04:00

We're in Norcia...a small Umbrian hill town known for it's wild boar, truffles and pork products. Michael helped us record this video birthday card for Alex...we really miss you and wish you could be with us here.

Marian's Christmas Roses

2010-12-30T12:35:00.010-05:00

Each Christmas season, everyone at our house looks forward to these Christmas Pastries. My mother-in-law called them "roses". They are a variation on the traditional Neapolitan Christmas treat called Struffoli. It's the same ingredients but the technique for shaping them into flower shapes was handed down from Bill's mom

BUON NATALE ~~~~MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-12T14:12:00.010-05:00

I've never really been a fan of those Christmas letters that we all stuff into our Christmas cards.....an attempt to condense a year's worth of family activities to update friends and acquaintances. We know a family of five that distills their annual accomplishments into 5 haiku poems .....a technique I've admired and attempted to copy on occasion

2010 is not a haiku year. Exactly the opposite. We had so much to share that we blogged about it, chronicling the wonder and awe(and craziness) of living in Italy. What a year it has been. Many of you followed our adventures here and we've really enjoyed this way of staying in touch with old friends and making new ones.

We've been home for almost 7 weeks now and are learning to live with the schizophrenia of splitting our year between Florida and Italy. We'll be returning to Soriano in April to work with Culture Discovery Vacations. We've blogged about this amazingly serendipitious development that connected us with Michael and Paola and gave us the opportunity to realize our dream of living part-time in Italy. They even added us to their website www.culturediscovery.com ....how cool is that?

It's Christmas time and Alex is coming home and we will have an old-fashioned 3 generation Italian-American Christmas with grandparents and aunts and uncles. In time for our celebration, Bill has completed the design and construction of his first Neapolitan Presepio ......hopefully the first of many. (pictured above)

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the blessings of the season ...... and we hope that, in the new year, all your dreams come true too.

KNOCKERS

2010-11-18T20:34:00.009-05:00

We started taking pictures of door knockers almost from the moment we arrived in Italy last March. Everywhere we went, we'd see a new design that we hadn't seen before, as well as lots of repeats.....particularly Egyptian women and lions.

But that hand hanging on the door was really creepy and we became obsessed with finding new and unique specimens in our travels.

Some were so old and rusted and barely hanging there at all. Others were so elegant and shiny, with beautifully carved doors behind them.

I think, originally, Bill was going to write a pun-laden post, comparing knockers to....well, you know, but thankfully he got distracted and so now I'm having a nostalgic moment and thought it was a good opportunity to post lots of pictures at one time......now that I have fast internet again, I'll have to figure out how to format these posts better.

I s

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Oh Hiatus

2010-11-15T13:26:00.002-05:00

Florida weather is lovely......and that's about all I can say about our re-entry at this point. Once we find our equilibrium, I want to continue writing about Italy...

Please check back after the Holidays. We miss Italy....and the delightful exchanges on this blog.

a presto~

PINK-lets

2010-10-18T08:48:00.002-04:00

Where-oh- where have these little pink piglets gone? That's a rhetorical question, guys, so please don't feel compelled to answer. Sadly, I know where they've gone. After all, I live in a part of Italy that is all about PORK!!

Nevertheless, these darling little piglets showed up in a pen in the front yard of a nearby house recently, and for days and days and days, they made me smile. I grew up in Suburbia, USA, so piglets in the front yard are a novel sight for me. Each time we drove by, I'd insist that Bill stop the car so I could get a really good look at the little oinkers. If they were not in the yard, we'd just call and they would come waddling out of their pen, oinking and squealing, expecting to be fed. We had a few scares, when we called and they didn't come out......but then the next day, they'd be there again, climbing all over each other to get to the food trough. But last week.......there were a bunch of turkey chick-lets in the piglets' pen.

Now even a suburban kid knows that piglets are WAY cuter than turkey chicks.......and I am very sad that the piglets have gone missing. They were just so pink!!!

C'ERA UNA VOLTA - UNA FAVOLA (Once upon a time- a Fairy Tale)

2010-10-15T07:26:00.007-04:00

Once upon a time there was a Nobile Family that lived in a castle high atop a shining medieval hill town in Alto Lazio. For many years this family ruled all the territory within sight of the castle's watchtower. Then wars and politics changed the social structure and Italy became a united country, and there was no longer an official nobile class.

Many years passed in this shining medieval hilltown and the decendants of the nobile family continued to live in their castle home. But as with many of the old nobility, in order to keep their homes, they welcome guests who were interested in learning what life was like"once upon a time".

Recently, Prince Riccardo graciously hosted us in the home of his ancestors, where we learned about his family's dramatic history that includes Vatican intrigue as well as a magnificent library which archives the family's activities dating back to 1068.......(to be continued)

Random Photos

2010-10-14T05:31:00.004-04:00

We are happily working right up until our return to Florida at the end of October and between cooking and touring and packing and cleaning, well, sadly,there's not been much time for blogging. But when we find the time,we'll be telling you all about the places we've beenrecently and the amazing adventures we've had at villas and palaces, castles and wineries, cities and towns .....with princes and farmers,and amazing new friends from all over the world.

BANQUETS FIT FOR THE CARDINAL

2010-10-08T08:47:00.003-04:00

The first night of the Chestnut Festival was celebrated with a competition among the four contrade, in their taverns. It was the Medieval equivalent of Iron Chefs, with each contrada trying to out-do their rivals for the most authentic, most dramatic, most delicious and most beautifully presented banquet. The judges walked from one Taverna to the next, being wined and dined in grand medieval style. We were so happy to follow the judges, escorting our Culture Discovery guests throughthe four beautifully decorated riones for a great sampling of medieval delights. Here's what we saw!!!

Ummmmm....Chestnuts!!

2010-10-08T08:27:00.007-04:00

the 2010 Soriano Chestnut Festival is in full swing and we've been so busy enjoying all the events and activities and taverns that there hasn't been a minute to spare! In addition, we've been accompanying the Culture Discovery tours to vineyards, olive mills, historic palazzi and even a visit with Prince Ricardo Nobili-Vittaleschi.

The pizza class will be starting shortly, but I didn't want to let any more time pass without posting a brief note and some pictures.

ciao ciao

TRANSITIONS

2010-09-27T06:09:00.005-04:00

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?

2010-09-25T04:43:00.005-04:00

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

2010-09-15T05:38:00.011-04:00

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

2010-09-13T04:26:00.007-04:00

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

2010-09-11T05:54:00.006-04:00

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

2010-09-09T05:59:00.003-04:00

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

2010-09-05T08:55:00.011-04:00

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.)

2010-09-02T11:14:00.002-04:00

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

2010-09-01T03:36:00.005-04:00

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.

PIERO'S SECRET GARDEN

2010-08-27T10:41:00.007-04:00

PIERO'S SECRET GARDEN

It takes a while for people to get to know each other well enough to share their secrets. And when the people in question don't speak the same language or have anything apparent in common, well, that just delays the sharing.

So it was with Piero and his garden. It took a little while for the other residents in our apartment building to discover that we were nice enough people. We didn't make a lot of noise or trash the place or complain. We planted flowers in the empty pots along the common terrace. We said “Buon Giorno” and “Buona Sera” at the appropriate moments. When asked, we explained why we were here in Soriano, and that we were staying for a while and gradually the neighbors warmed to us. Eventually,we got to know every one of the year-round residents(the seasonal owners still look upon us with a critical eye)

We discovered that our building was originally a hotel owned by Piero's family. He grew up there. Piero converted the hotel into a condominium when he retired. Now half the building is occupied by his family (in separate apartments) In the ravine across the street a horse grazes at will. Turns out the horse belongs to Piero's grandson. The ravine belongs to Piero. We're told that, at one time, Piero's family owned most of this mountain. Apparently,Piero still has claim to a good part of it.

Invisible from steet level, a series of steps and slopes lead to a magnificent garden. An unrestored 3 story building on the property was once the stables where the local baron kept his horses (we wonder if Piero is descended from the Baron. ) A stone terrace accommodates about a dozen marble tables under intricately worked wrought-iron framed tents. Not an official event location, Piero's family uses it in the summer and he makes it available to friends who are celebrating christenings, weddings and other warm-weather celebrations.

One recent evening, Piero invited us to see the garden. He went down ahead of us to turn on the lights and the fountain and we were amazed and bewitched by this absolute treasure that has been right under our noses for 6 months. Piero invited us make ourselves at home in the garden any time we like.

I am sitting at one of the marble tables, in the shade of the tent, looking out over the classic Soriano vista with the Orsini castle at its peak. The weather is very hot, but a gentile breeze is keeping the leaves swaying and the air cool. There couldn't be a more delightful place to spend a warm summer afternoon.

Shopping in Bellagio

2010-08-23T04:32:00.016-04:00

Writer's Block? Vapor Lock? Call it what you will but the fact is that I am simply at a loss for words...in both languages...so for the moment, here are a few pictures of some of the many temptations that tested our will power during our recent travels.

Details

2010-08-19T13:09:00.005-04:00

We didn't intend to jam the entire internet network at the Soriano Library, but that's exactly what happened when Bill tried to upload a really neat slideshow with music this morning.
So for the moment, I've just thrown up these pictures of some exquisite wroght iron work that we found along Lake Como.
For now, we'll try to keep it simple with vacation pictures. More tomorrow......I hope ;-)

Johnny B. Goode…Italian Style

2010-08-17T03:04:00.017-04:00

You won’t believe what I discovered in Deruta; home to traditional Majolica ceramic artists for about 600 years. In one of the smaller ceramic studios along the main street I met Giovanni Andreani, a young ceramic artist, musician and guitar maker, who has combined his passions to create one-of-a-kind, museum quality instruments.

From a distance I thought the ornately decorated, electric guitar in the window was just another humorous jab at an Italian tradition…like a “paint-by-numbers” Mona Lisa or an over sized partial sculpture (from his waist to his upper thighs) of Michelangelo’s David...you get the picture. Anyway, I just couldn’t resist stepping inside for a closer look at this incredible work of art.

I was greeted by Giovanni’s father, himself an expert ceramic artist, and asked if the guitar was functional. He flashed a quick smile and summoned Giovanni who proceeded to switch on and plug into an amplifier, strap on the guitar and played a few rock and roll riffs and cords proving both he and the guitar were the real deal. I was blown away.

Following Giovanni’s demonstration, he showed me four other ceramic guitars; each was decorated with different traditional renaissance designs and patterns. The ceramic control knobs were similarly decorated, the heads were inlayed with tiny ceramic pieces with mother-of-pearl tuning keys. He explained that it took him at least three months to make one guitar and his estimated their value of at least €12,000 ($15,000 USD) each…if they were for sale…which they are not!

Giovanni said that he might consider selling one of his masterpieces to a very serious collector, Eric Clapton, ZZ Top or a major museum. Besides his artistic talents, I think young Giovanni has inherited his father’s business acumen.

By the way, in Italian John is Giovanni. So here are some photos of traditional Deruta ceramics and Govanni's creations.

Cooking Italian in France

2010-08-11T16:55:00.004-04:00

While visiting our friends in France, Bill promised to cook them an authentic Italian dinner.

(truth be told, we were having a bit of withdrawal)

Here are some fotos of the delicious event...in random order...(sorry, but once again, this foto thing on Blogspot has confounded me)

Anyway, hope you get the idea...Spaghetti alla frutta di mare...

Wanna see some French Pictures, Little Boy??

2010-08-10T10:45:00.003-04:00

No fancy formating or composition......Not taking too much time just now to write, but wanted to put up some pretty pictures from our visit to the Pays Basque region of France

We're Back in Soriano!

2010-08-08T10:59:00.005-04:00

We obviously had no success over the past three weeks posting from the road. Our travels took us to Lago di Como, Pau (France) and then back to Como for a family reunion. My cousin is visiting us here in Soriano this week so there won't be much time to catch up but we have lots to write about...so stay tuned!

JUST SOME PRETTY PICTURES FROM LAGO DI COMO

2010-07-26T17:14:00.002-04:00

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

2010-07-24T03:59:00.009-04:00

We just want to let everyone know that we've started our very excellent adventure to Northern Italy and Southern France. As you can see, it's a little windy in Como (nice hair, Bill). While we're visiting friends and family we'll try to post but, as always, it will spend on he availability and quality of our Vodafone wireless service.

Stay tuned for more...

SO MANY FLAVORS...SO LITTLE TIME

2010-07-14T07:41:00.016-04:00

I’ve posted about the great food (coglioni di mulo notwithstanding), aperitivos, digestivos, wine and grappe but I have somehow managed to overlook Italy’s second greatest gift to humanity…GELATI (Italian Ice Cream)! I’m not talking about the commercially packaged supermarket stuff or the stuff made from industrial mixes sold to the unwashed masses. Nope, I’m talking about the artisan “made-from-scratch”, frozen orgasmic gelati that only true aficionados know and love. Italians are as loyal and fanatical about their favorite local gelato makers as they are about their beloved soccer teams…perhaps more so.

Our search for the ultimate gelato experience is an ongoing quest. Everywhere we go, we sample, compare and debate the merits of each gelato vender’s product…many are noteworthy but none have as yet transported us to gelato Nirvana. So the search continues.

Beyond assessing the quality of each gelato is an equally daunting challenge of choosing the right combination of flavors. At any given time there are dozens of flavors to choose from which makes selecting the right combination all the more difficult. So, being a linear thinker and analyst, I have developed the following gelato theory:

Time of Day - Like ordering cappuccino only before 11:00 AM, certain gelati are “morning” combinations; others should only be consumed between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM; and, others eaten after dinner (late into the night). I am very curious if other gelato fanatics share my theory.

Morning Flavors (Before 11:00 AM) – Any combination of fruit flavors (fragola, pesca, melone, fruiti di bosco, etc.) with plain vanilla or cream (panne) flavor); Caffe and/or cappucino are also fine. No Chocolate, nuts or “complex” flavors.

Midday Flavors (11:00 AM to 7:00 PM) – Any combination of chocolate or hazelnut with caffe or vanilla; fruit with vanilla; or a single “complex” flavor. A note of caution…some of the complex flavors will seem strange, so ask for a small taste before tackling a whole cup.

After Dinner Flavors (After 9:00 PM) – Anything goes…but if you can’t handle caffeine at night, stay away from the caffe and cappuccino gelati.

Now it’s quiz time. Raise your hand if you’re old enough to remember:

“Sometimes you feel like a nut…sometimes you don’t!”

That’s an old TV commercial for Mounds and Almond Joy candy bars;. Mentioned by another American tourist recently, she inspired me to try something new. Next time out, I’m going for the Mounds gelati combo (chocolate and coconut) or, if almond gelato is available, the Almond Joy combo (chocolate, coconut and almond). Of course, I may exercise a little Italian artistic license substituting nocciola (chocolate hazelnut; a.k.a. Nutella) for chocolate with coconut…but only after 7:00 PM. Rules are rules…but in Italy, rules are made to be broken.

P.S. – Please don’t make the same embarrassing mistake I made a few years back. Don’t confuse pesca (peach) with pesce (fish)…you might be served anchovy flavored gelato.

HOW WE DISCOVERED SORIANO

2010-07-12T04:27:00.015-04:00

Although the final decision to begin our year in Italy last March was made very quickly, it was the result of many years of wishful planning. During those years, we connected via internet with Americans who live in Italy. They were always amazingly kind and generous with their insights and advice about living here. Two internet sites were also invaluable. Expats-in-Italy (www.expatsinitaly.com) is a place where non-Italians living in Italy have established a community of support, advice and resources for making the move. SlowTravel (www.slowtravel.com) is a virtual network of travelers who share their experiences about taking the road less traveled.

So in January 2010, I zeroed in on Viterbo, a city of about 60,000 people in Alto (northern) Lazio, bordering Tuscany and Umbria. It is just about dead-center on the "boot", making travel north and south equally accessible. According to TrenItalia, the state-run rail system, Viterbo has train service to all the places we might want to go...Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, with connecting commuter service to smaller towns. We were considering the possibility of city living without a car.

I posted a query on the Expats and SlowTravel forums, asking if anyone lived in Viterbo or knew about furnished apartments, train service etc. Two people responded and I began corresponding with Michael and Larry.

Larry and his wife, Heather, lived in the Centro Storico (historic center) of Viterbo. They rented a small furnished apartment and managed quite well without a car. Larry even mailed me a map of the city to help me get familiar with the neighborhoods.
(Oh, did I mention that Larry and Heather are serious cyclists who walked or rode everywhere? (www.cycleitalia.com))

Michael and his wife, Paola, live in Soriano nel Cimino. Michael is passionate about Soriano and suggested we consider this jewel of a town as our home for a year. He advised that life without a car would be truly miserable because there are too many magnificent little hill towns and amazing lesser known destinations that are simply inaccessible without a car. And he would know. Michael and Paola are the owners of Culture Discovery Vacations (www.culturediscovery.com) Furthermore, Michael assured me that we'd be able to find an apartment easily in Soriano. And he had connections. (in Italy, "connections" is the magic word...the Open-Sesame" to the good life). Having already been to Soriano on a day-trip two years ago, we knew it was a charming place. We decided to try it for a month. If we liked it, we'd stay.

So we stayed...and stayed...and stayed...and we're still here. Not only that. Michael and Paola have given us extraordinary access to this beautiful part of Italy. They have included us in their Culture Discovery family, inviting us to join their guests on some of the most amazing and unique day tours imaginable. We have discovered Vino Nobile in Montepulciano, Brunello in Montalcino and visited private cellars and olive mills, where lunch was prepared and served in the exquisite outdoor setting. We have cooked Tuscan chicken, panna cotta and papparadelli in their gorgeous teaching kitchen and baked tozzetti and made Limoncello Crema and Tiramisu. We've heard Gregorian Chants at an Abbey once visited by Charlemagne and seen the Basilica of St. Frances of Assisi. We've decended deep underground into one of the oldest wine cellars and climbed a 300 meter land bridge to the Dying City of Civita' di Bagnoregio. We have become well acquainted with Sumo the Pig, who is slated to become next year's proscuitto. But best of all, we are learning from Michael and Paola how to truly live all'Italiane...which is exactly why we came here in the first place.

And THAT is why we chose to live in Soriano! I mean, how lucky can you get?

THINGS THAT ITALIANS EAT: PART 3…NO JOKE

2010-07-10T11:06:00.009-04:00

Some Americans think Italians eat some pretty weird (or disgusting) things…calamari (squid; a.k.a. bait), black pasta made with squid ink, whole pigs (porchetta, the ultimate pork experience), “capuzzel” (dialect for roasted sheep’s head), etc. Having grown up around Italian immigrants I thought I had seen it all…WRONG!

Last week we were touring around the Umbrian hill town of Norcia, renowned for its fresh and cured meats, sheep’s cheese (Pecorino) and wild truffles. Nothing in the world compares to or tastes like the local pecorino cheese, salami di cinghiale di Norcia (Norcia’s cured wild boar sausage), homemade fresh fettuccini with ragu di cinghiale (wild board sauce) and chilled Orvieto wine. Absolute heaven!

We came upon a Norcineria (a butcher shop specializing in Norcia meats) with a display that I thought was a joke. For the price of €3.50 (that’s about $4.40 USD) the shop sold coglioni di mulo (cured salami made from mule’s testicles). Now I know that there’s an Italian tradition of not wasting anything…but eating mule’s testicles is just wrong! Of course, there are “Rocky Mountain Oysters” but I’ve never met anyone who can honestly say they enjoy eating them.

I’ve always said, “I’ll try anything once”, so maybe I’ll give coglioni di mulo a try…after a couple of well chilled bottles of the vino bianco di casa.

Buon appetito.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

2010-07-08T14:15:00.003-04:00

During a recent visit to Tenuta Crocedimezzo, a family winery, we made another incredible (aren’t they all?) discovery. After sampling their Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino and Crociato Nero wines, we were served a very, very unique grappa…Rosolio.

Rosolio is distilled from the grape mash. After the grapes are pressed to produce the musk (grape juice) that’s used to make the Brunello wine, the mash is distilled into grappa. Most grappas are either crystal clear or slightly yellow. Rosolio, on the other hand, looks and tastes very different. It is flavored with the petals of locally grown red roses resulting in a transparent light pink color. Some may find the rose aroma and flavor a little off-putting; I found it captivating. According to the winery’s owners, Barbara and Roberto Nannetti, Rosolio was a popular digestivo (after-dinner drink) in the early 1900s and has regained its popularity among grappa fans.

Apparently roses and vineyards have an interesting relationship that dates back to ancient times. I was told that roses are planted at the end of the rows of grape vines for two reasons. The roses will react to soil and air-borne blights before they appear on the vines - giving the grower an opportunity to take corrective action before the vines and fruit are damaged. The growers also plant different color roses to indicate where the rows of different grape varieties start and stop…a simple color coding system for the grape pickers to follow.

So here I sit, sipping a dram of Rosolio, looking up at the Monti Cimini…life is good.

SHOES

2010-07-06T03:03:00.014-04:00

Just because I don't wear them doesn't mean I don't crave them. I love shoes; pretty, strappy, sexy hi-heeled shoes. Italian shoes are a special temptation.

They are bizaare, fabulous, ridiculous and totally frivolous. Instead of wearing them, I treat them like an object d'art...I photograph them.

WAY more comfortable.

On a recent day trip to Roma, I enjoyed the wonderful, fanciful window displays of the shoe boutiques. Here is a sampling of the amazing footwear that was displayed on a summer afternoon in Roma.

The Geneology of Sumo the Pig

2010-07-04T09:34:00.015-04:00

With all the attention he is receiving from Michael and Paola’s guests at Culture Discovery Vacations, I felt compelled to investigate Sumo’s past and research his geneology. So, one night I snuck into his pen, swabbed the inside of his snout and sent his DNA (along with €2,000 in cash) off to the Office of Italian Pig Ancestry in Rome. Here are the results.

Around the year 78 A.D. Sumo’s ancestor, Porcus Sumius, was the imperial stud in the pig harem for Roman Emperor Vespasian. Upon Vespasian’s death in 79 A.D., Porcus was exiled to Pompeii where he died during the eruption of Vesuvius. A plaster casting of his remains is part of a permanent exhibit at the National Museum in Naples.

There is some evidence that Porcus Sumius’ descendants lived under the protection of Emperor Constantine. Built around 315 A.D. in Rome, Constantine’s Arch includes a carved image of a large male pig with the inscription “Porcus Sumius Maximus”. Scholars believe Sumius’ descendants moved with Emperor Constantine and helped establish Constantinople in what is today Istanbul, Turkey. With the Islamic conversion of Constantinople in later years, that branch of the family was lost to the ages.

Surviving the invasion of Italy by the Ostrogoths and later the Lombards, Sumo’s ancestors enjoyed the protection of Pope Gregory beginning in the year 598 A.D. The family name changed to Porco di Papa and for the next 600 years, the family’s power and influence expanded throughout Italy. In 1059 under the Norman knight, Robert Guiscard, Sumo’s ancestors established themselves throughout Apulia, Calabria and Sicily. In 1082, family members allied themselves with both sides of the war between Florence and Siena. Between 1147 and 1149, they accompanied the knights to the Holy Lands for the Second Crusade.

In 1257, Sumo’s direct ancestors arrived in Viterbo with Pope Alexander IV. The family split during the disputes over the election of the popes and in 1283, some members fled to the nearby Cimini Mountains never to be heard from again. Local folklore includes a story about Sumo’s bandit ancestors - wild pigs (chinghiale) who roam the Faggeta to this day.

There are few available facts about Sumo’s family between the mid 13^th and mid 19^th centuries. One family legend claims members posed for portraits by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Giotto; others say that the families retreated to monasteries and convents throughout Lazio where they lived long, saintly lives.

Over the years the family name changed to Porcopapa with many descendents having variations of Sumo’s first name – Sumona, Sumino, Sumottino, Sumonucci, Sumatto, Sumonachi, and Sumonissimo. In 1860, a young Sumoculo Porcopapa sailed with Garibaldi and his thousand red shirted volunteers to capture Sicliy and fight their way up the peninsula to establish the first unified Italian nation since the Roman Empire.

The family name also appears in the original librettos for Verdi’s Otello (1887) and Puccini’s Tosca (1900). In both instances the characters were dropped from the operas due to the lack of classically trained pigs with strong tenor vocal ranges.

From 1940 through 1945, Sumo’s great-great-great-great-great-grandfather and granduncles were communist resistance fighters against the Fascists throughout Italy. Several were captured, tortured by Axis forces, and turned into winerschnizel and schwinehachen (fried pork cutlets and roasted pork shanks). In 1954 they were posthumously awarded Italy’s highest pig honor, the Stella D’Oro di Porchetta.

To this day their descendants continue to contribute to the social, political, and gastronomical fabric of life in Soriano, the Viterbo Province and Italy. In January 2011 Sumo will join his ancestors, making the supreme sacrifice for the production of next year’s prosciutto. On that day, we will raise our glasses in thankful remembrance of a beloved pig.

Until then…live well, dear friend.

In the Clouds

2010-07-03T05:39:00.003-04:00

Notice: This post is just a filler, because we've been a little busy and have not had much time to write. All I can say for now is that, never in our wildest imaginings did we expect to be so delightfully engaged here in Soriano...details will follow later this week.....promise :)

Testing: Part II

2010-06-24T06:27:00.005-04:00

Testing: Part II

OK, here goes. I'm going to try to insert random fotos here into this blog post which has no other content than to insert fotos. These pictures were taken last week in Assisi. OK, that worked , This is a detail of an inlaid tile mosaic table top. It was beautiful and I wish we could take it home with us, but it weighs a ton and costs even more! OK, now I just have to refine my technique, and get Bill to teach me how to clean up my blurry pictures, and then....well....chi sa ????
Thank you for your patience during these tests. :)

Things Italians Eat - Part II: Fiori di Zucca (Zucchini Flowers)

2010-06-23T10:42:00.004-04:00

One would think that I am obsessed with flowers. I've written about searching for weeks for the perfect field of poppies. I'm in awe of all the varieties of wild flowers that paint the hills with brilliant yellows, subtle pinks and royal purples. And every time I think I've seen the most beautiful display of colors, more flowers bloom and change the landscape again. Last week it was roses in every color - climbing roses, miniature roses, varieties I've never seen before. Also blooming now, along all the highways is Oleander, in a wonderful array of color.

Zucchini flowers have always been a mystery to me. They're delicate and pretty, but unlike the ornamental flowers I've been admiring, they are also food…to me a challenging, exotic and particular item to prepare. And who eats flowers anyway? Well, Italians certainly do.

When zucchini began appearing in the markets, they showed up with the blossoms still attached. What is one supposed to do with that? Now the blossoms are available at the green grocer (without being attached to a zucchini). No one I know has ever cooked them. I've only ever seen them on restaurant menus, where I have ordered them in anticipation of an exotic delicacy. Having never cooked them, I asked the woman at the fruit and vegetable shop how they are prepared.

Here's what she said:

“It's very easy. Stuff them with a little mozzarella and anchovy – just a tiny bit of anchovy. Then make a batter with some flour and water and a little salt....not too thick. Dip the stuffed blossoms in the batter and put them directly into a skillet of hot olive oil.”

Typical of Italian recipes exchanged verbally, exact amounts are not mentioned. You're simply supposed to know how thick/thin to make the batter, how much anchovy is “a tiny bit” etc. Actually, it was pretty simple. The blossoms were easy to stuff, the batter was easy to whip-up and all that was left to do was to eat the little delights. And they were delicious. I will make these again! Yum!

This is only a test...........

2010-06-22T11:04:00.006-04:00

OK, so I really don't know what I'm doing here, but I usually just write the copy and Bill does all the technical stuff. So now I'm going to try a little test to actually see what's involved in putting a post up on this blog myself. Hmmmm.....where do I insert the pictures?
OK, found that.Now I'll try to insert a picture into the middle of the text and see how that goes.....
Well that didn't work out very well, did it? Does anyone out there know how to put the pictures into the middle of the text......instead of bunching them all up on top??

OK, then, this concludes this test. bye now.

BOLSENO INFIORATA

2010-06-22T09:42:00.005-04:00

Some Italian immigrants to America sought streets paved with gold but they left behind streets that were literally paved with flowers. Corpus Domini (the Miracle of the Eucharist) is celebrated 60 days after Easter throughout the Catholic World. In many Italian towns it is celebrated by the creation, in a single day, elaborate floral designs (infiorata) on the streets using colorful and fresh flower, leaves and seeds. All of the designs are completed by late afternoon; just in time for a procession of the faithful and blessing of temporary alters. After the ceremony the carpet of flowers are washed away to miraculously return the next year.

In 1263 the Miracle of the Eucharist took place in Bolseno’s Church of Saint Christina. A German priest, who doubted that the Holy Eucharist is the Body of Christ, while celebrating mass witnessed blood from the Host make its way to the Saint Christina’s crypt. The priest’s belief was restored and Pope Urban IV, who was living in nearby Orvieto, declared it a miracle.

We arrived Sunday morning in Bolseno, to watch the infiorati being assembled. At dawn artists’ draw or print outlines on thin plastic sheets taped to the street; simpler designs are drawn directly onto the pavement with chalk. Then teams of workers begin the tedious process of striping flower petals, leaves and seeds from their stems while others apply a thin layer of black, wet sand-like material over the outlines of the designs. By mid-morning more team members begin filling in with colorful flower petals, seeds, leaves, beans, and other materials to complete the compositions. Everything is continually misted with water to keep the vegetation moist, colorful and aromatic. Once completed, all of the designs are judged to determine which one is the best; every team’s work is appreciated and recognized for their efforts.

After almost 750 this act of faith continues to enrich the lives of Italians who work together to create these fantastic (but fleeting) works of art with only the abundant natural materials found in the nearby countryside.

Only in Italy!

BRICKS, CONCRETE & ROOF TILES

2010-06-20T16:05:00.009-04:00

Bricks have been around for about 10,000 years…they’re even mentioned in the Bible. The Romans used fired clay brick to build most of Rome and the rest of the Empire. Roman bricks varied in size and were often stamped with the mark of the legion that supervised their production. We recently visited Ostia Antica (Ancient Rome’s original port city) which was almost entirely constructed of brick.

Apparently the Romans used fired clay bricks to construct walls, columns, arches and vaults to create enclosed buildings. The buildings were then covered with wood framed roofs. Only the major temples and government buildings received the expensive marble veneers. Over the centuries, much of the outer marble and many of the old bricks were removed and recycled for other projects.

Romans also developed concrete (opus caementicium) that was used to construct the incredible dome of the Pantheon (my favorite building in Rome). Around 25 B.C. the architect, Vitruvius wrote “The Ten Books on Architecture”, containing descriptions of different concrete aggregates and lime mortars…sorry, too much detail.

In my humble opinion, the most interesting Roman building material was the tapered, curved clay roof tiles (often called Mediterranean Roof Tiles). By alternating the fired curved tiles on a sloped roof and holding them in place with mortar, gravity directs rain water down and prevents roof leaks…pure genius. Somewhere I read or heard the legend (entirely lacking historical facts) of how those roof tiles came into existence.

For centuries Roman brick makers also made flat rectangular tiles for the floors of buildings. As the story goes, the youngest son of a successful Roman brick maker fell in love with one of his father’s beautiful young slave girls. In the heat of passion, the young man caressed the young girl’s shapely thigh with his clay stained hand which gave him an idea. He took a few of flat soft floor tiles and shaped them over her thigh forming the perfect roof tiles. The next day he demonstrated to his father how the tiles could be arranged making a leak-proof roof. As a reward, the son was allowed to marry the slave girl and they lived happily, ever after. To this day these curved roof tiles are sometimes called “maidens’ thighs” or “coscia da ragazza”…a total fabrication but a cute story.

NO PLANS

2010-06-13T14:09:00.004-04:00

We had no plans for Saturday. We slept late. When we finally got ourselves moving, we grabbed the maps and the Blue Guide. First stop was the bar in the park for caffe' macchiato under the umbrella pines. With no particular destination in mind, we followed the local road out of town. The hills was green and shady, curvy and quiet. The landscape were covered in wildflowers. Sheep grazed in the fields. There were few other cars on the road to disturb the stillness. The sun was shining, the air was warm. It was a perfect morning.

Thirty minutes later we arrived at the foot of the Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola. The palazzo belonged to Cardinal Alessandro Farnese (nephew of Pope Paul III) in the late 1500's. It dominates the little town of Caprarola. The palazzo is pentagonal in shape and is said to have beautiful public rooms with frescoed walls and ceilings, magnificent gardens and a grotto. Monumental steps, ramps and terraces lead to the main entrance. From this vantage point, we gazed out over the rooftops of Caprarola, and beyond to Monte Suratte. We will have the guided tour when our cousin visits in August.

We wandered around the main entrance and gazed up at it's arched and frescoed ceiling until lunch time. Caprarola sits along Lago di Vico, a little volcanic lake that is mostly surrounded by nature preserves. Little restaurants specializing in lake fish are scattered along the lakefront. We had a leisurely lakeside lunch of roasted corregone and a nice, light Sardinian white wine.

The late afternoon light was beautiful along the mountain road as we drove home. As we approached Soriano, that same light lit up the west side of Soriano's silhouette. Saturday was pure bliss.

Fiat 500, Ape, Vespa e Carrello

2010-06-08T15:39:00.006-04:00

Some say that Ferrari, Maserati and Alpha Romeo set the world’s gold standard for sports cars and automotive design…but none of these vehicles have done more for growing and improving Italy’s the post-war economy and standard of living then the Fiat 500 (Fiat Cinquecento), the Ape (pronounced Ah-pay), the Vespa scooter, and in recent years, the ubiquitous supermarket wheeled shopping cart (carrello della spesa).

Like Germany’s original Volkswagen (people’s car), the Fiat 500 (and its predecessor the pre-war Topolino) provided Italy’s cittadini (city dwellers) and contadini (rural folks) much needed, inexpensive personal transportation. This meant the ability to obtain employment in the cities or in rural factories where public transportation connections were lacking. These basic, no-frills vehicles were easily serviced, with rear-mounted engines, small tires, ineffective heaters and a canvas sunroof for much need ventilation in hot summer months. We bought a used Fiat 500 for about $400 when we lived in Pozzuoli back in the mid 1970s – it was fun to drive, easy to park and could negotiate the narrow streets and alleys that were never intended for anything larger than a small mule cart. What better way to explore Italy!

The Piaggio Company made (and still makes) the Ape and Vespa motorini (scooters). The Ape is essentially a three-wheeled motorcycle with an enclosed, two seat (side-by-side) passenger compartment and a small flatbed in the rear. It was designed for hauling small loads of agricultural and urban products, equipment and supplies; it was definitely not built for comfort. Their numbers have diminished in recent years as they have been replaced by more powerful (and comfortable) small service trucks.

As for the Vespas (Italian for wasps), they are everywhere and, like their namesake, may never become extinct. When driving in the cities and towns Vespas weave in and out of traffic turning what would be a one- hour, cross town trip by car into a brief fifteen minute commute. They’re parked everywhere, often ignoring parking regulations, blocking pedestrian walkways and always interrupting the midnights’ peace and quiet. Although, this year I’ve noticed a new hybrid vehicle (the all plastic mini-car)…it’s a Vespa on steroids (see our post about Massimo’s Mini Car).

The modern wheeled shopping cart was invented in 1937 by Sylvan Nathan Goldman (1898 -1984), owner of an Oklahoma City chain of supermarkets . He hired women and men that matched the ages of his customers to pose as shoppers in his stores, filling the carts and promoting their use with other customers. Mr. Goldman was awarded patent number 2,196,914 on April 9, 1940 with a seven year waiting list for his invention…Mr. Goldman died a very wealthy man.

With the rise in popularity of Italy’s supermercati, shopping malls and changes in shopping habits, wheeled shopping carts (carrelli) are common but with two significant improvements. Unlike their American counterparts, all four wheels on the Italian carrello rotate 360 degrees giving them the maneuvering ability of a fine Italian sports car…ideal for getting around the nonnas blocking the shelves and narrow aisles. The other improvement eliminates my pet peeve…carts abandoned by lazy, inconsiderate cretins in parking lots that block parking spaces, scratch cars and add cost to everything we buy (sorry for the rant). Here in Italy each carrello is chained and locked to a railing or stack of carts and can only be released with the deposit of a €1 Euro coin. Italians transfer their purchases from the carts into their vehicles, return the carts to their proper place, replace the key in the lock and get their €1 Euro back. Allegedly, there are a few American retail chains using this system but none that I’ve seen on the East Coast.

So there you have my take on the four vehicles that have transformed the everyday lives of Italians. But everywhere we go we still see people, young and old, with shopping bags in tow, (sometimes driving a Fiat 500…or an Ape…or a Vespa) but more often than not walking to and from the small shops and markets…the same way it’s been done for generations.

Vive gli Italiani!

NUTELLA TREES

2010-06-07T08:30:00.002-04:00

Nutella trees...miles and miles and miles of Nutella trees...every road we choose, every drive in the country is lined with groves of trees that will shed tons of hazelnuts this fall. These nuts will find their way into biscotti and Baci, cakes, desserts and gelato (nocciola is my favorite), local specialty jams and liqueurs. But the most important job of these nutty little gems is to find their way to the Nutella factory, where they will be crushed and mashed and mixed and blended with chocolate in some magical, mystical Willy Wonka-ish way to create one of the world's most wonderful foods. Nutella, that decadent spreadable chocolatey-hazelnutty, eat-it-out-of-the-jar gift from Heaven, starts right here in our own back yard. We are surrounded by vast groves of hazelnut trees, lush and full, producing endless jars of deliciousness.

Little did I know of Nutella a mere 10 years ago, when for the first time I witnessed an Italian mamma on a Calabrian beach feed her children what appeared to be “chocolate sandwiches”. The woman was a family friend, so I didn't feel too embarrassed to ask her about this spreadable chocolate in a jar.

“You don't know Nutella?” she asked, stunned.

Since that moment on a hot Ionian beach, I have become intimately familiar with Nutella. I have baked with it, spread it on crepes, dipped strawberries into it, drizzled it on ice cream and of course, eaten it straight from the jar. I have, so far resisted buying one of those gallon jars sold in the Autogrills. They are a devilish temptation.

We are looking forward to participating in the hazelnut harvest. Just about everyone we've met has a grove or knows someone who does. “Will work for Nutella!' There will no doubt be Feste delle Nocce in many of the towns around the region to celebrate the harvest of this important regional treasure. These hills are alive with Nutella Trees!!!

C’è Pizza per Te

2010-06-04T07:47:00.006-04:00

Our apartment came with a number of welcomed amenities (clothes washer, central heating and air conditioning) and several businesses on the ground floor (an interior design studio, a physical therapist’s office, a tattoo studio and…a great pizzeria. C’è Pizza per Te is owned by our upstairs neighbors, Valter and Olga. Since opening the pizzeria last November, they work 16 to 18 hours, six days a week (closed Mondays) making the dough and sauces in-house, baking the pizzas and preparing other dishes. They purchase only some of the toppings (cheeses, anchovies, tuna, fresh vegetables, etc.) but everything else is homemade. They kindly allowed us into their kitchen to explain their process and to watch how their hard work and talent keeps us well fed and happy.

Once their sons Andrea and Marco are off to school, the work begins. Valter begins each day by preparing multiple, 5 kilogram (about 12 pound) batches of two types of pizza dough; one for big rectangular pizzas that are cut and sold “by the slice” and the other for individual round pizzas. Once the doughs are mixed, they are left to rise. While Valter is busy in the kitchen, Olga walks to the piazza and does the daily family shopping. By late morning the dough is refrigerated to stop the yeast action and the shopping is done, Valter and Olga turn their attention to preparing the ingredients and toppings. There are liters of sauces to be made, kilos of vegetables to be cleaned and chopped, and always cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning. There must also be administrative work but I have no idea when they find the time for that.

After lunch Valter turns on the two huge ovens and by 3:30 or so he and Olga are stretching the dough, brushing the pans with olive oil and assembling the different types of rectangular pizzas that are sold by the slice. These pizzas are served at room temperature and include: tomato; tomato and cheese; onion and potato; mushroom and sausage; tomato and anchovy; and a very non-traditional pizza that has mayonnaise, lettuce, fresh tomatoes and tuna.
The individual round pizzas are prepared and baked to order, served hot from the oven. They resemble Pizza Napolitano but the dough has a different texture, taste and “bite”…Carol’s favorite is Valter’s Pizza Margherita (tomato, mozzarella) and I love the Napolitano (tomato, mozzarella, and anchovies). The renovation of the outdoor terrace is now complete, so with the warm weather we’ll be enjoying Valter and Olga’s pizzas along with a couple of cold beers as we watch the sunset on Soriano nel Cimino.

That’s amorè!

Pazza for Poppies

2010-06-02T11:25:00.003-04:00

One of the enduring images I have in my head of the ultimate Italy is a field full of red poppies in full bloom swaying in a gentle breeze. There are tons of pictures and images of this phenomenon on the Internet, in travel books and in magazines. From the moment we arrived in Italy last March I've been waiting for the moment when we would arrive at the top of a hill along a country road and set out before us would be endless fields of brilliant, swaying poppies.

Everyone told me that I'd have to wait until mid-May for this long anticipated moment. Well, here it is the beginning of June and I'm still waiting. For 2 weeks now I have been a crazy woman wielding a camera, riding around the province literally in search of fields of poppies. They started sprouting in ones and twos a few weeks ago, and as my anticipation built for the “big show”, the poppies continued to bloom in small clusters along the sides of the roads, around guard rails and in open fields.

“Poppies with Guardrail” is not what I'd envisioned for the title of my perfect photo.

“The unusually cool spring weather has arrested the blooming of the poppies”, I am told.

“Just wait”, they say. “Pazienza”.

“Every field within miles of here will be full of them. You won't be disappointed”, they promise.

Well, yesterday, when I finally got a glimpse of a reddish field, it was impossible to get a good look because there were other roadside flowering bushes in the way (not that I'm complaining... just saying... I mean, the yellow ginestre are gorgeous and fragrant, but I'm looking for poppies here.)

Bill is being very patient, although he's getting a little testy lately as I'm constantly asking him to pull off the road so I can get a better look. There's just never a good place to stop. We're either on a curve or there's no shoulder or a huge truck is climbing up our bumper. While Bill is driving, hyper-alert for pedestrians, oncoming and passing cars, passing-on-the-right motorinos, euro-cyclists, weed-pickers, mushroom gatherers and other miscellaneous obstructions to road safety, I'm in Poppy-world, in search of the perfect photo! Wish me luck!!!!!

CALABRIAN VACATIONS - Guest Blog by Cherrye Moore

2010-05-28T11:25:00.012-04:00

Introduction by Bill

All the years we were wishing to be in Italy, Carol was living vicariously through others who did live here and who shared their lives and their experiences through their blogs. Cherrye Moore particularly caught our interest because she is one of very few bloggers who lives in Calabria, where our Italian roots originate. Her blog has provided much insight as we plotted and planned to join the expats for a year. She and her husband Peppe own il Cedro B&B and were most gracious hosts when we visited them in Catanzaro. It is a pleasure to have Cherrye here as a guest blogger to tell you about the delights of summer in Calabria.

Choosing a Location for Your Calabrian Summer Vacation

Calabria has more than 500 miles of coastline and hundreds of beaches just waiting for sun-worshiping tourists to stop by. In fact, many people agree the beaches are Calabria’s main draw-besides being undeniably stunning, some with rocky crags, other with swooping cliffs and some with blue-green waters and hidden caves-they are less-touristy than beaches in other parts of Italy and remain some of the cleanest beaches in the country.

If you are hoping to enjoy a Calabrian summer this year, then you should decide if you want to move around the region or if you’d prefer to stay in one place. Here are the pros and cons of each decision.

If you Decide to Move Around Calabria

If you decide to move around, you’ll want to choose a central location to use as your base and likely stay in one B&B or hotel throughout your stay.

Pros:

- You will be able to explore beaches on both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian coasts
- You can visit a different place each day and see more of the region
- You can stay outside of a major beach area, thus having less traffic in or around your hotel or B&B
- You will have the chance to explore new restaurants or agriturismi

Cons:

- You will need to rent a car
- You won’t be able to walk to the beach
- It could be more stressful than staying in one place
- There will be traffic driving to the various beaches

If you Decide to Stay in One Place in Calabria

If you decide to stay in one place for your summer trip to Calabria, you should choose a good beach area and make sure they have nice restaurants and a good nightlife.

Pros:

- You can choose a hotel with beachfront access
- You won’t need a car to get to the beach
- It will be more relaxing if you aren’t battling traffic

Cons:

- If you don’t rent a car, you will be limited to the somewhat unreliable and unpredictable public transportation
- You’ll need to choose a beach town that has a variety of restaurants and a good nightlife so you don’t feel isolated-if you do find a busy beach town, there will likely be a lot of other people
- You will miss out on many of Calabria’s other villages and attractions

So what would you choose? Would you prefer to spend a week in one place or be able to venture around the region?

Cherrye Moore is a freelance writer and Calabria tour consultant living in southern Italy. You can read her writings on expat life at AffordableCallingCards.net or about living and traveling in Calabria on her website, My Bella Vita.

Trionfo!!!

2010-05-23T01:21:00.006-04:00

When we first arrived in Soriano, I had some letters to mail, so I took them to the post office. The system was a little confusing...unlike the US Post Office, you don't just get in line and wait for the next available window. There are categories of service and you can only accomplish certain tasks at certain windows. You have to take a number. There are two choices on the “take-a-number” machine. One choice allows you to wait for service to buy stamps, mail a letter, mail a package and other things relating to mail. The other choice allows you to wait for an assortment of banking and bill paying services. Without this knowledge, you might take the wrong ticket, wait for your number to be called, then be told that you must go back to the beginning and start over, with the correct type of ticket.

After standing at the “take-a-ticket” machine trying to read the instructions and with a little help from a fellow customer who seemed to know the ropes, I finally figured out which kind of numbered ticket I needed. I pressed the button, took the ticket from the machine and sat down to wait my turn. More confusion. The tickets have a letter and a number. A through E; 1 through 99. I had C33. I noticed an electronic board on the wall above the seating area. The letters A through E ran vertically down the side and the numbers alongside each letter changed. As the numbers changed, a clerk at one of the windows would call out the next number and serve the next customer. It sounded like Bingo night: C32...B6...D89...A75...C33...Bingo!! I jumped up and looked at the board to see which window was serving C33 and then I heard...C34. Crap! The nonna who had C34 was a pro. She was already standing, waiting to pounce as soon as her number was announced. I timidly approached the counter alongside the Nonna, waving my numbered ticket. The clerk shrugged and told me to wait because I was too slow.

OK, lesson learned.

Next time was a little different. I had to pay a parking ticket. Now this is an interesting process. When you get a parking ticket, you go to the stationary store and get a bolletto, which appears to be a universal form for paying official bills. Italians receive bollettos in the mail from the utility companies already filled out with the amount they owe for gas, water and electricity. For parking tickets, you have to fill out all the details yourself, but you pay at the Post Office. Another lesson learned. The challenge, however, is which numbered ticket to take when you arrive at the post office. What service is this...paying a parking ticket? Certainly not stamps and letters. Must be the other one. I pushed the button, got the ticket and didn't sit down to wait my turn. Instead I hovered near the counter waiting to pounce when I heard my number...Bingo!!! I was ready. I gave the bolletto to the clerk and told him that this was my first bolletto and I hoped it was filled out correctly. He smiled and said it was. I paid my 38euro, received my receipt and was done. I felt so proud moving from Beginners Poste Italiene to Intermediate Poste Italiene.

Time for Advanced Poste Italiene. Another letter to mail...no sweat. Got my ticket...E17. Waited in pouncing position. Moved quickly to the counter when I heard my number called. And waited…and waited...and waited...while the clerk continued her conversation with the customer at the next window. And I waited some more. Finally, she turned to me and said “A67”. I waved my ticket so she could see E17. She looked at her computer screen and repeated “A67” and shrugged. OK now what? So I pointed to the board and tried to tell her that according to the board, E17 was the next customer at her window and that I wasn't deferring to A67. And she DIDN'T ARGUE!!! She just shrugged again, took my letter and my 60 centessimi and called again “A67”.

I have triumphed over Poste Italiene!!! You can't imagine the sense of accomplishment. No, I mean it...you can't know how great this is!!!

Continuing Education Poste Italiene: I found myself the winner in an online contest held by Michelle at BleedingEspresso. The prize was a copy of Dianne Hale's fabulous book, “La Belle Lingua”, which had just been released in paperback. I don't usually win things, so you can imagine my delight...then dismay...to realize that the book would be mailed to me from the publisher in the US...and be delivered (I hoped) by Poste Italiene. Well my stars must all be aligned or something, because in yesterday's mail was a neatly addressed package delivered right to my door. “La Bella Lingua” had arrived, without any hassle or...dare I say it?...without any tariffs due. Score one for Poste Italiene!!!

Trionfo di nuovo!!!!!

THINGS ITALIANS EAT (in two languages)

2010-05-17T10:35:00.004-04:00

When I was about 9 years old, my family lived in Long Island, NY. We were the typical 2nd generation Italian-American family. Mom, Dad, 3 kids, Levittown, little league,catechism. My immigrant grandparents lived in the Bronx and most Sundays, we would drive to visit them, eat pasta and hang out with the cousins while the aunts and uncles yakked it up over a 3 hour meal. Once in a while, usually during the summer months, my grandparents would come out to visit us in the suburbs. It was always a special treat to have them visit, until the day I saw my grandmother out in our yard (and in the neighbors' yards) with a bowl in her arms, picking weeds and tossing them into the bowl. I looked around to see if any of my friends were out and might have witnessed this bizarre spectacle. What the hell was she doing? My mother later explained that she was picking dandelion greens for a salad and that in Italy everyone picked, cooked and ate wild greens. Yuck, I wasn't eating dandelions.

Fast forward lots of years (I'm not telling how many). And here I am in Italy, the guest at a friend's home and I'm invited to go out into the field and...pick weeds...to cook... and eat!! Sheesh! It was cicoria, a dark leafy bitter green that is a very popular vegetable here. So I ended up coming home with about 5 pounds of these weeds in a plastic grocery bag, roots, mud and all. You really need a heavy duty kitchen if you're going to clean and cook weeds because it makes a huge muddy mess in your sink. You know, chopping off the roots (mud and all) then soaking and rinsing the green leafy parts a gazillion times to get off all the residual dirt and any little critters that have hung in there for dear life. (this is not a water-conserving enterprise, cleaning weeds) I do not have a heavy duty kitchen. I have a tiny little kitchen, not much bigger than an airline galley kitchen with one small shallow stainless steel sink. I'm very happy with this kitchen...it's just not meant for weed cleaning.

Finally, I'm satisfied that the greens are clean enough to cook. Now I need to just pick through each leaf, tear off the tough stems, so that we only have to eat the tender weedlings; a time consuming process that leaves about 70% of the original volume of weeds in the trash heap, 30% cook-able. It takes only 2 huge pots to boil the tender weeds. Once they're done, then they need to be drained and the boiled leaves then need to be fried in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes. By this time, the original 5 pounds of weeds is reduced to about 16 ounces of actual edible food.

I've eaten this in restaurants, and it's delicious. It is served as a vegetable course (contorno) alone on the plate. I embellished a little and cooked some prosciutto sausage, served it with the cichoria and a hunk of bread and a glass of red wine. Yum.

Quando avevo quasi 9 anni, la mia famiglia abitava a Long Island, NY. Eravamo tipici delle famiglie italo-americane del secondo generazioni. La mamma, il papa', tre figli, Levittown, Piccola Lega, catechismo. I miei nonni erano immigrati dall' Italia e abitavano allo Bronx. Di solito andavamo ogni Domenica di andare a trovargli. Mangiavamo la pasta, e gocavamo insieme con i cuigini, mentre i zii chiacchieravano e mangiavano fino alle 3 ore.Da tanto in tanto, di solito nell'estate, i nonni andavano da noi a compagna. Era sempre una goia quando venivano da noi. Un giorno, pero' ho visto mia nonna nella giardino(e anche negli giardini dei vicini). Aveva nelle braccia una scodella. Stava raccogliendo le erbacce e le stava mettendo nella scodella. Dio mio,che cosa stava facendo?? Fra poco, mia mamma mi ha spiegato che la nonna stava raccogliendo le foglie delle dandelions. Aveva detto che in Italia tutti stanno raccolto, cotto e mangiato le erbacce. Boh!! non sto mangiando io le erbacce!

Andate subito avanti tanti anni (non sto dicesndo io quante). Eccomi qui in Italia. Sono l'ospita alla casa degli amici e glieme dicevano di andare nel campo per......raccogliere le erbacce...di cuocere...e di mangiare!!! Mahhhh!!

Cicoria e' una vegetale fogliata, verde scura e amara. E' molto mangiata qui in Italia. Allora, al fine del giorno, ho arrivato a casa con un sacco di erbaccie....quasi 3 chili incluso il fango.

Se dovete pulire e cuocere le erbacce, avete bisogno di una cucina grande e durevole perche' si fanno un grand casino fangoso nella vasca. Sapete, tagliando i radici (con il fango), poi bagnando e risciaquando le foglie verde tantissimi volte di rimovere tutta la sporcizia e qualsiasi cimice che rimangono. (si sta pulendo le erbaccie non e' amicevole del ambiente...si sta usendo molto l'acqua). Io non ho la cucina grande e durevole. Ho la cucina piccolissima e carina, come quello che si trova nell'aereo. C'e una piccola vasca d'acciaio inossidabile. Mi piace molto questa cucina.....ma non funzione bene per pulire le erbaccie.

Finalmente, sono soddisfatto che le erbaccie sono abbastanza pulita di cucinare. Ora, devo togliare le foglie per scegliere quelle piu' buone, piu' delicate. Cosi, mangeremo solo le erbaccissimi. Ci vuole tanto tempo che al fine, produrre 70% delle erbacce originale da spazzatura e 30% da mangiare. Ci vuole due grandissime pentole di bollire le erbacce delicate. Poi, dovete buttare l'acqua. Poi, mette le erbacce bollite nella pentola con olio d'olive, aglio e pepperoncino. Quando sono pronti, l'originale 3 chili d'erbacce sono ridotti di quasi 500 gr di cibo commestibile.

Questo contorno ho avuto mangiato negli ristoranti. E' buonissimo. Di solito e' mangiato da solo, pero' l'ho preparato con un po' di salsiccia di prociutto e l'ho servito con pane rustico e un bicchiere di vino rosso. Stupendo!

QUARTIERE COPPEDE

2010-05-11T04:51:00.004-04:00

Carol and I will be walking down a street, pass a beautiful ragazza and she’ll say something like “Did you see that beautiful girl?” to which I’ll respond, “No…I was admiring the façade of that old building.” It’s not that I don’t appreciate all the beautiful Italian women; but almost everywhere we go in Italy I fall in love again …with the architecture. Architecture has been my passion…no, an obsession since I was a kid. Only other architects understand this; and my dear wife has tolerated it for over 38 years.

Recently we took the train into Rome and I was blown away by what we found. Tucked away in the northeast corner of Rome, away from the tourists and souvenir vendors, we discovered Piazza Minco in the Quartiere Coppedè. The neighborhood is named for the architect who originally planned and designed many of the buildings, Gino Coppedè (1866 to 1927). Begun around 1912 and completed after Coppedè’s death in 1927, the villas and large apartment buildings employ architectural elements of Imperial Roman (as was dictated by the governing commission that hired Mr. Coppedè).

That’s enough of an architectural history lecture…enjoy the photos and music.

BILL’S FIVE WORDS (I didn’t get to play the first time around)

2010-05-07T10:11:00.009-04:00

Now that I’ve earned the title “ass-farmer”, I’ve decided to join in on the fun with five words that I grew up with. As a kid I never understood why the old Italian men drank those strange smelling, bitter tasting concoctions before and after meals. Now that I’m an old man I’ve come to appreciate the Italians’ affinity for bitter flavors in food (arucola and cicoria) and beverages (Amaro and Campari). So, in celebration of bitter flavors, here are my five favorite words:

Digestivo – (Dee-jess-TEE-vo) is a beverage served after a meal to assist with digestion. Typically it is one of the many brands of amaro (bitter) liqueurs; an acquired taste.

Amaro – (Ah-MAH-row) is the Italian word for bitter but it is also the generic name of an alcoholic beverage made from herbs that is typically served after a meal. There are many regional brands but my favorite is Amaro Lucano from Matera in Basilicata. On the label is a picture of a beautiful young woman, striking a “come-hither pose” with her hand her on hip and a seductive smile, promising hours of pleasure and…oh,sorry, I didn’t mean to get carried away.

Aperitivo – (Ah-PER-ee-tivo) is a drink that stimulates the appetite. “Cocktail” in English, it sounds much more poetic and musical in Italian. Whether it is a chilled glass of Prosecco, a Cinzano over ice or a Campari and soda, nothing is more refreshing after a lazy afternoon of basking in the Mediterranean sun.

Campari – (cahm-PAH-ree) is a bitter red liqueur served as an aperitivo; again it is an acquired taste. Try it for the first time by mixing with tonic, bitter lemon or grapefruit juice in a tall glass of ice and a slice of orange…paradiso!

Grappa – (GRAHP-pah) is the Italian version of what Americans call moonshine (corn whiskey or grain alcohol). It’s a hard liqueur distilled from wine grapes (stronger than brandy and cognac) with between 35% and 60% alcohol content. Ok…technically it is not a bitter flavor but one tiny sip will take the wrinkles out of your shorts. Many years ago, my first experience with grappa was very unpleasant, probably because it was poor quality…it tasted like paint remover or something you’d use to clean machine parts. Today grappa is made from high quality grapes and, although still an acquired taste, it is enjoyed after evening meals or as a “pick-me-up” in your mid-day espresso (caffé correcto).

Those are my words. They may not add to your vocabulary but after developing an appreciation for bitter flavors, you’ll be using the words and enjoying these beverages almost daily. Salute!

MY FIVE FAVORITE ITALIAN WORDS

2010-05-05T15:46:00.009-04:00

This is really exciting. It's the first time our little blog has been tagged to participate in a multi-blog event. It started at www.Italofile.com, with Favorite Italian Words; the Sequel, and it's spread like virtual wildfire. Now, if I understand this correctly, we're supposed to link back to the source - (Italofile.com) and also link to the blog who tagged us - Michael at www.culturediscovery.com.

Then we need to tag a few other bloggers, so how about Valerie at www.2baci.blogspot.com and Linda at www.lindyloumac.blogspot.com. Now I just need to leave a comment at Italofile, and I think I'm done! Now to my favorite five...

Chiacchierare (KEY-AH'-KEY-EH- RAH'-RAY) I love this word because it sounds just like what it means.....to chat or gossip. Imagine 5 middle-aged women in a coffee bar, smoking cigarettes, drinking cappuccino and shooting the breeze.

Scampagnata (SKAHM-PAN-YATA) A picnic, but more than a picnic...the kind of frollicky, romping through the tall wheat fields picnic; a country outing.

Uffa (OOO-FFAHH) (This is an Unofficial spelling) I hear this word used as an all-purpose expression for frustration. You're sitting in traffic and late for an appointment...UFFA!! You've dropped a raw egg on the kitchen floor...UFFA!! You've waited an hour for your online banking site to load, then you lose the signal...UFFA!! You get the idea!!

-one (OH-NAY) ; -ini (EE-NEE); -accio (AH'-CHEE-OH) OK, OK, so these are not actually words but I like them! They're suffixes added to the end of Italian words to modify their meaning. Italian's use these almost more frequently than they use the original root word, which is charming and cute, but sometimes very confusing. Here's how it works:

-one makes the original word bigger...naso = nose, nasone = BIG nose

-ini makes the original word smaller...pomodori = tomatoes, pomodorini = little tomatoes; (kinda like the hookah in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, but I digress)

-accio makes a good word bad...parola = word, parolaccio = bad word

There is a tie for my 5th favorite word.

Mamma (MAHM-MA) Always a lovely word, but particularly amusing when said by a grown man answering his cell phone, as in “Ciao, Mamma.” Besides, it's Mother's Day, and I'm a Mom and I like the word.

Agriculo (AG-REE-COOL-OH) One summer, many years ago, when Bill and I first began coming to Italy to visit family in Calabria, we had only a very sketchy grip on the language. After several glasses of wine, Bill was trying to contribute to a dinner conversation about methods of raising food in early 20^th century Calabria and he used the word “agriculo” to refer to agriculture. Well, he got part of it right. Agricoltura and agricolo mean agriculture and agricultural...but -culo means butt, rear-end, derriere...and so Bill invented a new word...assfarming! The cugini were laughing their #&@&* off!!! And Bill is still inventing words.

WHAT RECYCLING?

2010-05-03T09:11:00.005-04:00

After we posted “Their Days Are Numbered”, our friend Michael wrote "How (NOT) To Implement a Recycling Policy in your Town" that explains the rules and details for Soriano’s recycling collection program. Well, May 3rd has arrived and it looks like things haven’t changed much…see for yourself.

Vi presento Massimo

2010-05-02T05:23:00.009-04:00

Massimo is a part of the family that owns our morning coffee bar, Il Chiosco dei Tigli (Kiosk of the Linden Trees)…but everyone calls it “Luigina”, after the woman who owns it. Anyway, Massimo is always there taking care of one thing or another. He can usually be found greeting customers, taking orders or thumbing through Il Gazzetto dello Sport. In addition to the cappuccino and homemade crostata (sweet pastry filled with jam, ricotta or chocolate) we go to Luigina's bar because it has a good internet signal. We are rarely there without a computer. Massimo has taken an interest in Bill and his computer. He seems to enjoy the slide shows that Bill has made for this blog.

The other day, after the usual morning greetings, Massimo pointed out his Meta Sport car to us. We proffered the appropriate oohhhhs and aahhhs as he explained that it's not exactly a car, but a “mini car” that requires a “patentini” (loosely translated = little license). That's the same class of driving license that one needs here to drive a Vespa. As you can see from the pictures, it's quite small…2 passengers, smaller than a SmartCar. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the entire car is fiberglass...roof, hood, doors, fenders...tutte. It's obviously not meant to be driven on serious roads or at high speeds. But its very cute.

Massimo generously posed with his Meta Sport and even gave his permission for us to put this up on the blog. I assured him that I would write the post in Italian, so he could read it! Grazie, Massimo!

La famiglia di Massimo possesse il bar Chiosco dei Tigli…pero' tutti lo chiamano “Luigina”, il nome della proprio signora. In ogni caso, Massimo e' quasi sempre li, sta facendo qualcosa. Di solito si puo' trovarlo salutando i clienti, portando il caffe' oppure leggendo il Gazzetto dello Sport. Andiamo alla “Luigina” perche' c'e la crostata fatta in casa(con marmalatta/ricotta/cioccolato) e il caffe', e anche perche' li c'e' il buon signale del'internet. Sempre portiamo il computer. Ci sembre che Massimo sia interese nel Bill e il suo computer. A lui piaciono i slide shows che Bill ha messo sul blog.

L'altro giorno, Massimo ci ha mostrato il suo machina Meta Sport e ci ha spiegato che ci vuole solo il patentina. E' la stessa classe di patente che ha bisogna di qualcuno che guida la Vespa. Come potete vedere delle foto, e' piccola…2 persone...piu' piccola del Smart Car. Quando l'ho guardato piu' vicino, ho scoperto che e' costriutto di lana di vetro…il tette, le porte, i parauti…tutte. Ovviamente non dovrrebbe guidare sulle strade serio o all' alta velocita'. Ma e' molto carino.

Massimo e' molto gentile e ci ha datto il suo permesso di mette qui la sua foto. Gli ho detto che scrivei in italiano...cosi, puo' leggerla. Molto grazie, Massimo!

Marta's Lungolago

2010-04-24T15:29:00.006-04:00

A stroll along any lungomare (a landscaped street and park-like walkway along the seashore) on the Italian coast isn't the only way to enjoy a passeggiata. There are equally beautiful lungolagos along Italy's magnificent lakes. A couple of lakes are better known thanks to a Hollywood couple that got married in the castle on Lago Bracciano (thanks Tom and Katie) or another popular American actor who purchased a villa on Lago Como (thanks George). Nevertheless, warm weather attracts Italians and international travelers alike who crowd the roadways, restaurants and bars trying to escape the cities.

So before the onslaught of summer tourists arrived we recently made two trips to the nearby village of Marta that sits on the southern bank of Lago Bolseno; one trip just to walk around and explore and the second for Sunday pranzo and another stroll. Nothing defines the Italian concept of “la famiglia” like watching children, parents and grandparents together walking, playing, eating gelato and just enjoying being together along the lungolago.

Che bello...buona passeggiata!

INNAMORATA

2010-04-24T13:34:00.005-04:00

Orvieto is drop dead gorgeous.

We arrive early Thursday before the morning fog has lifted. The medieval city seems to be rising from the clouds. The fog burns off and the sun lights the piazzas with bright morning light.

Market day in Piazza del Popolo finds nonnas shuffling along the cobbled streets pulling their market carts behind them and housewives hustling to get their shopping done. We sit in a caffe' in the piazza, watching the Orvietiani go about their market shopping. One of the cheese vendors has no less than 8 kinds of Peccorino (sheep) cheese, from bone dry to mozzarella fresh, each type labeled with the exact locality of it's production. A grandfather parks his grandson's stroller at the vegetable vendor and picks up a red pepper the size of a football. He dangles it above his grandson, asking “what color is this?” Next, he tries an eggplant, then a green pepper, then other veggies and fruits...teasing and entertaining the toddler while nonna does the serious business of buying today's dinner.

Except for marveling at the intricate the stonework of Orvieto's amazing Duomo,we didn't do any touristy stuff...no museums, cathedrals, underground tours. Today we just wandered the streets and piazzas, admiring pretty lace curtains and flower boxes, taking pictures of doors and windows, laughing as we got caught up in a herd of middle-school kids in neon-yellow caps on a field trip. The city is delightfully empty of tours and tourists. Lilacs in full bloom, so fragrant, they perfume the entire street. Stuffed zuchini flowers and truffled pasta in the garden terrace of a tiny restaurant make a romantic lunch. Nothing is urgent. Life here is slow...alert...fresh...content.

Leaving Orvieto in the late afternoon sunlight is just as breathtaking as arriving in the fog..The beauty of the sun's reflection on the rocky plateau on which Orvieto sits is overwhelming. I feel light-headed...like breathing pure oxygen. I want to stay here....near this place. I don't feel like I need to travel all over the country anymore. I want to return to these places often...these towns in Upper Lazio, Umbria, Southern Tuscany... discovering and rediscovering all the nooks and crannies. I don't want to go far.

Do you know what this feels like? It feels like falling in love. When you've dated for years...then you find the right person, and you just want to know all there is to know about him. The others become less and less important. All you want is to know everything there is to know about the special one.

That's what it feels like living here.

THEIR DAYS ARE NUMBERED

2010-04-22T12:09:00.003-04:00

35 years ago, when we first lived in Pozzuoli (part of Metropolitan Naples), I was surprised by how little trash and garbage individual households generated and how trash was collected. Naples has never been a trash-free city and labor strikes by sanitation workers have left garbage piled 12 feet high in the streets. That said, on trash collection days our Italian neighbors would put out one small bag of stuff compared to our multiple bags of garbage and trash. Years ago we learned to deposit trash in those big, ugly, roadside bins. Today, thanks to the recycling movement, the number (and color) of trash bins has increased with a greater mix of overflowing plastic, cardboard, metal and organic refuse.

Nevertheless, I think Italians traditionally “recycled” long before the movement became fashionable simply because they didn’t waste much. They fed their dogs and cats leftovers; glass bottles were saved for preserving tomatoes; cans were used for starting seedling plants; and, vegetable peels, coffee grinds, egg shells, etc. was composted for the garden. Today urban Italians’ consumption habits have changed as they shifted (unfortunately) from home grown/homemade to manufactured foods and products resulting in more disposable plastic, glass and metal packaging and containers that have added to the collection problems.

This week our landlord arrived at our apartment door with three large plastic recycling containers. He explained in detail the pick-up schedule…Tuesdays and Fridays - organic garbage; Mondays – paper and cardboard; Wednesdays – metal and plastic; and Thursday - glass. The good news is that starting May 3^rd, those big, ugly street bins will no longer line the streets of Soriano. The bad news is we have to find space in our tiny, one bedroom apartment for those three containers and lug them up and down the stairs several times a week.

Currently we deposit our trash every day in those ugly bins. Starting in May we will be required to keep garbage for several days and recycling for up to a week. We can rinse the recyclables before bagging and storing them in their respective bins but organic garbage will be a challenge…I guess we’ll be cooking with less garlic and fewer onions.

MISTRESS OF THE VATICAN

2010-04-20T05:10:00.008-04:00

I love to read. So you'd think I'd be a good candidate for book groups. But I'm not. I've never found a book group that selected the kinds of books I wanted to read...books about Italy: fiction set in Italy, memoires of people who live in Italy, historical fiction set in the Renaissance, ancient Rome, World War I and II, the Venetian Republic, biographies of historical Italian's...you get the idea.

Last year I read The Mistress of the Vatican by Eleanor Herman. Herman is a historian, who wrote about the life of Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphili, sister-in-law to Pope Innocent X. Olimpia was an ambitious and manipulative woman. After the death of her rich husband, she used her weak and indecisive brother-in-law to gain additional wealth and power in 17^th century Rome by providing the political strategies and tactics needed to ascend to the papacy. It was also rumored that she was the pope’s mistress, in addition to being his primary advisor; but there’s no hard evidence. As a result of Olimpia's reputation of her relationship with the Pope, she eventually left Rome to spend the remainder of her life in the hill town of San Martino al Cimino, given to her by Pope Innocent X.

A few days ago we visited San Martino nel Cimino after reading the description in the Blue Guide to Central Italy; something sounded vaguely familiar. According to the Blue Guide, “San Martino al Cimino is a village which was entirely rebuilt in the 17^th century by Donna Olimpia Maidalchini-Pamphili, when she was given the principate by her brother-in-law in gratitude for her help in having him elected Pope Innocent X.” Seems like the Blue Guide left out all the good stuff.

Not only was Donna Olimpia a skilled political advisor, she had an eye for urban planning, architecture and landscaping…a true Renaissance woman! San Martino al Cimino is nothing like the old medieval walled towns with their narrow, dark streets and vicoli (alleys). Olimpia had the new walled hilltop town designed with wide streets and boulevards that provided the attached houses with ample daylight and panoramic views of the fertile valleys below. She made sure the streets were lined with ornamental trees that added color and softened the hard stone paved streets and stucco faced houses. Several large landscaped piazzas provide larger open spaces which are supplemented by smaller piazzas with public fountains and large shade trees. The entre urban composition speaks volumes to Olimpia’s many talents and intellect that brought a better life to the cittadini (citizens of the city).

By all accounts Donna Olimpia Maidalchini-Pamphili was a demanding, tough and very unlikeable woman; but she knew how to get things done. It would be great to travel back in time and spend an afternoon sitting under one of those trees in the piazza with Donna Olimpia, sipping wine and listening to her side of the story.

F.Y.I – We share the writing and editing. Bill writes about the substantive, architectural, and historical stuff and Carol writes all the fluffy stuff. This particular post is based on Carol’s reading of the book, a little additional research by Bill and our brief tour of San Martino. In other words: Carol = chiacchierone and Bill = maestro.

THOSE SCARVES

2010-04-16T14:54:00.002-04:00

Spring, la primavera, has arrived in the beautiful hill towns of Alto Lazio. Dozens of shades of green appear up and down the hillsides, as trees and plants begin their annual display. Purple and white irises are popping up in the most uncultivated of places, as if they were wildflowers and window boxes and sidewalk planters are bursting with spring flowers. I'm not immune to Spring Fever and was compelled to plant a few pink and red geraniums (and a basil plant) in the concrete planters on the condominium terrace outside our kitchen window.

The people who live here are justifiably proud of the fresh air at this altitude of about 1,000 meters. Indeed, it is one of many places to which the Romans escape on hot summer weekends. But spring takes it's time up here and we’re still wearing scarves.

I used to think that those scarves Italians wrapped around their throats, twisted and knotted into chic and elaborate shapes, were simply affectations...pure fashion. Whenever I tried to wear a scarf at home, it seemed like a useless accessory…decorative rather than functional. But, since I have been here, I haven’t left the house without one. Not one of those heavy woolly mufflers that Americans wear in a snowstorm. I mean a lightweight, colorful pashmina kind of multi-tasking flowy type scarf.

No one leaves their house without one of these around their neck, because everyone walks. And they hate drafts, believing they can cause all kinds of maladies. And from one step to the next, from one street to the next, the temperature, the wind, the sunshine, the cloud-cover changes the temperature dramatically. One minute, I'm strolling along, basking in the warmth of the sunshine, then I'll step through an archway into a narrow vicola where castle turrets block the sun and its bone-chilling cold. Or the clouds will move in and the wind will attack from several directions and whip my hair into a tangled nest. Then I'll reach the top of the hill where the road switches back downhill, the wind subsides and the clouds part to let the sunshine through making the air calm again. I just whip that scarf on and off and ward off all manner of Italian ills!

2010-04-14T04:07:00.002-04:00

On a recent overcast morning, we toured the 16^thcentury Castello Ruspoli in the nearby town of Vignanello. In the 9^th century a fortified Benedictine monastery was located on the site that the castle currently occupies. A series of Italian noble families lived here starting with the ancient Roman family of Marius Scotus (later the Italian Marescotti) to the Farnese, Orsini and Ruspoli families. My family tree goes back to the mid 1860s; the Ruspoli family tree starts in 798 A.D.

The first floor contains a chapel, large hall and quarters for the guards and horses. The large wooden gears used to raise and lower the entry draw bridges are still visible and the walls are decorated with ancient weapons. The castle’s second floor houses a museum containing the family’s furnishings and ancestral portraits; a couple of apartments are still maintained by Prince Claudio and Princess Giada Ruspoli. I was struck by an ominous sense of what it must have been like to live within this dark, prison-like place where all the surfaces were cold, hard stone with few windows to the outside.

The 17th century gardens are a graceful relief from the spartan ambiance of the castle's interior. The box hedges, fountain and old trees offer stunning contrasts to the patchwork textures and colors of the weathered, moss covered grey stone walls. Having the entire garden to ourselves, we walked around for an hour getting a sense of how those old noble families grew so attached to this place of contradictions - violence versus peace, force versus grace, past versus present...tutti e tutto Italianissimo.

Making Appointments

2010-04-11T13:10:00.005-04:00

Growing up I never understood why my family always had difficulty making plans – whose house would be the gathering place for holidays or celebrations, etc. When invited a couple of months in advance to our house for Thanksgiving, relatives would respond with “we’ll see”. Now that we’re living here, I think I’m gaining some insights into what I always thought was my family’s strange behavior. Here in Italy I see certain nuances in the precision and social protocols for “making plans”…appointments. Within the last few weeks we made several types of appointments: one official (at the Questura); one quasi-official (with our landlord); and, one social (with a friend).

Our posting Friends in High Places described how quickly and efficiently we scheduled our appointments at the Questura for our Permessi di Soggiorno. Our “official” appointments were unambiguously scheduled for precisely 10:50 and 10:55 last Friday. In typical American fashion, we allowed for traffic and parking, arrived and were seated in the waiting area by 9:30. Arriving early with written confirmations in hand was no guarantee that we wouldn’t have to wait. But keeping in mind the Four Rules, we were prepared for whatever happened. The police officer began processing our papers 10 minutes early and we were done and out the door in 30 minutes…amazing by any standard.

Scheduling to meet (quasi-officially) with our landlord was far less efficient and precise. Our purpose was to exchange an expensive espresso machine (the type that uses those little capsules instead of real coffee) for an electric broom (a Dust Buster with a long handle). It took several days and several phone calls to establish a mutually convenient time and make the exchange because our landlord’s daily routine (home for lunch and an afternoon rest) is different from our routine (out and exploring all afternoon). Perhaps this was a case where both parties were trying to be overly accommodating and polite…better Italian-style courtesy than American-style abruptness. Eventually it worked out.

Our third appointment involved meeting an Italian friend for a casual drink. Again, attempting to be marginally efficient (but not quite multi-tasking), we tried to establish an exact meeting time after completing a few domestic errands. The closest we got was his suggestion that we call him when our errands were done on the afternoon that we agreed to meet. Apparently, anything more precise gave our appointment a higher level of social importance than necessary. This way there was no stress, offenses or hurt feelings if either party cancelled in favor of a preferred or more important engagement. Our friendship remains undamaged and life goes on.

The Italian approach to making and keeping appointments might be the cultural basis of my family’s curious “we’ll see” approach to making plans for Thanksgiving. Then there’s the entirely separate subject of the Italian concept of “being on time”…another future posting.

Belated Buona Pasqua

2010-04-06T05:07:00.006-04:00

It's taken many unsuccessful attempts but here some slides of what we've seen in the first few weeks. I started trying to upload last Thursday, but the slow and weak signals and the fact that all the school kids have been on their home computers from Friday through today, it's impossible to get a connection. Turn up the sound on you computer and enjoy...Buona Pasqua!

Linguistically Challenged

2010-04-05T11:06:00.002-04:00

Mostly, I listen. I listen for familiar words and phrases, for the rhythm and cadence of the language, for idiomatic expressions and exclamations! I've been listening for almost 10 years…attending Italian classes…albiet 2 hours a week of studying grammar, reading articles, trying to string 2 or 3 sentences together and learning to roll the r's. I listen to (and watch) the same episodes of Italian TV soap operas over and over and over on my computer, until the characters seem like real people in my life. I listen to songs by Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli and others who sing in Italian, attempting to understand what the hell they were singing about. I have watched and listened to countless hours of RAI Telegiornale, to the point of knowing the Italian politicians and their scandals!

I listen. And I understand. Capisco. But speaking is not coming easily. I want to speak correctly. I know how to conjugate the verbs, how to use the pronouns...even combine them…hello!!...glielo!! … but I just can't seem to get the words out. Everyone advises me to “...just talk. Don’t worry about the correct verb form”. But I was doing that 10 years ago. I'm not making progress here! I'm afraid that if I keep talking in the present tense and broken sentences that I will never improve.

Part of the problem is that Italians talk very fast. They also listen very fast. They can’t wait for me to get out all of the words that I need to say what I mean. It's hard to have a conversation when everyone wants to finish my sentences. And it doesn't help me get comfortable wrapping my tongue around all the syllables. Another part of the problem is that I spend too much time thinking of how to say something, instead of following the conversation. In a nutshell, I don’t speak spontaneously.

For years, I've been telling myself that my speaking ability would improve if only I could spend a few months in Italy, speaking only Italian. Well, here I’m…and I feel like I'm regressing. I get tongue tied and my brain is functioning on a 7 second delay.

The other day, I poked my head out the kitchen window to say “buon giorno” to the woman who was out on the terrazzo below. The apartment has been empty during the week but occupied on weekends (actually, this is only our second weekend). So I said buon giorno and was surprised by her response. Instead of a pleasant reply, she was telling me that I couldn't use the laundry drying rack outside my window because it hung over her terrace. She went on to say that they'd be eating out on the terrazzo, that I should move the rack to another window, where it wouldn't disturb their meals. I don't use the rack anyway, because it's kind of flimsy, but it works for a dish towel or something lightweight.

I was speechless. I understood completely what she was saying, but the only words that came out were “ va bene,va bene” and “OK, non problema”, even as proper responses swirled through my brain, such as:

“The landlord hung the rack here. I can ask him to move it.”

“ It won't be a problem since I don't hang dripping laundry from here anyway.”

“ We've just been here a few weeks, and I haven't had the pleasure. Hi, I'm Carol , what's your name? Are you here for weekends only, or all the time? “

This is simply not going well. It's been 3 weeks already and I'm still not fluent!

Help with the Dishes

2010-03-30T08:18:00.003-04:00

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

2010-03-29T13:22:00.012-04:00

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

2010-03-24T04:58:00.008-04:00

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

2010-03-23T11:14:00.008-04:00

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

2010-03-19T07:06:00.005-04:00

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!

2010-03-14T05:43:00.006-04:00

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

2010-03-07T22:14:00.005-05:00

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

2010-03-04T16:42:00.026-05:00

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

2010-03-04T08:56:00.032-05:00

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!

THE FOUR RULES (plus one)

2010-02-25T21:28:00.012-05:00

We realized many years ago that enjoying life in Italy requires adopting a certain mindset. So, in the spirit of brevity and good blogsmanship (is that a word?) we’ve distilled years of travel, hours of research, and conversations with fellow other experienced Italophiles into “The Four Rules” for living in Italy.

Simple tasks cannot be completed efficiently or within a reasonable amount of time.
Documented instructions and procedures will change without notice or reason.
Previous experiences are unreliable models for future dealings.
Ambiguity drives communications and flexibility is the key to enjoying the ride.

So, plan for the worst, hope for the best and be prepared to adjust your expectations. Set aside feelings of frustration, urgency and defeat. Embrace the concept that whatever must be accomplished today will wait until tomorrow…or next week…or next month…or never. When all else fails exercise the unwritten Fifth Rule…find the nearest gelato shop and order four scoops.

If the next year is anything like our previous Italian adventures, we’re sure to have some informative and funny anecdotes as well as remembering some past experiences about…

Goats in the Road

Finding His Italian Roots

Where’s the AC?

The $10 Mellon

Taxi Napolitano

Small Change

Connecting With Locals

Maps versus GPS

To all our web friends (you know who you are) who have led the way, provided valuable advice and inspired us, we say “grazie mille”.

Our Background

2010-02-21T21:14:00.003-05:00

The seeds of what was to become our dream to live in Italy were planted long before we met in college. Growing up in parallel New York suburbs, we had baby-boomer childhoods - Sunday dinners at the table of immigrant grandparents, with all the aunts, uncles and cousins - enjoying the food and stories that blended American and southern Italian traditions. We met at Virginia Tech in 1970 courtesy of our blond, blue-eyed roommates who thought we belonged together...little did they know!

After graduation, we got married and Bill was drafted into the Army where his services were required at NATO’s Southern Region Headquarters in Napoli. We rented an apartment in Pozzuoli and the seeds of our Italian-American childhood took root as we embraced the eccentricities of life in Naples.

Being in the military eased the culture shock somewhat. With guidance from American and British military folks and some friendly locals, we learned the coping skills needed to make the most of our experience. Living and working in Naples provided the contacts, opportunities and serendipity that quickly transformed us into committed Italophiles.

Our affection for Italy did not end with our return to the US in 1975. Over the next 35 years we returned to familiar places - Naples, Ischia and the Amalfi Coast. We felt connected to a part of Italy that our grandparents would have recognized; albeit transformed by time, two world wars and a level of prosperity unimaginable in their time.

Fast-forward to 2009: We sold our house, launched our son into the real world and retired to Central Florida where now we're preparing to “live the dream”. We hope you'll come back often to share in our adventure. Andiamo!!!

A Stack of Books

2010-02-21T20:27:00.013-05:00

In 1974 we moved to Italy for a two-year Army assignment at the NATO Headquarters in Naples. It was a wonderful experience but we didn't take full advantage of the opportunity because we were simply unprepared, naive and uneducated.

Like many Italian-Americans, we thought we knew what being “Italian” meant…WRONG! Separated by time, language and almost no understanding of our grandparents’ lives before they immigrated to America, we quickly realized that we were painfully ignorant of the people, language (dialects) and cultures (yes, the regional Italian cultures are different). Had all of today's books been available back then, our time living in Italy would have been even richer and more enjoyable.

Our grandparents didn’t keep journals or write many letters, so we don’t know the details of their lives in Italy, their journey to America, or their relationships with family and friends they left behind. All we had were a few stories told at the dinner table. So, we figured our only option was to read about Italy as it was during our ancestors’ lifetimes.

We’re not scholars or intellectual heavy-weights but we enjoy reading everything we can about Italy…history, language, travel, memoirs, cookbooks, novels, etc. Our little library contains dozens of books worth reading, but here are a few to consider before hopping the plane and while traveling in Italy.

A Concise History of Italy by Christopher Duggan (Cambridge University Press, 1984). This 294 page paperback’s opening chapter describes how Italy’s geography and topography set the stage for the major military, cultural and political events beginning in the year 400 AD and ending in the 1980s. Chapter 6 is titled “The Liberal State and the Social Question, 1870 – 1900” – the period in Italy that most influenced the lives of our great-grandparents and their children who immigrated to America.

A Traveller’s History of Italy (8th Edition) by Valerio Lintner (Interlink Publishing, 2008). Having read the previous edition published in 2004, I’m looking forward to re-reading this book’s 8th Edition. This author’s narrative is comfortable and easy to follow because he matches historically important individuals to the geography, political and social events that shaped the Italy of our ancestors. It allows the reader to “jump around” and focus on the individual chapters that are relevant to reader’s travel itinerary and interests.

The Italians by Luigi Barzini (Touchstone Edition, 1996). Barzini was a second generation Italian journalist, born in Milan, in 1908. He wrote extensively about the social, political and cultural character of Italy with an understandable bias; most notably in Chapter 13, “The Problema del Mezzogiorno”. Barzini’s description of the Italian people was as if he was a regular guest in our grandparents’ homes; not always kind, his observations really hit close to the heart.

La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language by Diane Hales (Broadway Books, 2009). The book is a “must read” for those of us who are too lazy to learn Italian or who don’t know how and why the Italian language became the most beautiful language in world. Ms. Hales blends her passion for Italian with history, humor and engaging conversations with many interesting Italian language experts. Her personal and endearing anecdotes are inspiring for those of us who never seem to get it right.

SPREZZATURA, 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped The World by Peter D’Epiro and Mary Desmond Pinkowish (Anchor Books, 2001). This book links the contributions of famous Italians to the political, cultural, artistic, scientific and social events that shaped Italy and the world. The word Sprezzatura was coined by Renaissance diplomat and soldier Balassare Castiglione which, according to a translation by Harry Berger, Jr. means, “a form of defensive irony: the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, and means or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence and nonchalance.” It has also been used to describe the ability to complete a task or create great art gracefully and seemingly effortlessly…a very Italian trait.

LA MERICA, Images of Italian Greenhorn Experience by Michael La Sorte (Temple University Press, 1985). The author combines some personal stories of Italian immigrants with academic research and entertaining anecdotes that describes the common experiences of millions who left behind everything they knew and everyone they loved for new opportunities in “La Merica”.

Blue Guide Series for Northern, Central, and Southern Italy, Le Marche, Sicily, Umbria, etc. by various authors (Somerset Books, various editions). The Blue Guides’ website at www.blueguides.com contains the complete list for their Italy Series. These guides to Italy’s regions and major cities contain concise yet detailed narratives that provide historical context and useful touring information and descriptions for museums, churches, hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation. If you’re planning an extended trip to multiple regions, you might need an extra rolling suitcase for this collection…but they are worth it!