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

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

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

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)

SO MANY FLAVORS...SO LITTLE TIME

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

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

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))

. 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'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.......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?