Celebrating Summer

Summer in Umbria, and probably in all of Italy, means being outdoors in the evening, taking your evening stroll (passeggiata) to see and be seen, having a gelato on the piazza, or visiting the local sagra or festa. A festa is just a big party, but a sagra will usually feature food as a theme. The food might be something the town is famous for, something that's being harvested now, or simply an excuse to eat a favorite local dish.

Most of the feste around here run Thursday to Sunday, but some of the larger ones run every night for ten days, encompassing two weekends. Advertising for these events is limited – apparently enough locals know when they are, so if you're in Italy be sure to keep your eyes open for posters both large and small, advertising these local treasures.

 When we arrived in Italy in 2003 we mistakenly thought the feste and sagre were similar to church picnics, but we quickly found out how wrong we were. Instead of being held during the day and running into the evening, an Italian festa rarely starts before 7:30. There are of course, exceptions to this rule, but for the smaller, local feste, 7:30 is pretty standard.

The first order of business is food. Well, maybe the second, because after all, it's all about socializing, so a quick turn around the site to see who's there, as well as where you want to sit is always a good idea. If you're ordering your food at a central location, you'll definitely need to know your table number so that the locals (usually teens) know where to bring it. On rare occasions, like the other night when we were in Fontignano, near Lake Tresimeno, people came around to the tables to take our order, and menus were conveniently supplied on each table. In San Venanzo you read the large posted menu, which might vary slightly from night to night, then pick up an order form and pencil. After noting how many of each item you want and what you want to drink, you add your name and your table number then proceed to the cassa (cashier) where you pay. Drinks are usually available at a different stand, and the choices are as you might expect: water, both still and fizzy, red or white wine, usually very local and very reasonably priced, and for the kids, the standard assortment of sugary drinks. Coffee for after dinner is also available. There may also be beer, but since that's something I never think about, I honestly don't remember. I would guess it is, because in addition to the more famous national brands like Peroni and Moretti, artisanal beer is also very, very popular now.

Music and dancing is also a traditional part of every sagra or festa. The music doesn't start until 9:30 or so, and is usually a local group playing traditional music. The music is well-suited for two types of dancing: line dancing, which is extremely popular, and waltzes that have everyone swirling around and around the dance floor. Normally everything is over by midnight, but we do have to think about driving home on curvy, unlit two-lane country roads, so we usually leave before the final song. It was so easy when we lived in San Venanzo and could just walk up the street!

I was a little disappointed when I discovered that the Street Food Festival – definitely a break from tradition! - in Marsciano wouldn't have as many trucks as the one in Foligno a few weeks ago. There, the trucks had been not just from various regions of Italy, but also from Spain, Greece, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico and one, while perhaps not from the U.S., featured American-style barbeque. Marsciano featured trucks from several regions of Italy – Sicily, Abruzzo, Piemonte, Calabria, Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany. There might have been other regions I'm forgetting, but there was a good selection of food (except for the truck offering horse meat! Neigh!!!). The only international truck there was one from Spain, so we knew we wouldn't be eating BBQ and/or Mexican.

I had a huge American-style hamburger and Art had a burger made from the pork of the Cinta Senese pigs, a particularly flavorful pork. Both were delicious, cooked fresh while we waited, and Art enjoyed sampling a few Sicilian beers with our friends to go along with his burger.

 And then, off in the distance I heard a very surprising, but very distinct sound: bagpipes! I turned my camera on and walked towards the sound. It was dark by this time, but eventually I saw them coming down the stairs from the hill above, and once in the parking lot where the festa was being held began walking through the crowd. I would later learn that this was a Palestinian group called Bagpipes For Peace.

We knew there would be another musical act, presented in conjunction with the Musica Per i Borghi program, something that's been bringing diverse music to Umbria for many years now. The large stage was set near the road, with way more chairs than I expected to see. The first act, who I heard but did not see, was a woman who sang exclusively in English - “My Heart Will Go On”, and other similar songs. I think there must have a different woman, or women who sang after her, and we heard both “Imagine” and “Hey Jude” - another surprise! After that another act was introduced. I could hear the announcement but wasn't really paying attention, so when I heard a lot of drums I immediately jumped up. Bagpipes, Beatles AND percussion, all in one night?! The act was a drumline – eight boys, and a man playing a regular drum-kit.

We left shortly after that – we had ridden with a friend who needed to get up early the next morning, but I have to say the night turned out much better than I expected. I knew we'd have good food, and I knew we'd enjoy the company of our friends, but to have these musical surprises was really the cherry on top. You just never know what's going to happen in Italy!

Update: The following day, Saturday, we joined friends for a festa in tiny San Faustino, just outside of Massa Martana. Although the village is small, the festa, called the festa of good eating, no less, was amazing. On the menu was melon with prosciutto, goose (oca), pork shank (stinco), tagliatelle with tartufo, guanciale, torta al testo, and on and on and on. Everyone shared bites and we all groaned as we left the table. We walked down to the dance floor to watch and listen, and met more friends along the way. Another delicious evening!

BAGPIPES FOR PEACE



DRUMLINE IN MARSCIANO


DANCING IN SAN FAUSTINO


LINE DANCING IN SAN FAUSTINO

 COOKING IN SAN FAUSTINO

I Heard It Through The Grapvine

As I've said before, Italy is all about connections.  Rather than setting out on your own it's always advisable to ask a local for the best place to buy anything, for the best restaurants, plumber, or doctor.  Additionally, Italians are definitely not shy about sharing their (unsolicited) opinions on any and everything.

Art and I both needed haircuts, so of course we asked around and decided to try the shop in nearby San Niccolo in Celle, just down the hill from us.  We stopped in Andrea's shop one day to make an appointment, then returned on the designated time and day, hoping we'd be able to communicate our wishes.  The first visit to any hairdresser is always challenging, but when trying to communicate in a foreign language, the challenge is even greater.  And yes, I will admit once again that my Italian leaves much to be desired.

The shop was small, but Andrea was assisted by a young woman and I was called to sit in the chair after only a few minutes, despite the fact that there were 3 other women already in various stages of cutting and/or coloring.  Because my hair is so short there wasn't a lot of direction needed, so I just put myself in Andrea's care and began to chat - more or less.  I can usually get my point across because I'm using the words I know.  If I use an incorrect verb tense, as I'm sure I do on a regular basis, the Italians are very kind and understand what I'm trying to say.  My problem begins once they respond, using words I don't know, often including contractions and dialect, in addition to verb tenses I don't recognize.  Reading a foreign language is so much easier than listening - nearly every word ends in a vowel and I rarely know where one word ends and the other begins.  But I persist!

Somehow the conversation took a turn and Andrea asked us if we'd ever been to Canalicchio.  No, we'd never heard of it, what is it, and where is it?  Andrea told us it was a small borgo that had been restored by a group from Rome, that it was beautiful, and that it was just above Deruta.  He told us to exit the E45 at Ripabianca and head towards Bastardo until we saw the signs.  Okay, our curiosity was piqued!

Relais Canalicchio

A few days later we decided to check out Canalicchio for ourselves.  The drive up up up the hillside above Deruta was beautiful, and once we were almost there we spied what we were sure was Canalicchio - there was a medieval tower, surrounded by attached buildings, right at the top of the hill.  Wow!

The entire borgo is now a luxury hotel,RELAIS CANALICCHIO, and we just began wandering through the maze of buildings.  A few people appeared, members of a group that wa staying there.  Some were artists, others were walkers, and each group had found the ideal spot to pursue their interests - Umbria has something for everyone!

Here are a few more pictures from that day, and as always the whole album is available on our FLICKR PAGE

Do You Know Sagrantino?

Before we moved to Italy in 2003 I knew very little about wine.  What I did know was that it was usually expensive in restaurants, which kept me from ordering it, because the only other thing I knew about wine was that I had no idea what I liked.  Other than Chianti, I don't even think I knew the names of any wines, grapes or regions.

Although I now know a little more about wine - with the emphasis on 'little', the things I've learned are important.  Probably the most important thing I've learned about wine is that wine improves food and food improves wine and they should always always always be enjoyed together.  While I still can't tell you which wine pairs best with what food, I'm learning.

When we lived in Louisville we enjoyed the wine tastings at Westport Wine and Whiskey.  In Italy there are so many wineries, ranging from tiny local home-based places to large, international companies, and many, many regional cantinas where you can fill up your 5 liter fiasco from a gas pump style hose for €1 per liter.  We recently visited Chiorri to take in the view and enjoy a refreshing glass of grechetto on a warm summer's afternoon.  Being able to have this wine by the glass let us sample, which led us to buy 5 liters to enjoy at home.



Those of you who know a bit about wine may know that Tuscany is famous for its' Brunello, and that Piemonte is known for Barolo and Barbaresco (And if you're interested,HERE is a link explaining the differences between those two wines, both made from the Nebbiolo grape.)  Here in Umbria there is also a very regional, very delicious and not as well know wine, Sagrantino,  There are about 50 producers of Sagrantino, and its production is strictly controlled to ensure the highest quality.

If you're visiting Umbria this year - and if you're not already making plans, start NOW! - the best way to see the beauty of Umbria and sample some of these great wines is to hire a knowledgeable guide.  We highly recommend GUSTO WINE TOURS.  Run by an English couple, Mark and Giselle Stafford, Gusto Wine Tours lets you meet the producers, mostly small, local places, sample the wines, not have to worry about driving,  enjoy the beautiful countryside, enjoy an authentic Umbrian lunch and spend the day with Mark, who is as knowledgeable about the wine as he is charming and witty!

Sharing the joys of Umbria, and of Sagrantino with the world is something we love to do.  If you've been putting off that trip because you're worried about earthquakes, please let me reassure you - Umbria is up an running, with little to no damage from earthquakes that occurred in other regions!  Come to Umbria, enjoy its' food, its' scenery, its' people and its' wine!  Book a tour with Mark and Giselle at GUSTO WINE TOURS for a truly special, unforgettable day!

You can also find Gusto Wine Tours on FACEBOOK.  

More Of Umbria

Because Kim and Bill's time in Umbria was so short we tried to maximize every moment.  Our first day together was spent in Orvieto, my favorite Umbrian town, included a fabulous lunch, then a visit to Todi.  The day ended with our arrival at La Locanda del Tramonto Infinito where Kim and Bill experienced the love, warmth and generosity of the Italian culture.  They instantly became part of our extended Umbrian family, and we wanted to make sure that this experience continued.

My previous post was about our morning in Deruta, visiting Tassi Ceramiche.  There we experienced warmth and generosity from Marco and Valeria, and although brief, I think during our time there we made friends for life.

We wanted to continue the Umbrian experience with as much tradition as we could, so we stopped for lunch at il Testone in Santa Maria degli Angeli. Il Testone is known for their torta al testo, a flat bread made on a hot griddle, cooked over hot coals.  Hot coals are also placed on top of the torta to ensure even cooking, then quickly brushed off when the bread is ready.  A raging fire provides a continuous supply of hot coals, as seen here:

 

The hot, flat bread is cut into wedges, then sliced horizontally and filled with meats and/or vegetables.  I think the most traditional filling for torta al testo is grilled sausage and cooked spinach, but there are many, many options, including prosciutto, which is what Bill chose.  And yes, when you're in Italy, is really IS all about the food.  And the wine.  And the people.

Typically Umbrian

We picked Kim and Bill up bright and early on Monday morning and drove to Deruta.  We knew Marco and Valeria's day started early, and we were anxious to spend as much time with them as possible.  Introductions were made and Kim was overwhelmed - where to look first?  What to ask?  What to discuss?  The fun had begun!

Marco's English is excellent, so he was able to answer all of Kim's questions.  Valeria understands some English, so she usually understood what Kim was asking, and was happy to let us all watch her paint.  I hate having someone look over my shoulder when I'm typing, so the idea of having people watch while I paint is terrifying - but of course Valeria, as well as Sara, took it all in stride.

Kim had questions about preparation, technique, brush strokes, types of brushes, and more, most of which were complete Greek to me.  The time Marco and Valeria spent with Kim was amazing - never a hint of impatience, simply joy to be sharing their passion with another artist.  If you stop in Deruta to buy ceramics, I highly recommend visiting a shop like Tassi where the artists will show you how your piece was created - they'll even custom design a piece just for you, using specific colors, or maybe even a special design.  Working directly with the artisans is definitely the way to go for a piece that will last a lifetime.

Here's a short video of Sara painting a cake plate:

The finished plate will look like this:  

After watching and learning about how the terracotta is transformed with paint, glaze, firings and a little luck, Marco asked us if we'd like to see the pottery being thrown.  Tassi doesn't throw their own pottery, they buy it from their neighbor Roberto Barcaccia, whose shop is just two doors down.  

As we walked in Roberto was just finishing up a large urn, which we later decided would become a lamp.  (Well, it was Kim who figured it out, I never would have guessed!)  Roberto's been throwing pottery for 40+ years, and makes it looks so simple.  

Amazing, right?  And all this before noon!  

I bought this beautiful bracelet from Roberto,  

 but I haven't yet decided which (or how many!) pieces we'll take home with us from Tassi.

You can see all our photos from that day by clicking on the Flickr link in the right-hand column."Albums" to find the ones you'd like to view.  The videos are on our YouTube page, also accessible via the link on the right.

NEW FRIENDS AND OLD PLACES

Our new friends, Kim and Bill, spent a few days in Rome before taking the train to Orvieto one Sunday morning.  Perhaps this is the time to talk about how we first met them.

One of the most difficult things about moving is that you lose all your history, all the moments you've shared with friends over the years, all the secrets, all the pain, all the joy.  We've met a few wonderful people since we've moved to Florida, but like many people of a certain age, most of them already have their circle of friends and their routines.  True friendships are formed over time, involving multiple interests and shared memories.  Just because we share a love of food, or a love or Italy, or even agree on politics, building friendships takes time.  But you gotta start somewhere, right?

After the Women's March in January we wanted to continue to do something physical like marching and demonstrating.  I was a little too young - and a little too clueless - to march back in the 60s for civil rights and women's rights, but I was ready to make up for it.  Our Republican Senator, Marco Rubio, had gone into hiding (after failing in his presidential bid, he'd returned to the job he'd said he hated) and hadn't held a town hall meeting in well over a year, Indivisible Tampa decided to hold a demonstration outside of his Tampa office and Art and I showed up the first week - and every week thereafter.  Needless to say we saw many of the same people week after week, and we struck up many conversations.  

One day while demonstrating, Art found me and said,"Hey, you've got to meet this woman!"  That woman was Kim.  She'd arrived that day wearing a Beatles T-shirt, and Art had on a ball cap with "Italia" on it.  They'd struck up a conversation and discovered that she and I shared a love for Paul McCartney AND Italy, AND that she and her husband (that would be Bill) would be in Italy at the same time.  Email addresses were exchanged and we visited each other's homes for planning sessions, trying to figure out how best to maximize Kim and Bill's time in Italy.  

Kim is a potter - she throws her her own pieces, then paints and fires them.  Her work in incredible!  You can see some of her pieces here: Kimberli Pottery. One of her must-sees during her time in Italy was Deruta, where they've been making majolica for centuries.  (If you're wondering about the term "majolica", That's Arte.com has a great, easy-to-understand definition HERE).  My last post was about our search to find studios for Kim to visit. You can read it HERE.

So - back to Orvieto.  Art and I drove up and over Monte Peglia to Orvieto on a Sunday morning to meet Kim and Bill at the train station.  We'd made reservations for lunch Trattoria del Moro Aronne,  and we had plenty of time to wander through town, visit the cathedral and absorb the charms of Orvieto.  The views, the architecture and the many ceramic shops were as enjoyable for Kim and Bill as they always are for us.  Click on the link to see our ORVIETO PHOTOS.

After a wonderful lunch - and if you plan to go for Sunday lunch at Trattoria del Moro Aronne, be sure to make reservations! - we drove back over Monte Peglia, drove through San Venanzo to show Kim and Bill where we used to live, then went on to Todi where we enjoyed the flower show - dozens of stalls selling all kinds of plants, from roses to bonsai. Much like Orvieto, the views OF Todi as well as the views FROM Todi are spectacular.  You can see our TODI PHOTOS by clicking on the link.

At the end of the day we drove Kim and Bill to La Locanda del Tramonto Infinito, their home for the next two nights.  We had promised Bill the best pizza he'd ever eaten, and he was not disappointed!  Marco and his family greeted Kim and Bill warmly, and they instantly felt at home.

We continued to share stories and learn more and more about each other over dinner.  By the end of our first day together it had become obvious:  this was indeed a friendship that would endure.  Our common interests were the beginning, but the time spent together over the next several days would be the beginning of the kind of shared memories that all friendships must have.  I know Kim was inspired by her time in Italy in general, and in Deruta specifically, and I can't wait to see what new pieces she'll create.  I also can't wait to start planning for our next joint trip to Italy, hopefully in September, 2018.  I guess I'll have to title that post "Old Friends and Old Places"!

AT LAST - THE CINQUE TERRE

While living in Italy we always wanted to visit the Cinque Terre.  Somehow we just never made it, so for our six week adventure in the fall of 2010 this was at the top of our 'must see' list.  We left Umbria early on a Sunday morning and stopped by Carrara on the way.  I wrote about our stop in Carrara in THIS POST, and it really was well worth the time. 

As we headed up the coast, catching glimpses of the ocean along the way, I was fascinated by the mountains.  Not surprisingly the mountains get more and more impressive the further north you drive even though the Alps were still a good distance away.
For our three night visit we'd decided to base ourselves in Levanto, mainly based on what I'd read about it on the SLOW TRAVEL MESSAGE BOARD.  Not including our stop at Carrara, the drive from Umbria to Levanto took about four hours. 

As usual price was a big factor in our decision of where to stay and we decided upon  a very simple bed and breakfast place on the outskirts of town.  L’Erba Persa was about a five minute walk from the train station and it was only another 5 minutes into town. The price, €25 per person per night included breakfast and a shared bathroom.   We were pleased with our accomodations but I do have to note that there are two rather steep flights of stairs at L’Erba Persa. You have to walk up a flight of stairs on the outside of the house to enter it, and to get to the bedrooms there is another flight of stairs. There is an enclosed parking area on the property so we put everything we needed into one suitcase rather than lugging everything up those two flights of stairs.
 
That first evening we walked into town, strolled along the beach, watching surfers and enjoying the sunset.  We found a place to eat, one recommended by our hosts at L’Erba Persa.  Of course I had to try something with pesto - this is Liguria, home of pesto!  I'm sure that had we eaten in a private home the pesto would have been every bit as good as mine, but while the restaurant pesto certainly wasn't bad, I have to say that I still prefer my own!
 
The next morning we walked to the train station under VERY threatening skies.  There are regional trains that connect Levanto to the five towns of the Cinque Terre, and we headed to the southernmost town, Riomaggiore.  The train was crowded with lots of serious hikers and plenty of more casual tourists like us.  After a stroll through Riomaggiore we took the paved trail that leads north from there to the next town, Manarola.  This is the easiest and shortest walk of all, although when we were there part of the pathway was closed.  I'm not sure if the heavy rains of the past few days had anything to do with the closing - I suspect they did. 


We were able to walk up to where lovers are now attaching locks to the fence as a symbol of love - is this something from the "Twilight" series of books?  Wherever it started it seems to be a very popular trend and local hardware stores now make sure to have plenty of locks on hand.

Eventually we walked back into town and took the train to Manarola.  The weather was still threatening but we had umbrellas and warm jackets and weren't too inconvenienced by the occasional sprinkles. 

On another, nicer day we bravely (and naively) set off on the trail from Vernazza to Monterosso, the northernmost town of the Cinque Terre.  We knew it would be up up up, but wow!  We went up rocky steps literally carved into the hillside, then we went up more - and more - and even more!  Every time we thought we must be at the top we'd round a bend and find yet another series of steps!  Of course the trail has to follow the coastline, and in this part of Italy the coastline zigzags in and out and in and out, making our walk far longer than we had anticipated!  There were maybe three spots on the trail where I seriously doubted the wisdom of this walk, but of course by that time we were too far in to give up!  Once we had to jump quite a distance to avoid a rushing stream that was covering the trail.  Later we walked down a very long and rather steep set of stairs that was also serving as a running creek bed - which was made worse because there was nothing on either side of the stairs to hold on to.  Yeah, I know we're old and out of shape, but on this day, due to the recent rains, this trail was very, very slippery, muddy and challenging!  We both breathed a sigh of relief when we spotted Manarola - and then walked some more as it would come in and out of our view, just teasing us.  The good thing about the day we chose to do the walk was that it wasn't too hot - I can't imagine making this walk in the summer heat!

I've posted our photos of the Cinque Terre on our Flickr page in two separate albums - one when it was very dark and cloudy, the other from another day when the sun did manage to peek through on more than one occasion.  Here are the pictures from the cloudy day:

(Don't forget, once you hit the "Play" arrow you'll be able to click on the small box in the lower right hand corner to expand to full screen)





And here are the photos with a little bit of sunshine:

GENOA

Genoa was a surprise in many ways.  The first surprise was that we were even going there, but logistically it made the most sense.  I booked one night in a hotel that was recommended to me on the ST message board. I really didn't do a lot of research about Genoa because we were only staying one night. I did find out that the oldest part of Genoa is an amazing place to explore, and also read that Genoa has worked hard to clean up its image. Being a port town means that you have a lot of people coming and going, along with a lot of merchandise - obviously some of those people, and probably some of that merchandise, is less than desirable. For this reason port towns can be a little rowdier, but also a little more open and forward-thinking. I wasn't sure what to expect, but Genoa was a very pleasant surprise.

After FINALLY finding our hotel (I hatehatehate driving in unfamiliar cities!!!), the Hotel Bel Soggiorno, we set out on foot to wander through the old part of town.  Many of the huge mansions built by the wealthy merchants of Genoa now house banks or have been converted into museums, so it's still possible to walk down the street surrounded by the oppulence of an earlier time. 

Eventually we made our way down to the port, and the area was beautiful with large open spaces, a new aquarium (the largest in Europe I think), a biosphere, and of course boats from all over the world.  We found an open-top bus tour and decided it would allow us to see the most of the city during our limited time. 
I could have easily spent another full day in Genoa, maybe even two full days - there are lots of museums to visit, plus the aquarium and biosphere.  We just missed the last sightseeing boat of the day, but I'd put this on my list of things to do too - I think seeing the city from the sea would be interesting.  Good food, especially seafood, is easy to find here too.

For those of you interested in costs, the Hotel Bel Soggiorno cost €75.  Our room was small but adequate, with an ensuite bathroom.  The rate included a very nice breakfast buffet, and parking was an additional €12 by special arrangement with the parking garage for a large department store.  We found out the hard way that just because we'd requested parking didn't necessarily mean there was a spot reserved for us.  The garage was tiny and we were lucky to find a narrow spot we could squeeze our car into!  Later in the evening when we returned to the car to retrieve something we were able to move the car to a better location with more than a few inches on each side!
 

Here's a slideshow with all our photos from Genoa:

CARRARA MARBLE

It's obvious to me that I have become WAY too disorganized to write about our vacation last fall in chronological order.  Somehow my days seems to be even fuller than they were in Italy, and the idea of a schedule seems too much to handle.  So, I'll just write about whatever place or adventure pops into my head.  Today I'll tell you about Carrara.

Carrara, yes, the place where the marble comes from, is at the northwestern edge of Tuscany and we never figured out how to visit it when we lived in Italy.  Still, it was at the top of our wish list, and when we decided to visit the Cinque Terre, a stop at Carrara made perfect sense. 

As usual an internet search and some questions on the Slow Travel message board helped.  I found
Fantiscritti, a marble quarry that's located deep inside the mountain, and decided that because we'd be there on a Sunday this might be our best option.  We knew we probably wouldn't see much work going on, but the tour would let us get a little closer to the marble in it's natural state.

Once we entered the marble 'cave', we learned that each company is assigned the right to excavate by the local government.  I don't remember how many different companies are active right now, but I was surprised to find out that there was another company excavating just ABOVE the 'cave' we were in, and another one below it!  Of course there's quite a bit of space left in between those layers, but for me it was still rather amazing to think of the weight of the marble itself, combined with all the heavy equipment, and to wonder what would happen if the floor of the cave collapsed.

The inside of the cave looks like an ice cave.  It was much quieter on a Sunday than it would have been on a workday.  The walls of the cave hold the noise in and make it echo, so ear protection is a must - but I wonder if it really helps?  Because the 'rooms' of the cave are so huge, they are often used for filming commercials or hosting exhibitions.  One of the fancy car companies, maybe Ferrari or Lamborghini, shot an ad campaign inside the quarry and there was an exhibition of very large, rather strange marble scuptures going on while we were there. 

There was of course the requisite gift shop, which was simple but effective, as well as an outdoor display of old tools, some marble sculptures and a little history about the marble of Carrara.  For me it was not only interesting to see Carrara, but the idea of a cave made it even more appealing.  Had we had some extra time I would have also enjoyed visiting a real cave in Tuscany, la Grotta del Vento, but I guess that will have to wait for another trip.

Here's a slideshow of all the photos we took that day:

CALABRIA IN 2011?

I don't know what the weather's like where you live, but here in Louisville it's been unusually cold this winter.  The cold, combined with the dreariness of cloudy days and looong nights makes me want to snuggle up and stay inside with a cup of hot chocolate!  It also gives me plenty of time to research and plan my next vacation!  As you probably know, the R&D phase is my favorite!  Where should we go?  When?  How long should we stay?  Do we need to rent a car?  What is there to see, and even more importantly, what is there to eat in the area I'm considering?  Sometimes there are so many choices that it's just overwhelming, tempting you to a) go back to the same old place you go every year or b) throw up your hands in despair and give up.  Wait!  I've got an idea for someplace you might not have considered before, AND I have someone who can help you plan the vacation too!  Curious?  Read on.....

It's probably not going to be a big surprise when I tell you that the vacation spot I'm recommending is in Italy, but it's not quite that simple  As wonderful as Rome, Florence and Venice are, there really are a LOT of other amazing places in Italy, some of them still relatively undiscovered by the masses.  The province of Calabria, all the way down in the toe of the Italian boot is an area that's unbelievable beautiful, and well worth considering. 

I realize that information about Calabria is not going to be as easy to find as information about Rome, so now I have a secret weapon:  my friend Cherrye Moore, an American who lives in Calabria!  Cherry writes a blog about her life in southernmost Italy called My Bella Vita, and also runs a travel service for Calabria called Bella Vita Travel Services.

Here's what Cherry herself has to say about her services:

"Whether you are looking for a fully customized vacation, personalized ideas or if you just have a few questions about your itinerary, Bella Vita Travel Services can help. We offer a range of services for individuals and families, including:

Custom Itineraries
Want a trip that is customized to you but don’t want to sweat the small stuff? When you book a custom itinerary, we help you plan your ideal trip, then book and confirm everything and are available 24/7 throughout your vacation.

Pre-Built Trips
Want someone to handle all of the details? When you modify a pre-built trip, we book and confirm everything and can help troubleshoot throughout your trip-or-you can purchase an existing trip, as is. 

Custom Consults
Looking for some tailor-made suggestions? With your custom consult, we will help you choose destinations and offer you personalized ideas for your trip.

Trip CoachingNeed a little guidance so you can get started? When you book a Trip Coaching session, you will have seven days to ask as many questions as you want regarding your trip.

Trip Doctor Want advice on an itinerary you have already planned? When you book the Trip Doctor, a local expert will review your itinerary and offer tips to maximize your trip."


No matter what level of serivce you need Cherrye can help!  Will 2011 be there year you decide to explore someplace new?  Calabria may be one of those places you've always wanted to visit but never quite got around to, perhaps because tourist information isn't as easy to find, or maybe just because you don't know much about it.  Now you have a friend who can help you plan your trip down to the last detail!  Ah, and when you contact Cherrye, please let her know that you read about it here!

You might want to check out Cherrye's blog to learn about life in Calabria - the hidden medieval villages, the amazing beaches, ancient churches and more.  You'll be able to see some of the beautiful sights Cherrye's photographed over the years, and don't forget to check out the recipes!  Once you're ready to start planning your trip to Calabria just contact Cherrye at Bella Vita Travel Services.  Get ready to be amazed!

AT THE FRANTOIO - 2009

I didn't think we were going to visit a frantoio this year.  Art helped Giacomo haul his olives to the frantoio, but didn't stick around for the actual pressing, and I didn't even go along.  Our favorite frantoio in Pigge didn't have enough oil to sell this year, and it was rainy on the "Frantoi Aperti" weekend.  Luckily our friends Larry and Shelly arrived back in Italy to harvest their olives, and invited us along to watch them turn into oil!  There were ten of us, so it was a party, especially when the owner of the frantoio brought out the bruschetta, dripping with the new olive oil!  YUM!  Here are some pictures from our visit to the La Pace Frantoio in Massa Martana, not far from Todi.

























Two Franciscan priests stopped by....








And FINALLY Larry and Shelly's oil started pouring from the spout!  They had a record amount - 70 liters!

















And the leftovers…..

MARSCIANO - OLIO, VINO E TERRECOTTE

Another weekend, another festa! Really there are many, many choices each weekend, but when there’s a festa right down the road, why go any further? So we visited Marsciano for their “Olio, Vino e Terrecotte” celebration last weekend. We didn’t visit the terracotta museum, but concentrated on - what else? – the food! Olive oil, wine, sausages and more.






























There are more photos on our FLICKR PAGE, in the folder entitled “Marsciano - Olio, Vino e Terrecotte”.

A TASTE OF AUTUMN - ITALIAN STYLE

On Saturday evening the Pro Loco San Venanzo presented "Olio, Vino e Castagne...I NOVELLI D'AUTUNNO", and evening of education, food and fun. The educational part consisted of a talk about olives and olive oil, along with a tasting of the new oil. Needless to say, I was excited about this part of the program, and quite disappointed to discover that only a select few would actually be tasting the oil! Additionally, the man giving the presentation had the most monotone voice and it was very, very difficult not only to understand him, but also just to hear him. Okay, so I probably wouldn't have understood much of the talk anyway, but it was still disappointing.

When the discussion was over the real fun began: the food! Bruschetta with the new oil of the two producers from San Venanzo, "Tenuta Colli Verdi" and "Zaffera e Farnesi" was available, as well as the new Merlot, supplied by "Tenuta Colli Verdi". There we also pieces of a wonderful bread,, sort of like focaccia, but with small pieces of ham baked into it. This was really, really yummy!

After the bruschetta and focaccia was devoured, the soup with farro and vegetables was served, and it was light and tasty. Next came steaming bowls of spaghetti, and as always, we marvel at how perfectly everthing is cooked, even for such a large crowd. There were quite a few large bags of chestnuts sitting around, and given the name of the festa, I assume that these would be roasted and served as dessert. Since neither of us care for chestnuts (castagne), we skipped this part altogether.

The entertainment - and what would an Italian evening be without entertainment and a little dancing? - was provided by our favorite hometown band, the Erika Mastrini Band.

During the lecture about olives I gave up trying to hear what was being said and took a few pictures of the food preparations. The bruschetta was being prepared - first the bread is toasted, then it's rubbed with garlic...



then it's drizzled with oil....









then finished with just a sprinkling of salt....









And here's the bruschetta (pronounced bru SKET ta)



As I said earlier, we don't care for chestnuts, and normally the new wine doesn't hold much appeal, but the Merlot Ricardo served was really good! For us though the star of the evening was the new oil - don't you just love that intense green color?




Just getting TO the food proved to be a challenge.  Making any sort of orderly line is just a concept unknown to most Italians, and it was just a matter of working your way through the crowd...





and Gilberto sums it up best of all - Salute!