COMINGS AND GOINGS
Yesterday turned out to be so much fun! The newest expats, Anna and Ramon, have arrived at last! We first met them last June when they were here for a few weeks and quickly became friends. They were planning for their move to Italy, and things progressed more rapidly than they had anticipated…their home sold while they were in Italy, so once they returned to California it was time to get packing!
They made some great contacts while they were here in June, and arranged for a long term rental near Montefalco. This will enable them to take their time while they search for the perfect house in the perfect town…or at least something that’s within their budget!
Anna and Ramon called us late Friday night to let us know they had arrived safe and sound, and they asked if we wanted to have lunch with them at Ternana’s……what a question! They said they’d drive up to San Venanzo so they could see the work on the park, then we could drive down to Ternana’s together.
As soon as we heard from Anna and Ramon we called Bob and Rosemary. In addition to creating a nice welcoming committee for Anna and Ramon, we would also have a chance to say goodbye to Bob and Rosemary. They leave at the end of November for their stay in Sicily, and by the time we return from the states they’ll probably be climbing up Mt Etna so Bob can take some amazing photos and Rosemary can capture it all in her beautiful watercolors.
The lunch was a lot of fun, even though tinged with sadness. I guess our common love of Italy binds us together; strangers in a strange land, but the friendships that we’ve made since we’ve moved to Italy have been so wonderful! We feel such a strong bond with these people, and despite our sometimes limited contact, we feel as if we’ll have these friends for life. 
After lunch we said our goodbyes to Bob and Rosemary, after reassurances that they would stop by in the spring as they make their way to the next destination, probably in the Veneto region. We also warned them that we just might take advantage of that second bedroom they have and head down to Sicily during the cold and gloom of February.
We then set out with Anna and Ramon to show them a house we had seen. It’s in the charming town of Melezzole, south of Todi, and we knew the drive there would be beautiful. Once we arrived we took a short stroll around the town, then the agents showed up to unlock the house and give us a good look around.
Although Anna and Ramon were as charmed by the village as we were, in the end they decided that this wasn’t the house for them. Ramon wanted a garage for the car, and I think the lack of a garden, or at least a balcony, was a disappointment.
 We headed towards Montecchio, taking the white road over the mountain. Although the road was a little bumpy, it wasn’t too bad, and some of the views we got were well worth the bumps!
We had a quick drink in Montecchio then headed back towards Todi, and then to San Venanzo. It was dark by the time we got home, but Anna wanted to check her email, so while she did that, the rest of us tried to figure out their new cell phone which had been quickly purchased in Marsciano before lunch.
Quickly turned out to be painfully obvious when we realized that the saleswoman had neglected to include the €100 phone credit card! Well, we charged up the phone anyway, knowing that it came with €5 credit. I managed to change the language setting to English, but left the more complicated settings for Ramon to try to figure out later. I suggested that if necessary he could look for the instruction booklet in English on the internet, which is what I had to do to figure out some of the complexities of our phone.
Anna and Ramon must drive back to Rome to pick up their dog Bobby who’s arriving on Monday morning. Once he’s settled in, we plan to meet Ramon at the phone store and (hopefully) get his phone card. I’m betting that it won’t be a problem.
As for our own “going”, well, we’re just about ready. 99% packed except for that last minute stuff, but that’s always the worry! For the past few weeks I’ve been looking at the Target ad online, watching to see if some things I’m interested in went on sale. I was going to have my daughter pick them up for me, but so far it hasn’t been necessary. And then it dawned on me…later this week, I’ll be able to go to Target myself! WooHoo!!!! (And I’m not really much of a shopper!) So I guess that must mean that I am looking forward to a bit of American commercialism and decadence. It’s easier to take in small doses, especially when you know you’ll soon be returning to a simpler way of life.
A FLURRY OF LAST MINUTE ACTIVITIES...AND THE STORY OF THE FLAG THROWERS
As we prepare for our trip back to the states, as usual I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Today I thought I had everything packed, then realized that I’d forgotten to include any blue jeans. Getting everything washed is no problem, but getting everything DRY is quite another matter.
I left clothes hanging out overnight, hoping against hope that the fog wouldn’t reappear this morning, but of course it did. This is the only time of year when we ever have anything even close to morning dew. The warmth of the days combined with all the moisture in the ground seems to guarantee fog for at least the better part of the morning. I actually had to break down and put a few things in the dryer!!! THAT’S a rare event, and one only precipitated by my desire to be finished packing.
Normally I’d just let the clothes lie around on top of the radiators until they were dry, but right now the radiators aren’t coming on, which is a good thing….except when you want dry clothes NOW.
I’ve never written about our visit to Todi a few weeks ago. Somewhere I had picked up a brochure that told of events in Todi for the entire month of October. Several group trips were planned to surrounding cities and sites, lectures were scheduled, tastings and other interesting tidbits were also noted.
We decided to drive over on the Sunday when there would be a variety of food booths set up, and additionally there would be a demonstration of flag throwing. Assisi is famous for its flag throwers, and we had missed them performing in Perugia during the Bianca Notte celebrations. This demonstration would be given by the flag throwers from San Gemini.
Although Todi is popular with tourists, we can never quite figure out why. Yes, it’s a well preserved medieval city, but that’s about it. It’s really too large and too steep to be a convenient city, it has no notable museums, no churches that knock your socks off, and when it’s packed in the summertime it can be miserable. Now there ARE great views from Todi, and looking AT Todi is rather spectacular, but as for Todi itself, well, as I said, we just don’t get it.
But the good news is that because it’s such a large and well-touristed city, they do have lots of stuff going on. This brochure full of events was proof of that, and a medieval display of anything is right up my alley. I knew we’d probably end up buying a bottle of wine or a jar of some salsa from the food hall, but what the heck, I was living dangerously!
We arrived around two, and a stage was being set up near the steps of the Duomo. We did see a few posters about the event, but now I can’t even remember what they said. I think it was some sort of peace rally, or maybe it was just a pep rally for Jesus. I was confused….if there was going to be a concert, where would the flag thrower’s perform? Eventually I asked in the tourist information office and was assured that “Yes, the flag throwers would perform at four”. Okay.
We went up the wide stone staircase to the large medieval hall at the other end of Piazza del Popolo. The people’s piazza. The hall had been decorated with a fall theme and the vendors were just getting set up. There were vendors with breads, cheese, honey, dolci, wine, even prosciutto and other meats. We tasted our way through the room after picking up a few brochures from the Umbrian Tourist Board. At last, someone who knows what “marketing” is. It’s so hard to find information about what’s going on, so the more information I can get, the better.
A very long table was set up featuring the wines of four or five, or maybe even six different wineries. Samples were free and there was no pressure to buy….this is Italy! Eventually Art did buy two bottles, but most of these wines we can get on a regular basis, so there was no need to stock up….then have to carry it around all afternoon.
By the time we left the hall, preparations were still going on for the concert, but it looked as if it were getting ready to start. We sat on the stairs, which would later turn out to be the absolute BEST place to watch the flag throwers!
A small crowd was gathered in front of the stage, and within a few minutes it was filled with eight or ten people on stage, all Franciscans, all wearing the traditional brown habit. And then they started to sing! The priests and nuns had their dance routines all rehearsed, and they sang along to a nun with a guitar, doing their turns and dance steps like an old time vaudeville dance team!
The concert was a hoot! They did line dances to all sorts of songs, most upbeat “poppy” songs, but all having a religious theme. 
The audience grew and most of them sang along, clapped along and participated to the max. We were spellbound! It was like a scene from some 1960”s movie in which Hayley Mills decided to become a nun and goes to Italy. Remember those movies? Parent Trap….the FIRST one? What was the name of the one about the nuns….Damn! I’ll have to Google that tomorrow because it’s driving me nuts! ("The Trouble With Angels", also starring Rosalind Russell!)
So…..eventually the concert ended, and as it was winding down, men were moving traffic barriers out onto the other end of the piazza…..the end of the piazza were WE were sitting! They created a large rectangular area for the performance, and we would have ringside seats, elevated to that we could see (and photograph!) everything.
The flag throwers, drummers and horn players had changed in an upstairs room, and as they assembled they had to walk right past us, giving us a good look at not only the men, but also their authentic and beautiful outfits. “Costume” sounds cheap!
The stone of which the city of Todi is made just resonated with the pounding of the drums as the group marched out onto the piazza. The horns blared, and it would seem that they must be very difficult to play, Each of the flag throwers marched in, each carrying a large silk flag of the same design and colors as his outfit.
Once the demonstration started, various groups of two, four, and eventually ten men
 swirled, twirled and hurled the flags over, around  and up! 
Their skill and precision was amazing and we were so glad we had the chance to see this exhibition!
I've posted all the pictures on the ST site: Flag Throwing
THE PARK, THE TREES, THE GARBAGE BILL
We’ve talked about how much we hate the trees in our backyard ever since we moved here. There are five altogether, all cedars. One is dead and the rest are unfortunately very healthy. They drop a constant barrage of needles and the seeds or nuts, or whatever those rounds things are.
We were told that we weren’t allowed to cut down the dead tree, or any others, without the permission of the forestale people, or the office of the commune di Montana.
We kept hearing that eventually they’d come to work on the park and THEN we could have the tree cut down. That miraculous day came a few weeks ago, so we were waiting anxiously each day….would TODAY be the day that our trees were cut down?
Armando and Art had talked about this at great length, and Art couldn’t wait to talk to the workers about which trees we wanted to go. The workmen assured Art that it would be taken care of. Done!
Well, not quite that easily. The other day the guy from the forestale office or wherever came and had a big long discussion with Art and Armando. Apparently Armando argued quite forcefully on our behalf, but in the end the guy said we could only cut down the four trees in the back of the yard, and that the large ugly one up by the house was too large to cut down. Apparently these trees are protected once they measure over 35cm in diameter.
They were told that in the morning they’d had to take this letter of permission to the commune to be officially stamped. We figure we might have to buy a bollo (a tax stamp), but we looked at the €15 bollo as a filing fee, and certainly money well spent.
Art took a few pictures showing the damage the trees were doing to the fence and how close they were to the house, as he had been told to do.
This morning the man at the commune said, “no, these pictures aren’t good enough”….apparently the damage to our fence wasn’t serious enough. Art told him that the tree was dead, so then of course the man said, “Fine, bring me a picture showing that it’s dead!”
It’s timess like these when having a digital camera and a printer really comes in handy. Art took the required pictures, printed them out, then went back to the commune. If the guy agreed that the trees presented a problem, he would stamp our letter “approved” and send it to wherever it needed to be sent. The good news is that apparently it won’t cost us anything. Even Armando seemed a little surprised by this fact, but hey! We won’t argue about it!
While Art was home taking the second set of pictures, our mail carrier rang the bell. She had a registered letter for Art….what could it be? The return address didn’t give us much of a clue. It turned out to be our garbage bill from 2004 and part of 2003. The one we tried to pay last October, but they told us we couldn’t. They told us just to wait, so we have been….waiting….and waiting…
When our garbage bill for 2005 arrived in June, we once again asked about the 2003/2004 bill. We were again told that we should just wait. Without a bill we couldn’t pay anything, because the bill gets paid at the post office. They would have no idea about our account information so we had no choice.
Today was the day when the bill finally arrived. The really amazing thing was that there was no accumulated interest as we had feared. We knew that we had never been sent a bill and didn’t feel that paying interest was fair, but of course that would be way too difficult to try to argue about, so we had resigned ourselves to paying some interest charges.
The bill for 2004 was 1¢ more that our bill for 2005 and the bill for 2003 was for the part of that year we had owned the house. Maybe the sale of the house and the closing of the previous owners account just took two years to process…..who knows? The good news is we’re now paid in full and don‘t have to worry about the bill or the interest, and on top of it all, four of our five trees have been approved for removal!
 This morning a large bulldozer drove up into the park and demolished the old stairs. The workers were happy to pose for my pictures, and told me that a new staircase will be built in the same location. This project is going to take a loooonngg time to finish.
CATCHING UP
We continue to meet new friends, and last week we added Jack and Suzy to our list. They’ve just moved to Umbria and are still settling in. They’ve been going through the usual stresses of moving….trying to find the grocery store, the hardware store, trying to figure out the telephone and internet situation, waiting for their “stuff” to arrive from the states, figuring out the best (and most economical) way to keep warm this winter, and on top of all that, they had to go into Perugia to complete the paperwork so they’ll be legal. So far, so good, and slowly but surely they seem to be doing okay.
We met for lunch at a new restaurant about halfway between our homes….they’re up near Lake Trasimeno. Although we all enjoyed our lunch very much I think the high point of the day for Jack and Suzy was when we took them to Gran Casa, the closest thing to Target we have around here! They were like kids in a candy store and found quite a few household goods they had been searching for. One of the added benefits of taking them to GranCasa was that we were able to tell them about all the wonderful shopping opportunities located on the same street!
Jack and Suzy are no strangers to Italy, having lived in Naples for several years working for the government. I think the chill of Umbria might be a bit more than they expected, but since one of the items they bought at GranCasa was a heated mattress pad, I’m sure they’ll be fine.
****************************************
Work on the park continues…as we’re reminded bright and early every morning. Just as we used to wake to the sound of jackhammers when the house was being renovated, now we wake to the sound of chainsaws or super-sized jackhammers used to break up the bedrock. No complaints though, since in addition to a new park we’re also getting free firewood out of the deal!
We’ll be totally ecstatic when the trees in our garden are removed….then we’ll be able to have the roof cleaned and the gutters cleaned and repaired. The wall in our bedroom is already suffering from the soggy mess that’s stuck in the gutters. My only fear is that by the time they’re finished working in the park the rain will have set in for good and Mauro won’t be able clean the roof and repairs the gutters….way too dangerous.
There’s no way for us to get to this section of gutter, and it must be full with ten years of accumulated pine needles and leaves that have fallen or blown in from the many trees in the park. The trees nearest our house will be removed to prevent any future problems with the foundation.
Normally I consider myself pretty much of a “tree-hugger”, but these tress are not only ugly, they also create a constant mess with falling needles and zillions of round seed pods. We get no shade from them and the suck up what little moisture is in the ground. I’ll be more than happy to see them go….especially since we’ll also have a better view of the truly magnificent trees that are located in the park.
*********************************************
My poor little rose bush continues to struggle. I’m not sure that “bush” is even the right word….it’s just a few branches.  Once the work in the park is completed, maybe it will get more sun and do better next year. If it doesn’t make a dramatic improvement by this time next year, it will be history. No time for plants that aren’t happy.
*****************************************************
Armando asked Art to help him in the orto the other day. Located just a short walk from our house, Armando’s has everything you could ever want or need in a home garden. He has a nice size greenhouse covered in heavy plastic in which the tomatoes continue to flourish, plenty of lettuce and spinach and greens still growing, and a nice variety of fruit and nut trees although I couldn’t tell exactly what they were.
Art came home with a large amount of spinach and a type of green I hadn’t seen before….it’s called rabe……pronounced “ra-bay” and is a bitter-tasting green, much used in this area. I cooked up some of the spinach for dinner and combined the rest with ricotta, eggs and cheese for a filling for pasta. The rabe was cooked later….I parboiled it first to make it less tough, then cooked it with pancetta, garlic and some balsamic vinegar. Art liked it but it was too bitter and tough for me.
*********************************************
The reason we missed the procession in San Gemini was because we had to stop by Corinna and Maurizio’s house on the way. We had called to ask if they’d like to go with us, but Maurizio told us it was his birthday and that his family was coming over for cake. Later they planned to go to a dog show and maybe look for a puppy. I wished Maurizio a happy birthday and was ready to say goodbye when he asked me to wait….Corinna wanted to say hello.
Corinna then asked….over and over and over….if we couldn’t stop by for just a minute to have a piece of cake with them. Of course initially I said “no”, thinking that this was a family occasion, but she was SOOOO insistent, so I finally said yes, we’d stop by for just a few minutes.
When we arrived, the only other family member there was Maurizio’s mother, and apparently she had been helping to make fresh pasta because we saw it sitting on a large wooden board to dry. We found out that cake was a long time away….lunch hadn’t even been served yet!
The rest of the family….Maurizio’s sister, her husband, their daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend arrived. Once again we tried to bow out gracefully, but everyone insisted we stay for lunch. At first of course we felt as if they were just being polite, but eventually we felt as if they really did want us to stay, so we agreed.
We had drinks before lunch and a few snacks….some cheese, some bruschetta, some crostini. Then we all sat down to lunch. The first course was the homemade pasta with a sauce that included wild mushrooms that Maurizio had gathered himself. His sister seemed a little leery of the mushrooms, but we all seemed to have survived.
Next came roasted chicken and several different vegetables. One thing that constantly amazes me is the Italian’s penchant for COLD green beans. I don’t mind having things served at room temperature, but for green beans, COLD seems to be the favorite temperature, and it’s always a rather unpleasant surprise for me. Chicory greens were also served along with the chicken.
A beautiful cake was served for dessert…..rich with whipped cream and layers of pastry. After dessert there was coffee, then liqueur, and finally, once everyone could barely move, it was time for Maurizio to open his presents.
Because we hadn’t known of the birthday, of course we didn’t have a present. I told Maurizio that we’d have him and Corinna for a special dinner one night soon. Because he usually does all the cooking at home, I hope this will be a treat for him.
We then left for San Gemini, having missed the procession, but sharing in the birthday celebration had been so much more fun!
***************************************
When Art had an MRI done on his back while we were in the states in May, no problems were found with his back, but they did see cysts on/in his kidneys. Of course all this happened right before we went back to Italy, but a call to the urologist eased our minds. The doctor told us that Art should have an ultrasound when we came back in the winter, but that these cysts were nothing serious.
Now that we’re in the Italian healthcare system, Art told his doctor here about the cysts and asked if it would be possible to have an ultrasound here. Per que no? So a few weeks ago we went to the hospital in Marsciano for the ultrasound, scheduled for 11:45. The technician told me where to go to pay for the test….I think it was about €30, and when I returned with the receipt Art was already having the ultrasound done.
He emerged from the examination room with the films in hand, and today we took the films to show our family doctor. He said that for now everything looks fine, but he wants Art to have another ultrasound in six months to see if there’s any change.
Between our $15 co-pay and the “uncovered” expenses in the states, I’d be willing to bet that we got off cheap at €30. Additionally I submitted this charge, along with all the others to BS/BS for reimbursement. I was pleasantly surprised when a check for $163 arrived at my sister’s house a few weeks later. All in all, we ended up paying about $20 out of pocket for the ultrasound, Art’s blood work , the EEG and his visit to the cardiologist (with an EKG).
*************************************
While taking care of the house and the plants for Belinda and Giacomo, we’ve had the added bonus of gathering walnuts and almonds. The trees were just bursting with fruit and every time we stopped by we gathered a large bag to take home and crack. Originally we used a hammer, but an unfortunate miss (by me) convinced us that a nutcracker would be much safer.
Of course once the nuts were shelled and we threw out the rejects, we didn’t have nearly as many as we thought we did. Still, plenty for what we need, and I was happy to have the walnuts since I plan to use more walnuts and fewer pecans….the price of pecans will go up as a result of the recent hurricanes, so I’ll save those for pecan or Derby pie.
************************************************
Today we reluctantly cleaned up the garden. Much as we hate to see summer end, it has, and on top of that we leave for the states a week from today (!!!) and it had to be done. Art saw Adamo and asked for some manure from his nephew’s farm, for the orto. Even if it doesn’t arrive until after we’ve gone we can still spread it around and turn it into the soil on a clear day sometime in the winter.
I moved the pots of herbs to the front, near the door. I think this location will be more protected, and also more convenient for me during the winter. I should have planted my basil in two or three plantings, and in fact I meant to, but somehow they all sort of pooped out at the same time. Maybe next year I’ll plant some basil in mid to late July and see how they do.
As the seasons change the vineyards are turning golden, 
with a few bits of red here and there.  When those leaves are lit up by the sun it’s absolutely magical.  The olives look fantastic this year….the trees on the road where we take our walk are heavy with olives. We hate the fact that we won’t be here to help with Giacomo and Belinda’s olives, but for some reason their trees didn’t produce a lot this year, so the harvest shouldn’t be too bad. Maybe next year.
TWO YEARS AND COUNTING
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been living in Italy for two years now. That we’ve been retired for two years. That we’ve been so far away from friends and family for two years. As I was thinking about our visit to the states coming up next month I started to think about what these last two years have meant to us…how we’ve changed and adapted, how many things have turned out differently than we’d expected. Is the honeymoon over?
Someone asked if we were excited about returning to the states, and of course the answer was a resounding “Yes!” I’m always happy to see my kids and grandkids, to connect with old friends, catch up on movies, re-stock my supply of American goodies and enjoy driving without fear.
Last May we were in the states for six weeks and we found out that six weeks is a LONG time to be away from home….and because Italy is now our home, we are in the strange position of being on the outside looking in, in many respects when we’re in the states. We’re living in someone else’s home, driving someone else’s car, adjusting our lives to fit someone else’s schedule. It’s very strange.
Because we’re not able to travel around Italy and Europe as we had hoped, I wondered briefly what it would be like to be retired and living in the states right now. Art would probably still be working at the track, simply because he enjoys it so much, but in fact we’d probably need the income. For him working one job would be like taking a vacation, especially after working two jobs for over thirty years.
And what about me? What would I do if I were retired and living in the states? Would I want a part-time job to fill my time and/or my purse? What I think I’d really like to do is go back to school, but I don’t think that would be financially possible…unless they give grants to grannies.
The problem with being retired when none of your friends are retired means that you still have to work around a work schedule….theirs, not yours, but suddenly that freedom that sounded so appealing seems to have disappeared.
Another disadvantage of being retired and living in the states would be that we would find it nearly impossible to visit Italy, or do any sort of traveling. Being able to stay with friends and family is what enables us to visit the states…that and the fact that Art can work at the track. If we wanted to go to Italy, we’d have to pay for our lodging, transportation, and all the other expenses related with a vacation. What fun would that be?
So I guess it seems that we have the best of both worlds….we get to live in Italy, yet still have the ability to visit the states on a regular basis. True, our life in Italy isn’t as we had imagined it, but what in life really works out as expected? And true, we have to rely on the generosity of others while we’re in the states, but that’s a small price to pay in order to stay connected.
I think it’s safe to say that we both still love our life here. We love the beauty of the countryside and still marvel at the views. We love the food, the wine, and the friends we’ve made. We love our house, our town, and our neighbors. We love seeing Assisi climbing up Mt. Subasio on a clear day….ASSISI!!!! Amazing! We love the terra cotta roofs, the stone walls and the fields of hay and sunflowers and corn. We love the silvery olive groves that dot the hillsides and the endless rows of grapevines.
And yes, there are things that we don’t care for, like the dangerous driving conditions and the weakness of the dollar. We still feel limited by the afternoon closings, because in many respects we still want to visit places just like a “tourist” and the limited hours often mean that we lose valuable time. I’d love to have a forced air furnace in the winter instead of radiators, but that’s a problem I could face in the states too.
I think it’s also safe to say that we’re both a bit embarrassed that our Italian is still so basic. We are taking steps to improve, and have promised ourselves that we WILL persevere. Studiamo ogni giorno!
So….would we do it all over again? Are we happy with our life in Italy? Will we stay? Yes. Yes. And yes. Simple as that.
What the future brings no one knows. For now we’re here and we’re happy. Maybe we’ll be here until we die, maybe we’ll move back to the states next year. Life presented us with a new twist when Italy beckoned, and now we know that it’s best not to make too many plans. We’re happy we’ve made it this far, and know that without a doubt, “the best is yet to be”.
Post Script: I told Art what I had written and we talked about what we would be doing if we were still in the states. We agreed that there is just no way we could afford to be retired in the U.S. Maybe we’re just too weak, too easily influenced, or too shallow, but we agreed that being constantly bombarded with radio, TV, newspaper and magazine ads for all the stuff we supposedly need would create a huge drain on our bank account.
Living in Italy has forced us to live more simply, and even if that’s just because I don’t get the weekly Target ad, or because I don’t have shops within minutes of my house, the end result is the same….we don’t buy nearly as much “stuff”, and we seem to get along just fine. In the states there would always be something I wanted…. or needed. But most importantly, we wouldn’t be here!
A NEW LOOK
As you can see, my blog has a new look, thanks to Cristina at Expats in Italy.
I thought I wanted bright bold colors, but now I think I agree with Cristina that these colors might be a little TOO bold. What do you think? Do these colors just smack you in the face and make you want to close the page?
And what about the type? Do you find it easy to read? Would a different font be better? Now Cristina has changed the font and made the type darker....what do you think? Is it now TOO bold? Would a softer background make it eaiser to read than a stark white one?
The changes will continue, so let me know what you think!
TAGGED! THE KITCHEN MEME CONTINUES
Okay, my friend Judith sent this to me. I guess it’s the blog quivalent of tag. The idea is for everyone to answer the same questions about their kitchen. Originally this was started on, and sent to, food blogs only, but now the food blogs must have all responded and it’s being sent to people like me who like to cook and occasionally comment about cooking.
You can read Judith’s comments about her kitchen on her blog HERE .
Here’s the link (in English) to the blog that started it all: http://allitaliana.blogspot.com/
and here are the five questions to be answered:
1) Show us your kitchen ( a picture) and tell us what is it about this place that reflects your own personnality.
2) Open a cupboard (the one you feel to open), take a picture and tell us what we see.
3) Present us your favorite kitchen-based electrodomestic tool.
4) Take out the ingredients you like the most, the ones you always keep stored.
5) My little steel friend: present us to your favorite cooking/baking receipient.
So now for my kitchen.....   
I love the fact that my kitchen is large, and that it’s more than “just” a kitchen. I love having the large chair  in the corner surrounded by books and family photographs. I love having my large pantry just around the corner, hidden but still convenient.  I love the granite countertops and the fact that there is plenty of free counter space.
I love having a fireplace in my kitchen, and being surrounded by so many reminders of my family…..the drawing my grandson made, the tabel-topper quilt my mom made for us,   all the refrigerator magnets we’ve collected from our travels, Art’s coffee cup collection. 
I do wish that my work triangle was a little more efficient, but of course we all have to work with the space we’re given. The kitchen desinger originally suggested that the sink and cooktop locations be reversed, and that the oven be located next to the refrigerator. I nixed these ideas immediately and configured it to suit me. I need to have counter space next to the frig, and it seemed to make sense to have the sink in the middle of everything, not at one end.
These large drawers are the thing I like most about this kitchen!   They are so convenient and hold an amazing amount of stuff….and I don’t have to get down on my hands and knees with a flashlight to search in the back of the cabinet for that rarely used pot! They hold ALL my pots, pans, skillets and baking dishes....amazing.
The drawers under the sink also add a lot a useable space to an area that's typically wasted.  
I love having a place to put not only the garbage but also my recyclables. The covered can is for food scraps which are recycled seperately.
Favorite tool? Hard choice. Although I use my food processor a lot, and although nothing beats a good kichen knife, I guess the one I’m most grateful for is my stick blender. I use it all the time when making sauces and soups, and can’t imagine following the directions in some recipes that call for you to pour the hot mixture into the food processor to be pureed.  What a recipe for disaster, especially for me! With the stick blender I can mix everything right in the pot.
Favorite ingredients? Hmmmmm. The most used ingredient in my kitchen would have to be flour….I use it for bread, for pasta, for cakes and pies and crostatas. Oh, and for breading. So is it my favorite? How do you define a favorite ingredient? Flour is certainly one of my most useful ingredients, but I guess my favorite ingredeint would have to be my spices.   Vanilla extract. Chili powder. Sesame seed and poppy seed for bread. Lemon pepper. Dill. Celery salt. Freshly ground salt and pepper.   And don’t forget about the fresh spices just ourside the back door…..fresh basil, parsley, sage and thyme. What a joy to have these!
And favorite cooking utensil? It might have been my cast iron skillet, but honestly, it’s soooooo heavy. It takes two hands to carry it, especially when it’s loaded with food, and that makes it less convenient for me.
It might have been the cast iron griddle/grill, but I don’t use this as much as I thought I would. Once again, weight is an issue. Yes, being heavy means that it’s good quality, but it really does make it difficult to use easily, at least for me.
I think my favorite cooking utensil is the large baking stone that my daughter gave me last year. 
I love using it to bake bread and foccacia on, and find that it’s great for ensuring an even temperature in the oven….something that I’ve had trouble with before. The stone is made by Papmered Chef and my daughter swears by their stuff. I had bought a generic stone to bring to Italy but Angela insisted that I return it for the one she bought for me.
So that’s my kitchen, for better or worse. Definitely not my dream kitchen, but as I said before, we all have to work with what we have. My dream kitchen would have an island with a separate sink. My double sink would be larger….much larger, and deeper too. I’d love to have a large, industiral type built-in sprayer. I’d have two LARGE ovens, not these tiny things they have in Italy. One of the ovens would be a convection oven. And of course I’d have a large refrigerator with a much larger freezer. I’d love to know what those new refrigeratro drawers are like. Oh, and maybe I could have a small dishwasher…also in a drawer….I think that’s such a cool, back-saving idea!
But for now, my kitchen is workable and is filled with the things I need and use everyday. It’s usually the only place our guests ever see because we invariably end up sitting around the table talking, even after dinner is finished.
A LIFE WELL LIVED
Many of you who know me, and some of you who read the blog regularly may already know that I’m just not much of a group person. Not that I don’t likes groups of people, I just don’t like organized groups, like bridge clubs or PTA’s. Maybe it’s because I’m too independent and bossy and would rather do everything myself….MY WAY, rather than have others involved. Maybe it’s because I resent the rigidity often imposed bys such groups or organizations. Maybe it’s just that I’m more spontaneous and free-thinking. Probably it’s because I’m too bossy, but anyway……
I’m not sure if I don’t like organized religion because I don’t like organized groups, or if I don’t like organized groups because I don’t like organized religion. Either way, the end result is the same, and I still don’t how to refer to myself, religion-wise. Ex-Catholic? Recovered Catholic? Former Catholic? Surviving Catholic? Semi-normal DESPITE being raised Catholic? Jaded and pessimistic BECAUSE I was raised Catholic?
Those of you who are of my generation and who were also “raised” Catholic know what I’m talking about. For the most part, when I tell others that I’m NOT Catholic BECAUSE I was raised Catholic, they nod their heads in complete understanding. Somehow the whole religion thing just didn’t “take” on me.
Now I do believe in a spiritual power, in divine intervention, and in something after death, but I just don’t quite know what. I believe there must be some sort of re-incarnation, but everyone you ever read about who claims to be reincarnated seems to think they were someone famous and I have to wonder….who were the common people and why don’t THEY remember their past lives? Too boring to remember? Too painful to remember?
I’ve never had any sort of past life feeling, other than when I land in England or Scotland….then a sense of peacefulness comes over me that’s hard to put into words. I just feel the relief of finally being “home”. Despite our love affair with Italy I’ve never felt the deep sense of familiarity here, although conversely, and strangely, I’ve never felt the pull to live in Britain like I did for Italy. Anyway, as usual I digress.
So far our contact with religion in Italy has been minimal. We did attend Mass at our local church once, but that was because it was Easter Sunday and my daughter wanted to go. I figured it would also be a good way to let everyone in town get a good look at us for the first time.
When the locals ask us if we’re Catholic I respond that I was Catholic in the past, but not now. My limited Italian prevents me from elaborating about my feelings concerning the patriarchal system in general, and about the various abuses of power, ranging from the concept of keeping the people poor and ignorant, with the only way to heaven being through the church, up to the current day abuses of power involving priestpedophiles and the corrupt hierarchy who not only ignored it but actively worked to cover it up.
So where did we find ourselves yesterday afternoon? In church. A Catholic church. At Mass. It was the funeral mass for our neighbor’s mother, who was 97 when she died. (So there! to the Nazi ophthalmologist in Louisville who told Art that it was okay to live in Italy as long as you didn’t want to live a long life.)
But what else could we do? Although I ‘m not completely sure, I don’t think the funeral home concept even exists in Italy. I think the bodies are still viewed at home, and I’m fine with that. I think the funeral home industry in general is full of crooks, and even those smaller operations have now created an entire industry for something that used to be very simple. What’s wrong with propping the person up in the corner, sticking a beer or a glass of wine in their hand and letting everyone else stand around and tell funny/sad/strange stories about things they did while they were alive? And then drive to the cemetery, dig a hole and bury them. Simple. Done. A normal part of life. (As you can tell, I’m pretty okay with death.)
But of course we had no idea where the viewing for Giulda’s mother was, and attending the funeral Mass just seemed the simplest way to pay our respects. At least we wouldn’t have to fumble around trying to understand or respond to chatter at the viewing. So there we were, sitting in the back row, surrounded by a large crowd….they were packed in the pews and standing in the back.
I recognized a few things…I understood some things based on the rhythm of what the priest was saying. Other things I recognized because I understood the Italian (!), but it’s been a long time since I even heard a Mass in English, so most of the time I just sat and thought about stuff. The irony of having to attend this funeral was that it was on my mom’s birthday, which of course made me think about her….and her funeral.
I told Art that I couldn’t even remember her funeral. I know we had it as the church she liked, the old fashioned one on Baxter Ave. near Oak. But I don’t remember anything about the funeral. I remember lots of stuff about my dad’s funeral. His was probably the only funeral I’ve ever thought was worth a damn.
For my dad’s funeral we didn’t want a funeral Mass because he had grown disillusioned with the church too and hadn’t gone for many years. He didn’t like the Mass in English, but neither did my mom. I guess my dad must have had other issues as well. So anyway, we just planned a service for the chapel at the funeral home. Because there was no Mass being said by a priest, someone would have to say something. So everyone did. Except me.
The day after my dad died I went to work. The rest of the family took off from work and spent the day planning a funeral service. They wrote original poems, put together a short biography, found a poem that my dad liked (“Pick More Flowers”). They asked me to read something at the funeral, but I knew that I just couldn’t do it. I really have a hard time letting people see me when I’m weak or vulnerable. My dad’s death and my grief were just too personal and too private to put on public display.
Anyway, despite some teary moments and lengthy pauses, everyone (else) managed to read something or tell something about my dad. It was truly a personal and meaningful service, as opposed to the impersonal Mass….one that’s said for everyone….no changes, no exceptions.
And then of course, how many of you have been to a funeral where the priest gives the homily and it’s SOOOOOO apparent that he never even met the person he’s eulogizing? What a disappointment that must be for the family! I want to hear about the wonderful and silly and even stupid things that someone did…I want to remember them as they were…a regular person with faults and talents.
So yesterday as we sat in church at the funeral of Giulda’s mother, age 97, I just had to think that a life well lived has to be something to be celebrated, and I certainly didn’t need a church to teach me that.
JOUSTING IN SAN GEMINI
We went to the jousting tournament in San Gemini last Sunday. Medieval fan that I am, I had high hopes, and I wasn’t disappointed. Granted, the jousting tournament consisted of guys (in period costume) riding a horse around a dirt track that encircles the local soccer field. And no, they weren’t aiming at each other, but had to throw their joust at a large shield mounted on a board at the side of the track. Additionally they had to lance a ring onto the jousting stick, again while riding down the track. Anyway, with a bit of imagination it was still very interesting.
We had missed the start of the tournament, so we missed the best seats in the stands. We walked around the track and climbed the hill for a fairly good view. Even though it had been raining all week long, the day was beautiful and sunny, but a little cool and breezy. The ground wasn’t too wet, because we were on a steep hillside……..I guess the water drained away quickly. 
Art found out, by talking to the lady sitting next to him, that San Gemini has two contradas, or neighborhoods. These rivalries are a big deal to the residents, and as we could tell from the program we’d been given, it looked as if one neighborhood was obviously more skilled than the other, and it also looked as if the favorite was going to win again.
Once the tournament was over we walked up the hill into town. It was obvious that the town was divided into two sections. Green and white banners 
flew everywhere in the neighborhood to the left, while to the right all the banners were red and blue.  Apart from the very Renaissance-looking building in the main piazza, 
the town was very medieval. We looked at each other in amazement……who knew????
Various types of artwork were exhibited all over the city, and a small market was set up, selling mostly handmade jewelry. The townspeople were marching back into the city from the jousting field. 
As in Rotecastello, all types of people were represented in this procession, and to call what they were wearing “costumes” really doesn’t do them justice.  Their clothes looked truly authentic and truly beautiful.  A great deal of time and money must go into these outfits. 
As we left San Gemini, the sun was setting and the moon was rising.....
We’ll definitely return to San Gemini in the future.
SCORPIONS!
 Yes, we see these occasionally. This one, found by the front door is maybe the fifth or sixth one we've seen this year. The most surprising one was the one I found inside an aluminum pan that had been sitting on the kitchen counter for about a week!
FINALMENTE!
At long last the work on the park behind our house has bugun! On Thursday we were awakend by the CLUNK of sledgehammers against the stone wall by our garage. The wall was tumbling down! 
No work was done on Friday or Saturday, maybe because it was rainy. Whatever the reasons, this morning we awoke to the sound of chain saws. This truck, equipped with a cherry picker, was parked in front of our garage.  The guy in the cherry picker 
was cutting the trees, starting at the top, then everything was being dumped on the street.
 Our neighbor Armando donned his "lab coat", the jacket of choice for many Italian men when they're working outside or in the garage. He also added this scythe, I guess to chop off stray branches from the larger logs.
After several of the larger trees had been taken down, the smaller trees and assorted overgrown bushes were cut and piled up. This truck arrived, equippped with a huge claw and a large bed to hold all the debris.
And naturally the site was a magnet for all our neighbors 
 I'm always amazed when I see these brooms....I feel as if the middle ages aren't completely forgotten
And now we have this little shovel that just drove right up into the park for more excavating...
NEVER MIND........
I had an email today saying that my picture WON'T be used after all. The authors chose another picture instead of mine....so it's back to obscurity for me! My fifteen minutes was more like fifteen seconds!
COOL NEWS!
Yesterday I had an email from Pauline at Slow Trav. She was forwarding an email she had received concerning one of our photos. Someone saw the various pictures we’ve posted on the ST photo gallery (http://www.slowtrips.com/photo/useralbums.php) and wrote to say that they’d like to use one of my photos in a college textbook.
Although I won’t get rich, there IS payment involved as well as a credit! Isn’t that just too amazing?! And you all can say you knew me before I was famous! ;)
|
We headed towards Montecchio, taking the white road over the mountain. Although the road was a little bumpy, it wasn’t too bad, and some of the views we got were well worth the bumps! 
Spina Bifida
