VEGETARIANS - STOP RIGHT NOW!

Or even those of you who are slightly squeamish...or who think all that meat in the grocery store just magically appears on styrofoam trays! This post is about the reality of life in a farming community, and about the entire circle of life, which is sometimes just a little gruesome for some of us!

Living here in Umbria, and specifically in San Venanzo, we know that almost everything we eat is fresh. So much of our food is locally grown, and what was on the vine this morning will often appear on the dinner table tonight, even for those of us who don't have gardens. In addition to the fruits and vegetables, animals are also grown here...chickens and ducks, pigs and sheep, cows and....pigeons.

We all have our comfort zones, and our ideas of what's edible and what's just gross. I'll eat pork all day long (and my oh my do they know how to do pork in Umbria!), but don't even think about asking me to eat something that was inside that little piggy! No to liver and tripe (stomach lining...ugh!) and tongue and brains. No to testicles from any animal for sure! No, I don't eat bunny rabbits, but I will eat lamb. I can't give you any logical reason for any of it, but that's just the way it is.

Our neighbor Armando raises pigeons, and not to carry messages. He raises them to eat. Seems like a lot of work for such a small meal, but that's okay with him. The other day he brought some pigeons back from the coop and was cleaning them in his garage. I don't know (or want to know) how he killed them, but I do know that just like chickens, and all other fowl, you have to dip them in boiling water to loosen the feathers. After that it's just pluck pluck pluck until the feathers are gone. The finishing touch is the blow torch to singe off the remaining feathers, or stubs of feathers.

Armando said that Giulda (his wife) would clean out the birds and bake them in the oven like chicken, and that each bird would serve two people.

Here are some pictures of the process, well down the page, giving those who don't care to see the pictures plenty of time to click away.....

A PEFECT DAY IN AUGUST

Once again we combined friends and food with stunning views and mild temperatures for the perfect summer's day in Umbria! Although JANE, Ken and Casey have been in Italy for two months (as opposed to last year when they spent a full twelve months!), we hadn't yet had a chance to get together with them. We were so glad when we found out that their last few days would be spent in Umbria, and best of all, at the GENIUS LOCI INN, run by our good friends MARY, Maurizio and Michael.


JUDITH drove down from Citta di Castello, RITA and LINO drove over from Tuscany, and including Michael's friend RHIAN who was visiting from London, we had quite a diverse group. Lunch was simple....fresh tomatoes, sliced meats and cheeses, eggplant, bread, more tomatoes, great wine from Tuscany, then more great wine from Genius Loci (good work Maurizio and Michael!), finished off with some all American treats for dessert.

The time seemed to fly, and just watching the sun change the hills in the distance was fascinating. Art said if he lived at Genius Loci he'd never have to turn on the television...just watching the view was entertainment enough! We skipped the wine tasting since we'd done that in June, so while everyone else went to learn about the fabulous Sagrantino, Art and I enjoyed the breeze and the view. We also bought some Sagrantino to take home....some lucky person will be getting a special gift this Christmas!

I'm so glad we had the chance to see Jane, Ken and Casey this summer....Casey's gotten so tall! As always Michael and his parents were the perfect hosts, and we're looking forward to our next visit to GENIUS LOCI, hopefully sooner rather than later!


Here's a short video from OUR YouTube PAGE and more photos are on OUR FLICKR PAGE.


The view from Genius Loci......

GELATO IN MASSA MARTANA

The medieval town of MASSA MARTANA, just across the E45 from Todi, is a town we discovered back in 2002 when we came to Italy to find the perfect place to live. Most of the walled city was destroyed during the earthquake of 1997, and only recently was the restoration complete. The town now looks like a medieval jewel, retaining its character, but with completely updated facilities like new plumbing and wiring, and anti-seismic protection built into the structures.

For whatever reason we'd never visited Massa Martana during it's annual Sagra del Gelato, and we decided it was about time we did! We met up with our friend Shelly and her friends Milena (and MIlena's husband, whose name I don't remember!). Dinner was simple, and since the feature of this sagra is gelato, simple is a good thing. We had our choice of torta al testo with sausage, prosciutto, pancetta or cheese. We each made our choices, ordered a bottle of wine, and went to our table to wait for delivery. Becquse we were there pretty early in the evening the food arrived quickly and we all savored our food. Once again, the simplest of foods are the best!

After dinner we took a stroll around town. Many of the shops stay open during the sagra and we found quite a few realy nice art galleries, as welll as a muscc museum set up in an old church. The moon was nearly full, the temperature was perfect, and off in the distance we could hear music....that polka/accordian music that could be Italian...or Swiss/German/Austrian. At the end of the street we found the band, and of course swirling dancers filling the piazza.

Eventually we made our way outside the city walls for the main event" GELATO! There were several types of sundaes listed, and I found one that I liked...except it was made with gelato. When it was my turn to order I asked if I could have it made with gelato instead of yogurt and with a puzzled look the woman told me that it was made with gelato. I told her that the sign said it was made with gelato, and after a pause she told me that "yogurt" was a flavor! Oh...okay. I explained that in the states we have frozen yogurt, but I'm not sure they really 'got' it. Anyway, we each ordered our gelatos and once again waited at our table for them to arrive. Within minutes we were happily slurping away, lost in the decadence of a warm summer's evening and a bowl of gelato.

Here's a short video and there's another on OUR YouTube PAGE and more photos on OUR FLICKR PAGE.

A MEDIEVAL NIGHT IN ROTECASTELLO

The festa in ROTECASTELLO has undergone some changes in the last few years. Previously the dinner had been served on the soccer field which sits below the town. There was a kitchen and a giant grill for preparing the food just above the field, and the young people who served it didn't seem to have any problems running back and forth between the kitchen and the field.

Last year things changed. Apparently there were new health regulations in force, or someone decided to enforce the existing ones...here in Italy it's hard to know. We were told that the food couldn't be served on the soccer field, but perhaps the problem was with the cooking facilities. Whatever the reasons, Rotecastello eventually got around the problem by saying "okay, we won't have a traditional festa, we'll just have a dinner for the members of our association", which must have meant that different rules apply. Again, things work mysteriously in Italy. Still, the food was not served on the soccer field, but up in Rotecastello itself.

Everyone who came to Rotecastello last year for dinner was required to join the "Friends of Rotecastello" association. You didn't have to pay a membership fee, although that was certainly appreciated if you felt like contributing. Each 'member' was issued an official membership card, and even though everyone still had to pay for their dinner, things were now legal.

The one good thing to come out of this was that people got to be up IN Rotecastello for a longer period of time. Previously if you came late to dinner then walked up into town for the entertainment, chances were that it was already dark and you wouldn't be able to see much of the town....not that there's much to see, but still, it's cute and takes less than ten minutes to see the entire village.

Tables were set up in several different spots, all near the town oven. We thought the system worked well, and were surprised when it was changed again this year. We later found out that the people who owned some of the land where the tables had been set up were unhappy with the mess that was made/left on their property. Our friends who live in Rotecastello say that there was no mess, that everything was cleaned up promptly, so maybe the landowners were just looking for an excuse to deny the use of their land. That seems a little strange to us since the entire festa is manned by volunteers, many of whom are in Rotecastello for a short time....on their vacation. It must be a labor of love, but perhaps this particular family just wasn't feeling the love.

This year tables were scattered throughout Rotecastello, a few here, a few there...a few more just around the corner or up the stairs. Food was also prepared in a variety of locations, and the servers were kept busy running from kitchen to kitchen, then table to table, and in the end there were quite a few complaints about poor (or even non-existent) service. Yes, I know it's a new system, and problems were inevitable, but this new system seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.....and it did, to quite a few people we know. I hope next year the system is a little more efficient.

On the final night of the festa, the night of the medieval procession, the dinner was a set menu, and after paying for your meal and selected drinks, you then took your ticket to a table that was set up outside the kitchen of Rotecastello's wonderful restaurant, LA LOCANDA DEL BORGO. After a short wait your name was called and you received your entire meal at once....how very un-Italian!

For €12 we received generous portions of panzanella (tomato bread salad), beans with tomatoes, farro salad, foccacia bread, loads of porchetta, veal, and to end the meal, cantucci with vin santo. Jugs or bottles of wine were available along with water and soft drinks. We ordered two jugs of the red wine )€5 each!) for our table of seven and several bottle of water.

After dinner we walked to the piazza to see if there were any seats left. Luckily, we found two seats on the side, and settled in. We've discovered that the only thing that ever starts on time is lunch, and knew that the 9:30 start time for the procession wouldn't happen. As usual Anna welcomed everyone to Rotecastello and gave us a brief history of the borgo, so we knew we wouldn't be waiting too much longer.

Sometime after ten, we heard the drums, signalling the arrival of the procession. The drums faded away as the group marched around the city, then came booming around the corner as the group approached on our right. As usual every class of people was represented from the peasants on up to the nobility.

Once everyone had arrived in the piazza the main characters made their way to the stage and presented a short play. Jesters filled the piazza with music and laughter, and eventually everyone marched back down the hill, led by the drums steady beat. Everyone we spoke to agreed that the medieval procession is a wonderful way to end the festa.

More videos from the festa on OUR YouTube PAGE and photos on OUR FLICKR PAGE.

FUNKY ROTECASTELLO

This past weekend was the festa in ROTECASTELLO. We didn't go on Friday night, but were there for Saturday's festivities. The menu listed lepre (hare) on the menu, so our friends in Rotecastello extended their drinks-before-dinner invitation to include dinner itself.

Our flight attendant friend (that's her on the right) was flying into Rome on Saturday morning, and after a flurry of emails we convinced her to come to Umbria for the day and join in the fun with us. We picked her up in Orvieto, fed her lunch, then sent her off for a nap so she wouldn't crash during the festa!


As usual, Keith and Janine's terrace was the perfect place to enjoy some drinks and good company. Many of the people who only come to Rotecastello during August were there, so it was nice to catch up with them and to meet a few new friends as well.




After dinner we walked around Rotecastello, and ended up marching into the main piazza right behind the PERUGIA FUNKING BAND. It was clear from the beginning that the entertainment would be lively!



Here's a quick video of the band. You can see more on OUR YouTube PAGE, as well as a few more pics on OUR FLICKR PAGE.

RENEWING OUR PERMESSI - PART 2

As I wrote PREVIOUSLY, keeping up with the bureaucracy required to live in a foreign country can be complicated and confusing. Now that our permits of stay are renewed through the mail, it's even more worrying, wondering if all the documents were acceptable, and wondering if everything arrived safely.

Luckily Italy is slowly coming into the digital age and it's now possible to check the status of renewals online. I checked after a week but found no information. I checked after two weeks and read that no irregularities had been found in our documents, and hoped that was good news. If it was just another way of saying that our documents had been received but hadn't yet been examined, then we'd still have to wait to see if anything changed. You know me, why wait to worry?!

Today, just three weeks after we mailed our renewal packets to Rome, I discovered that we have appointments for the next step! We're scheduled for September 1st, and even better, we get to go to Orvieto for the renewal! This will be six weeks after we mailed in our packets! What a relief! We were hoping that we'd be able to complete the renewal in Orvieto and not have to drive all the way to Terni. Although the drive might not be much longer, we enjoy Orvieto so much more than Terni, so we'll have a nice day out.

When we go to Orvieto for our appointment we'll have to take copies of our documents just in case they want to verify something. We'll also have to take four passport size photos, our original (ready-to-expire) permessi, and our passports. We'll also get re-fingerprinted, this time digitally, which won't be messy like the FIRST TIME, when our hands were covered with black ink.

I'm not sure if we'll receive our new permessi that day or if we'll have to wait until our fingerprints/photos are processed, but for now I'm just relieved to be one step closer to completing the process. The new permessi will be good for two years, so hopefully this will be the last time we have to go through this process! (Rumor has it the the system will change yet again, and that in the future each commune will handle their own permessi, but who knows when or if this will ever happen?)

RENT AN APARTMENT IN ROME FOR A YEAR!

Friends of ours who live and work in Rome have decided to take a year off and are subletting their apartment for a full year beginning August 2009. Have you ever thought about living in Rome for a year? Being able to wander the streets, explore the neighborhoods and become a regular at your 'own' special bar? Imagine what it would be like to be in Rome for Christmas, for the arrival of Spring, and Easter!

For many people Rome is just another box to be ticked off in the grand tour of Italy. Colosseum....check. Vatican...check. Check. Check. Yes, if your vacation time is limited, sometimes that's the sad reality, but for someone who might be able to work from home, or who might work for an international concern, this apartment would give you the opportunity to settle right in and be at home from the start!

You can find all the details about this APARTMENT IN ROME by clicking on the link. It sounds like a spacious apartment, with 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms AND a garden! Although we've never seen the apartment in person, we do know the owners, Linda and Steve, and know that this apartment is their home, and that they're nice, honest, hard-working people.

This could be the chance you or someone you know has been dreaming about! Pass it on!

THIS WEEKEND IN UMBRIA

Just a reminder for those of you who are in Umbria this weekend and beyond....the medieval festa in ROTECASTELLO begins on Friday the 8th and runs through Monday the 11th. Details can be found by clicking on the link. Food is available from 7:30 and each night's entertainment starts (around) 9:30.

Also beginning this Friday is the weeklong SAGRA del GELATO in Massa Martana, not far from Todi. The poster for this festa is just a little more eye-chatching than the poster for the medieval festa....




Whatever you do this weekend, I hope you have as much fun as we plan on having!

A CHOCOLATE VIEW

Here's a picture of one of the more unique birthday presents Art received this year....a piece of chocolate from SANDRI’S, the wonderul pasticceria in Perugia. The scene is from Perugia, of the famous fountain and beautiful buildings in the centro. Almost too pretty to eat......almost!!

MORE FOOD, MORE FUN

Art's birthday fell on a day when most of our friends were out of town. Although we really enjoyed our lunch with those who were able to come, we also wanted an excuse to get everyone together, and and excuse to try out a pizzeria in Fratta Todina that we'd heard about.

By some miracle everyone was free to meet for pizza on Friday evening, and Belinda had even invited the Canadian girls to join us. I hadn't been sure if they'd want to spend an evening with the 'old folks', but either they were too polite to say no, or didn't find the idea too disagreeable.

In all there would be ten of us, and we'd given general directions to everyone to meet at the pizzeria. We didn't know the name of the place, but the location was pretty easy to describe, along with the words "Pizza" in large letters on the building. We were the first to arrive, and the building looked closed....maybe even deserted. Hmmm, not good. Maybe they were closed for vacation. We called Belinda and Giacomo who'd told us about the pizzeria, and they made a few suggestions for alternate locations. After phone calls to Keith and Janine, Wendy and Shelly, we eventually settled on Wendy's suggestion to drive up to the restaurant in Motecastello di Vibio. There was sure to be a breeze and a view, so as long as this restaurant was open, everything would work out.

In August it's hard to know if places will be open or closed. To our American way of thinking, being open in August is a great time for a restaurant, gift shop or other tourist related business to rake in the bucks. Of course the Italians don't look at things the same way Americans do, and the almighty dollar, or euro in this case, doesn't always rule. Our first two choices had been closed, but hopefully this next restaurant, LO SCUDIERO, would open since it was connected to a hotel, il CASTELLO.

Yes, the restaurant was open and we had a wonderful dinner....a great mixed antipasti platter to start, then pizzas all 'round. The breeze and the view were both wonderful as expected, and of course the company was the best! During the course of the evening someone asked the Canadian girls how they were passing their time, and when it was discovered that they had no television Wendy offered to lend them one of hers, along with a DVD player and some movies. I'm not sure how much time the girls will spend indoors watching television, but at least they have some options now during the heat of the day or after their evening passiagiata.

On Sunday Wendy delivered the electronics, then she and the girls came to our house for lunch. When the girls rang the bell, Art and I were both surprised to see the beautiful flowers they'd brought as a gift! Of course here in Italy you NEVER go to someones house without some sort of gift...a bottle of wine, flowers, a plant, maybe some sweets...but we certainly didn't expect a gift from two teenage girls, even ones as mature and thoughtful as these two!

Lunch was simple: a pasta salad to use up the last of the peppers, tomatoes from Armando's garden with fresh mozzarella, and grilled eggplant, again thanks to Armando. Dessert was Sicilian pastries that Giacomo and Belinda had brought back from their last trip. Nothing too fancy, but delicious none the less. Once again, simple food and good friends made for two very enjoyable days...but such is life in Italy. It's a tough job, huh? ; )

AUGUST MEANS VACATION

For many, if not most Italians, August means vacation. Those who live in the mountains head for the sea, while those who live in the big cities seem to head for the cool relief of the mountains. Many shops and restaurants will close for the entire month of August, and services will be limited. When friends recently went to an office in the comune they discovered the one and only person who can perform the service they needed is on vacation for the entire month of August. No one is replacing the vacationer, so the paperwork will just pile up until he returns. What a system!

Our neighbors left today for a week at the beach. I'm guessing the reason they won't be gone for the whole month is that they're retired and living on a fixed income. Our other neighbors, the ones who own the other half of our house, should be arriving soon. They live in Bologna, which is hot and humid in the summer. For them the breezes in San Venanzo and the chance to catch up with friends and family will make this month go much too quickly.

Our neighbor Adamo has already completed his vacation for the year...apparently some companies, including the health care industry, are now letting their employees take vacations in months other than August. Some enjoy the chance to save a bit of money and to visit during less crowded times, but I'm sure for many others, whose families still vacation in August, this presents a problem. Although medical facilities remain open in August, I wouldn't want to schedule an elective procedure during this time, just in case I ran into some doctor, nurse or technician who'd been 'forced' to take their vacation outside of the 'normal' time frame!

For us August signals the beginning of the end of summer. Yes, the fruits and vegetables are at their height, and everything is plentiful and cheap. but unlike Kentucky, where summer seems to last well into September, and often October, summer here seems to know that once the page turns from August to September, summer is really over. I love the idea that the new olive oil will be here soon, and the idea of cool nights, but the shorter days are not something I look forward to, or the cold wet days of winter. Okay, enough of that.....for now it's August...time to savor the long hot days of summer while we still can!

TIME TO GO MEDIEVAL!

Yes it's that time again, time for the annual medieval festival in ROTECASTELLO, located just outside of San Venanzo. Beginning on Friday, August 8th and ending on Monday, August 11th, each night will feature different entertainment. The last night, Monday, will have the medieval procession and play recounting the story of Rotecastello. All the info is on their new and improved WEBSITE, which unfortunately, isn't in English any more! I think you'll probably be able to figure out the details anyway. Hope to see you there!

OLIVASTRELLA

After writing about the grand opening of il POGGIO del LUPO, it seemed only fair that I write something about an agriturismo on the other side of San Venanzo. heading up towards Ospedaletto, just past the public pool. We've been talking about checking out OLIVASTRELLA for months, but we just never seemed to get there. Our friends had told us that this agriturismo had more than rooms, they also had exercise facilities. These facilities, including an indoor as well as an outdoor pool, could be used by anyone willing to pay a fee, just like a health club.


The other day we drove up the white (gravel) road just off the SS317, and before we knew it we found the pool and the panoramic views of San Venanzo and beyond. The housekeeper was kind enough to show us around the public spaces: a large meeting/cinema room, a chapel, a game room, the indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and an exercise room complete with treamill and all the other machines you'd expect.

The restaurant was large but still felt cozy thanks to the comfy-looking couches near the stone fireplace. The restaurant opened out onto a huge terrace, again with panoramic views.

Although we didn't see any of the guestrooms, judging from OLIVASTRELLA’S WEBSITE
they look a little larger than the rooms at Il Poggio del Lupo, and the whole property has a much more luxurious feel.

The owner returned home and came out to talk with us. He explained about their organic products: the olive oil and honey, the Chianina beef, and the pigs, sheep and goats they raise.

As I wrote previously, I really think that San Venanzo and the surrounding areas are really up and coming as more and more businesses open and more and more tourists discover the joys of 'the green heart of Italy"....Umbria!

As usual, more pics on OUR FLICKR PAGE.

MOVIES IN MARSCIANO

Last night we drove down to Marsciano to watch a movie. I guess I should have posted about this sooner, but anyway, better late than never, right? For all of July and August, on every day but Monday, you can watch a movie under the stars in Marsciano at 9:30 each evening. "Sex and the City" and "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull"have already been shown, but coming up are "The Incredible Hulk" and "The Dark Knight", as well as other recent movies. I expect they'll all be dubbed in Italian, but last night's film, "Shine A Light", a Martin Scorcese film about a benefit concert the Roling Stones did back in 2006, didn't need any translation at all!

SAN VENANZO ON THE MOVE!

The other day while getting my hair cut I happened to mention that my favorite band of our three night festa had been the one from the last night, LA MACCHINA DEL KAPO . Everyone in the shop chimed in approvingly....it seemed to be a given that LA MACCHINA DEL KAPO was far and away the best band, the most energetic and the most fun. The young woman who was sweeping up told me that they were going to be back in San Venanzo in September. When I asked if we were having yet another festa, the answer was yes! I commented that it was amazing how much San Venanzo was growing, but of course everyone there is well aware of that fact.

Later in the week I stopped by to ask our neighbor Adamo about his vacation. I knew he'd gone to the sea for a week, but then he'd left for another short vacation. His housekeeper wasn't sure what cities he was visiting, only that they were north of Florence. Adamo is very well educated and very interested in history, so I was hoping he'd visited some interesting places (as if there are places in Italy that aren't interesting!).

Adamo told me he'd visited PARMA and MANTOVA (aka MANTUA).He told me about the Farnesi palace and the fact that Montova is a medieval city, home to the famous Gonzaga family. He told me it was an easy drive straight up the A1, and recommended that Art and I consider a visit. This area, Emilia Romagna, is known for it's food. Parma, not surprisingly, is home to Parma ham...and Parmesan cheese.




I told him that at the moment the dollar was continuing it's downhill slide, and the conversation turned to the economy. As we discussed the mortgage disaster in the states and rising costs in Italy, Adamo pointed out to me that San Venanzo was less affected by the recent price increases. Of course San Venanzo is a farming community, and everyone or their brother has an orto, or vegetable garden. People raise chickens and someone in the family makes wine, or cheese. If a family member doesn't raise their own cows, or sheep or goats, then a neighbor does, so the supply is not only close, but also cheap.

When I told Adamo how much we loved San Venanzo, and how we were hoping someone who loved it as much as we did would buy our house, he nodded in agreement. He said one of the things that makes San Venanzo so strong are the families. Grandparents are here, if not in the same house, then just around the corner, offering childcare for the grandchildren while the parents work. The children of San Venanzo are also an indication of the town's life...a town with no small children is a dying town, and San Venanzo has plenty of children to keep it lively and interesting.

We talked about how new businesses are springing up in San Venanzo...the news agent has just move into a larger shop, the ironmaker opened his new shop last year, the bakery is expanding, and soon Giacomo's real estate office will be open across from the church. The restored palazzo that houses our comune is now surrounded by the restored park, a place where we can once again hold town functions with room to spare. (During the restoration of the comune and it's park the functions were held in the church hall and adjoining church yard, but space was definitely at a premium.)

I did tell Adamo that we'd love to explore the area around Parma and Mandova, and shared with him our idea of making an extending vacation once the house is sold. He asked if we preferred to sell to Americans, but of course I told him it didin't matter to us, and that because of the dollar perhaps the house would sell to Europeans. We have lots of Dutch and German tourists in this area, and of course the English discovered Umbria many years ago.

Anyway, in the meantime, we'll continue to enjoy our life here, and look forward to yet another festa in September. I"ll post the specifics when I know them, and if you're in the area, check it out!

IL POGGIO DEL LUPO OPENS FOR BUSINESS!

We get our information about local events in a variety of ways: from notices posted in the bar or at the comune, from billboards posted in towns and along the roads, from other expats, or message boards, or simply from internet searches. Getting information about local events is still difficult at times….people just seem to know, maybe from word of mouth or maybe it from years of years of tradition. Anyway, whenever we find out about a local event before it happens rather than after. A few days ago I found another unexpected source for information: the local beauty shop.

I’d stopped in at Orieta’s shop to make an appointment for a haircut. Roberta, Orieta’s daughter, who usually cuts my hair was there, and she told me she was Had something to take care of on Thursday but that she could cut my hair on Friday morning. We set the time and I turned to leave when Roberta handed me a flier. A new agriturismo was opening near San Venanzo, just by Civitella dei Conti, and they were having a grand opening celebration complete with food and wine. The festivities were set to begin on Wednesday evening at five o’clock, so we thought, “why not?”

On the drive up to the agriturismo, called il POGGIO del LUPO, I found an answer to a question I’d had for several years. On the road up to Civitella dei Conti we had seen stations of the cross along the road, but I had counted less than fourteen….so where were the rest of the stations? Now that we were on the other road that led up to the castle, I saw the rest of the stations. We’d never driven up this road, not really knowing where it went, thinking that it might just be long driveway to a private home.

Once we arrived at il POGGIO del LUPO we were stunned by the almost 360º views! Beautiful sunrises AND sunsets were guaranteed, and on a clear day you can see forever. The owners, Fabrizio and his wife Elena greeted us and encouraged us to have a look around.





The table inside was groaning with food, beautiful food, and so of course I had to ask: who’s the chef? Fabrizio claimed the honor, and I complimented him on the variety of summer salads…faro and orzo salads and bean salads, as well as cheeses with marmalades or honey, some breads, and of course, some sweets. A sommelier was there to help with the wine, and later we’d also enjoy bread with Fabrizio’s own olive oil and tomatoes from the garden.

Fabrizio showed us the rooms and told us a little about the history of the house. It had once been used as a church, and the chapel still remains, although now it’s equipped with surround sound and internet connections. There are three guestrooms, all ensuite. They’re small and simply decorated. One room has an antique cast iron bed and overlooks this beautiful oak tree.














The beamed ceilings are something we love.


















The later it got the more crowded it got, and eventually the tiki torches were lit and everyone ate and drank and talked…then bottle of vin santo were passed around, along with plates of cantucci to dip in the vin santo. The kids ran around while the adults talked….in Italian, English, German, Dutch and French…yes it was quite an international event!

In addition to the three rooms for rent, il POGGIO del LUPO will also have space for campers, and will also operate a restaurant! Dinner will be by reservation only, and because of the small size of the room, I’m sure every dinner will be quite intimate and special. Fabizio is certainly an imaginative and talented chef.

We wish Elena and Fabizio the best in their new business! What’s good for them will be good for all of San Venanzo!


See all the photos on OUR FLICKR PAGE in the folder named....Il Poggio del Lupo.

PHOTOS OF ITALY

Click HERE for some incredibly beautiful photos of Italy! Trust me....click NOW!!! Please note: there are several pages of photos, so don't forget to click on "next" once you've finished looking at each page!

PATIENCE IS NOT FOR ME

Those who know me will agree that I'm impatient, and I'll readily admit it. Now that our house is for sale and we've made the decision to return to the states, I have to admit that I'm having a hard time. I feel stuck in between two worlds, and it's not that I don't enjoy our life here in Italy, but now that we've decided, I'd like to start planning, because in addition to being impatient, I'm also a planner.

Planning a trip has always been as much fun as the trip itself. I love leafing through guidebooks, searching the internet, asking questions, and often discovering places that I never would have known about without a good deal of research. I love trying to maximize my time, to figure out what to do on Sundays, or on days when most of the museums are closed. I like figuring out what route makes the most sense...sometimes you want the most scenic route and other times it makes sense to take the overnight train. I do try to have several options when traveling, knowing that unexpected surprises, some good, some bad, often require last minute adjustments.

So, now that we've made the decision to return to the states, we had to decide where. After much discussion and thought, we've decided to return to Louisville for many reasons. Of course if money were no object I'd live in the Big Apple, but that's not quite in our budget. Louisville has always had a reasonable cost of living, which works to our favor now that we're retired. Of course Art still wants to work at Churchill Downs from time to time, as much for the social aspect as for the money.

Living in Louisville will also allow us to relax a little, in that we won't have to learn our way around, find the shortcuts, or know which store is best. After five years of having to learn our way around Umbria, the mostly straight roads will also be a pleasant change from the windy, windy roads here in Italy.

So what's the problem, you might be asking. Well for me, there's just not much planning or preparing I can do right now. I don't really have a place to store boxes, so I can't start packing stuff. At least if I were packing I'd feel as if I was doing something productive. I also can't plan much for our move, or for our travel plans after the house is sold.

We thought that once the house was sold we'd take some time...4 weeks, 6 weeks, maybe even longer, to do some of the traveling we haven't been able to do. Since we now have a car we planned to drive north, visiting the Piemonte region, stopping in Switzerland, a country we both love, maybe even getting to Belgium for some waffles, beer and french fries with mayo! Unfortunately, our itinerary will be determined to some degree by the time of year. If we're going to be traveling in January, perhaps we'd go south towards Puglia and on to Sicily instead of going north. Depending on the time of year maybe we'd drive to Ancona and take the ferry over to Croatia. If I tried to plan for every contingency I'd be up to my ears in print-outs and brochures, so I really need to wait until things are a little more settled.

We also thought it would be a cool idea to cruise back to the states, but ships from Rome to the states aren't as common as ships between England and the U.S., and are limited to the times when the ships are repositioning. If this works out, great, but again, it's a matter of timing.

Art still looks at the real estate listings in Louisville, and even the used car ads, but honestly that just drives me crazy! Yes, we have a general idea of the areas we'd like to live in and what type of car we'd like, but until we're actually there, cash in hand, it doesn't really do much good to see what's available today.

So yes, I am trying to enjoy my time in Italy....if you've been reading the blog recently you'll know that we have been having lots of fun, but still, the next phase of our life is just around the corner and I'd like to be planning for it, dreaming about it, making some decisions, but I can't do anything...and it's driving me crazy!!!

With the slow housing market we know we could be here for a while, and that's fine. Although we don't have tons of money it's not as if we have to sell quickly, so we'll just wait for the right buyer. The fact that I love Italy, Umbria and especially San Venanzo makes it soooo frustrating that we haven't yet found the person who will recognize our house and our town for the gems they are! For me, the impatient planner, these are trying times!

LUNCH IN THE GARDEN!

The idea seemed simple enough: we'd get together with friends for lunch one day in May while the roses were still in bloom in the hostess's garden, and before the heat of summer drove us back indoors for the afternoon. And then the weather went from weird to weirder. After a mild winter we'd had very cold weather in March and April...we even had snow on Easter Sunday. April proved to be not only cold, but also wet. May thought it was April, and the cold and wet continued. And continued. Every time we'd have one nice day I'd think "Here it is! Summer's GOT to here this time!"....and I was wrong again and again and again.

And then one day in June it got hot. Hot as in HOT...so hot that the leaves on my rosebushes, having no adjustment period at all, just crisped up like toast! And with the heat came humidity, a rarity here during the summer, and definitely not pleasant. We sweated and complained, but still couldn't arrange lunch. After weeks and weeks of rain, everything was overgrown and unkempt, then the heat and humidity made the idea of sitting outside not very appealing. And just as suddenly as it had come, the heat lessened, the humidity dropped dramatically, and cool breezes blew through the trees. Lunch might be not only possible, but downright pleasant!

Judith was our hostess, and if you read her blog, called Think On It!, you know that she's a trained chef and cook extraordinaire. Art, Shelly and I all knew to expect delicious things for lunch and of course we weren't disappointed! It only took me one bite of the Cous Cous Salad and I was asking for the recipe! Judith assured me it would be on the blog, and I think it's a great summer salad. Just click on the link for the recipe and Judith's comments.

The main course was a spicy Peruvian chicken dish, one that Judith was able to make using spicy peppers that Shelly had brought to Italy from Texas. While I might not have the peppers to make this dish, I still want to add it to my collection, and I'm hoping Judith will share that recipe in the future.

Desert was a plum cake, one that Judith called THE EASIEST CAKE YOU'VE NEVER MADE. Quick and easy is always good, and the fresh tart golden plums were great in this cake. As an added bonus Judith also let us sample her combination of zucchine bread and bran muffins. She calls the recipe ZUCCHINE BRAN BREAD and says it's fabulous hot from the oven covered with butter. You'll have to try it for yourself, and I'm sure the calories in the butter will be negated by the nutritional benefits of the zucchini and bran!

HOUSE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA

Yes, I'm sure many of you know that our house is for sale, and clicking on the picture in the right hand column will take you to everything you ever wanted to know about the house and the area. For those who might be stopping by the blog for the first time, or who might be Googling, I thought writing about our HOUSE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA might be a good idea. Just scrolling through the blog will also let you know what life is like in central Umbria, what we do for fun, and what's going on in San Venanzo. In the past year or so I've started posting videos of various things here in Umbria...sometimes they're of festivals, sometimes just a field of sunflowers. Stop by OUR YouTube PAGE any time to get a taste of small town Italy!

I know the dollar is weak, but I also know that there are many Americans who are still searching for that perfect second/retirement home in Italy. The British pound does better against the euro, and of course for Europeans the euro is still the euro. The fact that Ryan Air now flies into the Perugia airport from both London and Barcelona makes access to Umbria easier than ever. Read THIS ARTICLE by James Martin, who has some thoughts about property in Italy.

No matter what currency you use or what your reasons are for wanting a home in Italy, we propose that Umbria is a beautiful choice, and that our HOUSE FOR SALE IN UMBRIA, in the hilltown of San Venanzo is certainly worth a look! After you've read all the information on the HOUSE FOR SALE post, please contact us at: umbriahouse4sale@hotmail.com to let us know when you'd like to see the house!

SUNFLOWERS JULY 2008

We've been out several times to take sunflower photos, as if I needed more! As usual I took pictures of sunflowers from the front




































And from the back






























Up Close




















And from a distance
























On OUR FLICKR PAGE there are two folders with sunflower pictures and one folder with a few other flowers that were growing amonst the sunflowers.

SURPRISES IN SAN VENANZO

Last fall we celebrated the re-opening of the building that houses our comune (city hall). The Villa Faina underwent a three year restoration and the end result was stunning...restored frescoes, beautiful woodwork, and at last, the public garden surrounding the villa was once again full of life. Except for the area behind the villa, which remained locked away behind a tall fence. I wasn't sure what continuing work was going on, but was afraid that it would continue for three more years. What a pleasant surprise to find out I was wrong! Suddenly one day the fences came down, revealing a new dance floor and areas for tables and tents....San Venanzo was back in the festa business!

Even a small town like San Venanzo can hold some surprises. One night on our way up to the festa we stopped to ask the workman about this new archway. The tiny room connecting the two buildings has been there for as long as we've been here...five years...but the man told us that the arch was simply "phase two" of the project. Apparently funds weren't available for the archway when the connection was added. We asked if the comune was paying for the arch but were told no, the casa dei anziani (the old folks home) was paying for everything. What a charming addition to the neighborhood!


At the festa I asked our neighbor Franco if I could snap a picture of him at the grill...















Someone in San Venanzo decided to try a progressive dinner for Saturday night's festivities. Each course would be served in a different area, and accompanied by wine from a differnt area cantina. The antipasto course was the only one I remembered to take a picture of! We had panzanella ((tomato bread salad), a farro salad, and two slices of bruschetta, one topped with fave beans and the other with truffles. The wine for this course was provided by the cantina Colli Perugini.

For the next course we moved to the courtyard of the villa for two incredibly delicious pastas and again, red or white wine from Cantina Giovagnoli, which I'd never heard of before.

For the meat course we moved to the area in front of the volcano museum and received a platter of assorted meats and cheeses, and wine from one of our favorite cantinas, Busti.

After all the food and wine, dessert was simple: watermelon and cantoloupe, the perfect ending to a great meal....and all this for only €15!

CROSSING LINES FOR MUSIC

The region of Umbria is divided into two provinces: Perugia and Terni. For us, the fact that San Venanzo was in the region of Terni meant shorter lines and fewer delays when we first arrived here and had to apply for our permits of stay. Now that the provinical offices are no longer handling this procedure, the benefits of being in the province of Terni are less clear.

I couldn't find a map showing both the two provinces AND some key cities, so I'll do my best to explain the map above. The green part of the map is the province of Perugia, and the blue section is the province of Terni. I'm going to generalize and say that each city sits in approximately the position where it's name is printed. San Venanzo sits at the northeastern edge of the province of Terni, and is separated from it's closest provincial neighbors by mountains and winding roads. The closest city to us, the one we frequent most often, is Marsciano, just over the border into the province or Perugia, but much closer than any other city in our own province.

Of course I have no idea why or how the provincial lines were drawn, but as puzzling as it is, it can often be frustrating when doing business. Our friends in Todi and Massa Martana, physically close to Terni, must drive into Perugia to deal with any bureaucracy...and deal with larger numbers of people. We've never minded the longer drive to Terni to take care of business, because in the end the time we saved standing in line and dealing with various offices more than offset our drive time.

For our daIly lives though, most of our goods and services seem to come from Marsciano and/or the province or Perugia, and most of the events we attend are also within the province of Perugia...but getting information about goods, services and events can be quite frustrating! We'd love to have a phonebook from Perugia, and if it weren't for our friend Wendy, we probably wouldn't have one. Of course we have a phone book for the provice of Terni delivered, but aside from people and businesses in San Venanzo, we've never needed any of the phone numbers it contains. We want to have info about the local sagre and feste, but nothing from the district of Perugia seems to get posted in San Venanzo. At least we drive into Marsciano on a regular basis so that we can check out the billboards for information.

I doubt that the provincial lines will be redrawn anytime soon, but this summer common sense has prevailed and San Venanzo has joined the music festival promoted by the city of Marsciano. This festival, MUSICA PER I BORGHI, offers a series of free concerts set in the various 'frazione', or small towns that are part of the comune of Marsciano. This year San Venanzo participated, and on Friday night we played host to Fabizio Palma and Grazia di Michele, who apparently are well know from the Itaian show "Amici". (yes, that's "Friends"!) Clicking on the link in red to the "Musica per i Borghi" website will let you see what other concerts are still to come.

Due to the event being publicized all over the area via posters and newspaper articles, it was standing room only as the band finally began to play, nearly an hour after the schedule start time. Of course when did ANY concert ever start on time, then factor Italy into the equation.....

The group was interesting, funky, jazzy, with a great saxophone player. After the frist few numbers a singer came onstage accompanied by tow back-up singers. This singer...was HE Fabrizio?...talked as much as he sang, which I found annoying. thankfully he did have a great voice for types of cabaret/jazz songs he sang. And then he stepped over the line, doing a terrible, overly dramatic version of "Yesterday", that had me rolling my eyes and shaking my head.

I'm not sure what the many older residents of San Venanzo thought of the performance since we left before the concert was over. Early mornings and late nights are hard to do unless you take the tradtional Italian nap after lunch, and I'm just not a napper, so I was ready to call it a night before midnight. I hope the event was successful for all concerned and that San Venenzo will participate again next year...and maybe even join in other Marsciano/Perugia events as well.

YouTube videos are posted below..........

ROOM WITH A VIEW

A few years ago the field we can see from our bedroom window was filled with sunflowers, and now, once again, the sunflowers have returned! Crops are rotated so that we rarely see sunflowers in the same spot each year, and this year many farmers have chosen to plant wheat, given it's high demand. When I looked out the window and saw yellow here and there, I knew this would be our year!

My plan was to get up early this morning and drive over to the field to take pictures, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. We woke up this morning to cloudy skies and strong winds. I'm not sure if we'll see any rain, but without the blue sky as a background, I won't be taking sunglower photos today. I will try to post some of the sunflower phots we took earlier in the week just as soon as I can.

THE CANADIANS AND A BIRTHDAY

In 2006 we received an email from a family in Canada who'd just bought a house in San Venanzo. They introduced themselves and told us they'd be arriving in the spring...would we like to get together? Of course we said yes, and from the moment we met Virgil and Jean, along with their two adult children Damon and Rachele and their families we've had so much fun.

Last year we missed the Canadians completely since they visited while we were in the states, but this year we're all here at the same time. Damon is a landscape architect, so we'd introduced him to Giacomo and Belinda who were just beginning their building project. Damon was thrilled with the idea of having a project in Italy....who wouldn't love to say to a potential client,"Yes, I've just been working on my design for some clients in Italy."????

The Canadians arrived at the beginning of July but Giacomo and Belinda were busy organizing activities for Larry and Shelly's guests, so we weren't all able to get together until Sunday. Giacomo was returning from Holland after picking up his two children, Santi and Mara, and Mara's cousin who'd come too, because after all, when you're a teenage girl you need someone to talk to and giggle with, right?

We'd been anxiously waiting to take Damon, his wife Jamie and their son Marcus up to our favorite San Venanzo eatery, Angelino and Peppa's. It's one of those places where you sit down and the food just starts arriving, course after delicious course. The wine flows and before you know it you're so stuffed you can barely move...but the food is so good you're still sorry you couldn't eat more!

Belinda called us on Sunday afternoon, and surprised us with her questions: did we have any birthday candles? Unfortunately we didn't, but whose birthday was it? Giacomo's!! We wished we had known, and I offered to bake a cake myself, but Belinda had already taken care of that, and just needed to find some candles.

The Canadians followed us up the road towards Ospedaletto until we came to Angelino and Peppa's, which sits on the side of the road. Our table was ready outside, surrounded by the pine forest. We sat down and the food began to arrive immediately. Our waiter was Stefano, the son of the owners, and he brought us bruschetta with tomatoes, crostini with chicken liver pate and with porcini. We had tagliatelle with fragrant truffles, so delicious and tender, yet we had to remind the Canadians (and ourselves!) to go slowly...there would be lots more food to come, including a second pasta dish.

After the second pasta...this one with a simple tomato sauce, the grilled meats arrvied....fat sausages, chunks of grilled pork and pieces of grilled lamb. Spinach was served as a side dish, along with hot torta al testo, a local bread similiar to pita. We'd chosen not to have a salad knowing that we just woulnd't have enough room for birthday cake if we ate any more!

I'll admit I was lax in the camera department. My only excuse is that I was just enjoying the food and the company way too much, but I did mangage to get my camera out just in time to snap Giacomo's cake with sparklers on top! The cake was surprisingly good, and Belinda told us she'd had it made at the Coop in Marsciano. Umbrians aren't the best when it comes to baked sweets, but this one was really good.

By the end of the evening, after food, wine, water, cake, champagne, grappa and coffee, it was hard for any of us to think about ever eating again. Damon was so excited by everything...the food, the setting, the unbelieveable prices! I think we paid €18 euro per person for our magnificent feast...all made fresh that day, from the bread to the pasta. The meats had been raised locally, the fruits and vegetables grown right in our town. The wine was Angelino's own, served in bottles with no labels. Everything was served family style, and before you could say "basta!", your bowl was filled to overflowing...but we somehow managed to persevere!

We absolutely LOVE to bring guests to Angelino and Peppa's because it's so much fun to watch their faces as they taste the food, and as they realize how much food there is to sample! Maybe they've had good food before, but never in such quantities, never with such quality and freshness, and never served with such obvious pride and joy! This evening was no exception, and we had the added bonus of being able to celebrate Giacomo's birthday with him!

I'm betting that when the Canadian's return to Canada this evening will be one of the highlights...until tomorrow night's dinner when we all gather at Giacomo and Belinda's house for yet another fabulous dinner! Buon appetito!

IT'S SUNFLOWER TIME AGAIN!!

Yes, it's that time of year, my very favorite time in Italy! Fields of sunflowers are opening all over the place, and it's so much fun to see the fields change from solid green to green sprinkled with specks of yellow, then eventually fields of blinding yellow. Yes, I probably have more than enough sunflower photos, but I'll still be out there, clicking away. Stay tuned......

DANCE DANCE DANCE!

MUSIC IN SAN VENANZO JULY 11-13 2008

If you're in Umbria next weekend, join us for three nights of food and music! If you can't read the poster, go to our FLICKR PAGE where you can view a larger version!

AN ANNIVERSARY PARTY

We celebrated Larry and Shelly's 10th anniversary at CASTELLO di CASIGLIANO, which seems to be part castle, part borgo. The buildings have been restored and now house a hotel and restaurant. Our group was outside, in a wonderful area that was private from the rest of the facility but we still had wonderful views, plenty of room to mingle...and for dancing later.

The video above shows the huge spread of antipasti that we enjoyed, and as you can see it was presented beautifully. The music was provided by San Venanzo's own Erika Mastrini Band, who did an excellent job of keeping the evening festive.

MORE DANICING IN SAN VENANZO

Check out all the videos on our YouTube site...the link is in the right hand column.

FESTA IN SAN VENANZO!

A DAY WITH FRIENDS

On Friday we had lunch with Marcia and David, SlowTrav friends we'd met last summer. When Marcia emailed me to say that they'd be staying near Orvieto and planned to drive over to Bevagna, a stop at our house seemed like perfect timing. We were able to follow them on their travels from Rome to Sorrento and Pompeii through MARCIA’S BLOG.

Marcia also contacted Mary, and other Slow Traveller who we'd also met last summer at the big get together near Assisi. At that time Mary had just opened her beautiful country inn, GENIUS LOCI. The pictures we saw of the inn were gorgeous, and Brad and Palma, who'd decided to stay at the inn in order to be closer to the get together had told us how wonderful it was. Although Art and I had tried to get together with Mary and her husband Maurizio during the winter months, somehow it never happened, so this would be our first time to see the inn in person.

David and Marcia arrived at our house on Friday morning and we had a great relaxing lunch, nothing fancy: melon with prosciutto, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, then spaghetti with pesto. For dessert I thawed out the last of the fresh strawberries and tossed the juicy sweetened berries with cubes of a shortcake I'd made the day before.

Normally when I serve strawberry shortcake I make baking powder biscuits, just as my mom did. This time I decided to see if I could find a recipe for pound cake, since of course I couldn't possibly have company without at least ONE new dish!

Most of the recipes I found required sour cream, or heavy cream, and I didn't have either one in the house. Because it was Thursday afternoon, the grocery stores in San Venanzo were closed, and I just couldn't justify a drive down to Marsciano for just one ingredient. (Note: we don't have sour cream in Italy, but I use Greek yogurt instead with great success)

Eventually I found a recipe for strawberry shortcake in my trusty BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS COOKBOOK. This recipe sounded like a cross between a cake and a biscuit, and was baked in an 8" cake pan. I would have preferred to make individual cakes, but the dough was way too slack for that, so I baked it as directed, then planned to slice it horizontally.

Once the cake was baked and cooled, I decided to use half the cake freezing the other half for something else....cherries? peaches? Anyway I cubed the cake and put about a third of the cubes in a clear glass bowl, then added some strawberries (and the yummy juices!), then repeated the process and refrigerated it. Of course while it sat in the frig the cake absorbed all the strawberry juice but still held it's shape. When I served the dessert I simply scooped out a spoonful or two and topped it with some whipped cream. Yum!

The four of us enjoyed our lunch while we got to know each other better. After lunch we gave them the nickel tour of the house then headed out towards Bevagna to visit with Mary.

We'd passed the sign for GENIUS LOCI several times but had never turned down the road for the inn. We were quite surprised that it was just a short distance down the white road, but the setting made you feel as if you were miles away from the rest of the world! Off in the distance we could see Montefalco, Spello and Mount Subasio. Foligno and Bevagna were down in the valley, and the hills in between were covered with shades of green...the grape vines, olive trees and fields of various crops were spread out in a beautiful panorama! Wow!































Mary was waiting to greet us, and once we stepped inside the inn we were all wowed again! the interior was charming and quaint and absolutely beautiful. Mary and her daughter Mar, who was visiting from Pennsylvania told us about the three, or was it four? year renovation of the old farmhouse into a gorgeous inn. Stone walls, huge fireplaces, vaulted ceilings with beams.....this place is everything you dream about!

We sat on the covered terrace enjoying the view, and later Mary's son Michael, who runs the inn, stopped by to say hello. Wow! Another amazing view! This guy is gorgeous! After working in the hospitality industry for many years Michael is now dedicated to making Genius Loci a special place...and I think he'll succeed. His good looks are matched by his friendly and helpful personality, much like his mother.


We were treated to a tasting of their very own Sagrantino wine, and even though I don't know much about wine I know what I like and boy, was this wine yummy! Maybe yummy is too frivolous a word to use for such an impressive wine, but I'd highly recommend this wine to anyone who loves a delicious red. I think I may have to grab a few bottles of this for a special occasion.

If you'd like to know more about the inn you can click on this link for GENIUS LOCI, or to keep up with Mary's life, which of course includes the inn, you can check out MARY’S BLOG.

SUMMERTIME

Despite the sudden arrival of HOT weather, Umbria's still green, thanks to all the rain we had this spring.

DINNER WITH OUR EXERCISE CLASS

For the past several months Art and I have attended exercise classes twice a week at the school gym here in San Venanzo. My class began at 6:00 and was more of an aerobic class with only women. Art’s class, immediately following mine, was a gentler class designed for those with back problems.

Both classes were taught by Teresa, a young woman who’s originally from Poland, but who now lives here with her Italian husband. Not only did our classes start promptly, Teresa always made them a lot of fun, and loved to practice her English with me….except that most of the time she was too shy to speak more than a sentence or two.

At then end of classes in May, we all agreed to meet for dinner one night and to pay for Teresa’s dinner as a way of saying “thank you”. We decided to meet at Angelino and Peppa’s restaurant, one of our favorite in the area. Angelino and Peppa run a true mom and pop place, with help from their son and others from San Venanzo.

I shot two quick videos that night….the first is just a pan of the room, and you can see that the television was on to make sure no one missed the soccer match. We had over twenty people in our group, and although the service was somewhat erratic, a good time was had by all. The second video show Giulia, standing on a table outside, reading a short thank you speech she’d written to Teresa from all of us.

I should also mention that our group represented five different nationalities: Italian, Polish, English, American and Dutch. Even San Venanzo, a small farm town in the middle of Umbria has an international flair!

VIDEOS OF THE KIDS IN SAN VENANZO

If you're not a parent of grandparent of one of these children, this could be very, very boring! There are seven of this videos from this end-of-the-school-year pagaent on our Our YouTube Videos Page. (There were supposed to be eight videos, but number six failed to post twice, so I gave up)

JOIN US IN SAN VENANZO!

This summer, for the first time in many years, San Venanzo will host a festa! Every night from June 30th through July 6th there will be food, music and dancing! See you there!

A FARMER'S MARKET IN MARSCIANO

Good news for us! Every Saturday morning Marsciano will host a farmer's market featuring local produce! Although we love our weekly market on Mondays, this Saturday market will not only support our local community of small farmers, but we'll also get the freshest produce available....and probably save money too! I bought four eggplants at the market on Saturday, and while they were small, the cost was even smaller....80¢ for all four! If you're in the area on Saturday morning, stop by the old tobacco warehouse, located just behind the Coop supermarket in Marsciano for the freshest fruits and vegetables, as well as local wine and plants!

LUNCH WITH A VIEW

Lunch today was on the terrace of our friends Keith and Janine who live in nearby Rotecastello. We all think summer has finally arrived...we've had two beautiful suny days in a row! There are a few more pictures on our FLICKR PAGE

CELEBRATE IN UMBRIA!

Now that summer...and the tourist season....is in full swing, here's a link to a previous post about FESTIVALS IN UMBRIA for those of you lucky enough to have Umbria on your vacation list this year!

Remember that many smaller events, called sagre will be happening all over the place, so be sure to check out the local billboards or ask around.

SAN VENANZO PICNIC 2008 - GRILLING THE SAUSAGE

SAN VENANZO PICNIC 2008 - COOKING THE PASTA

SAN VENANZO PICNIC 2008 - THE SAUSAGE IS READY!

SUMMER HAS BEGUN!

Because of the way the dates fall this year, this weekend is similiar to Memoral Day weekend in the states: it's a national holiday, a long weekend for everyone, and the unofficial start of summmer.

Whenever possible, the Italians always add a 'bridge' day, making a three day weekend into a four day weekend, and that's exactly what's happened this year. Because June 2, the "Festa della Republica" (the day Italy voted to end the monarchy and become a republic) falls on a Monday, many Italians started celebrating early by taking Friday off too. Here in San Venanzo we had a town celebration on Thursday night which started with a dinner and ended with a concert that lasted until midnight. (Youtube videos are posted below this one)

Tomorrow, the official holiday, we'll do as we always do and attend the San Venanzo town picnic. It's held in a wooded area just outside of town, complete with a huge grill to cook the sausages and a cool stream to chill the wine, water and melons. The town grandmothers will cook perfect pasta outdoors in huge pots heated with a gas ring powered by a portable gas tank.

The forecast isn't looking great, but if the weather stays as it was today, just overcast, we'll be in business. Of course on Thursday night during the dinner, when everyone had planned to eat outside, the heavens broke loose and everyone ate dinner standing up, huddled under the few covered sections. We talked with our English friends about how there never seems to be a back-up plan for such events, but somehow everything works out okay. I guess this laid back attitude is typical of Italians, and is just one reason why life is so sweet here.

Be prepared...pictures and probably movies will follow. For now, I hope you're enjoying some wonderful summer weather and a picnic with friends and family!

SUMMER BEGINS WITH A CONCERT

SAN VENENZO'S TOWN BAND CELEBRATES!

POPPIES!

I've just posted a few photos of poppies on OUR FLICKR PAGE. The cool weather and lack of sun has kept them in bloom longer and kept the colors intense. This field of poppies is actually a field of wheat (hay?) that's been taken over by the flowers!

POPPIES IN UMBRIA

MARKET DAY IN MARSCIANO

FESTIVALS IN UMBRIA!!

Although Easter was early this year, the tourist season has officially begun! Researching and planning vacations are so much fun! I love figuring out the best was to maximze my time and opportunities, and local festivities are always fun.

To help you with your plans for Umbria in 2008, I've compiled this brief list. This is by no means a complete listing, just some of our favorites. A search on PERUGIA ONLINE, UMBRIA ONLINE or BELLA UMBRIA will give you updated listings, including smaller, more local activities. There will be countless local festas (sagras) as well, usually featuring dinner with the local seasonal specialty followed by music and dancing. Take a look at the billboards posted locally for more information about what's happening where you are.

(Some links might not have updated information until closer to the event.)


La Festa dei Ceri Gubbio May 15

A race through the streets with giant candles, held every year since the 12th Century. Also in Gubbio, on the last Sunday in May the "balestrieri" (crossbow competitors) challenge their Tuscan colleagues of Sansepolcro in an antique competition of shooting.
La Festa dei Ceri


L'Infiorata di Spello May 24-25

The streets of Spello will be covered with millions of flower petals creating amazing mosaics of every type. The work starts on Saturday and continues throught the night. On Sunday morning the streets of Spello have been transformed into an art gallery.
SPELLO


Cantine Aperte May 25

Perfect for wine lovers the Cantine Aperte, which translates to Open Wine Cellars, is Italy’s biggest wine event taking place in May. In its 15th year, this important event offers visitors the opportunity to taste Montefalco wines and is a unique opportunity for all those who love to visit the wine cellars and vineyards to explore Umbrian wine culture and all its secrets. The largest producers in the area offer wine tasting matched to typical local produce.
CANTINE APERTI


Market of the Gaite Bevagna June 20 - June 29

A re-creation of everyday life of the Middle Ages that takes its inspiration from the antique division of Bevagna into four districts. Antique Umbrian foods, concerts, exhibitions and archery competition make an evening in Bevagna feel like a step back in time.
MERCATO DELLE GAITE


Quintana Foligno June 4-14 and September 13-14

The Quintana is a traditional folk event taking place in June and September. In 1613 it was held for the first time, then revived in 1946 and after that the joust has been celebrated every year as a revival of the 17th century tradition. In the “Campo de li Giochi”, ten knights in flamboyant costume belonging to each town’s traditional quarter run with their beautiful horse through a special route in the center of which a XVII century wooden statue named la Quintana is placed. On the right hand of it, a series of rings with decreasing sizes are hanging: each knight has to seize the rings and at the same avoid penalties in order to win the prize.
QUINTANA


Procession of Corpus Christi Orvieto June 15

Orvieto provides an atmospheric setting for the medieval and religious spectacular of Corpus Christi. Orvieto's version of this event recalls the 1263 Christian miracle of Bolsena in which, while a priest was giving mass, blood issued from the host. The linen altar cloth, on which the droplets fell, is traditionally kept in the Cathedral but is carried through the streets of Orvieto for the feast of Corpus Christi. The world-renowned parade featuring medieval dances, songs and music, starts at the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo and ends at the Cathedral and sees more than 400 people celebrating with knights, ladies, musicians and flag men all dressed in 14th century costume.

International Arabian Horse Show Bettona June 27 - July 6

I don't know anything about this festival, but Arabian horses are so beautiful I definitely plan to check it out.
INTERNATIONAL ARABIAN HORSE SHOW


Water Festival June–July

This event, held at the Lake Piediluco, set in the Umbrian Hills, dates back to the extremely ancient tradition of the celebration of the Summer Solstice featuring rites, purification ceremonies and lighting of fires. As time has passed, the festival has retained its original features but has expanded to include other events such as an illuminated procession of decorated boats by night, firework displays, theatrical performances and concerts of classical music.


Festival dei Due Mondi Spoleto June 27 - July 13

The Medieval town of Spoleto hosts one of Europe’s most vibrant festivals during the month of July with a remarkable program of visual arts performances. Typically the festival begins with an inaugural concert on the Piazza Duomo outside the Cathedral. During the annual festival visitors can enjoy quality concerts of classical music, opera, theatre, ballet, visual arts and cinema at various venues across the beautiful city.
FESTIVAL DEI DUE MONDI


Umbria Jazz July 11-20 Perugia

This year featuring Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Cassandra Wilson, Herbie Hancock, Alicia Keys, Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Paolo Fresu, Mario Biondi and R.E.M.
UMBRIA JAZZ


Todi Art Festival July 12–27

The annual Todi Art Festival is held in courtyards throughout the city, presenting theatre, music, classical and ethnic dance, and cultural events.


The Italian International Hot Air Balloon Grand Prix July 13–27

In its 20th year the Italian International Hot Air Balloon Grand Prix, held in Todi, sees more than 70 hot air balloons arriving from countries all around the world. The balloons are inflated twice daily creating spectacular photo opportunities. There are also many other attractions at the event to keep the whole family entertained.


Sagra della Cipolla in Cannara near Bettona. First and second weekends in Spetember

Menus based on the famous Cannara onions.

Sagrantino Wine Festival September 18-21

The annual WINE FESTIVAL IN MONTEFALCO offers a chance to sample wines from a variety of wineries and to learn more about Umbria's most distinguished wine.

Celebration of ‘Made in Italy’ October 4–12

This nine-day event held in Orvieto each year, celebrates the wine and gastronomic tradition of the ‘Made in Italy’. The prestigious event was born in 1996, after a memorable world congress of the "Slow Food" Movement which took place in the Umbrian city. The event features conferences inside the beautiful museums and historic monuments, food tasting, art exhibitions and themed dinners.


Eurochocolate October 18–26 Perugia

This annual event will be any chocolate lovers dream! Dedicated to the chocolate for which Perugia is famous, this event comprises chocolate tasting, cooking classes, workshops and chocolate sculpting. Visitors will devour more than 50 tons of chocolate throughout this eight-day event.
EUROCHOCOLATE


Frantoi Aperti November 1–2

The Frantoi Aperti festival, taking place during the first weekend of November, sees the doors open to several mills around Umbria offering visitors the chance to admire the olive trees, talk to producers and learn more about olive oil production through seminars and guided tastings as well as learning the secrets of a Mediterranean diet! Numerous farms and restaurants also take part in the festival by incorporating quality olive oil with traditional dishes. Last year we tasted gelato made with olive oil!
FRANTOI APERTI


Umbria Jazz Winter Festival late December 2008 – January 2009

Five days of great music in the picturesque setting of Orvieto. Concerts are held in the 19th-century Luigi Mancinelli Theatre, the halls of the Emilio Greco Museum, the 14th-century Palazzo Soliano, the Hall of the Quattrocento in the Palazzo del Popolo, and the Palazzo dei Sette. The event kicks off with street parades and continues with a series of knock-out performances. The New Years Eve dinner is the high point of a packed evening with music and concerts lasting well into the New Year.
UMBRIA JAZZ


Christmas in Umbria December 24 2008 – January 6 2009

During the Christmas period in Umbria, religious ceremonies, historic commemorations and folklore events are organised. Living nativity scenes can be seen through many towns in Umbria and concerts of classical and jazz music are held in the beautiful churches. Visitors will also be able see the world’s largest Christmas tree made out of lights in Miranda, close to Terni and can be viewed from the valley below. Standing at 800 meters long and 400 meters wide and lit with over 7.5 miles of electric cables, it really is a spectacular sight.

WAITWAITWAIT….WHIZZZZZZZZ…

Okay, it’s official, spring is here! How do I know? Let’s see….the sun is out, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming….and the first big bicycle race of the year just whizzed through San Venanzo yesterday!

According to THIS ARTICLE, the Tirreno-Adriatico is the first big race of the year, an 1100 kilometer, seven day event going from Italy’s west coast to it’s east coast. In the process it goes up and down, over mountains and through towns, and yesterday was the second leg, the one that brought the cyclists over Mt. Peglia and right through San Venanzo.

Eventually the riders ended up in Gubbio, and you can read the day’s results HERE.

After nearly two hours of waiting and quite a few false alarms….how many ‘advance’ vehicles do they have???...the two lead cyclists zoooomed through, preceeded by lots of motorcycle cops. A few minutes later the 200-odd other cyclists came flying by in a flash of colors, followed by all the service vehicles carrying spare bikes, spare parts and assorted supplies.

Wendy told us there was quite a pile-up in Ponte San Giovanni, but luckily everything went smoothly…and quickly!... in San Venanzo. Here are a few pictures, with more on our FLICKR PAGE, and a YouTube video posted below.


























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TIRRENO-ADRIATICO BICYCLE RACE IN SAN VENANZO

SOME THINGS ARE THE SAME NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE

I realize that most of my recent posts could have been written by someone living in Italy or in Indiana. There just doesn’t seem to have been much uniquely Italian about our lives lately, but maybe it’s just the season. Of course it’s Lent, and here in Italy, that fact may have more impact on the day to day life of it’s citizens than it does in the states. Lent is a somber time for Catholics, a time of reflection and preparation, a time of penance and denial, so it’s only natural that there aren’t many activities scheduled…at least outside of church.

It’s also still winter. Although we’ve been fortunate to have a fairly mild winter, it’s still winter. There are plenty of gray days when the wind blows and just looking out the window can make you reach for another sweater. Occasional sunny days are so welcome that each time we have more than one day of sunshine we start to wonder if spring is really on the way.

But it IS still winter, so we’ve spent more than a few days snuggled in, watching movies, eating something warm and comforting, just enjoying the season….not much differently than what many of you in the states are doing. Let’s face it: there’s not much else to do during this time of year! It’s too cold to work in the garden, even though we see the crocuses and daffodils starting to bloom. It’s still too wet to be outside a lot, but we all know that this rain will help everything burst into bloom after the first few sunny warm days. And so for right now, being in Italy doesn’t feel a whole lot different than being in the states for us. But of course we are in Italy, and I’ll just keep writing about whatever we’re doing. Eventually the weather will break, Easter will arrive, and we’ll start getting out more, enjoying whatever activities we hear about. Hopefully some of those activities will have a uniquely Italian twist. Until then, bear with me.

We saw a few flakes of snow fluttering down the other day, then noticed, way off in the distance, that the mountains had gotten a dusting too…

PIZZA AT NESTOR'S - STORY BELOW

NESTOR'S PIZZERIA - STORY BELOW

PIZZA AT NESTOR'S 3 - STORY BELOW

THE PARADE ARRIVES!

THE CARNEVALE PARADE IN SAN VENANZO

THE SAN VENENZO SOCCER TEAM CELEBRATES CARNEVALE!

CARNEVALE IN SAN VENANZO! THE GIRLS

CARNEVALE IN SAN VENANZO

Every year right before the somber days of Lent begin, celebrations are held all over the world…one last decadent, over-the-top indulgence before the fasting and “giving up” favorite things in preparation for Holy Week. Of course New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Venice and Rio are famous for their Carnevale celebrations. But here in Italy celebrations are held every where. Parades snake their way through tiny medieval streets, children and adults dress up in costume, confetti is everywhere, and the festivities often continue for days, sometimes weeks.


Here in San Venanzo large open-bed trucks are decorated, then filled with costumed adults and children, each celebrating a particular theme. This year's celebration was bigger and better than usual, with at least ten floats and lots of kids in costumes. Normally we watch the festivities from our living room, since the parade comes right down our street, but this year, feeling ready to get out of the house after weeks of being cooped up, we walked down to the church where everyone would assemble.

Kids were running around throwing confetti, shooting spring string on whoever or whatever was available. One by one the floats showed up….the circus, the smurfs, the chefs, the shopkeepers of San Venanzo, the train full of children. As they started off up the street, everyone socialized while waiting for their return. We found out that because the parade was so much larger this year it did NOT come down our street….thank goodness we’d decided to come out!


After the parade had made two loops through town the floats stopped in front of the church and everyone disembarked, ready for the food and further festivities that were waiting in the church hall. Everyone was now ready for Ash Wednesday and the forty days of deprivation, knowing they’d had their one last fling.

All the pictures are on our FLICKR PAGE, in the "Carnevale" folder.

A SLIDESHOW OF OUR HOUSE FOR SALE IN ITALY

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Here we are, back in the gold ole US of A, slightly jet lagged but adjusting quickly. The trip from Italy wasn't without it's moments of drama and excitement, but that's fairly typical for travel these days, don't you think?

My internet access is limited at this point as I try to figure out just what I need to make my laptop WiFi accessible, so posts may be few and far between. For now I'd like to wish every one a very happy holiday season, no matter what holiday you're celebrating...or even if you're not celebrating at all. Best wishes to us all for a healthy and prosperous new year.

What would make our new year REALLY happy would be to sell our house in Italy, so please feel free to pass on the link to our blog to anyone who might be interested...or who might have a friend...or whose friend might have a friend....you know what I mean! The "House For Sale" link is displayed in the right-hand column of the blog. Thanks, and don't forget to vote for the sunflower photo as well!

CINGHIALE AND MORE!

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I’m not really sure how it happened. Perhaps the discussion of food, of Italian food, and specifically Umbrian food, turned to pork If there’s one thing they know about here in Umbria, it’s pigs, and most everyone we know loves porchetta, the whole roasted pig that’s found in trucks on the side of the road, at weekly markets and at butcher shops all over the region. And then there’s the wild pig…wild boar, or cinghiale. The conversation probably moved from pork to cinghiale, and Wendy mentioned that she had some cinghiale in her freezer. Alison perked up as if struck by lightning: “You have CINGHIALE???!?” Soon the discussion turned to how to properly cook cinghiale, and Alison seemed to have some ideas. Wendy offered her the chunk of meat, but Alison had a better idea: why don’t we all come to your house and you can cook it for us?

And as conversations seem to take on a life of their own, this one was off and running. Didn’t Alison want to cook the cinghiale herself? No, Wendy could manage on her own just fine. When should we do this? Well, let’s don’t wait too long…you know how these ideas seem to fade away if not acted upon quickly. Okay, let’s plan it as a holiday celebration, but we have to do it before Art and Barbara leave for the states. Okay, I’ll call you. Can’t wait…looking forward to it. And so ended our Thanksgiving dinner.

I’d almost forgotten about the entire conversation….you know how invitations are extended and forgotten at dinner parties, but Wendy emailed us all last week and said “how about this Saturday night for the cinghiale?” Amazingly we were all free, so plans were made, directions were sent, and food was prepared. I had planned to bring a ricotta pound cake from a recipe I’d recently read, but then Judith phoned to say that she needed to take photographs of a chocolate mousse/raspberry cake she’d made back in the summer, but hadn’t photographed. Never one to stand in the way of a dessert featuring chocolate, I deferred.

When everyone finally arrived at Wendy’s house… after quite a few wrong turns and missed landmarks, and with the help of many phone calls, the cooking and laughter began. The kitchen smelled heavenly when we opened the door! Not sure about how the cinghiale would turn out, Wendy had also roasted some chicken. Taglietelle with mushrooms was being prepared, along with some spinach. Judith’s cake would require last minute whipping of cream, but the basic cake itself was assembled. After an appetizer of various cheeses dinner was finally ready!

Wendy’s dining room was decorated for the holidays, and each chair wore a decorative Santa hat over it’s back. (More) wine was poured, and amazingly we all limited ourselves to one bowl of pasta, knowing that more food was coming. (The pasta was amazing! Just enough red pepper to give it a kick, but not hot enough to make you gasp)

The cinghiale and chicken were brought out, and although we were all there for the cinghiale, the chicken looked (and smelled!) so tempting that everyone just had to have a bit of that as well.

Usually when I’ve eaten cinghiale it’s been in a sugo, a tomato sauce. Like deer, it can be rather lean, and needs something to make it juicy, and also to tenderize it. Wendy had cooked this cinghiale on the stovetop, using some white wine, juniper berries and various other spices, but still, it wasn’t covered in a sauce, it was just the meat, falling-off-the-bone tender. Even though no one doubted Wendy’s talent as a cook, still, the taste of the cinghiale was so wonderful that we were all just overwhelmed! Wow! I think we all vowed then and there to cultivate a friendship with a local hunter in order to have a guaranteed supply of cinghiale for ourselves!

After we’d all eaten WAY more than was proper, it was back to the kitchen. Judith began to whip the cream to cover her cake while I started washing up some of the dishes. Again, more talking, more laughter….the whipped cream was flying everywhere, and turned out to be too runny at first. More whipping, but still the cream just didn’t want to be whipped properly. Maybe the bowl was just too wide, or maybe it should have been colder, but in the end Judith got the cream to an acceptable consistency and off we went! The raspberries were placed on top and we all headed back to the table for dessert.

Wendy was given the honor of cutting the cake, and as it turned out, her nail polish (aptly named “lampone”) matched the raspberries on the cake! Plates were passed around, and I know this isn’t polite to report, but I think Alison was devouring her second piece before everyone had received their first piece. Yes, it was THAT good!




After dinner a toast, some coffee, maybe a drop of liqueur to help it all settle. Wow…that was some meal!!!

During the meal we got to know Alison and her friend Lisa a little better. Lisa ‘knew’ us from the message boards, but we’d never met. She and her husband have been here for about five years now, and like Alison live south of us, less than an hour north of Rome. We all compared expat notes, discussed the upcoming presidential election, and discovered how we were all connected. Expats living in Italy eventually seem to find one another, even if it’s only for a traditional occasion like Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July. It’s sort of like that ‘seven degrees’ game, but usually no one is a celebrity.

Wendy tried to send some of Judith’s cake home with us, but we begged off, using our upcoming trip to the states as our excuse….we have to clean OUT the frig, not add to it! Although the offer was tempting, I know we’ll overindulge in the states, especially because of the holidays. I’d love to make this cake myself, and hope that Judith will share her recipe. And yes! She's just posted the recipe on her blog HERE.

After Wendy’s success, I now have the courage to try cinghiale myself, although I doubt I’ll find it in the meat case at my Louisville Kroger!

As usual, you can see all the picutres on our FLICKR PAGE. These are in an album called "A Holiday Dinner at Wendy's.

DISCLAV EPIC CATTO

SAN VENANZO 2008 CALENDAR

DOLLS FOR UNICEF

FRIDAY NIGHT WITH FRIENDS

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The contest ends on December 31st! Please CLICK HERE to vote for my sunflower picture and give it a "10" in the Easycar.com photo competition. Every vote counts, so please, vote now and please pass on the link to anyone else who'd like to vote for my photograph. Thanks!!!

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Last night’s event was an unexpected surprise…always the best kind. When Art walked down to the farmacia to fill his prescriptions, he stopped by the comune to ask if we could have our photos back from the recent photo contest. We’d been meaning to ask someone, either at the comune, or perhaps or neighbor Adamo, who was in charge of the event, but, as usual, time kept slipping away. (I posted about the photo contest HERE )

Art was told “No”, we couldn’t have our photos back…as listed in the rules. Guess we didn’t read that far, but oh well. Then the mayor’s secretary said “But you CAN buy a calendar with all the photos on it! There’s a function tonight at the big hall next to the comune!” Okay, cool!
And so at nine o’clock we walked through the drizzle and the fog up to the comune and were surprised at what we found. Of course there were less than ten people there, but that wasn’t’ the surprise…after all, for a function that starts at nine o’clock in Italy, it was amazing that anyone was there at all. What we did see were tables filled with handmade dolls! The dolls were all of cloth and stuffing, what we’d call a rag doll in the states, apparently called a pigotta here in Italy.

The dolls had been lovingly made by the women of San Venanzo and by the school children in nearby Ripavella. It was quite easy to tell the difference: the dolls with beautifully embroidered facial features and detailed clothes had been made by the women, but most of the dolls made by the schoolchildren had faces that were drawn on. Either way ALL the dolls were adorable. The dolls were being sold (“adopted”) with the benefits going to UNICEF. Each doll came with his or her own identity card, showing where he or she had come from. All the pictures are on our FLICKR PAGE , and I’ll have the video up shortly.








Additionally the calendars were for sale, and now I guess we can say that our photos have been published! What a nice souvenir this will be of our time in San Venanzo, and what wonderful gifts they’ll make!

Around ten o’clock everyone started to gather in the inner hall. A screen had been set up, and I wasn’t sure what was gong on. We’d expected to see the local bank, Disclav Epic Catto perform, but that didn’t appear to be happening. Hmmm..the poster had promised the band, so what happened?

I wrote about this band back in August ( on THIS POST ) when they appeared at the medieval festa in Rotecastello. They also played at the festivities for the photo contest in October, and at that time they announced the arrival of their first CD and invited everyone to a concert in Perugia to celebrate.

After Adamo introduced the band and told us a little about them, he introduced the film we’d be seeing…a video made of that night in Perugia, at the Il Pavone theater. I’ll include a bit of that footage as well…the video quality isn’t great because I was several rows back in the audience, but hopefully the audio will come through. If you like what you hear and plan to be in the area, you can pick up their new CD then next time you’re here! You can also check out their website HERE .

And so, that was our Friday night, just a simple get together with friends and neighbors, helping the world and each other, sharing talents, enjoying the season.

EXPO REGALO PART 1

EXPO REGALO PART 2

EXPO REGALO PART 3

EXPO REGALO PART 4

EXPO REGALO PART 5

EXPO REGALO PART 6

EXPO REGALO PART 7

EXPO REGALO - LET THE SHOPPING BEGIN!

You can see some pictures we took at Expo Regalo, the big Christmas market we went to yesterday, by clicking HERE. Videos will follow shortly. Although we didn't buy much, we had fun looking at an incredible variety of merchandise.

SOCIALIZING, ITALIAN STYLE

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The contest ends on December 31st! Please CLICK HERE to vote for my sunflower picture and give it a "10" in the Easycar.com photo competition. Every vote counts, so please, vote now and please pass on the link to anyone else who'd like to vote for my photograph!
Thanks!!!

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From the beginning, Art and I have been in our own little world, just the two of us. It’s not that we don’t have friends, or don’t enjoy socializing, but our work schedules always made it very difficult. Both of us had to get up very early for our jobs, and most days Art went to his second job at Churchill Downs after his job at the Post Office was finished. He worked every weekend, sometimes both jobs. Additionally he never had a day when he didn’t work somewhere! His off days from the track were really the only time we could socialize or be together, so usually on Monday and/or Tuesday afternoons we saw a bargain movie and treated ourselves to a Mexican dinner. Socializing with friends on a Monday or Tuesday evening was nearly impossible because we both still had to get up very early the next morning. And so, it was just the two of us for the most part.

Now that we’re retired and in Italy, socializing is a bit different. Of course we have the time, but the choices of where to go are somewhat limited. We don’t understand Italian well enough to take in a movie, and other than local weekend festivals, there’s not much else to do besides hosting friends for a meal, or being hosted. And so here we are, still somewhat on our own for the most part, joined at the hip for better or worse!

This past week has proved to be the exception to the rule since we’ve been invited to dinner not once but several times. We feel as if we’re on a social merry-go-round! We’d had both lunch and dinner with Larry and Shelly when we helped them pick olives on Sunday, and after having Rhonda visit for a few days, we thought things would be quiet, at least until Thanksgiving. We were wrong.

After we dropped Rhonda off at the train station on Monday, Beverly and Ron called to say that Hurray!, their heating problem had been identified AND repaired, could we possibly come for lunch the next day? We were happy to accept, not just for their wonderful company, but also for the chance to see their house, just south of Todi.

I’m a house nut. In the states HGTV was my friend, and I loved every house show that was on TV. I loved going to open houses on Sundays and checking out new housing developments. I wasn’t planning to move, but I just love looking at houses! Here in Italy there are a few home renovation shows that I can watch, but open houses don’t exist. I love to see what other people have down with their houses…how they’ve renovated, what changes they’ve made, and what wonderfully creative ideas they’ve come up with. Not only would we get to spend time getting to know Ron and Beverly better, but we’d get to see their house!

Their house, placed down a quiet lane, almost a communal driveway, offers peace, tranquility, and wonderful views if you peek through the trees. The house itself, like so many here, is a work in progress, and I enjoyed seeing the “before” rooms as much as the “after”. The house is composed of three sections, all opening onto a central courtyard.

The large fireplace in the kitchen made it cozy and welcoming, and the stone walls, terra cotta floors and doors salvaged from a medieval monastery gave it a sense of history. After a wonderful lunch (thanks for sending that pear dessert recipe, Beverly!) we had a tour of the house and of the grounds, complete with olive, fruit and nut trees.

You know, I have to admit this…sometimes when people contact us to say “I’ve read your blog and we’ll be in Umbria…..”, sometimes a part of me says “Noooo!” Maybe I’m afraid I won’t like them, or more probably, I’m afraid they won’t like me. On the positive side, I know that anyone who’s read my blog knows where I stand politically, that I say ‘fuck’ with some regularity, and that I’m very opinionated. Okay, they’ve been forewarned, so usually I welcome visitors with open arms and an open mind. All in all, I’d have to say that 95% of the time we’ve really hit it off with everyone we’ve met thanks to the blog or various message boards. Maybe because we all share such a strong love for Italy, maybe because like-minded people seem to find one another, whatever it is, it’s almost scary how easily we’ve fallen into friendships with people, and Ron and Beverly were no exception. We had such a good time with them and really look forward to spending more time with them when they return to Italy.

On Wednesday the day was dedicated to making the pies for Thanksgiving dinner with Larry, Shelly and friends. Those recipes have already been posted, and I have to say that I really liked the apple pie with the dried cranberries, so if you thought you might like to try it, I can now heartily recommend it.

Last year we’d all been hopeful that this year’s Thanksgiving dinner would be celebrated in Larry and Shelly’s new. larger kitchen, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. The project seems to drag on and on, but Shelly remains vigilant and continues to push for the work to be completed. Luckily the group was small this year….me and Art, Wendy, Judith and Alison, and of course Larry and Shelly.

Judith made a jellied cranberry dish with grappa…a nice way give our American tradition an Italian twist, huh? If you’re looking for a way to spice up your cranberries, you can find the recipe HERE. Alison made an apple pie with a wonderful crunchy crumb topping, and Wendy brought pumpkin bread. The dinner itself consisted of roasted turkey…not a whole one, but rather smaller parts roasted in the oven….whole turkeys like we have in the states aren’t easily found here in Italy! We also had dressing, sweet potatoes (again, not easily found here), turkey gravy and broccoli. Did I forget something? If I did it was only because the typical excesses of the day overwhelmed me!

With our house for sale, the thought that is might be our last Thanksgiving in Italy made it a little bittersweet…but definitely delicious! As usual, it was a real challenge to eat dessert, but we all made a valiant effort!

During the course of the evening Shelly passed on yet another dinner invitation….for dinner at the house of her friend and Italian teacher, Milena, and her husband Marco. Since Milena didn’t have our number she asked Shelly to contact us, and of course we were happy to accept. We agreed to meet at Larry and Shelly’s house on Saturday evening, and we’d just follow them to Milena and Marco’s house, just outside the centro of Massa Martana.

Another friend, Quinto, also joined us for dinner. Quinto does work for Larry and Shelly, taking care of their property when they’re in the states, and we’d met him when we’d picked olives. Although Shelly is teaching English to Milena, and despite the fact that she understands a fair amount of English, like all beginners, she’s very hesitant to speak English, meaning it was an all Italian night!

The table was set when we arrived, and at each place was a plate filled with our antipasti: a slice of salami, a small ball of mozzarella, prosciutto wrapped around a prune, and a few other simple yet delicious treats. Once this course was finished we were served roast beef, cooked on the stove-top I would guess. What was interesting about this dish was that there were olives sprinkled throughout. After the beef came another meat course, this time sausages and pork ribs cooked over the fire.

Dessert turned out to be familiar….the apple/cranberry pie I’d made for Thanksgiving, as well as a slice of Wendy’s pumpkin bread. After that was cantucci with Vin Santo, coffee, then a wonderful treat….a homemade blackberry liqueur, made something like limoncello, with a base of grain alcohol. It was smooth and delicious, not at all harsh as I had feared.

Facing a drive of 45+ minutes home, we made it an early evening. Larry had to catch an excruciatingly early flight the next morning, and I’m not sure he and Shelly got more than a few winks of sleep that night. At least Larry could sleep on the plane, and Alison had asked Shelly to stop by on her way back from Rome, so maybe a few cups of coffee helped her make it back safely.

I’m not sure what’s next, but Alison was talking with Wendy about organizing a Sunday lunch based around some wild boar that Wendy has tucked away in her freezer. Here’s hoping…….

IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING!

We continue to stay busy, and usually in very unexpected ways. Oh the advantages of being retired! Lunch tomorrow? Sure, why not? Can I stop by for a few days for a visit? Great! Can you help us pick olives this weekend? Glad to! And so it goes….

After finishing with Belinda and Giacomo’s olives, we thought our olive picking season was over….but no! We knew our friends Larry and Shelly would be back for a week or two to host their annual Thanksgiving get together, but we didn’t know if they’d had someone local pick their olives for them, or if the trees would be waiting for them once they arrived. I emailed Shelly to tell her we’d be happy to help and waited for a reply.

Meanwhile, Beverly and Ron, who we met in August at the Rotecastello medieval festa, had emailed to say that they too would be returning to Umbria for a few weeks. We’d never been able to get together during August, so we were determined to make it happen this time. Although we’d only talked to them for a few minutes, they seemed like people we’d like to know better. I told them to email us once they were recovered from their jetlag and we’d take it from there.

Additionally, we had yet another surprise email….from Rhonda, who we’d met at a SlowTrav get together in September. Rhonda, aka Limoncella on the message board, had been traveling throughout Italy since then, and was ready to leave Sicily and head north. Umbria was a good place to stop along the way, and she said she’d arrive on Saturday and leave on Monday. She knew she wanted some local wine and olive oil, so we thought maybe a trip to Montefalco might fill the bill.

Beverly called us with good news and bad news. The good news was they were in Italy safe, sound and recovering from jetlag. The bad news was they had no heat…at least no heat from the radiators, and were relying solely on the fireplace for warmth. Calls to plumbers and other technicians hadn’t yet produced any definite results. We invited them for lunch at our house on Friday, and hoped they’d stay warm enough til then.

When the phone rang early Friday morning we thought “Oh no, it’s Ron and Bev calling to say they can’t come for lunch!” We figured the heating repairs had been set for that morning, and when you don’t have heat and the technician says they’re coming to fix it, you drop all other plans, so we certainly were prepared to understand. Except that it wasn’t Ron OR Beverly…it was Rhonda, saying that she was on the train to Marsciano, and that she’d be arriving at 9 a.m. HUH??? Wait, she’s not supposed to be here until tomorrow, right? Well, we looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and Art got ready to go pick her up.

And so lunch that day was us with three Canadians in our kitchen. We had a great time getting to know everyone better, and I had a ball listening to their accents….I just love it when they say “aboot” for about!

Ron and Beverly left that afternoon with the WISH for having us to their place for lunch, but with the heating situation still not resolved, Ron was toying with the idea of taking the next flight back to Toronto.

Art had run into Belinda and Giacomo earlier that day when we stopped by the post office, and they’d invited us over for a drink, and to meet Giacomo’s dad, Santi, who was visiting from Sicily. Well, at least Rhonda was getting to meet several of our friends.

On Saturday morning we headed to Montefalco. Trying to accomplish as much as possible in a short time, we figured the drive to Montefalco would give Rhonda a chance to see some wonderful Umbrian scenery, Montefalco itself would give here a chance to see a cute medieval hilltown, and as a bonus she’d also be able so buy some olive oil in 1 liter tins. We like the one liter tins because they’re small enough to squeeze into a tiny space, there’s no worry or breakage, and the tins are much lighter than a bottle. Trouble is, one liter tines aren’t always easy to find, but we were pretty sure we could find them in Montefalco.
Once we arrived in Montefalco we were distracted by a few other shops along the walk up into the centro, but eventually we arrived and headed straight for our favorite enoteca. Yes, they had olive oil in one liter tins, but it was all last year’s oil! Boo! The proprietor told us the new oil would arrive within a few days, but of course Rhonda didn’t have a few days. We checked with another shop but found the same situation. And then Art had an idea….

When Shelly called to take us up on our offer to pick olives and learned we were going to Montefalco, she asked us to stop at the local hardware store and pick up several one liter tins. We’d done that when we first arrived in town, but now Art suggested that Rhonda buy another tin or two and that we have them filled at our local frantoio. Great idea!

Our plan was to have some lunch, return to San Venanzo, then later drive over to the frantoio. We weren’t 100% sure that the frantoio was still open for the season, but it seemed likely. Just to be safe though, we decided to watch for any signs along the road announcing ‘new oil’. As luck would have it, there WAS a sign…and it was just seconds outside of Montefalco’s walls! I’d forgotten about this frantoio since we hadn’t visited it previously, but we pulled in and smelled the wonderful fragrance of olives/olive oil as soon as we opened the car doors.

Once inside the small frantoio we asked about having Rhonda’s tins filled, and were happily accommodated. The tins were wrapped in plastic and taped up so there was no danger of leakage, and we were on our way. Mission accomplished!

Of course lunch would be at our favorite pizzeria in Marsciano, Nestor's. We hadn’t been there in several weeks, and Belinda and Giacomo told us Giuseppe and Mara had been asking about us. We were only too happy to say hello in person! We ordered pizzas from the oven and were entertained by six year old Annalaura, who was anxious to show off her artwork….Babbo Natale!

After lunch we returned to San Venanzo, and later Art would walk with Rhonda down to our local grocery store to buy a few small (375 ml) bottles of 1997 Brunello for an incredible €15 each!

Sunday morning was partly cloudy, and definitely colder than the previous olive-picking weekend. We bundled up and headed south towards Massa Martana to pick olives. As expected, some trees were loaded while other contained only a handful of olives. We made quite a bit of progress, and later, when neighbors stopped by, they pitched in too! What could be more Italian than picking olives with a cigaret in your mouth? Well, I guess he could have been talking on his cell phone, but that might have been pushing it!



Once we lost the daylight…damn I hate that it’s dark by 5 p.m!...we warmed ourselves at the fireplace with a glass of wine, then went to meet friends for pizza. The neighbors came, kids in tow, and twelve of us enjoyed the meal and the company.

On Monday morning we took Rhonda to the train station to catch a train for Venice. We got to the station in plenty of time, but needn’t have worried; the train was about five minutes late. We piled all of Rhonda’s belongs on board and she settled in. We waited for the train to depart so we could cross the tracks and return to our car. And waited……..and waited. Conductors conferred. People stuck their heads out the window. Calls were made. Most of the other people on the platform eventually walked around the front of the train to cross over and go back to the station and/or their car. We didn’t want to leave Rhonda stranded, just in case, so we waited.

At first we thought we were waiting for another train to arrive, but eventually it was discovered that there was a problem with the switching device, and workmen had to manually switch the track. After about a thirty minute delay, the train finally left the station, and we hoped Rhonda would make her connection in Florence. We told her to check with the conductor on board about connection times, and reminded her that she might be entitled to a refund if the more expensive train she’d paid for had already left the station. Rhonda’s been traveling since September, so we were confident she could handle the situation.

Back home the house was quiet, but not in a bad way. Now it was time to relax, do some laundry, maybe have some of that new oil on freshly toasted bread for lunch.......and wait to see what tomorrow would bring.

ANCIENT CAVE DISCOVERED IN ROME

Could it be the mythical cave that once housed Romulus and Remus? Click HERE to read the full story.

DESSERT? WHO HAS ROOM FOR DESSERT???

We'll be eating our Thanksgiving dinner at a more "Italian" time today...around 8 p.m., maybe later, to accommodate some who have to work the standard Italian schedule. For those of you who don't know, that schedule is usually 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., then a looong break for lunch, then another stretch of work from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. I personally would hate that schedule....once I left work for the day I certainly didn't want to go back!

As to how this impacts my Thanksgiving dinner, let me explain. We all know (or at least all of us who are Americans) that Thanksgiving dinner is a feast of and to excess. Not one but TWO kinds of potatoes..not just dinner rolls, but bread in the stuffing (or dressing). The number of veggies seems to vary from area to area, but I'm sure most tables will have at least two different vegetables, PLUS cranberries of some sort, PLUS whatever additional foods have come to be tradition in each family. Then of course there's the main event...a HUGE turkey, hopefully a golden brown, and after smelling it roasting in the oven for hours, who isn't ready to pile their plates to the max?

And so....we eat and talk, and eat and laugh, and reach for another helping of this, just another taste of that, and before you know it, the talk and the laughter gradually turn to moans. Moans of delight to be sure, but still.....everyone is saying "Ooohhhh, why did I eat so much?" or Ooohh, I just couldn't resist that last bite of potatoes and gravy", or "Ooohh man, that was really good!"

And then someone....maybe it's the one person in the family who's actually eaten sensibly...or maybe they've just paced themselves better... says cheerily, "Okay, who's ready for dessert?" Which of course is followed by MORE moaning! Who can even THINK about dessert at a time like this?

And for me, this is why Thanksgiving dinner is best served earlier in the day. You can eat all you want, have time for a quick stroll around the block, to lounge on the couch, or simply catch up on the family gossip while your stomach slowly shrinks back down to normal. Then after two, three, maybe even four hours, you can actually think about eating again. If you've eaten your Thanksgiving dinner as lunch, this makes it almost dinner time, and you can trick yourself into believing that by having "just" pie for dinner, it's not really that sinful....forgetting of course that you've already consumed enough calories to last the entire week. We American are very good at tricking ourselves that way, aren't we? (Of course a quick glance in the mirror shows that we're not really fooling anyone but oursevles!)

So anyway, perhaps this late dinner will actually be a blessing in disguise, helping me to take smaller portions and savor every bite because after all, I did make the dessert, and I'd really like to see how they turned out! One is a new recipe for apple-cranberry pie, and the other is a traditional pumpkin pie, but with my mom's secret ingredient.....not one, but TWO tablespoons of 100 proof Kentucky bourbon.


Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp gr cinnamom, and 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and ginger)

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp 100 proof KY bourbon


Preheat oven to 425º. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and pour into a prepared, unbaked pie shell. Bake 15 minutes at 425º, then reduce the oven to 350º and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted inthe center comes out clean.



Apple and Dried Cranberry Pie

3 1/4 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 8 medium), peeled, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces, room temperature

Double pie crust, divided in two.

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Combine apples, dried cranberries, flour, brown sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg and cloves in large bowl. Toss to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Spoon filling into crust, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 13-inch round. Drape dough over filling. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Press top crust and bottom crust together at edge to seal. Fold edge under; crimp edge decoratively. Cut four 2-inch-long slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake pie 45 minutes. Cover crust edges with foil to prevent overbrowning. Continue to bake pie until crust is golden, apples are tender and juices bubble thickly through slits, about 55 minutes longer. Cool pie on rack.

I forgot to dot the pie with butter, but I'm hoping that doesn't make a big difference! (Note: don't sit the butter on the table BEHIND you when you're assembling the pie!)

Here's hoping that your Thanksgiving dinner is delicious, and that you enjoy every last bite!

GIVING THANKS

Thanks to friends we'll sit down tomorrow to a feast pretty similiar to the one in the picture. We'll have roast turkey and cranberries and sweet potatoes...all thanks to the generosity of friends.

Thanks to friends we'll have not only a delicious meal but also an evening of laughter and discussion, sharing our combined Italian and American experiences.

This is truly a year for giving thanks....for family and friends both near and far. For good health. For each other. For all the wonderful adventures we've had, and all the friends we've made along the way. For the excitement and anticipation of what might be in store for us in the coming year. Yes, we'll give thanks this year....and we'll be able to give our thanks while eating turkey and pumpkin pie. Life is good.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

WATCH "OUR" OLIVES TURN INTO OIL!

SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS!

PICKING OLIVES 2007

We helped Belinda and Giacomo pick their olives last weekend. We should have picked them a few weeks earlier, but events conspired against us, so we picked them as soon as we could. Most yields are down this year due the dry weather we had last winter. For Giacomo and Belinda this problem was compounded by the fact that many of their older trees were moved last spring to make way for a new building project. Although all the moved trees seem to have survived the process, as you might expect they didn’t produce much (if any) fruit this year. On the good side, the younger trees produced exceptionally well, but of course still didn’t equal what an older larger tree would have. Additionally, I would expect that last year’s bumper crop might be followed by a lean year. In the in we ended up with half the olives we had last year.

We had beautiful weather for picking the olives…always a blessing. With shorter days and cooler temperatures, having a sunny day makes all the difference in the world. As we picked we could hear the neighbors in the next field talking and laughing as they too finished up their raccolta (olive harvest).

Giacomo had to make a quick trip to Amsterdam to see his children, so on Monday we helped Belinda load the car with our six crates of olives and take them to our local frantoio near Collelungo. Once there the crates were sent upstairs on a conveyor belt where they were weighed and transferred to large wooden trays. This is the process used for those who don’t have enough olives for their own pressing. These small groups will eventually be combined and pressed together, with each person getting their percentage.

I don’t know how many olives (by weight) are needed to have your own press. Last year the twelve crates we had were enough, but the six crates this year were not. Additionally you must make an appointment to have your olives pressed, and when you make the appointment you must estimate how many olives you’ll be bringing in order to help estimate how long each pressing will take.

Once the olives were weighed, trayed and labeled, we went into the office to see when they could be pressed. The rather impatient woman in the office told Belinda that her olives could be pressed “maybe on Friday”. Since many of the olives were VERY ripe, we all knew that they should be pressed as soon as possible. The woman insisted to Belinda that this was impossible! Impossible! But of course this is Italy, and nothing is impossible, you simply have to find a way around the problem.

Belinda asked if any of her neighbors had pressings scheduled. Alberto had an appointment on Friday, but another neighbor, Daniele, had an appointment on Tuesday afternoon. Could we possibly combine our olives with his? The woman at the mill said as long as Daniele agreed, it would be fine with them. We left for home, and Belinda called Daniele to see if she’d let her add her small harvest with his. Daniele, a friendly, smiling, guy told Belinda of course she could add her olives to his, so we arranged to meet on Tuesday afternoon.

Once we arrived at the frantoio none of us were surprised to find out that they were running behind. You’d think after years of doing this that both the frantoio and the farmers would have figured out a better system, but for some reason people seem to underestimate their yield, meaning that their press takes longer than expected…and throwing the schedule completely off.

We took the opportunity to drive Belinda into Ripavella, just down the road. Our friend Wendy has a lovely house listed there, and Belinda and Giacomo have a client who’s searching for the perfect property. We hoped we’d be able to help all our friends do some business and make some money. We’d seen the property just outside of Ripavella about a year ago with some friends from Poland. The house is beautiful and the land has over 300 olive trees. The clincher for us was the pool, with it’s amazing view of Montecastello di Vibio.

We then drove into Ripavella, a tiny little place, to have a coffee. I think Ripavella has one bar and one tiny grocery store, and because it was barely 3 o’clock, we weren’t sure if the bar would be open. Normally bars do stay open during the afternoon, but in such a tiny village things might be different.

Luckily we’d been here before and knew that the bar was around the back of one of the buildings. As we walked down the hill we saw a woman on the balcony above and asked if the bar was open. “Certamente!” she said, but when we tried the door it was locked. She told us to wait, and just then a man came around the corner to unlock the door. Art and Belinda ordered coffee, I had a bottle of water, and we sat at the table chatting.

Belinda asked the man behind the bar a question, and of course he could tell that none of us were Italian. He told us that an American couple had bought an apartment in Ripavella, but that they didn’t live there fulltime. Another man entered the bar and he too joined in our conversation about the many ‘stranieri’ (foreigners) in the area. He told us that his cousin had been married to an American, and I immediately said “Frank!” “Yes”, he said in English!, “my cousin was married to Frank.”

Of course that led to a conversation about our friend Frank, who died last November. Although he had continuing heart problems, Frank continued to smoke, and eventually his heart gave out. It wasn't surprising to find a relative of his in this area...Frank's wife was bron in Ripavella and most of her family lives in San Venanzo.

We decided we’d better get back to the frantoio to see if Daniele had arrived, and if by chance they might be ready to begin pressing our olives. When we arrived we saw that Daniele had arrived with his cousin, and they were getting ready to empty their crates into the huge hopper. Belinda’s olives were dumped down a chute, and the olives gradually began their journey into the frantoio. Out of the hopper they sent via a short conveyor belt and were sucked into a long tube. This tube took the olives to the inside of the building where they were washed, and where many of the larger leaves and stems were separated. After this they were sent to large stainless steel vats were they were crushed into a red looking mush. As you can see in the slide who, one of the vats was overfilled, and the mash (and eventually it’s oil) oozed out.

The olives filled up four of these vats…well, three and a half… and they churned away in the vats while the olives of the person before us were processed. Once it was our turn the valve was opened and Daniele and Belinda’s olives began the final step. The liquid was extracted and the semi-solid waste was removed. A centrifuge separated the water from the oil, and eventually the oil began to flow! We all ran a finger through the stream of oil to have our first taste! The oil was thick and silky, but with a nice spicy taste.

The oil was then sent via a tube to the lower level where it collected in a large tub. The residual scum was skimmed off the top, then a pump was hooked up to send the oil to the containers. Each container was set on the scale and weighed before it was filled so that the weight of the oil could be determined.

We knew that Belinda’s olives weighed 117 kilos, about 10% of the total. Last year’s olives had yielded about 14% oil, and of course we were all curious to see what this year’s yield would be. Belinda thought she’d be lucky to get ten liters, but once the numbers were crunched the yield was 17.7%, and Belinda’s share was 22 liters….probably enough to last them the whole year.

It was around seven o’clock by the time we left the frantoio, and we stopped at the store on the way home to buy some bread for bruschetta. I opened some cannellini beans too….another perfect food for drizzling the new oil! Of course it was delicious, and knowing that we’d all worked hard for this oil made it taste even better. The three of us toasted the new oil, and enjoyed a well-earned dinner at last.

Here’s a slideshow of the process….

IT'S NICE TO BE MISSED!

Over the weekend we picked olives with Belinda and Giacomo (more on that later). Being outside all day, reaching, bending, stretching, climbing up and down the steep hillside, carrying the crates full of olives from place to place, well, at the end of the day we were pretty exhausted...glad for a hot shower and an early bedtime! Guess we're getting old!

Anyway, this morning as we left the house to take the olives to the frantoio, we said hello to Armando, our neighbor, who was working in his garage. His first question for us was "Where were you Saturday night?" We of course had no idea why he wanted to know, but we told him we'd picked olives that day and were tired. Turns out there was a festa on Saturday evening...a castagne festa...chestnuts! Oh well we told ourselves, we don't like chestnuts anyway.

And then tonight at exercise class, no sooner was I in the door when four women asked at once "Where were you Saturday night?" Wow! And then I felt a little sad that we'd missed it...in addition to the castagne, dinner was served...spaghetti with sugo (sauce), and bruschetta with new oil...now THAT would have been worth staying up late for!

TASTING THE NEW OIL

Last year we missed the FRANTOI APERTI, and I was so glad we’d be here this year to taste the new oil. The first year we were here we visited frantoi all over Umbria, but now that we’re a bit more educated we concentrate on the area around Trevi, since that particular area has the spiciest, strongest oil…the kind we like.

Umbria is divided into five zones with regards to olive oil. Just as wine is now certified by DOC or DOCG labeling, so is olive oil. DOP means ‘Denominazione d’Origine Protetta”, meaning that the olives are certified to be from the specified area, and in the specified proportions. Each zone has different specifications for it’s oil, and in the Colli Assisi-Spoleto area where Trevi is located, the specifications for the oil are as follows: 60% (minimum) Moraiolo Olives, 30% (maximum) Leccino and Frantoio varities, and no more than 10% of other varieties. Other areas use different percentages of each olive variety, and even if you don’t know that Moraiolo are the spicy olives, a helpful guide on the FRANTOI APERTI site will tell you not only the blend of olives, but also whether the oil is spicy (piccante), strong (forte), fruity, (fruttato) bitter (amaro), etc :

The FRANTOI APERTI website, a wealth of too much information, eventually revealed what I really wanted: the program for the weekend, complete in two pdf downloads. At last, a map of the participating frantoi! I could now begin to plot our day, to decide where we’d first taste the new oil.

I was so busy that I really didn’t look at much of the other info, but luckily Art did. By digging through all the information Art discovered that both Spoleto and Trevi were offering shuttle busses to the various frantoi, and each city appeared to be hosting other activities too….finally, we see people learning how to market their products! Because Trevi was closer, and because there were several olive mills in that area, we decided to drive to Trevi to check it out.

Trevi, a charming medieval hilltown south of Umbria calls itself the “City of Oil”. It’s surrounded literally by hundreds, maybe thousands, of olive trees that create a silvery green backdrop. We arrived around 11 a.m. and checked with someone working at the information booth. She told us the shuttle bus would leave around 12:30 and that it would be waiting right where we were standing. We grabbed some of the brochures and set out to explore.

We had a chance to admire the antique cars on display (see my previous post), visit a frantoio within walking distance of the centro, and see what was happening in the main piazza. Trevi is also known for it’s ‘black’ celery, which explained why we kept seeing people with bags containing HUGE stalks of celery. Once we reached the main piazza we saw crate after crate of celery, plenty of winter vegetables, sausages, cheese, and of course, the star of the day….lots and lots of olive oil.

We tasted several different oils and decided that we really liked the oil from the Gaudenzi Frantoio, and yes! they had it in 3 liter tins! We’d decided to take some back to the states with us in December, and thought that a 3 liter tin made more sense than a 5 liter tin. With luggage weight restrictions being what they are, every pound (or should I say chilo?) counts.

Also in the piazza was a huge grill for toasting bread. We lined up with everyone else who was waiting for the next batch of bruschetta! Once again the simplest of ingredients combine to make such a perfect treat….bread, garlic, olive oil and salt....YUMMMMM!

We bought the oil and took it to the car just as the shuttle bus was pulling up. It held about twenty people so we got on board and waited for the driver to return. Once we left the centro we drove slowly back down the hillside, past places we remembered from previous years, to our first stop….and we were a little surprised to see that it was FRANTOIO GAUDENZI ….the oil we’d just bought in the centro. Well, at least we wouldn’t have to lug the oil back with us. Once inside the fairly new building (they were just completing it when we were there in 2003) everyone was given the chance to see the modern equipment used to produce the oil and to listen to a short talk.

Back on the bus after about twenty minutes we made our way to our second stop….the COOPERATIVA di TREVI . The oil here wasn’t as spicy as the previous frantoio, so I took the opportunity to look around the display area where they sell not just oil, but fresh meats, sausages, pasta, beans, and…surprise surprise! Olive liqueur!

We first saw this olive liqueur way back in December of 2003 at a Christmas exposition in Bastia. Luckily they were offering samples, and once Art tried it he couldn’t resist. Our friend Wendy was quite taken with it as well, and she bought several bottles as gifts that year. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to find it since!

As soon as I saw the distinctive bottle of olive liqueur I called out to Art, then reached for my cell phone to give Wendy a call. Naturally the price had gone up since we first bought it four years ago, but still, €20 for such a unique taste of Umbria seemed money well spent. When we took our bottles to the checkout desk the girl overheard us talking and told us that it was nearly impossible to find…and we told her yes, we knew that only too well.

Okay, onward to the next frantoio! This one turned out to be one we’d searched for before but never found. I think it must have been at the end of the day, and when we didn’t find it right off the bat we just said the heck with it and gave up. Now the area’s a bit more developed and I think the signs are better, and we found ourselves at the last stop of the day, "IL FRANTOIO", where we would taste olive oil in ways we never imagined!

All the pictures from our day of oil tasting are available on our FLICKR PAGE .

MORE RISOTTO IN THE OVEN

While poking around on DELIA SMITH 's website (again!), I happened upon two more oven-baked risotto recipes that certainly sound worth a try. Once again, I've simplified the instructions to suit me (and hopefully you)

Oven-baked Smoked Pancetta and Leek Risotto Serves 4

4 oz (110 gr) sliced smoked pancetta
12 oz (350 gr) leeks, trimmed, halved, rinsed and sliced
2 ½ oz (60 gr) butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup (175 ml) arborio rice
3 fl oz (75 ml) dry white wine
18 oz (510 ml) vegetable stock
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp Pecorino romano cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
Freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) with a 9” baking dish inside.

Begin by reserving 5 slices of pancetta, then cut the rest into thin strips. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the strips of pancetta to the pan along with the onion and cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden.

Add the leeks and the rice to the saucepan, stirring to coat all the rice grains. Add the white wine and vegetable stock, then the sage, salt and pepper, and bring it up to a simmer. Transfer everything into the preheated baking dish. Stir once, then place it on the center shelf of the oven and bake for exactly 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the reserved pancetta til it’s good and crisp. Crumble.

After 20 minutes, slide the risotto dish out of the oven shelf and gently stir in the 2 tablespoons of grated Pecorino, turning the rice grains over. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the crispy pancetta and the extra grated Pecorino.

and this one:

Roasted and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto Serves 2

For the roasted tomatoes:

1 ½ lb (700 gr) tomatoes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
Small bunch basil leaves

For the risotto:

2 tsp sundried tomato paste (or triple strength tomato paste)
4 oz (110 gr) sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 oz (25 gr) butter
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup (225 gr) arborio rice
¼ tsp saffron stamons
10 fl oz (275 ml) dry white wine
2 oz Parmesan, grated, but extra for garnish
1 Tbsp heavy cream
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. You’ll need 2 roasting trays…One 14” x 10”, and a 9” shallow ovenproof dish of about 1.75 litre capacity.

Skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them, leave for 1 minute before draining and slipping the skins off. Slice each tomato in half and place on the roasting tray, cut side up. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle w/olive oil then chopped garlic. Top each one with half a basil leaf dipped in oil first to get a good coating.Roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges of the tomatoes are slightly blackened. Remove from oven and puree in a food processor.

Turn the oven down to 350º and put the other baking dish in the oven to preheat.

Fry the onion in butter for about 7 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains. Crush the saffron to a powder then add to the rice, along with the wine. Bring to a boil, let it bubble for a minute, then add the tomato paste and 12 oz of boiling water. Sitr, season with salt and pepper, then add the pureed roasted tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes. Stir, bring up to a simmer, then pour it into the pre-warmed baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes.

Stir in the grated Parmesan and give it another 5-10 minutes . Just before serving, stir in the cream and top each portion with shavings of Parmesan and any leftover basil leaves.

Being able to make delicious risotto in the oven is just the most wonderful thing, and I'd like to say thanks to Delia Smith for perfecting this technique and sharing it!

YES IT'S TRUE...

...they really DO roast chestnuts on an open fire...or on a grill heated with a portable gas tank - whatever. Before we moved to Italy all I knew about chestnuts was what I'd heard Johnny Mathis sing about, then during our first winter here we discovered that roasted chestnuts are everywhere! I have discovered that I don't really like them, but I DO love the idea of them...the idea of people gathered around a warming fire, watching and waiting for the chestnuts to be ready, juggling the hot chestnuts from hand to hand as they try to eat them....well, it's just sort of a whole "It's a Wonderful Life" experience, don' t you think?

On Saturday afternoon we rode down to Marsciano to see a folk group dance at the small shopping center where the grocery store is. We picked up a few supplies, then Art took them to the car while I went in search of the promised performance. That's when I stumbled across the crowd waiting for the next batch of chestnuts to be ready, and I also saw a girl dressed in the period costume I'd seen on the poster.


We asked her when the performance would begin...the poster said 4:30 and of course by now it was close to 5:00. In true Italian style, no one seemed to know! None of the other dancers were there, and no stage or area had been set up for the performance. After a few minutes we decided not to wait...although I'm sure it would have been interesting, it just didn't seem worth standing around for an unknown period of time, waiting and wondering. I know this is Italy, and I know we're retired, but sometimes this oh-so-causal concept of time just doesn't work for us.

PRESERVING TRADITION

Posted below is a short video of a show Anthony Bourdain filmed in Tuscany, with it's most famous buther, Dario Cecchini.

As if he weren't famous enough, Dario's also been featured in Bill Buford's book, "Heat". (BTW, would whoever has my copy of "Heat" please return it, or at least let me know where it is? It's bright yellow, you can't miss it. Thanks)

THE FAMOUS BUTCHER OF TUSCANY

TOBACCO, ITALIAN STYLE

Smoking is still fairly common in Italy...probably throughout most of Europe. Thankfully bars and restaurants are now smoke-free, but it's still surprising to see people smoking. American cigaret brands are very popular, but honestly who can afford to smoke???


Around our part of Umbria tobacco is grown, although it appears to be a different variety than what we used to see in Kentucky. A few weeks ago while taking a drive we spotted these fields of tobacco, ready for harvesting.

Re-DEDICATING THE VILLA FAENA

After 3 1/2 years of waiting, it was only fair that the dedication of the Villa Faena be a multi-day affair. This brochure outlined the activites for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday night was the photo exhibition, Friday night was the car show followed by the inevitable speeches, then everyone was invited to tour the Villa Faena.
















Dinner was to be served, and gradually the hall began re-filling with people was they wandered back in from the villa. Many of us had brought desserts, but the main meal was supplied by our local butcher shop, Davide's.





We watched the porchetta being sliced and put onto freshly made buns, saw the huge chunk of prosciutto grow smaller and smaller with each paper thin slice that was carved from it. There were trays of sausages too...all in all a pork lover's delight!

Once the dignitaries arrived the floodgates were opened! Everyone flowed as one towards the food tables, and once there it was hard to get back out!

Somewhere, behind all those people, are the food tables! I wasn't brave enough to attempt a second visit, but I'm sure the tables were empty by the end of the evening.

THE PHOTO CONTEST

After three and a half years the renovations on the palazzo that houses our comune (town hall) is finally complete! (well, almost)

A photo contest was held, and to kick off the four day celebration the public was invited to view the photographs and vote for their favorite. A jury would choose the winners, and to be honest, I have no idea what the votes were for! We thought maybe there would be a fourth prize for the photo with the most votes, but that never happened.

I walked around the room where to pictures were displayed, and although you can't see a lot of detail, at least you get the idea. I can point out the picture that won third place: it's seen at -2:33 into the video, and is of a dead (or leafless) tree, with a bright blue sky in the background.

The second place photo was taken in nearby Rotecastello, looking up at the medieval tower with a full moon in the background. You can catch a glimpse of this photo at the very beginning of the video, on the left. You can see the tower , but not the moon . (Sorry, if I'd known it was going to win a prize I'd have zoomed in!) The photographer said that this photo was taken a few years ago, in November or December, so once again, all the trees were dead too! Do we have a theme?

First place went to a picture of a snail on the side of a tree. The snail has some sort of stuff oozing out of it, and personally I thought it was pretty gross!! Watch for it at -1:22 into the video. There's a countdown timer at the bottom of the video of the times.

The prizes were HUGE baskets of local foods...honey, olive oil, chingiale sausage....it was hard to see everything because of the cellophane that was covering it......and there was no point in taking a picture.

The video is posted below this post.

SAN VENANZO PHOTO CONTEST

ANTIQUE CARS PHOTOGRAPHS

Amidst all the festivities in San Venanzo this weekend, a last minute addition was a display of antique cars. I was told that the cars were on their way to Todi for a show the next day. They were all in such good shape...and so beautiful!


To see all the photos click HERE , then click on the "Antiques Cars" folder.

Any time you want to see our photos you can click on the Flickr link in the right hand column.

CORALE di SANTO SPIRITO di PERUGIA REHEARSAL

CLAUDIO VENERI AND HIS SQUARE PIANO

Halleluiah Chorus

IT'S CHOCOLATE TIME IN PERUGIA!

It's chocolate time in Perugia! Yes, now through Sunday, October 21 you'll be able to wander the streets of Perugia and see chocolate everywhere! I should have posted this information last week, but honestly, if you're a dedicated chocoholic, and you're in Italy right now, you already know about this, right? Chances are you're in Italy BECAUSE of this festival!

Here's the official website: EUROCHOCOLATE FESTIVAL

SAY A PRAYER, LIGHT A CANDLE,

make a novena, cross your fingers, whatever it is you do for good luck and best wishes, do it now.......someone is interested in our house! Yes, I realize it's a little early, and I hope I'm not jinxing things by writing about it, but I sure could use the power of prayer or the karma of good wishes regarding our house for sale in Umbria!

A PIADINA BY ANY OTHER NAME IS....DELISH!

KYLE PHILLIPS, over at ABOUT.COM, sends out a weekly newsletter about Italian cooking. (You can SIGN UP HERE) , and a few weeks ago he wrote about learning to make piadine while on vacation.

Piadine are a specialty of the Romagna region, and really, they're not all that different from a flour tortilla. Generally they're eaten spread with soft cheese or served with prosciutto, but of course I have some more American uses for them as well....like wraps for sandwiches, or brushed with a bit of olive oil. baked in the oven, and used as chips for salsa. (I prefer flour tortills over corn tortillas for almost everything.)

The recipe didn't sound all that different from pie crust either, except that instead of using ice water you use hot water. And it's kneaded. And then it's grilled on a hot griddle instead of being filled with apples and baked! Other than that...exactly the same. Since I make a great pie crust, I figured I might as well give piadine a try.

You can read about HOW TO MAKE PIADINE but to make things easier I cut and pasted Kyle's article into some easy to follow directions that I printed out and stuck in my recipe folder.

Although the original recipe calls for lard (strutto here in Italy), Kyle did mention that you can also use olive oil for a lighter version, so of course I decided to try both. I made half a recipe of each type, then Art and I sat down with some fantastic homemade salsa our friend Wendy had given us last week.

"Real" piadine (and I guess torta al testo is another name for them) are supposed to be cooked on a testo, a round griddle that's heated over coals, or on the stovetop for those of us who don't build a fire every day. I have a wonderfully large cast iron griddle, and decided to use that instead.

We both liked both types of piadine, with Art slightly preferring the 'original' version with lard, and me preferring the lighter, olive oil version. The reason I say 'slight' is because the difference is really minimal. Either version is great, especially hot off the griddle....give 'em a try!

You can read Kyle's full article about piadine HERE.