A frosty rose.....

This is the beautiful effect of the heavy frost on a rock on the opposite side of my lane. A frost which has been lingering here in the village for over a week now.

But the temperature has risen slightly this afternoon and has been up to 1°c (!). But all the villagers predict that this is a sign that the snow will be with us very soon. It's actually forecast (yet again) for tomorrow.... So a Happy New Year (maybe) for all those snow lovers then.

I bet all the skiers have their fingers crossed!

posted by Carole B @ 6:01 PM 4 comments links to this post

What a great evening!

I have just passed a really great evening of television viewing. Something which I must admit is a rare occurrence these days - even with 'wall to wall' British programmes. It was purely by accident that I switched to BBC4 at about 8pm and there was the Omnibus edition of Leonard Bernstein conducting West Side Story with Kiri Te Kanawa and Josè Carreras singing the parts of Maria and Tony - Ah, sheer bliss!

I had been flicking around the channels while I was waiting to see this evenings episode of Casualty. Well once I heard that fabulous music Casualty was forgotten - who cares about Casualty?

I saw West Side Story for the first time the day after it's 'premier' in London in 1961....and that was it - I was hooked. I bought the album - which I still jealously preserve and I have seen the film at least forty times I would think.

Who can forget such delights as 'Tonight' - 'There's a place for us' - 'Gee Officer Krupke' and perhaps my favourite of them all - 'America' and those great lines, among which were:

I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

I like the city of San Juan.
I know a boat you can get on.
Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.
Hundreds of people in each room!

I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.
If there a current to turn on!
I'll give them new washing machine.
What have they got there to keep clean?

When I will go back to San Juan.
When you will shut up and get gone?
Everyone there will give big cheer!
Everyone there will have moved here!

That last line makes me smile these days as it makes me think of all of us 'expats' who have moved here to Italy and are now happily settled. If things go on like this some of our 'home countries' (well the smaller ones at any rate) will be empty too - we'll all be over here!!!

But back to the music.... I can honestly say that I can remember just about every word of every song from this fabulous musical. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics together with the wonderful music of Leonard Bernstein is imprinted on my heart I think. Yes there are other musicals which I like, musicals like Oliver, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady all of which I was lucky enough to see on the 'West End' stage in the late 50's and early 60's, but that which remains uppermost, and has done now for 45 years, is West Side Story.

So tonight was a wonderful end to what has been a strange year. A year full of 'ups and downs'. A wonderful day at the Monster GTG in Tuscany and the chance to meet so many Expats. Another 'mini' GTG at Easter when I met some others. Plus many just ordinary days that were nothing really to write home about but make up my life.... In addition I have made many new friends this year and now, with the advent of SKYPE on my horizon these friendships are blossoming!

I just hope that 2007 will bring to me and mine - and to everyone I know, wherever they may be - a peaceful and prosperous life!

posted by Carole B @ 11:19 PM 1 comments links to this post

Pleasant Memories Indeed!

The day, the venue, the company and the food was, to say the least, memorable (see below)...

But then when we came outside, having finally finished everthing they had to offer , this is the sight that was waiting for us - now who could complain at this?

posted by Carole B @ 12:09 PM 1 comments links to this post

"Done and Dusted....at last"

Well all the 'hoo-hah' is over and we're almost back to some semblance of sanity. Yes the 'festive season' is now more that 50% over!

Was it all worth it? Well from my viewpoint - YES IT WAS!!! Even though Serge and Lynsey left (amid my usual 'few tears') late yesterday evening, we had passed a great few (four) days together. I think we would have all liked it to have been more...but I'm grateful even for such small mercies and I'm not about to rock the boat about short stays!

The four days were - to say the least - sort of hectic, but with enough time for all four of us (I include the 'mutt' in this count too...) to have an unscheduled 'forty winks' when the need arose. Of course they were interested in getting a few of the things they like, to take back with them to the UK. This included about ten packs of prosciutto crudo di Parma....which they then promptly forgot and left in 'my fridge' - hahaha - what a shame.... I say that because 'crudo' is one of the few affetati that I can eat. I shall freeze the packs, guard them jealously and use them sparingly...

Christmas Day itself started with a 'lay-in' for us all...I was up first (even before Ciccio) at 9am. The other two followed at around 1015am. A slow and leisurely 'caffe latte' was followed by "prezzie time" with the poor dog getting increasingly frustrated everytime he heard paper being ripped open, only to find that what was inside was NOT for him! Then it was off to the next village to deliver the gifts for the family who were up at their place for the holiday...a quick aperitivo with them and then off to 'Il Capretto' for lunch. We were greeted by 'mine host' (seen here on the left)


after which we got down to the 'serious stuff'.

This was Serge and Lynsey's first visit to 'Il Capretto' and they were pleasantly surprised. It is not a 5 star restaurant, with all that entails, but a 'down to earth' family agriturismo. I was surprised that they were packed out - with not a seat to be had. But even more pleased to see that on one very long table there were a group (with 'carers') from a local centre for 'older people' with learning difficulties - and boy oh boy - did they enjoy themselves! Their laughter was just soooo infectious - it was a real tonic.



The meal was delightful and much of it was very new for Lynsey. She decided though that she liked the following: Sciat (strong cheese dipped in batter and fried), ravioli with bresaula filling, roast goat, turkey with chestnuts and home made 'strudel'









Mind you though....she wasn't al all convinced about the very strong 'sorbet'....it did have rather a strong hint of home made limoncello about it I must admit
(hahaha....)




But overall the whole experience was very enjoyable for us all....the place was warm and welcoming and has an atmosphere which makes you feel really comfortable - no (as I call them), 'airs and graces'. Even their decor is rustic, as you can see here:



And this 'chain' is cut out of just ONE TREE....



All in all a pleasant, peaceful afternoon among excellent company and food that was even more excellent!

posted by Carole B @ 10:46 AM 0 comments links to this post

They're here at last!

Well despite the best efforts of the fog in the UK - my two finally arrived yesterday afternoon. They were due to leave Stanstead for Bergamo around 8.30am, arriving home here for around 1.30pm...... 'due' being the operative word!
Well the plane to take them was late getting into Stanstead, so they didn't board until nearer 10am... then the take-off slot was missed so they were parked on the apron waiting for the 'GO' until just after 11am!

Long story short - they finally got here at 4pm. I can't hide the fact that thoughts along the lines of 'what the heck do I do with all this Christmas stuff if they can't get here' was very near to being uppermost in my thoughts. Yes I know - how selfish can I get?. Considering their disappointment at that stage came in a very poor second I'm afraid.

But all's well that ends well, and they're here (phew). The 'mutt' went 'ballistic' with joy when he saw them, and even more so when - surprise surprise, my niece and her husband tuirned up too. They had decided at the last minute to spend the holiday in their holiday home up here. Their two sons will join them tomorrow as one has to work and the youngest has a football match at Bergamo (he plays for Atalanta junior team) in the afternoon. So last night for supper (somewhat improvised at the last minute) there were five of us around the table....it was lovely.

This morning 'my two' are off to explore the recently enlarged Iperal Fuentes here. I decided not to go with them as the place has been 'heaving with people' for the last week. In fact following the (almost complete) doubling in size, even the near 1000 parking places were full and local roads were full of cars too!

This evening we're 'off out' for a pizza and tomorrow evening to another local place for a Christmas Eve supper - though it won't be the traditional 'Seven Fish' supper that Italians have on the 24th! Were going to a restaurant called The Engadina - very popular and bound to be packed tomorow evening... It'0s going to be a lovely few days - I can feel it in my bones!

The weather is very cold here 'on the dark side'. We have had a reeally heavy frost now for three days and while they did forecast a 'white Christmas' it now seems that will not be the case after all! Oh well, never mind. There's still plenty of winter time left for the snow to arrive.

One nice popint to remember though is that since the Equinox on the 21st - the nights NOW start to 'draw out'....YIPPEE!!!

posted by Carole B @ 12:55 PM 4 comments links to this post

Look at the view this morning!

What a wonderful sight to wake up to. This effect of the sunlight on the mountain in the distance - while those nearer home remain in darkness isn't an everyday occurrence. So I guess I was lucky to have been able to capture it just now!

I know I post a lot of photo's like this....but the effect of the light in the mountains just never ceases to amaze me!

posted by Carole B @ 9:36 AM 4 comments links to this post

For those with families in Cercino!

A couple of people have asked in the 'comments' on the blog if I live near Cercino as they have family or friends there....

Well Cercino is over on the other side of the Valtellina from me. I can in fact see it (all-be-it in miniature) on the opposite slopes.

Here are three photo's that I took for someone else who lives in California and who contacted me via a genealogical site I belong to..... he also thinks he still has family in the area.

N.B. The date of January 2002 on this group is because I forgot to reset the date on my camera (stupid or what? No don't answer that!). I actually took these in October this year.
The first two are self explanatory, and the following three are views of the village of Cercino/Piussongno. The one with the church tower is looking accross to where I live....

The final picture is where my place is positioned in relation to the woods and mountain 'out back.... (I've added a larger version of this one) You can just see the top of my roof at the back behind the stone house with the white terrace! Plus there is the 'new house' from the opposite side from all the other pictures I've taken.

posted by Carole B @ 5:50 PM 0 comments links to this post

Meet Maggie and Pete!

Last summer I met Maggie and Pete - two retired expat Brits who had lived less than half a mile from my nieces place up here in Colico for the last couple of years.

It was pure coincidence that we struck up a conversation when taking a well deserved rest following some visitors of mine dragging me around the local weekly market..... well our friendship has grown over the past few months and now we enjoy finding places to eat 'nice things'!

Today was one of those days, but not a new place. We ate there a couple of weeks ago too, and it is where I have booked for my Chrismas Day lunch with Serge and Lynsey.

Today we 'pigged out' on the Menu Fisso. Maggie unfortunately can only eat certain things but she enjoyed a simple risotto followed by grilled vegetables in a skillet. Peter went for the pasta dish you can see, followed by mountain 'bollito' and potatoes; and I went for (ssh) - pizzoccheri, followed by grilled chicken breast an vegetables. This was washed down with half a litre of local red wine and the 'usual' mineral water. Then good espresso to finish. For €12 a head, always a good value meal.

The Christmas lunch looks pretty good too, and the setting is pleasant as it is an agriturismo that has just recently modernised, but they have not lost that 'family' touch and their farm is just out back....

posted by Carole B @ 12:15 AM 4 comments links to this post

The Other Views In MY Panorama!

Sorry, I forgot these last three photo's that I took on that morning.

These follow the panorama as seen from my terrace starting with the two on the previous post. So turning from left to right (West to North to East) this is my view....

There's next to np view from the back windows as the base of Monte Legnone is 10 meterea away.
The third photo here shows the view looking down the Valtellina and as you can see there is no sunshine on the village!

 

posted by Carole B @ 12:06 AM 0 comments links to this post

Look at the difference!

Thank goodness - it has stopped raining finally!

I woke up this morning and could see what I hoped was some sunlight trying to filter throught the shutters.

So having put on a warm dressing gown I ventured onto the terrace to be greeted by this wonderful view looking north west towards the lake. The very top of Lake Como is tucked behind the small rise here on the left.

Much of the heavy rain we have suffered had clearly fallen as snow higher up, and the results are here to see. I will never, ever tire of seeing sights like this. When the sun does decide to shine it's socks off on newly fallen snow - well, it still manages to take my breath away!
This second photo is the next step as I turned from left to right - oh, if only I had a 'panoramic' camera..... But I think the camera I have got will take short video's, and I could do an all round 'short' panorama with that.

I took three more pictures to complete an almost 200° view and I'll post the others later. I'm just thankful that:

"I can see clearly now the rain has gone" 

posted by Carole B @ 5:44 PM 0 comments links to this post

The 'mini raging waterfall'!

Here' s the photo that should have been in the post below....
I just don't know why, but this 'blog' will never let me finalise a story with three photo's. I can write my words alongside ALL three photo's then at a certain point one of them just disappears into the ether!

But here is the state of the water now! Let's hope it stops raining sooner rather than later - that's all I can say! 

posted by Carole B @ 1:58 PM 2 comments links to this post

Is this going to be a problem?

Well despite the forecasts saying it would snow at this level - it just hasn't happened. But it has continued to 'bucket down'..... So much so, that the 'mini' waterfall has now become a raging torrent (see the photo above this post). Well maybe not by normal 'torrent' standards, but it is sure a heck of a 'raging torrent' (however small) when it is just 4ft from your house!

It is comforting though (I think) to know that the gully is at least 5ft deep here next to me, and it bocomes deeper (6ft?) a bit further down the slope.

There is the noise too now. What was just a gentle rustle of rushing water has now become a bit louder - verging on a mini thunder clap - but continuous.


But the snow DID arrive, but higher than they forecast. In fact from looking due South for the two photo's above to doing an 'about turn' and looking due North - this is what I can see now.

Well at least I can see a mountain....that's the first time since last Sunday! But by the look of the clouds it doesn't bode too well for tonight either! 

posted by Carole B @ 1:38 PM 2 comments links to this post

Yes - it's still raining!

Well despite further forecasts of snow at our level - it's still only more rain that we are getting.

At the side of my house there is a 'mini torrente' which is normally fed by the snow melt from Monte Legnone which, basically, is (well almost)in my back yard....for want of a better way of describing it. This gives me the pleasure of hearing gently running water throughout the spring. Nice and peaceful for insomniacs.

But over the last few days with the incessantly torrential rain the 'stream' is a roaring flow! This is fed by the little waterfall you can see here. It's just accross the lane from my house, the corner of which you can see on the right of my back gate.

The photo below is looking from the same position but just turning to the left. Here you can see the rush of water as it comes under the lane and down the channel (called coincidentally Torrente Karel...) and wends it's way down to the River Adda. Both photo's were taken at noon today - the 8th December. 

posted by Carole B @ 3:06 PM 0 comments links to this post

It's Chucking It Down!!!

Geez - they told us it was going to snow, all-be-it at above 1000-1200 metres....and what did we get?
RAIN - Rain and rain and even more rain that's what! I mean, where is it all coming from? Can't somebody up there turn the bloomin' tap OFF? Even the 'mutt' didn't want to venture farther than the front doorstep this morning. I had to almost drag him accross the driveway and send him down into the garden....and guess who was getting blo*dy wet in the meantime????? Well I'm sorry, but coping with a 'reticent dog' on a lead, a walking stick AND an umbrella is beyond even my 'wonderwoman' capabilities - hahahaha!). Yet you can be sure that IF he hadn't been on his lead (rain or not) he would have been out of the gate and down (or up) the road like the proverbial bat out of hell! But he wasn't off the lead (HA) but 'tethered' to me (tough titty mate....), so he just settled for a quick uncrossing of legs and then 'back indoors'.

But it's not really a surprise - winter is finally here, and unlike last year when the leaves remained on the trees until February, this year we have had wind and rain in abundance and the trees are finally almost bare. Two days ago we had a very heavy frost which - due to being in the 'dark period' - (November 'til 10th February) - means that the house/village will have no direct sunlight for 3 months. But that, in itself, doesn't bother me at all...as long as I'm 'toasty warm' indoors I can cope with just about anything. In fact as we Brits are apt to say 'I don't give a monkey's'!!!!

As 'they' had forecast snow for the next few days, I played it safe and on Monday I went a stocked up with plenty of fruit, veg, meat and UHT milk etc. - well JUST IN CASE! My daily bread is delivered so that's one problem solved, but I mean, it wouldn't be much fun to wake up (like last year) and find several feet of snow blocking you in the house and discovering that you only had a half pint of 'sour' milk and two dry crusts of bread - now would it? (Bet if that DID happen though - the 'mutt' would become very worried if I looked his way - HA!) But the veg will be cleaned and frozen and the fruit is on the windowsill covered in a box to protect it from frost and meat has been cut, bagged and frozen too....So the weather can do it's worst - 'cos I'm in Italy - in the Alps. Sooooo "Personally my dear, I don't give a damn"!

posted by Carole B @ 10:27 AM 5 comments links to this post