Thanksgiving at Alpental

New garage!/Thanksgiving feast


Cousin John with Dom/Daniel, Cindy, Peter and Kate

Thomas and Emily with Rocky/Patty and Scott

Patty and Charlie

Yesterday was a beautiful day at Alpental. We had partly sunny skies and there was about an inch of snow on the ground in places. However, the roads were bare and dry. Dom and I loved seeing the wonderful new garage and the gorgeous surrounding rockery that my brother-in-law Scott built for my parents. It will make using the cabin 1,000% easier! They even got the heated driveway working and, after everyone was there, a group photo was taken. I think my mother plans to use it for her Christmas card.

We arrived just after 10 am. Most of the day was taken up with dinner preparations but my sister and I managed a long walk around the valley. There were a number of other people out taking advantage of the crisp afternoon as well.

Our dinner was delicious even if we did try to serve rare turkey. What temperature is it supposed to be?!? After cutting off the well done bits, the bird went back in the oven to finish cooking. The pies (pumpkin, apple, pecan and mince tarts) were fabulous as always.

It was fun spending the day with the family and seeing my nieces and nephews. Ranging in age from 9 to almost 17, they are all growing up fast. They are interesting, intelligent and fun to be around. It would have been fun to stay the night with everyone else but since we had only been home two nights we decided to head back to Whidbey. We were back at the house by 9 pm.

Unfortunately, the rain began overnight and today has been gray and dismal. Our chore lists are long and varied so have been busy. Most importantly, I have finally caught up with these blog posts.

It has been fun keeping everyone informed of our Autunno 2008 Italian doings in this fashion. Many people have commented that they enjoy the pictures. As we are now back in the U.S., posts on this blog will be intermittent for the next few months. Interesting events, excursions, parties and holidays will rate a post but not day-to-day activities. However, when we get back to Italy in the spring they will once more appear regularly. Thanks for keeping up with us. Comments are always welcome.

Snow in Partigliano Complicates Departure

Snow in Partigliano - views from our house

Dom with luggage at Gatwick Airport

In the end we had an uneventful trip from Pisa to Seattle. However, Monday the 24th began anything but calmly.

At night we keep the shutters in our bedroom closed but the bedroom door remains open as do the shutters on the window right outside it. When I woke, the first thing I noticed was that the power had been out. It was still half dark but I grabbed my watch and was just able to make out the time—6:50 am. Then I realized there was a strange glow to the light coming in the hall window. I got up and looked outside. SNOW!

Only about an inch had fallen—just enough to nearly cover everything. It looked beautiful and if we had not had a plane to catch later in the morning I would have thought it was a grand adventure. Instead I had to fight down panic even as I was waking up Dom.

The next few hours were interesting. The power seemed “wobbly” so I quickly took a shower. Just as I finished it flickered on and off several times before going off for good for about an hour. Dom put on grubby clothes and went outside to finish up what needed to be done there. We had cold water and the gas burners worked so we had breakfast in the semi-darkness and continued doing things that did not require power.

My biggest worries were Dom getting a shower (how awful to have to fly home without one) and what the roads would be like. Dom was much calmer about it and suggested I call some of our friends who live closer to Lucca. Mary and Orlando were surprised to learn that we had snow as they had nothing. Since they can see down to the road to Lucca they were able to reassure us that it was pretty localized. By this time it was also raining outside and the snow on our patio was becoming thick and sloppy. It seemed that we would be able to reach the airport with few problems.

Finally the lights came back on. Dom was able to get his shower. I was able to iron the clothes I planned to wear. While Dom hand carried the larger bags up to our car in the village parking area I finished doing the dishes and tidying up the house. The utilities were turned off and we were ready to go. Actually, we were ready to go with time to spare so we sat down and watched the news for a while. Shortly after 10 am we grabbed the last of the bags, flipped off the electricity and locked up.

The drive to the airport proved uneventful. By the time we left, enough other cars had been down the hill so the center of the road was merely bare and wet. All the snow disappeared after a couple of miles. By the time we halfway to Lucca there was no sign of it at all. However, when we stopped at the toll plaza outside of Pisa (20 miles away) the attendant asked where it had snowed because somehow the inch of snow managed to stay on the roof of the car all the way there.

We were so early at the airport that we hauled our bags inside and checked in before meeting Rosario (our rental agent) outside to return the car. That took all of thirty seconds so we then had time for cappuccino and pastry before boarding our flight.

The trip to London was smooth as was our transfer from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow Airport. Trolleys at each stop made moving our bags fairly simple. The only glitch came when we boarded the flight to Seattle. The plane was ready to go but apparently we were parked so close to the taxiway that we could not maneuver away from the gate in order to join the take-off queue. It was nearly an hour before the queue diminished enough for us to leave.

We landed in Seattle almost an hour late but we were soon through immigration and customs. My parents met us at baggage claim and we spent the night at their house. The next morning my mother drove us to Mukilteo where we walked on the ferry. Actually, it was more like waddling onto the ferry. With no trolley to help us, hauling our bags on and off the boat proved a challenge. The ferry personnel were practically laughing at us. We must have looked like refugees returning home.

Once the boat docked at Clinton we waddled off and tossed all our bags onto the bus. Whidbey Island has a great bus system. It is free and will drop you anywhere you ask. Thus, we were able to get off right at the end of our long driveway. It was not raining so I waited by the road with the bags while Dom walked down to the house, found his keys and brought the truck back up for me and the luggage.

It was great to finally be home. We spent the rest of Tuesday turning things on, plugging things in, going for groceries and the cat, and unpacking all the bags. We managed to stay awake until after 9 pm before collapsing in bed.

Today is more of the same. We are getting back into the rhythm of island life even as we try to get ready for the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow. We plan to be at my parents’ ski cabin at Snoqualmie Pass for the day checking out the new garage and eating too much turkey and too much pie.

Last Weekend in Italy!

Lou bundled up to walk at dawn!/Sagra field

Camigliano vineyard and countryside

Villa near Camigliano/Persimmon tree and villa

Old workers' cottages now local bar/Dom with premi!

Pasta for breakfast/Bikers at Bar Bini

We spent yesterday cleaning the house and tools. It was bright sunshine with a good breeze so I managed to do three loads of wash and actually get them dry. Dom serviced the cutter bar mower and other tools before putting them away for the winter. He also spread some fertilizer around the base of the olive trees. It should be done later in the winter but he was there and so was the fertilizer. It also took both of us to haul the patio table and the TALDI bench into the barn. Most everything we needed to accomplish got done so we ended the day feeling pretty pleased. Later on we met Mary and Orlando at Ristorante La Fonte for a last delicious Italian meal.

Today we got up early and went to one more marcia podistica. This one was located east of Lucca in the town of Camigliano. It was still fairly dark when we arrived at 7 am. It was also COLD—not much above freezing although it was a dry morning so we did not have to worry about ice on the roads. I was bundled up, wearing three layers, my raincoat, a ball cap and gloves!

The partenza (start) was located in what has to be the local sagra (festival) venue. The walled field had several permanent buildings (including one with a large kitchen) along its perimeter, a bandstand and a stone dance floor. Parking was located in an even bigger field beyond the walls. It made us wonder what kind of festival the town has each year and when it is held. We’ll have to look into that.

We were not familiar with the town of Camigliano so it was fun to explore another new area. The terrain around it is rolling hills with a number of large vineyards. The area is close to the town of Montecarlo which is a major wine producing area. There are also many new houses in the area so it looks prosperous. The sun rose but high, thin overcast meant it never got very warm. We kept up a vigorous pace and soon warmed up. Even so it was cold enough that I never took off my hat or gloves.

As we approached the finish we realized that there was a huge, well kept villa located across from the field where we started. The small cottages nearby must once have been the estate workers’ homes. Nowadays they have been renovated and a sign identified a couple of them as the bar/clubhouse for the local gruppo sportivo (sports group). When we finished we picked up our premi (prizes—a bottle of wine each!) and had a little hot tea and toast with olive oil. Pasta with sauce was also available but we passed on that.

On our way home we stopped at Bar Bini in Diecimo for cappuccino and pastry. It is always packed on Sunday mornings but we enjoy being part of the crowd. As I waited outside for Dom to pay I saw a large group of cyclists out for a Sunday ride. They were bundled up as well and pedaling fast to keep warm.

Later in the morning I went to mass at our village church. Afterwards I made frittata for lunch. Then we commenced packing. With 15 liters of olive oil to transport it was difficult keeping our bags below the new British Airways weight limit. We had an allowance of two bags each with a maximum weight each of 23 kilos (50 lbs.). Since each container of olive oil weighs about 5 kilos and measures roughly 12x8x4 inches we soon discovered that taking only three bags was not going to work. In the end we had four bags—two large and two small—plus two carry-on bags. Neither of the large bags was full but it worked.

Late in the afternoon we went up to the village bar for a coffee and to say goodbye to our friends. We spent an enjoyable hour chatting in broken Italian and promising to return in the spring. Tonight we are going for a last pizza at Ristorante Il Mulin della Volpe. Tomorrow we are off to the U.S.

A Day in Portovenere

Le Grazie fisherman and Dom with dump truck


Le Grazie harbor


Portovenere


San Pietro at Portovenere


Portovenere views of the sea


Portovenere wine bar


Even though it was a rainy morning it was one of our last “free” days before departing Italy. So we carried on with plans to go to the town of Portovenere, about a ninety minute drive from our house. Luckily, by the time we reached to coast the weather improved a bit. No rain just brisk winds on a gray November day.

Portovenere is located on the south end of the stretch of the Ligurian Coast that includes the Cinqueterre but we think it is much more attractive. One of its plusses is that it is easy to reach by car although from Partigliano one first heads south to Lucca, then west to Viareggio, then north past Carrara, then west to La Spezia, then south to Portovenere. The reason for the circuitous route is that one must go round the Bay of Poets. La Spezia, at its head, is one of the major ports in Italy and homeport for the Italian Navy. Thus, many of the buildings, docks and installations on the west side of the bay are devoted to the military. Although the public cannot access these facilities, it is possible to look down on them from the road that heads down the peninsula from La Spezia to Portovenere.

Along this road are a number of towns. Once fishing villages, they now exist as bedroom communities to La Spezia and cater to summer vacationers. We stopped at one of them, Le Grazie, where a number of large yachts are berthed in addition to many smaller boats. We stopped and walked around for about twenty minutes. Among the interesting things we saw was a man fishing from the seawall right beside the “no fishing” sign. Well fed cats followed us around hoping for a handout. Dom spotted a small, drivable cement mixer—about midway between the size of a portable one and a full-sized one. A number of seagulls clamored for space on a tethered dinghy located in the harbor. Right in the middle of the harbor front pea patches (garden allotments) were divvied up behind fences on what looked to be public property.

After we made our circuit of Le Grazie we continued on to Portovenere. We have been there a number of times but it had been two or three years since our last visit. Not much had changed. The number of hotels, many of them shuttered in late November, is proof that in the summer the town must be a hopping place. Once upon a time it was an important post as it guards the entrance to the Gulf of Poets. The large fort on top of the hill still looms over the town and World War II bunkers can be seen along the town streets. The latter are sometimes covered with flowering vines and seem to be incorporated into the landscaping schemes of the neighboring houses. In addition to the fortifications, it also has a harbor that is well protected by a large island. The transient moorage held a number of large sailboats so we hypothesized that a regatta might take place over the weekend.

While we were there all was very quiet. However, the brightly colored buildings seemed to glow in the dull autumn grayness. There are no cars allowed in the old part of town so it is a great place to stroll around. We had the lanes nearly to ourselves, the more so as we arrived just about at 12:30 and the stores were closing up for lunch. By the time we walked out to the gray and white striped church at the end of the promontory and came back there was no one around except for a handful of other tourists.

The little church (San Pietro, I think) is a lovely spot. It is perched right above the sea and the old walls surrounding it have a number of “windows” that frame lovely views of the coast. The wind was doing a good job of whipping up the sea so the water was crashing against the rocks and tossing spray everywhere before slithering back down. Once we visited the church just after a wedding and white flowers filled the space. This time, as we approached the open door a black and white cat sauntered out and down the steps.

None of the usual restaurants right along the water was open so we walked back from the church along the town’s “main” street which cuts right through the center of town. Nothing much was open there either so when we saw an open wine bar we went inside. It was a really cute spot—only five tables—and my salad was excellent. Dom’s sardine panino (sandwich) was also tasty. Afterwards we continued on towards the town’s main square and discovered three or four other restaurants and bars doing brisk business. Sometimes serendipity is everything. If we had seen them earlier we might never have discovered the interesting enoteca (wine bar).

It was only mid afternoon but we felt we were done for the day. We headed back to Partigliano for a quiet evening at home.

Pisa Airport, Garbage and Mattress Festival Redux

It was a short night for us. We were up at 3:30 am to take Bob and Joy to the airport at Pisa. They do not have a house in the U.S. but will visit a variety of relations over the next few months. Thus, they were traveling like turtles. Well, if not all their worldly possessions on their backs they had a goodly portion in their three large suitcases and four smaller carry-on bags. We managed to shoehorn four adults and all the bags into our small Fiat Punto. One large suitcase sat on the backseat between Bob and Joy. I told them the airplane seats would seem capacious in comparison. After seeing them safely checked in (no jettisoning of possessions at the last moment), we wished them buon viaggio and left.

Dom and I were back at the house by about 6 am. I promptly returned to bed but he had coffee and stayed up for several hours before joining me for a nap.

This afternoon we took a few things to the “dump.” Actually, it should probably more accurately be called a transfer station as the discarded items are eventually hauled elsewhere. The concept seems to be fairly new here. The operation located a few villages away opened last spring and replaces the prior arrangement of periodically bringing a giant dumpster to the village. It was always fun to see the dumpster appear suddenly, fill up and then overflow within a few hours. The local people would bring all their old possessions—broken furniture, old wine casks, cracked mirrors, dingy patio chairs—and pile them in. Within 24 to 48 hours it was hauled away. We took advantage of it once to remove some old items from our barn.

The new system, while much more convenient, is much less picturesque. The station is only open three days a week but that works so much better for us. One never knew when the old dumpster would arrive and it only arrived once every two to three months. Since we are only here part-time it was often difficult to get rid of old or broken items. It was so easy today that we can only applaud the improvement in service.

Our friends Rachel and Kim, who came with us to the “mattress festival” have posted their version of the evening on their blog—http://lifeinalessandria.blogspot.com/. Check it out for a great recap and great photos.

A Potpourri of Photos

The past few days we have had just enough to keep us occupied but not enough to prevent us from relaxing. The weather has been good so we have even been able to eat lunch outside a couple of times and spend some time reading on the patio.

Monday morning we ran some errands in Valdottavo and Diecimo. On our way home we saw this older man harvesting his olives in a small grove that sits between two roads. Actually, as you can see, he was taking a break and using his wheelbarrow as a table for his merenda (snack). I thought it was such an evocative image I asked Dom to circle back so I could snap this photo.

When we reached Partigliano we saw a couple of cats playing in the grass. There were two adults and this adorable kitten. This picture does a pretty good job of showing how fluffy the little guy is and you can just see that his black fur is tipped with gray. With the sunshine hitting him from the side he seemed to glow as he watched the adult cats scratch at a nearby olive tree.

Yesterday we had friends Carol and Luigi for lunch. It was a fun few hours and we enjoyed spending time with them before our departure.

Today we did a few chores. One of those I worked on was oiling the TALDI bench. TALDI stands for The Alpental Ladies Do Italy and is the shorthand reference to our “girls” trip to Italy in June 2004. Afterwards, my friends gave Dom and I a gift to buy a bench for our patio here. When Dom’s brother Frank and his wife Ang were here the following spring Frank built this bench using chestnut planks he found in our barn. It has a great deal of character because the planks were rough cut out of a curved section of tree trunk. Frank squared off a number of pieces to make the bench but left two sections whole—one on the seat and one on the backrest.

I told Dom that the bench is the only item in the house that ABSOLUTELY must go with us when we sell the house. Everything else is negotiable. It was looking pretty bad because I have neglected it for over a year. Monday I washed it good and today, after it dried well in the sun, I applied a coat of oil for garden furniture. It looks much better now and should be all ready for use next spring.

That’s it for now. We are expecting a neighbor to stop by for a drink and then tomorrow morning we are taking Joy and Bob to the airport in Pisa at 4:30 am. Aaarrrgghh!

Shopping, cleaning, walking, eating...

View of Lucca and Pisan Hills.


I am once more falling behind on posting…

On Friday I picked up Joy at 9:30 am and we went to Lucca for a girls’ day out. Mary joined us later in the morning and the three of us had a great lunch together. It was loads of fun to go off without the guys. Not that we don’t love them but every once in a while a woman just needs to spend time with her girlfriends. Since I had the car poor Dom was stuck at the house all day.

Joy and I both had specific ideas of items we needed to purchase before heading back to the U.S. Presents of all sorts were high on the list. We started out at one end of Lucca, worked our way to the other and then retraced our steps. A lengthy period of time was spent in a wonderful kitchen store. Leather goods, jewelry and ceramics also rated close inspection. Even shops that held nothing we needed required a certain amount of attention since without the men we could actually spend time looking at things that would bore them silly. Thus, we carefully went through the Swarovki crystal shop and discussed all the lovely little objets d’art. Joy was pretty restrained but I made quite a contribution to the local economy. So much so that my arms were aching by the time we got back to the car.

It was interesting being in Lucca so late in the fall. There were very few tourists, even fewer tour groups and many stores have shortened hours. There were also a number of places that were closed for vacation. In Italy it is common for stores and restaurants to simply shut down for a few weeks. Usually we find out about this by arriving at the establishment and finding a notice on the door. Sometimes the proprietors post a warning message a few weeks beforehand. No one seems terribly put out and November seems to be a popular time for this. No doubt it is because things have slowed down after summer and early fall but the holiday rush is still a few weeks away.

On Saturday Dom spent several hours hauling wood up from the “lower forty.” Several years ago we had some trees felled and since then we have been using some of it for firewood. The acacia is not terrific for this purpose but the price is right. The wood was left in rather long lengths and piled higgledy piggledy. A few weeks ago he cut some of it into useable lengths but left it below. It was necessary to cart it up to the barn wheelbarrowful by wheelbarrowful. Then some of it needed to be split. Maybe the price isn’t so great.

Meanwhile, I cleaned the house and did laundry. The sun finally came out and there was a brisk breeze. It was perfect for drying clothes outside so I managed to finish two loads. I spruced up the interior and even got the ground floor mopped. The latter was something I had put off for quite a while so I felt really good about getting it done.

In the evening we went out for pizza. The food was good but the server spilled a pint of beer next to us so I sat through the meal with my lower pant legs soaked. A really tasty dose of gelato on the way home improved my mood considerably.

Sunday dawned clear and crisp—perfect autumn weather. Another marcia podistica had us driving almost 45 minutes up the Serchio valley to a small town near San Romano in Garfagnana. This is well into the foothills of the Appenini mountains and the rising sun gradually illuminated the rust and gold hillsides, craggy peaks, stone and terracotta villages and the bright green pastures. A sliver of new snow capped the very highest mountain tops which seemed in keeping with a sign we passed indicating the temperature was only 4° Centigrade or about 40° Farenheit!

Three of our Italian neighbors went with us since the husband of one, their usual driver, went hunting. Dom and I decided to do the 6 kilometer route while our friends did the 2 kilometer walk. Our route went down hill from the partenza (start) at the local campo sportivo (sports field) before heading uphill into the woods. The path we followed was freshly mown but underneath the grass, leaves and mud it was possible to make out the stony surface of an old donkey road. We crossed a fairly large stream using a temporary bridge made of several 2x8 planks. To our left we could see the water cascading down the mountainside in a series of waterfalls. The torrent continued down into the valley to our right over a series of man-made falls.

Our route continued down into the valley to the point where we thought we might actually reach the Serchio River. Eventually, we made a loop through the narrow pathways of an ancient fortified village and began our ascent back to the arrivo (finish). By the time we returned to our starting point we were hot and sweaty (I finally took off the coat I wore over a fleece and several other layers) and we felt we had had a great workout. After a quick snack and hot tea we collected our premi (prizes—specialty pasta, bottled water and mini tissue packets) and headed home.

We were expecting guests for lunch so I hurriedly showered and made few preparations for lunch before heading off to Sunday Mass. That gave Dom the opportunity to make a fire and get himself cleaned up without me stressing about entertaining.

Our neighbors, Dr. Giovanni Landucci and his wife Paola, joined us at 1 pm and I served spaghetti with a tomato/zucchini sauce followed by turkey and mixed salad with poached pears and a little whipped cream on top for dessert. Our guests brought us an excellent Italian champagne-style wine and a huge box of chocolates, both of which were enjoyed before they left.

Giovanni and Paola have been extremely nice to us and have entertained us several times at their house. We wanted to do something to reciprocate their hospitality but I have been reluctant to invite any of our Italian neighbors for a meal. The language difficulties are daunting enough (although Giovanni speaks excellent English) but I also worry about serving the wrong food and getting the local etiquette totally wrong. Luckily, everything seemed to go well yesterday so I am looking forward to further entertaining in Partigliano.

Another event that took place yesterday was some sort of tractor procession. While out getting wood from the barn, Dom noticed a parade of machines heading up the hill above us. Being the tractor aficionado he is, Dom got really excited. I think he really wished he had his Kubota here in Italy so he could join the spectacle. He asked Giovanni about it and learned that the tractors gathered in Valdottavo (the village below ours) and then worked their way up the hill. Our neighbor explained that it took them half an hour to arrive at the top. Whatever else he told us was lost in translation (or lack thereof). Later, when Dom and I were talking about it I surmised there might be a blessing of the tractors followed by lunch at Guzzanello. It is a pretty common formula here and, sure enough, we saw notices today in Valdottavo for a Festa di Ringraziamento (Thanksgiving Festival) that involved bringing produce to be blessed followed by lunch.

Today was spent rather lazily. I actually finished a novel! We ate lunch on the patio (shivering slightly) and tried to stay there and read afterwards. However, when the weak sun went behind the clouds it was far too cool to remain outside. So we moved indoors, turned on the heat, built a fire and whiled away the rest of the afternoon.

A Day in Florence at the Palazzo Vecchio

Hall of Five Hundred


Fresco of Florence under siege


Portion of colorful fresco


Yesterday we drove to Florence, partly to celebrate my birthday and partly because we try to spend at least one day there whenever we are in Italy. It only takes us about an hour to get there by car so we rose at a leisurely hour, stopped for coffee and pastry along the way and arrived there shortly before noon. When we left the house it was sheeting down rain and the heavy downpour continued until we were about a third of the way there. It did not bode well for a day of sightseeing on foot but amazingly during our five hour stay in Florence it only spritzed for a short while.

We decided to visit the Palazzo Vecchio, the city hall located in the center of town. Its tall tower presides over the sculpture-filled Piazza della Signoria, most famous for being the original site of Michelangelo’s David and the gateway to the Uffizi museum. I had never been further inside than the first courtyard so it was with great interest that I toured the palace. It was extensively remodeled when the Medici family was returned to power as Grand Dukes of Tuscany in the 1500s. The renovations were undertaken with the mandate that the interior space be updated without changing the exterior. Thus, a building that began life as a fortified castle was enlarged and transformed into a royal palace. The changes created some interesting spaces—windowless studies, tiny chapels and views into narrow light wells.

The most stunning space is the Hall of the Five Hundred, an immense hall that started out as the room where the city council met. Under Cosimo I and his architect, Giorgio Vasari, it was transformed into an awe inspiring ducal audience chamber. Later, in the late 1800s, it served as the house of parliament for the newly unified Italy. The carved and painted ceiling is particularly interesting as is the fact that the room itself is a rectangle set into a trapezoidal building. Thus, narrow triangular spaces sandwich the great hall at the north and south ends.

There is some painting and sculpture throughout the palace but most is not terribly interesting. More noteworthy are the frescoes and paintings that decorate nearly every ceiling and many walls. I especially liked the map room that has wood panels painted with depictions of the world as it was known at the end of the 16th century. Unfortunately, the battery in my camera gave out well before we reached that part of the palace.

After we completed our explorations of the Palazzo Vecchio, we found a spot near the Duomo for a late lunch. Dom had tomatoes and tuna while I had a plate of Tuscan antipasto—cold cuts, bruschette and olives. We then looked for skiwear at a couple of stores (for my birthday!) but did not find anything appealing. On the way back to the car the shop windows were brightly lit. High fashion clothing, leather handbags and gloves, Florentine paper and traditional ceramics glowed with color and life. The dull autumn daylight was fast fading and we drove home in the dark.

The rain started again when we were halfway back to Lucca. Lightening lit up the sky and traffic was heavy. Nonetheless we arrived back home about 6:30 pm. Later, rain still pouring down, we went for dinner at the nearby Ristorante La Terrazza. Unlike most evenings we ordered both pasta and meat courses plus dessert. What are birthdays for if not an excuse to indulge!

An Active Social Life

San Cristoforo at Barga


Medieval lane in Barga


Alabaster window in San Cristoforo


Tribute to the next President in Barga window

One of the smaller yachts at Viareggio

Peek inside a Viareggio workshop

Dewy spiderweb seen on Sunday marcia

"Watch" dog watching Sunday marcia

My apologies for taking a bit of an extended vacation from posting to the blog. That said, here is a recap of the last six days.

Last Thursday afternoon we went to the train station in Lucca to pick up friends Kim and Rachel. Somewhat to our surprise they turned up on time. If you have been following their blog (about their year living in the Italian city of Alessandria) you know that they have had some interesting adventures using the Italian train system. We put their luggage in our car and moved the vehicle to better parking before commencing our tour of Lucca.

We took them on our usual route through the town—a bit of a walk along the walls, the church of San Frediano, the old Roman anfiteatro, a walk along via Fillungo, the church of San Michele, Piazza Grande and the cathedral of San Martino. The weather was cool and there was a spritz of rain from time to time. Nonetheless, we had a good time wandering the winding streets of Lucca and getting to know one another. We had not previously met face to face although we had been exchanging emails since last spring. A mutual friend had suggested Kim and Rachel pick our brains when they decided to spend a year in Italy.

Our tour was supposed to finish with a visit to the archeological museum under one of the deconsecrated churches in town. We had heard good things about the exhibit and were disappointed to find that it was closed on Thursdays and Fridays from November 1 to the end of March. With that option nixed, we strolled back to the car and went back to the house.

A stop at the enoteca (wine store) to refill our 3 liter jug with red wine, as usual, proved quite popular. Our guests always get a kick out of going into the back room and seeing the jug get filled from a giant stainless steel tank by a nozzle that greatly resembles a gas pump feed. They usually get an even bigger kick out of the price--€1.30 per liter or €3.90 to fill our jug which it the equivalent of 4 bottles!

The four of us had dinner at Il Mulin della Volpe, one of our favorite local restaurants. Having nibbled on salami, cheese, olives and peanuts, along with some of the jug of wine, Kim, Rachel and I only had bowls of tortelli along with mixed salad. Tortelli is the local specialty—pasta meat filling topped with a tomato and meat sauce. It is very filling and very yummy.

The next day, Friday, we took Kim and Rachel to see the medieval Devil’s Bridge at Borgo a Mozzano and the medieval town of Barga. We lunched at a pizzeria in Fornaci di Barga before deciding not to continue on up the valley. Instead, we went to Marlia to the frantoio where we showed Kim and Rachel how the olives became oil. Our friends Mary and Orlando were there will another load of olives which were just about finished. We went to a nearby bar for a drink before heading back to Partigliano. We ate dinner at home that evening before going up to the mattress “festival” at the old school in the village.

The previous Sunday, at the marcia podistica, our friend Erina had urged us to come to una festa del materasso (a mattress party) at 9 p.m. the following Friday. Near as I could tell from what she told me was that it was a benefit for Unione Sportivo di Partigliano, the local walking group, and they needed a minimum number of people to receive the honorarium from the salesman. The whole idea confused me so much that I specifically asked Erina if we were talking about mattresses for beds. Yes, mattresses for beds she confirmed. We were not obligated to buy anything she assured us and there would be food and drink afterwards.

So, after dinner the four of us trooped up the hill to the old school (not used since well before we bought our house) where we found ourselves in a room with between forty and fifty local people. Up at the front was a single bed sitting on top of a couple of tables. What ensued was a spirited presentation by the salesman of all the virtues of the foam mattress, the slatted platform (that is used in Europe instead of a box spring), the pillow, the wool mattress cover, wool pillow cover and the wool and satin coverlet. A matrimoniale (double) version with all the bells and whistles could be yours for only €4,000.00!

The whole thing reminded me a great deal of a Tupperware party. However, the biggest surprise of the evening was that the U.S.P. received a donation of €500 from the salesman. Apparently this is how the company sells its products. They have no stores and do no advertising. The bed certainly seemed like good product but at that price I can handle an lesser mattress.

Kim and Rachel, as well as Dom and I, thought the whole thing quite hilarious. We did not stay long after the presentation was over (it took at least an hour and a half) and as the four of us picked our way down the hill we compared impressions of an unforgettable evening. Our guests definitely thought it was the highlight of their visit.

The next morning, Saturday, we dropped Kim and Rachel off at the train station where they planned to continue on to Umbria for several more days of touring. If you want to read more about their Italian adventures check out their blog at http://lifeinalessandria.blogspot.com/.

The weather had improved a great deal so Dom and I drove over to Viareggio along the coast. We parked in the port area and checked out a few of the mega-yachts berthed there. After a stop at a store for Dom to buy some wrenches and a stop at a bar for another coffee, we wandered through the streets where the boatbuilders have their factories and shops. Even though it was Saturday many of them were working and it was fun to peek in the doorways and see what was happening. I was struck by the number of bicycles and mopeds propped just inside the doorways. I remarked to Dom that it was nice of the businesses to provide “employee parking.”

Back in the car, we meandered around the Viareggio area for a while and stopped for pizza on the way home. That evening we, along with Mary and Orlando, went to Bob and Joy’s house for Cajun food. They fed us a delicious dinner of corn chowder, shrimp po’ boys, cole slaw and praline cake with ice cream. It was another wonderful evening with good friends.

Sunday morning Dom and I got up early and went to the marcia podistica at Casabianca. Unfortunately, Bridget the G.P.S. did not know where the town was located so we wandered around for a while before we found it. The fog that rolled in did not help matters but a stop at a bar helped. It was a bitterly cold morning so Dom and I walked briskly but it was near the end of 5 kilometers before I really felt warm.

Back at home I went to mass at the village church and was joined by Bob and Joy. The church near their house no longer holds mass and they had been going into Lucca on Sundays. It was Remembrance Day, for the end of World War I, so after mass a wreath was laid on the village war memorial. I invited Bob and Joy to join us for breakfast and when the sun came out we ended up eating our scrambled eggs and scones on the patio.

After they left I took my book outside for a while longer but even before the sun sank behind the hill the temperature plummeted. Even on the nicest days the nights have been quite cool. Most mornings we turn on the heat for a while. If we are home during the day we often have a fire. However, the wood we are using is not great so it is often a struggle to get it going and keep it going.

Yesterday was another beautiful, warm day. Dom and I both got some outdoor chores done but we also managed some relaxation including reading on the patio in the sunshine. With our departure from Italy two weeks from yesterday and lots of activities scheduled for our return to Whidbey Island we are trying to make the most of the rest of our stay. Since all our “to dos” have been completed we are taking the opportunity to do what we want. Tomorrow we are going to Florence for the day to celebrate my birthday by just to wandering around and having lunch. On Friday I plan to join Mary and Joy for a girls’ day in Lucca.

More tomorrow or Thursday…

The Day After

Dom stayed up until 3 am last night watching the election returns but even then there was not much to report. At 3 am here it is still only 9 pm on the U.S. west coast. By the time I checked in four hours later it was all over—Obama was president-elect, McCain had conceded and it was all a big election rehash/new administration speculation fest. So I went back to bed for another hour.

After heavy rain this morning the weather improved. The afternoon turned partly sunny and by evening it was clear. Dom hauled some more firewood to the barn as we have been going through it rapidly. He figures we now have enough to last through the weekend.

I cleaned the house in preparation for guests and ran a load of wash. During inclement weather laundry is hung upstairs on the third floor. Everything takes longer inside and everything has been dried inside for the last two weeks. Jeans can take a couple of days to fully dry so I often turn them inside out. The trickiest things are sheets because they are so large. I usually turn on the heat and hang them over the largest radiators.

There will be no blog posts until Sunday as it will be difficult to do any with guests staying. A full report of our activities will be forthcoming.

Vote Early, Vote Often!

Finalemente, it is Election Day! The biggest problem with being here for the big event is that it seems to last for 48 hours. Even before midnight on the U.S. west coast, the European news channels have trumpeted that today is the day. It is the lead story for all of them and there is extensive coverage of long lines at polling places, potential problems with the vote count and the likely outcome.

Over the past few days there have also been many interviews with people from different countries as to which candidate they favor. Everyone has an opinion. Today we were out running errands and at least three people mentioned that today is the election, asked if we had voted and who we supported. It might only be U.S. citizens who vote but a large part of the world feels they have a vested interest in the outcome. They are probably correct.

Given the nine hour time difference between Italy and the U.S. west coast, my plan is to set the alarm for 7 am tomorrow morning. At that hour (10 pm P.S.T.) the outcome should be pretty clear so I will breakfast with CNN, Fox News, BBC, SKY News and Sky TG 24 (the Italian 24 hour news channel).

The election has taken up so much airtime that I wonder what the news reporters will talk about later in the week. Is anything else happening in the world?!?!

Olio Extra Vergine!

After we had our olives pressed we submitted a sample of the oil for an acid test. Today we picked up the results at the frantoio and were thrilled to find that the acid content was 0.10% Since anything under 0.80% is considered extra vergine (extra virgin) we can now legally mark ours as such. Not that we sell any of it. We have three 5 liter food grade plastic jugs full to the brim of our oil that we plan to take back to the U.S. Once there we will put it in glass wine bottles and give some as gifts.

We picked up the results of the test on our way to lunch at the home of our friends Carol and Luigi. Carol recently bought her first computer and arranged for the installation of a DSL line in their house. Unfortunately, neither her neighbor, a computer saleman, nor I could get the connection to work. Near as I could tell the problem relates to the username and passwords but it will take a technician from the phone company to tell for sure. It was frustrating working on the computer but Carol gave us a wonderful lunch and Luigi plied us with wine.

The weather has turned wet again. Here is a picture of our patio taken late this afternoon. It has brightened a bit but everything was well washed after heavy rain in the middle of the day. We enjoy sitting by the fire inside but would far prefer eating lunch outside and being able to read in the late afternoon sunshine.