Kate's Fantastic Italian Adventure!

The 2010 Girls' Trip to Italy was a wopping success!  This was my niece Kate's Italian adventure and we were joined by her mom Cindy and my friend Cherie and her daughter Emily.  The above picture was taken our first night in Rome.  Over the next few weeks I will post the details of our trip but for now here is a quick overview.

We started in with two full days in Rome.  The first day we focused on Ancient Rome.  Above you can see us at the Colosseum.

From Rome we took the train south to Sorrento where we had three full days.  The first was spent taking the bus to Amalfi where we walked to the nearby town of Atrani for lunch.  The bus ride itself was quite the adventure (urp!).

Then we took the boat to Capri and explored the little island.

We also spent a day at Pompeii.  The weather in Rome and Sorrento was spectacular.  The Italians might have thought it was still chilly but 65-70 degree weather was a delight for a bevy of Seattle area women.

From Sorrento I drove the gang to Partigliano.  We managed a flying stop at the Prada Outlet near Florence but it was a bit of a disappointment.  A lot like Nordstrom but pricier. 

Our first day in P. involved laundry, groceries, a stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa and picking up Dom at the airport (yeah!).  He put up with the gaggle of girls superbly.

Actually, Dom got left at home his first day here.  The rest of us went to Florence for a visit to the Uffizi and SHOPPING!  Italy's economy got quite a boost as can be seen from the shopping bags.

We also spent a day at the Cinqueterre in spite of MY whining. It turned out the best idea as the weather in P. was damp but it was sunny and warm on the coast.

Everyone was flying out of Bologna so we packed up and spent the day in Venice before overnighting in Bologna.  The next day Dom and I dropped the gang off at the airport and headed back to Partigliano. 

It was a REALLY fun two weeks but we did do a LOT.  So, I am sure all my dear friends now need a vacation from their vacation.  Meanwhile, Dom and I are getting back in our Italian groove.  More tomorrow.

A Busy Three Weeks!!!

It is hard to believe it is three weeks tomorrow since we returned to Whidbey Island from Italy. We have been very busy. Some of the highlights incude the following:



My dear friend Leeds and I did the Whidbey Island Garden Tour the Saturday after Dom and I returned. The above picture is a sample of the wonderful private gardens that are opened to the public just once a year. This particular one had a bevy of interesting features including a large electric train installation, interesting sculptures, a barn turned music studio, an old farmhouse turned guest house, ponds, streams, estate-sized lawns, woods and an antique tractor. The weather was fabulous--more like Italy than Washington State.



After a busy Fourth of July weekend spent in Seattle, Dom and I took in a Seattle Mariners day game on July 8th. Unfortunately it rained (hence the above shot of the roof closing) and it was a really horrible game. Thankfully the M's have been doing better since then and go into the All Star break only 4 games out of first place in the AL West.



With company expected last Saturday, Dom and I put on a full court press to finish up a number of projects around the house. In addition to repainting the front deck and planting all the deck pots, we finally finished our winter bathroom remodel. There were quite a number of fiddly things to be done--recaulking under the tile baseboard, painting the door, the woodwork around the door and a good bit of the hallway, touching up paint on the walls, installing the towel bars and tissue holder, all the cabinet hardware and the wood threshhold. On Saturday morning I cleaned the bathroom and finally put down the new rugs and hung the new towels. All we need now is some art for the far wall.

Here is one of the large pots I bought to replace some horrible wooden planters that we took out last summer when we painted the deck. My deck fountain well did not fit into it but we managed to construct an alternative using a couple of large plastic buckets. I repainted the fountain and now it is a fair imitation of an old terracotta pot. Behind it I have planted some things that can hardly be seen from this angle. I have also added to another eight pots. Even so I have actually reduced the number of pots I have to water this summer by about 25%. The vegetable garden is coming along pretty well--lots of raspberries, swiss chard, carrots, peas and eventually squash and beans. The chipmunks seem to get all the strawberries and the onions did not do very well.

On Saturday a number of my Forest Ridge high school classmates came to visit for a mini-reunion. From left to right are Kim, Claudia, Mary, Maura, Julie and me. Kim's mother and husband also came as well as Dom. It was fun to catch up with everyone.


On Sunday my friend Sally and I gave a baby shower for Leeds' daughter. Here you can just see Leeds and the soon-to-be-parents, Jen-ai and Eric. It was mostly the Alpental gang as Jen-ai was an Alpental baby herself and Eric has also been around the mountain "forever." I provided the food so, in amongst everything else I have done the past week, I was busy making cupcakes, iced tea, crostini and tapenades, etc., etc.

Boy, was I ever happy to have today to recuperate! We have two weeks before the next big event but so much has already been done. It will be nice to get my desk cleared off, do some reading, a lot of weeding and then start ramping up for more guests on the 25th.

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.

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…