Arrivederci Italia

Published on: Oct 25, 2007 

After Parma, I returned to Florence for a few days, happy to stay again with Carmel and Pino at their hotel, Il Bargellino. The first night back, they invited me to a yummy dinner of homemade polenta con porcini (mushrooms), made by Pino's friend. Lucky me! We watched Italy's version of "Funniest Videos" while we ate, usually one of my all-time least favorite TV shows. But we laughed a lot, and it was nice sharing a meal with them. The weather had turned colder over the weekend and the city was less crowded, though there were quite a few Norwegian Cruise tour groups seeing the sights that Monday, a day when many museums are closed.

On the terrace at Il Bargellino, Florence.

I flew out at 8 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and spent the next 19 hours en route to my home, via London and Minneapolis. Long waits between flights, and Gatwick airport was an uncomfortable, cold zoo. In comparison, the Minneapolis airport was serene and enjoyable. Once I arrived in Kansas City, the shuttle picked me up and I was home by 8 p.m., gaining seven hours on the return flight. Jet lag hasn't been too bad, but I still feel a bit disoriented. I wasn't eager to leave Italy, but I was a bit weary from traveling around, so now I can rest for a few months before I start thinking about the next journey.....Venice, maybe? Anyone want to go with?

One of the treasures I came home with is a Moka Express espresso coffee maker, Lavazza coffee, and intricate instructions on how to make good espresso from two Italian men. The first man was the owner of the store where I bought the coffeemaker. Sure, I can find one in downtown Lawrence, but I wanted one from an Italian store. The store clerk took great care to help me decide which model to buy, steering me away from the more expensive ones, and describing in detail how to use it. He was very attentive, and I wandered around the store while he showed me a photo of his grandmother as a little girl with her parents, standing in front of the store when it opened. When I had chosen several items to buy, I told him they were intended as gifts, and he carefully wrapped each one in wrapping paper and ribbons.

In Urbino, I noticed a similar thing on Sunday morning, as people walked by carefully holding packages wrapped in red, green or pink paper and tied with a ribbon. Turns out it was their purchases from the nearby pasticceria (pastry store): gift-wrapped packages of dolci (sweets) for the Sunday meal. In Bologna, the purchases we made at the Majani chocolate store were also wrapped neatly and tied with ribbons. It's a simple elegance that we don't see often in the States.

A couple with their morning pastries in Urbino.

OK, let's get back to coffee...when I got back to the hotel, I inquired about what kind of coffee to use, and Pino told me what to buy and where to find it, then gave me even more specific instructions on how to "cure" the coffeemaker, how to fill it and use it properly for the best taste. Italian coffee is quite delicious and unlike anything I've found in the U.S. I can't hope to replicate the flavor without one of their magical espresso machines, but perhaps I can learn to make a reasonable facsimile. Chissa? Speriamo! (Who knows...let's hope so!)

One of the last places I visited in Firenze was Mercato Centrale, where you can find many colorful displays of all kinds of fresh food.

Parma

Originally published on: Oct 22, 2007

Each of the towns I've visited in Italy (more than 16 so far in the past year!) is unique, with its own food specialties, traditions, customs, and "claims to fame."

Parma is the most prosperous city I've seen in Italy, and it seems oddly fitting that I stayed in the Ducal Palace while I was there. My friend Paolo is the new commander of the Carabinieri (military national police force) in the province of Parma, and their headquarters is located nel Palazzo Ducale, once the home of Napoleon's wife, Maria Luigia. As Paolo gave me a tour of the palace, with its vast marble hallways and frescoed walls, I found it a bit intimidating...me with my worn out sneakers and backpack on. Here's a satellite view of the Palazzo and the surrounding Parco Ducale from GoogleEarth (the palace is in the upper right hand corner):

Here's another view, from the ground:

Many of the rooms of the Palace have been turned into offices, while others lie vacant, especially the formal rooms with frescoed walls. Other rooms have been made into flats for 15 of the Carabinieri and their families. There are also 3 guest rooms, referred to as "La Foresteria,", where I stayed, which was actually a suite of rooms, quite elegant and comfortably furnished. 

As the palace is part of a military compound, everyone is under the scrutiny of a guard as you enter and leave. My "password": 'Sono l'amica americana del colonello.' (I'm an American friend of the colonel.) One gate gave me entry to the spacious Parco Ducale that surrounds the palace, which is open to the public and widely used. I spent many hours there, and had an interesting conversation (in Italian!) with a Yugoslavian woman who has lived in Parma for 4 years. Of all things, she wanted to tell me how 'Filippo McGraw' (the tv celebrity Dr. Phil in the U.S.) had changed her life with his books. Go figure....

In the central part of town, I visited a huge art gallery in the Palazzo Pilotta, which seemed to be easily 2-3 times the size of the Ducal Palace. La Galleria Nazionale is filled with paintings, sculptures and other art by numerous artists, including Coreggio, Parmagianino....there's even one piece by Leonardo da Vinci. Another part of the gallery was the Teatro Farnese, an impressive theater designed by Palladio in 1628 and built entirely of wood. The original was destroyed in WWII, but the replica is equally beautiful. There are many beautifully decorated churches in Parma, and an impressive Battistero, octagonal in shape, as many of them are.

There was a month-long Verdi festival going on in Parma while I was there, at Teatro Regio, one of the finest opera houses in Italy, but all the performances were sold out long before I arrived. Though Paolo was busy most of the weekend with the duties of his position as commander, I met with him and his family (wife Silvia and 2 daughters, 10 and 14), several times during my stay. They took me out for a typical Parmesan meal, which included "culotello" (the tenderest ham from the pig's bottom!), Parmigiano-Reggiano (parmesan cheese), apples with honey made by bees that frequent chestnut trees, and tortelli di zucca (pasta similar to ravioli that is filled with pumpkin). Later that night, I had my first "cioccolata calda" of the season. Hot chocolate in Italy is more of a dessert than a drink, consisting of warmed chocolate with a small amount of milk, served with biscotti (small cookies) to dip into the thick, pudding-like mixture. Here's a photo of Parma at night:

Another event that I attended with Paolo's family (who are rapidly becoming VIPs in their new home), was a performance by the world-famous 102-member Carabinieri band, La Banda Musicale Dell'Arma Dei Carabinieri, who traveled from Rome to be part of the Verdi Festival. It was an impressive performance, as they played selections from several Verdi operas, including 'Rigoletto' and 'Aida,' and concluded with Italy's national anthem. The musicians were quite accomplished and impressive in their dress uniforms. I'm not sure how they managed to play music designed for orchestras with string sections, but the results were moving and extraordinary.

There were several other enjoyable events in Parma.....an accomplished accordian player serenading people all afternoon on Saturday as they walked near the Duomo, and a large group of Italian men singing in the park. I can only give a few glimpses into the ambiance of Parma, but perhaps you get the idea. Though I don't have a new photo of Paolo and his family, here's a reprise from last year in Rome:

Bologna

Originally published on: Oct 18, 2007

My day in Bologna was a real treasure because I spent it with Haruko, a friend I made last November when we were both staying at the same flat while attending an Italian language immersion school in Florence. She now lives in Tokyo, and by a wonderful coincidence was in Italy while I was there, so we arranged to meet in Bologna for the day. We didn't see many sights, but I had one of the best meals of my life....an exquisite flavor that I'd travel to Bologna again to eat.

Haruko and I met at the train station, as she was coming in from Firenze and I was arriving from Ravenna for the day. It was a teary meeting, since we were both so happy to see each other, but after a few minutes, it seemed as if it was only last week that we'd been together. We went to the tourist information center to get a map and headed for Piazza Maggiore, the historical center of town. I was interested in going to an area atop a hill that is reached through the longest portico in the world...actually a series of 666 porticoes. We didn't manage to get there, but there are porticoes all over Bologna, and I'm certain we walked through at least a thousand of them anyway! It seems I already have several reasons to return to Bologna and spend more time there.

 We started out our day having la colazione, or breakfast. In Italy this consists of un caffè, usually a cappuccino, and la brioche, a pastry.

We saw Bologna's own Torri Pendenti, or leaning towers, though we didn't attempt to climb them. On entering Piazza Maggiore, we came across one of the well-known features of the town, la Fontana di Nettuno, Neptune's Fountain, decorated with statues by Giambologna. His rendition of Neptune was considered distasteful by some sources, with a well-endowed Neptune and women with water spurting from their breasts. Another spot we visited was the Majani chocolate store, where they've been in business since 1796. We walked by Bologna University, the oldest university in Europe.

When it was time for lunch, we had trouble finding the right place, but somehow stumbled onto il Ristorante Clavature. There was construction going on next door, so it got a bit noisy while we were eating at an outdoor table, but it was worth putting up with for the fine meal I had. In Italy, the menu usually includes Antipasti (appetizers), Primi (first course, usually pasta), Secondi (second course, usually with meat or fish), Contorni (side dishes, usually vegetables) and Dolci (sweets, or dessert). Sometimes Insalata (salads) are also offered. I rarely order more than Antipasti and Primi, but also like to get Dolci when they sound especially inviting.

(As an aside, I'm sure you've all heard of or eaten tiramisu. Did you know that the literal meaning of "tiramisu" is understood as either "keeps me up," or "carries me up,"....as in "makes me high?" Tiramisu is a light composition of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a coffee-like mixture, then layered with mascarpone (an ultrarich Italian cream cheese) and topped with cocoa powder or grated chocolate. Haruko's boyfriend Alessandro refers to it as "tiramigiù," or "keeps me down," though I'm not exactly sure why...Think of this next time you have some.)

I ordered Tortelloni di Zucca con pancetta croccante e aceto balsamico. This translates into pasta stuffed with pumpkin, with a light sauce featuring crisp bacon and balsamic vinegar. (Tortelloni are small pasta stuffed with various fillings, folded over and shaped into a ring or hat shape; a smaller version of this is called tortellini). I can't sufficiently describe the taste, but it was heavenly....both sweet and sour, and incredibly satisfying. I don't much care for heavy red or white sauces on pasta, and the ultra-light consistency of the one on this dish was perfect. Haruko had a curry dish, and we shared a quartino of red wine, which is basically half of a regular-sized carafe, enough for each of us to have a glass. In Florence last year we often went out for gelato, so we continued that tradition by eating Sicilian gelato later in the afternoon. 

We were both sad for the day to come to an end, and had trouble saying goodbye. But Haruko is intent on moving to Italy in the next year, and I'm intent on spending more time there, so we feel pretty certain it won't be long before we meet again.

Urbino, Ravenna

Published on: Oct 18, 2007 

Urbino was a real delight, in so many ways I can't express effectively. However, the town is not as welcoming of tourists, and stores and museums are often closed at odd times. It was an adventure in many unexpected ways. We did manage to visit the Ducal Palace and the house where the painter Raphael was born and raised. Urbino struggles to keep itself off the tourist radar, and that's one of the things I liked most about it, as I was curious to see more of Italian village life than to see more places like Assisi or San Gimignano where tourism supercedes the real life of the town. I enjoyed sitting in the main piazza and watching the inevitable discussions going on between students, elders, etc. In fact, standing around and talking seems to be an important pastime in Urbino.

Urbino

Francesca, my penpal from Lissone, arrived on Sunday afternoon, and we spent the next few days exploring Urbino together. On the last day, she figured out that we could get a daily bus pass, which enabled us to travel easily back and forth from the hotel to the city center. So we spent Tuesday afternoon riding all the city bus routes (it's a small town, so they didn't last long) to see as much of the area as we could. After touring the city wall many times, we decided that it looked much too clean and new to be the same wall as in medieval times, and later learned the city had begun restoring it in 2005.

Now that I've eaten a few good Italian meals in ristoranti and trattorie, I don't want to eat anywhere else while I'm here. I've had some amazingly delicious food this week.....including strozzapretti con pancetta e peperoncini, saccotini con pancetta e piselli, olive all'ascalano (olives stuffed with meat and breaded, then fried), and sweets like cannoli, panacotta and tiramisu. I also discovered that eating a good Italian meal doesn't have to be costly...and wine costs about the same as bottled water with a meal.

Landscape around Urbino.

The landscape surrounding Urbino is astoundingly beautiful. I couldn't get enough of the rolling hills and pristine beauty. The citizens of Urbino continue to vote against highways that would enable easier access to their town, and I can easily understand why. Though I loved Assisi, Urbino provided a contrasting view of village life, one that could easily be lost with crowds of tourists tramping through the streets.

Mosaics in Ravenna

 I left Urbino early on Wednesday to catch a train to Ravenna, arriving about 11 a.m. I quickly made the rounds of the churches with the Byzantine mosaics. It's hard to get a real sense of the craftsmanship behind them, since they're only viewable from a good distance (high up on walls and ceilings), but they were impressive, nonetheless.

More of the exceptional mosaics in Ravenna.

Then I visited Dante's tomb. Unfortunately the Dante museum was closed, as they are restoring the church next to it. Uffa! I was really looking forward to that....following Dante's trail while he was in exile has been one of my travel objectives.

Dante's mausoleum.

Dante's actual tomb.

What I like best about Ravenna isn't in most of the travel guides I used as references. For one, Ravenna is a town of bicycles, as this region of Italy (Emilia-Romagna) is flat and this is common. Business men in suits ride simple bikes while talking on their cell phones. Senior citizens ride them, in both casual and elegant attire. The city even provides "free" bikes to tourists, bikes you can ride for a distance and leave in designated places when you're finished with them. (Bikes were also prevalent in Bologna and Parma, other cities in the region.)

Basilica di San Vitale, Ravenna

Another thing that I found by accident is the Ravenna fortress, or Rocca Brancaleone. It's another walled structure that once served as a defense for the city, but now there's a large park within the fortress walls, with one end of it set aside for outdoor performances. I also stumbled across a botanical garden, complete with ripe fruits languidly hanging from several pomegranate trees....the food of gods!

Assisi, Urbino

Originally published on: Oct 15, 2007 

Hiking along Mount Subasio

My last day in Assisi  was spent hiking along the olive groves and forests on Monte Subasio. I'm especially content to experience the countryside of Italy on my own. The village was starting to swell with tourists coming for a weekend stay, so I was ready to move on.

Early morning in Assisi, near the Temple of Minerva

I left early in the morning to begin my longest travel day, to Urbino. I had two train changes and a bus, all slow-moving because of the many stops along the way. But I enjoyed the scenery, traveling through Umbrian hills to the seaside of the Adriatic coast, which continued from Ancona to Pesaro. Now that I've returned to Le Marche region of Italy, from Pesaro we traveled again into hills even more picturesque than the scenes around Assisi.

Palazzo Ducale di Urbino

Just before I left Assisi, I had a surprise....one of my penpals decided to join me in Urbino for a few days. Francesca, who lives near Milan, arrived yesterday and is staying in the same hotel as me. It will be a different adventure to have a native Italian to see the sights with, eat and converse with. She's never been to Urbino before, so we'll be seeing the same things for the first time.

Having a heated discussion in the piazza.

I arrived in Urbino about 3 pm (nearly 8 hours of travel and waits), only to find that my hotel was located 30 minutes by foot from the town center...it took a 10-minute bus ride to get there. It's the only accommodation I was unsure of, opting for an internet "bargain"without any personal recommendations. Fortunately the hotel is quite comfortable, with a balcony and a wonderful view of the hills west of town....great sunsets!

Cattedrale di Urbino

 Urbino is another small hill town with its medieval wall still intact. Most of its 25,000 inhabitants are university students at " Carlo Bo," where many foreigners come to learn Italian before they can be matriculated into other Italian universities. On the surface, Urbino reminds me more of Gubbio than Assisi...it's a "working" town, less frequented by visitors. Assisi is more quaint, lyrical, geared to tourists, clean and compact. Urbino seems more impressive as a fortress against attack, with high walls and a formidable presence. And yet it sits like a gem amidst the pastoral beauty of the surrounding hills.

Urbino has an interesting history, too lengthy to explain now, and is the birthplace of the painter Raphael...in fact, I walked by the house where he was born just this morning. It is also the home of the painter Piero della Francesca.

Francesca showing off several gold rings she found in Urbino.

Assisi-Gubbio

Originally published on: Oct 12, 2007

My last night in Firenze was spent on the terrace of the hotel, drinking wine and talking with the owner, Carmel, and a young Puerto Rican woman in Italy for the first time. During my stay, I'd also made a connection with Melissa, an intrepid young traveler from Australia. We all have one thing in common - a love of Italy and learning about other cultures. I feel as if I've found a "home" at Il Bargellino, and will return there at the end of this trip.

Assisi

I've been in Assisi for the past four days, and it's quite a contrast to the noise and crowds in Firenze. Assisi is a small village nestled in the hills of Umbria, with magnificent views of the surrounding area. I'm staying in the old town, with only 1000 inhabitants, and it's perfect for my needs...serene and engaging at the same time. I have a large comfy room in an "affitacamere," with a spectacular view, over tiled rooftops, of the valley below. I've seen some great sunsets from high points in town.

My room in Assisi

The town swells with tourists by day, but empties by late afternoon and becomes a quiet village again. For such a small town, there are many magnificent churches (like 10 of them!), topped by la Basilica de San Francesco, filled with priceless frescoes, painted by Giotto, Cimabue and others. In one area of the church the frescoes portray the life of St. Francis, an inspiring story by any standards. Assisi is one of the major religious pilgrimage sites in the world, but I'm here more as an artistic pilgrim than a religious one.

Basilica di San Francesco

Yesterday I traveled by bus for several hours to Gubbio, another hill town to the north of Assisi, famous for being one of the most intact medieval towns in the world. I left at in the dark at 7 a.m., walking along streets empty of people but lively with cats, and arrived in Gubbio by 9.

Sbandieratori in Gubbio

Gubbio

I was lucky enough to to happen upon a demonstration by the famous flag throwers of Gubbio (sbandieratori), who were featured at the beginning of a "para-olympic" event that was being celebrated on October 11 all over Italy. The circus was also in town, so there were a few stilt walkers hobbling around the event, held at la Piazza Grande at the center of town.

To get from one level of this steep town to another, the city provides public elevators (ascensores) which came in handy for me, weary from several days of climbing the streets of Assisi. Unfortunately, the day was cold, cloudy and windy, with the constant threat of rain, and I'd left my jacket in Assisi, so I didn't enjoy Gubbio as I might have on a sunny day. There's an open cable car I would have liked to ride up to the highest point in town, but it just wasn't an option yesterday.

The funivia (mountain cable car) entrance.

I took in the main sights and headed back to Assisi. The bus ride was lovely, and traveled through Perugia, where I had a 3-hour wait. By this time, I was tired and really cold, so rather than hang out there, I found a city bus to the train station and made it back to Assisi within 45 minutes. Once there, I had a nice soak in the long, blue bathtub at le camere.There are 5 rooms and two baths to share amongst them, but I've been the only one there all week, so I have it all to myself - for only 25 euros/night. (thanks to Rick Steves for most of my lodging bargains).

streets of Assisi

Once refreshed, I treated myself to an authentic Umbrian meal in a nice restaurant, something I do sparingly when traveling. Era squisito (it was exquisite), and included pasta with black truffles (tagliatelle con tartuffi nero di Norcia), grilled vegies with parmesan and smoked cheese (parmigiano sulle verdure grigliate con scamorza affumicata, the best part of the meal, secondo a me), vino rosso (red wine) and almond biscotti with a dessert wine (torzzetti mandorle con vin santo). I was stuffed full after this meal, and walked for nearly an hour in the darkened streets of Assisi before returning to my room.

I have one more day in Assisi, and plan to hike up Mt. Subasio for another panoramic view. It's another lovely sunny day in Umbria. Tomorrow I'm off to Urbino, by way of Ancona and Pesaro, in Le Marche region.

Firenze

Published on: Oct 7, 2007

Just a short note...

I'm in Firenze...it's been hot and crowded...TOO crowded. The Internet cafes are also crowded, so I've been avoiding them. This one is crowded with Asians talking on Skype in various languages, so it's hard to think. Yesterday I walked nearly 10 miles around town. Several of the churches I wanted to see were closed, but I did manage to visit the Brancacci Chapel and Orsanmichele. I'll tell more about those when I get home. Today I'm going to try and get out of the city.

One of the bright spots so far is the hotel I'm staying in. It's recommended by Rick Steves, so most of the guests are American....go figure. The owners are Carmel and Pino, an American woman from Boston and her Italian husband. I'm one of the few guests who speaks Italian, so he's been testing my skill. Ohime! He likes to sing, which is nice. The place is spacious, with funky antiques, statues and paintings along the halls and marble staircase. Best of all, there's a huge terrace where the guests can gather on the roof of the building, and it overlooks other yards. The terrace is filled with plants and several bird cages, lounge chairs, and a long table under a canopy. It's very peaceful up there, a nice place to write or visit or enjoy the pealing of church bells.

I have another day here, then I'm off to Assisi. Some of the guests have been there on a day trip and are envious that I've planned 4 days there.

Volo via!

Published on: Oct 2, 2007 

In a few days, I'll be trekking through Italy again, as I visit several regions of Central and Northern Italy. As always, Firenze (Florence) serves as the core of my journey, situated in the heart of Tuscany. I prefer the small airport in Florence over larger ones in Rome or Milan: it's nice to get off the plane and hit the ground running, so to speak. It's a short bus ride to the city center, where I'm staying. Once I stash my luggage at the hotel, I can easily visit the familiar sites that have become so dear: il Duomo (cathedral), Piazza della Signoria, San Lorenzo, and Ponte Vecchio. I'll have the chance to visit several friends that I met last year in Firenze: Marco and YoYo. This time I will be able to converse with them in Italian...at least part of the time. Last time we met, I had trouble stringing words together....at least now I can manage complete sentences!

I'll spend a few days in Firenze, then head south by train to Umbria, where I'll spend 4 days in Assisi, home to splendid frescoes by Giotto in the cathedral dedicated to St. Francis. This saint has always held a special place in my heart for his love of animals and his devotion to living a simple life. In Assisi I also hope to visit the nearby villages of Perugia and Gubbio. (There's an international chocolate festival in Perugia, but I'll miss it by a week....thank goodness! I prefer to avoid masses of tourists, especially in small villages.)

Then I'll travel northeast to Urbino, in the region of Le Marche. Like Assisi, Urbino is a small hill town, and because it's not easy to get to, it's off the usual tourist path. Getting there will entail several train changes and a bus ride, but I've been assured it's well worth the effort. Urbino is the birth place of the painter Raphael, and has an impressive Ducal Palace. I've allowed 4 days in Urbino to soak up the beauty and ambiance of village life.

Next, I'll travel along the Adriatic sea north to Ravenna, home of world-renowned Byzantine mosaics, and the city where Dante spent the last few years of his life in exile, finishing his epic poem, The Divine Comedy. I'll spend several nights there, and take a day trip to Bologna to see Haruko, from Tokyo, who will be in Florence that week. Since I won't be in Florence when she is, we decided to meet in Bologna for the day, as it's midway between Florence and Ravenna. Bologna is famous for its food....and there's more chocolate, by the Majani chocolatiers, who have been in business since 1796!

I will travel next to Parma, in Emiglia-Romagna, where I'll be visiting my friend Paolo, who recently moved there from Rome with his family. Paolo has arranged for me to stay in the Ducal Palace in Parma, a distinct privilege for me. As commander of the carabinieri (national police) in Parma, Paolo and 14 of his staff, along with their families, have their living quarters in the Palace. Fortunately for me, there are also rooms for visiting guests, and that's where I'll stay. Parma is famous for Parma ham (the best prosciutto in the world) and of course, Parmesan cheese.

After Parma, I'll return to Firenze for several days before returning home. I'm looking forward to this three-week adventure, my third to Italy. I will post stories en route when I can and photos when I return.

Thanks to the many friends, penpals, relatives and clients who have contributed so much to my life by inspiring, supporting, encouraging, and enjoying my adventures.

bacci e abbracci e ciao a tutti!

Happy Beginning

Published on: Aug 4, 2007 

They say that change is good for the soul, and I agree with this sentiment. It’s one of the reasons I created a business where I help others maneuver through transitions in their lives, to be a catalyst for effective change.

After being forced to change numerous times in my own life, I learned a few things along the way that I now share with clients and students as they deal with change and loss. Though scary at first, I came to realize that I enjoyed the benefits that resulted from letting go of the familiar and facing the unknown. For one, I learned to be resilient – I discovered I was capable of rebuilding my life from scratch and forging new paths that were unthinkable in my previous environment.

Another benefit has been making new friends, people I would never have encountered if I’d stayed in the same place, year after year. From my travels, adventures and studies, I’ve made friends all over the country and in many parts of the world that have enriched my life considerably. I’ve learned that with each friendship that fades, a new one is bound to spring up in its place, teaching me new lessons about myself and the world around me.

I was recently hired as an adjunct professor for an online university, a job I can manage at home or abroad with a computer and an internet connection. I chose this new challenge to further my dream of living in another culture. In the next few years, I’m hoping it will enable me to extend my travels from weeks to months at a time. I’ll continue working with clients and offering classes at home, but I’ll have chunks of time to explore a new life in Italy.

As with any change, once begun, it’s impossible to know where the journey will take us. We might think we know where it’s leading, but detours often occur, and we might end up in an entirely different place than what we had in mind when we set out. The magic of it is that we’re usually led to an even better place than we could have imagined! That’s been my experience, and it’s the main reason why I embrace change instead of fighting it.

Rather than focus on change as an ending, I prefer to consider it a beginning; an awakening to new life, new awareness, and new possibilities. Here’s an Italian greeting that sums up nicely what I wish for you:

“Buon fine, Buon principio”

Happy endings, Happy beginnings

The World Outside My Door

Published on: Jul 2, 2007

As you may know from reading this blog, I’ve been studying Italian….not just the language, but all things Italian. I’ve managed to master three semesters of university-level classes in less than a year, so I’m feeling quite pleased by that. But it’s not enough. Somehow this interest has become a hunger, a passion that is not easily sated by taking classes in an American university, reading books about Italy or watching movies in Italian. I still feel too far removed from the longing I have to be immersed in Italian culture and life.

I’m not sure where this longing came from, or why….I only know that I want to honor it as best I can. I just finished auditing an intensive intermediate course at the university here, which helped to cement some of the grammar that had been eluding me. Being in class for two hours each day for an entire month was a godsend. In addition, I have several pen pals in Italy that I converse with each week through Skype, a free online program that allows us to talk together through the wizardry of internet connections. Thirty minutes in Italian, thirty minutes in English, so we each get to practice the languages we’re learning. I have several other pen pals that I write to nearly every day. We correct each other’s mistakes and learn about each other’s lives and cultures in the process of our sharing. Most of my pen pals have become good friends by now, and I treasure these connections.

It stands to reason that I can’t get enough of reading books by English-speaking people who have moved to or lived in Italy, as this is the root of my desire. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to live in another culture and become fluent in a language other than my own. I want to experience the culture as deeply as I can, to understand the nuances that only natives are privy to.

My favorite author along these lines is Marlena de Blasi, an American who married a man from Venice and has lived with him in the city of Venice, and the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. I’m currently reading her most recent book, The Lady in the Palazzo, about their life in Orvieto, an ancient city in Umbria. This quote from the book exquisitely expresses my own sentiments:

“I’d thought, you see, that one of the best things about going to live in another country would be the chance to be ten years old again….Everything fresh, untested. Learn to speak and think and dream in another language. To see how the new people sip their tea, break their bread, treat each other. Not just a passage through, not a wander among the natives but setting up with them. I knew that to be at home in the world was the way to grow rich. The way I wanted to be rich.”

Like the author, I don’t want to see Italy as a tourist, removed from the subtleties of Italian culture. I want to know, as best I can, what it means to be Italian. Alas, even if I spend the rest of my life working towards this goal, I may only scratch the surface. But I’m willing to make the effort, whatever the outcome. I’m not yet sure how I’m going to manage it, but it’s my intention to live in Italy, at least part of the year, for the express purpose of attending to this longing that has guided my life for the past year. It’s been a magical adventure so far, filled with unexpected gems of friendship and jewels of knowledge that leave me eager to delve deeper, to learn more, to be immersed in the experience of being “at home in the world.” 

Last days/nights in Firenze

Originally published on: Jan 13, 2007

After I returned from Rome, I had another week of school in Florence and more art to peruse. One important stop was to visit il David, Michaelangelo's famous sculpture that stands 17 feet tall in la Galleria dell'Accademia. I'd seen copies of David outdoors in Piazza della Signoria and Piazzale Michaelangelo last May, but wanted to see the real thing this time. In November, there was no need for a reservation like most other times of the year, so I wandered over one day after class. As I wasn't allowed to take a photo of it, here's one I got from the web...

Another highlight of this last week was visiting Casa Buonarroti, Michaelangelo's family home. What drew me there was a painting by Artemesia Gentileschi that she painted in 1613 on the ceiling of one room in the house, commissioned by Michaelangelo the Younger, the great-nephew of his famous uncle. It's called The Allegory of Inclination, my favorite Gentileschi painting. I'd first learned of this Renaissance painter several years ago from the novel The Passion of Artemisia, by Susan Vreeland.

Artemisia was one of the first women Renaissance artists to achieve fame or recognition.
She lived most of her adult life as a quasi-single parent, supporting herself with her art. Recent interest in her work has established her as one of the world's greatest female artists. For more information on her life and art, here's a link to a website that tells it all:
www.artemisia-gentileschi.com/index.shtml

I was able to capture this shot of the painting before I was advised it was not allowed.

Another fun thing I happened upon was a market in Piazza di Santa Croce. Colorful booths were set up with vendors selling crafts and food from Germany. YoYo told me later that these vendors come every year during the Christmas season, and it's an event that Florentines looked forward to. I came across a similar market in Milan, and will have photos of that in the next entry. But I did take a photo of a statue of Dante, another famous Florentine and author of The Divine Comedy, that stands in front of Santa Croce.

While in Florence, I spent several evenings out with Paola, another penpal. One Friday night she invited me to dinner at her home, where I met her children Margherita and Leonardo. Paola prepared a typical Italian meal of pasta, followed by the most exquisite eggplant parmesan I've ever eaten. (She said the secret was using fresh eggplant, (melanzana) bought from a local vendor.) Our meal was accompanied by homemade wine from one of her neighbors and lots of laughter. I treasure being invited into her home and the friendship that we've established.

I spent the last several days in Florence visiting my favorite haunts, including Ponte Vecchio and the Arno river. Here's a view at sunset.

By this time, it was the first week in December, and all the Christmas lights were up. Haruko and I spent several evenings taking a stroll through town to view them. This one is in Piazza della Signoria.

This is on la via dei Calzaiuoli.

 This is the Neptune fountain in Piazza della Signoria.

  

  

 And here's a reprise of Piazza del Duomo from earlier in this blog.

 

The day I left Florence, it was misting, as it had the day I arrived. I walked halfway across town to la stazione Santa Maria Novella (train station), pulling my bag across the uneven cobblestones, reluctant to leave what is starting to feel like my second home. Next, I return to Milan to spend my last few days in Italy. 

Roma, Day 2

Originally published on: Jan 12, 2007 

The second day in Rome, I was on my own. I got up early, and headed out for a long walk across town. I wanted to focus on art and nature; I was especially interested in locating paintings by Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi.As I walked across fiume Tevere (Tiber River), I saw this view.

It was about 9 a.m., and I had the streets of Rome to myself. I bought the yummiest pastries at a just-opened pasticceria and had the best cappuccino al banco. (The Italian custom of standing at an often-marble-topped bar while you drink espresso.) Below, I caught a shot of a woman preparing roses for market.

In the French section of the city, I located Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi, home to three Caravaggio paintings of Saint Matthew. Then I walked to Piazza del Popolo, to see an exhibit of Carvaggio paintings, only to find it had closed the day before. Argh! Here's a poster of what I missed.

Here's a view of Piazza del Popolo from Pincio Gardens.

Then I walked through Pincio Gardens to Galleria Borghese, but since I hadn't made a reservation, was told I'd have to wait three hours to get in. Argh! Instead, I spent an hour or so enjoying Pincio Gardens, one of my most favorite spots in Rome. This place is HUGE, and the trees are phenomenal. This turned out to be my art gallery for the day. I'll come back for more of Caravaggio another time. As for Artemisia, you'll hear more about her in my next entry on Florence.

I walked down the Spanish steps, back to Piazza Navona, and around to the Trevi Fountain. This fountain also has a legend attached to it. As the story goes, if you throw a coin over your shoulder into the fountain, it assures your return to Rome. The place was so crowded, and I already KNOW I'll be going back, so I didn't indulge in the ritual. But here's what it looks like.

I spent about six hours walking from one end of Rome to the other before heading back to Termini to catch the Eurostar back to Firenze. Like Florence, Rome is a city I want to return to again and again and again...there's so much to see, it could take the rest of my life.