by Maureen | Feb 28, 2010 | Food!, Incredible Locations, Journal, Meals, People, Photos, Sanremo
It’s a natural for friends to gather for food and conversation. This is worldwide, but I find that the Italians do it well and do it often.
Last weekend, in Sanremo, seven of us got together for dinner around the table: my landlady, Sandra, and her husband, Mauro, and their friend, Sandro (all of whom I had spent the weekend with two weeks earlier), plus two friends of theirs, Renata and Angelo, and another friend of Sandro’s, Livio. Everyone came with food in hand, and we had a lively time.
Below, left to right: Livio, Angelo, Mauro, Renata, Sandra, Sandro.
We started with some salame that Livio had made. (Yes. Those are chunks of fat.) I had made a loaf of mixed-grain Irish Soda Bread that we ate with it.
Sandro had cooked a fabulous mix of seafood, including mussels, shrimp, squid, pescatrice (that funny, deep-water fish with the “lure” hanging off the front of its head), and tiny 3 inch fillets of a local, sand-versus-mud fish. There was just a tad of hot pepper oil in this dish which added a touch of zing.
Renata had baked a fresh tart, beautiful with apple wedges emerging from the deep gold, dense, pound cake. This was pretty darned good with some of the array of gelato that Sandra and Mauro had picked up at the town’s best Gelateria. We ate and talked for close to three hours. (Yes. All in Italian.)
by Maureen | Feb 28, 2010 | Featured Articles, Food!, Incredible Locations, Journal, Meals, Sanremo
It’s an old time, secret family recipe and I took an oath not to reveal the ingredients, but I can show a couple of photos and give just a sketchy description.
Essentially, you cut up a rabbit, brown the chunks, simmer them in all the right liquids* with all the right seasonings* ’til the meat is tender*.
In the meantime, you take a big fistful of raw rabbit livers and pureé them with all the appropriate Italian ingredients* until you’ve got a smooth, pink slurry.
When the meat chunks are done just right*, and with the heat OFF, pour the rabbit liver slurry into the pan with the meat and stir it all around. The remaining heat in the pan and in the meat will “cook” the liver “enough”. The liver will actually coagulate rather than remain saucy.
Scoop up some of the thickened “sauce” and serve it over fresh tagliatelle pasta. It’s appropriate to eat the chunks of rabbit with your hands.
If you’re a fan of liver, this is fabulous! If not, well…
I’m grateful to chef Sandro, in Sanremo, for preparing this for me and letting me watch and take notes!
*If you’ve had enough experience in the kitchen, you can use your imagination to figure out what these things MIGHT be.
by Maureen | Feb 28, 2010 | Cheese, Food!, Introspection, Journal
In reading my blog posts about what I’m eating here, I hope that you’ll realize how much broader the Italian culinary range is than the stereotypical American concept of “Italian Food”. There is SO much more than pizza, spaghetti, lasagna and ravioli. “Fettucine Alfredo” is a figment of the American imagination, and I’ve been told emphatically, “NEVER serve tomato sauce on spaghetti!” Italians have laughed at that idea.
You can travel a mere 100 kilometers and encounter regional, traditional foods you couldn’t have found at your last stop. There are foods unique to specific communities!
As an example, depending on the region, the starch base will be different. You may encounter polenta, pasta (of a shape specific to that region), rice (risotto), focaccia or other bread. Wines, meats, cheeses and seasonings all vary by region.
For instance, in my last visits to Sanremo, I was treated to:
- Sardenara – a focaccia bread with tomato sauce, anchovies, garlic and olives (no cheese), specific to Liguria.
- “Branda Cugnon” – A delicious mash of salted, dried white fish (cod?), potato, parsley, olive oil and garlic. (Don’t ask about the bawdy origin of the name.)
- Rabbit with Sauce of Pureéd Rabbit Livers – A secret, family recipe in which the rabbit livers are pureéd with other ingredients (I’m not supposed to tell) until they become a thick, pink slurry. The sauce is then stirred onto the hot, stewed rabbit parts, and is “cooked” only from the residual heat.
- Polenta Taragna Concia – Yellow, coarse polenta (cornmeal) with ground buckwheat and a kilo of cheese stirred and cooked into it over the stove for an hour.
The next time you want to go out for “Italian Food”, stretch beyond what you’re familiar with and either go to a restaurant that offers more authentically prepared foods, or pick something off the menu other than your tried-and-true favorite. Order something you can’t identify. I do it all the time!
Below is a map that I saw on the wall at Ristorante Re Enzo in Bologna. It mentions just a few of the noted food and wine specialties for each region.
by Maureen | Feb 26, 2010 | Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photos, Sanremo
Having swooned at the sunny, blue sky and t-shirt day along the seaside path in Sanremo three weeks ago, and having made new friends in town there, (and being up-to-my-ears in Winter in Milano), last weekend I went back to Sanremo for another dose of Springtime.
The train route goes up over mountains, and we rode through a landscape of fresh snow in Ronco.
Saturday gave us some early sunshine, followed quickly by an absolute drenching rainfall, requiring a quick, sopping-wet dash into the “bar” (as they call the coffee shops) for a caffé with the locals, also in out of the rain. There was a stormy sky out over the Ligurian Sea, some crashing waves and my favorite sound of stones tumbling in the surf.
After the coffee was down (3 sips if you stretch it out), and the rain had subsided, the stroll through town continued.
“Attenti al cane.” Beware of the dog.
I’ve seen these signs in other small towns at stores selling fresh meat (beef, sheep, goat, pork, poultry and rabbit, bagged and fresh), skimmed and partly-skimmed milk and seed oils. (I’d love to get my hands on a set of these signs to bring home with me. Better than a Prada handbag.)
This is a concrete, pre-fab, railway storage shed from the 1920s. It’s roughly 12′ x 9′. I hadn’t noticed them before, but after seeing this one, I later noticed a few of them along the train tracks heading back to Milano. Isn’t there something Japanese in style about it? I’d like one of these for my garden tools and supplies.
Saturday evening was spent laughing and eating with a group of seven.
Sunday morning dawned bright and brilliant blue, exactly what I had hoped for! The old train track route has been converted to a long, seaside, walking/bike path which links towns for many kilometers in the region of Liguria. On such an early-Spring Sunday, the path was filled with families, couples, old folks pushing other old folks in wheelchairs and cyclists in their decorated racing jerseys. Everyone was out moving under the sun and fresh, salty air.
There’s something psychologically uplifting about blue sky and palm trees…
The sky has been so GRAY in Milano for so long! It’s been a “heavy” winter and a blue sky like this is a balm for the soul!
by Maureen | Feb 26, 2010 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photos, Sanremo
How many people travel to Italy and include construction shots in their set of “vacation photos”? When I went to see an apartment being remodeled I didn’t realize how fascinating it would be. (Then I thought of my family members and friends that would also be interested and I started shooting photos.)
This apartment, or condo, in a 50-year-old, 6-story building in Sanremo has been completely gutted, peeled of it’s stucco and old-time, old-lady wallpaper. I was struck by how DIFFERENT this construction is than our 2x4s on 16″ centers, skinned with sheetrock. Notice that everything is stone-based, (as are all structures here, except for high-rises). Even the interior walls are some sort of white plaster/concrete block. The old floor has been excavated to about 6-8 inches below final grade so they can lay down the new water and heating system.
In this photo we’re looking into the entry foyer with the front door inside and to the left.
The hot water tubing is green, flexible and multi-layered. The cold water runs through the narrower, white tubing. Both have an interior plastic layer, surrounded by metal, surrounded by plastic. The hot water tubing is encased in fairly soft, green foam insulation. Each route is one continuous run of tubing, except for occasional t-joints. And, yes, you can walk on the tubing after it’s been set out and it won’t crush under normal foot traffic.
Why is there so much green tubing running through this two-bedroom apartment? All the homes here have wall-mounted radiator heaters. No forced-air heat. No baseboard, electric heaters that are typical in much of the U.S.
Note how the floor has been carved out to accommodate several layers of overlapping tubing. In the end, a thick layer of concrete will be floated over the whole floor, encasing all of the tubing and its structure. Ceramic floor tiles will be the finishing surface.
This is the main junction box where all tubing joins. Very neatly done! And notice how the snakes of tubing are anchored with woven strapping to the raw floor.
Here’s the tubing laid out for one of the two bathrooms. The black pipe is the wastewater route. Notice how they’ve simply gouged a groove into the cement block wall to position the tubing that runs upward for the shower.
T-Joints and anchors. And I love that little diamond-shaped rough chunk of cement block spacing the white and green tubes.
Do you know what this is (below)? This is the water supply for the flushing mechanism of the toilet and it, too, will be encased in the wall! My mind imagines potential problems down the road with the system and having to rip apart the floor and wall for repair. Ugh.
by Maureen | Feb 26, 2010 | Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, People, Photos, Sanremo
One thing about being invited into people’s homes is the chance to have them bring things out to show me, such as old photos. In my recent visit to Sanremo, I got to see a few photos from “Young Life in Italy” from the mid-60s to mid-70s.
Old photos are always informative and amusing. (And I like the character provided by the deterioration.)
by Maureen | Feb 25, 2010 | Canals, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Journal, People, Photos
Nicoletta rode over the overpass at the same time I did and then began to move ahead. I called out, “Excuse me. I have a question.” She slowed a bit, I pulled up alongside of her and we rode the rest of the way together, talking. “Why are there no other women cyclists?” I mentioned that I see only 1 woman per 200 or 300 cyclists.
(Just recently I wrote about this in the “Rolling Ciao” post.)
She said that they don’t like to get tired or sweaty, and that they don’t like to go out unless the weather is warmer.
It was such a surprise and a treat to see her, and we enjoyed the chat along the way. Nicoletta is also an independent consultant, and therefore, has a flexible time schedule. And she lives close by. I gave her my card and we may ride now and then in the afternoons together.
She just came back from a bike tour out of Rome in January and will forward the bike touring information to me. An Italian road tour is sounding very good to me these days.
It pleases me that I can just be riding along, and have such a wonderful encounter out-of-the-blue. Those moments are the real high points of my being here, and they’re the simplest.
by Maureen | Feb 15, 2010 | Cheese, Featured Articles, Food!, Journal, Meals, People, Photos
We got together to celebrate Anaïs’s 24th birthday with traditional Milanese apperitivi at an “art bar” in town. Several of us women from Italian classes get together outside of class for chats, bike rides and travel. Anaïs is one of them.
She’s from Cannes, France, and 3 of her friends drove over, (bringing her kitty with them) to spend her birthday weekend. There were 10 of us together around the table, representing 5 countries: 4 French, 1 Portuguese, 1 Turkish, 2 Italian, 2 American, ranging in age from 24 to 40-ish… and me. The language changed depending on the speaker and the listener.
The Milanese apperitivi tradition allows you to go to just about any restaurant in town, buy one drink for 7 – 9 euro and eat as much as you want from the buffet of appetizers: pizza and foccacia squares, bruschetta, pasta, french fries (!), sliced meats, cheeses, risotto, mini-tarts. A better apperitivi offering will include such things as steamed mussels, veggie sticks, interesting salads, and other foods that are lower carb and more artfully prepared.
After our apperitivi, several of us went out for dinner at 11:30 p.m. to a Mexican restaurant, while the others went to the disco.
by Maureen | Feb 13, 2010 | Canals, Cheese, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Food!, Journal, Photos, Shopping & Markets
Saturday. Clear blue skies. About 50 degrees. Yes!
I headed down the canal on my bike, but decided on a change of scenery and followed the path I learned about from Angelo, my surprise tour guide in mid-January. The one lane road wound though small towns and rice fields. I found my way back to the same old “cascina” (large, formerly-fortified farm) that Angelo had shown me. The farm store had been closed that time before, and though they were closed again, a young woman came out of the house and welcomed me into the shop.
“What do you recommend?”, I asked her. She pointed out all of their own farm-produced foods and I selected fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, brown rice and salami. What could be better?!
I found a way to secure the little bundle on my bike and continued my ride. There was a woman on a pink scooter. A lawn hosting 4 peacocks. An old tile roof warming 3 black cats. 1 Woman on a bike. Swelling buds on the trees. And a stop to say “hello” to Padre Pio at his shrine in Zibido San Giacomo. What a day!
Gauging the position of the sun and the remaining daylight and warmth, I went as far as Noviglio then turned around to head north back to home.
The very first thing upon coming in the door was to open the ricotta and mozzarella and have a taste. OH…MY! That fresh ricotta was better than most ice cream. I simply got myself a spoon and started eating it. Wow. Delicious. And the salami was good, too.
I’m really liking this. Go for a bike ride and, not far out of the city, pick up home grown rice and fresh ricotta cheese. (This is so unlike my previous life experience.)
by Maureen | Feb 12, 2010 | Discoveries, Introspection, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos, Quips
Hmm. I might find me a cute, little Italian. All the right curves and straight lines. Just my size. Fits into tight places. Agile and responsive. Yah. Sounds good to me!
(I don’t know what YOU were thinking. I was talking about a CAR!)
Before I came here, I sold my Honda CR-V and figured I’d get something else when I returned. As I go around Milano, I look at all the cars and 98% of them have tiny, little footprints. Certainly better suited for the city than big SUVs and pickups.
So I think about “going small” (aren’t I already?) and getting one of the models I see here. For sentimental and purely irrational reasons, I keep thinking of getting a Fiat 500, or “Fiat Cinquecento” (ching-kway-chain-toe). It’s small. It’s Italian. And it would remind me of my time here. (Irrational rationale.)
It would also remind me of the day I went to the Triennale Design Museum and saw the wooden mold for the Fiat 600, (say-chain-toe), cousin to the Cinquecento, and then walked outside on that sunny day and saw a golden oldie original 500 parked out front. (Ahh, the things that sway decisions!)
Yes, there are Smart Cars; a chartreuse green one that parks in front of my apartment appeals to me because of it’s color. But the Smart Cars look like praying mantis heads. (Not necessarily a bad thing. I think of a former pet mantis named “Elvira”.) And there are a dozen other near-microscopic boxes-on-wheels to consider.
But what of road safety? When EVERYONE has a tiny car, such as here in Europe, that’s one thing. When most people have landboats, like in the U.S., a micro-vehicle wouldn’t stand a chance in a collision.
And what about repair and maintenance?
I don’t know. I have some time before I need to make a decision. A high-end bike may very well be my first vehicle purchase when I get back to Seattle, (whenever that will be).
Who out there knows about Fiats? Who knows what they cost? (I read online that they’ll be available in the U.S. in the late Fall.)
In the meantime, I’m just keeping my eye on these cute Italians and admiring what I see.
UPDATE: 13 Feb. 2010
I saw this little Fiat 500L along the street last night. It’s TINY! (Looks almost the same as the red one, above.)
by Maureen | Feb 10, 2010 | Journal, Quips
There’s just something about having my bedroom window on the ground level, facing the street. At about 5:30 in the morning the recycling truck pulls up and parks in front of my window. They roll the glass-sorting bins holding a building’s-worth of bottles up to the truck and dump them with an alarming clatter. Imagine the sound.
I know of less jarring alarm clocks.
by Maureen | Feb 9, 2010 | Introspection, Journal, Quips
I’m pouting. Tuesday morning and it’s 34 degrees outside. Sunday morning I was riding a bike along the sea, wearing a light t-shirt with blue sky overhead and sun on my face. Temperatures were in the 60s, which felt fresh and warm enough to remember the glory of warmer days.
After the dark, cold, wet days of Winter in Milan we will all have EARNED our Springtime here! I’m just a trainride away from warm sun. Hmm. Where shall I go for some sun in my eyes?
by Maureen | Feb 8, 2010 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Graffiti & Street Art, Graphics, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photos, Sanremo
As a designer, I’m enchanted by the signage I see around Italy and France and love to stumble across old signs that haven’t been tampered with or “updated”. They have such flavor and style.
by Maureen | Feb 8, 2010 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos, Sanremo
The locals write “Sanremo”, a conjunction of the saint’s name. The rest of the world splits it into two words: San Remo. It’s a beautiful and small little town that has palm trees befitting any seaside resort, as well as the narrow, pedestrian-only, rabbit-warren paths that are so characteristic of towns around Italy. Just a breath away from France, if I threw a rock into the air it would land on the other side of the border. (It’s actually about 15 miles away). I’m glad I visited in February; I can only imagine this place having standing-room-only in the summer!
From my journal. Sunday, 7 February 2010
“Saturday morning woke us to blue skies and warming temperatures that spoke of Spring. We had a breakfast of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and toast before heading into the town of Sanremo. We inched through the very crowded market which sprawled over many blocks. Hawkers sold housewares, handbags and cashmere, most at dirt cheap prices and most at acceptable quality. I bought nothing.
A lovely day, with my light jacket unzipped and open under the sky, fresh air in off the water, and the clarity that follows a hard rain. the sun was brilliant in my eyes and the mimosa was just beginning to bloom.”
As is common in other big cities around Italy (the rest of Europe, too?), there are “human statues” that pose for money, either with a tourist or without. I’ve seen them in Rome, usually dressed head-to-toe in all white or gold, mimicking the old statuary. This man, however, was clad in silver painted junk, tied and heaped onto his body. He stood stock-still, shimmering. I enjoyed his fresh take on the well-worn statuary vision.
by Maureen | Feb 8, 2010 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, Monte-Carlo Monaco, Photo of the Day, Photos
We continued on to Monaco and the Casino Monte-Carlo. Who’d have imagined? All of us commented on the richness so thick you could cut it with a knife, that you could smell the money in the air. Subtlety and understatement are not included in the vocabulary of this pinpoint country. Monaco is a place of overstated extravagance.
Monaco is the cluster of high-rises tucked into the rounded bay in the distance.
This is the marker stone as we entered into the principality of Monaco.
This small, independent principality is formed of a half-moon bit of the southeastern shore of France, not far from the border into Italy. There are two grand marinas hosting yachts beyond belief. Hotels circle the casino; their other homes are all the great cities of the world. The Grand Prix route is painted with the racer’s checkboard. All the finest shops for jewels and clothing have a presence in Monte-Carlo.
Monaco (and the district of Monte-Carlo) are Disneyland-style, exaggerated caricatures of way-over-the-top excess. For me, I can only imagine going there to drop my jaw, marvel at the ornamentation and know that I’ve seen it. I can’t imagine making it a serious destination, because it’s so far outside of my reach, my comprehension or even my desire.
The front entrance of the Hotel De Paris, across the drive from the Casino Monte-Carlo.
The seaside face of the Hotel De Paris.
Grand city names round the arc of the Hotel De Paris.
Even the newer construction reflects the style and extravagance of the old.
Checkerboard patterning on the Grand Prix raceway route.
The Principality of Monaco.
“Yes, we’d like to order some bread for the restaurant tonight.” “OK. No problem. We’ll bring it by and leave it outside by the door.” “Great. Thanks.” (Would this ever be allowed in the U.S.?)
I’d heard of the Hermitage for years. Here it is.
Even the signage has the same lux feel.
We got around to the other side of the bend in the bay just after sunset.
Monaco official website
Monte-Carlo official website
by Maureen | Feb 8, 2010 | Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Monte-Carlo Monaco
The site of movies made and fortunes lost: Casino Monte-Carlo.
This island of grass and cyclamen is just across the drive from the Casino. The reflective disk sculpture holds an image of the grand building.
I zoomed in on the reflection and found a self-portrait. I’m squatting down – the triangular, black figure at the front of the red car – with my camera braced and steadied against the low railing.
by Maureen | Feb 8, 2010 | Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, Menton, Monte-Carlo Monaco, People, Photos
The “pinch me” part. Along our drive I had been seeing “travel-guide Italy”, scenic, seaside towns, cliffside old buildings, palm trees, polished hotels and trattorias. The statues, the weathered stone and white columns were brilliant against the blue sky we had been given, and were just the sights that make people book a vacation. Incredible. It was all here.
We drove west along the Ligurian Sea route, through Bordighera and Ventimiglia to the border town of Menton, France. We got out and strolled the seaside walk, the streetside markets, the town squares. I heard French all around me but forgot to switch to “Merci”.
Most of the details on this yellow building are painted. Can you tell which shutters are real?
We continued on to Monaco and the Casino Monte-Carlo…
by Maureen | Feb 8, 2010 | Incredible Locations, Journal, People, Photos, Sanremo
There’s no way I could have CONCEIVED of this weekend! Talk about “living on a movie set!” It was all beyond real, not to be believed. Pinch me. Am I dreaming this stuff up?
Friday morning at 11:10 I hopped on the train heading to Sanremo on the Italian Riviera.
Just outside of Milan, a blizzard started.
(I later heard Milan had several inches of snow. I missed it again.)
I arrived in Sanremo in pouring rain and was welcomed by Sandra, my landlady, and her husband, Mauro, whom I had met once last Fall and had talked to for only an hour. They had invited me to stay at their house for 3 days.
We cleaned a big pile of mussels, clams and branzino (fish) to cook up for dinner.
Their good friend, Sandro, joined us for dinner and the four of us ate and talked all evening. Sandra, Sandro, Mauro and Maureen.
Saturday morning was sunny and blue-skied, and Sandra, Mauro and I wandered through the crowded street markets of Sanremo and strolled along the shoreline path.
At 2:00, after lunch, the 4 of us took off driving west along the Ligurian Sea/Riviera coast and about 15 miles down the road crossed over into France.
We stopped in Menton, France, wandered around town and I kept forgetting to change languages and say “Merci” instead of “Grazie”.
About 15 miles further, we crossed over into Monaco.
We walked around town, saw the outside of the Casino Monte Carlo and the route for the Grand Prix Monte Carlo.
We toured an amazing show of 300 photographs of women, photos c. 1900-2008, all from a private collection.
This morning was again sunny, blue-skied and in the 60s. The four of us went for a 14 mile bike ride to the town of Santo Stefano al Mare, along the paved bike path at the water’s edge on the Riviera.
We returned home to a meal of apperitivi and rabbit.
I had spent three days, with three people, speaking and listening to Italian the whole time. (I think I rounded a corner a month or so ago.)
When I left this afternoon, I felt as if I had spent the weekend with friends I’ve known for years.
I hopped on the train which left promptly at 3:15. The ride was under sunny skies until the town of Ronco, in the mountains halfway between the coast and Milan, where there was deep snow and whiteout conditions. I arrived home at 7:30 Sunday evening to “bare and wet”.
I had traveled from Spring back in time to Winter in a matter of just a few hours.
What’s next on the list?
by Maureen | Feb 4, 2010 | Introspection, Journal, Quips
Sun in my eyes yesterday and the day before! Temperatures in the 40s demanded that I mount two wheels and head off along the canal for a ride. Divine. I haven’t been a cyclist for about 30 years so it surprises me how much I’ve taken to this biking. During and after my ride is when I feel my absolute best. I’m hooked on that sensation: I get hot and sweaty; I breathe hard; I feel both energized and relaxed at the same time. It’s when I feel most prayerful, grateful for having a healthy body ABLE to make such rides!
As often as I’m riding – (I guess I’m pretty gung-ho if I’m still riding in temperatures in the 30s!) – it should not be surprising that the faces on the bike trail are now familiar to me, and I’ve become a part of that community. How unexpected! Now, after 7 months on the canal path, the other cyclists and I exchange our acknowledgements: a nod, a hand raised from the handlebar grip, a “ciao” or “salve” (more formal) as we whiz past each other. Sometimes I’ll tuck in behind another rider and use his speed as incentive to work harder. Other times, a rider and I will sprint together and have an out-of-breath conversation as we ride, then wish each other well when we arrive at our separate routes.
Along the way I see the very hard core bike jocks on their streamlined bikes, wearing their lycra race gear. These guys are serious! Then there are the “intermediate” cyclists, still out just for the ride but not quite such jocks. I encounter the men with bikes-as-transportation getting from point A to point B, and the fishermen carrying nets and rods.
MAYBE I can count one other woman in 200 or 300 riders! Where are the women riders? Are women at home? At work? Is it considered unfeminine for a woman to be sweating and racing, pushing hard in that way? What statement is made by the absence of women on the bike trail? The city’s main outdoor gear store has a large bike section but offers next to nothing for the female cyclist. A male cyclist friend explains, “there aren’t any”.
That must be why they crane their necks as I ride by. Here in Italy, I’m an anomaly in the wheeled community, but it’s nice to be acknowledged with a rolling “ciao”.
by Maureen | Feb 1, 2010 | Bologna, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Food!, Incredible Locations, Journal, People, Photos, Shopping & Markets
Years ago, a girlfriend of mine from Seattle traveled and stayed with Marcello and Raffaella Tori of BluOne Cooking Tours in Bologna. When my girlfriend, Carri, returned home to Seattle, she kept talking with great fondness about the couple, their big hearts, and the wonderful time spent with them.
For 15 years, Marcello and Raffaella have been offering small, guided culinary tours customized for food lovers, home cooks and pro chefs. Talk about a foodie’s delight! They are based in Bologna, but also lead their cooking adventures in Emilia Romagna, Umbria, Le Marche, Piemonte and other regions of Italy.
The other day when I decided to go to Bologna for the weekend, I got in touch with Marcello and Raffaella and asked if we could meet for even a few minutes. I didn’t want to disturb their weekend plans, but wanted to at least get a photo of them to send to Carri. We e-mailed back and forth a few times and chatted by phone to make arrangements.
I showed up at their home yesterday at 5:00, (a half hour later than we had planned). They opened their door, greeted me with big hellos and sat me down at their kitchen table for tea and freshly baked apple tart (which perfumed the house). We talked for a couple of hours, and laughed and shared ideas about a hundred different things. When it was time for me to dash back into town to catch my train home, we exchanged hugs, kisses and vows to share a long, delicious dinner next time.
I walked away with new friends in my life.
If you’re looking for a more interesting vacation in Italy, something memorable that takes you into the homes and hearts of people, I can’t think of a dearer couple to lead your way. Through food and fun, Marcello and Raffaella will create a never-to-be-forgotten time in your life.
Marcello & Raffaella Tori
Bluone – Cooking Tours in Italy
Via Parigi, 11 40121 Bologna – Italy
Phone +39 051 263546
Fax +39 051 267774
Web: www.bluone.com
E-Mail: info@bluone.com
by Maureen | Feb 1, 2010 | Bologna, Cheese, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Food!, Graphics, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos, Shopping & Markets
As a designer and artist, being here in Italy is a pilgrimage to the home of all the motifs, patterns and visual elements I’ve studied and heard of all my life. At times I’m overwhelmed, excited by the visually lush surroundings.
The storefronts and shop windows are delicious with their old-world signage and embellishments.
This is a contemporary storefront for a high-end clothing store. All of the furnishings are made of corrugated box stock, as well as the “chandeliers” at the ceiling.
THIS is the place to buy Bolognese classic foods! The meats! The cheeses! The 40 euro ($60) 8 ounce bottles of balsamic vinegar! Mmm.
by Maureen | Feb 1, 2010 | Bologna, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photos
Saturday evening, after walking around Bologna for over 6 hours, I went back to my hotel room to chill out. Unfortunately, a wedding party was gathering in the main lobby just down the hall from my room. The hotel, I Portici, is very sleek and modern, with not a soft surface in the place, so every voice, every door slam, every shrill laugh bounced and echoed right into my room. As the wedding guests built in numbers, so did the noise. And then I heard bag pipes. That was the last straw. There was no way I’d be able to sleep that night. When I went out to the lobby to request a room change, I saw a sea of all things plaid: A Scottish wedding in Bologna, Italy. The men were in kilts. The women wore plaid of every sort. That was fine with me, but I just wanted to be sure to sleep that night!
I changed rooms, and I did sleep. In fact, I woke up at a quarter-to-ten! (I must have needed it.) I called my girlfriend to arrange our meeting time and she mentioned snow. Huh? Snow? I looked out the window to 4 inches of freshly fallen snow! I hadn’t come prepared for snow, with proper boots and all. For just a flash I thought of “laying low and not doing much” around town, and thought of the snow as a damper on the day. But I was there to explore; I wasn’t going to sit in my room.
Out I went. I protected my camera from the big flakes floating down all day and shot nonetheless. I found that the “snow sky” created its own monotone scheme that I relished. I loved knowing that I was capturing images contrary to the stereotypical “sunny summer days of Italy”. I was seeing the country in a way that most tourists never know. And with the snow, there were fewer people out, and the city took on a different mood.
This morning, back at home in Milano, my NOT-Snow-boots have dried out and the snow and salt line creeps up two inches from the floor. Those poor boots will need some attention, but I enjoyed the shooting out in the snow and wasn’t going to let improper footwear stop me!
by Maureen | Feb 1, 2010 | Bologna, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Graffiti & Street Art, Incredible Locations, Journal, People, Photos
Scatter sculpture, paintings and installations in amongst mediaeval buildings and you’ve got the makings of a visually exciting weekend! The Bologna Arte Fiera got me into town, but I went about seeing it in a very random manner. I simply stumbled upon the art pieces as I found them.
The piece that was most delightful to me was the very spontaneous, casual creation of a “ground mural” out in front of Bologna’s duomo, San Petronio Basilica. The piece was conceived of by Art Kitchen. They had FILLED the huge Piazza Maggiore with a sheet of paper (pieces unrolled and then attached at the edges), then provided buckets of paint and brushes for anyone that wished to contribute. Families strolled on top of the painting. A little girl pushed by on her scooter. And one man used a push broom to make wide, sweeping black strokes. The piece was interactive and engaging. (These days, those two adjectives are usually applied to electronics and video games.)
Across the middle of the paper, they had painted “Art Kitchen: Make the Sky Bloom.”
When I had just arrived in town and not far from the train station, I found a group clad in white, disposable coveralls creating this piece. Take note of the chunks of snow/ice they’re using to weigh the paper down.
The other art included large, sculptural pieces, flat work and installations. Some I liked; some I didn’t like at all, (but that’s art for ya).
(I want this stone furniture in my yard! It wasn’t a part of the art fair, but shared the courtyard with the sculptural figure behind it.)
And this installation amused me most after my moment of recognition: they’re drafting templates for engineering drawings! Relics now, I have a drawer full of them in my basement in Seattle but haven’t used them for over 20 years.
by Maureen | Feb 1, 2010 | Bologna, Discoveries, Food!, Incredible Locations, Journal, Meals, Photos
OK. So add Bologna to my list of amazing places to visit in Italy. It’s right up there with Venice, (which makes me swoon). I have a feeling the list will get VERY long.
A girlfriend from my Italian class had mentioned the citywide art fair, Bologna Arte Fiera, that was going on for a month starting 29 January. “Why don’t you come?”, she suggested. I quickly put plans in place and then hopped on the train Saturday morning.
(Side note: I had bought a ticket for the Frecciarossa fast train, which takes 1 hour instead of 3 and costs 41 euro instead of 11. I read the reader board, saw a train listed for Bologna – but with a 5 minute later departure than my scheduled train – and then hopped on the train and got settled into my seat. An hour into the ride, we weren’t even halfway there and were stopping at every little train station along the way. Uh-oh. I goofed. I had hopped on the slow train instead! Clearly I haven’t learned all the little details yet! Oh well. So I arrived later and saw each little town from the trackside. If there’s one thing I’m learning by being here, it’s to take things in stride, and let them roll off me.)
When I arrived in Bologna I walked a short distance to my hotel, I Portici, dropped my few things in the room then left and took off walking, having no idea where I was going or what there was to see! (Since making this trip was a spontaneous decision, I had only glanced at the site for the art fair, but not Bologna itself.)
I followed my “rule” of exploring the back streets, and found a little restaurant, Re Enzo Ristorante. As I was perusing the menu, the owner/waiter hustled past me with a cloud of truffle scent following him. That made my decision easy! “Scialatelli con Porcini e Tartuffo Bianco” – a wide, flat pasta noodle with porcini mushrooms and white truffles. I added some grilled vegetables to my table, and a nice Sangiovese to sip and the lunch was delicious.
Well-fortified and hunger sated, I started walking around town taking turns whenever I wished and found my way to the historic center of Bologna, Piazza Maggiore. It was a chilly, cold day, but I was bundled up and ready for walking.
by Maureen | Feb 1, 2010 | Bergamo, Cheese, Featured Articles, Food!, Incredible Locations, Introspection, Journal, Meals, People, Photos
From my journal entry, 23 January. Bergamo.
Bergamo is beautiful and reminds me of San Gimignano in Tuscany. I’m on in the “Alta Cittá”, the high city up on the hill within the old fortress walls. Towers, stone, weathered doors, cobbles. I’m sitting in a little trattoria, “Trattoria 3 Torri”, the restaurant of the 3 towers.
I was standing outside looking at the menu, and the proprietor, Casimiro, came to the door and smiled out at me. A smile goes a long way with me; to be in a foreign country and have someone reach out in that small way seals my decision of where to eat, shop, explore. A geniune smile is the universal entree to first connection.
I’m sitting under vaulted stone ceilings eating a lovely polenta with sausage and porcini mushrooms with a hint of gravy. The sun is shining in onto my table, the first time I’ve seen and felt it in ages (more than a month?). As others enter the restaurant, he gives them a menu in their “madre lingua”, mother tongue. He gave me the menu in Italian. (That’s a compliment.)
It’s now 2:00 p.m. Midday is a good time to have my main meal, come in and get warm sitting next to the heater with the sun in my eyes. And January is a perfect time to be exploring these places that would attract the tourists. It’s quiet and uncrowded. It’s much more relaxing.
My heart and head are SO pulled by this history that reaches back to 1400 and further. To touch surfaces touched for centuries, to stride stone ways that have been stepped upon for so long. We simply do not have such history in the U.S. We do not have the remaining evidence to lay our hands on. Perhaps one day I might become inured to this, but at this point it makes me gasp repeatedly in disbelief. I cannot conceive of what I’m in the presence of.
The visual and physical richness here charges me. It excites me.
Trattoria 3 Torri • Cittá Alta, Bergamo
Piazza Mercato del Fieno, 7/a • Tel: 035-244474
Facebook: Trattoria Tre Torri
