by Maureen | Jul 1, 2010 | Church, Featured Articles, Graphics, Incredible Locations, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos
Two years ago, in exploring one church after another, I noticed cathedral walls laden with silver framed medallions bearing the letters “GR”. Some were tied with a pink or a blue ribbon. There may have been 50 in some churches, or hundreds in others.
Here’s a wall in the Duomo of Sienna (from 2008).
With an interest in symbols and icons, silverwork and folk art, I was intrigued. What were these? What meaning did they hold to those that posted them?
In Firenze, I went into a store selling Catholic statues, vestments, rosaries and other religious items and talked to one of the nuns working there. She explained “Per Grazia Ricevuta” – “For Grace Received” – this physical symbol of gratitude. The medallions are placed in the cathedrals at the birth of a child, the healing of an illness or injury, or other instances of great grace. (I bought one for my brother to acknowledge him, his wife and 5 kids.)
Two years later, now back in Italy, I continue to see the Grazia Ricevuta medallion. It moves me that the Italians have this tangible symbol for their gratitude . (I rack my brain trying to think of an American corollary.)
– – –
I feel such deep gratitude for the opportunity to be here. I have the means and the fortitude to have come for a year even in the midst of global economic crisis. I have experienced no mishap, illness or calamity. I have remained safe both when traveling alone and riding my bike amidst crazy, Milanese traffic. My family, friends and clients back home have been supportive and steady. New friendships and chance meetings here have kept me from loneliness and given me the highlights of my time. I have seen things that have filled my head with images to last my lifetime. THIS has been a great grace received and I am genuinely humbled by the gift.
– – –
The Grazia Ricevuta has become increasingly touching to me as my time passes here in Milano. I purchased another framed medallion to hang in my home when I return. And I just purchased one (below) from the antique market which I will wear on occasion. When you see it, you will know its meaning to me.
by Maureen | Jul 1, 2010 | Featured Articles, Introspection, Journal, Quips
More often than not, when I’m talking to Italians and they tell me they want to travel to the U.S., they all say the same thing: they want to go to New York, Miami… and Niagara Falls. (Huh? Niagara Falls?) They tell me that TV and movies have influenced them; they’ve seen more mention of New York and Miami than any other place.
Yesterday, out for a late night dinner with an Italian friend, at a restaurant with paper tablecloths, I started sketching a map of the U.S. and talking about the regional differences across the country. In trying to communicate the tremendous variation in geography and culture we covered a LOT of topics! (Of course, all from my own point of view…)
Here’s a list of some of the things we talked about. How many can you find noted in the sketch below?
- Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York
- Grand Canyon, Cascade Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes, Gulf Coast Marshes
- Pacific Northwest, West Coast, Southwest, South, Midwest, New England,
East Coast, Florida, border with Canada
- BP Oil spill and threatening Hurricane Alex
- Conservative, liberal, up-tight, traditional, racist
- Rednecks, Ku Klux Klan, cross-burning
- Cities, population centers, farm country, apples, pears, grapes
- The Adobe homes of the Southwest
- Where I went to school in California and Ohio
- My long, one day drive from San Jose to Seattle
- The “boot” of Italy and the cultural divide between north and south
The cultural divide between northern and southern California
by Maureen | Jun 30, 2010 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Food!, Journal, Meals, People, Photos
Two Chinese and one American strolling together along the Naviglio Grande speaking Italian, their only common language. Now if that doesn’t make you smile, I don’t know what will.
I had gone back to the Mercatone Antiquariato – The Big Antique Market – (the last one before my departure) in search of the few, last treasures. Three things called my name and came home with me and they will be some of the many things that bring Italy to mind when I’m back in the Pacific Northwest. I bought an old book, a wooden hat form, and a medallion… and then I was hungry.
The Naviglio Grande is lined with trattorie, osterie, cafés, gelaterie and pizza joints selling by the slice. I know better than to be indecisive when I’m hungry, so I stepped right into the Vintage Café (decorated with Marilyn Monroe), because I saw their lunch buffet arrayed like the typical evening aperitivo. My hosts, Piero and Élena, seated me and brought me a crisp glass of cold, white wine. I loaded up my plate and began to calm my rumbling belly.
Two men walked in and took the table right next to me. As I’ve found here in general, space is tight and so are tables. People sitting NEXT to you might as well be eating WITH you. We started chatting and comparing our purchases. Mako and Ma Qing Sheng are son and father, here for two months from China. They had purchased and showed me a set of an elaborate, engraved serving spatula and fork, with matching appetizer forks. I showed them the old book and hat form I bought. Piero, our host, joined the conversation and pretty soon we were all one big, happy family in conversation.
Ma Qing Sheng liked the hat form and I told him I’d take him to the seller so he could buy one. We paid our bills for lunch. Piero gave me a European kiss goodbye and we started walking and talking. I was amused by the absurd unlikelihood of the situation: being in Italy and carrying on in Italian with two Chinese men. (The little bit of Chinese I know was buried too deep in the recesses for any access or assistance as we chatted.)
Ma Qing Sheng picked out one of the very sculptural forms, and the father and son playfully modeled some of the vintage hats on display (probably to the chagrin of the seller, but she had just sold another hat form, so wasn’t putting up a fuss). Mako and his father and I exchanged contact information and we may get together for dinner sometime in the next month.
These unlikely moments will make me smile and sparkle for years to come…
by Maureen | Jun 1, 2010 | Canals, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Introspection, Journal, People, Photo of the Day, Photos
Two “fashion” trends persist for men around here: orange-colored pants and the Milanese “man purse”, a sleeker, chic-er version of the multi-pocketed, safari vest. U.S. travel outfitters sell them as “travel vests”, but here in Milano, they are daily wear for the 60-80 set. Now that winter has gone, these functional garments have come out of the closets to populate the streets.
Yes, the term “man purse” has been used to describe the over-the-shoulder messenger bag and all its variations in which men carry cell phones, keys, PDAs, cameras, laptops, chargers, files, books and everything else they’re tethered to for the day. But man-purse-as-vest distributes the load, leaving men hands-free yet porting all of their necessaries.
As seen around Milano, the man purse vest comes in many colors, in both light and heavy weight fabrics, with zippered, buttoned or snapped pockets. They are either bulky or streamline, pared-down-basic or over-pocketed.
Along the Naviglio Grande on Sunday, after a long day at the antiques market, I stepped into an osteria for a bite to eat. I perched at a window table and set my camera for stealth photography of the steady parade of men in vests. It was a concentrated show of vest styles and their wearers. These surreptitious photos joined those that I began shooting last summer.
Who started this trend? When, where and how did this begin? Does it extend throughout Italy, or only here in the north? Will it go away any time soon? (Doubtful.)
Double jackpot! Man Purse plus orange (or yellow) pants! Yes!
(I’d like to see the yellow vest with the orange pants.)
by Maureen | May 31, 2010 | Featured Articles, Introspection, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos
This day was not set aside to mark the beginning of barbeque season.
Memorial Day is a time to remember and honor those that have given their lives while in service to their country… OUR country.
The bell is rung at the calling of each name, newly engraved on the memorial wall. A salute goes up and tears fall.
Please take a moment…
by Maureen | May 23, 2010 | Introspection, Journal, Quips
It is 4:14 a.m. No. I haven’t gone to bed yet but the first bird just sang!
I could say I’m in the throes of jet lag, but really it was the seduction of a book given to me by my friend Anne and her kids before I left Seattle.
“The Glassblower of Murano” by Marina Fiorato, takes place in Venice. Tonight I couldn’t put it down. I settled into the couch and acquiesced to its pull.
And now the birds are singing…
Good night. (Or is it “good morning”.)
by Maureen | May 22, 2010 | Incredible Locations, Introspection, Journal, Quips, Seattle
Seattleites wear fleece, gore-tex, lycra and denim. Their fashion sense is inspired by the sporty, athletic look, whether or not they’re either sporty or athletic. Some are so casual as to be sloppy.
The Milanese wear cotton, linen, silk and wool. Denim seems reserved for the colder, winter months. More women wear skirts and dresses, and more men wear suits than I ever see in Seattle. The look is lean and trim…and sexy.
Is it a matter of level of formality? Fashion awareness? Traditional mores? What drives such visible stylistic trends?
Of course these are generalizations and certainly there are a hundred other directions seen in both places. But to have just been in Seattle for two weeks, able to observe with fresh eyes, the differences are remarkable.
by Maureen | May 20, 2010 | Discoveries, Introspection, Journal, Quips, Seattle
It’s a lovely day here in Seattle. The sun was shining first thing this morning while I scurried around to get the irrigation system up and running. Now it’s pouring rain and my dry yard is thankful. I stepped outside, heard the birds singing and enjoyed the cool, fresh, clean air and smell of salt water.
These last 2 weeks here have been sunny and warm. Wow! No, I did not bring the sunshine from Milano. They had forecast a week of rain the day I left. There was no sunshine to bring!
Flowers are blooming, my yard is at its most beautiful and the days have been comfortable.
I leave this afternoon to return to Italy and my last 2 and a half months there. They predict temperatures in the mid-80s for the end of this week, so I’m dressed in layers, able to peel them one-by-one as I approach Europe.
The sense of things for me is SO different as I prepare for this flight than when I was preparing to fly to Italy last June. The unknown doesn’t loom so large. The timidity has been eased. I’m returning to Milano with familiarity and surety now and that changes the whole picture.
In this last dab of time, I will have visitors, I will travel, I will gobble up as much as I can before I pack my last bag and come home again to this fresh air.
by Maureen | May 7, 2010 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Incredible Locations, Introspection, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos, Quips, Seattle
My house in Seattle is a mansion. My living room here is as big as my whole apartment in Milan. All of this space for one person?
Really, it’s just a two-bedroom, 1950s rambler with a basement and a great yard. But after almost a year in Milan, my house seems enormous. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I had an American mega-mansion.
I arrived in Seattle two days ago for a couple of weeks seeing family, friends and clients. The days have been sunny, but cool, starting at 40 degrees in the mornings; it feels brisk after 77 degrees and humid.
It’s incredibly quiet, the only noise coming from the chorus of robins singing throughout the neighborhood. A sunny, still afternoon spent sitting on the front porch looking out to the water is a balm to my soul. What a treasure.
It’s good to be home, and I look forward to my final return at the end of July. But it won’t be without some wistfulness about the people and flavors I’ll be leaving behind.
by Maureen | Apr 29, 2010 | Featured Articles, Food!, Journal, Meals, People, Photo of the Day, Photos, Quips
Boy! My two cousins come into town and a riot ensues!
Connie and Gerry arrived yesterday morning, crashed out for a nap then wandered the town for a while. I met them in the evening at their Duomo-close hotel and we goofed around the piazza for a while.
Connie succumbed to the bird food man, mistakenly opening his hand when the guy thrust corn at him. These guys offer you corn, the birds land all over you, your friends take pictures of you with the Duomo in the background and you give corn-man some money.
Our 8:00 dinner reservation was early by Italian standards, and we wanted to find a place for a little pre-dinner drink. We decided to head to the Porta Romana neighborhood and look for a place near the restaurant. Down, down, down, deep into the subway system to the yellow line. We rode 4 stops and ascended to an arch, an old wall, and one of the busy circle roads ringing the city. We walked. And walked. Nothing like a long stroll after a long plane flight. Though we passed several cafés along Monte Nero, it was a frenzied, noisy street and we had hoped for something more quiet. We didn’t find it.
We went on to Osteria La Cala (Viale Monte Nero 63) a bit early, and were the first patrons. The menu review, selection and ordering that followed was every bit the best of comedies and tragedies. Certainly, we tested the patience of the woman serving us! She and I discussed the menu items, specialties of Sardegna, and Connie was sure we had just relayed our life stories twice over.
Finally (!) a wine selection was made, and the waitress made the decision to bring us a selection of hot appetizers, plus raw scampi and prawns for each of us.
The octopus was incredibly tender. The stuffed fish roll was topped with fava beans and delicious. The scampi crudi and gamberi rossi crudi were fresh and light.
Just TRY to get these two guys to decide what to eat! After much discussion and many more “relays of life stories” (according to Connie), we decided on the pescatrice, (that funny fish with the “lure” hanging off its nose), gnocchi with truffles and shrimp, and lorighitas with calamaretti and bottarga.
Bottarga is a dried fish roe sac, often served by being thinly sliced and/or grated over pasta. There are many bottarga variations depending on the fish roe used, place of origin and style of preservation.
We closed the place down. The few other restaurant patrons had left long ago, and we were, of course, undecided about whether to have any dessert or caffé. Our wonderful waitress saved us from ourselves by bringing us a plate of little sweets, a bottle of Mirto digestif right out of the freezer, and 3 little shot glasses. I’d swear that bottle was full when she brought it to us, but there’s surely no way we could have drunk over half the bottle! Apparently, it’s bitter flavor grew on us.
We exchanged handshakes, grazie and much laughter with the restaurant owner, our dear waitress and the kitchen staff. Just outside the front door, we waited for the cable car tram with the intention of riding it to a location near my apartment so the guys could see where I live.
.
It was the wrong tram. We ended up back at the Duomo, just as honking cars, canned fog horns and delirious fans started streaming in from all directions and clustered in the Piazza del Duomo, Milan’s living room. We were caught in the middle of it all. Milan’s Inter soccer team had just won against Barcelona and there was some serious celebration to be done. The local polizia hung back at the edge of the crowd to keep an eye on things. At the height of it all, Gerry and I lost Connie, consumed in the crowd.
.
.
We called him, found him and all headed back to their hotel room to get their better cameras. They wanted to come back out and shoot more serious shots, but got bogged down by their technology tethers.
.
Connie did his ode to Sir Isaac Newton.
It was fast approaching 1:00 in the morning and I hustled these guys out of their room to walk me to the subway stop at the Duomo. Good thing I did! I caught the LAST westbound red line run before they closed it for the night. I transferred to the green line, got off at Romolo and exited as a guy was standing there ready to lock the gate for the night!
I tell ya, those twins are trouble!
