by Maureen | Sep 5, 2009 | Featured Articles, Ireland, Journal
It was the late 1800s in Ireland. Potato crops kept failing and food was scarce. Imagine being a little boy, held in your mother’s arms in the midst of a big commotion as your older brothers, just ages 16 and 17 or so, left down the narrow lane, heading for a new life in America.
Those Manley brothers ended up in Wisconsin, Alaska and Washington. They never returned to Crockawaddy Glebe and their parents never saw them again. That little boy was Thomas, my cousin Tom’s grandfather.
This is the narrow Corr’s Lane the boys traveled down. (#2 on the large map.) Roughly 150 years later and having heard that story, standing in that now-paved lane was a pretty heady experience. Imagine the hunger, the heartache, the sadness and yet the hope. Imagine fearing that the farewell was indeed the last.
I’m still piecing together the puzzle of the Manley Clan and where I fit, but from what I gather, my great-grandmother, Bridget Manley, was born at Crockawaddy Glebe. Perhaps she was sister to that little boy, Thomas. Clearly, I need to ask further questions of those that know!
That narrow lane now ends at Corr’s house, though it used to wrap around behind and all the way through to Crockawaddy. Today, the paved road disappears in the overgrowth, but a gate remains, surrounded by brush to show the old pathway.
by Maureen | Sep 4, 2009 | Featured Articles, Ireland, Journal
Crockawaddy Glebe is west of Rosslea, north of Aghadrumsee in County Fermanagh, west of Belfast, Northern Ireland. “Crockawaddy” is the name of the Townland (a unit of 50-70 acres), and “Glebe” indicates that they had to pay rent to the Protestant Church of Ireland.
#1 – The farmhouse at Crockawaddy Glebe (the small, black square in the middle of the circle)
#2 – Corr’s Lane, the “Road to America”. Corr’s house is at the top end of this lane and there used to be a road connecting it with Crockawaddy.
#3 – The Schoolhouse of Corranny Primary, where cousin Tom went to School
#4 – The small town of Aghadrumsee
#5 – The Carnmore Viewpoint
For those (family members) wanting a detailed map of this area, look for the “Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, Discoverer Series: Upper Lough Erne, Sheet 27”. © Crown Copyright 2008. http://www.osni.gov.uk/mapstore.htm. The scale is 1:50,000, with Townland Map on Reverse. These can be purchased at “News Agents” and bookstores in the area. (Thanks to my childhood friend, Eva, for telling me about these maps.)
Here’s a view looking southwest from Carnmore View Point (#5) toward Carnmore Lough.
by Maureen | Sep 4, 2009 | Featured Articles, Ireland, Ireland, Journal
It was so moving to be halfway around the world from my birthplace, and be greeted with hugs at the doors of my unknown, distant cousins. Family roots are deep and strong.
First, there I was sitting in a little coffee shop in Aughancloy, Ireland, waiting for Tom to arrive. “Are you the lady from America?” And he gave me a hug hello. Then I followed him to Clones and met his wife, Mary who was as open as they get. Another dear. We had dinner at their home together. (And lively pup, Mollie, loved having a new person visit the house!)
After our meal, we went to their son and daughter-in-law’s house, Thomas and Carmel, and we all chatted through the evening before I turned in for a cozy night’s sleep.
During our driving tour of Country Fermanagh the next day, Tom took me to meet Manley Clan relations. He had called ahead to say we’d be coming, and again, it felt remarkable to be so warmly received. Maggie and her daughter, Sabohan, greeted us, and then Maggie’s son, Gary, came by and joined the conversation.
From there we drove to the home of “little imp”, Lily, who had married Gerard Manley. She and I had a playful, teasing banter from the very start. (We’d probably have a lot of fun together if we lived closer by.)
Here’s a picture of young Lily on her wedding day to Gerard.
Lily’s got a sign saying “Crockawaddy” on the front of her house (although she no longer lives at the farm). She and Tom strike a pose.
by Maureen | Sep 4, 2009 | Featured Articles, Ireland, Journal
There is something deeply stirring about standing on the farmland of the homesite where my great grandmother, Bridget Manley, was born. I had hoped simply to find the region and share a glimpse of what she saw as a young girl. To meet distant cousins, tour the county and drive up Corr’s Lane to the home site, was more than I had dreamed of!
My godmother, Mary Fran, my Mom’s cousin, had given me the names of “cousins”, Tom and Mary. (I still haven’t found everyone in the genealogy, but after a point, “cousin” will suffice.) Just days before, I had made a call from up north, which boiled down to: “Hi. My name’s Maureen and we’re cousins. I’m visiting Ireland from the United States. May I come see you?” Four days later, I drove south and Tom met me in the small town of Aughancloy, near his hometown of Rosslea. He greeted me with a hug and I followed him home to dinner with him and his wife, Mary. More cousins, I met their son, Thomas, and his wife, Carmel, and I slept cozily at their home, after we had talked into the evening.
The following day I got the full tour of County Fermanagh, as Tom took me to all the noted family sites and told me stories along the way. The home of my great great grandparents, Crockawaddy Glebe is west of Rosslea, north of Aghadrumsee in County Fermanagh, west of Belfast, Northern Ireland. “Crockawaddy” is the name of the Townland (a unit of 50-70 acres), and “Glebe” indicates that they had to pay rent to the Protestant Church of Ireland.
One of the original white-washed stone buildings still stands and is being used for farm storage next to the cow barn. It likely had a thatched roof when first built. The house where Tom’s great grandfather had lived had been “tossed” a few years back, but its outline still shows (under a trampoline and clothesline). A field next to the house holds grazing cattle and is the site of past gardens.
(The next day, when visiting cousin Lily – Aunt? – I notice she had a decoupage clock on the wall with a photo of Crockawaddy before the house had been torn down! So here’s Crockawaddy as a clock. The whitewashed stone building I show above is at “8 o’clock”.)
County Fermanagh: Green all around in a rippling landscape of fields and thorny hedgerows. I think it’s probably changed little in these past two centuries. Tom took me to the Carnmore View Point, just an Irish field’s stone’s-throw north of Crockawaddy, from which I could survey all the countryside. I nibbled a few bilberries (much like a huckleberry) on our way along the path. (I’ll bet my great grandma had her favorite berry-picking spots.) From the top of Carnmore “Mountain”, Tom pointed out Crockawaddy, not too distant. (On this carved-stone map, he points to the farm’s location.)
From Carnmore View Point, looking southward toward Crockawaddy Glebe.
by Maureen | Sep 2, 2009 | Ireland, Journal, Quips
I know. Long time no post… I haven’t posted much in the week since I got back from Ireland even though I have a hundred ideas of things I want to write about and post photos of! Oh, the images! Stone Circles, Malin Head, Crana Knits, Crockawaddy Glebe, Thatched Roof Houses, Old Stone Buildings, the Fermanagh Tour, Grianan Ailigh, Distant Cousins, Great-Grandma’s Birthplace…and “The Road to America”! (And all of those things mean nothing until I actually SHOW you!)
And then there are the 7 HUGE muskrats I saw along the canal the other day when out for a ride. They weren’t river otter at all like I had originally thought. There was one granddaddy muskrat twice as big as my head!
The “Italian Contemporary Society”, “History of Design” and “Italian Language” classes at NABA have to be wedged in there somewhere, too! The Fall 2009 Semester began this week and it’s great to see people back on campus, and to see Milano lively again. It got awful lonely around here in the month of August.
But, you know…there’s such a thing as WORK! First things first.
by Maureen | Aug 29, 2009 | Canals, Journal, Quips
I rode along the canal this evening. It’s shifted. The seasons are changing. The temperature may be a couple degrees cooler. It may all look a little different. But the biggest difference is in the scent of the ride. The silage is very rank and strong. There’s fruit somewhere that’s past ripe and oversweet. The rice paddies have been drained and smell freshly cut. The poplars at canalside have reached their season’s end and smell of riversides in Eastern Washington. I even caught a whiff of Nicaragua, and identified the wood smoke in that whiff.
This is a time of my senses. Of being keenly tuned in. Of paying attention. I’m in another world, and yet it brings me to other worlds known.
I could hardly be more attentive. More observant. More inquisitive. There is nothing like this moment. I am alive to the fullness of it. I am very aware of all this time holds for me.
by Maureen | Aug 26, 2009 | Introspection, Ireland, Journal, Quips
I’m Home! Just returned from Ireland tonight and it FELT like coming home. For all the challenges and the treasures, the frustrations and delights, this is home for me at this moment, and it’s good to be back.
There was limited internet access while I was in Ireland, thus my limited posts. Besides, I was out exploring rather than being inside at the computer!
But I shot LOTS of photos and will upload more “in my spare time”. Meanwhile, I’ve got unpacking to do and then back at it…
by Maureen | Aug 21, 2009 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Ireland, Journal
At the far edge of Northern Ireland, jutting toward the north Athlantic along the Antrim Coast, the Giant’s Causeway is a heaven of columnar basalt. (As a rock fiend, I swooned.) The Causeway Head starts at a high point and sweeps down into the Atlantic tides, allowing stair-stepped exploration, yet daring visitors to test their courage at the water’s edge. (The dangers are real. The slippery rocks and crashing waters claim someone every year.)
My biggest question was “How can I get one of these rocks home to my yard?”
http://www.giantscausewayireland.com/
by Maureen | Aug 21, 2009 | Featured Articles, Ireland, Journal, People
This is what one comes to Ireland to experience: a pint of Guinness and some traditional music. It was after 10:00 on Wednesday night and we walked the half dozen blocks into the town of Carndonagh for “Trad Night” at the Persian Bar. There were 4 or 5 people in the pub and the place was near empty. We took seats at the bar, right across from the table where the to-be-gathered musicians would sit. Within 10 minutes, the place started to fill, and musicians gathered around their table, including the 3 Henry Sisters. The music started at 10:55.
I joked with the bartender, saying that I was doing a Calendar of Irish Bartenders.
The Inishowen Henry Sisters
Joleen, Lorna and Karen Henry are three of six sisters from Inishowen. Their music has been described as traditional, folk, bluesy, roots, world and contemporary, an eclectic mix of their individual and collective musical experiences. The Henry Girls released their first album ‘Between Us’ in 2002 to widespread critical acclaim and giving the group access to a wider audience.
http://www.dun-na-ngall.com/nw92.html
“Convivial” is absolutely the word I’d use to describe the nature of the people here. Everyone is immediately a “cousin”, (many of them truly so). Conversations sprout readily whether lubricated by a Guinness or not. And there’s something about the lilting music in the voice of the Irish that speaks of welcome.
Trad Night is off-the-cuff spontaneous, yielding songs both mellow and lively. When James Nonne, the local storyteller, began his bawdy, rhyming recitations the patrons in the packed pub would “shush” each other loudly, and then give a round of applause with his story told.
Ballads/Stories:
“Galway Bay/Young Farmer”
“Bonnie Black Hair”
“The Rangy Ribs I Bought from Mickey Dhu”
One cousin’s advice about getting to know people here: “Never say ‘no’ to the cup of tea.” (That doesn’t look like a cup of tea in his hand…)
Another cousin’s comment about the reception he expected from his wife when he got home that night (when he had only been expecting to be gone for a short evening): “A cold shoulder and a hot tongue.”
by Maureen | Aug 20, 2009 | Ireland, Journal
2:00 a.m. Just back from the pub, “The Persian Bar” in Carndonagh, Ireland, in Inishowen, the northernmost region of County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland . THIS is why people come to Ireland and THIS is what they hope to find! Wednesday night at The Persian is “Trad Night”, the night of traditional music. Six or seven random musicians showed up and filled the room with music from their harp, tin whistle, guitar, accordion, fiddle, and banjo. They sang ballads, folk songs, American classics …and accompanied some “recitations”, (readings of traditional, ballad-style poems).
The Guinness flowed freely and the place was packed with patrons, 17 – 70. This was not a tourist show, as would be found in the big city hubs. This was just the locals getting together to have some fun and pass a rainy, Wednesday evening.
I shot many photos, handheld, adjusted for the dark pub lighting, but my camera card reader is at “the house” where I’m staying, and I will likely just stay here tonight. …And so, post more later. But I will fall asleep pleased. Tonight’s gathering embodied what I’ve always heard of Ireland (following a full day of neighborly comings and goings).
Tomorrow, we have more exploration to do. (“Giant’s Causeway”. Google THAT!) Hmm. Who knows when I’ll have a chance to sit inside the house, download photos and post to this blog… Hmm. Who cares?
by Maureen | Aug 17, 2009 | Discoveries, Journal
The ubiquitous crow comes in a different color pattern here. These birds are often in the fields and grassy areas either along the canal or in the city parks. I was intrigued by their standard crow-shape with what is for me a non-standard, gray-brown collar and apron. It’s the Hooded Crow, Corvus cornix.
Since these crows are hard to get close to and I don’t have a better camera for bird-watching, I found this image on the web by Lars Kapelrud in Norway. Lars was kind enough to let me post this photo.
If you’d like to read more about the Hooded Crow, including watching a video of them in action, check out the post on AviBirds.com.
by Maureen | Aug 15, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos
15 Agosto – Ferragosto. A major Italian holiday, the high, midpoint of the Italian exodus month, and “the day when Roman Catholics believe the Virgin Mary ascended into heaven”. Having heard about this being such a big-deal holiday, and knowing that I’d be in town, I made a special trip a few days ago to the tourist information office to find out what would be going on.
The calendar they gave me listed a parade scheduled to march from the Castello to the Piazza dei Mercanti, right next to the Duomo Cathedral. Great! I wanted to be there. With Italy being such a Catholic country, and this being a feast to honor the Assumption of Mary, I thought there would be statues and images of Mary carried through the streets toward the cathedral. I thought there’d be a great outpouring of traditional veneration for our saints and religious figures.
Nope. Instead, I found a group of “LatinoAmericando” music and dance groups. The Peruvians presented their traditional expressions, but other groups were more appropriate for mardi gras and carnevale. The women were hardly presented as virginal! Does a feather here and a sequin there count as clothing?
And I usually think of “Latin America” as including those countries in Central America, but didn’t see them represented. And I’m in Italy! How did Latin America co-opt this holiday? Easy. The Italians have all left town!
So I, and other immigrants and tourists, lined the parade route, got dusted by the feathers dancing by and tapped our feet to the sounds of drums and Andean flutes. The tourist-catering restaurants were doing a booming business in gnocchi and gelato.
Here’s another amusing synopsis of August and Ferragosto, by another blogger:
http://www.upperitaly.net/index.php?id=68
by Maureen | Aug 14, 2009 | Featured Articles, Graffiti & Street Art, Journal, Photos
When they told me you could play football in the streets of Milan during the month of August, they weren’t joking! I had been asked the standard question, “where are you going for August?” Fortunately, I had already made plans for Ischia and Ireland during the month.
The Italians are serious about their month-long vacations at the peak of summer heat. Those I know have left for France, Spain, Poland, Tunisia… anywhere but here! Around town, the only faces are of immigrants, tourists and, I guess, those rare Italians that have no other place to go. I’ve never seen so much parking available on the street, and probably won’t again for another year.
This month of August, I’ve got to assume that a business is closed. Most are sealed tight with their graffitied, roll-down doors posted with the sign “Chiuso per Ferie” – Closed for Vacation – and the date they’ll return. Closure is a given. Those that remain open advertise loudly that they are, but they retain a skeleton staff and few patrons. Hardly a soul to talk to, except the Kenyan woman behind the meat counter at the grocery store, and the little old lady in the produce department that I had a nice conversation with.
I had been buying my bottled water a half block away at the corner carry-out. Well, they’re spending a nice vacation somewhere, so now I carry my bottled water 4 blocks and buy it two liters at a time instead of 6. It gets heavy, but I can walk down the middle of the street while I do it.
The country’s big newspaper, Corriere della Serra, ran a “photo of the day” showing the wide-open, empty streets of Milan.
by Maureen | Aug 14, 2009 | Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia, Quips
Ahh, my wonderful sister (yes, she really is), always mindful of the details, asked me to update my map to show where the island of Ischia is. You can now find it on my map page: https://www.kunstdame.com/map/
Ischia is a little island two thirds of the way down the west coast of Italy, just off from Naples, or “Napoli“. It’s where I recently spent 5 days lounging in the hot sun and eating good food. I posted a LOT of photos and stories about Ischia! It may be your next vacation hot spot… (literally.)
by Maureen | Aug 11, 2009 | Canals, Journal, Quips
Ahhh. Just back from an hour and a half ride down the canal. I push it as hard as a can, fast and steady. It makes me feel so full of life! I’m grateful to have my two wheels to hop on and get my blood pumping. Ahhh.
And having the canal just a block away is a real treasure. In a short time, I’m out of the city, riding along the corn fields and rice paddies. The rice has gone to seed now. And I thought that surely the farmer planted the outer row of corn for the cyclists. An ear or two each wouldn’t put a dent in his crop. Hesitant to get my mouth set on a fresh ear of corn, I stopped to check it out. Sure enough. Feed corn for cattle. Darn.
The scents along the canal are sure “full and rich”. Sometimes a dead fish or rank cattle farms. Sometimes basil and tomato from the local pea-patch gardens. I catch whiffs of cottonwood and the slow-moving fresh water. Depending on the time of day, my stomach wakes up at the smell of lunch or dinner being prepared. My bike ride is quite sensual.
by Maureen | Aug 10, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia, Photos
La Chiesa della Madonna del Soccorso – The Church of the Madonna of Help is located at the edge of a prominent cliff in Forio, at the west edge of the island of Ischia. I had seen it in the daytime from the window of the bus crowded with tourists, but was in no position to stop and go there.
The other night, however, after our prosciutto, pizza and limoncello, Glenda’s friend Ciro, our host for the evening, took us for a wild drive to Forio. (Only one that knows the roads drives like that! Ischia is NOT a place I’d recommend renting a car while on vacation. Leave those roads to the locals!) I was thrilled when Ciro stopped at the church, all lit up for the evening. I had the luxury of wandering around and shooting for as long as I wished. (Unfortunately, they were all hand-held night shots, so they’re “soft”. Still some fun images.)
One of the government buildings in the town of Forio.
Ciro and Glenda at Chiesa del Soccorso.
by Maureen | Aug 10, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia
Sant’Angelo is a little village on the south side of the island of Ischia. The island bus will drop you off at an upper parking lot and from there you must walk down the hill to the village, or take one of the golf cart taxis. The rabbit-warren-style “roads” are the width of one of these carts plus a person pressed up against the wall as the cart passes. At the shoreline, an isthmus extends out from the center of the village, to a peak of land that once housed a monastery and defense tower. Today, at the base of the hill, one finds restaurants, shops, hotels and apartments. I noticed a rickety wooden platform suspended from the side of the cliff, but have no idea where it leads.
A very enterprising man and his wife set up a juice stand precisely where the bus drops off its passengers. On a hot day, there’s nothing more inviting. You don’t tell the man what you want; he tells you what you should have: a mixed juice of fresh oranges and lemons grown on the island. He slices the fruit, presses it into a glass, adds a dollop of granita iced sugar syrup, adds a spoon so you can stir it up and charges 2 Euro. I drank two, at the beginning and the end of my visit to Sant’Angelo.
Some people enjoyed the beach by catching little pan fish.
This woman kept hiding from me when she saw my camera. She was on a balcony above, justing peering over the edge, then turned to tend the black socks.
Up high and to the east of town was the Casa Rosa, another of the island’s thermal pool spas.
On a knoll above town, only reached by foot or cart, is the Chiesa San Michele. Parishioners were inside at an evening mass.
by Maureen | Aug 10, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia
Castello Aragonese – The Aragonese Castle of Ischia
The castle dominates the skyline and view on the east side of the island of Ischia. Omnipresent as the background, it sits on its own islet, connected to the main island by a 15th century stone bridge. Its history is too complex to try to repeat in this blog post, but here are three links to photo and information sites:
http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/campania/ischia/ischiaponte.html
http://www.castelloaragonese.it/
http://www.castellodischia.it/index_en.html
This tiled sign is in Spanish and makes me wonder about its history.
Inside the dome of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
A remaining portion of a Giottesque fresco from the 14th century, located in the nobles’ crypt beneath the Cathedral. There are olive trees and gardens amongst the castle buildings.
One of the two most bizarre features of the Castello Aragonese is the Nun’s Cemetery, located beneath the church. The bodies of deceased nuns were placed on chairs carved out of the stone that included basins with drain holes. The bodies would slowly decompose and the bodily fluids were gathered in special vases below the drains. “This macabre custom was based on the need to highlight the utter uselessness of the body since it is simply a container for the spirit; refusal of individual burial also underlined the same conviction. Each day the remaining nuns would go to pray and meditate on death and since they passed several hours of the day in such an unhealthy environment, they often contracted serious illnesses, which sometimes proved fatal… The dried skeletons were later heaped in the ossuary.”
“The Convent of Our Lady of Consolation was founded in 1575 and hosted about 40 nuns of the Clarisse Order. Most of the nuns were firstborn daughters from noble families, destined to a cloistered life from childhood in order to leave the family inheritance to the firstborn male. The convent was abolished in 1810.”*
*From the official Castle brochure.
The other disturbing feature of the castle was a small museum of torture devices, presenting both the implements and illustrations explaining their uses. I’m not a squeamish person, but that display made me wince and made me wonder how we humans can do such things to each other. (“Waterboarding” was one of the things presented in the museum of torture. Hmmm.)
There are vast tunnels and passageways throughout the mountain. It must have been quite a bustling fortress.
This view reminded me of the American Southwest and Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings.
A view from the castle, high above the port of Ischia.
by Maureen | Aug 10, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia
Giardini Poseidon Terme – The Poseidon Gardens and Thermal Pools
Poseidon sits at the western shore of the island of Ischia, just south of the town of Forio. They have over a dozen (I lost track) thermal hot spring-fed pools of varying temperatures. Beautiful gardens, paths, restaurants, a wine bar grotto and sandy, seaside beach.
A day sunbathing at a resort is way beyond my experience! I slathered on the sunscreen and lay idle for as long as I could take it. Then I put on my linen sun dress and shoes, grabbed my camera and walked the paths. I was intrigued by one labeled “panoramic view”, so I followed it… up, and up, and up. Stone steps and dry dust in the afternoon heat. At times enclosed by the trees and shrubs, at other times exposed. I looked down to the gardens and gem-blue pools and was glad for the different viewpoint offered by this path to the top of the mountain.
I hiked up until the stairs ended, the path narrowed into tight brush and I was concerned about getting back by closing time. My dress was soaked from my response to the hot sun and exercise, and I smiled. My kind of resort experience.
http://www.giardiniposeidonterme.com/
by Maureen | Aug 10, 2009 | Featured Articles, Food!, Introspection, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia, Meals
One would think that in a coastal town on an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea it’d be possible to find a good meal of seafood. I was on a mission to satisfy a craving for a plate of mixed, grilled, fresh fish. I found it, and it was perfection.
It was 2:00 p.m. and I was hungry. I strolled the walk along the string of dockside restaurants and read the menus. The dozen restaurants were empty of patrons, and yet of them all, only one had a waiter that came out to the walk to greet me: “O Purticciull”. I told him I was checking out all the menus before I made a decision, then walked on. I walked to the wharf end, and turned around and went back. (The personal touch wins points with me.)
I sat facing the marina, the small local boats, the luxury yachts and the cruise ships. I ordered my mixed, grilled fish and the waiter (I didn’t get his name) suggested a small salad, a “quartino” of white wine and some bottled water. Yes, exactly! I sat on that sunny day with my journal, at ease and breezy. When the waiter arrived with my meal I knew I had selected the right place. Heaven on a plate!
The swordfish, squid and scampi were fresh and grilled perfectly. Delicate, moist, tender. Every bite was savored. Absolutely what I had been looking for!
If you find yourself on the island of Ischia, reserve a meal for O Purticcull, and say thank you to the waiter for me.
http://www.porticciullo.it/index.htm
by Maureen | Aug 9, 2009 | Featured Articles, Food!, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia, Meals
The command came by e-mail from my Italian instructor back home:
“Non dimenticarti di mangiare il famoso ‘coniglio all’ischitana’ accompagnato di un buon vino dell’isola. Ischia e’ famosa anche per il suo vino. Divertiti!”
Translation: “Don’t forget to eat the famous Ischian-style Rabbit, accompanied by a good wine from the island. Ischia is famous also for its wine. Enjoy!”
I did, and I did. The rabbit was fantastic! (I even ate it off of Glenda’s plate since it wasn’t her thing.) Coniglio all’Ischitana showed up as the main offering for dinner at the hotel. Delicious. Just a little spicy. Nice sauce around the meat. (I questioned its being served with french fries and over-cooked baby peas, but hey…) The Rabbit was preceded by prosciutto and melon, then pennoni pasta with rabbit sauce and a fantastic Risotto ai Frutti di Bosco (risotto – rice – cooked with berries and a creamy, cheesy base.) The meal was finished with dessert of a wickedly yummy Napoletano sfolgliatelle pastry. I had only planned to “taste” the dessert, but that plan fell through.
The berries lent a beautiful violet color to the risotto, not a color I usually see on my dinner plate, but very nice with the red-orange.
I was so pleased to see the rabbit listed on the menu! That was one evening I wasn’t going to eat “out”.
Add to this good meal all the other good things I ate while on the Island, such as prosciutto-wrapped fresh figs and melon, followed by the one-and-only, true Napoletano Margherita D.O.C. pizza.
And if only I had a kitchen available, I could bring some of this fresh seafood home and make my own dinner! Displays frequently featured lobster, sea urchins, mussels and countless fish both recognized and unrecognized.
One can also marvel at the pastries displayed temptingly along the main tourist travel route.
OR, drink your dessert and enjoy a little sip of the local Limoncello, much of it homemade. If you’re not one for lemon, there’s Meloncello, Kiwicello and a dozen other variations.
by Maureen | Aug 9, 2009 | Featured Articles, Introspection, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia, Photo of the Day, Photos, Venezia - Venice
9 Agosto – Journal Entry
Sunday night. Back home in Milano. Silence & solitude. Ready to be here and it feels like it’s been ages! I guess that’s the sign of a good vacation. But I tired of the tourist crowds. I tired of the heat and sweat, although I made everything possible out of that trip. I shot some wonderful photos. Had some amazingly full conversations, in Italian. (“Full” for this stage in my ability.) Had some fantastic food. Shared warm smiles with a few people. Actually relaxed in ways I haven’t before (sunbathing at a resort!) And I enjoyed some wide-ranging chats in getting to know Glenda.
I’m glad I went. Glad for the time, energy and expense. Glad to have added to my experience of Italy.
Yesterday, my (our) last day, I wandered alone, had the best meal in two months, and explored the “un-beaten path”. That’s what I learned in Venice last year: get off the main drag. Get away from the rutted route of the tourist hordes! It’s when I simply step off onto a side street, neither advertised nor polished, that I find some sort of interesting gem and a more realistic picture of local life. That feels much more true and full of heart. It’s what I seek out with each new place. I had that yesterday and now feel especially satisfied.
I walked opposite the flow of tourism, away from high-end boutiques, shops selling flip-flops and souvenirs, and subsequent gelato vendors. I strolled the back road, enjoyed a waterside park and its bench alone with my journal. Got almost out to the lighthouse. Took a mere-shoulder-wide, cobbled path up, up, up the hill and found private villas, a tiny church and a calico cat that wouldn’t let me stop petting her. And after coming back down the hill and onto a little water’s-edge stret, I entered a fish market and watched the fishmonger cut 1/2″ slices off a swordfish tail-end that was a least a foot in diameter.
All of that is Ischia!
And, in my solo, side-street wandering, I shot a photo that’s one of my favorites so far! At the Coast Guard office of all places… Gorgeous, salmon-colored walls, a stairway, wrought iron and light from above. Beautiful! That’s the reason to wander away!
by Maureen | Aug 9, 2009 | Introspection, Journal, Quips
9 Agosto 2009 – Sunday. On the Northbound Train
“The Full Italian Experience”
Fellini would do a good job with this. Train ride home to Milano. (Yes, please!) Left Napoli just before 1:00. Arrived in Rome at about 2:00. Japanese passengers 1 seat away just got robbed, on board, of their wallets. (Gypsies got on the train and made a commotion about seat assignments, then took advantage of the disarray they had caused.) Afraid of further loss, the Japanese cable-locked their huge suitcase, IN the aisle-way, to their seat armrest. Spanish travelers just got on the train and couldn’t get past the big suitcase. The conductor came on board and told the theft-victims there was nothing the local authorities could do about the wallets. He asked the Japanese man to stow the suitcase at the end of the rail car. (Right! They just lost everything else. Now stow the bag out of sight and surveillance?) The baby next to me is screaming. Her Napolitana mother remembered her own Coca-cola and sandwich, but forgot the baby’s bottle.
Three hours to go.
(Written while on the train, but no internet connection available, so this is posted from the comfort of my wonderful apartment in Milano. Ahhh. Home!)
by Maureen | Aug 5, 2009 | Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia
The island of Ischia (“EES-kee-uh”) is a 45-minute boat ride off the coast from Napoli. A couple hundred passengers were seated auditorium-style in the boat as it bounced across the water westward. Clearly, several passengers had left their sea-legs behind and were having a hard time of the not-really-so-rough waters.
We arrived at 3:15 with a hot, bright afternoon sun overhead. This was clearly a resort, beach town with bathing suits and pareo-wraps standard costume for the women, and shorts and polos for the men. I’ve never seen so much skin so darkly tanned in one place, and it contrasts so nicely with white linen!
Our balcony view:
Colorful, charming and photogenic, Ischia grooms itself for the tourist. Thermal baths and spa treatments can be followed by a good meal and a stroll through town, perusing gift shops that stay open ‘til midnight. We ate the meal provided at the hotel (which was quite acceptable), then wandered along the waterfront on the large cobblestone walk between fish houses and luxury yachts. We found our way to the main street, where we sampled Limoncello in one shop then the next.
Strolling along the waterfront, restaurants lively with patrons:
As midnight rolled around and we ran out of steam for the day, we backtracked to our starting point, then hopped onto a bus packed tight with tourists. It was just a short ride up the cliffside road to our hotel. We picked up our heavy, brass-fobbed room key at the front desk, then fell into our beds for a good sleep.
A few links:
http://www.onischia.com/
http://www.ischiaonline.it/
http://www.hotellequerce.it/en/default.asp
by Maureen | Aug 5, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, L'Isola d'Ischia
4 Agosto 2009
L’Isola d’Ischia, Italia
Today:Milano-Napoli-Ischia, (with stops in Bologna, Firenze and Roma.)
We arrived in Napoli by train from Milano at 2:05. We quickly got out of the crowded station into the fray of people, cabs and hawkers. We selected a cab, asked the price ahead of time and he hustled us toward the boat dock.
Traffic rivaled Xi’an, China! It was equally alarming, hilarious and unruly. By all counts, it should not work, but as in Xi’an, it does. Just give the driver the address, close your eyes and don’t look.
He dropped us right across the walk from the ticket counter. We bought two tickets, walked around the corner and onto the boat. Moments after taking our seats, the boat pulled away from the dock at precisely 2:30. We had managed all that, IN NAPOLI, in the 25 minutes since our train had arrived in town!
There was no time for even a photo to mark our moments in the city. The image in my mind of the castle across from the dock will have to suffice until I have the guts to return and stay a little longer. I would like to return to Napoli for whatever I can deem to be “safe” exploration. But in my short time, I saw a brusqueness in the people and a weariness in the structure of the city. Add that to the tales and warnings I’ve heard and I approach Napoli with caution.
I’m traveling with Glenda, a new friend from Milano, on her August holiday, her “get-outta-dodge” trip away from the city. She invited me to join her, just days after I had arrived from Seattle. I simply said “yes”, with no research or forethought. “Perche no?!” Why not?
I left the apartment at 7:30 this morning. Caught the train at Romolo at about 7:45 and got into Milano Centrale train station at 8:05. Amidst the sea of travelers I found Glenda through a couple of phone calls, and we boarded the “alto velocitá”, high speed train south.
We chatted. Napped. Nibbled on bresaola slices, provolone and seeded bread. The train stopped for passengers on and off at Bologna, Firenze and Roma, then after another hour more we started coming into Napoli.
Napoli is quite different from what I’ve seen of cities in the north. Buildings are in dire need of a paint job, citywide. Streets and sidewalks are strewn with debris. Tent camps have rooted under the overpasses. Visually, Napoli is a mess. But our cabbie expressed great pride in his city, and that’s the heart I’d like to seek out and encounter.
by Maureen | Aug 3, 2009 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Graphics, Journal, People
It’s August in Milano. It’s hot and humid, and most people are part of the mass-exodus out of the city for the month. (The whole country takes the month off.) But some of us are left behind (or haven’t left yet). What’s the average relaxation passtime on a hot summer day? A day at the beach. But there is no beach in Milano, up to two hours away from the sea, so someone brought the seaside to the city. And the beach was packed.
Dubbed “MysLand” (with a silent “s”, like “island”), the in-city beach was constructed on 10,000 square meters of former fairgrounds, not far from the center of town. The cost was 1.8 million Euro ($2.56 million) to create the semblance of the sea, complete with an imported sandy beach, palm trees, an odd-shaped “ocean” (pool), boardwalk, dressing cabins and café. The real kicker to me, though, was the supergraphic panel that encircled the whole “island”, giving us our view of the wide open ocean with blue skies overhead and occasional puffer-belly clouds.
When we arrived at 10:00 a.m. the place was so empty we thought they were closed. By the time we picked up our towels off the beach chairs at 2:00, there was lying-room-only. Many people sprawled on the astroturf sport court fronted by the big, beachside banner.
The whole concept was a hoot!
Sun-bathing in Italy was a lesson in body-consciousness and body-acceptance. Women of every size and shape sported two-piece bathing suits, no matter how abundantly they overflowed the seams or how sparsely their body parts were covered. And they didn’t seem terribly concerned either way. Men wore enough to cover their privates, some more private than others. I’m afraid my bone-white, sun-starved, Irish-German, Seattleite skin was like a beacon amidst the deep bronze I was surrounded by. Part of my lesson in body-acceptance. My new love of Italian cheese and lack of gym-time also lent opportunities for self-acceptance!
By the way, I spent the day at the beach with Ewa, the one I enjoyed my octopus with two weeks ago after strolling the antique market. After our seaside Sunday, we went home to a delicious lunch of lamb cooked by Piotr, Ewa’s husband. We’ve gotten together several times and will meet up in September after they return from their Milano exodus.
by Maureen | Jul 31, 2009 | Canals, Discoveries, Journal, Quips
With reports of 103 degrees in Seattle (!) I’ve been relieved that it’s “only” been in the upper 80s and lower 90s here in Milano. Both the weather report and the sky this morning spoke of coming rain, so I headed out early for a bike ride along the canal. The coming rain storm has been pushing a breeze all day, and gave me a head wind that prompted me to shift gears as if I were going up a small hill.
The usual fishermen were out trying to pull dinner out of the slow water with their long poles and long faces. Only occasionally will they smile as I ride by.
My new view of “sexy” and “macho” is a man decked out in serious bike gear: snug lycra printed with bold graphics, an aero helmet, gloves, and a crouch over a speeding, techie bike. Sweet! The athleticism stirs my imagination.
by Maureen | Jul 29, 2009 | Featured Articles, Introspection, Journal
“Let there be light.”
“Lights. Camera. Action.”
“Bring all the sun in.”
It made no sense to me that I was feeling forever sleepy, always time to take another nap… I’m way over jet lag. I’ve been sleeping well. Getting my exercise. Healthy and eating well. But I just couldn’t seem to wake up!
It dawned on me two days ago, so I rearranged the whole apartment.
I NEEDED MORE LIGHT! I’m used to a whole window wall in front of my desk at home, flooding my eyes with light as it changes through the day and into evening. Here, I have a window facing east in the bedroom, the french doors facing west in the kitchen/living area, and a loft above the kitchen with no window at all. Since I’m on the first floor I’ve been keeping the white sheer curtains closed for privacy, but they also block the light that is available. Overall, it was very dark and subdued in here, very much like nap time!
When it occurred to me what I needed to do, I felt energized at the prospect of feeling energized! I now have a Morning Desk and an Evening Desk! I abandoned the loft and use it only for storage. The bedroom has been completely shuffled around, putting the two little twin beds adjacent, bringing shelving down from the loft, putting the table in front of the window and setting up my Morning Desk. In the kitchen/living room, I moved the table over in front of the french doors to create my Evening Desk.
Ahhh. Yesterday I spent the whole day at my Morning Desk, which actually works well into the early evening. I can watch the sun’s path up into the sky, then its eclipse for about 10 minutes as it moves behind the apartment building across the street. The white sheers are luminous in front of me. Come evening, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that the sunlight would hit the tall apartments across from me, and bounce right down to me here at my desk! Wow!
When the light had waned enough to warrant it, I moved in to work at the Evening Desk so I could make use of the band of fluorescents in the kitchen. (The light had already dimmed through the french doors.)
I’m awake again!
by Maureen | Jul 28, 2009 | Discoveries, Journal, Photos, Quips
There he was, head-to-toe, in orange both light and dark! A camera on the lap is less obvious, unless it has flashing lights on the front. “Red-eye reduction” on an orange-dressed man?
by Maureen | Jul 28, 2009 | Journal, Quips
Erin and Pete are in Switzerland now, “lounging” for a couple of days (or at least not pushing quite as hard). They’re storing up energy for a plenty-high mountain pass they anticipate soon. If you want to read THEIR version of their time in and then out of Milano, here’s a little link to their travel blog.
by Maureen | Jul 28, 2009 | Cheese, Discoveries, Introspection, Journal, Shopping & Markets
A big rule in exploration: don’t settle on a “favorite” too soon! (A favorite route. A favorite menu item. A favorite way of doing things. A favorite cheese!) Favorites provide the comfort of familiarity, but run the risk of becoming routine and squelching the exploration of new things. I have “favorite streets” that I do my shopping on, but when I walk a different route, I discover places and sights I didn’t know about. They might become new favorites, but I would have missed them if I had stuck with the familiar.
It’s a curious thing to observe how easy it is to slip into a routine. When is it really a “favorite”, and when is it simply a comfortable “known”? Granted, sometimes one WANTS the comfort of the known in the middle of so much unknown! I try to catch myself and then nudge into a different direction or choice. After all, if I always pick “my favorite cheese”, think of all the cheeses I’ll miss!
by Maureen | Jul 25, 2009 | Canals, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Journal, Photos, Quips
Sitting at a restaurant in the Naviglio District (along the canal) I glanced out and saw “Number Seven” (man wearing orange pants). Grabbed my camera and set it on the window sill to get a couple of shots. The first one was a blur. Darn. But the couple and their little girl came back and lingered outside the restaurant window. My luck!
by Maureen | Jul 25, 2009 | Graphics, Journal, Photos, Quips
I had wondered what responses I would encounter after Obama’s recent election. What references would I find?
All over Italy, EVERY store in a given city launches a sale on the same day, cutting prices by 30-70%. I saw this sign, and immediately knew the reference…
And with the recent G8 Summit, I was seeing Obama’s face frequently in subway displays:
Italian friends at school have mentioned Barack Obama in conversation and their pleasure with his presidency. And Michele Obama is certainly noted, as well! In one of the Fashion Design presentations about trend-forecasting, the closing remarks spoke of Michele’s “New O Glamour”.
The world is taking note, certainly.
by Maureen | Jul 25, 2009 | Discoveries, Journal, Photos
The other day, when I wandered in search of bread, I walked all the way home and came south along Porta Ticinese, which I hadn’t seen before. I was surprised to find the columns and arch right there in the middle of the neighborhood, adjacent to San Lorenzo Maggiore Basilica. Sometimes I’ll just turn a corner and be caught by surprise at what I encounter.
I like that even remnants are preserved, these columns and arches adjacent to the main road:
And this arch across from the piazza… don’t tear it down. Build through it or around it:
I walked around to the back side of the building, and found a park facing this curious cluster of facades:
by Maureen | Jul 25, 2009 | Discoveries, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos
This was simply playful, and I couldn’t resist. I had been walking along Porta Ticinese, just north of home.
by Maureen | Jul 25, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, People
“Maureen, we’re still in Milan. Can we come crash on your floor tonight?”
“Better yet, my couch folds out into a queen bed.”
Erin and Pete, whom I had met in the morning along the canal bike trail, got sidetracked at the duomo and castello for the day. They hadn’t made it out of the city on their 6-month-total bike trek, so they were looking for a place to lay their heads for the night.
Sure! Why not? (Per ché no?)
I tried to put a twin bed sheet on the queen size mattress. It only kinda worked, but it sure beat sleeping in the bushes between two highways, which they HAVE done along the course of their trip.
They arrived in the evening and got showered up. They put on their cleanest clothes and I walked them over to the Antik Café alongside the canal for appetizers, while I headed to NABA for the End-of-Summer-Session party. An hour later, I brought Erin and Pete back to the school where they joined the loud music and danced ’til the late hours.
(When their day had started, I’m sure they had no idea they’d end up meeting someone on the bike trail and then sleeping on her couch after dancing in bare feet all night.)
Back at my apartment, we talked about their trip and their plans. We looked at photos. Exchanged stories. And then ran out of speed at about 2:00 a.m. Breakfast on Friday morning was an odd one, serving what I had available. Pete ate granola with yogurt and a cup of coffee. Erin was daring and joined me for a Mexican-seasoned stew of chicken, veggies and beans that I had cooked up a couple days earlier.
Next stop for Erin and Pete: up to Lake Como and into Switzerland. Buon viaggio!
by Maureen | Jul 23, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, People
Out for a good ride this morning, down along the canal 17 kilometers (10 miles) south of Milano. Mid-80s and the temperature was fabulous. I needed to get my heart rate up and my blood moving.
I stopped for a short break at a decorative bridge. Aside from a couple of fishermen at the canal edge, I could see a couple of bicyclists, loaded up with full paniers and heading north in my direction. They got to the bridge, said a fleeting “ciao” and kept on moving. At my break’s end, I turned around and headed for home. Unburdened, it wasn’t long before I caught up with the two riders. We crossed the busy highway together, then stopped in the shade for a brief chat.
Erin and Peter are from Adelaide, South Australia, and they’ve been riding around Europe for 4 months. It was fun to stop, say hello, exchange travel stories and e-mail addresses. I should have invited them to my place for a shower and a home cooked meal! (Erin and Peter… sorry for the oversight, and very nice to meet you! Good travels to you!)
Here’s their “loose idea”:
Loose idea – England, France, Spain (walk the Camino de Santiago while our bikes are magically and mysteriously transported to the end of the trail), Portugal, up through Spain and south of France, Italy, ferry to Greece, Albania, Croatia, Italy again on the way to Switzerland, Germany and then either the Netherlands, ferry to England or Denmark, ferry to Shetland Islands, Scotland and back down to England (option 2 sounds like more than 6 months but who knows? We’ll wait and see).
You can read about their travels on their blog.
by Maureen | Jul 22, 2009 | Journal, People, Photos, Quips
Ahhh! Number 6! Mr. Orange Pants caught my attention and I grabbed my camera. Got one full body shot of him in his blue, pinstripe shirt and off-white linen jacket before he stepped into his PINK Smart car.
Cool!
by Maureen | Jul 20, 2009 | Cheese, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Food!, Journal, Quips, Shopping & Markets
BREAD: I went 3 metro subway stops north and took off walking east trying to find a bakery that Viola Restaurant had told me about. I don’t think I found it, but I did find a small loaf of dark, multi-grain bread and some green-olive-bread-sticks.
HEALTH FOOD STORE: Continuing my quest for bread, I asked at a little produce shop. The guy pointed across and down the street to quite a large place that sells organic foods, produce, packaged goods, clothing, yoga items, books, etc. They had a fantastic display of breads!!! It was hard to choose one, but I selected a large round loaf that turned out to be kind of a sourdough whole wheat. Great! I also bought some organic orange marmalade to go on top of it for my breakfast.
SMOKED TOFU: The health food store sells smoked tofu: “tofu affumicato“. Hmm. Do you think it’ll satisfy my yen for my new favorite cheese, scamorza affumicato? Not likely! But, I thought I’d give it a whirl.
PORTA TICINESE: I had always stopped, when walking north, where Corso San Gottardo becomes Corso di Porta Ticinese. Today, I walked home southward, all the way from the 3 metro stops north. Wow. I had no idea what awaited me along that strip!
CILANTRO: Damnit. I wanted some “Mexican-style” beans and rice! But I haven’t been able to find cilantro, either dried or fresh. So I stopped in at a little cluster of street-side stalls today, heard music in Spanish, and stepped into the 8×8′ stall. Yes! I saw the familiar Goya brand and asked the woman where she’s from: Peru. I said, “great, we can speak in Spanish instead of Italian!” She’s been here for two years. Her coworker is from Guatemala. Funny how I felt at home. I bought black beans and fresh cilantro and will cook up something that answers my flavor craving. And I’ll be back at her stall when I need the Spanish side answered while here in Italy.
(That’s a long way to go for bread! There’s GOT to be something close to home!)
by Maureen | Jul 20, 2009 | Journal, People, Quips
OK. I want all the men I know in the U.S. to go out and buy orange pants! I’ve seen 5 men in 5 days wearing orange pants. They’ve ranged from fluorescent bright to muted salmon. One guy was even toting an orange messenger bag to match. I haven’t been quick-on-the-draw with my camera, and didn’t realize it was a trend and fashion statement and that I’d be wanting photos. But after 5 guys, I’m going to keep my eyes open for blocks away and follow the next set of orange legs going down the road!
You could all be trend-setters in the U.S.! Tell people it’s what’s hip in Milan!
