by Maureen | Jul 4, 2009 | Journal
We even skyped the dog, Sammy!
It was worth getting up at 6:45 for a 7:00 AM chat with my goofy friends from Junior High and High School! Skype me, baby! They were all together on the beach in West Seattle on their Friday night, at 10:00. We talked for an hour. I gave them a skype walking tour of my apartment and we just talked about the little things of getting settled in.
Fun to see their silly faces and recognize each voice in the background.
They had pulled in a bunch of crabs in the crab pot and had a feast on the beach. Even the crab got into the skype action.
Good, ole technology. (New technology!) It makes all these remote smiles possible!
by Maureen | Jul 4, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal
It’s the 4th of July and friends back in the States are celebrating with a long weekend, fireworks, barbeques and beach fires. Here in Milano, I’ve got my eyes open for SOME nod to the U.S. In the land of “il tricolore“, the Italian flag of green, white and red, I’m looking for a splash of Old Glory, the red, white and blue.
Seen ALL OVER town are the Passo Carrabile signs, instructing people not to block passage. With the classic red circle and diagonal stripe, these signs provide an omnipresent red, white and blue splash.
As I’m out-and-about today, I will keep my eyes open and attentive for the nod westward.
by Maureen | Jul 4, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal, Quips
Friday night, and I hadn’t been out of the house all day. OK. I changed my clothes, walked to the subway station and hopped on the “green line” at Romolo. Four stops to Cadorna, a switch to the “red line” and just 3 stops to the duomo.
I stepped out of the subway looking right up at the sandcastle spires of the duomo in mid-evening light. Beautiful. And the tourist throngs of the day were gone, so the vast piazza was quiet and clear. What an easy, lingering wander along small back streets I hadn’t explored yet. I allowed my feet to go at half their usual pace, and it changed the whole tone of the evening.
All of the shops were closed and preparing for “Saldi!“, sales! Window displays were being changed and sale signs were being hung. It happens throughout the city, starting on one given day. Everything is discounted 30 to 50%. It’s likely to be a madhouse downtown today at 10:00 as the stores open up, but I plan to be a brave shopper. As I wandered around last night I saw several stores with shoes that actually looked comfortable AND chic. (I’ll brave the crowds for comfort. Besides, the walking shoes I’ve been wearing daily are showing wear and this is the time to buy!)
Just following my feet I happened onto Via Monte Napoleone. What a heady gathering of luxury clothing, jewelry and shoe stores! All the names I’ve heard of were assembled along that strip into a concentrated study in fashion and marketing. The displays were enticing and beautiful, and some quite playful. I saw paper cut-outs, african masks, 60s Op-Art, lush greens amidst stone. All so sumptuous. Ooo lah lah.
By 9:15 I had wandered north of the duomo and into the territory of the metro “yellow line”. The subway station at Monte Napoleone got me all mixed up and turned around, but I sorted myself out. There were groups of people dressed up as if they had been to a concert or the theater. Most stations had people milling about. There were only a few places where I was alone, but my awareness was keen the whole time. I hopped the yellow line to the red, then the red to the green and stepped out of the Romolo station, close to home, just before 10:00. Here I was, riding the subway alone after dark in the evening and walking home at 10:00. Was it genuine safety or ignorance? (I wouldn’t have considered it in New York.)
by Maureen | Jul 3, 2009 | Food!, Journal, Quips, Shopping & Markets
Last night while messing with my camera, I set it down on the kitchen counter and this image popped into the viewfinder. Hmm. I like that. I like the big, round pear butt and the diminishing line of oils and vinegar bottles. I keep a bowl in the kitchen with garlic, tomatoes, fruit of the moment and usually a little, white paper bag with the remnant of the last bakery purchase.
I have been searching the city for a nice loaf of dense, multi-grain bread. The only thing I’ve found so far was a half loaf of very good grain-and-seed bread at Peck, downtown by the duomo. It was 3,50 euro for half a loaf, about 4 inches square! That’s about $5.25! No way will that become my staple. But of course, at Peck, everything is for show and it’s NOT where the locals shop! No photos allowed there, but absolutely everything is photo-worthy. The place is a work of art. I’m sure the tourists go in to buy and have gifts shipped home for family and friends.
This is a white-flour world with the pastas, pastries and breads. That’s fine, but I want something with some texture, fiber, flavor, density and keeping power. The lovely white breads last a day and are stale the next. (And I want more nutritive value.) (Does that make me a party-pooper?)
by Maureen | Jul 2, 2009 | Food!, Introspection, Journal, People
The other night, 8 of us were out to celebrate a birthday, having sparkling wine at the local hangout a block from NABA. Of the 8, 1 was from Singapore, 1 from New Zealand, 2 from Russia, 3 from Italy and me, from the United States. I love that the school is so international!
One of the 8 was the Interior Design Instructor, Francesco. He said that, from the past year’s Master’s Degree Program in Interior Design, there were 15 students representing 11 countries: Georgia, Russia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Croatia, Iran, Jordan, Italy, Azerbaijan, Czech Republic and Pakistan. Francesco said “We are more diplomats” than simply students. He listed the many different religious/spiritual backgrounds represented in the classroom and spoke of the conversations they had in the midst of their Interior Design classes.
What a treasure to have the combination of international breadth and design strength. Where else can one find this?! It is energizing!
by Maureen | Jul 2, 2009 | Cheese, Discoveries, Food!, Journal
So, I went in search of some “prosciutto crudo” today and found a little shop, Fratelli Giancola, selling “salumi e formaggi” (meats and cheese). I told him, in Italian, that I wanted to eat some melon wrapped with prosciutto and asked for a recommendation. He pointed, pulled a whole hock off a shelf, shaved some of the fat away, then started slicing paper thin. I could easily and readily buy prosciutto prepackaged at the grocery store, but I wanted to try walking into one of the many specialty stores. There was much he said to me that I didn’t understand, but at least I walked out the door with what I came for!
He also had yet another cheese that caught my eye. It’s a smokey knot! OK. I had to have some of that. I gestured the quantity and ended up with about 8 “knots”. They’re kinda like a string cheese, tied in a knot, then smoked. Mmm, mmm good! The thing is, they’re great for “playing with my food”. You can actually UNTIE the knot and then retie it! What fun, AND smokey, salty, tastey.
I’d better start discovering some fabulous fruits and vegetables instead of cheeses and meats (with a half inch layer of fat on them). What will my doctor say!? (OK. In a year, I’ll check my cholesterol level and make a decision then.) Right now, it’s “no holds barred”. Try it all. Jump in. EAT!
Hey! It’s an “M” when untied!
by Maureen | Jul 2, 2009 | Featured Articles, Food!
Oh, the pastries! Each one an art piece and divine in the mouth. Each one could make me swoon.
Those pear-shaped, sponge-cake gems in the middle, with the cream centers… That cake is so saturated with some sort of lovely liquor that just picking up the pastry makes the potent liquid run down my fingers and into my palm. It was a shock the first time I bit into one!
This beautiful array is from Spezia Milano Pasticceria, just two blocks from home and tucked in behind a gas station (of all places!). It’s easily missed, but since it’s reputed to be the best in the city, it’s NOT to be missed!
by Maureen | Jul 2, 2009 | Cheese, Featured Articles, Food!, Meals
Tell me: WHY can’t we get tomatoes like this in the U.S.?! Why is it impossible? Deep red. Full-flavored. Properly ripened. High acid. Mmm! THAT’S how tomatoes should be!
Pair them with some fresh mozzarella. Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Some shreds of basil plucked from the lone plant on the kitchen window sill. And a dusting of salt and pepper. Heaven on a plate.
by Maureen | Jun 30, 2009 | Featured Articles, People
The opening of NABA’s Summer Session! The campus is abuzz with the anticipation of 85 new students here for two- and four-week programs. They will study Fashion, Graphics, Photography, Interiors and Product Design. They will volley their ideas across the courtyards. NABA students will collaborate in their classrooms, chat over lunches and take their curiosity out into the city. They will mine Milano for all the sustenance and inspiration it offers.
The vitality and energy of this community adds a charge to the air. There is palpable, creative expression around campus. Faculty members bring their passions to the classrooms and staff share the enthusiasm.
For those ardent students, relentless in their desires to learn from everyone and everything around them, how could there be a richer sweet spot to occupy? NABA feeds the voracious student.
1st Session:
June 29th to July 10th
Introduction Level
Introduction to Interior Design
Introduction to Product Design
Introduction to Graphic Design
Introduction to Fashion Design
Introduction to Fashion Marketing
Introduction to Fashion Styling
Introduction to Fashion Accessories
Intermediate Level
From Haute Couture to Pret-a-Porter: Paris/Milan
Lighting Design Studio
Landscape Architecture Studio
Advanced Level
Costume Decoration and Painting
Each student received a “Welcome Bag” filled with an International Student’s Guide, maps, schedules and student resources.
2nd Session:
July 14th to July 24th
Intermediate Level
Interior Design Studio
Product Design Studio
Fashion Styling Studio
Fashion Accessories Design Studio
Fashion Journalism Studio
Fashion Merchandising Studio
Fashion Photography Studio
Fashion Textiles and Fibres Studio
Graphic Art Design for Fashion Studio
Photography and the Moving Image Studio
Advanced Level
Jewellery Design for Costumes
4-week session:
June 29th to July 24th
Advanced Level
Digital Set Design
4-week session:
June 22nd to July 3rd
Advanced level course in Theatre Lighting Design
NABA students gather for the Welcome & Orientation Presentation.
Students were oriented to the school, its services and surroundings and the City of Milano.
Luca Buttafava, NABA Special Programs Coordinator, along with other faculty and staff, encouraged students to embrace the richness offered here in Milano, and charged them with the excitement of design.
Students were hosted at an end-of-the-first-day “Apperitivi”, a casual mingling party with food and drinks so the students could get to know one another.
A group of students from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, enjoy the apperitivi party hosted by NABA.
by Maureen | Jun 28, 2009 | Canals, Discoveries, Featured Articles
“Bici“, (bee-chee) short for “bicicletta“: bicycle! I borrowed a bike and have been for a couple of rides south from Milano down the Naviglio Pavese canal. It’s a nice straight shot used by lots of other bikers, both serious and casual. Decked-out cyclists, leathery tan from habitual riding in Italy’s sun, clustered in speedy packs, must have all been in their 60s and 70s. They were in contrast to the couples and families out for an easy Sunday stroll on wheels.
In some places it’s one lane, shared with cars; on other stretches, it’s bikes only. The canal fronts warehouses, apartments and office buildings…wheat, rice and corn fields and p-patch gardens. Quite a mix and it all makes for a pleasant ride. I saw a few p-patch cats at the path-side, and geese nesting in the tall grass along the edges. When seeing the intensely-green rice fields, I flashed back to being in the China countryside! Some of the scents were similar, too.
There are locks along the canal, and a very occasional boat. I saw these two twin boats heading up-current and wondered what-the-heck kind of boats those are! Any ideas? (Further north, in town, a few tour boats make short runs, and there are also some restaurant barges.)
Peering down into the aerated water just below one falls, there were big schools of big fish. A foot and a half long? I was told they were related to carp, but they had a pretty streamlined silhouette from above. The water is fairly shallow and murky for the most part, so it does seem like carpy habitat.
It felt good to ride. Good to get my heart rate up, get some exercise and fresh air, and see the surrounding area. Nice to know that the canal road/path is just a block away from my apartment and an easy-out-the-door!
by Maureen | Jun 25, 2009 | Cheese, Food!, Shopping & Markets
Took my long walk to the grocery store today, up along Corso San Gottardo, where the little specialty shops are, as well as a few “bigger” stores. The grocery store has a good variety and good quality.
In my shopping bag today was: a big red pepper, a half dozen on-the-vine tomatoes, green beans, garlic, red onion, chicken thighs, fresh little mozzarelline, grana padano hard cheese, ricotta forno (which, I think, is a roasted ricotta), tomato sauce, rucola (arugula), cannellini and borlotti beans and a box of plastic bags. A half a block away at the little corner store, I bought a half dozen bottles of “Acqua Frizzante“, sparkling mineral water, a staple. I don’t have a menu planned, but I’ll whip up something…
Along San Gottardo I can’t tell you how many little “pasticerie” there are, tempting passersby – and me – with their displays of pastries, breads and other delicious foods. I succumbed and stepped in to buy a little something. I came out with a half dozen, bite-sized “biscotti al coco” (coconut macaroons) and “frollini al cioccolato” (a dry little cookie with chocolate bits in it).
by Maureen | Jun 25, 2009 | Featured Articles, Food!, Meals
Dinner at Il Giardino del Naviglio (Garden restaurant, near the Naviglio Pavese canal). When our server brought this platter and set it in front of me, placing another one on the other side of the table, I thought that each platter would be shared by two. But no. She brought two more matching platters. This was just the appetizer: “Imperiale”.
What an understatement that name is! A platter of superlative, ultra fine seafood, all raw and absolutely fresh: sea bass, mussels, oysters, mediteranean scampi, red shrimp, chopped tuna with olives and oil, orata tartar, branzino, 3 kinds of caviar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon and fresh baked bread rolls. Wow.
Then came the platter of grilled seafood: more scampi and shrimp, scallops, squid, octopus (the most sublime I’ve ever eaten), and a lovely golden-grilled white fish. (The platter was shared, thankfully!)
OK, so it all had to be topped off with a little taste of something sweet, a little counter to the salt and protein of the seafood. Dessert! But something simple and light, please. A chocolate tasting. There were 6 different flavors of chocolates, including truffle (as in, real truffle. It was my least favorite), cinnamon/sugar, vanilla, hot pepper, selection #5?, and 97% cacao. Each chocolate was paired with a rum so different from the other. What an array of flavor subtlety! The chocolate tasting was light, and fortunately shared by 5 at the table.
On the way home, we all did a “passeggiata” stroll north along the canal and back just to settle things a bit. I don’t think I’ve ever had a meal so sumptuous!
by Maureen | Jun 25, 2009 | Graphics, Photos
Mount a poster and you’ve got public notice. Mount 2 or 4 together and it becomes art. The repetition of one image creates a pattern perhaps unintended by the original designer, but SO effective by the one with the glue!
by Maureen | Jun 25, 2009 | Graphics, Photos
I have been dreaming… and I am! This poster had my name all over it… and the names of all my family and friends!
by Maureen | Jun 25, 2009 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Graffiti & Street Art, Journal, Photo of the Day, Photos
The “street art” – the graffiti and murals – around here keeps my fingers clicking. And I find imagery around any corner, behind, under and on top of other things. The back sides of billboards. The hard-to-access building facades. The posters on top of posters, then layered and peeling. I find brick coupled with print … coupled with sprayed and brushed paints. I find the work of one artist augmented by the work of another. (Does the first artist see it that way? Is it collaboration and enhancement, or is it violation?)
Turning a corner yesterday, the tall, bare wall facing an idle patch of dry, scruffy ground had been enlivened by an incredible mural of several styles. It excited me! I just love the black and white, line-drawn, classic figure against the colorful and imaginative characters. What fun! One of my favorites to date!
And, don’t you love this chair against the mural, bright white and linear as if it’s a 3D part of the painting itself?! It’s all too perfect.
by Maureen | Jun 24, 2009 | Journal, Shopping & Markets
There’s nothing like buying a new cell phone, in Italy. Just shopping for one was hard enough without a language in common with the sales person. Now I’ve bought one and the manual is in Italian and the phone is in Italian! Setting it up is a trick. My reading comprehension is pretty good, but this is a very specific vocabulary.
… so I just downloaded the manual in English. Some things I just don’t want to challenge me!
It was bad enough when, for “fun” I switched my iPhone to Italian and THAT phone I know!
Now and then I do need a break from the challenge. Maybe the intensity has added to my sleepiness. Maybe it’s not all jet lag!
(So, I didn’t go back to Mr. Impatient. I went to a bigger store. They actually let me handle the phones AND pick my phone number! I got a quad-band so I can use it in the States or anywhere else, when traveling.)
by Maureen | Jun 23, 2009 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Journal, Shopping & Markets
The most complicated thing I’ve (tried to) shop for is an Italian cell phone. It’d be easy to simply get any old cheap phone, just something that’ll make and take calls, and do SMS… But I’m a tech junkie. I want a nice interface and good design. I want bluetooth. If it’s going to have a camera, it might as well be higher-res than low. How big are the numbers? Can I read them without my glasses? All of those things are easy to decide on without speaking, and by just looking at the tech summary posted, but asking the young, impatient, non-enunciating guy about the pros and cons of dual-band vs. tri-band and its potential use in the U.S…. Ha! Do I pay the higher price so I can use it when I’m back in Seattle for short visits? Hmm. He wouldn’t let me handle the phone much to check out it’s product design. And asking him about the rechargeability and interchangeablity of the SIM card in my very limited Italian and his non-existent English made me just cut the visit short. I bought a SIM card to get started with a borrowed phone, and I’ll figure the rest out later. At least now, back at home, I can review the tech specs online, then go back forearmed with information. (And besides, it’s hard to shop when I’m hot, tired and feeling stretched!)
Ferramenta
I also needed to buy a few screws so I can repair the hinge on my kitchen cabinet door. I removed the old ones, put them in with my coins and carried them around with me. When at the student bookstore at NABA, I said to Paolo, in Italian “where can I buy some of these?” I didn’t even have to know what screws are called in Italian! He told me to look for the Ferramenta on San Gottardo. Shopping on San Gottardo today, I couldn’t remember the term “ferramenta”, so I tried the same trick after walking into a little store that sells clocks. The Ferramenta was just a block away. Very cool! Floor to ceiling bins of fixtures, attachments, handles, screws, small hand tools, and other metal hardware. That’s all the guy sells. Again, I just pulled the screws out of my coinpurse and showed them to him. A little crude Italian spoken by me, a flurry of Italian from him. He pulled 8 screws out of a bin, tore a page out of a magazine and wrapped the screws then taped the little package closed. Cost: 30 centessimi, about 45 cents, and he allowed me to shoot a couple of pictures of him and his many bins.
Electrical Components
Or there’s the question of power and electrical plugs. Some things are dual-voltage and just need different prongs. Some need voltage conversion. Others should have both of the above plus a surge protector, like my laptop. Figure all that out, and get recommendations when you don’t speak the language! The guys in the Mac department at the big store near the duomo were moderately helpful, and I checked out what kind of surge protector they use on their display machines. But the simple plug converters like I had ordered last year from a company in the U.S. were tough to find… Until, also on San Gottardo, I walked past a little hole-in-the-wall store that just sells electrical components. He had exactly what I needed and I bought 3 of them for about 1,50 Euro each.
I like these little, highly specialized shops! And the proprietors know exactly what they’re selling.
Gisella
Gisella, from Sicily, is a pleasure to be greeted by. I stepped into her bakery yesterday, then went back today. She’s more than happy to tell me about her different breads and foods. And one, her food was good. Two, her friendly warmth will make her a pleasant part of my regular community within the neighborhood around my home. She was very patient and accommodating with my limited Italian and I want a good bakery. She’s got bread loaves, sweets and some lunch/dinner items prepared by her Mom.
Permesso
I went to the post office yesterday to gather up the paperwork for my “Permesso di Soggiorno”, “Permit to Stay”. The women in the office at NABA were invaluable for giving me pointers for filling out the paperwork and telling me where to get the pieces I needed. All those things in hand, I returned to the post office today to submit my formal application. I was there for about 20 minutes, and they clarified a few things here and there, but in the end, they gave a quite forceful stamp on all my papers and handed me the infamous “receipt”, which shows that I’ve jumped through that hoop. Now I wait for final papers.
All of these things I’m doing without carrying around and Italian-English dictionary. My stumbling Italian, for the most part has been enough to get me by. I generally walk out the door with what I need.
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Discoveries, Featured Articles, Photo of the Day
Milano’s Cimitero Monumentale – Monumental Cemetery – is beyond words. It rivals many museums of architecture and sculpture and offers a lesson one could spend years studying. The architectural periods and sculptural styles are diverse and magnificent! And to have them side-by-side provides a concentrated contrast hard to find elsewhere.
I had heard about it when here last summer, so I took the green line on the subway to the Garibaldi stop and headed in the general direction. The chaotic streets made it difficult to navigate, but I checked my map often.
The entrance building is palatial and I’m sure oft-photographed, but I immediately went deep into the old crypts seeking out those which are generally overlooked. What a study in Italian names! I found myself pronouncing each one quietly out loud, so for the following two hours the dead were having their names read aloud. The oldest burials were from the late 1800s; the cemetery was opened in 1866. The most recent grave I encountered was from just a few weeks ago.
This woman’s name – Vittoria Colombo Carugati –
was never written in with much more than pencil.
This memorial is perhaps the most startling that I saw. It shows two very emaciated men, barely draped and in a kiss at death. Both of them reach out to the hand of the woman seated near them. Wouldn’t you love to know THAT story!?
Some of the tombs are the size of a small apartment!
And the architectural styles cover the full gamut!
This is quite a modern memorial!
Other quite modern pieces were boxy enclosures of broad glass and stone.
Near the grand entry, this memorial to an architect says across the top of one side, “Offer your spirit to God the redeemer. Offer your blood to your country.”
As I was leaving, I heard the unmistakable sound of vigil prayers. I followed the music of voices to a small chapel at the back and underside of the grand entry, and found a gathering of elder women praying for the repose of souls. “May perpetual light shine upon them.” Here are the names of those they were praying for today. (I love the decidedly European handwriting, all of one woman.)
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Introspection, Journal
The 10-foot high French doors are wide open. (Are they called “Italian doors” since we’re in Italy?) We had a long, strong rain last night and the air is cool. The sky is blue. Someone in an apartment that faces this courtyard has the stereo playing Louis Armstrong singing “What a Wonderful World” and other American oldies that include the likes of Glenn Miller.
There are the sounds of an easy weekend morning: The tick of the gas range lighting; dishes pulled from cupboards for a meal; a not-well competing radio program. Occasionally, there is traffic noise, but surprisingly (and thankfully) it doesn’t color the sound here much. Air conditioning units add their hum, and above and beyond it all, I do hear the birds singing, here in the middle of Milano.
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Cheese, Food!, Meals
I guess I could have gotten a bigger plate. A little of this, a little of that and all of a sudden the small plate was piled high with proscuitto crudo, scamorza affumicata, focaccia with carmelized onions, a few slices of bosc, some pan-seared green beans, and fresh tomato drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, of course. Not a bad little Sunday brunch thrown together with what’s in the fridge.
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Cheese, Discoveries, Food!, Shopping & Markets
There’s a really great grocery store that I walk to about a mile away. It’s a good thing that it’s two miles there and back and that I walk because I keep finding really delicious cheeses to try out! (Uh oh! I’m much more of a sucker for the cheeses than the photogenic pastries here. Either one’s a danger!)
Here’s one that I just had to test: tomino prataiola mignon. It’s got a thin, brie-like exterior, with a subtly-flavored center and firm as if brie had aged and dried.
(I can see I’m going to need to learn some descriptive foodie terms to describe what I’m eating!)
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Photo of the Day
A pair of these beautiful, iron hands knock on double doors along Corso San Gottardo, between my apartment and the grocery store. They stopped me in my tracks.
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Graffiti & Street Art
This spiral greeted me as I stepped out of the Romolo subway stop near home.
by Maureen | Jun 21, 2009 | Graffiti & Street Art
I’m always looking for an interesting “M”, since that’s my first initial and often how I sign my letters and e-mails. This one is quite beautiful, found just around the corner from my apartment, along the canal.
by Maureen | Jun 20, 2009 | Photo of the Day, Quips
I saw these two one-day-after-the-other: 1) A display in the subway station advertising a shop that sells “American Indian artifacts” (yeah, right!), and 2) Pop corn, branded with the image of a Plains Indian Chief.
Curious the fascination with America… but maybe not at all! Look at the U.S. obsession with Italy! I guess it goes both ways…
Two weeks later, I found this inflatable rubber canoe alongside the canal:
by Maureen | Jun 20, 2009 | Introspection, Journal
I’m such a nester. Always have been. I awoke at 4:30 or so this morning, Saturday, forced sleep ’til about 5:30 then got up. Cup of coffee at my side, I wrote and messed with photos for a while ’til I started getting drowsy at about 9:30. I napped for a little more than an hour, then got up, ready for major nesting.
This apartment came with 5 overhead cabinets in the kitchen, filled with dishes, pots & pans, and odds-and-ends foodstuffs. I pulled it ALL out of the cabinets, wiped down the shelves, decided which food to throw away, and scrubbed the built-up grime on the pans I set aside to use.
The unneeded dishes and pans are all neatly tucked into 1 cabinet, and the other 4 cabinets are spare, organized and clean-n-sparkly. Ahhh. I gained space and feel better about the surfaces I’m cooking and eating on!
by Maureen | Jun 20, 2009 | Introspection, Journal, Quips
Yesterday morning at 11:00 I came up out of the subway right in front of the magnificent duomo. Wow. Such a sight and it was great to be back again; I enjoyed it so much last year. It reminds me of a sandcastle that was built by dribbling wet sand down my fingertips.
But there was no one to call at 11:00 in the morning my time! It was 2:00 a.m. on the U.S. West Coast. There was no one with whom to share the excitement…
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Quips
I don’t see keys like this in the U.S. Anyone else?
This is my main apartment door key, although I have 4 to use by the time I get in: one at the sidewalk gate; one at the door to the hallway; two at my door.
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Discoveries, Quips
OK. I just had to try it on. I was walking right across from the duomo in what is probably one of the world’s most expensive shopping districts, surrounding the Galleria, and my head whipped around when I caught sight of the fabric of this dress. It pulled me into the store, Pollini.
Pollini Dress
I walked up to the dress, pulled it off the rack and kept smiling. The fabric was a VERY sheer, somewhat stiff-bodied chiffon and it was constructed in layer-upon-layer of bias-cut, undulating ruffles. Each layer was a different stripe or polka dot in primary and secondary colors.
Wild. I kept smiling, the dress amused me. I twirled the dress on the hanger, just to see how the fabric moved. It was a visual feast. So much fun.
The woman at the store nudged me to try it on, so I finally gave in, (though never intending to buy it). It wasn’t the price tag (780 Euro or about $1100), but more that it wasn’t my kind of dress to wear. (It also didn’t fit me like it does the model in the photo!) It’s the kind of dress I’d hang on the wall just to please my eyes. It would be great art. (Too bad this photo, from their web site, doesn’t allow you to see the fabric patterns.)
I looked at the other clothes in the store and enjoyed the layering that they’ve integrated into the other garments. Sometimes an asymmetrical collar or skirt wrap.
One thing about Italian clothing is the sumptuousness of the fabric! Having been a seamstress for 40 years, beautiful fabric with a “good hand” makes me swoon. I can’t even FIND fabric like that in Seattle. As meticulous as I am, I don’t know whether I’d be able to work with fabric of that quality. The threads are so fine and so “buttery soft” that it would take extreme finesse to work with it, much like a slippery silk.
But, Oh!, to TOUCH that fabric makes my heart beat faster!
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Cheese, Discoveries, Featured Articles, Food!
Mmmm. I discovered this cheese last summer and loved it: Scamorza Affumicata. (“Scamorza” is the kind of cheese. “Affumicata” means it’s smoked.) So I found it again at the store yesterday and had a chunk this morning with some fresh tomato. Good breakfast?
From a Wikipedia entry:
Scamorza is an Italian cow’s milk cheese. It can also be made of other milks, but that is less common. It is a close relative of mozzarella.
Scamorza is a plastic curd (or stretched curd) cheese in which the fresh curd matures in its own whey for several hours to allow acidity to develop by the process of lactose being converted to lactic acid. Artisanal cheesemakers would generally form the cheese into a round shape and then tie a string around the mass one third of the distance from the top and hang to dry. The resulting shape is pear-like. This is sometimes referred to as “strangling” the cheese. The cheese is usually white in color unless smoked. When smoked, the color is almond with a lighter interior.
It is reputed to melt better in baking than mozzarella. It can be substituted for mozzarella in most dishes. If using the smoked variety (scamorza affumicata), it adds a nice background flavor in replacement of mozzarella.
In Italy, scamorza is more commonly made in the south rather than the north. Technically, scamorza is a product of Puglia, where it is made throughout Bari province (Slow Food Editore. 2005. Italian cheese, p. 372.) However, it is available across the country, both in the unsmoked and smoked forms. Mario Batali cites grilled scamorza as a traditional dish in Neapolitan cooking. (Batali, M. 2008. Italian grill, p.33.) Scamorza in Bari is made from sheep milk. This is not necessarily true of cheeses called scamorza outside the EU.
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Featured Articles, Photo of the Day
Wandering around Milano yesterday, not far from the duomo, I turned into the old, enclosed Piazza dei Mercanti. I was struck by this incredible staircase and think it’s simply a construction staircase for workers, as it looks like the building is under renovation.
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Discoveries, Introspection, Journal, Quips
Up and at it early this morning. I awoke at about 4:30 but know I’m still affected by the time change and jet lag. We had quite a lightning storm last night with vociferous thunder and a cooling rain.
This morning, I heard the birds singing in the woodlot across the street from my apartment! I had wondered before coming if there would be enough trees around for nesting birds. Thrilled that there are. And the bird songs are all new to me. If I catch a glimpse I’ll make note of them for identification.
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Featured Articles
Pinch me. Am I dreaming? My apartment is located about 2.2 miles south-southwest of the duomo, pretty darn close to the center of town.
Who could ask for more? Fourteen foot ceilings. Hardwood floors. A living/dining area with cozy red couch and ottoman. And a kitchen space with, from left to right: freezer, fridge, utensil drawers, clothes washer, gas range, dishwasher and sink. Storage cabinet and on-demand water heater sit just under the loft floor.
And air conditioning!
An alternate-foot spiral staircase takes me up to my office loft, and makes it clear to me that I usually lead off with the other foot, but must retrain myself. Start with the left!
The bedroom has two twin beds (uh-oh! Room for out-of-town guests!) and extensive armoir storage with a step-in closet section.
My bathroom is tiled in aqua (Grandma’s favorite color) and gives me all the amenities necessary.
by Maureen | Jun 19, 2009 | Food!, Journal, Meals
Sono qui! Sono arrivata a Milano!
I’m here! I’ve arrived in Milano!
My plane got in yesterday morning at about 8:30. I found the ticket office for the Malpensa Express train from the airport to the center of town and took the 40-minute ride to Cadorna station. From there, I went to my new home in Milano enjoying and marveling at the familiarity of the streets along the way. I knew where I was! How cool is that!
This fabulous apartment is just one block north of the apartment I had for two weeks last summer, and just a few blocks’ walk to the school, NABA. So I know where the grocery stores are, and the nearest subway station, 4 blocks away. On the nearest street corner is the place where I bought bottled water. Another block away is the “bar” where the guy custom-made me a tosto for breakfast because I didn’t want a Nutella-filled pastry. He took two slices of bread, some prosciutto and formaggio and cooked it for me: a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. (Gotta start the day with some protein, not sugar!)
The first groceries join a few other things left behind. Where did the “America’s Choice” Vinegar come from?!
The first quick trip to the grocery store filled my bags with tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta, pesto, grated hard cheese, acqua frizzante (sparkling water), butter lettuce, pears, lean pork, fresh mozzarella. Some white and red wine was already here waiting for me.
I puttered around the apartment for a while. Succumbed to the urge for a long nap. Awoke and cooked a bite to eat, then unpacked my bags and settled in. I’m here. I’m home.
by Maureen | Jun 17, 2009 | Featured Articles, Journal
Ciao Bella Gelato in Newark’s airport
Quarter to 5:00 New Jersey time. The flight to Milano leaves at 6:35, so I’ve had a bite to eat, wandered up and down the concourse (the most exercise I’ve had in weeks), and will hang out ’til it’s time to board.
I’m rummy, (as Dad always used to say). Tired and foggy -headed from poor sleep these days. I packed all day yesterday, then went to bed at 1:30 in the morning, set the alarm for 2:30 and scrambled around to finish packing. Got to the airport by 5:15 for an uneventful, yet pleasantly chatty ride here to New Jersey.
I’m moving to Italy… Wow. I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet, and won’t ’til early Thursday, tomorrow, when I arrive at Milano Malpensa Airport and find my way by train to the Cadorna stop near the center of town. I’ll be hearing Italian all around, and it’ll be hot. That ought to be an indicator for me!
The “Ciao Bella Gelato” stand here at the airport felt like an early “welcome home” message.
by Maureen | Jun 15, 2009 | Introspection, Journal
Late Sunday night. Minutes before midnight. I’ll be at the airport by 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, so I have just two days left in Seattle. “Goodbyes” and “See-You-Laters” are stacked one on top of the other, leaving snippets of time to tend to the details of the move itself. But the fare-the-wells are essential. (I’ll get it all done, really!)
I sold my car today! (That’s a commitment to going!) Then my brother and his wife drove me south to the airport to pick up a rental car for two days. What a lesson in bad signage at the airport! Perhaps next time I’ll rent a car from a company that WANTS me to find them, rather than renting from Budget! We wasted an hour searching for their rental counter.
Let the travel experience begin!
Minutiae – IMPORTANT minutiae – are what’s left for the most part. Those details, and actually packing my bags (which I haven’t really started yet). Time to really focus and concentrate (as if I haven’t been for months?!) Then, come Wednesday morning, I leave it all behind. What I haven’t gotten done by then must not have been “mission critical”.
by Maureen | Jun 9, 2009 | Quips
Should I be using the proper Italian spelling of city names, or the English rendition? I’ve already been vacillating and inconsistent. Milano or Milan? Venezia or Venice? Firenze or Florence? Or write everything twice, first in one language then the other? For an English-speaking readership, perhaps just English, but it feels incorrect and an uneducated decision.
Thoughts?
by Maureen | Jun 9, 2009 | Introspection, Quips
As soon as I had even the glimmer of a decision to make this move, it was all-of-a-sudden very easy to go through my house and send things down the road. Home for just two weeks after my Summer trip, I gave away half my clothes, then later gave away even more. Every pass through the house I scanned for what could be given or thrown away. My thought was “if holding onto this will keep me from going to Milan, then I’m going to get rid of this.”
The whole trip preparation has been a lesson in “non-attachment”. Not “detachment”, which has a negative connotation of disinterest, but rather a not-being-attached to things and situations. It’s more fluid, more easy, looser. It’s been a progressive letting-go from the very first stirrings of this idea, to the clearing out my house and handing over the keys to the tenants. Each relinquishment stood on the foundation of the one before, and on the certainty I feel about this move. It became very easy to let go.
All of that said, I STILL think I kept too much stuff to put into storage! I really was trying to whittle it down. In the end, it fit into two rooms. I think that everyone should touch everything they own at least once every 5 (or 10?) years. Doing so would show exactly how much there really is being held.
by Maureen | Jun 8, 2009 | Discoveries, Graffiti & Street Art, Photo of the Day
Taking a shortcut through an alley way in Burien on a recent hot day, I saw this perfect red onion sitting alongside a painted backside wall. I swooned and had to shoot it. The colors. The textures. And the unlikelihood of finding such a thing! It still makes me laugh.
by Maureen | Jun 8, 2009 | Featured Articles, Introspection
It’s Monday night. I leave a week from Wednesday, early in the morning. The lists of details remaining are long and it’s hard to sleep at night. My usual bedtime of midnight, still gets me up between 1:30 and 3:00 and I lie awake for an hour or so if I’m unlucky. Lucky if I can keep my brain from kicking in to review the lists.
My brother and friends laugh at my multiple yellow legal pads, lined up in a row, categorized and organized, each one hosting a different list “theme”. This is all in addition to a 2″ binder, but in there, everything’s buried. At this point, I need it all in front of my eyes.
