Snow on the beach: Calabria
These and the following fotos
courtesy of
Eugenio Abate
early 2005
Comune di Amantea
Italia
posted by dj31hz @ 12:37 AM
0 comments
Friday, December 23, 2005
Sunday, April 24, 2005
foto page
fotos to accompany
"Vacanze in Italia"
may be found at:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djnv@sbcglobal.net/my_photos
Grazie Tante !
Ciao Tutti!
"Vacanze in Italia"
may be found at:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/djnv@sbcglobal.net/my_photos
Grazie Tante !
Ciao Tutti!
posted by dj31hz @ 3:03 PM
1 comments
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
back to Reality...
The flight from Milano to Munich via Air Dolomite was small ( 48 seats ) but elegant enough. Lunch was served in a box containing pig, cheese, small preztels with anise and dried fruit. Of course I had eins pils.
Security was swift through Munich and in an hour we were up and away again.
I love the European concept of 'on time' .
The flight home was not as crowded as going to Frankfurt/Roma, so some folks got to sleep across the row of seats. Sleep, indeed.
Having a window seat allowed me to enjoy the never-ending daylight of Iceland, Greenland and the Great White North and viewing places like Baffin Bay and the geography of the tundra. Cloud cover was minimal all the way across the Pond.
No turbulence to speak of and no screaming babies. ;)
The food on Lufthansa was edible and tasty, for airline food
and the service: first rate.
Bitte... I'll have another Warsteiner, danka.
I'll fly Lufthansa anytime ... Tchuss!
Arriving by air over San Francisco and the Golden Gate is still the warmest feeling in my world.
We flew in from the North Bay then circled over San Jose, earlier than expected. The dusk framed the Bay and streetlights twinkled seductively while landmarks became obvious.
This is Home.
Security for returning Americans was very fast and direct and after answering a few basic questions, we were out and into the parking lots.
Nancy's folks drove us back to the Corte where we discovered lots of mail to open,
sour milk to dispose of ... and that weird ennui that affects travelers. wow.
We're Home.
Did we really just go to Europe for three weeks?
Back to Reality.
Nancy and Cathy both had to work in the morning.
9.30pm was 6.30am Italian time. I slept deeply in my own bed.
We woke at 6am and I made a few cappucini for Nancy and I, and we enjoyed the last of the goodies Lucrezia made for our plane ride. The sun came up brightly. Birds sang their new Spring Song. The jays were especially vocal.
There was 5+ inches in the rain gauge, and it looked mighty wet in the garden, so mowing the 10 inch tall grass could wait.
Home.
Before we left, with two days to go; the computer decided to crash, burn and fry, leaving us with no way to find out about all that cold weather we were walking into (we had some clues though). :)
Thanks to good friends , I'm now writing on a PC that's had a "brain transplant". Windows XP / Office / sbcglobal ... no more Compaq. YeeHaa!
Thank You: John and Robert for talking me out of making this computer an art project. You've saved room in a recycling dump somewhere.
It's very good to know a systems analyst or two.
475 fotos are now downloaded and ready to be catagorized.
After seeing them for the first time in weeks,( I didn't edit in the camera) we said to each other: " That's all we took ? " Go figure.
Before we left, my van coughed and sputtered into it's resting place beside the house. It sits, waiting for me to attend it's spark plugs and oil leaks.
Loads of laundry have been washed and the house has been aired.
We have been trying to rise together early ( 6am ) and I've been making Nancy a "Cappucino Positivo" similar to the cafe in Panzano in Chianti,
Concha d'Oro.
Today I mowed the very wet tall grass in front of the house, and tommorow the back and lower 40 get the attention.
We miss the " Grande Pranza " .... and cobblestones.
We miss being together all day.
Man, those SUV's are even bigger now!
The vehicles in Italy are smaller and less invasive, making American cars look fat and over-consuptive.
Henry e-mailed something today about recording a blues album for a German label and featuring the good Mr. Freddie Roulette.
:)
Can we go back soon??
Can we; huh? Can we ?
Damn, it's over.
Security was swift through Munich and in an hour we were up and away again.
I love the European concept of 'on time' .
The flight home was not as crowded as going to Frankfurt/Roma, so some folks got to sleep across the row of seats. Sleep, indeed.
Having a window seat allowed me to enjoy the never-ending daylight of Iceland, Greenland and the Great White North and viewing places like Baffin Bay and the geography of the tundra. Cloud cover was minimal all the way across the Pond.
No turbulence to speak of and no screaming babies. ;)
The food on Lufthansa was edible and tasty, for airline food
and the service: first rate.
Bitte... I'll have another Warsteiner, danka.
I'll fly Lufthansa anytime ... Tchuss!
Arriving by air over San Francisco and the Golden Gate is still the warmest feeling in my world.
We flew in from the North Bay then circled over San Jose, earlier than expected. The dusk framed the Bay and streetlights twinkled seductively while landmarks became obvious.
This is Home.
Security for returning Americans was very fast and direct and after answering a few basic questions, we were out and into the parking lots.
Nancy's folks drove us back to the Corte where we discovered lots of mail to open,
sour milk to dispose of ... and that weird ennui that affects travelers. wow.
We're Home.
Did we really just go to Europe for three weeks?
Back to Reality.
Nancy and Cathy both had to work in the morning.
9.30pm was 6.30am Italian time. I slept deeply in my own bed.
We woke at 6am and I made a few cappucini for Nancy and I, and we enjoyed the last of the goodies Lucrezia made for our plane ride. The sun came up brightly. Birds sang their new Spring Song. The jays were especially vocal.
There was 5+ inches in the rain gauge, and it looked mighty wet in the garden, so mowing the 10 inch tall grass could wait.
Home.
Before we left, with two days to go; the computer decided to crash, burn and fry, leaving us with no way to find out about all that cold weather we were walking into (we had some clues though). :)
Thanks to good friends , I'm now writing on a PC that's had a "brain transplant". Windows XP / Office / sbcglobal ... no more Compaq. YeeHaa!
Thank You: John and Robert for talking me out of making this computer an art project. You've saved room in a recycling dump somewhere.
It's very good to know a systems analyst or two.
475 fotos are now downloaded and ready to be catagorized.
After seeing them for the first time in weeks,( I didn't edit in the camera) we said to each other: " That's all we took ? " Go figure.
Before we left, my van coughed and sputtered into it's resting place beside the house. It sits, waiting for me to attend it's spark plugs and oil leaks.
Loads of laundry have been washed and the house has been aired.
We have been trying to rise together early ( 6am ) and I've been making Nancy a "Cappucino Positivo" similar to the cafe in Panzano in Chianti,
Concha d'Oro.
Today I mowed the very wet tall grass in front of the house, and tommorow the back and lower 40 get the attention.
We miss the " Grande Pranza " .... and cobblestones.
We miss being together all day.
Man, those SUV's are even bigger now!
The vehicles in Italy are smaller and less invasive, making American cars look fat and over-consuptive.
Henry e-mailed something today about recording a blues album for a German label and featuring the good Mr. Freddie Roulette.
:)
Can we go back soon??
Can we; huh? Can we ?
Damn, it's over.
posted by dj31hz @ 8:25 PM
0 comments
Monday, February 28, 2005
hungry? (ha famé?)
I've generously been given a bit more time to write on the dial-up system here in Gorgonzola, so I thought you would like to read about some of the wonderful foods we have eaten on our journey...
Rome is a very cosmopolitan city and anything you want,it s for the asking.
I recall panini of ricotta and spinach or of procciutto and ruchetta, all on wonderful breads of varying textures.
At one restuarant we sampled soup with lentils, pasta in a light(?) cream sauce with smoked salmone, and carpaccio.
As for dolci, you'll have to wait for the fotos. OMG
In Calabria almost all the meat products are organically raised pork, slaughtered and butchered by the families themselves. I've been told this is something most Americans cannot bear to watch, as it is, of course, something we are not used to seeing. Prior to our arrival in Amantea, a pig was killed ( not for us specifically, just the right time of year to be there ) and so we ate very fresh sausage and sopressate; and in the incredible cannelloni, ground pork. These are fabulous tasting and like nothing you could ever buy in a grocery. These deeds are done in Chiae, where there is a huge room,the maggazine; perhaps the size of a three car gararge in which the sausage and sopressa are made by hand. This is not something that is written. It is handed down, father to son,family to family. Rabbit is also part of the diet, as is chicken and tacchino (turkey).
Broccoli Rabe is grown in the family plot alongside the house along with various other veggies according to season.
Fruit is grown also by the family at Chiae, and includes oranges, figs, grapes and kumquats.
Olive oil, a golden color and the fragrence of which I can only say is heavenly is also made by the family from the many trees growing in Chiae, and kept still and dark in a corner of the maggazine in 30-50 liter/gallon drums whose sole purpose has been to hold the oil.
And so we ate pasta with broccoli,oil,garlic and sausage, with a bit of Calabrese pepperoncino and of course drank from many botlles of house-made wine, the varietal of which escapes me.
Various cheeses, bought at the market round out the menu. Gabbanino is one of my faves. A bit saltier and drier than Jack, yet dee-lish.
As Amantea is along the coast fresh fish of many kinds were on hand for us to enjoy, includeing a wonderful stew of octopus.
Needless to say it is very difficult to remain true to a diet of any kind, as we were always implored .... 'Mangia-Mangia!'.
The cuisine in Toscana is a bit different. The breads are unsalted, allowing for the sharper, saltier content of the pork, cheeses and beef there to become more pronounced.
Wine here is mainly Sangiovese, with Merlot and Syrah just beginning to be allowed to grow.
Pizza is ubiquitous across the country, as is gelato.Varying kinds of calzone are also present. I'm hard-pressed to recall everything we ate, and I feel fotos of food taken in restauranti are tacky, so, please use your imagination.
For my birthday dinner 2/19 we found a very elegant yet not expensive trattoria in Siena, an elegant and ancient city perched on a hill; where I had pasta with crispy bacon and a bit of cream and cheese; followed by beefsteak, braised in Barolo wine, followed by a green salad.
My birthday torta was of course, of chocolate with a dark, dark chocolate sauce.
finishing with grappa, that infamous Italian firewater so often misunderstood.
Grappa is an aquired taste, a sip or two perhaps, but aids in the digestion process very much.
Oh yes, and coffee-
strong and very good is served throughout the day everywhere as a greeting and as a very quick pick-me-up. More than a few times I have felt a bit jangly after maybe
5 or 6 espressi during the day. But these allow you to further your walking adventures; and we do an awful lot of walking: the better to burn off all that sopressata and gelato. :)
In Venezia, as previously stated, ceccheti are like Italian tapas... polpette of baccala and potato, rolled in semolina and quickly deep-fried are out of this world, mini- panino are available, sardines, not like in the can, but freshly marinated are a sharp contrast to the pork. Veggies of all varieties are grilled, baked, fried, boiled, sauced... you get the idea. One may order a sampler and an ombra(shade) about 2 ounces of good wine, to quaff while munching.
I have chosen more often to sample beers, Scottish/English or Italiano, as I find drinking too much wine a little acidic for my now 50 yr old taste.
This is done standing, shoulder to shoulder with a small crowd, or sitting on a bench with the old and young, chic and cheeky. Then, onto the next osteria for a repeat, but with a different menu...repeat in as many osteria as you wish ... until full.
(please refrian from loud belching, I'm not quite finished)
Now, in the North of Italy, riso and potato are the preferred carbs, but don't get the idea there isn't pasta, it's just a bit different. At Luini we ate a fantastic snack food specific to Milano -panzzeroti. A sort of small calzone stuffed with varying goodies, I chose salsicce picante e formaggio; Nancy had one of ricotta e spinaci. These were bought at a small storefront in the vicinty of Il Duomo. We waited in an agressive queue and ate on the street, complete with a can of Splugen, a good German beer.
At home with the Gattico Family, we've eaten cottoletto e patate, sampled some of Alberto's out-of-this-world chocolate liquore and done more walking.
The weather has been colder, as expected, and snow has fallen during the night.
I am sure I will be on a strict diet when we get back to the states, but talking about food is calorie-free.
I didn't have family here when I arrived, but I do now, and I'm extremely grateful for their unending hospitality. Grazie Tante !
Never mind that you don't speak Italiano. For those willing to at least try to say something and miserably fail, you just might be surprised how fast that salesperson will speak to you in perfect Inglese.
:)
Ciao!
a doppo ....
Davide
Rome is a very cosmopolitan city and anything you want,it s for the asking.
I recall panini of ricotta and spinach or of procciutto and ruchetta, all on wonderful breads of varying textures.
At one restuarant we sampled soup with lentils, pasta in a light(?) cream sauce with smoked salmone, and carpaccio.
As for dolci, you'll have to wait for the fotos. OMG
In Calabria almost all the meat products are organically raised pork, slaughtered and butchered by the families themselves. I've been told this is something most Americans cannot bear to watch, as it is, of course, something we are not used to seeing. Prior to our arrival in Amantea, a pig was killed ( not for us specifically, just the right time of year to be there ) and so we ate very fresh sausage and sopressate; and in the incredible cannelloni, ground pork. These are fabulous tasting and like nothing you could ever buy in a grocery. These deeds are done in Chiae, where there is a huge room,the maggazine; perhaps the size of a three car gararge in which the sausage and sopressa are made by hand. This is not something that is written. It is handed down, father to son,family to family. Rabbit is also part of the diet, as is chicken and tacchino (turkey).
Broccoli Rabe is grown in the family plot alongside the house along with various other veggies according to season.
Fruit is grown also by the family at Chiae, and includes oranges, figs, grapes and kumquats.
Olive oil, a golden color and the fragrence of which I can only say is heavenly is also made by the family from the many trees growing in Chiae, and kept still and dark in a corner of the maggazine in 30-50 liter/gallon drums whose sole purpose has been to hold the oil.
And so we ate pasta with broccoli,oil,garlic and sausage, with a bit of Calabrese pepperoncino and of course drank from many botlles of house-made wine, the varietal of which escapes me.
Various cheeses, bought at the market round out the menu. Gabbanino is one of my faves. A bit saltier and drier than Jack, yet dee-lish.
As Amantea is along the coast fresh fish of many kinds were on hand for us to enjoy, includeing a wonderful stew of octopus.
Needless to say it is very difficult to remain true to a diet of any kind, as we were always implored .... 'Mangia-Mangia!'.
The cuisine in Toscana is a bit different. The breads are unsalted, allowing for the sharper, saltier content of the pork, cheeses and beef there to become more pronounced.
Wine here is mainly Sangiovese, with Merlot and Syrah just beginning to be allowed to grow.
Pizza is ubiquitous across the country, as is gelato.Varying kinds of calzone are also present. I'm hard-pressed to recall everything we ate, and I feel fotos of food taken in restauranti are tacky, so, please use your imagination.
For my birthday dinner 2/19 we found a very elegant yet not expensive trattoria in Siena, an elegant and ancient city perched on a hill; where I had pasta with crispy bacon and a bit of cream and cheese; followed by beefsteak, braised in Barolo wine, followed by a green salad.
My birthday torta was of course, of chocolate with a dark, dark chocolate sauce.
finishing with grappa, that infamous Italian firewater so often misunderstood.
Grappa is an aquired taste, a sip or two perhaps, but aids in the digestion process very much.
Oh yes, and coffee-
strong and very good is served throughout the day everywhere as a greeting and as a very quick pick-me-up. More than a few times I have felt a bit jangly after maybe
5 or 6 espressi during the day. But these allow you to further your walking adventures; and we do an awful lot of walking: the better to burn off all that sopressata and gelato. :)
In Venezia, as previously stated, ceccheti are like Italian tapas... polpette of baccala and potato, rolled in semolina and quickly deep-fried are out of this world, mini- panino are available, sardines, not like in the can, but freshly marinated are a sharp contrast to the pork. Veggies of all varieties are grilled, baked, fried, boiled, sauced... you get the idea. One may order a sampler and an ombra(shade) about 2 ounces of good wine, to quaff while munching.
I have chosen more often to sample beers, Scottish/English or Italiano, as I find drinking too much wine a little acidic for my now 50 yr old taste.
This is done standing, shoulder to shoulder with a small crowd, or sitting on a bench with the old and young, chic and cheeky. Then, onto the next osteria for a repeat, but with a different menu...repeat in as many osteria as you wish ... until full.
(please refrian from loud belching, I'm not quite finished)
Now, in the North of Italy, riso and potato are the preferred carbs, but don't get the idea there isn't pasta, it's just a bit different. At Luini we ate a fantastic snack food specific to Milano -panzzeroti. A sort of small calzone stuffed with varying goodies, I chose salsicce picante e formaggio; Nancy had one of ricotta e spinaci. These were bought at a small storefront in the vicinty of Il Duomo. We waited in an agressive queue and ate on the street, complete with a can of Splugen, a good German beer.
At home with the Gattico Family, we've eaten cottoletto e patate, sampled some of Alberto's out-of-this-world chocolate liquore and done more walking.
The weather has been colder, as expected, and snow has fallen during the night.
I am sure I will be on a strict diet when we get back to the states, but talking about food is calorie-free.
I didn't have family here when I arrived, but I do now, and I'm extremely grateful for their unending hospitality. Grazie Tante !
Never mind that you don't speak Italiano. For those willing to at least try to say something and miserably fail, you just might be surprised how fast that salesperson will speak to you in perfect Inglese.
:)
Ciao!
a doppo ....
Davide
posted by dj31hz @ 6:17 AM
0 comments
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Venezia-Milano
Welly well well me droogs.....
To start with, the cold weather has continued and yet it remains quite beautiful.
Tuesday, 2/22 saw us departing Vineto Buondonno in 3 inches of freshly-fallen snow.
I was a little more than nervous driving toward the Autostrada over hill and dale, but we arrived in Firenze with plenty of time for a few loads of laundry at the lavaderia automattica, a few cafe macchiati e pannini for the train ride to Venezia. Snow continued to fall along the way to Locanda Bernardi-Semenzato, in the Cannareggio district. A fresh application of layers and we hit the cobbles in earnest, heading first to Piazza San Marco. Finding a ray or two of sunshine made the cold much more bearable. That evening we became Venetian, munching cicchetti at a few Osterie and settled into a warm taverna in time to watch Milano defeat Stuttgart 1-0 and some fine music by Burning Spear.
The next day Nancy and I visited with Massimo Boldrin, one of two brothers who are molto famoso for making masks for Carnavale. If you've seen the Kubrick film 'Eyes Wide Shut', you've seen their artwork. Sergio related to us last time we were there, that Kubrick's brother-in-law bought out the store for Stanley. The original 24-year-old workshop remains just off the Ponte Rialto. I first met Massimo's brother, Sergio, in 1994 while on a break from a musical tour of Eastern Germany.
Both fratelli are very gifted and remain dedicated to the art of Venetian maskmaking.
Their designs are often copied by less scrupulous vendors, and sadly must destroy the molds they fabricate out of clay.
Paper maché is applied to these molds, trimmed and the painting process begins, each receiving a slightly different color scheme. Every mask is truly a one-of-a-kind artwork.
Visiting with Massimo, the tourists come and go, he paints as we talk; and we agree to visit again domani, when Sergio will be around. We are also invited to visit their newer studio a few blocks away.
La Pranza found us at favorite pizzeria 'Casa Mia'...
Nancy had Penne Arrabiata, I had the Pizza Rotundo - Salame Picante e melenzane ...buono.
We met up with Cathy on Strada Nova, Italian stylee...left cheek/right cheek/left cheek.
:)
After an evening passagiata, back to Taverna Olandese for the Beatles and a couple
MacFarland's Red (8 % !)
Next morning we headed back to the Boldrin's store at Rialto and found Sergio working away.
Massimo had let him know the day before that we would be in and of course we were greeted with warm affection.
Picking out artwork is something that takes time. Sergio suggessted we walk over to the studio were we could watch the entire process, perhaps finding something there.
After getting lost (not a bad thing in Venezia) we find Massimo and his lovely wife, Rita working away. Rita gifts us with a watercolor of San Marco, (!) and we troop back to buy two masks frm Sergio. You'll see them hanging in our home.
Leaving Venezia is something we have now found hard to do, but we unwillingly depart and train to Milano, then catch the metropolitana to Gorgonzla to visit the Gattico family.
Cugina Elena has graciously lent me the use of her computer to write this.
Again, warm affection abounds.
Tonight we are going to see cugino Allesandro's group play music at a club in the city.
I could go on for weeks,and probably will , telling of fabulous food and drink, but... it's not my computer, and when I get back I must fix the sad piece of PC in our office before I can download the 350+ fotos I've taken.
And so,
for now
Ciao!
See you in the City next week
con Amore,
dj & nancy
To start with, the cold weather has continued and yet it remains quite beautiful.
Tuesday, 2/22 saw us departing Vineto Buondonno in 3 inches of freshly-fallen snow.
I was a little more than nervous driving toward the Autostrada over hill and dale, but we arrived in Firenze with plenty of time for a few loads of laundry at the lavaderia automattica, a few cafe macchiati e pannini for the train ride to Venezia. Snow continued to fall along the way to Locanda Bernardi-Semenzato, in the Cannareggio district. A fresh application of layers and we hit the cobbles in earnest, heading first to Piazza San Marco. Finding a ray or two of sunshine made the cold much more bearable. That evening we became Venetian, munching cicchetti at a few Osterie and settled into a warm taverna in time to watch Milano defeat Stuttgart 1-0 and some fine music by Burning Spear.
The next day Nancy and I visited with Massimo Boldrin, one of two brothers who are molto famoso for making masks for Carnavale. If you've seen the Kubrick film 'Eyes Wide Shut', you've seen their artwork. Sergio related to us last time we were there, that Kubrick's brother-in-law bought out the store for Stanley. The original 24-year-old workshop remains just off the Ponte Rialto. I first met Massimo's brother, Sergio, in 1994 while on a break from a musical tour of Eastern Germany.
Both fratelli are very gifted and remain dedicated to the art of Venetian maskmaking.
Their designs are often copied by less scrupulous vendors, and sadly must destroy the molds they fabricate out of clay.
Paper maché is applied to these molds, trimmed and the painting process begins, each receiving a slightly different color scheme. Every mask is truly a one-of-a-kind artwork.
Visiting with Massimo, the tourists come and go, he paints as we talk; and we agree to visit again domani, when Sergio will be around. We are also invited to visit their newer studio a few blocks away.
La Pranza found us at favorite pizzeria 'Casa Mia'...
Nancy had Penne Arrabiata, I had the Pizza Rotundo - Salame Picante e melenzane ...buono.
We met up with Cathy on Strada Nova, Italian stylee...left cheek/right cheek/left cheek.
:)
After an evening passagiata, back to Taverna Olandese for the Beatles and a couple
MacFarland's Red (8 % !)
Next morning we headed back to the Boldrin's store at Rialto and found Sergio working away.
Massimo had let him know the day before that we would be in and of course we were greeted with warm affection.
Picking out artwork is something that takes time. Sergio suggessted we walk over to the studio were we could watch the entire process, perhaps finding something there.
After getting lost (not a bad thing in Venezia) we find Massimo and his lovely wife, Rita working away. Rita gifts us with a watercolor of San Marco, (!) and we troop back to buy two masks frm Sergio. You'll see them hanging in our home.
Leaving Venezia is something we have now found hard to do, but we unwillingly depart and train to Milano, then catch the metropolitana to Gorgonzla to visit the Gattico family.
Cugina Elena has graciously lent me the use of her computer to write this.
Again, warm affection abounds.
Tonight we are going to see cugino Allesandro's group play music at a club in the city.
I could go on for weeks,and probably will , telling of fabulous food and drink, but... it's not my computer, and when I get back I must fix the sad piece of PC in our office before I can download the 350+ fotos I've taken.
And so,
for now
Ciao!
See you in the City next week
con Amore,
dj & nancy
posted by dj31hz @ 9:37 AM
0 comments
Friday, February 18, 2005
ïn Firenze....
"" you say you want to spend the winter in Firenze
you're so afraid you'll catch a dose of Influenza....""
Our trip from Amantea to Firenze was easy and uneventful.
Our rental vehicle here in Firenze is a dark grey, never-been-driven Ford Fiesta 1.2 from Hertz.
Gas is 1.14 euro per litro ...you do the math for the fill-up price. (!)
It's been pretty cold here in Tuscany, but Patagonia makes some excellent gear so at least I'm ok. Nancys cold has transferred to me... oh well, it's a light cough at this stage.
Cathy has been less than comfortable,not having the warm layers (many)to defeat the chill, but today is for shopping!
The fotos we are taking will show you the good stuff.
We delete the bad stuff from our minds as soon as possible :)
and so:
Upon our arrival at Vineto Buondonno,our host, Gabriele Buondonno invited us to a very chi-chi
wine tasting,the next day open to the tradeonly. ALL the producers of Chanti Classico were gathered in the old train station, Stazione Leopolda to display the current and upcoming vintages of Riserva and Classco Chianti. Upon arrival we were given badges and glasses. About 80 producers, some of them organic were pouring freely, so we tasted as much as we could handle, about 4 hours worth. Helping to ease the wine was a wheel of Parmigano (!) cut lengthwise in two, and chunked, for all to enjoy...the foto speaks volumes. oh, and saltines too...
Water was supplied by Panna and San Pelligrino.
Of course, we had very little to eat prior to or arrival ... Oi!
We tasted some famous and not so famous houses, some of them not yet available to the public, they will be bottled in the spring or even next fall.
What Luck!
Our host is a very cool guy; "I am like the pusher...today is free, domanni you pay."" His wine is excellent. ;)
Today he gave us the grand tour of the Vineto, once owned by Leonardo Buonarotti, a nephew of Michelangelo. Uno Bella Giornata, Si!
Now we are in Firenze for the day.
Nancy and Cathy are at the Uffizi ( I've been there 3 times already)and I am at an Internet point. Tonight we will have La Cena at a favorite trattoria of mine.
Tommorow I celebrate my 50th solar return.
I love you all and wish you could be here with me, but you'd probably be too cold.
You will be in my meditations, though.
:)
We travel next to Venezia and then to Gorgonzola, a suburb of Milano to visit the Gattico family, cugina of Don Lorenzo Vittoria.
Until the next internet point ....
pace,
Davide
you're so afraid you'll catch a dose of Influenza....""
Our trip from Amantea to Firenze was easy and uneventful.
Our rental vehicle here in Firenze is a dark grey, never-been-driven Ford Fiesta 1.2 from Hertz.
Gas is 1.14 euro per litro ...you do the math for the fill-up price. (!)
It's been pretty cold here in Tuscany, but Patagonia makes some excellent gear so at least I'm ok. Nancys cold has transferred to me... oh well, it's a light cough at this stage.
Cathy has been less than comfortable,not having the warm layers (many)to defeat the chill, but today is for shopping!
The fotos we are taking will show you the good stuff.
We delete the bad stuff from our minds as soon as possible :)
and so:
Upon our arrival at Vineto Buondonno,our host, Gabriele Buondonno invited us to a very chi-chi
wine tasting,the next day open to the tradeonly. ALL the producers of Chanti Classico were gathered in the old train station, Stazione Leopolda to display the current and upcoming vintages of Riserva and Classco Chianti. Upon arrival we were given badges and glasses. About 80 producers, some of them organic were pouring freely, so we tasted as much as we could handle, about 4 hours worth. Helping to ease the wine was a wheel of Parmigano (!) cut lengthwise in two, and chunked, for all to enjoy...the foto speaks volumes. oh, and saltines too...
Water was supplied by Panna and San Pelligrino.
Of course, we had very little to eat prior to or arrival ... Oi!
We tasted some famous and not so famous houses, some of them not yet available to the public, they will be bottled in the spring or even next fall.
What Luck!
Our host is a very cool guy; "I am like the pusher...today is free, domanni you pay."" His wine is excellent. ;)
Today he gave us the grand tour of the Vineto, once owned by Leonardo Buonarotti, a nephew of Michelangelo. Uno Bella Giornata, Si!
Now we are in Firenze for the day.
Nancy and Cathy are at the Uffizi ( I've been there 3 times already)and I am at an Internet point. Tonight we will have La Cena at a favorite trattoria of mine.
Tommorow I celebrate my 50th solar return.
I love you all and wish you could be here with me, but you'd probably be too cold.
You will be in my meditations, though.
:)
We travel next to Venezia and then to Gorgonzola, a suburb of Milano to visit the Gattico family, cugina of Don Lorenzo Vittoria.
Until the next internet point ....
pace,
Davide
posted by dj31hz @ 6:44 AM
3 comments
Monday, February 14, 2005
a little more about life in Amantea ...
We are staying in the home of Fiorina and Franco Abate, cousins of my mother-in-law,
Donna Francesca. They have two sons, Eugenio and Gianlucca.
Eugenio is a chef at a hospital in a town about an hour up the coast by car.
Gianlucca started selling Fiats in a small town south of Amantea just last month, and seems to be doing well despite working 10-12 hours a day.
Both are in their twenties and of course they will live here until they marry.
The apartment was built mainly by Franco and his cousin Aldo over a period of years.
By American standards it might be considered lavish in some ways, with marble floors and wonderful wooden shutters over the windows. Yet there is no central heat and only a fireplace in the kitchen in which they are constantly burning the trimmings from the olive trees the family has kept for at least a hundred years in an area known as 'Chiae' (key-i).
Chiae is situated on a steep hill in a small valley nestled behind the town of Amantea, and to get there one must drive up a very steep road. The view is magnificent, to say the least.
In the last month Amantea has experienced the strange phenomenom of snow....right to the ocean's edge. Wonderful fotos of this were taken by Eugenio and perhaps he will email these to post later.
So consequently, driving to Chiae can be challenging, especially in frosty weather, which thankfully we have seemed to dodge.
Famiglia Abate shares the building with thier cousins, Aldo e Lina Policicchio, who live across the hall and they have two daughters,Teresa,who studies archetechture, and Tiziana who is studying fashion design. The girls live in Milano.They are all very beautiful giving people.
The apartments are arranged in a 4-plex.
We rotate visiting and eating between the two households, il Pranzo(lunch) in one ( 1pm-4)
and la Cena (7-9pm)in the other,so we eat and visit about every 4 hours.
Both Fiorina and Lina are fantastic cooks, creating typical seasonal Calabrian dishes.
As an example, today il Pranzo brought a first course of linguine alle vongole with a red sauce. This was followed by a sort of stew of octopus (seppia) con patate.
This was follwed by an assortment of meats... cutlet of pork, polpette ( wonderful meatballs, again of pork. And of course, mandarine,biscotti e café. The pork is raised organically by the family. The olive oil is from trees on the family property, and the wine is handmade by both Franco and Aldo. Thier hard work is ours to enjoy with every meal.
Comé Bella. Siesta, anyone?
Si.
Tonight , I believe we are having gnocchi with Fiorina and Franco.
Nancy and Cathy are helping to make them as I write... mmmmm
Aldo and Lina have been excellent guides showing us many of the local sights. Fiorina keeps busy looking after the elders in Chiae, while Franco works for the phone company locally.
Zia Luisa and Zio Eugenio are well into their eighties and have some mobility problems, yet manage to stay vital despite the usual problems for folks their age.
Life here is simple and relaxed, as in most smaller towns around the world.
The televison gives us a different view of things from America and yet they are very similar.
Cooking shows, evening 'soaps' and some VERY interesting commercails, some showing brief nudity;that would have middle America on their heads.
One interesting ad shows a guy who can do origami with a candy wrapper around his tongue. !
Here, it's just an ad, no big whoop. A little chuckle....
Unfortuately, we must leave this slice of heaven tomorrow for another.
We will be traveling to the Chianti region, where we have arranged to stay in an apartment at an organic winery, Buondonno Vineto, in the town of Piazza alla Chianti,
about 18 miles south of Firenze.
Chanti is a region similar to the Napa Valley, with many small wineries, not only producing wines, but also olive oil and most of these use organic methods.
We were alerted to this place by a friend of Nancy's who wholesales wine in Emeryville.
You can read about Buondonno wines at www.jolivin.com
For excellent fotos of Amantea: Google 'Amantea' and look for the site ... 'Commune di Amantea'
OK the gnocchi are on the stove and I must end.
I'm sure I'll find an Internet Café in order to keep you drooling ;)
Ciao !
dj
Donna Francesca. They have two sons, Eugenio and Gianlucca.
Eugenio is a chef at a hospital in a town about an hour up the coast by car.
Gianlucca started selling Fiats in a small town south of Amantea just last month, and seems to be doing well despite working 10-12 hours a day.
Both are in their twenties and of course they will live here until they marry.
The apartment was built mainly by Franco and his cousin Aldo over a period of years.
By American standards it might be considered lavish in some ways, with marble floors and wonderful wooden shutters over the windows. Yet there is no central heat and only a fireplace in the kitchen in which they are constantly burning the trimmings from the olive trees the family has kept for at least a hundred years in an area known as 'Chiae' (key-i).
Chiae is situated on a steep hill in a small valley nestled behind the town of Amantea, and to get there one must drive up a very steep road. The view is magnificent, to say the least.
In the last month Amantea has experienced the strange phenomenom of snow....right to the ocean's edge. Wonderful fotos of this were taken by Eugenio and perhaps he will email these to post later.
So consequently, driving to Chiae can be challenging, especially in frosty weather, which thankfully we have seemed to dodge.
Famiglia Abate shares the building with thier cousins, Aldo e Lina Policicchio, who live across the hall and they have two daughters,Teresa,who studies archetechture, and Tiziana who is studying fashion design. The girls live in Milano.They are all very beautiful giving people.
The apartments are arranged in a 4-plex.
We rotate visiting and eating between the two households, il Pranzo(lunch) in one ( 1pm-4)
and la Cena (7-9pm)in the other,so we eat and visit about every 4 hours.
Both Fiorina and Lina are fantastic cooks, creating typical seasonal Calabrian dishes.
As an example, today il Pranzo brought a first course of linguine alle vongole with a red sauce. This was followed by a sort of stew of octopus (seppia) con patate.
This was follwed by an assortment of meats... cutlet of pork, polpette ( wonderful meatballs, again of pork. And of course, mandarine,biscotti e café. The pork is raised organically by the family. The olive oil is from trees on the family property, and the wine is handmade by both Franco and Aldo. Thier hard work is ours to enjoy with every meal.
Comé Bella. Siesta, anyone?
Si.
Tonight , I believe we are having gnocchi with Fiorina and Franco.
Nancy and Cathy are helping to make them as I write... mmmmm
Aldo and Lina have been excellent guides showing us many of the local sights. Fiorina keeps busy looking after the elders in Chiae, while Franco works for the phone company locally.
Zia Luisa and Zio Eugenio are well into their eighties and have some mobility problems, yet manage to stay vital despite the usual problems for folks their age.
Life here is simple and relaxed, as in most smaller towns around the world.
The televison gives us a different view of things from America and yet they are very similar.
Cooking shows, evening 'soaps' and some VERY interesting commercails, some showing brief nudity;that would have middle America on their heads.
One interesting ad shows a guy who can do origami with a candy wrapper around his tongue. !
Here, it's just an ad, no big whoop. A little chuckle....
Unfortuately, we must leave this slice of heaven tomorrow for another.
We will be traveling to the Chianti region, where we have arranged to stay in an apartment at an organic winery, Buondonno Vineto, in the town of Piazza alla Chianti,
about 18 miles south of Firenze.
Chanti is a region similar to the Napa Valley, with many small wineries, not only producing wines, but also olive oil and most of these use organic methods.
We were alerted to this place by a friend of Nancy's who wholesales wine in Emeryville.
You can read about Buondonno wines at www.jolivin.com
For excellent fotos of Amantea: Google 'Amantea' and look for the site ... 'Commune di Amantea'
OK the gnocchi are on the stove and I must end.
I'm sure I'll find an Internet Café in order to keep you drooling ;)
Ciao !
dj
posted by dj31hz @ 9:12 AM
0 comments
Carnavale in Amantea
Just a short note to say that Caravale in Amantea was a GAS.
Who knows how many folks from the surrounding area showed up to ride the floats and dance in the street.
The weather has been a little rainy, with wind.
We have many fotos to share ...
Dinner with Lina and Aldo was stupendous!
Thankfully we did not have to eat twice (again).
Our visit with Zia and Zio was brief yet fullfilling.
They appear to be in good heath despite a little arthritis.
Fido ( say it like you would in Italia, please.... FEEDO) and I bonded immediately.
Zia is sending us home with crocetta and salsicce di Calabria.
OMG!
It's amazing ... molto fresca.
va bene
Buon Festa di San Valentino!
Ciao,
dj
Who knows how many folks from the surrounding area showed up to ride the floats and dance in the street.
The weather has been a little rainy, with wind.
We have many fotos to share ...
Dinner with Lina and Aldo was stupendous!
Thankfully we did not have to eat twice (again).
Our visit with Zia and Zio was brief yet fullfilling.
They appear to be in good heath despite a little arthritis.
Fido ( say it like you would in Italia, please.... FEEDO) and I bonded immediately.
Zia is sending us home with crocetta and salsicce di Calabria.
OMG!
It's amazing ... molto fresca.
va bene
Buon Festa di San Valentino!
Ciao,
dj
posted by dj31hz @ 12:38 AM
0 comments
