Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Photo Hunt - Light

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'light'.

I debated posting another pic of my movember moustache which is coming in rather light indeed but thought I'd hold off on that for a bit. :-)

The following pictures were taken when we were in Pienza, Italy last month. The day we arrived at the beautiful agriturismo Tenuta San Pietro we relaxed around the pool and later went out for a wonderful dinner in Montefollonico. When we go back to the B and B the full moon was breaking through the clouds and cypress trees producing some very interesting light.

The next morning I was up early. The sun was rising over Montepulciano to the east of us. Giuseppe, the owner of this lovely B and B, had suggested that there were wonderful views from the top of the hill located on the property. Where better to see the sun rise I thought?

Off through the olive grove I went . . .

I loved the way the light filtered through the leaves and ripening olives.

This nut tree glowed in the light.

Later, when the rest of the group was up, dressed, and we had eaten the wonderful breakfast provided at the B and B, we headed off tothe town of Pienza itself. While everyone races for the  Duomo to see the famous Renaissance structure, we went into the church of San Francesco first. I was amazed by the altar  . . . the light from the windows behind the simple crucifix hanging overhead.

Bones and Skulls in Naples

I mentioned a more macabre side of Naples in a post before we left. I knew that there was an odd  mix of superstitious beliefs with Christian religion in the many ways the people of Naples edthe cult of the dead. Knowing it was one thing, seeing it yourself, another.

I became quickly aware that skulls, bones, and skeletons were on ready display in this city. Bronze skulls, rubbed repeatedly by those passing by for good luck were in front of churches. It wasn't a recent phenomena as we saw in the mosaics excavated from Pompeii. The saints most commonly depicted with skulls and bones were very popular in churches here.

We even noticed skull motifs appearing in graffiti.

I started to collect these images with my camera and thought that today, Hallowe'en, would be a perfect day to share . . .

So What did we Bring Back from Italy?

People have been asking me - 'what did you bring back from Italy?'

Believe it or not but today is the first time I've had a minute to sort and go through things.

I've noticed a big difference in our trip 'hauls' over the years. It used to be that there were lots of what one would call souvenirs - trinkets that gather dust. Now our hauls generally consist of food, drink, art, and clothing with the odd bit of souvenir.

This is the haul from our latest trip:

Now let me state from the onset that we shipped 12 bottles of wine + 1 bottle of grappa. We also have two large pieces of pottery that will arrive sometime in January.

The picture is also missing 1 whole pecorini cheese with truffles, a vacuum packed bag full of assorted pecorino cheese, and 5 1.5 lb pieces of parmigiano cheese. The cheese is all resting int eh refrigerator and I was too lazy to bring it up for a photo opportunity.

It's also missing the 6 copper molds I bought from Cesare, the famous brass artisan, in Montepulciano.

In this haul you'll find a sweater, a fleece (from theday it got REALLY cold in Montalcino), 2 scarves that I bought because I love the way Italians wear scarves everywhere and think this is a fashion trend that needs to move across the ocean, 2 bottles of 20 y/0 balsamic vinegar, 2 bottles of olive oil made by the owner of our agriturismo in Tuscany, 2 calendars, 4 packets of Italian cat for for the 'boys', 2 wallets, 1 purse, and 1 passport holder, 1 sweatshirt to send down to my great niece, about 7 lbs of chocolate including LOTS of the famous gianduja chocolate from Torino, 2 lbs of roasted hazelnuts, the most wonderful fennel tarelli, 2 packages of fruit jellies made with Amalfi lemons and Sicilian oranges, pocket coffe chocolates, 3 ceramic art tiles made by our friend Diana Strinati Baur, a package of dried cranberry beans, a package of dried chick peas, a package of dried pepperocini peppers, 3 packages of spice mixtures for pasta, 3 jars of honey, 1 bottle of limoncello, 1 bottle of limoncello cream, 1 bottle of strawberry cream, 5 bottles of brunello, 1 vino nobile de Montelpulciano (we tried it in a restaurant and LOVEDit), 1 bottle of super tuscan wine made by the owner of the argiturismo in Tuscany, 1 bottle of brachetto, 1 package of wonderful hazlenut bacci cookies, a number of nativity figures made by an artisan in naples, three angles made by the same artisan in naples, and finally 2 large bags of amaretti cookies from Mombaruzzo.

I see lots of wonderful moments ahead with food, drink which always seem to serve as a catalyst for reminiscing about our adventures.

Photo Hunt - Broken

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'broken'.

It's time to start using the gazillion pics I took while we were in Italy.

This is the famous Farnese Hercules, one of the greatest statues from antiquity. A copy of an earlier statue, it was made for the Baths of Caracalla in Rome (dedicated in 216 AD), where it was recovered in 1546.

 It quickly made its way into the collection of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, grandson of Pope Paul III. Alessandro Farnese was well placed to form one of the greatest collections of classical sculpture that has been assembled since Antiquity. This collection is now in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples.

When it was found the statue was missing its legs - they had broken off. Guglielmo della Porta was commissioned to make a new set of legs for the Hercules and they were so good that the Farnese family refused to remove them from the statue when the real legs were discovered in 1787.

The legs were on display near the statue - it was odd seeing a pair of legs, from the knee down, sticking out of the wall.

We ♥ Naples

Much has been written about Naples - it's dirty, it's dangerous, there is dog crap laying about, everyone who visits will be robbed . . . the general impression that is created isn't one to encourage tourists to stay there. It was fascinating for me to watch the expressions on people's faces when I told them we were staying for 5 days.

Clearly they were convinced that l had taken leave of my senses.

Most folks seem to visit naples as a day trip. They base in Sorrento or on Capri and  pop in for a whirlwind day of touring, shopping, and clasping their purse strap for fear that the guy racing past on the Vespa is going to yank it off as he races by.

As we worke don our trip planning it was apparent that Naples was no day trip; there was just so much to see and do! We didn't scratch the surface during our time there. In fact, I think it would be so overwhelming as a day trip that I'd want to turn around and flee back to my cruise ship.

Naples is a definitely gritty city - even the parts that had the sophistication of the porticoed-lined streets of Torino had some edge to them. However, 0ur experience was very positive - no one cheated us, robbed us, or was unkind to us. We kept looking for it  . . . perhaps this is why it never happened. We did see garbage - generally laying around a garbage container. Yes to grafitti as well - at times it looked as if we were in Venice or Rome.

I'm not diminishing the experiences of those who have gone to Naples and had a dire time, all I'm saying is that is not at all what we experienced.

In the end we loved Naples and would happily go back.

Beware -though if you are contemplating a visit . . .  Naples is a big city. If you don't like cities than you'll not be happy there.

Many think of the lovely Tuscan scenery when they think of Italy - Naples is far from that. It is a bustling, busy, vibrant city. In fact, it is one of the most denselypopulated cities in the world. Houses rise more stories that the original builders intended them to and encroach upon the narrow streets. Apartments are tiny so ground floor apartments open up on to these same narrow streets and the folks (and their furniture) spill out on to the street.

Some parts of Italy seem as if they are a museum - Naples is no museum. It is clear that people are living and dying here. Cooking smells waft through the canyons created by towering apartment buildings. Children play soccer in the piazza. Lovers hang out everywhere - including in churches making good use of the back pews. Things, sometimes homemade treats and sometimes illegal goods, are sold on every street corner. Vespas zoom by. Nonna rushes home from the market. Laundry hangs across every street.

They say this is what Italy used to be like.

We experienced some great kindness in Naples as well. The old guy who insisted on walking us to where we wanted to go rather than showing us the way. The museum attendant who let us in for free. The limoncello maker who bestowed a bottle upon us when we exclaimed about how wonderful it was. Taxi drivers carried luggage for us and even took less than the fare they had quoted us as we set off on our journey. People seemed genuinely happy to have these three craxy Canadians in their midst and went out of their way to make us feel welcome.

Don't get me started on the amazing food . . . the pizza, melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella cheese, crisp pastries, rum soaked baba, baked pastas, fresh seafood. It would a good thing we walked a lot in Naples or we would have had to be buying new clothes before we headed to Tuscany.

Naples is beautiful - given the nature of the city as a Royal center for so many centuries it is naturally chock-a-block with ornate churches, castles, palaces, palazzos, and cloisters. The city itself is blessed with on the the most beautiful natural environments in the world (even though humankind has done everything possible to blot it out by the advancement of history). The hills spilling out into the brilliant blue bay . . . Vesuvius lurking off in the distance. Sometimes you need to look for the beauty of Naples -  it isn't like some parts of Italy when the beauty is worn on the sleeve - you'll need to look but the rewards when you do are stunning.

Naples has an energy that is thrilling - it grabs at you and propels you along. You'll likely not move at the breakneck pace of life as the locals but you'll live baby, oh yes, you'll live.

I don't know if I have ever been in a city like this before . . . but then again, I'm not sure a city like this exists anywhere in the world.

Travel Tuesday - Naples

It's time for another edition of Sandi's blog 'event' - Travel Tuesdays. It's easy to play (I like THAT!) all you need to do is to post one of your travel pics (and who doesn't have a gazillion of those) and then pop on over to Sandi's blog to join her Linky.

I missed the last few Travel Tuesdays because I was actually traveling. Now that I am back home and coping with a body clock still on European time I'm back in the game!

This post is about Naples. Italy, not Florida.

We're Home . . . Sigh

It was a whirlwind travel day but we're home (except for mom's suitcase which is missing somewhere in the world). Our cab driver showed up early in Torino and had us at the airport in less than 20 minutes (I noted he was driving 160 km per hour but it was Italy so what the heck).

I admit I will be happy when they finish the construction at FCO - what mess that airport can be. Air Canada flies out of Terminal H which is a like a cattle barn when it is busy. Of course it was busy and chaotic today.

It was a quiet flight from Rome to Toronto. There were no annoying women in front of us this time. Nordid we have a medical emergency (although I did witness on passenger strap on a nitro patch before the place boarded at FCO).

Customs was a breeze. We didn't get pulled over for secondary screening as we sometimes do. In fact, everything was a snap. . . except for mom's missing suitcase.

Mom didn't take the loss of her luggage with all of the special treats she had bought for people well . . . imagine that? We assured her that it would turn up - we've had luggage go missing at least 5 times over the years and it has always turned up. I'm not sure our assurances made a hell of a lot of a difference.

Finger crossed.

Other than mom's missing bag it was an uneventful trip home.

There were two cats in the window looking out before we had unlocked the door.

We brought the luggage in. Excessive attention was paid to two very demanding felines. We picked up enough groceries to egt through the next couple of days (back to the office tomorrow - argh).

I was craving anything but Italian food so we had a stir fry for dinner tonight.

Now to unpack and unwind. No doubt heading back to the office (and then our Leadership conference which I an responsible for on Tuesday and Wednesday) will be hell.

SIGH

Photo Hunt - High

This week's Photo Hunt theme is 'high'.

Today is our last day in Italy so my entry will be brief.

I saw these candies while shopping in the Piazza San Carlo yesterday. I wonder if they would make you high?

And for the feint of heart - this is Torino's highest building . . .

We took the elevator up to the highest level where we had amazing views of the city . . .
 (once we found mom who had gotten herself lost fo 45 minutes that was).

 

Hello Torino

Yesterday was a transfer day – the fourth of our trip. Generally we try to limit such days since they result in so much lost time but it is what it is as they say.

After a final great breakfast at the Baur B and B we loaded up the car – amazingly I could actually see out the back this time – hugged everyone good bye and headed to Torino. Everyone was sad to be leaving this special corner of Italy but Torino was calling. After four days we were relaxed, energized, and ready to face the hustle and bustle of a city again.

On the way we decided to stop in Asti. We didn’t spend long here but we saw enough to know that we’d love to return to this beautiful spot known for its palio (contrada signs and banners were everywhere),  art-filled churches, food, and shops. The sun had come out so mom decided she wanted to sit in a café and have a coffee – her treat – who were we to say no?

Our next stop was the car rental drop off point in the Torino airport, I wish I could say that we found it easily, and I suppose I could since none of you where there. *smile* We did have to drive around the airport twice before we saw the wee sign indicating where the car rental return spot was. Once we knew where to drop it off we were fine.

In short order we were loaded in a cab and headed into the centre of Torino – one of our favourite cities in Italy. Some call this city the ‘Detriot’ of Italy since it was dominated by the Fiat company for so much of the 20^th century. Well, Detroit would be thrilled to be compared to Torino with its beautiful palazzos, Baroque architecture, sophisticated cafes, and arcaded walkways. I’ve been to Detroit and can safely say that this is NOT Detroit.

We checked in at the B and B Ai Savoia and after a quick bite to eat we were napping. At 5:30 mom was knocking on the door and suggesting it was time to head out for a walk – now that was a first.

Armed with our favourite guidebook we had a great time revisiting the walk we did in our jet-lagged state during our first visit to Torino three years ago. We pointed out many of our favourite spots to mom as we went along. The nice thing about returning to a city is that you don’t have to spend three days just getting a feel for the layout.

The first stop was the favourite church of the Turinese – Santaurino della Consolata famous for its Baroque extravagance and its 11^th century red-brick bell tower. We had warned mom that in Turin Baroque meant every surface is covered with some sort of decoration and no decoration would be seen as ‘too much. I guess she didn’t believe us  . . . she took one look and in a loud voice declared ‘I don’t like it’ –of course her judgement carried throughout the church  . . . I’m not sure the folks awaiting the start of the 6 PM mass appreciated her evaluation.

Paul and I hustled her off to the side where the famous ex-votive paintings are hung; there are hundreds of paintings depicting situations where prayers to the Madonna della Consolata averted death or injury.

The next stop was in the church of San Domenico – one of the few surviving Gothic churches in Torino. One has to wonder why this spot survived being plastered over and covered with gilt, paintings, and marble like so many other structures. Mom wanted to see the medieval frescos located in the left altar but the 6 PM mass was underway there and the priest was standing right in the midst of the frescoes.  We were content to wait (and watch the parishioners seated neat the back sneak out when the service apparently went longer then it was supposed to) until it was over. We got a good look at the frescoes once the priest had finished up and mom had to agree they the frescoes were impressive.

We continued wandering the alleys and narrow streets of the Roman Quarter – mom couldn’t believe the number of bars and cafes we saw everywhere. I couldn’t believe we weren’t stopping. We showed her the Roman gates – most recently used as a woman’s prison – the best preserved Roman ruins in the city.

The Duomo was closing . . . and someone may have ended up wandering through the sacristry as the priest was taking off his formal robes so we kept on our way. We ended up in the Palazzo Madama as darkness descended and the light illuminating the former Royal Palaces came on. Even jaded mom was impressed with the grandeur of it all.

It was time for dinner so we went to the restaurant across from the B and B – the Regina Margherita. This is where Paul and I had eaten on our first night in Torino back in 2008 and we were pleased to discover that the food was as good as ever. Famous for their pizza – we ignored that part of the menu and went for scalopine, cutoletta, and filleto instead. Everything was good and just what we needed to cap off our final transfer day of the trip.

A Monferatto Day in Photos

Yesterday was our last full day in this area - tomorrow we head to Torino (with a stop in Asti for Paolo). We started and ended the day at the B and B. In between we stuck close to Acqui . . . visiting small towns and wandering about. Here is our day in photos . . .

I'm not sure what the internet connection will be like at the Ai Savoia  in Torino so this may be the last post before I hit the airport in Rome on Sunday.