Levanto and the Cinque Terra

LEVANTO AND THE CINQUE TERRE

Cinque Terre are not one town but five, cinque being the Italian word for five and terre meaning lands. They are somewhat similar to the towns of the Amalfi coast with fewer people although still plenty of tourists. One of the main activities is hiking from town to town along the rugged coastline. I am hoping to do some kayaking on Monday but mostly I plan to eat my way through the five towns. 

Levanto 

This trip is being done on the cheap so I found a place for around $20 per night. The downside is there is no air conditioner, not even a fan and I'm sharing a bathroom with 5 other travelers. The upside, I get to meet people of all ages from around the world and exchange stories and recommendations over breakfast each morning. I met a young man from Japan and an older woman from Torino. He has been living in Switzerland filming Japanese tourists and then selling them DVDs of their trip and she a paramedic.  Very nice people in fact Saro, the Japanese man joined me for dinner on Sunday night. It was nice to have someone to talk to during dinner. 

One more downside was the bar just below my room. On a Saturday night this place was very lively, great if you're there for the party but not so great if it's 1am and you want to sleep. The festivities went on right up to 2:30 in this tiny town.  When the place finally closed the staff started the clean up with music blaring, mostly current Italian music and some of them singing along. At about 2:35 the theme from Ghostbusters came over the radio. The singing stopped but the staff's lead singer was whistling along. I think that was the point that I decided three nights would be too much for me. At about 3:15 the last of the scooters started up and headed for home. 

The town I'm staying in is Levanto immediately north of the the Cinque Terre. The food here is incredible and it must be a foodie destination because the first five restaurants I went to had no availability, they were all rated at least 4 stars on trip advisor. I walked into each place around 8:30 and each had plenty of open tables but they were reserved. I passed by other restaurants that clearly had no more room.  There are fewer than 6000 people living here but of course people come from all over. Finally I found a place with one outside table.  For an appetizer I had a large prawn on top of buratta with a slathering of pesto. The pasta course was panzerotti stuffed with meats and cheeses with a hazelnut sauce.  All are typical dishes for the area and very tasty especially that pesto - damn that was good.  

On Sunday I toured the beautiful town of Vernazzo. The small town is tucked in between the cliffs. After getting off the train I headed to the beach to have a look around. On the way there is a small street the end of which ends at a roped off cave.  A sign warns people that the area is dangerous and closed off. The ropes didn't stop anyone from climbing over them to get through the cave.  Once through you are rewarded for breaking the rules with a small "private" beach to share with about 50 other naughty people. 

Vernazzo's "forbidden" beach

GELATO EXPERIENCE OF THE DAY:

Crema di levanto and cremino

Roma 2017

I am back in my favorite city, Roma!  It's been since 2014 that I last posted here. I visited Italy in 2015 by myself, too lazy to post I guess. Also in 2016 with Jackie, too busy to post. Before leaving this time I took some time to read older posts and it was really helpful plus brought back some great memories. So I'm committed to posting again for this trip. My itinerary includes a couple of days in Rome (my pretend hometown), four days in Levanto and the Cinque terre, four days in Perugia, and three days in Ripabottoni where my maternal grandparents lived before coming to the US.

Right now I am sitting at a rooftop bar overlooking the forum.  The sun is just beginning to set behind the monument to Vittorio Emanuelle II. A gentle breeze is cooling me after a long walk on a fairly hot and humid day. Behind me the bougainvillea is blooming and in front of me is an equally beautiful and tasty negroni. This is a fantastic way to live my life!  

     Rooftop view on my first evening in Roma. 

Jump ahead now to Friday evening.  Another rewarding day in Roma. I'm in training for a 10 mile run in October so the began with a jog through Villa Borghese - the green heart of Rome. This city is known for its seven hills and although I only went three miles those hills took it out of me. I needed a short 15 minute nap which turned into almost 2 hours. 

One of the two subway lines is out of commission so I didn't get a pass choosing instead to walk everywhere. Yesterday I did a total of 10.3 miles according to my health app and by the end of today I've done 13.6 including my run.  I've earned every bit of pasta and gelato I'm going to devour.  

I still enjoy getting lost in this city.  Even though I've been here a few times I'm staying in a different part of the city. Getting around is so much easier than it was even three years ago. Using the gps on your phone you know exactly where you are and Siri will help by telling you which direction to go. I purposely left my phone off to challenge myself, my prior knowledge of the city, my sense of direction and my language skills asking people for directions.  As I've said in prior posts the streets rarely go in a straight line for very long and at every slight bend the street name changes.  This leads to either frustration or mini adventures depending on your attitude and amount of sleep. 

Near Piazza Barbieri I had the good fortune to come across a Roman barbershop. A barber next to Barbiei? How could I pass it by? The elderly gentlemen were both wearing white coats almost like short lab coats and ties. I was impressed. The older of the two welcomed me and after a short exchange he used all of his English language skills to tell me, "Prego, please-a seat-a" while gesturing to the barber chair.  It was very professional and orderly justifying the lab coats. His fingers operated like a machine as he trimmed with scissors continually snipping at the air even as he pulled away from my hair. My neck and sideburns were trimmed with a straight edge razor and my neck and forehead were frequently dusted with a small brush sprinkled with talcum powder.  Before I even stood up the other man came over with a broom to begin sweeping the hair on the floor.  Once standing I was told to wait and I was brushed off and my shirt straightened for me. Attention to details made this another interesting and fun experience. 

For the first time I toured the Borghese Gallery. I've been told by Roman tour guides in the past to come here but it's never fit into my schedule. I'm going back to tour on my own on my next visit. There were several Caravaggios, Tizianos, Rafaellos and Berninis. Bernini did many of the sculptures around Rome but I hadn't realized how prolific he was until this trip. I'll be much more aware of his work now and his extreme talent.  We were led to an incredible statue completed when he was just 23 years old, the Rape of Proserpina. It seemed impossible to me that someone so young could create something so large, beautiful and detailed. Near the end of our tour we were shown a much smaller piece he did with the same attention to tiny detail this one completed when he was only 11! 

Many of the masterpieces there you would be familiar with even if you'd never taken an art history class. Our guide provided us with so much about the artists and their lives.  Many of these geniuses led incredible lives getting into trouble with popes and powerful families.  Caravaggio was exiled from Rome after killing a man. Canova did a sculpture of Napolean's sister half nude. Raphael's death at the age of 37 was brought on by a "night of excessive sex". Caravaggio painted a Virgin Mary wearing a red dress showing a decent amount of cleavage and the model was a well known hooker who hung out around the Vatican.  The painting was removed from the Vatican once several cardinals and bishops brought it to the attention of Pope Paul V. 

     Modonna and Child with St. Anna - Caravaggio

     How scandalous!

The tour group was small, only six of us including the guide.  Four of the group were a family from California and it was clear this tour was mom and dad's thing not the teenage kids. After the first 20 minutes the kids were more interested in finding a place to sit than looking at the art. Dad was not happy especially with his son giving him the look every so often. The gallery tour was two hours long followed by an hour tour of the gardens.  The family bailed following the gallery saying the jet lag had caught up with even the parents. That left me with a private tour of the gardens. 

The gardens as well as the gallery were sold to the city by the Borghese family. The family while still incredibly wealthy couldn't keep up the extravagant lifestyle. Much of the family left for America and started a makeup company called Revlon.  You may have heard of it.

My private tour ended at Piazza del Popolo with fascinating stories about the superstitious Romans and their fear of ghosts. After a very short walk I'm ending the day with yet another view looking over the city again. The sun setting this time over the Spanish Steps, the St. Peter's Basilica in the distance and an evening Aperol Spritz in hand. 

GELATO EXPERIENCE OF THE DAY:

Thursday - variegato di nocciola (variation on hazelnut) and stracciatella (creamy with striations of chocolate) 

Friday - mirtilli (blueberry) and crema (cream)

More posts to come.

I have to take a break from my blog for one day although I have many more things to write about.  It has been a busy day and no time to write more than a couple of notes.  

Gelato combo of the day - lamopne è cioccolate con arancia (raspberry and chocolate with orange)

Podere Spedalone

It's 5 AM and I can't sleep.  I don't think it's because of the time change, we've been here too long.  Maybe it's the excitement of the day ahead, today Siena.  The sky is just now getting light and the stars are giving way to sunlight.  I am sitting in the courtyard of Podere Spedalone, an agriturismo in southern Tuscany near the town of Pienza.  As I'm waiting I can hear frogs off in the distance and the roosters are just beginning to crow.  High above my head a bat is zigzagging catching the few bugs around.  There are about a dozen lemon trees lining the outer edge of the courtyard some of the fruit just now beginning to ripen to yellow.

We arrived after our trip to San Gimignano at around 6 PM, not knowing where to go because I left the directions on the plane five days ago.   We stopped in Pienza and found a phone booth to call for directions.  Alessandro picked up the phone, "Pronto", the typical Italian phone greeting.  

We spoke in Italian until I managed to get out "ci siamo persi", meaning we are lost, a phrase I had become very good at saying.  

"I'll be there in five minutes" he said in perfect accented English.  

He happened to be in town and he came to us in less than five minutes.  In the back seat was his wife and a quietly sleeping 5-day-old baby, Lorenzo.  

"I drop off my wife and come back" he told us and minutes later after bringing his wife and new born to their apartment in town we were off to the farm.

Diane was driving and having a hard time keeping up as he sped down narrow tree lined winding roads ignoring the fact that there was no way he could possibly see what might be coming in the other direction.  Diane did her best to stay near him without killing us.  Once we left the paved roads there were few roads to turn on to still at one point he slowed his car to wait for us to catch up.

We finally arrived and were delighted by what we saw.  It was just what you might hope for, a very rustic 12th century building surrounded by olive trees and grape vines.  A large garden was just off to the left and before we could park the Fiat up came Punto, the mascot of Podere Spedalone.  He is a large white dog with tan speckles on his face.  We were happy to see him and he was eager to see the latest arrivals and give us a sniff or two.

More coming soon...

Check out more photos on Instagram at #PodereSpedalone

San Gimignano

Today's Italian lesson was inspired by Jackie - vestidi (dresses) and scarpe (shoes)

We left somewhat hurried from Viareggio this morning so we could spend time in San Gimignano. Not even stopping for a cappuccino!  However I did have a little time to take a quick dip in the sea before our 2 hour drive.  Getting into the sea before leaving this area was a priority.  The water felt slightly cool for a split second then refreshing on this warm morning.  

The road was a little polluted on the way to the beach.  It was a Sunday morning and the remnants of the Saturday night festivities were apparent along the roadside with papers, cups, and empty wine bottles.  Jackie and I headed to the beach while Diane rested and read in the car.  It was a short walk to the beach as we had to walk by all the paid spots with colorful umbrellas, full service refreshement stands, and toilets to make our way to the free beach.

I went into the water right away as Jackie observed the other beach goers.  When I emerged from my quick swim in the Mediteranean Jackie informed me of the happenings next to us.  I glanced over and there they were, a family under their own ragged umbrella had dug a short trench to allow their bottomless daughter of about 2 years to squat and take care of business.  Next time we pay for the private beach.

After an uneventful drive with spectacular views we stopped for our afternoon in San Gimignano.  This is a beautiful medieval town with shops and artists.  Around every corner is yet another outstanding view.  This town does get a large number of tourists so naturally there is more to blow your money on and we were happy to oblige that notion.  Jackie bought two stunning dresses designed and hand made by four women who live in the town.  She also purchased two pair of stiletto high heel Italian shoes that would make Monica Belllucci envious.  

Diane purchased some linen gifts for herself and others.  As for me I made a stop at Gelato Dondoli, the winner of the Gelato World Cup.  When develping your gelato experience it is not a moment to take lightly.  I would approve of getting one scoop at a time to savor on its own but the real art comes from marrying two flavors together.  I chose blackberry lavendar paired with mango.  The blackberry lavendar would have been beautiful all by itself but when its slightly tangy flavor was combined with the rich velvety smoothness of mango church bells rang all over the city.  The three of us each bought one bottle of wine to share at our next destination, Podere Spedalone.

Gelato flavors of the day, grapefruit Campari with mint.

Pisa and Volterra

We went to two cities today, Pisa and Volterra.  Both charming cities but very different.  Of course you know of Pisa and it's famous tower but there is so much more to see.  There is the baptistery and the duomo, museums and so much more.  I was not about to do what every other tourist was doing, see photos below.  It was fun to see people from all over the world doing the same cliche pose however each had their own take on it.

The duomo is similar in style to San Michele in Lucca with its foundation begun in the 11th century and additional art and renovations being added even within this decade.  The baptistery is a large sparsely decorated space with two stories.  We were pleasantly surprised by something that happens every 1/2 hour in the baptistery.  One of the guards shouts "Silencio, Silencio".  Another of the guards then stands in the middle of the space and begins singing in order to demonstrate the acoustics the architects created.  Below is a video.  It is my first video post so hopefully it works.

We fought our way past dozens of aggressive Senegalese sellers to get to the car and headed to the beautiful city of Volterra.  Like many other Tuscan towns we have been to it was at its height during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.  This city has it's own charm as it has far fewer tourists.  Another thing that sets Volterra apart is the 1st century B.C. Roman Ampitheater.  Just behind this is the 4th century Roman baths.

We came across the ancient ruins while blindly exploring the town.  We looked over the city walls and there they were and at the time we had no explanation of the preservation.  We searched our travel books and found out that beginning in medieval period, the locals began to toss their garbage over the city walls.  Over centuries the garbage piled up until the three story ruins were covered and eventually forgotten.  It wasn't until the 1950s that the area was rediscovered.  Inmates at the local mental hospital were used as laborers to do the clean up which they found therapeutic.   

We toured the town for quite awhile until we were famished from walking the steep streets.  In one of the piazzas we found a nice restaurant to sit in and get a bite.  This is where we met Armond our waiter and Carmello another wait staff.   The two of them clearly enjoy their jobs.  They joked with each other and the guests.  Carmello particularly enjoyed his part of entertainer.  No table in the place was immune to his joking and mugging especially the tables with children.  

Jackie ordered ravioli with porcini mushrooms, truffles, and hazelnut.  Diane had an unusual and exceptional dish of wild boar with chocolate and balsamic vinegar.  I took a note from the zombie movies I love to watch and ordered a plate of fried brains along with a plate of pappardelle with wild boar and truffles.  

W each tasted each other's meals and enjoyed these wonderful tastes.  Except for Jackie, she refused to try the brains.  Throughout our meal Carmello and Armond continued to entertain.  Carmello informed us that he was falling in love with Jackie but someone was in the way.  Armond seemed to be developing a crush on Diane as he directed all of his attentions toward her.  It was all very light hearted and fun.  At the end we took pictures with them.  Carmello was appreciative of a table of people that would play with him.  After we paid the bill he snuck a bottle of wine to our table and told us to take it home.  He showed us pictures of his family and told us about coming from Sicily.  Jackie asked him if he was on Facebook and now they are friends.  I'll be checking on how this relationship develops.

Back in Viareggio I went to the tobacco shop to pick up some water.  It was nearly midnight and many stores were closed.  The streets were filled with people though.  Bars were filled with people even in this more remote part of the city.  What struck me was that young and old alike were hanging out together; sitting at the same tables listening to music at one place, playing pool together at another.  The gelaterias were still filled with people talking with one another and enjoying their flavors.  

Lucca and Puccini

Today's Italian lesson of the day:  the difference between bagno pubblica and bagno pubblicità is that one is a public bathroom and one is an advertisement for a bathroom.  I can tell you from personal experience you get looks when you ask a store clerk for a bathroom advertisement.   

Lucca is a fascinating town surrounded by a medieval city wall.  Entrance into the old city is only through one of ten ramparts around the city.  We entered through Porta dei Borghi the oldest of the walls built between 1198 and 1265.  Once inside it's like a playground for the imagination.  Your mind naturally tries to envision what life must have been like when the city was at its height.

Jackie took the picture below.  There was no staging for this shot whatsoever.  We just happened by and this is what she saw, good eye huh?  There were so many similar scenes and one just has to have their eyes and cameras ready to go.  

We climbed the largest tower within the walls, Torre Guinigi.  On the way up are wall paintings dipicting the historical record of the city state.  According to the record after ruling many were deposed and either tossed out a window of one tower or another or beheaded and in the case of Bartolomeo both.  

The roughly seven story climb comes with a payoff of a view of the whole city.  The tower is topped with seven oak trees planted by the Guinigi family to atone for their misdeeds and possibly to ward off a beheading or two.  While we were at the top looking out over the entire town with its basilicas, churches, and historical sites such as the birth home of Giacomo Puccini we heard an accapella choir singing below.

We were about ready to leave the town but wanted to get a small meal first.  After purchasing some ceramics we asked the clerk where to go for dinner, it was 5:00.   We told her we weren't interested in the restaurants meant for tourists rather the food typical of the tourists.  Naturally at 5:00 pm nothing is open and we would have to wait until 7:30 pm for the restaurants to start serving again.  Instead she suggested a panino shop next door or a pizzeria both she said were excellent choices.  We chose to get paninos.  

This "sandwich shop" was filled with focaccia and breads, salamis and cheeses, and grilled vegetables plus a variety of spreads.  Similar to Subway (yet nothing like Subway) you pick your focaccia or other bread and then the fillings.  The soft spoken young woman working there was as happy to help as I was anxious to practice my language skills.  Like all Italians I have met she was not short on opinions especially when it comes to food.   She told us which pecorino would be appropriate with pesto and which would be appropriate with another spread.  I chose my two items for my panino and asked if a third would be good.  She gave me a very clear and emphatic "No" with a disapproving look on her face that said, "this is not to be challenged".

I chose focaccia topped with a spread of tuna and picante peppers along with a pecorino cheese from Pienza.  Jackie also had a focaccia hers topped with pesto, sundried tomatoes, and a pecorino from Lucca.  Jackie was allowed three toppings for some reason.  The thing is the girl was right!  The panini were very delicious.  The lesson, don't doubt Italians when it comes to food.

We left Lucca and went back to the apartment by the sea.  It was important to return because we had one more special event.  Outside of Viareggio is a town called Torre del Lago Puccini.  On the lake is where Puccini wrote many operas while on this lake.  After his death an outdoor stage was built facing the lake and the mountains behind.  Here at this beautiful setting we watched Madame Butterfly just after the sun went down.  This is how you live.  Spoiler alert the lady dies

Today's gelato flavor combo - rice and pear.