Saturday, October 29, 2005

Cutting the LOVE


Cutting the LOVE
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Just one of the large commerical studios. We wonder how many of these LOVE sculptures are out there in world!

Esther's sculpture


Esther's sculpture
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Here's Rosemary & Esther with the beautiful mortar and pestle she created especially for us.

Esther's workspace


Esther's workspace
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
This is where Esther works on her marble sculptures in Pietrasanta.

A day in Pietrasanta 10.26.05

Today we took a long drive to go and see Esther and Doug, our young friends who rented the apartment next to us in the month of August and who we wrote about in earlier posts. They are sculptors, working at this time in Pietrasanta, near Pisa, carving marble, and creating art with their hands and their hearts. This is indeed a passion for these young artists and seeing them in the studios where they work was very exciting for us. Esther had agreed to create a mortar and pestle for us from marble and the only direction we gave her was that we had hoped it would be something that would remind us of the garden and time we spent together here in these two apartments that are back to back in the Giardino dell'Insignolo. We were very anxious to see what she would do, fully confident that we would love it and were not disappointed. She had earlier directed us to a website where her work was displayed and we fell in love with her clean, sensitive way of working. Today we went there to see them and to pick up the finished piece. I am not going to try to describe what it looks like, except to say that it is perfect and that we love it, but we will post some photos for you all to see. If you want to see more of Esther's art, you can go to this website: http://artolive.com/ and then you will have to search for Esther Bruijn but it's worth it, her work is gorgeous.

I do want to say a huge thank you to Esther for taking the time to create this beutiful piece of art for us. It is something we will treasure always and display proudly. And thanks to the both of them for taking time out of their day to visit with us and show us around. We appreciate it very much.

They showed us the studios where they work, amazing outdoor spaces in a city where there are huge yards full of every size and color of marble block, from the enormous ones to the tiny scraps, and every artists finds his or her perfect piece and begins the process, as Michelangelo said, of taking away everything that is not the sculpture and creating their own masterpieces. It was fascinating to learn a little bit more about the process of creating a little model in plaster and the intricate method of transferring the design to the marble, using a system of points and measurements. The city itself is charming with all these streets radiating out from the central piazza and I was immediately captivated by it. To watch all these artists, so passionate about their art, working side by side, sharing knowledge and techniques in a communal atmosphere, was thrilling and we went away talking about a time in the future when Bob and I will have a larger studio place of our own to make our art, a place we can be messy and he can make his sculptures and I can fling paint to my heart's content. But that is not now for us. Now is a time of discovery and exploration, of soaking in experiences and traveling to exotic places; a time of wonder and wanderings. One dream at a time, please!

Buona notte,
Rosemary & Roberto

An apartment in Sicily 10.25.06

It's official! We have an apartment in Sicily. Again, it was challenging to find a long term furnished rental and we went the route of exploring vacation rentals and considered several before deciding on the one we chose. Originally I had wanted to go to Palermo but was talked out of it by many people who said it was too large, too crowded, too dirty, too chaotic etc., etc. Then they said that in that part of Sicily the winters can be very windy and that did not appeal to us either. We looked at a few places near Taormina, which is apparently quite beautiful, but they were either too expensive or too small, didn't have parking or just were not quite right. I was beginning to get panicky as I usually do thinking we had just about a month before we were set to leave and still did not have a place to live! We had thought earlier this summer that when the time came that we would just go there and find a place when we got there. Then we were dissuaded from doing that and decided it would be best to have something lined up before leaving. With the kids coming in October and Art and Chris in November, there was no time to spare and we spent many hours at the Internet café searching.

Finally we found this one and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it turns out to be nice and we like the area. Never having been to Sicily and only having our guide books as reference, plus what we have seen on the internet, we think Ragusa is quite beautiful. This town we have chosen is called Marina di Ragusa and it is right on the Mediterranean Sea. In fact, the terrace has a sea view. It is off-season so we are expecting it to be quiet there and are looking forward to long walks on the beach and quiet nights filled with stars. We like the location also because it seems as if it will be easy to get to the other regions we want to visit, going north to Palermo, west to Agrigento or east to Siracusa, Catania and Taormina, The apartment is larger than the one we are in now, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The kitchen looks much larger with more counter space and has a washing machine and even a garage for our car, a very important feature. Plus it is on the 2nd floor (which in Italy actually means the 3rd) so we are up high, a change from being on the ground floor as we have been here with sometimes-noisy neighbors above us, and we are looking forward to that. The new landlord seems very nice and eager to accommodate our needs. He has offered us bicycles, which should be fun. And, he speaks enough English and with our rudimentary Italian that we think we will be able to communicate well enough. He even has suggestions about how to get email there so he has some technical knowledge as well which should come in handy with the two of us being technologically challenged at times.

We plan to drive down there probably before December 1. I would like to stop and see my distant cousins in Chianchetella and take our time getting there. We plan to drive to Naples and take the ferry to Sicily. Our new landlord has already provided driving directions. We are looking forward to Christmas and what that might bring.

It was hard to tell Sergio and Rita that we were leaving, we have been so happy here and they have been treated us so well. We have enjoyed Perugia very much, if we did find fault with various parts of it, like the large student population, the occasion late night noises, the dog droppings in the street and too much graffiti. But the city is amazing. We love its medieval streets and beautiful palazzi, the views out over the countryside still take our breath away, the twisty, turny streets, the crumbling facades and warm colors. And of course our beautiful garden and its amazing display of flowers from spring through fall has been nothing short of a gift from the gods and we will be forever grateful for the time spent in this magical place.

But the life we have chosen is one that is full of new adventures and we are ready to move on. We will savor this next month, happy to show Art and Chris our beautiful Perugia and the cities surrounding it, a Farewell Tour of Umbria for us, showing her off in a blaze of fall colors (we hope they will not have all blown away by the time they arrive!) and delighted that they will be able to see this place we have called home for the past 7 months now. It's been an incredible time.

Looking ahead,
Rosemary & Robert

At the Colosseum


At the Colosseum
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.

Eating a lot of beef


Eating a lot of beef
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
This photo belongs in the story of me eating a giant beef steak and chomping on the bones and Bob insisted I include it! My family was particularly amused by my delicate pinky.

Eurochocolate


Eurochocolate
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Huge blocks of chocolate were carved into sculptures and the chocolate was flying!

On Top of Torre Angelo


On Top of Torre Angelo
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Next to the Tempio di Michele Sant’Angelo, one of our favorite places, we climbed to the top of the Torre for a spectacular view over Perugia.

Chris at Colosseum


Chris at Colosseum
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Our beautiful son in Rome.

On Top of S. Pietro


On Top of S. Pietro
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
At the Vatican, we climbed to the top of the dome (more steps in narrow spaces) and walked out to enjoy an amazing view of the St. Peter’s Square and the city of Rome.

With Dad at Colosseum


With Dad at Colosseum
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Outside the Colosseum in Rome on a beautiful blue sky day.

Chianti


Chianti
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Driving through the Chianti region having fun together.

Chris in San G


Chris in San G
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Here’s Chris next to the fountain in San Gimignano.

Perugia and Beyond 10.15.05

Eurochocolate was in full swing by the time we walked down into the main piazza and it was insane! The city was filled with booths selling chocolates from all over the world and everyone was busy buying it hand over fist! There was a genuine and continuous sea of people all down the Corso Vannucci and the streets surrounding it. The Carducci Gardens, which have been closed for restoration opened in time for the festival and were also the scene of stalls selling chocolates in every imaginable shape and flavor, the big new popular one being chocolate with hot pepper! We had to do our share of sampling as well and I believe I have eaten more chocolate in these past days than during any Easter week as I was growing up, munching all those ears off all those Easter bunnies! I would like to say it was fun, but the truth is that there were so many people here it was hard to get from one end of the city to the other and I guess I would have preferred to show my kids around during any other normal weekend in Perugia!

On Sunday, the big event was the chocolate sculpting. In at least 4 or 5 different locations down the Corso Vannucci, they had set up these huge blocks of chocolate and right in front of the crowds that gathered around them, sculptors began hacking away at them, with electric tools and with hammers and chisels, breaking off chunks of chocolate which their assistants gathered up, put in plastic bags and threw out to the crowd! When things started getting ugly (one guy reached out and grabbed several bags and I thought the people around him where going to beat him to a pulp if he kept taking them!) we decided it was too much for us and went about exploring the city again, trying to find a quieter area. The streets were definitely closed so there would be no taking a drive. Chris had to go home on Monday, so we spent a quiet night in the apartment. He was still not feeling very well with his cold in full swing and allergies acting up that we were all hoping he was going to be OK during his long flight home.

Early Monday morning we drove him to the airport (Cry, Hug, Cry) staying off the main highway so that we could enjoy the scenery, passing mile after mile of tree farms, rolling hillsides and vineyards and said our goodbyes. We took a different route back to Perugia than we had the week before. Trying to bypass the traffic of the ring road around Rome, we headed north towards Perugia along the coast and simply happened onto some of the most incredible things: having coffee and pastries in a little bar in Lido di Ostia, a beach town that has seen better days but having fun picking up pretty colored rocks along the sea; walking through the streets of Ostia Antica, the town, not the Roman ruin (which was unfortunately closed on Mondays) that Jessica swore was built by Steven Spielberg to represent the classic ancient Roman village with its mottled walls of rusts, golds and reds and flower pots everywhere; passing through Civitavecchia; climbing around on the remains of a Roman aqueduct that paralleled the road we traveled and coming upon more lovely little hilltowns in southern Umbria. We even stopped in a few, just to walk around a bit and see things up close.

On Tuesday we took her to Gubbio, where the weekly market was in full swing and Bob dropped us off at the Roman amphitheatre and went in search of a parking place. We wandered around the ruin, waiting for his return and then we took a quick peak at the market before heading up hill where we rode the Funivia to the top of Mount Ubaldo. I wasn't nearly as terrified as the first time I rode with Bob and Jessica & I had fun taking each other's pictures from the dizzying heights above the city. We showed her where the Ceri are kept and told her about the festival we attended in May and how they race to the top of the mountain carrying these giant candlesticks with the saints on top, and then rode back down again. We even found the photo shop where photos of the festival had been posted that day and looked through a stack of them until we found a few where you can actually see Bob, holding up his camera, almost a little dot in the sea of faces, but there he is, living proof that we were part of the excitement of that day! Of course we had them make copies for us that we will treasure forever.

Wednesday we drove to Lago Trasimeno and explored Passignano sul Trasimeno, hiking up the steps to the top of the town and looking out at the view and just walking by the side of the lake. We drove all around the area, stopping in one of the other towns that border it, a place we had not yet visited, Castiglione del Lago.

On Thursday we decided it should be a restful day and a day for seeing a bit more of Perugia and allowing her time to pack and get ready to go home. She bought a few more bars of chocolate as souvenirs and we got some to ate right away that day! I fixed a dinner of roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots and onions in basted in a chicken broth and wine sauce and we just hung out together. Our neighbors unfortunately chose this night to make a ruckus outside so I'm sorry to say her last night was a fairly sleepless and for that we felt bad. We have had this problem from time to time as I have mentioned before but I had hoped it would be quiet while our kids were here. Unfortunately it's not been something we have had a lot of control over and it changes from month to month as different students move in and out.

It was so wonderful to spend time with both of them. Chris brought a movie of Kyla, which we loved and will continue to watch over and over until the next installment comes which he promises to do often. They each brought us music CDs and a few movies on DVD that we can watch on Bob's laptop. Chris picked up a pair of jeans that Bob wanted and they both also brought books and a few other things we needed. Jessica says she will come back again when we are in Sicily but Chris doesn't think he can come until next year. It was so hard to say goodbye to both of them and we will miss them so much. We know that even if we lived in Phoenix we would not see them all the time and even though we talk to them every week (at least) it is still hard to be so far away. We look forward to the next time we will be together which won't be soon enough for me!

We've been spending this last week cleaning the house, doing laundry and preparing for our good friends Art and Chris to arrive on the 2nd of November. We said a tearful goodbye to them in February just before we left Phoenix and cannot wait to see them again. We are so delighted that they want to come see us and we have planned some fun things with them also. This is their first visit to Italy so we want to make sure they see the important things but don't overload them until it all becomes a blur. We'll let you know how it goes!

They will be leaving Italy on the 20th of November and after which we will be packing up and leaving this city we have enjoyed so much. It will be quite a change from the mountains and hill towns of Umbria to the Mediterranean Sea but we are ready for the change. We have no idea what to expect from Christmas in Sicily and are excited to see what that will be like. Don't expect any new posts until after Art and Chris return home. We will try to do a posting before we leave for Sicily and if time and circumstance allows, perhaps we can find an internet café along the road to document our travels south.

Until the next time,
rimaniamo, Rosemary e Robert in Italia

Chris Arrives in Perugia 10.9.05

On Sunday morning we got up early and took the train to Rome to pick up Chris. We were planning on spending a few days in Rome and didn't think there was enough room for all of our luggage, plus the cost of parking the car and driving in Rome was not altogether appealing either so that seemed the best way to go.
We arrived in Rome Termini station only to take another train out to the airport to meet him and then back to Termini where we had started and checked into our accommodations, a little apartment near the Spanish Steps we thought might work out better than a couple of hotel rooms. It turned out to be fine, if basic and the location was convenient. We checked in and then went about exploring the Roman Forum and the Coliseum.

Jessica had been to Rome on her honeymoon with Nick but this was Chris's first trip to Italy and we wanted to be sure he saw all the big sights. We got talked into taking a tour through the Coliseum, which we ended up ditching in favor of just wandering around by ourselves, enjoying that more. We had the absolute joy of seeing the Roman Forum as the sun was going down, bathing these ancient stones in golden light - a real treat for all of us. We had so much fun, all four of us with our cameras, trying to capture the light as it danced from one place to another. The weather was absolutely perfect, even a bit warm for those two who have now become accustomed to much colder weather than the Phoenix they left several years ago and sweaters remained tied around our waists or draped over our shoulders. We made sure he threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, walked up the Spanish Steps and dined at an outdoor restaurant in Piazza Navona. We shared a lovely bottle of wine and the four of us toasted our good fortune at being together in this timeless place.

Knowing we could not make reservations at the Vatican Museum, we planned to get there around 7am to get in line and we were glad we had done that. We were still not the first ones in line and by the time we exited the Sistine Chapel the line to get in went all around the building almost to St. Peter's! We were feeling quite smug that we were able to enjoy this amazing place without wasting half our day waiting in line, when we reached St. Peter's and were greeted with a similarly long line to get in there! We were so surprised at the size of the crowds in mid-October, but glad we had planned it the way we did. We decided to do the same thing the next morning and arrived at St. Peter's before any line had begun to form and virtually had the place to ourselves. We saw priests in the all the chapels saying mass, some with only one or two people in attendance which I imagine had to be the highlight for those religious enough to appreciate that honor. We climbed to the top of Michelangelo's dome to a fantastic view over Rome. I had to do my usual "count the steps" to keep from becoming too claustrophobic in the narrow winding staircase but it is always worth the anxiety I feel, to look out over the rooftops.

We made sure he saw the Pantheon, that amazing marvel of Roman ingenuity and the fascinating Castel Sant'Angelo, built as a tomb for Hadrian and used through the Middle Ages as a castle, prison, and refuge for popes under attack. Bob and I had never visited this site, but thanks to Jessica and her research, she suggested we stop there and we were all glad we did.

We took the train home on Tuesday afternoon, napping during the ride and had time for a quick spin around Perugia and a pizza at a restaurant called Pizzeria Pompeii. This made us laugh because Chris had wanted to see Pompeii but unfortunately the driving distances made it not really feasible with his short week with us. We promised to take him their next year when we plan to be living closer to Naples, if he promises to come for a visit!

Wednesday we had earmarked as a Perugia day and we showed them the city and all the special places we enjoy here. We believe they were able to appreciate why we like this city and agreed that it was a good place for us to have begun our Italian adventure. I cooked dinner in the apartment and made some of their favorite dishes - a little pasta with my mother's tomato sauce and some chicken cutlets. Chris had started to come down with a cold and allergy symptoms and was pretty exhausted by the end of this day.

Armed with cold/allergy meds and many little packets of tissues we headed out on Thursday for Tuscany. Our plans were probably too extensive, but we spent the morning in Siena. Sadly the façade of the Duomo is completely under scaffolding but the main piazza is still lovely and we showed them where the palio is played and just walked around the city a bit, just a taste of it really, before making our way to San Gimignano. My friend Ted Nuttall (www.tednuttall.com) was staying there for a few days after having given a watercolor workshop nearby and so I split off from the family for a quick lunch with him while they went off exploring. It was wonderful to see him and catch up on the happenings in Phoenix and what he has been up to, which is creating incredible watercolor portraits. If I could paint like Ted I would be one happy person! His watercolors are so luminous and his handling of the medium is truly genius. He promised to keep in touch and we talked of getting together in the future when he comes back to Italy for future workshops.

Chris, Jessica and Bob had great fun just walking around and seeing San Gimignano, I believe it was the highlight of the day and I was sorry we hadn't planned for more time there. Its perfectly preserved medieval towers and streets are breathtaking to see as you arrive and feel that you have been transported back in time. The weekly market was in full swing with the entire main piazza covered in market stalls. By the time we left, it ended and the piazza returned once again to its quiet beauty. Of course we had to try the gelato, which was advertised to be the best in Italy (a claim I had to question, but it was very, very good) and were escorted by Ted to our car where I showed him my sketchbook and we said farewell for now.

The clock was ticking though and I had planned to get them to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower by 5pm. I have been told by several of my friends who have been there, when I complained at how much I did not enjoy Pisa, that I had not gone far enough into the city. I have to say once again, that I do not enjoy Pisa. I thought it was important for my kids to see it though and so we added the visit to our itinerary. The Leaning Tower and all the truly magnificent buildings on the grassy area are indeed wonderful. But for me, the surrounding area is so offensive, it is hard to ignore. My kids felt the same way and we did not spend enough time there to make the detour worth it. There are ticky-tacky souvenir stalls all along the streets directly across from the Tower etc. The entire area of beauty is completely separated from the rest of the city and you must walk the gauntlet between these tacky stalls and the city, which felt seedy and dirty. We are really disappointed that this symbol, this icon that represents Italy, is not treated like a treasure and that tighter controls are not in place to present it in a more respectful environment.

Onward to Lucca we traveled, to spend the night in this beautiful city not far from Pisa. We stayed in a small but comfortable hotel in centro. Lucca was a favorite of ours on past visits to Italy and it was nice to see it again, even for such a brief time. It bears more exploration than we were able to give but this day was all about giving Chris and Jessica a taste of the area, a sampling if you will of all the treasures that are in this part of the world and perhaps a reason for them to return for a closer look at the parts they found more intriguing.

We woke on Thursday, had a quick breakfast and drove on to Firenze where we had planned to spend the day. Florence (Firenze) deserves much more than a day, but again, you do what you can, and with limited time available we thought it would just be an overview and attempted to hit the highlights: The Ponte Vecchio, the beautiful bridge over the Arno with its shops and its views; the Duomo with Brunelleschi's great dome dominating the skyline; a look at Orsanmichele, originally designed as a grain market in the 1200s and unfortunately still under restoration. We had hoped to show him at least The David in the Galleria dell'Accademia and had not anticipated that huge crowds would still be visiting Firenze. The line to get in wrapped around the block and I volunteered to wait while they went about exploring the city. After about an hour of waiting, and expecting at least 1-1/2 hours more, we gave up the idea and decided to get back in the car and drive through Tuscany, stopping in wineries and tasting local wines, and simply enjoyed the lovely rolling hills and the fantastic views along the way.

This proved to be the next favorite part of their trip and we ended up spending the night in Rada in Chianti and had the pleasure of walking around this charming little town at night, with the city almost to ourselves. The little Chiesa di Sant'Niccolo was open very late that night as we walked around and went in to find the tiny interior lit only by candlelight and it was both eerie and delightful! After a bit of searching around we found a restaurant where we could sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, laughing together and talking for a long time, until the night grew colder and we were all exhausted. I provided a good laugh for everyone, having ordered the bistecca, which seemed like half a cow and proceeded to chomp on the very tasty (but bloody) bone! I felt like a cannibal but honestly, it tasted so good I could not resist!!

It turned out to be a great idea, to add this extra night because it allowed for a leisurely drive through the Chianti countryside in daylight and a more casual and relaxed experience. Our only time limitation was in needing to return to Perugia around 3pm before the insanity of the Chocolate Festival got underway, not being certain which roads might be closed in centro and not wanting to be stuck parking in the periferia (outside centro)! Luckily, since we have a pass that allows us to park in centro, and they had not yet closed the important streets we needed to access we were able to park where we always do, in the garden below our apartment.

(to be continued: Perugia and beyond)

Jess at Cascata


Jess at Cascata
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Enjoying the waterfall at the Cascata delle Marmore in Umbria.

Jessica at Orto Medievale

Our beautiful daughter in Perugia!

Jessica at Spoletto Teatro

We are standing at the foot of the steps (seating area) of the Roman theatre in Spoleto.

Necropoli


Necropoli
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
This is the fascinating Estruscan Necropoli outside Rome we visited on the way back from the airport with Jessica.

Top of the Rocca in Assisi

It was a climb up and around and across to get to this high place but definitely worth it for the amazing views.

Jessica arrives in Perugia 10.5.05

Today is Monday. Jessica went home on Friday; Chris the Monday before that and already it seems like a long time since we were together! But we did have a great time! We drove down on Wednesday, June 5 to Rome to pick up Jessica and drove back to Perugia along some of the most scenic parts of Lazio, stopping to explore what turned out to be one of the largest Necropoli in Italy, near Cerveteri, burial grounds of the Etruscans and all these amazing tombs - they dug down into the earth and mounded the dirt they removed on top to create an area that could have been inhabited by Hobbits. It was eerily silent with only Bob, Jessica and myself and another small group of French tourists wandering the grounds. Jessica wanted to "touch old stuff" and her first stop in Italy proved to be full of it!

Heading towards Perugia we drove through the beautiful rolling countryside of Lazio, north of Rome, charming little towns where the nonnas in their kerchiefs sweeping the street or sitting on benches looked like they stepped out of the last century; the castle perched above Lago Bracciano; passing all the little hill towns and vineyards that make up southern Umbria. Beautiful, ancient places, and sprinkled throughout the day, a bit of rain to wash the hillsides and make the colors all the more vivid against the grey sky. Her flight had come in around 11am, and what would normally be a2 to 3 hours trip from Rome to Perugia took us until sunset, arriving as the lights in the city were coming on, and we viewed Perugia at night with her, walking along the Corso Vannucci, down to the "view" where Assisi sparkled in the distance. Exhausted, we slept well that first night, looking forward to spending the next 15 days together.

The first thing we did in the morning was take her down to Our View and she agreed that the photographs do not do it justice and that it is impossible to imagine what this garden and this place really look like without seeing it first-hand. The grapevines are turning red and brown now and are not as lush as they were earlier in the summer. Fallen leaves scatter the grounds. The flowers are starting to fade but the beauty is still evident - the dahlias are still putting out fresh blossoms and the roses, still blooming. But it won't be long we are sure before the flowers will all be just a memory that was this amazing summer.

In the few days before Chris arrived, Jessica had done her homework and had an idea of what she wanted to see. Partly from the stories and photos she had read about on our blog and partly from the research she had done on places that struck her fancy. We spent Thursday morning in Perugia giving her a brief tour of our favorite places and then headed to Orvieto in the afternoon. Even the rain did not spoil the beauty of this city with its dazzling Duomo and pretty piazza. We spent all day Friday in Assisi seeing more of the city than we ever had before, with Jessica and her guide book earmarked with interesting places like the Santuario di San Damiano, built on the spot where St. Francis is said to have heard the voice of Jesus and where he wrote his famous Canticle of the Creatures. She seemed to enjoy every bit of it and we were delighted to be able to experience with her this beautiful city.

Saturday took us to the Cascata delle Marmore, the waterfall originally built by the Ancient Romans that Rita and Sergio showed us on our trip with them through Umbria earlier this spring. She had read about it, and friends who had been here strongly advised her to see it. We had so much fun walking all the paths around it and seeing it from every vantage point. The scenery in this part of Umbria is quite breathtaking with river gorges and lush, tree-covered mountains beginning to turn shades of gold and red. The afternoon found us in Spoleto, a bit disappointing with so many of its palazzi covered in scaffolding, it was hard to really appreciate this important Umbrian town and we did not stay too long. She did enjoy visiting the Museo Archeologico and the Teatro Romano, which the current Spoleto Festival uses to stage music performances in the summer months. More old stuff to touch.

(to be continued: see Chris arrives)

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Getting ready for guests 10.01.05

We wanted to let you all know that our kids are arriving this week - first Jessica on Wednesday and then Chris on Sunday. We are very excited about their coming because we haven't seen them since we left the states in April. We plan to spend some time in Rome and Florence, show them the leaning tower of Pisa and of course what we consider our beautiful city of Perugia. Chris only has a week but Jessica will be here a little more than two weeks so she will get to see a few more places. Now that we have our car it will be fun to just drive around and tour the area visiting some of the other cities we have enjoyed. We will try not to over-plan and have to keep reminding ourselves that they can't see every single place we have seen, even though we might want them to! These past few weeks we spent a lot of time putting together itineraries and making reservations. We absolutely cannot wait to see them!

We don't expect to do much, if any, blogging during these next few weeks, so you'll have to check back with us toward the end of the month when we will try to fill you in on our visit with them and show you some new photos.

In November our dear friends Art and Chris are coming for a few weeks and we are hoping that it won't be too cold for these two desert dwellers. Our plan is to not plan too much and try to find some fun festivals, show them some of our favorite places and just hang out and enjoy the time together. We can't wait to see them either!

So, I will say ciao for now and ask that you check back in a few weeks to see what we have posted and look forward to hearing from you!

Buon‘Ottobre!
Rosemary & Roberto

Fontana Maggiore


Fontana Maggiore
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
La Notte Bianca was a night of non-stop cultural events - from 5pm on Saturday to 5am Sunday morning. We lasted until around 3am! It was an amazing night.

Good catch


Good catch
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
More flag throwing demonstrations.

Pigment pots


Pigment pots
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Part of the medieval market were these pots of dry pigment for coloring fabrics.

Queen of the Notte


Queen of the Notte
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Part of the medieval festival, people dressed in these gorgeous costumes, parading all around centro.

Rosemary Dancing


Rosemary Dancing
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Poor man, it was more like “Rosemary stepping on this man’s feet as he danced and she tried to follow!” It was so much fun though and reminded me of when I was a kid dancing with my uncles at weddings.

La Notte Bianca, Perugia 9.24.05

For the longest time now we have seen posters around town for this event but weren't really sure what to expect. We knew we wanted to try to find out, but as with all the posters advertising various festivals and sagras. (Festivals held in small towns to celebrate some particular specialty of that town, for instance we have seen posters for a Celery Festival or a Strawberry Festival and we went to one that celebrated "Stinko" - the shin of the pig that is roasted and was incredibly delicious!) we often see these when we are walking around and then forget about them. Many are in places we have not heard of that are not even on our maps and until recently, were out of our reach because we did not have a car and as I have said before, happen in the evening after the buses stop running. And in Perugia there is always something going on so we figured we would happen on to whatever it was if we didn't get some info sooner.

I started to tell you about hearing the sound of drumming in my last post. We went down into the town to find a sort of a parade of guys dressed in medieval costume, from the town of Gualdo Tadino, doing flag demonstrations as they parading around centro preceded by a drum corps, the sound reverberating off these ancient buildings and everyone was lining the streets and following along. The colors were black and white and red and the fluttering of these flags was like the wings of giant butterflies cutting through the air and with the drums pounding made quite a spectacle in these medieval streets.

Art and Barbara had heard about this festival and called to ask what was going on. We filled them in and they decided to come up and see what was happening. We met them in the piazza, listened to some music with them, joined up with Nedra and had pizza at Il Segretto, one of our favorite places. I'm sure they did not get the best impression of Salvatore whose restaurant was packed with people, trying to take orders and serve everyone and who was all business and kind of gruff in taking our order. Normally he has time to kibitz with us about something or other and in fact the last time he and Bob discussed cameras and he was telling us about a way to add more memory (ask Bob about this).

The streets were getting crowded by this time - and there was a line of people waiting to get in (we were glad we went early and had no trouble getting a table). Sal's place is very popular and along with many other people, we really enjoy his authentic Napolitano-style pizza. We wandered around and found the medieval marketplace down Via de Priori, complete with flags flying and medieval crafts, like instrument making and headwear, with beautiful pots of colors and delicate looking fabrics among some of the "mestieri" - the trades - represented. I just learned the meaning of this word I was trying to translate as "mysteries," incorrectly. One example of how words can be what are called "false friends" where you mistakenly think you know what it means because it sounds like an English word but the meaning is completely different.

By this time Barbara and Art were getting tired and since we were near where their car was parked they decided to call it a night. Nedra and Pamela wanted to wander on their own and explore the shops that we going to be open all night and we wanted to listen to music and see what else was going on so we parted company. We headed in the direction of Piazza Morlachi where there was supposed to be a concert. It turned out the times had changed and what was to start at 9 was postponed until 11, which we felt was too late for us and so we decided to go back around to the Corso Vannucci and see what the medieval market in Piazza Danti was doing and ran into a full blown medieval procession. (Although Rita told us when we ran into her on the Corso that the world procession in Italian only refers to ones that are religious and so this would be considered more like a parade I guess.) With the drums pounded and the flags waving and ladies and men decked out in their full medieval costumes, it was a site to see and we followed along and snapped photos, even though it really was too dark to be doing this.

The rest of the night was one music or cultural event after the other and simultaneously throughout the city there were concerts, poetry readings, performances and lectures. Corso Vannucci was a sea of people from one end to the other, as were most of the streets leaving off of it. We heard an old fashioned Italian band and watched the older couples dancing. It reminded me of my childhood when there was a wedding and I loved watching my aunts and uncles who were wonderful dancers, glide across the dance floor in their formal poses, completely in unison, smiling broadly. The best part was that they would always take the kids out on the dance floor too and let us put our stocking feet on their shoes and waltz us around. I loved this so much. While we were standing there watching, we noticed an older couple standing next to us. The husband was trying to get his wife to come out and dance with him but she wouldn't do it. He was giving her these "looks that could kill" and Bob noticed that I was standing there like the proverbial wallflower and told this man if he asked me, that I probably would say yes. His eyes lit up. He looked at me and I turned to his wife to ask "permesso?" and she smiled and said Sì, so out on the floor we went. Poor man, I'm sure he didn't expect that I could not follow his graceful moves and in fact stepped all over his feet! But I think he was happy just to have been able to get out on the dance floor - just an area in the piazza in front of where the band was playing - that he didn't care. I tried to explain, with tears falling down, that this reminded me so much of when I was a child and they understood how much it had meant to me. I believe it was as joyful a moment for them as it was for me and I am grateful that my husband understood that and made it possible.

We listened to a lovely classical ensemble playing flute and harp in one location and a swing band in another. There was an odd demonstration of interpretive music that sounded more like noise and drove people out of one area and into another but always there was something else to discover. Museums and shops were open all night, along with restaurants and bars. By the time we headed home at 3 in the morning (can you believe that!) the streets were a mess with discarded cups and papers and quite a mess! But knowing what we know, early in the morning the crews will show up and by the time folks head out to pick up their bread or newspaper or to have a cappuccino and a cornetto at their favorite coffee bar, you will never know anything took place the night before. Amazing.

In just a little more than a week Jessica will be here with us, closely followed by Chris's arrival. We have been working hard to make plans for this visit and to show them a few things around Perugia. The chocolate festival should be taking place during this time so that should be fun. Time is flying by us much too quickly, I can't believe how fast it has gone. And yet, at the same time, it seems a very long time since I have seen friends and family and I miss all of you.

Take care,
Rosemary & Bob

Torre S. Angelo


Torre S. Angelo
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
This is the Torre we climb to the top for the view of the Tempio.

Tempio


Tempio
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
The Tempio di San Michele Arcangelo to be exact. One of our favorite places here in Perugia. This is the view from the top of the Torre.

San Pietro


San Pietro
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
View through the arches of the tower.

Basilica di San Pietro


Basicila di San Pietro
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
This is the Basilica di San Pietro, one of our stops on the tour around Perugia with Nedra.

Handsome flag thrower


Handsome flag thrower
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.

Flags Flying


Flags Flying
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
This was the start of festivities for La Notte Bianca -- Bandieri (flag throwers) from Gualdo Tadino.

Grapes & Vine


Grapes & Vine
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Just another of Bob’s beautiful shots of grapes growing on the vines. I couldn’t resist adding it.

Sei grappoli d'uva


Sei grappoli d'uva
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Translation: Six bunches of grapes.

Saturday with Nedra & A Gift for Sergio, Perugia 9.24.05

Saturday we had planned to take Nedra, one of the Americans we have met who is studying here in Perugia for the month of September, on a little tour of Perugia, to show her some of our favorite places since she is only here a short time and hadn't had the chance to see some of these things. We met in the morning and her friend Pamela, also American, joined us. We even ran into the young Canadian woman, Josie, we met months ago who is studying here in Perugia and a friend of hers, Dona, from South Africa with Italian roots as well. We introduced each other all around and, since we were headed in the same direction, walked along together. The Tempio San Michele Arcangelo was our destination and those of us who had been there before enjoyed it once again, and those new to it were in awe of its simple beauty. There was even a wedding about to take place so there were flowers decorating the altar and a chorus practicing - a free concert for us and quite a treat hearing these beautiful voices in this incredible space. The bride was of course lovely and such a wonderful little bonus to be able to watch this intimate event take place. We try to stay in the background at these times and not be too intrusive, since after all, it really is a private moment and not a tourist event. But quite a delight to witness.

We were disappointed that the Basilica San Pietro was closed on Saturdays but at least showed them around this area of town which they hadn't known existed and hopefully they will have time to go back and see it and the medieval garden that adjoins it. We stopped at a tiny place that makes what is called a "piada" - a type of bread that is sort of like a tortilla, but not really - fresh, from scratch, right on the griddle in front of you and filled with any combination of meats, vegetables and cheeses you desire and is served in a folded cardboard container so that all the drippings can be caught there and not spill all over you! It's wonderful and Nedra liked it so much she managed to ask the proprietor how to make one and he actually wrote down the recipe! We were astounded that he would do it but it was so much fun and Nedra was thrilled.

We parted company with them as Nedra went off to the beauty parlor and we went home to rest up for the evening ahead and "La Notte Bianca," billed as non-stop cultural events all through the night here in Perugia and we anticipated staying up late. We decided to see if Sergio was home and give him his gift bottle of wine and so rang the doorbell of his palazzo only to reach his elderly father. This was the first time we had met this 90-year-old gentleman, a retired professor of Greek and Latin, renowned among scholars as having written two editions of a definitive Greek dictionary and is quite respected in this area. Never having laid eyes on us he called his son, Sergio's brother, who then retrieved Sergio for us! By this time Bob was giving me dirty looks that said, "I told you we should have called first and not just dropped by!" but of course it was too late and all we could do was wait for Sergio who graciously invited us in.

Rita offered us coffee and we couldn't refuse (more dirty looks from my husband who hates intruding and bothering people unannounced) so we sat for a bit and chatted with them, gave Sergio his gift of a bottle of Sagrantino wine from the Antonelli winery. Rita gave us some books to borrow on Assisi and Umbria since the kids are coming and she is incredibly helpful. I'm sure it was a big blunder for us to just show up like that so I hope they don't think too poorly of us. You would never know it if they did, they are nothing but gracious and welcoming whenever we see them. Sergio had picked up the papers we need to get our permit to be able to drive through the city any time we want - without this, you cannot do that before 1pm in the afternoon and after 10pm in the evening. More freedom for us and more gratitude for Sergio who helped us fill in the form and told us what we had to make copies of - international drivers license and paperwork that says we own the car etc. He told us if we prepare all of that he will handle getting the permit since it will be much easier for him to do it than us. Yesterday Bob made all the copies and on Monday morning he will get the tax stamp and turn it all over to Sergio. He's hoping to go with him so he can see how the process works for future reference.

By the time we did all that the day was getting late and we began to hear the sound of drumming and of course had to run down to the piazza to see what was going on. Festivities for "La Notte Bianca" were supposed to begin around 5 and I was sure we were going to miss something if we didn't hurry down!

Rosemary & Bob

(to be continued. See "La Notte Bianca 9.24.05)

Un Grappolo d’Uva


Un Grappolo d'Uva
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.
Gorgeous grapes at the Antonelli vineyards in Montefalco.

Grapes going into separator

It was so much fun to watch these two guys in perfect rhythm, tossing these crates of grapes. They were having fun too letting Bob take their photo.

Vineyard sunset


Vinyard sunset
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.

Rosemary painting in the vineyard


Artist at work
Originally uploaded by livecheapmakeart.

Montefalco and the Antonelli winery 9.23.05

The other day we decided to return to some of the places we had been on our first road trip, to try to find where they might be harvesting the grapes, to take some photos and to do some painting. Since we had seen many vineyards around Montefalco, that's where we headed and we were not disappointed. We were so excited to see people out in the fields, picking the grapes and Bob took a bunch of photos while I sketched as the sun was going down. We also were able to watch these two guys who were standing on the back of a truck tossing crates filled with these gorgeous purple grapes into the machine that had a giant screw-like part at the bottom that churned the grapes and pushed them through an opening and down, where it looked like they were being separated from the stems and greenery. It was quite interesting to watch and these guys were having a good time, letting us photograph all around them as they worked.

It was a beautiful afternoon weather-wise and we had a lot of fun watching. We went into the Cantina afterwards for a wine tasting and purchased a couple of bottles. We wanted to buy a nice one for Sergio, our landlord, to thank him for all his help in buying the car and took the advice of the woman who worked there since honestly, we are not very knowledgeable about this sort of thing. Our usual criteria for buying wine is that the price be under $5 and the alcohol content around 12 or 13%. We like to try wines that are made locally and so far we have enjoyed almost everything and try not to go below $3 a bottle unless there is a sale on something we know we like. Not a particularly sophisticated technique but it works for us!

The area right around Perugia is filled with the olive groves and vineyards we see from our views but it is really fun to drive out into the surrounding countryside. The sunflowers are spent now and all the heads and leaves are brown with just a hint of the gold, now ochre, if there is any yellow left at all. The vineyards are heavy with grapes and should all be harvested within the next several weeks, along with the olive production and we are trying to find places to go to see this process in action. So anyone out there with suggestions of where we could take our kids who will be here in October and our friends who will be here in November, we would appreciate any and all suggestions!

Also, we are on the lookout for festivals - medieval or otherwise so, if you have dates and places you know of and would not mind sharing this with us, we would also appreciate that. I'll be writing about the one in Perugia on Saturday - "La Notte Bianca" that was amazing and posting some photos so check that out if you have time. The days are getting shorter now and the rain seems to have stopped for a while. The clouds have made for some incredible sunsets though. We are hoping for clear skies when Chris and Jessica arrive and are keeping our fingers crossed that we can show them around sans umbrellas. The nights are colder now and I am wearing more sweaters. During the day, if the sun is shining, it's still really terrific weather and we hope it continues and doesn't suddenly turn cold overnight!

Buona sera,
Rosemary & Robert