Sunday, September 17, 2006
Saturday, September 16, 2006
The Human Chess Game in Maròstica
The Event began dramatically when they lit a fire that spread around the Chess Board
Flag Throwers entertained the crowd
A "Jester" all in Black with White face was a interesting character
More Flag throwing entertainment
The Castle looked as if it were on fire at this point before the game began
Flag Throwers entertained the crowd
A "Jester" all in Black with White face was a interesting character
More Flag throwing entertainment
The Castle looked as if it were on fire at this point before the game began
The Chess Game (Partita a Scacchi)
The Nobility enter the piazza for the event
The Rivals for the Princess's hand play Chess to decide who marries her
Black Queen takes White Knight
The White Queen
Human Chess Pieces enter to take their places on the board
The Rivals for the Princess's hand play Chess to decide who marries her
Black Queen takes White Knight
The White Queen
Human Chess Pieces enter to take their places on the board
Fireworks in Maròstica
Waterfall of Fireworks from the Castle
Fireworks from the Tower of the Castle
Fireworks and the Flag
Fireworks from the Tower of the Castle
Fireworks and the Flag
Maròstica, the day of the chess game
Palazzo Puppy
The Smog visible from the Castello Superiore, Maròstica
Preparations for the Chess Game (Partita a Scacchi)
The Ramparts of the Castle
The Smog visible from the Castello Superiore, Maròstica
Preparations for the Chess Game (Partita a Scacchi)
The Ramparts of the Castle
Maròstica and the Human Chess Game 9.8.06
Bob and I had read about the little medieval fortified city of Maròstica, in the Veneto, not far from Verona where, every other September, in even numbered years, they hold a human chess tournament. Knowing only that they re-enact a game that was played here in the 1400s, we made it our business to find how where and when it would actually take place. They have a pretty good website and we could have ordered tickets online, but instead we decided to get up early last Friday morning and drive there, knowing we would get the most accurate information that way. (definitely one of the benefits of living here!)
The sight of Maròstica that greeted us as we approached this city of 12,500 people was delightful! We could see the Castello Superiore on the top of the hill with the ramparts, the city walls, spilling down on either side with towers evenly spaced, completely surrounding the historic center and joining to the Castello Inferiore, the lower castle with flags flying everywhere. Like many people who come to Italy, we love the medieval castles! In the main piazza, adjacent to the lower castle, stands were set up on three sides, facing the giant chessboard of light and dark squares of marble set right into the pavement, a permanent fixture of the square.
We found the information office and discovered to our further delight that good seats were still available and got the best ones we could get for the Friday night performance. The young man who helped us told us that Saturday's tickets would be more expensive and Sunday afternoon, while costing the least, would not include the fireworks that he said were spectacular. He even looked through the stack of cancellations he had, to find the very best.
We explored the city a bit, walking around within the city walls and then driving up the road to the Castello Superiore to check out the view. The air quality lately in Verona has been very bad. When we first arrived I mentioned how hazy the air was and since then, it has been pretty clear. But these past couple of weeks, the air pollution has been very bad. We've had problems with burning eyes, allergy symptoms, Bob's asthma has been acting up and it has not made it easy to get great photos, as the visibility is so poor. This was really brought home to us when we stood at the top of the city and looked down. Yikes, the air was bad. Here was this lovely view and all gunked up with air pollution. Sad. And, not to mention, unhealthy. There have been a lot of stories in the newspaper about it and we hope they are trying to do something to improve it.
Bassano del Grappa
At any rate, we decided to go make a short visit to the nearby city of Bassano del Grappa and found it to be about three times the size of Maròstica and very cool too. It is the home of the Italian liquor of the same name (Grappa). It's a prosperous looking town and the main attraction in centro is the Ponte degli Alpini, the covered alpine-style bridge that spans the Brenta River and affords charming views of the city on either side.
Home for a Nap
Not wanting to embarrass ourselves and fall asleep in the middle of the chess game, we had planned to go home and take a nap, have some dinner and return to Maròstica in the evening. And, to be honest, we were not sure how exciting watching a chess match would actually be, but, hey, everything seems more fascinating when the participants are wearing those gorgeous medieval costumes and the setting is a 15th century castle! The event was scheduled to begin at 9:30, typical for anything in Italy and would most likely end around midnight.
Rain Threatens
The sky in the meantime had begun to look like rain might be imminent and we gathered our umbrellas, berating ourselves for not asking what happens in the event of rain. By the time we arrived in the city, storm clouds were definitely forming. The gates had not yet opened and we found a spot under a portico to wait. Within the next few minutes, the lightning began, followed by the thunder and a torrential downpour ensued! Everyone rushed for cover. (This is when we had our conversation with the sweet young couple who couldn't wait to get home to Alabama so they could have a good pizza and some sweet tea.)
We were certain the event would be cancelled. Miraculously though, after about an hour the rain began to subside and the storm clouds blew away. The organizers scurried around drying off the seats - all 4,000 of them - and proceeded to let us into the stands surrounding the chessboard.
The Performances and the Tournament
For the next two and a half hours we were completely spellbound and thoroughly entertained by the spectacle. Our seats were perfect, directly facing the castle. The event re-enacts the story of how these two young noblemen, both vying for the hand of the beautiful princess had vowed to fight to the death to win her. Her father, being a wise king, instead insisted that they play a game of chess and the winner would get to marry the princess. Not a bad deal even for the loser, who would be granted the hand of the younger sister and everyone would live happily ever after. You know I eat this stuff up being such a hopeless romantic!
So, not only do they recreate the game, they recreate a village scene, with the little market, the jugglers, the jesters, the sense of being in a medieval place. Over 650 locals take part in this production.
It began dramatically. The sky was already dark and the stage empty. We watched as two men in costume, silently poured something all around the edges of the chess board and all eyes were on the stage as they lit it and the flame caught and flared, traveling all around the board till a burning, glowing outline of the square appeared before us, blazed for a while and went out. Wow!
Then, there were parades, flag throwing demonstrations, dancing, knights on horseback, the king and queen and all their entourage entered and took their seats directly below where we sat, which meant that everyone who entered the stage area would have to pass directly in front of them, and in front of us! Visiting nobility from the nearby cities entered and were presented to the King and Queen and took their seats on the other side of the chess board, facing us.
Let the Game Begin
And then the highlight of the evening, the start of game and out from the lower castle came all the human "chess pieces," complete with the Kings and Queens, the pawns, bishops, knights on real horses and a small tower as the castle, larger than the person carrying it around. They majestically entered and took their places and the game began. The two would-be suitors took their places at a table and "played" the game, while an announcer told the chess pieces where to move, based on that very first game, so it was all choreographed to move fairly quickly, without long periods of waiting for the players to decide what their next move would be. All the drama of the check-mate was felt though, as the white queen put herself in a position to capture the black king, he moved himself to avoid capture, the black bishop took the white queen and the white castle moved in for the kill! Checkmate! Game Over. We know just enough about the moves each piece is allowed to make and the way the game is played, but we are not players, so forgive us if we have not used any of the correct terms for the game! It was just fun.
At the end, all the nobility paraded out, there was more dancing and flag throwing and the night ended with a wonderful fireworks display from the tower of the castle and then, in a dazzling shimmer of white, sparklers streamed down like a waterfall on the face of it. Wow again!
We decided to stop and have a glass of wine and wait for the crowds to disperse a bit before heading for the car. It was fun to watch the passersby, which included some of the participants, still in their costumes, some talking on their cell phones, while somewhere in the distance, at one of the bars nearby, the sound of the Beach Boys, "Ba-ba-ba, ba-bar-bar-ann" could be heard playing softly. Kind of surreal, also as we watched a young woman on a donkey, accompanied by two young men in costume as they turned a corner in front of the bar.
It was nearly 2am when we arrived home. It was a night we'll never forget. Here's the website, if you are interested. www.marosticascacchi.it. They do this on the second weekend in September on even numbered years. We think it's really worth seeing and just a lot of fun. What a great way to settle a dispute, don't you think? We wish our own leaders were so wise.
It's a beautiful day today. The sun is shining; there are wispy clouds in a blue, sky. It's cool and delightful. Summer, I believe, is over. The days are still warm, but the mornings and evenings delightfully cool and comfortable. Last night Laura and Giorgio invited us to their house for dinner and afterwards we went together to a local sagra, a festival. I'll tell you about that and about the other places we've been to this week in another post. So stick around.
Ciao!
Rosemary e Robert
The sight of Maròstica that greeted us as we approached this city of 12,500 people was delightful! We could see the Castello Superiore on the top of the hill with the ramparts, the city walls, spilling down on either side with towers evenly spaced, completely surrounding the historic center and joining to the Castello Inferiore, the lower castle with flags flying everywhere. Like many people who come to Italy, we love the medieval castles! In the main piazza, adjacent to the lower castle, stands were set up on three sides, facing the giant chessboard of light and dark squares of marble set right into the pavement, a permanent fixture of the square.
We found the information office and discovered to our further delight that good seats were still available and got the best ones we could get for the Friday night performance. The young man who helped us told us that Saturday's tickets would be more expensive and Sunday afternoon, while costing the least, would not include the fireworks that he said were spectacular. He even looked through the stack of cancellations he had, to find the very best.
We explored the city a bit, walking around within the city walls and then driving up the road to the Castello Superiore to check out the view. The air quality lately in Verona has been very bad. When we first arrived I mentioned how hazy the air was and since then, it has been pretty clear. But these past couple of weeks, the air pollution has been very bad. We've had problems with burning eyes, allergy symptoms, Bob's asthma has been acting up and it has not made it easy to get great photos, as the visibility is so poor. This was really brought home to us when we stood at the top of the city and looked down. Yikes, the air was bad. Here was this lovely view and all gunked up with air pollution. Sad. And, not to mention, unhealthy. There have been a lot of stories in the newspaper about it and we hope they are trying to do something to improve it.
Bassano del Grappa
At any rate, we decided to go make a short visit to the nearby city of Bassano del Grappa and found it to be about three times the size of Maròstica and very cool too. It is the home of the Italian liquor of the same name (Grappa). It's a prosperous looking town and the main attraction in centro is the Ponte degli Alpini, the covered alpine-style bridge that spans the Brenta River and affords charming views of the city on either side.
Home for a Nap
Not wanting to embarrass ourselves and fall asleep in the middle of the chess game, we had planned to go home and take a nap, have some dinner and return to Maròstica in the evening. And, to be honest, we were not sure how exciting watching a chess match would actually be, but, hey, everything seems more fascinating when the participants are wearing those gorgeous medieval costumes and the setting is a 15th century castle! The event was scheduled to begin at 9:30, typical for anything in Italy and would most likely end around midnight.
Rain Threatens
The sky in the meantime had begun to look like rain might be imminent and we gathered our umbrellas, berating ourselves for not asking what happens in the event of rain. By the time we arrived in the city, storm clouds were definitely forming. The gates had not yet opened and we found a spot under a portico to wait. Within the next few minutes, the lightning began, followed by the thunder and a torrential downpour ensued! Everyone rushed for cover. (This is when we had our conversation with the sweet young couple who couldn't wait to get home to Alabama so they could have a good pizza and some sweet tea.)
We were certain the event would be cancelled. Miraculously though, after about an hour the rain began to subside and the storm clouds blew away. The organizers scurried around drying off the seats - all 4,000 of them - and proceeded to let us into the stands surrounding the chessboard.
The Performances and the Tournament
For the next two and a half hours we were completely spellbound and thoroughly entertained by the spectacle. Our seats were perfect, directly facing the castle. The event re-enacts the story of how these two young noblemen, both vying for the hand of the beautiful princess had vowed to fight to the death to win her. Her father, being a wise king, instead insisted that they play a game of chess and the winner would get to marry the princess. Not a bad deal even for the loser, who would be granted the hand of the younger sister and everyone would live happily ever after. You know I eat this stuff up being such a hopeless romantic!
So, not only do they recreate the game, they recreate a village scene, with the little market, the jugglers, the jesters, the sense of being in a medieval place. Over 650 locals take part in this production.
It began dramatically. The sky was already dark and the stage empty. We watched as two men in costume, silently poured something all around the edges of the chess board and all eyes were on the stage as they lit it and the flame caught and flared, traveling all around the board till a burning, glowing outline of the square appeared before us, blazed for a while and went out. Wow!
Then, there were parades, flag throwing demonstrations, dancing, knights on horseback, the king and queen and all their entourage entered and took their seats directly below where we sat, which meant that everyone who entered the stage area would have to pass directly in front of them, and in front of us! Visiting nobility from the nearby cities entered and were presented to the King and Queen and took their seats on the other side of the chess board, facing us.
Let the Game Begin
And then the highlight of the evening, the start of game and out from the lower castle came all the human "chess pieces," complete with the Kings and Queens, the pawns, bishops, knights on real horses and a small tower as the castle, larger than the person carrying it around. They majestically entered and took their places and the game began. The two would-be suitors took their places at a table and "played" the game, while an announcer told the chess pieces where to move, based on that very first game, so it was all choreographed to move fairly quickly, without long periods of waiting for the players to decide what their next move would be. All the drama of the check-mate was felt though, as the white queen put herself in a position to capture the black king, he moved himself to avoid capture, the black bishop took the white queen and the white castle moved in for the kill! Checkmate! Game Over. We know just enough about the moves each piece is allowed to make and the way the game is played, but we are not players, so forgive us if we have not used any of the correct terms for the game! It was just fun.
At the end, all the nobility paraded out, there was more dancing and flag throwing and the night ended with a wonderful fireworks display from the tower of the castle and then, in a dazzling shimmer of white, sparklers streamed down like a waterfall on the face of it. Wow again!
We decided to stop and have a glass of wine and wait for the crowds to disperse a bit before heading for the car. It was fun to watch the passersby, which included some of the participants, still in their costumes, some talking on their cell phones, while somewhere in the distance, at one of the bars nearby, the sound of the Beach Boys, "Ba-ba-ba, ba-bar-bar-ann" could be heard playing softly. Kind of surreal, also as we watched a young woman on a donkey, accompanied by two young men in costume as they turned a corner in front of the bar.
It was nearly 2am when we arrived home. It was a night we'll never forget. Here's the website, if you are interested. www.marosticascacchi.it. They do this on the second weekend in September on even numbered years. We think it's really worth seeing and just a lot of fun. What a great way to settle a dispute, don't you think? We wish our own leaders were so wise.
It's a beautiful day today. The sun is shining; there are wispy clouds in a blue, sky. It's cool and delightful. Summer, I believe, is over. The days are still warm, but the mornings and evenings delightfully cool and comfortable. Last night Laura and Giorgio invited us to their house for dinner and afterwards we went together to a local sagra, a festival. I'll tell you about that and about the other places we've been to this week in another post. So stick around.
Ciao!
Rosemary e Robert
Going to the Po Delta
Pontoon Bridge across the Po River
Torre Aba, part of the fortifications of the Castello della Mesola
Torre Aba, part of the fortifications of the Castello della Mesola
Po Delta Day with Laura & Giorgio
At the Castello della Mesola
Lighthouse at the mouth of the Po River
The Mercato at the Castello della Mesola
Eel nets on the Po Delta
Fishing Shacks
Lighthouse at the mouth of the Po River
The Mercato at the Castello della Mesola
Eel nets on the Po Delta
Fishing Shacks
Sunday in the Po with Giorgio (and Laura & their families) 9.3.06
Two weeks ago we were invited to go with our landlords Laura and Giorgio to the Po Delta. This area is now a nature reserve and they had told us about it and asked if we wanted to join them in going there, at the end of the summer, when we both returned from our travels (they went to Sardegna on their vacanza in August) and the weather cooled down a bit. We were definitely up for it so when Laura called a few days prior to ask if we were doing anything on Sunday we said of course we wanted to go!
They picked us up around 8 in the morning and we drove to Giorgio's sister's house near here and sorted out the driving arrangements. We rode with Giorgio and Laura and Laura's parents went with Giorgio's sister and their daughter since they had the larger vehicle.
Pump-Kin
It was fun talking with them in the car. Laura's English is better than our Italian and it was fun comparing words. Like when we passed a vegetable stand and there were pumpkins for sale. I asked her how you say that in Italian: "zucca." Ok, I get it, all the squashes are called "zucca (as in zucchini - a small squash)." It was hilarious to hear her pronounce the word "pump-kin" as the Italians like to put a vowel on the end of everything whether it is there or not and it came out sounding like "Pumpa-keena," very cute! - these types of words sound so silly when you try to explain them to an Italian and the Italian word always sounds so much prettier to me! She was telling us about a town near the river that is lower than the water level and often floods. She said there was a saying that the people in this town sleep with life preservers on in case of high water! And of course she asked me what these are called in English. All Bob and I could think of was the word "inner tube" and we tried to explain this word and where it came from. We always seem to make these explanations more complicated than they need to be but Laura got a big kick out of saying the name "inn-ner tooba" and when later we added that it was also called a life preserver, and she understood that it Italian it would be preserver di vita - but said she liked "inner tube" better!
Airone e Egrette (Herons and Egrets)
As we drove along they pointed out the sights, where Giorgio had grown up in the countryside near Verona, tobacco and cornfields, farms and small towns. Giorgio took a scenic route and we drove through the vast area of the nature reserve watching egrets and herons and trying to find the right words in English, after recognizing these birds that Laura had described as airone (heron) and egrette (egrets) and others neither of us could name, with more than 300 reported species of birds living here. The Veneto plain turned into Emilia-Romagna and the land became wetter and even flatter, with rows of cypress, eucalyptus or umbrella pine separating the vast pale green stretches of wetlands that are being reclaimed for farming and where they grow rice for risotto (among other things).
The Castle at Mesola and a visit to the museum
We stopped for a visit to a castle and its museum in the small town of Mesola that had been part of the Castello Estense di Mesola, in the 15th century where the d'Este family spent their holidays and originally had walls around the entire property. The museum was part history, part nature, and part art exhibitions and was mostly fascinating. I learned about how they used to grow hemp here and how vital that was to the local economy and saw photographs of production methods from the early part of the 20th century. I learned that the Po is the largest river of Italy. I saw dioramas of the local flora and fauna and explanations of the evolution of the Po Delta and how the waters of the rivers flow into the sea, about the coastal vegetation, the marshes and the wooded areas.
In the piazza outside the castle there was an "antiques" market - more of what we might call a flea market with all sorts of old used stuff and newly made craft items, like the hand-painted gourds and the poster-size black and white photos of movie stars. Laura is a Laurel and Hardy fan, while her niece prefers Orlando Bloom (of course!).
Nearby we stopped to admire the nearly mirror-like surface of the water below one of the towers and took some photos, re-grouped and headed on to our next destination: lunch!
A Seafood Extravaganza!
We were anticipating a wonderful seafood meal and we were not disappointed in the feast that followed. Jugs of wine, bottles of water and baskets of bread were immediately placed before us and we didn't look at a menu. As we have seen our other Italian friends do, they just had a conversation with the waiter. What did he have, what was good, what they wanted, what we wanted. Some orders were placed. We would all have the seafood antipasti, a few of us would have the risotto and the rest ordered the pesce fritta mista or grigliata - sometimes when they say "grigliata" I expect it to be grilled and it is fried, so I think these terms are interchangeable! At any rate, everyone ate everything, we shared all the way around and it was incredible. The antipasto consisted of carpaccio (very thin slices) of raw tuna and swordfish in a lemony-olive oil dressing that we absolutely loved, followed by fresh clams and mussels (vongole, in Italiano), some baked with breadcrumbs and oil, all tasty, finger-licking delicious. As a kid I would have turned my nose up at clams and mussels but here in Italy, it's a different thing entirely! The risotto, cooked in a light tomato-based sauce also had seafood in it and I tried not to notice the octopus pieces. We could not believe how much food came to our table! After the risotto, huge plates full of a mixture of fried clams, mussels, calamari, eel, shrimp and several other types of fish I do not know and cannot describe! Some of it I had never seen before but everything I tried was crispy and tasty and I found myself going back for just a little more and a just a little more until I couldn't eat another bite. A green salad followed. A lemon sorbetto drink after that and of course, espresso at the end. Giorgio, his friend Vino and his brother in law finished it all off with a shot of grappa. Of this we did not partake! You could have rolled us all back to the car!
A Boat Ride on the River Po
Next on our agenda was a short drive to the river where we were anticipating going out through its mouth, on the canals and into the open sea. We passed over a pontoon bridge with a rickety wooden surface that Giorgio carefully navigated and we wondered how much it would take for the bridge to fall into the water! Vino, Giorgio's friend is a Pescatore, a fisherman, who catches fish, and, maybe the right word should be "harvests" mussels and clams for a living and had agreed to take all 9 of us out for a tour of the river. Mariella, Giorgio's sister had come prepared with a towel large enough to cover the three of us facing the front and getting sprayed but it was wonderful to head into the water, the wind in my hair and the river all around. We saw all the little "houses" that are out in the lagoons with sticks set into the low levels of the water that the mussels and clams attach themselves to and grow and are then pulled up out of the water and sold. We stopped for Vino to pick up a large bag of shiny black mussels that were tossed into the boat. The river also is home to carp, eels, bass and catfish among many others I'm sure. It is a complex ecosystem and Giorgio tried to explain many things to us about what we were seeing, some of which we understood and some went right over our heads, vocabulary being difficult when words are so specific to a subject matter. Nevertheless, we knew we were witnessing something very special and very particular to this area of Italy that we now find ourselves living in and we were thrilled to experience it with these patient, knowledgeable people.
We passed through the locks of the canal, from the fresh water of the Po River, into the salt water of the Adriatic, sitting in the boat as one gate closed and the other opened, keeping the sweet from mixing with the salty, if I understood correctly. Gliding through the canals we saw more birds, some ordinary seagulls and other more exotic looking species we did not recognize, purple flowers along the shoreline and the nets they use for catching eels. These looked like abandoned American Indian tee-pees and Mariella explained how these traps allow the eels to swim in but they cannot swim out and are caught by the pescatore waiting at the other end.
On our return to the harbor, we said goodbye to Vino and thanked him.
When we were getting into the car, Vino gave the entire bag of "vongole" to Giorgio who seemed to be licking his lips in anticipation of eating them, and was smiling broadly.
All in all it was a fascinating, relaxing, completely entertaining day and we thank Giorgio and Laura and their families again for inviting us to join in and for showing us a part of Italy we would not have known about or been able to see in such an intimate and informative way. We feel very fortunate, once again.
Buona giornata,
Rosemary
(check back soon for my story about Maròstica and the Human Chess Game played in Medieval Costume!)
They picked us up around 8 in the morning and we drove to Giorgio's sister's house near here and sorted out the driving arrangements. We rode with Giorgio and Laura and Laura's parents went with Giorgio's sister and their daughter since they had the larger vehicle.
Pump-Kin
It was fun talking with them in the car. Laura's English is better than our Italian and it was fun comparing words. Like when we passed a vegetable stand and there were pumpkins for sale. I asked her how you say that in Italian: "zucca." Ok, I get it, all the squashes are called "zucca (as in zucchini - a small squash)." It was hilarious to hear her pronounce the word "pump-kin" as the Italians like to put a vowel on the end of everything whether it is there or not and it came out sounding like "Pumpa-keena," very cute! - these types of words sound so silly when you try to explain them to an Italian and the Italian word always sounds so much prettier to me! She was telling us about a town near the river that is lower than the water level and often floods. She said there was a saying that the people in this town sleep with life preservers on in case of high water! And of course she asked me what these are called in English. All Bob and I could think of was the word "inner tube" and we tried to explain this word and where it came from. We always seem to make these explanations more complicated than they need to be but Laura got a big kick out of saying the name "inn-ner tooba" and when later we added that it was also called a life preserver, and she understood that it Italian it would be preserver di vita - but said she liked "inner tube" better!
Airone e Egrette (Herons and Egrets)
As we drove along they pointed out the sights, where Giorgio had grown up in the countryside near Verona, tobacco and cornfields, farms and small towns. Giorgio took a scenic route and we drove through the vast area of the nature reserve watching egrets and herons and trying to find the right words in English, after recognizing these birds that Laura had described as airone (heron) and egrette (egrets) and others neither of us could name, with more than 300 reported species of birds living here. The Veneto plain turned into Emilia-Romagna and the land became wetter and even flatter, with rows of cypress, eucalyptus or umbrella pine separating the vast pale green stretches of wetlands that are being reclaimed for farming and where they grow rice for risotto (among other things).
The Castle at Mesola and a visit to the museum
We stopped for a visit to a castle and its museum in the small town of Mesola that had been part of the Castello Estense di Mesola, in the 15th century where the d'Este family spent their holidays and originally had walls around the entire property. The museum was part history, part nature, and part art exhibitions and was mostly fascinating. I learned about how they used to grow hemp here and how vital that was to the local economy and saw photographs of production methods from the early part of the 20th century. I learned that the Po is the largest river of Italy. I saw dioramas of the local flora and fauna and explanations of the evolution of the Po Delta and how the waters of the rivers flow into the sea, about the coastal vegetation, the marshes and the wooded areas.
In the piazza outside the castle there was an "antiques" market - more of what we might call a flea market with all sorts of old used stuff and newly made craft items, like the hand-painted gourds and the poster-size black and white photos of movie stars. Laura is a Laurel and Hardy fan, while her niece prefers Orlando Bloom (of course!).
Nearby we stopped to admire the nearly mirror-like surface of the water below one of the towers and took some photos, re-grouped and headed on to our next destination: lunch!
A Seafood Extravaganza!
We were anticipating a wonderful seafood meal and we were not disappointed in the feast that followed. Jugs of wine, bottles of water and baskets of bread were immediately placed before us and we didn't look at a menu. As we have seen our other Italian friends do, they just had a conversation with the waiter. What did he have, what was good, what they wanted, what we wanted. Some orders were placed. We would all have the seafood antipasti, a few of us would have the risotto and the rest ordered the pesce fritta mista or grigliata - sometimes when they say "grigliata" I expect it to be grilled and it is fried, so I think these terms are interchangeable! At any rate, everyone ate everything, we shared all the way around and it was incredible. The antipasto consisted of carpaccio (very thin slices) of raw tuna and swordfish in a lemony-olive oil dressing that we absolutely loved, followed by fresh clams and mussels (vongole, in Italiano), some baked with breadcrumbs and oil, all tasty, finger-licking delicious. As a kid I would have turned my nose up at clams and mussels but here in Italy, it's a different thing entirely! The risotto, cooked in a light tomato-based sauce also had seafood in it and I tried not to notice the octopus pieces. We could not believe how much food came to our table! After the risotto, huge plates full of a mixture of fried clams, mussels, calamari, eel, shrimp and several other types of fish I do not know and cannot describe! Some of it I had never seen before but everything I tried was crispy and tasty and I found myself going back for just a little more and a just a little more until I couldn't eat another bite. A green salad followed. A lemon sorbetto drink after that and of course, espresso at the end. Giorgio, his friend Vino and his brother in law finished it all off with a shot of grappa. Of this we did not partake! You could have rolled us all back to the car!
A Boat Ride on the River Po
Next on our agenda was a short drive to the river where we were anticipating going out through its mouth, on the canals and into the open sea. We passed over a pontoon bridge with a rickety wooden surface that Giorgio carefully navigated and we wondered how much it would take for the bridge to fall into the water! Vino, Giorgio's friend is a Pescatore, a fisherman, who catches fish, and, maybe the right word should be "harvests" mussels and clams for a living and had agreed to take all 9 of us out for a tour of the river. Mariella, Giorgio's sister had come prepared with a towel large enough to cover the three of us facing the front and getting sprayed but it was wonderful to head into the water, the wind in my hair and the river all around. We saw all the little "houses" that are out in the lagoons with sticks set into the low levels of the water that the mussels and clams attach themselves to and grow and are then pulled up out of the water and sold. We stopped for Vino to pick up a large bag of shiny black mussels that were tossed into the boat. The river also is home to carp, eels, bass and catfish among many others I'm sure. It is a complex ecosystem and Giorgio tried to explain many things to us about what we were seeing, some of which we understood and some went right over our heads, vocabulary being difficult when words are so specific to a subject matter. Nevertheless, we knew we were witnessing something very special and very particular to this area of Italy that we now find ourselves living in and we were thrilled to experience it with these patient, knowledgeable people.
We passed through the locks of the canal, from the fresh water of the Po River, into the salt water of the Adriatic, sitting in the boat as one gate closed and the other opened, keeping the sweet from mixing with the salty, if I understood correctly. Gliding through the canals we saw more birds, some ordinary seagulls and other more exotic looking species we did not recognize, purple flowers along the shoreline and the nets they use for catching eels. These looked like abandoned American Indian tee-pees and Mariella explained how these traps allow the eels to swim in but they cannot swim out and are caught by the pescatore waiting at the other end.
On our return to the harbor, we said goodbye to Vino and thanked him.
When we were getting into the car, Vino gave the entire bag of "vongole" to Giorgio who seemed to be licking his lips in anticipation of eating them, and was smiling broadly.
All in all it was a fascinating, relaxing, completely entertaining day and we thank Giorgio and Laura and their families again for inviting us to join in and for showing us a part of Italy we would not have known about or been able to see in such an intimate and informative way. We feel very fortunate, once again.
Buona giornata,
Rosemary
(check back soon for my story about Maròstica and the Human Chess Game played in Medieval Costume!)
Counting Heads 9.16.06
About two weeks ago Bob and I decided it would be fun to see how many people were visiting the blog. Since few people make comments we had no way of really knowing if there was anyone out there (besides a few friends and family who tell us they are reading) to know how many people were logging in, we decided to add this counter to the blog page. It’s been fun seeing all the different places people come from who have found their way to our blog. So far, in this past two weeks 308 people have logged onto the site. We thought you might enjoy seeing where some of these people come from. It’s kind of cool.
Australia
Brisbane, Queensland
Belgium
Steenokkerzeel, Brabant
Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia
Toronto, Ontario
Iceland
Reykjavik, Gullbringusysla
Italy
Valledolmo, Sicilia
Grottaglie, Puglia
Torino, Piemonte
Rome, Lazio
New Zealand
Runciman
Switzerland
Soresina, Ticino
United Kingdom
Mitcham, Bromley
Egham, Slough
Salford
United States
Tempe, Arizona
Long Beach, California
Arlington, Tennessee
Boston, Massachusetts
Hartford, Connecticut
Farmville, Virginia
Greenbelt, Maryland
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Greenvale, New York
Altus, Oklahoma
Salt Lake City, Utah
Phoenix, Arizona
Simpsonville, South Carolina
New York, New York
Modesto, California
Memphis, Tennessee
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ashland, Kentucky
Knoxville, Tennessee
Kyle, Texas
Silver Spring, Maryland
Crofton, Maryland
East Rockaway, New York
We just wish that all these people would add a comment, if just to say “hi” and we invite you all once again to do that. It’s easy really, even if it doesn’t really seem that way. I have done this before, but thought I would explain again how it works.
HOW TO ADD YOUR COMMENT:
Click on the word "comment" and a box will drop down that says “Post a Comment.” Select that and a pop up box will open where you can “Leave your Comment.” This is where most people get confused. We don’t allow anonymous comments since we were getting a lot of spam so you have to sign in. There is a word verification too to discourage spammers. If you haven’t commented before you will have to sign up. If you don’t have an account, it will ask for your User Name and Password. If you don’t have one you will see in tiny letters on the lower right hand side of this box, the words “If you’re not a blogger user, select "please sign up here…” and then “Create an Account.”
All you have to do is put in a user name and a password. It will ask you for your email address, which is totally for security purposes and will not be shared with anyone, so don’t worry. It will then say “CONTINUE” in a big red arrow. YOU DON’T NEED TO CONTINUE UNLESS YOU WANT TO CREATE A BLOG. This is so confusing for people. You are done. Now you can comment. Just write down your user name & password for future comments.
Anyway, we hope this is helpful and that you will take the time to add your “hi” to this list. We really appreciate your taking the time to let us know you are looking and to tell us what you think.
Ciao!
Rosemary & Bob
Australia
Brisbane, Queensland
Belgium
Steenokkerzeel, Brabant
Canada
Vancouver, British Columbia
Toronto, Ontario
Iceland
Reykjavik, Gullbringusysla
Italy
Valledolmo, Sicilia
Grottaglie, Puglia
Torino, Piemonte
Rome, Lazio
New Zealand
Runciman
Switzerland
Soresina, Ticino
United Kingdom
Mitcham, Bromley
Egham, Slough
Salford
United States
Tempe, Arizona
Long Beach, California
Arlington, Tennessee
Boston, Massachusetts
Hartford, Connecticut
Farmville, Virginia
Greenbelt, Maryland
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Greenvale, New York
Altus, Oklahoma
Salt Lake City, Utah
Phoenix, Arizona
Simpsonville, South Carolina
New York, New York
Modesto, California
Memphis, Tennessee
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ashland, Kentucky
Knoxville, Tennessee
Kyle, Texas
Silver Spring, Maryland
Crofton, Maryland
East Rockaway, New York
We just wish that all these people would add a comment, if just to say “hi” and we invite you all once again to do that. It’s easy really, even if it doesn’t really seem that way. I have done this before, but thought I would explain again how it works.
HOW TO ADD YOUR COMMENT:
Click on the word "comment" and a box will drop down that says “Post a Comment.” Select that and a pop up box will open where you can “Leave your Comment.” This is where most people get confused. We don’t allow anonymous comments since we were getting a lot of spam so you have to sign in. There is a word verification too to discourage spammers. If you haven’t commented before you will have to sign up. If you don’t have an account, it will ask for your User Name and Password. If you don’t have one you will see in tiny letters on the lower right hand side of this box, the words “If you’re not a blogger user, select "please sign up here…” and then “Create an Account.”
All you have to do is put in a user name and a password. It will ask you for your email address, which is totally for security purposes and will not be shared with anyone, so don’t worry. It will then say “CONTINUE” in a big red arrow. YOU DON’T NEED TO CONTINUE UNLESS YOU WANT TO CREATE A BLOG. This is so confusing for people. You are done. Now you can comment. Just write down your user name & password for future comments.
Anyway, we hope this is helpful and that you will take the time to add your “hi” to this list. We really appreciate your taking the time to let us know you are looking and to tell us what you think.
Ciao!
Rosemary & Bob
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Support the Walk to Cure Diabetes
Those of you who know us know that my sister's ten year old daughter Madison has had Juvenile diabetes since she was 1-1/2 years old. It is a challenge they live with 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To add to their challenging life, my sister's husband was diagnosed with cancer about 3 years ago and in May of 2005 he lost his battle and died. Needless to say, my sister has had a great deal of challenges thrown at her in her life but she keeps on going, raising her two young daughters on her own now.
Next Saturday, the three of them will be walking to raise money to help find a cure for Diabetes. The name they have selected for their team is The Power of Three. If you want to support this extremely worthwhile effort, please go to the Juvenile Diabetes website: www.jdrf.org. Select JDRF Walks and this will take you to the Walk to Cure Diabetes page. There is a box at the right lower corner that says "Support a Walker." My sister's name is Suzanne Harrod, Team Name: The Power of Three. Select the state of Colorado. Another box will come up for you to make your donation and enter payment information.
Thanks for helping support this worthwhile cause. My sister and her girls thank you too.
Rosemary & Bob
Next Saturday, the three of them will be walking to raise money to help find a cure for Diabetes. The name they have selected for their team is The Power of Three. If you want to support this extremely worthwhile effort, please go to the Juvenile Diabetes website: www.jdrf.org. Select JDRF Walks and this will take you to the Walk to Cure Diabetes page. There is a box at the right lower corner that says "Support a Walker." My sister's name is Suzanne Harrod, Team Name: The Power of Three. Select the state of Colorado. Another box will come up for you to make your donation and enter payment information.
Thanks for helping support this worthwhile cause. My sister and her girls thank you too.
Rosemary & Bob
Meeting other Americans
I couldn't wait to fit this in when we post about our day in Marostica. While standing under the portico of a nearby building waiting for the downpour of rain to stop we overheard some English being spoken. Always anxious for a little conversation that doesn'r require a nap afterwards I asked "where are you from". My usual great opening line (may explain why I never was very good at picking up girls in my earlier life) to which they responded "Alabama" and we talked about their adventure in Italy and what they had visited. We asked what they enjoyed and about food. To which he replied "I can't wait to get home to Alabama to get a good pizza and some sweet tea." Being famous for my lack of tact I had to ask WHAT? He replied "you know pizza with lots of stuff on it, plenty of meat." Still confused, afterall this is the home of pizza, I wanted to know what he could not find in Italy explaining that you can get anything on a pizza here including french fries (yuck!). He was firm that pizza at home is better than pizza in Italy. I guess people do truly see the world differently.
Rosemary asked that I take full credit for this posting and tell you she had no hand in this. I think the line about picking up girls should have told you that but she insisted.
Bob
Rosemary asked that I take full credit for this posting and tell you she had no hand in this. I think the line about picking up girls should have told you that but she insisted.
Bob
Saturday, September 09, 2006
France: Our weekend in the Vercors
The two of us in the Vercors
Briancon, on France's border with Italy, at the mountain pass
The Cemetery at Vassieux, a key base for French Resistance fighters during World War II. These are the graves of all the families who were killed when the Germans destroyed the village.
A view of the mountains from Claude & Marie Josèes farm
In the Rhone Valley
Briancon, on France's border with Italy, at the mountain pass
The Cemetery at Vassieux, a key base for French Resistance fighters during World War II. These are the graves of all the families who were killed when the Germans destroyed the village.
A view of the mountains from Claude & Marie Josèes farm
In the Rhone Valley
France
A sign on the road in the "Drome" the area where we stayed
Wine bottles in the winery we visited with Claude and Marie Josèe
The little town of Luc-en-Diois, France
Nyon, near the French and Swiss borders on Lac Leman/Lake Geneva
Claude and Marie Josèe in the Vercors
Wine bottles in the winery we visited with Claude and Marie Josèe
The little town of Luc-en-Diois, France
Nyon, near the French and Swiss borders on Lac Leman/Lake Geneva
Claude and Marie Josèe in the Vercors
France views
The charming town of Annecy, France, north of Grenoble
The Bed & Breakfast in Villard de Lans, France where we spent the night
Annecy again
The canal at Annecy
A city gate in Annecy (in Italian I would say "Porta" but don't kno how to say it in French!)
The Bed & Breakfast in Villard de Lans, France where we spent the night
Annecy again
The canal at Annecy
A city gate in Annecy (in Italian I would say "Porta" but don't kno how to say it in French!)
France: Lost and Found 8.25.06
Leaving Basel, we had mapped out a plan that took us south from Switzerland into France, following the main highways and stopping along Lake Geneva (Lac Leman to the French) in a small town called Nyon, on the lake. The views from the castle, over the rooftops towards the lake, were lovely and I stopped to paint one of the charming shuttered windows with geraniums spilling out over the window box.
We stopped at the border again to have our passports stamped and crossed over into France at Geneve (Geneva).
We planned to stop for lunch in Annecy because we thought it was about half way between Basel and Villard de Lans in France where we had made reservations to spend the night and, because our Eyewitness Guide described it as one of the most charming towns in the Alps. How could we pass this up?? True to its description, the small historic center was indeed "laced with canals, flower-covered bridges and arcaded streets." Right in the middle of the canal is the 12th century Palais de L'Isle and the views at every turn were charming, charming, charming. Of course there were the throngs of tourists to go along with it and quaint little shops selling all manner of local products and kitschy souvenirs. We enjoyed a nice lunch at an outdoor café and the views along the lake.
So far, so good, we made our way from Annecy, passed Chambery driving through the area called "The Chartreuse" where, since medieval times, the monks have made a liquor of this color from a secret recipe of 130 ingredients, including the yellow and green plants that give this area its name. The monastery is still inhabited by monks, but not open to visitors and we continued on, in the direction of the Vercors, a gorgeous mountainous region in the Rhone Valley, south of Grenoble.
Here is where it got a bit tricky and we got a bit lost! Somehow, instead of skirting Grenoble we ended up driving right smack into it. We had decided against spending the night here since we did not want to risk getting lost in a big city and here we were, in the thick of it, completely unsure which direction to go, to get out!
Eventually we found the road that led to Villard de Lans but decided to take the smaller road that paralleled the highway, not wisely, because we thought it might offer more spectacular views. It did just that, but it took a few hours more to go what might have been only about an hour's drive and we did not arrive at the bed and breakfast until it was almost dark. We had planned to have our dinner there but found when we arrived that it was too late and so ended up going back down the hill a short way to a local restaurant and eating there. I also made the mistake of ordering the beef, which was delicious but a bit rare for my tastes and ended up with quite an upset stomach later on and did not sleep well because of it.
The bed and breakfast we stayed in for the night is called Le Val Sainte Marie (http://levalsaintemarie.villard-de-lans.fr) and is the very charming home of our hosts and makes a great base for exploring this area that is a haven for hiking and all manner of activities for the outdoor enthusiast especially cross-country skiing. In the morning we took a short walk through the woods, coming upon memorials to the French Resistance, which was especially strong in this area during WWII.
Around 10am we left Le Val Sainte Marie with advice from our host that one of the roads we planned to take was closed due to road construction and were forced to take another more complicated route.
We had met Vincent's family (our "German daughter" Andrea's new husband) at her wedding in July. They invited us to come and visit while we were in Verona, as it was not very far away. Since we had planned to see Helena in Switzerland and could see on the map that a short detour into France would bring us south to the Rhone Valley, it was practically on the way home for us! We wrote to Emilie, Vincent's sister and asked if they were serious about their invitation, told them of our plans to see Helena and coordinated with them a visit that would include a stop in the south of France!
Claude and Marie Josèe have a farm in the Rhone Valley, in an area called the Vercors, a wilderness area that is one of France's regional parks and filled with pine forests, mountains, waterfalls, caves and deep, narrow gorges. The drive was completely breathtaking and we were completely lost!
This is an area with many tiny roads that weave through the mountains and every time we thought we were on the right path, we ended up in a completely different place. To make matters worse we didn't realize that the map we had purchased did not show all the tiny roads that crisscross this area and came to find out that there are many more than the map makers had chosen to represent! Not only that, in this very mountainous region our cell phones had no signal so we were unable to call for directions or let them know we were lost until hours later. A real game of telephone was played; I finally was able to reach Andrea and Vincent in Germany, who in turn called Emilie in France. I then was able to receive a call from Emilie but unable to tell her exactly where we were because we did not honestly know at that point! I doubt also, that we would have been any better off if we had the GPS because I felt certain we would not have been able to pick up a signal in this remote area.
Finally, with the help of a shopkeeper we found a very circuitous route that took us around the mountainous area and onto some larger roads and eventually made our way to the little town of Montlaur-en-Diois, where we were warmly met by Emilie and David and followed them to the farm where Claude and Marie Josèe were waiting.
They had prepared a wonderful lunch for us and we hoped that they had snacked while waiting for us because obviously they had expected us hours sooner and they would have been starving by the time we arrived! There was no sign of this however, as they welcomed us like old friends and with the help of Emilie's excellent translations and Marie Josèe's understanding of Italian, we got on just fine.
It was so relaxing to be there with them. People who grow up in an area know all the special places that a mere tourist would never know. We are always delighted when we can see an area through the eyes of a local, knowing our experience will be richer for it.
We saw the results of an earthquake in the 1600s where the mountain split and giant rocks rained down on the villages. We drove to the top of one of the highest mountains in the area, a favorite spot for hang-gliding and looked out from this bird's eye view of their farm in the valley below. Something about the stress and excitement of getting lost, the twisting roads, eating and drinking too much, caused me to have a real upset stomach and to leave my lunch, embarrassingly enough, on the top of the mountain! It was dark by the time we returned to the farm and I went right to bed, exhausted.
On Sunday, feeling fine again, but still a bit embarrassed, we went to a local Winery (Chatillon-en-Diois) for a tour and the chance to buy some French wines. While we were enjoying the winery, Emilie stayed behind and finished preparing the lunch she and her mother has started which consisted of the most tender and delicious leg of lamb I had ever tasted in my life and a side dish called Peti Pouis (not sure of the spelling, but this consisted of bright green peas cooked in a butter sauce with bits of ham - yummm), the wonderful french breads with a delicious salad and of course, red wine, followed by a tray of regional French cheeses and a yummy fruit tart. We ate well!
In the afternoon we drove through the Vercors to a museum of the French Resistance deep in mountains, that offered us a history lesson on what happened to these people during WWII. It was a fascinating bit of history that we were not completely familiar with and which helped us to understand why these people are so anti war. They lived right in the middle of it. When the Germans learned of the whereabouts of these Resistance fighters, just months before the end of the war, they bombed the entire area and entire villages, entire families, with women, children and the elderly were completely destroyed. The locals refer to the city of Vassieux, as the "assassinated village" because of the brutal way these people were slaughtered. It was a very moving experience and the museum captures this sad and heroic period in the history of this area with respect and sensitivity.
The drive through this area on the Route de Combe-Laval was nothing short of breathtaking with dramatic gorges and sheer cliffs, above a roaring river. Unfortunately, upon our return to the farmhouse, Marie Josèe learned that her father, who has been bedridden for the past four years and seriously ill, was not expected to live beyond the next days and she rushed off to be with him and her mother who has cared for her husband in their home these past years.
In the morning we gathered our things to leave and Marie Josèe, who had spent the night with her parents, came to see us off, along with Claude and Emilie. We hugged and kissed the three kisses that they give in this area (it is only two in Italy and other parts of France!) and invited them to come and visit us sometime in the states and again, we hope they will take us up on this offer.
We learned later in the day that Marie Josèe's father had passed away that very day and send our condolences to the family for their loss.
We drove the whole day across France and into Italy, stopping for lunch in Briancon, said to be the highest town in Europe (4,330 ft) in a valuable position since pre-Roman times as it sits on one of the most important passes into Italy. In the 18th century the town was fortified with ramparts and gates, which can still be seen today. It was during the riposo however (they seem to do this also in France and Switzerland, where shops and sights of interest can be closed for a few hours in the middle of the day, not only Italy) so the town was quiet except for the many, many restaurants. We found a small place off the beaten path and had Gallettes - like crepes but heavier and filled with meats and cheeses - an entire menu filled with possibilities and variations!
Anxious to get home now, we drove straight across Italy, driving past Torino, Piacenza and Cremona before turning north to Verona. The entire drive took about eight hours and by 6pm we were pulling into the parking spaces outside our apartment and carrying our luggage upstairs. Too tired to go out, we made do with a few things we had in the house and managed to put a light dinner together before falling into bed, worn out!
We spent the next week literally, just hanging out in the apartment, resting, sleeping late, going through photos, doing laundry, grocery shopping and beginning to write about our journey. It was incredible but we needed to rest and recuperate.
I hope I have not bored you with the intricate details of our days. I always remind myself that these writings are as much for us as they are for those who come and read because this is also our journal, our diary, of these days in Europe and will be what we read to ourselves when we are older and grayer and want to remember what we did when we came to live in Italy.
Thanks for coming along with us.
Con affetto,
Rosemary e Roberto
We stopped at the border again to have our passports stamped and crossed over into France at Geneve (Geneva).
We planned to stop for lunch in Annecy because we thought it was about half way between Basel and Villard de Lans in France where we had made reservations to spend the night and, because our Eyewitness Guide described it as one of the most charming towns in the Alps. How could we pass this up?? True to its description, the small historic center was indeed "laced with canals, flower-covered bridges and arcaded streets." Right in the middle of the canal is the 12th century Palais de L'Isle and the views at every turn were charming, charming, charming. Of course there were the throngs of tourists to go along with it and quaint little shops selling all manner of local products and kitschy souvenirs. We enjoyed a nice lunch at an outdoor café and the views along the lake.
So far, so good, we made our way from Annecy, passed Chambery driving through the area called "The Chartreuse" where, since medieval times, the monks have made a liquor of this color from a secret recipe of 130 ingredients, including the yellow and green plants that give this area its name. The monastery is still inhabited by monks, but not open to visitors and we continued on, in the direction of the Vercors, a gorgeous mountainous region in the Rhone Valley, south of Grenoble.
Here is where it got a bit tricky and we got a bit lost! Somehow, instead of skirting Grenoble we ended up driving right smack into it. We had decided against spending the night here since we did not want to risk getting lost in a big city and here we were, in the thick of it, completely unsure which direction to go, to get out!
Eventually we found the road that led to Villard de Lans but decided to take the smaller road that paralleled the highway, not wisely, because we thought it might offer more spectacular views. It did just that, but it took a few hours more to go what might have been only about an hour's drive and we did not arrive at the bed and breakfast until it was almost dark. We had planned to have our dinner there but found when we arrived that it was too late and so ended up going back down the hill a short way to a local restaurant and eating there. I also made the mistake of ordering the beef, which was delicious but a bit rare for my tastes and ended up with quite an upset stomach later on and did not sleep well because of it.
The bed and breakfast we stayed in for the night is called Le Val Sainte Marie (http://levalsaintemarie.villard-de-lans.fr) and is the very charming home of our hosts and makes a great base for exploring this area that is a haven for hiking and all manner of activities for the outdoor enthusiast especially cross-country skiing. In the morning we took a short walk through the woods, coming upon memorials to the French Resistance, which was especially strong in this area during WWII.
Around 10am we left Le Val Sainte Marie with advice from our host that one of the roads we planned to take was closed due to road construction and were forced to take another more complicated route.
We had met Vincent's family (our "German daughter" Andrea's new husband) at her wedding in July. They invited us to come and visit while we were in Verona, as it was not very far away. Since we had planned to see Helena in Switzerland and could see on the map that a short detour into France would bring us south to the Rhone Valley, it was practically on the way home for us! We wrote to Emilie, Vincent's sister and asked if they were serious about their invitation, told them of our plans to see Helena and coordinated with them a visit that would include a stop in the south of France!
Claude and Marie Josèe have a farm in the Rhone Valley, in an area called the Vercors, a wilderness area that is one of France's regional parks and filled with pine forests, mountains, waterfalls, caves and deep, narrow gorges. The drive was completely breathtaking and we were completely lost!
This is an area with many tiny roads that weave through the mountains and every time we thought we were on the right path, we ended up in a completely different place. To make matters worse we didn't realize that the map we had purchased did not show all the tiny roads that crisscross this area and came to find out that there are many more than the map makers had chosen to represent! Not only that, in this very mountainous region our cell phones had no signal so we were unable to call for directions or let them know we were lost until hours later. A real game of telephone was played; I finally was able to reach Andrea and Vincent in Germany, who in turn called Emilie in France. I then was able to receive a call from Emilie but unable to tell her exactly where we were because we did not honestly know at that point! I doubt also, that we would have been any better off if we had the GPS because I felt certain we would not have been able to pick up a signal in this remote area.
Finally, with the help of a shopkeeper we found a very circuitous route that took us around the mountainous area and onto some larger roads and eventually made our way to the little town of Montlaur-en-Diois, where we were warmly met by Emilie and David and followed them to the farm where Claude and Marie Josèe were waiting.
They had prepared a wonderful lunch for us and we hoped that they had snacked while waiting for us because obviously they had expected us hours sooner and they would have been starving by the time we arrived! There was no sign of this however, as they welcomed us like old friends and with the help of Emilie's excellent translations and Marie Josèe's understanding of Italian, we got on just fine.
It was so relaxing to be there with them. People who grow up in an area know all the special places that a mere tourist would never know. We are always delighted when we can see an area through the eyes of a local, knowing our experience will be richer for it.
We saw the results of an earthquake in the 1600s where the mountain split and giant rocks rained down on the villages. We drove to the top of one of the highest mountains in the area, a favorite spot for hang-gliding and looked out from this bird's eye view of their farm in the valley below. Something about the stress and excitement of getting lost, the twisting roads, eating and drinking too much, caused me to have a real upset stomach and to leave my lunch, embarrassingly enough, on the top of the mountain! It was dark by the time we returned to the farm and I went right to bed, exhausted.
On Sunday, feeling fine again, but still a bit embarrassed, we went to a local Winery (Chatillon-en-Diois) for a tour and the chance to buy some French wines. While we were enjoying the winery, Emilie stayed behind and finished preparing the lunch she and her mother has started which consisted of the most tender and delicious leg of lamb I had ever tasted in my life and a side dish called Peti Pouis (not sure of the spelling, but this consisted of bright green peas cooked in a butter sauce with bits of ham - yummm), the wonderful french breads with a delicious salad and of course, red wine, followed by a tray of regional French cheeses and a yummy fruit tart. We ate well!
In the afternoon we drove through the Vercors to a museum of the French Resistance deep in mountains, that offered us a history lesson on what happened to these people during WWII. It was a fascinating bit of history that we were not completely familiar with and which helped us to understand why these people are so anti war. They lived right in the middle of it. When the Germans learned of the whereabouts of these Resistance fighters, just months before the end of the war, they bombed the entire area and entire villages, entire families, with women, children and the elderly were completely destroyed. The locals refer to the city of Vassieux, as the "assassinated village" because of the brutal way these people were slaughtered. It was a very moving experience and the museum captures this sad and heroic period in the history of this area with respect and sensitivity.
The drive through this area on the Route de Combe-Laval was nothing short of breathtaking with dramatic gorges and sheer cliffs, above a roaring river. Unfortunately, upon our return to the farmhouse, Marie Josèe learned that her father, who has been bedridden for the past four years and seriously ill, was not expected to live beyond the next days and she rushed off to be with him and her mother who has cared for her husband in their home these past years.
In the morning we gathered our things to leave and Marie Josèe, who had spent the night with her parents, came to see us off, along with Claude and Emilie. We hugged and kissed the three kisses that they give in this area (it is only two in Italy and other parts of France!) and invited them to come and visit us sometime in the states and again, we hope they will take us up on this offer.
We learned later in the day that Marie Josèe's father had passed away that very day and send our condolences to the family for their loss.
We drove the whole day across France and into Italy, stopping for lunch in Briancon, said to be the highest town in Europe (4,330 ft) in a valuable position since pre-Roman times as it sits on one of the most important passes into Italy. In the 18th century the town was fortified with ramparts and gates, which can still be seen today. It was during the riposo however (they seem to do this also in France and Switzerland, where shops and sights of interest can be closed for a few hours in the middle of the day, not only Italy) so the town was quiet except for the many, many restaurants. We found a small place off the beaten path and had Gallettes - like crepes but heavier and filled with meats and cheeses - an entire menu filled with possibilities and variations!
Anxious to get home now, we drove straight across Italy, driving past Torino, Piacenza and Cremona before turning north to Verona. The entire drive took about eight hours and by 6pm we were pulling into the parking spaces outside our apartment and carrying our luggage upstairs. Too tired to go out, we made do with a few things we had in the house and managed to put a light dinner together before falling into bed, worn out!
We spent the next week literally, just hanging out in the apartment, resting, sleeping late, going through photos, doing laundry, grocery shopping and beginning to write about our journey. It was incredible but we needed to rest and recuperate.
I hope I have not bored you with the intricate details of our days. I always remind myself that these writings are as much for us as they are for those who come and read because this is also our journal, our diary, of these days in Europe and will be what we read to ourselves when we are older and grayer and want to remember what we did when we came to live in Italy.
Thanks for coming along with us.
Con affetto,
Rosemary e Roberto
Basel: Tinguely Museum
One of Jean Tinguely works of art, suspended from the ceiling
Bob, on one of the giant kinetic sculptures of Jean Tinguely
Bob, on one of the giant kinetic sculptures of Jean Tinguely
Friday, September 08, 2006
Basel, Switzerland, views
Gargoyle of Basel Munster
King and Queen of Basel
Gargoyle
Detail of the Munster
King and Queen of Basel
Gargoyle
Detail of the Munster
Basel, Switzerland
The steeple of Basel's cathedral "Munster"
Skyline of Basel from the Munster
Even Basel flys the Italian flag
Basel Rathaus
Detail of the Basel Rathaus
Skyline of Basel from the Munster
Even Basel flys the Italian flag
Basel Rathaus
Detail of the Basel Rathaus
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