A very wonderful example of a hand-painted Sicilian cart
With Elio and Giovanna at Punto Braccetto, Sicily
Angelo, our favorite from the older men we knew in Marina di Ragusa
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Sicilian cart and Sicilian friends
The horse that came before the cart on San Giuseppe day
A very wonderful example of a hand-painted Sicilian cart
With Elio and Giovanna at Punto Braccetto, Sicily
Angelo, our favorite from the older men we knew in Marina di Ragusa
A very wonderful example of a hand-painted Sicilian cart
With Elio and Giovanna at Punto Braccetto, Sicily
Angelo, our favorite from the older men we knew in Marina di Ragusa
Cena San Giuseppe, Santa Croce Camerina
The "Cena" - an incredible feast prepared for this special day
The group representing the Holy Family. We were surprised that they were not dressed as you expect for the Holy Family but this is the way it is done here.
Giuseppe (Joseph) knocks three times asking to be allowed inside. When at last he answers "Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus" the door is opened and they are fed from the Cena.
The special, fancy bread that is typical of the feast of San Giuseppe
Giant pot of pasta, cooked outside & served to those allowed in
The group representing the Holy Family. We were surprised that they were not dressed as you expect for the Holy Family but this is the way it is done here.
Giuseppe (Joseph) knocks three times asking to be allowed inside. When at last he answers "Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus" the door is opened and they are fed from the Cena.
The special, fancy bread that is typical of the feast of San Giuseppe
Giant pot of pasta, cooked outside & served to those allowed in
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Torniamo a Casa (Home from Sicily) 3.20.07
We were awakened this morning by the sound of thunder, deep, rolling thunder and the sound of rain hitting against the outside shutters of our apartment here in Vietri sul Mare. It was pouring rain as we got on the bus yesterday in Ragusa, hugging our friends Elio and Giovanna, our dear friends. Giovanna said the sky was crying at our leaving and so were we. We have come to love these people who befriended us from the very first, when we arrived like the bumpkins we were, in Ragusa, with our limited language skills and our wide-eyed enthusiasm for everything we saw and did. Elio literally took us under his wing and helped us through every little crisis we had from our technology problems to the car accident to renewing our permesso with such a generosity of spirit, time and energy, it will ever remain a benchmark for how to treat the people who come into our lives. They introduced us to their circle of friends, their families, invited us into their homes, shared their knowledge of Sicily and their love for the southeastern part in particular and took us places and showed us things we would never have found on our own. There are no words to describe the gratitude we owe them and we only hope they will let us repay even a tiny bit by coming to visit us in the states in the future when their very busy lives allow.
Jessica went home on the 14th and we took the bus home to Vietri and napped and rested that day, getting our things together for our quick trip to Sicily. This was not something we had expected to do before leaving Italy, but if you have read this blog recently you know that when we were in Ostuni we received an invitation to return to Ragusa, to stay in one of the properties of our friends Elio and Giovanna for the chance to see them and Sicily one more time before we returned to the states. We jumped at the chance, although we knew we had just a few short weeks to get our things together for the move back home and a bit stressed out to tell you the truth with everything we have to do to prepare for our trip back home to the states.
Nevertheless, it was something we wanted to do very much and they just made it easy for us, letting us stay in their beautiful country house "in campagna" (in the country) just outside Ragusa, as their guests.
Our flight left Naples at around 4:45 and in about an hour we were touching down in Catania, just in time to catch the 6pm bus to Ragusa. By 8 we were embracing Elio and Giovanna at the bus station and picking up a few things to make a light dinner at their lovely apartment. They had framed the little watercolor I had presented them with, of their country house, before we left in May, now part of the art collection on the walls of their home. I was flattered. They liked the little gift we brought them from Vietri, a set of limoncello glasses with decanter and a tray to match, not nearly enough to truly thank them, but they appreciated the thought and even scolded us for bringing anything at all!
Staying at the Villa Gelso
The Villa Gelso is a lovely old two-story Sicilian farmhouse that Elio and Giovanna have lovingly restored and filled with antiques and traditional Sicilian ceramics, furniture and treasures. It is part of a small borgo, with another house owned by their friends Lucia and Rino and a third by a gentleman who is retired but maintains a small farm and a herd of sheep who can be seen every day clamoring out of his fenced yard and down the country lane, to munch on grasses in a nearby field. There is a family of cats who also inhabit this property, cavort and play with each other, living quite a peaceful existence, keeping away the mice and amusing themselves as only cats can.
A bright blue front door welcomed us into the soggiorno, a combination living room and dining area, with cozy furniture and freestanding stove (fireplace). A pile of wood was stored in a corner of the room and all the necessary accoutrements for starting a fire. So cozy! The floors are made of a traditional Sicilian tile called "pece" in shades of dark browns and carmel colors that reminded us a bit of the stained concrete floors we had in Phoenix, but more browns than rusts in color. There is a large country kitchen with doors that open to the terraces on both sides and lots of trees and potted plants and enough cozy corners to relax in and enjoy the rolling green hills, wildflowers and low stone walls that characterize this part of Sicily, that we enjoyed so much when we lived here last year. Its location is close enough to Ragusa and the other sights in the area as to be a very convenient base for touring as well.
Upstairs are the two double bedrooms (with a fold out bed downstairs too) and second bath (there is another downstairs). Casement windows open to views of the countryside and a large terrace with an almost 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside, all the way to the sea on a clear day. On Friday morning we enjoyed the sunshine and our breakfast there.
Visiting Marina di Ragusa and Angelo
Not only did they let us stay in the country house, but they also gave us the use of Giovanna's car during our stay so that we could visit some of our favorite places. On Friday, of course, our first stop was to Marina di Ragusa, to say hello to Salvatore at the coffee bar we frequented, only to learn that he doesn't work there any more (only in the summer is what we understood) and to walk along the Lungomare. We stopped at the home of Angelo, a favorite of ours among the older guys who hung out in the piazza. He had not been well when we left and we worried about him. I had sent him a post card and a note and had not heard back so we were concerned something dire had happened. But when we rang his doorbell and he came to the door and recognized us, he got tears in his eyes and welcomed us warmly into his home, offering coffee, a drink, some biscotti? We learned that after we left he had had a serious car accident that landed him in the hospital in a coma for ten days and that he was only now recovering. To tell you the truth, he still didn't look very good to us so we will continue to worry about him. We didn't stay very long, as we were meeting Elio and Giovanna later that evening and didn't want to tire him out either. He gave us the email address of his son and asked us to keep in touch with him. We promised we would. Angelo had given us his address when we left last year, telling us that whenever we went back to Marina we should come and see him and his buddy Giovanni had teased him about it at the time (probably thinking we never would do it.) so I think it gave him great pleasure to see us standing at his doorstep a year later! It did our hearts good too.
Pizza in Donnalucata
Friday night we met Giovanna and Elio in Marina and drove together to Donnalucata, a nearby town (where we used to buy fresh fish at the market) for a gathering of their friends. Almost every town in the area was celebrating the feast of St. Joseph (March 19th is his feast day) with some sort of festival, parade, or other celebration. There was a street fair/market going on and we wandered around admiring all the wares, after a pizza dinner in a local restaurant. The men insisted on sitting at one end of the table with the women at the other and the women (all modern women with professions and every bit their partners' equals) gave them a hard time about it and a lot of teasing back and forth ensued. It was all in good fun and both Bob and I were thrilled that we were able to follow a good deal of the conversation and even share in the teasing and story telling. They all noticed that our language skills had improved since we saw them last and gave us lots of positive pats on the back for it.
Ragusa Ibla and the Duomo
On Saturday we spent some time in Ragusa Ibla and saw that the restoration of the Duomo is finished, no more scaffolding. The Ragusani are apparently unhappy though because they hadn't anticipated that the restoration would mean bringing back the dark stone details on the façade that had faded over time. The overall appearance of the Duomo, although in dire need of a good cleaning before, was that of light colored tufa stone. Now it is accented on the columns and around the massive doors with very dark, almost black stone that really stands out in a very contrasting way. We thought if you had never seen it the other way, that you might find it very beautiful anyway, but Giovanna felt that with the dark iron gates around it, the lower part of the church is now too heavy and dark. For us, we were just happy to see this lovely piazza, with its palm trees and shops surrounding it, free of scaffolding and open to the light.
Unfortunately while we were in Sicily, the father of a dear friend of Elio and Giovanna's died and they needed to tend to the needs of their friend. We shared a simple late lunch of roasted chicken and veggies (yummm) picked up at the local rosticceria. We were on our own on Saturday evening and spent some quiet time in front of the fire, with a simple dinner. Not that we minded, it was very relaxing for us after our busy couple of weeks.
Sunday, "in giro" and the Cena di San Giuseppe
Sunday was a day "in giro" (traveling around) with them. They picked us up around noon and we went to a nearby town - Santa Croce Camerina - for a celebration of the feast of San Giuseppe. Last year I was lucky enough to tag along with Elio's brother Salvatore and his wife Marinella and witness for the first time the "cena" - a private home where the people who live there and their friends and families prepare an incredible feast, spread out on a huge table and invite the Holy Family to partake. This is acted out by local people representing Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus, who come to knock on their door, asking to be let in. This is in memory of the days before Mary gave birth, when she and Joseph went to Bethlehem and "there was no room for them at the inn". Joseph (Giuseppe) knocks three times at the door. First when the matriarch of the family asks "Chi è?" (Who is it?) he says "Joseph" and there is no response. Then he knocks again and at the same questions responds "Joseph and Mary." The third time is the charm and when he responds "Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus" the door is opened and they enter, wash their hands and take their seats at the table and are served from the "cena" (dinner) spread before them. (Last year they were served spaghetti, but this time it was a little of everything on the table.)
Giovanna, charming as she is, with her beautiful sparkling green eyes, asked the woman of the house if we could stay and watch since we were not members of the family or close friends. She explained that we were visiting and it would be a great thing for us to be able to see firsthand what they did. This is a very religious event. This particular family had some health issues that were resolved in a positive way and they wanted to express their thanks to God for delivering them from their burdens (This is the way it was explained to me and I hope I have recounted it properly and respectfully.) First we all walked to the church, they said their prayers and were accompanied back to the home by a marching band and only the immediate family went inside as the Holy Family approached and began the knocking ritual.
Afterwards we were invited to share a bowl of pasta that was prepared in a giant pot and mixed with a simple tomato sauce. Bob felt a bit uncomfortable, as if he were intruding on a very private event but Giovanna assured him that the people were very happy to have us join them and witness this unique festival.
The day ended with a drive to the sea, to Punta Braccetto, one of the most southerly points on the coast of Sicily, a little snack of the focaccia sandwiches typical of this area, accompanied by some juicy oranges. Elio really wanted to take us for some granita too, but we were all too tired and convinced him it was OK to go home without it. (Elio tries his best to accommodate us and if he thought we wanted to do something, he would try his darndest to make it happen!)
Modica and a Last Supper
Monday we spent in Modica. We wanted to just stand at the overlook with the panoramic view of the city and to walk through its lovely streets one more time. We bought a few pieces of Sicilian ceramica, imitations of pieces from the 18th century, a Sicilian cookbook (I was sorry hadn't bought one of these when we lived here and took the chance to do it now.), some Modica chocolate and of course, cannoli from Buonaiuto's shop. We sat on the steps of the church, munching happily, delighted to have had the chance to eat just one more!
Monday night we joined Elio, Giovanna, Elio's brothers Salvatore and Pippo, their wives Rosalba and Marinella, friends Rino & Lucia and Assunta & Gianfranco for another "Last Supper" at the Masseria "Tumino" - a large working farm that offers typical Ragusana fare, cheeses and olives, with the centerpiece of the meal (as far as we were concerned) a steaming bowl of fresh, just made, hot ricotta! If you ever get the chance (and have not yet) to try this, it is, in our opinion, out of this world. Afterwards they served a variety of grilled meats: veal, pork and beef that were sliced thin and dripping with the most delicious sauce, that was probably the simple, tried and true Italian concoction of "aglio, olio, pepperoncino and sale (lots of sale!) It was completely finger-licking buono, buono, buono.
All of this was followed by a fresh-made, from their fresh ricotta, more cannoli! Everyone else had the good sense to share one, while Bob and I hadn't understood the pinky gesture that meant they would each have half. We talked and laughed so much that night. We learned about other gestures and what they mean. Giovanna explained a term we had heard that meant something like "Who is this guy??" or "What do you want??" that sounds something like "Chi (hard "c") stu ca?" that I remembered hearing my uncle say, so I know it is Sicilian but she laughed and wanted to know where I had heard that and said it's not really a nice thing (not obscene or anything) but not a friendly thing. I got that it was accompanied by the typical Italian gesture of touching all your fingertips together with the thumb and shaking it back and forth.
We had the waiter take a photo of the whole group and then one of all the men and all the women. These people have been friends since childhood and it is one of the things I envy and enjoy about being around them. They have a familiarity and a devotedness to each other that can only be achieved from a lifetime of experience. In this gypsy lifestyle of ours we have met many people and many whom we consider lifelong friends, but know we sacrifice something by not staying in one place, the trade-off to having many experiences I suppose and one we have to be content with, so rich have these experiences been.
Pranzo (lunch) with Lucia and goodbyes
On Tuesday, we got our things together to leave, took a walk around the countryside and were invited to have lunch prepared by Lucia, next door. She is a surgical nurse and is studying English, with the desire to visit America and her relatives in Australia. It was lovely to spend some quiet time with her and hear all about her plans and dreams and get to know her a little better. We learned that she and her husband Rino are building another house and trying to sell this one. It's a wonderful two bedroom and a den upstairs and very spacious downstairs with big kitchen and open living space below. They are asking 300,000 euros and we wish we could afford to buy it! If you are at all interested, let us know and we'll put you in touch with Lucia. It would definitely be a turn-key situation as they have lovingly restored it and it looks gorgeous.
We promised to keep in touch, sharing email and street addresses and a warm hug as we hurried off to meet Elio and Giovanna, drop off their car and take the bus back to Catania. There was not a lot of time for a lengthy goodbye but we hugged and kissed each other warmly and with the rain pouring down on us, hurried onto the bus, crying our eyes out as it pulled away and I saw Giovanna blow us a kiss from their car. Hoping our paths will cross again, knowing it will take an effort on both our parts, as long distance relationships are hard and it takes a real effort to maintain a friendship when there are many miles in between. We will do our best though and we know they will too. We will see each other again. Promise.
Per Elio e Giovanna, vogliamo dire: Grazie tantissimi, i nostri amici! Non vi dimenticheremmo, mai. State bene, sempre. Starete nel nostri cuori per sempre. Benvenuti in America a casa nostra quando potete venire. Baci, baci, baci.
Now the thunder is still pounding around us. We've seen some hail hitting the terrace and rain has been constant all day. The electricity has gone in and out and we wonder about the strength of the connections out there. The forecast for tomorrow is for more of the same and then we hope the sun will come out. We promised ourselves we would swim in this sea before we leave here on the 31st and we hope we can keep that promise!
Buona giornata, wherever you are,
Rosemary & Bob
Jessica went home on the 14th and we took the bus home to Vietri and napped and rested that day, getting our things together for our quick trip to Sicily. This was not something we had expected to do before leaving Italy, but if you have read this blog recently you know that when we were in Ostuni we received an invitation to return to Ragusa, to stay in one of the properties of our friends Elio and Giovanna for the chance to see them and Sicily one more time before we returned to the states. We jumped at the chance, although we knew we had just a few short weeks to get our things together for the move back home and a bit stressed out to tell you the truth with everything we have to do to prepare for our trip back home to the states.
Nevertheless, it was something we wanted to do very much and they just made it easy for us, letting us stay in their beautiful country house "in campagna" (in the country) just outside Ragusa, as their guests.
Our flight left Naples at around 4:45 and in about an hour we were touching down in Catania, just in time to catch the 6pm bus to Ragusa. By 8 we were embracing Elio and Giovanna at the bus station and picking up a few things to make a light dinner at their lovely apartment. They had framed the little watercolor I had presented them with, of their country house, before we left in May, now part of the art collection on the walls of their home. I was flattered. They liked the little gift we brought them from Vietri, a set of limoncello glasses with decanter and a tray to match, not nearly enough to truly thank them, but they appreciated the thought and even scolded us for bringing anything at all!
Staying at the Villa Gelso
The Villa Gelso is a lovely old two-story Sicilian farmhouse that Elio and Giovanna have lovingly restored and filled with antiques and traditional Sicilian ceramics, furniture and treasures. It is part of a small borgo, with another house owned by their friends Lucia and Rino and a third by a gentleman who is retired but maintains a small farm and a herd of sheep who can be seen every day clamoring out of his fenced yard and down the country lane, to munch on grasses in a nearby field. There is a family of cats who also inhabit this property, cavort and play with each other, living quite a peaceful existence, keeping away the mice and amusing themselves as only cats can.
A bright blue front door welcomed us into the soggiorno, a combination living room and dining area, with cozy furniture and freestanding stove (fireplace). A pile of wood was stored in a corner of the room and all the necessary accoutrements for starting a fire. So cozy! The floors are made of a traditional Sicilian tile called "pece" in shades of dark browns and carmel colors that reminded us a bit of the stained concrete floors we had in Phoenix, but more browns than rusts in color. There is a large country kitchen with doors that open to the terraces on both sides and lots of trees and potted plants and enough cozy corners to relax in and enjoy the rolling green hills, wildflowers and low stone walls that characterize this part of Sicily, that we enjoyed so much when we lived here last year. Its location is close enough to Ragusa and the other sights in the area as to be a very convenient base for touring as well.
Upstairs are the two double bedrooms (with a fold out bed downstairs too) and second bath (there is another downstairs). Casement windows open to views of the countryside and a large terrace with an almost 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside, all the way to the sea on a clear day. On Friday morning we enjoyed the sunshine and our breakfast there.
Visiting Marina di Ragusa and Angelo
Not only did they let us stay in the country house, but they also gave us the use of Giovanna's car during our stay so that we could visit some of our favorite places. On Friday, of course, our first stop was to Marina di Ragusa, to say hello to Salvatore at the coffee bar we frequented, only to learn that he doesn't work there any more (only in the summer is what we understood) and to walk along the Lungomare. We stopped at the home of Angelo, a favorite of ours among the older guys who hung out in the piazza. He had not been well when we left and we worried about him. I had sent him a post card and a note and had not heard back so we were concerned something dire had happened. But when we rang his doorbell and he came to the door and recognized us, he got tears in his eyes and welcomed us warmly into his home, offering coffee, a drink, some biscotti? We learned that after we left he had had a serious car accident that landed him in the hospital in a coma for ten days and that he was only now recovering. To tell you the truth, he still didn't look very good to us so we will continue to worry about him. We didn't stay very long, as we were meeting Elio and Giovanna later that evening and didn't want to tire him out either. He gave us the email address of his son and asked us to keep in touch with him. We promised we would. Angelo had given us his address when we left last year, telling us that whenever we went back to Marina we should come and see him and his buddy Giovanni had teased him about it at the time (probably thinking we never would do it.) so I think it gave him great pleasure to see us standing at his doorstep a year later! It did our hearts good too.
Pizza in Donnalucata
Friday night we met Giovanna and Elio in Marina and drove together to Donnalucata, a nearby town (where we used to buy fresh fish at the market) for a gathering of their friends. Almost every town in the area was celebrating the feast of St. Joseph (March 19th is his feast day) with some sort of festival, parade, or other celebration. There was a street fair/market going on and we wandered around admiring all the wares, after a pizza dinner in a local restaurant. The men insisted on sitting at one end of the table with the women at the other and the women (all modern women with professions and every bit their partners' equals) gave them a hard time about it and a lot of teasing back and forth ensued. It was all in good fun and both Bob and I were thrilled that we were able to follow a good deal of the conversation and even share in the teasing and story telling. They all noticed that our language skills had improved since we saw them last and gave us lots of positive pats on the back for it.
Ragusa Ibla and the Duomo
On Saturday we spent some time in Ragusa Ibla and saw that the restoration of the Duomo is finished, no more scaffolding. The Ragusani are apparently unhappy though because they hadn't anticipated that the restoration would mean bringing back the dark stone details on the façade that had faded over time. The overall appearance of the Duomo, although in dire need of a good cleaning before, was that of light colored tufa stone. Now it is accented on the columns and around the massive doors with very dark, almost black stone that really stands out in a very contrasting way. We thought if you had never seen it the other way, that you might find it very beautiful anyway, but Giovanna felt that with the dark iron gates around it, the lower part of the church is now too heavy and dark. For us, we were just happy to see this lovely piazza, with its palm trees and shops surrounding it, free of scaffolding and open to the light.
Unfortunately while we were in Sicily, the father of a dear friend of Elio and Giovanna's died and they needed to tend to the needs of their friend. We shared a simple late lunch of roasted chicken and veggies (yummm) picked up at the local rosticceria. We were on our own on Saturday evening and spent some quiet time in front of the fire, with a simple dinner. Not that we minded, it was very relaxing for us after our busy couple of weeks.
Sunday, "in giro" and the Cena di San Giuseppe
Sunday was a day "in giro" (traveling around) with them. They picked us up around noon and we went to a nearby town - Santa Croce Camerina - for a celebration of the feast of San Giuseppe. Last year I was lucky enough to tag along with Elio's brother Salvatore and his wife Marinella and witness for the first time the "cena" - a private home where the people who live there and their friends and families prepare an incredible feast, spread out on a huge table and invite the Holy Family to partake. This is acted out by local people representing Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus, who come to knock on their door, asking to be let in. This is in memory of the days before Mary gave birth, when she and Joseph went to Bethlehem and "there was no room for them at the inn". Joseph (Giuseppe) knocks three times at the door. First when the matriarch of the family asks "Chi è?" (Who is it?) he says "Joseph" and there is no response. Then he knocks again and at the same questions responds "Joseph and Mary." The third time is the charm and when he responds "Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus" the door is opened and they enter, wash their hands and take their seats at the table and are served from the "cena" (dinner) spread before them. (Last year they were served spaghetti, but this time it was a little of everything on the table.)
Giovanna, charming as she is, with her beautiful sparkling green eyes, asked the woman of the house if we could stay and watch since we were not members of the family or close friends. She explained that we were visiting and it would be a great thing for us to be able to see firsthand what they did. This is a very religious event. This particular family had some health issues that were resolved in a positive way and they wanted to express their thanks to God for delivering them from their burdens (This is the way it was explained to me and I hope I have recounted it properly and respectfully.) First we all walked to the church, they said their prayers and were accompanied back to the home by a marching band and only the immediate family went inside as the Holy Family approached and began the knocking ritual.
Afterwards we were invited to share a bowl of pasta that was prepared in a giant pot and mixed with a simple tomato sauce. Bob felt a bit uncomfortable, as if he were intruding on a very private event but Giovanna assured him that the people were very happy to have us join them and witness this unique festival.
The day ended with a drive to the sea, to Punta Braccetto, one of the most southerly points on the coast of Sicily, a little snack of the focaccia sandwiches typical of this area, accompanied by some juicy oranges. Elio really wanted to take us for some granita too, but we were all too tired and convinced him it was OK to go home without it. (Elio tries his best to accommodate us and if he thought we wanted to do something, he would try his darndest to make it happen!)
Modica and a Last Supper
Monday we spent in Modica. We wanted to just stand at the overlook with the panoramic view of the city and to walk through its lovely streets one more time. We bought a few pieces of Sicilian ceramica, imitations of pieces from the 18th century, a Sicilian cookbook (I was sorry hadn't bought one of these when we lived here and took the chance to do it now.), some Modica chocolate and of course, cannoli from Buonaiuto's shop. We sat on the steps of the church, munching happily, delighted to have had the chance to eat just one more!
Monday night we joined Elio, Giovanna, Elio's brothers Salvatore and Pippo, their wives Rosalba and Marinella, friends Rino & Lucia and Assunta & Gianfranco for another "Last Supper" at the Masseria "Tumino" - a large working farm that offers typical Ragusana fare, cheeses and olives, with the centerpiece of the meal (as far as we were concerned) a steaming bowl of fresh, just made, hot ricotta! If you ever get the chance (and have not yet) to try this, it is, in our opinion, out of this world. Afterwards they served a variety of grilled meats: veal, pork and beef that were sliced thin and dripping with the most delicious sauce, that was probably the simple, tried and true Italian concoction of "aglio, olio, pepperoncino and sale (lots of sale!) It was completely finger-licking buono, buono, buono.
All of this was followed by a fresh-made, from their fresh ricotta, more cannoli! Everyone else had the good sense to share one, while Bob and I hadn't understood the pinky gesture that meant they would each have half. We talked and laughed so much that night. We learned about other gestures and what they mean. Giovanna explained a term we had heard that meant something like "Who is this guy??" or "What do you want??" that sounds something like "Chi (hard "c") stu ca?" that I remembered hearing my uncle say, so I know it is Sicilian but she laughed and wanted to know where I had heard that and said it's not really a nice thing (not obscene or anything) but not a friendly thing. I got that it was accompanied by the typical Italian gesture of touching all your fingertips together with the thumb and shaking it back and forth.
We had the waiter take a photo of the whole group and then one of all the men and all the women. These people have been friends since childhood and it is one of the things I envy and enjoy about being around them. They have a familiarity and a devotedness to each other that can only be achieved from a lifetime of experience. In this gypsy lifestyle of ours we have met many people and many whom we consider lifelong friends, but know we sacrifice something by not staying in one place, the trade-off to having many experiences I suppose and one we have to be content with, so rich have these experiences been.
Pranzo (lunch) with Lucia and goodbyes
On Tuesday, we got our things together to leave, took a walk around the countryside and were invited to have lunch prepared by Lucia, next door. She is a surgical nurse and is studying English, with the desire to visit America and her relatives in Australia. It was lovely to spend some quiet time with her and hear all about her plans and dreams and get to know her a little better. We learned that she and her husband Rino are building another house and trying to sell this one. It's a wonderful two bedroom and a den upstairs and very spacious downstairs with big kitchen and open living space below. They are asking 300,000 euros and we wish we could afford to buy it! If you are at all interested, let us know and we'll put you in touch with Lucia. It would definitely be a turn-key situation as they have lovingly restored it and it looks gorgeous.
We promised to keep in touch, sharing email and street addresses and a warm hug as we hurried off to meet Elio and Giovanna, drop off their car and take the bus back to Catania. There was not a lot of time for a lengthy goodbye but we hugged and kissed each other warmly and with the rain pouring down on us, hurried onto the bus, crying our eyes out as it pulled away and I saw Giovanna blow us a kiss from their car. Hoping our paths will cross again, knowing it will take an effort on both our parts, as long distance relationships are hard and it takes a real effort to maintain a friendship when there are many miles in between. We will do our best though and we know they will too. We will see each other again. Promise.
Per Elio e Giovanna, vogliamo dire: Grazie tantissimi, i nostri amici! Non vi dimenticheremmo, mai. State bene, sempre. Starete nel nostri cuori per sempre. Benvenuti in America a casa nostra quando potete venire. Baci, baci, baci.
Now the thunder is still pounding around us. We've seen some hail hitting the terrace and rain has been constant all day. The electricity has gone in and out and we wonder about the strength of the connections out there. The forecast for tomorrow is for more of the same and then we hope the sun will come out. We promised ourselves we would swim in this sea before we leave here on the 31st and we hope we can keep that promise!
Buona giornata, wherever you are,
Rosemary & Bob
Getting ready to leave 3.21.07
We arrived home last night from Sicily and now it is time to prepare in earnest for our trip back to the states. It is not going to be easy to leave; this experience has been the most amazing thing we've done so far in our lives (besides our children of course!)
We headed for Sicily on the 15th a bit tired from Jessica's visit and a bit stressed out over another issue. We were having a little problem retrieving the deposit we paid to our "agent" when we arrived here in Vietri. It's part of a longer story, but to try to summarize, we stopped working with our "agent" (a Brit, not an Italian) when we discovered that he was skimming a bit of our rent money off the top to keep for himself, unbeknownst to us at the time. The fact was apparently news to our landlords too because in January, when they discovered this little scheme he was perpetrating, together with a local guy, they put the kabosh on their plans and told us we would in the future, pay them directly, reducing our rent. We confronted said "agent" and after a few unpleasant email communications, he stopped writing. The landlady said she had the deposit, misunderstanding that we were not talking about the last month's rent, which we also paid up front, but an additional month, as "desosit."
At the beginning of March when we asked her about it she denied having any further monies and thus began our very stressful attempt to get them back. We are at the moment expecting the agent to transfer our deposit to a PayPal account, which our son Chris will then withdraw and hold for us. We are hoping we can trust this guy to follow through, but to tell you the truth we are not so confident about it. We'll see. We hope that he proves us wrong and does what he said he would do and we can leave with all well that ends well. This has unfortunately caused us a bit of grief and been the only really negative experience we have had in Italy, with dishonest people.
We have been spending a good deal of time also, arranging for our return to the states, having started several weeks before Jessica's arrival. The sale of the car went more smoothly than we ever could have anticipated, thanks to the help of our neighbors, Martine, Piero and their son Herve. We have already sent a few more boxes home, due to arrive after our return. We have arranged for our things from storage to be delivered to our new home in Milford, Delaware and for the cleaning of our carpets and touch up to the paint on the walls, as needed. We've researched phone companies and Internet providers and arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport in Philadelphia and deposit us at a hotel where we will spend our first night home in the U.S. We plan to rent a car in Milford until we can purchase one. Shirley, the agent who has managed the rental of our home there has kindly offered to lend us a portable mattress so that we can actually move into our own place and not have to stay in a hotel beyond that first night, until our things arrive anywhere from the 7th to the 11th of April. We figure we can just use paper plates etc and eat take out for a few days, rather than spending a lot of money on a hotel room. (the "live cheap" attitude must continue!)
We anticipate these next ten days to be very full indeed as we decide what we can fit in our suitcases, what we will ship and what we will need to leave behind or give to our neighbors or charity. Bob started getting a bad cold in Sicily and I have insisted he take some time to completely rest and not worry about doing any packing or preparing until he feels better. I'm slamming down vitamins and drinking juice and trying not to catch what he has!
We still hope we can make it to a few more ceramics lessons before we go home and I still want to buy a few more pieces of ceramica as mementos of our time here in Vietri. You would think I would have done this by now but I always have trouble shopping when there are too many choices and with Vietri chock full of ceramics shops, I just couldn't decide before now what I wanted to get. Whatever we buy will be shipped home since there will not be room in our suitcases, limited as we are now by reduced maximum luggage weights permitted on airplanes.
I hope to write again before we leave, just to say arrivederci and summarize things. If that doesn't happen, I will certainly do it when we get back to the states. We have so much on our minds now as this departure date looms in front of us. We have so many mixed emotions about leaving. It has been incredible to be here. We've had so many wonderful experiences and a few not so wonderful but all in all we are thrilled that we did this. That we had a dream and made it happen. We have learned more than I believe we even realize in this moment. It is a time we will always treasure and be proud of for as long as we live.
For now, we are still here,
Rosemary & Robert
We headed for Sicily on the 15th a bit tired from Jessica's visit and a bit stressed out over another issue. We were having a little problem retrieving the deposit we paid to our "agent" when we arrived here in Vietri. It's part of a longer story, but to try to summarize, we stopped working with our "agent" (a Brit, not an Italian) when we discovered that he was skimming a bit of our rent money off the top to keep for himself, unbeknownst to us at the time. The fact was apparently news to our landlords too because in January, when they discovered this little scheme he was perpetrating, together with a local guy, they put the kabosh on their plans and told us we would in the future, pay them directly, reducing our rent. We confronted said "agent" and after a few unpleasant email communications, he stopped writing. The landlady said she had the deposit, misunderstanding that we were not talking about the last month's rent, which we also paid up front, but an additional month, as "desosit."
At the beginning of March when we asked her about it she denied having any further monies and thus began our very stressful attempt to get them back. We are at the moment expecting the agent to transfer our deposit to a PayPal account, which our son Chris will then withdraw and hold for us. We are hoping we can trust this guy to follow through, but to tell you the truth we are not so confident about it. We'll see. We hope that he proves us wrong and does what he said he would do and we can leave with all well that ends well. This has unfortunately caused us a bit of grief and been the only really negative experience we have had in Italy, with dishonest people.
We have been spending a good deal of time also, arranging for our return to the states, having started several weeks before Jessica's arrival. The sale of the car went more smoothly than we ever could have anticipated, thanks to the help of our neighbors, Martine, Piero and their son Herve. We have already sent a few more boxes home, due to arrive after our return. We have arranged for our things from storage to be delivered to our new home in Milford, Delaware and for the cleaning of our carpets and touch up to the paint on the walls, as needed. We've researched phone companies and Internet providers and arranged for a car to pick us up at the airport in Philadelphia and deposit us at a hotel where we will spend our first night home in the U.S. We plan to rent a car in Milford until we can purchase one. Shirley, the agent who has managed the rental of our home there has kindly offered to lend us a portable mattress so that we can actually move into our own place and not have to stay in a hotel beyond that first night, until our things arrive anywhere from the 7th to the 11th of April. We figure we can just use paper plates etc and eat take out for a few days, rather than spending a lot of money on a hotel room. (the "live cheap" attitude must continue!)
We anticipate these next ten days to be very full indeed as we decide what we can fit in our suitcases, what we will ship and what we will need to leave behind or give to our neighbors or charity. Bob started getting a bad cold in Sicily and I have insisted he take some time to completely rest and not worry about doing any packing or preparing until he feels better. I'm slamming down vitamins and drinking juice and trying not to catch what he has!
We still hope we can make it to a few more ceramics lessons before we go home and I still want to buy a few more pieces of ceramica as mementos of our time here in Vietri. You would think I would have done this by now but I always have trouble shopping when there are too many choices and with Vietri chock full of ceramics shops, I just couldn't decide before now what I wanted to get. Whatever we buy will be shipped home since there will not be room in our suitcases, limited as we are now by reduced maximum luggage weights permitted on airplanes.
I hope to write again before we leave, just to say arrivederci and summarize things. If that doesn't happen, I will certainly do it when we get back to the states. We have so much on our minds now as this departure date looms in front of us. We have so many mixed emotions about leaving. It has been incredible to be here. We've had so many wonderful experiences and a few not so wonderful but all in all we are thrilled that we did this. That we had a dream and made it happen. We have learned more than I believe we even realize in this moment. It is a time we will always treasure and be proud of for as long as we live.
For now, we are still here,
Rosemary & Robert
Jessica takes Napoli!
Teatro San Carlo. Jessica enjoyed seeing them in preparation for a show.
Galleria Umberto's impressive glass and iron roof
Villa Communale, public gardens in Napoli
Jessica's lovely shot of the stairs, Palazzo Reale. She has a good eye.
Galleria Umberto's impressive glass and iron roof
Villa Communale, public gardens in Napoli
Jessica's lovely shot of the stairs, Palazzo Reale. She has a good eye.
Jessica in Naples
Napoli skyline
Our Non-religious daughter!
The King's writing table, Palazzo Reale
Palazzo Reale steps
Our Non-religious daughter!
The King's writing table, Palazzo Reale
Palazzo Reale steps
Jessica's visit to Napoli
Our beautiful daughter Jessica at Piazza Plebiscito
Ceiling, Chiesa San Francesco di Paolo
Castel Dell'Ovo
Galleria Umberto exterior
Castel Nuovo
Ceiling, Chiesa San Francesco di Paolo
Castel Dell'Ovo
Galleria Umberto exterior
Castel Nuovo
Jessica's visit to Pompei & Herculaneum
One of the black and white mosaic floors in a villa
Mosaic shrine in an outside courtyard
Plaster cast from a victim found among the ruins
One of the theatres
Overview of the city of Pompei
Mosaic shrine in an outside courtyard
Plaster cast from a victim found among the ruins
One of the theatres
Overview of the city of Pompei
Jessica's visit to Campania
Fumaroles at Solfatara
Bubbling Mud at Solfatara
Looking into the mouth of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius
Having fun on top of the volcano
Pompeii ruins
Bubbling Mud at Solfatara
Looking into the mouth of the volcano Mt. Vesuvius
Having fun on top of the volcano
Pompeii ruins
Friday, March 23, 2007
Jessica's first day in Campania we drove the Amalfi Coast
Cetara
Detail from Villa Rufolo in Ravello
View from Villa Rufolo
Villa Cimbrone
Detail from Villa Rufolo in Ravello
View from Villa Rufolo
Villa Cimbrone
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Another visit from Jessica 1-14 March 2007
Jessica arrived here on the 1st of March and we had a great visit with her, as always. She's such a terrific traveler, we really enjoy her excitement over everything she sees and we try to show her as much as possible when she comes here to Italy. We laughingly told our friends that we think it took us about four months to see all the things she saw in just two weeks (although that's probably an exaggeration!). We drove the Amalfi Coast, spending time in Cetara, that little jewel, and in Ravello, delighted that the formal gardens in the Villa Rufolo were fully planted with seasonal flowers and it looked lovely. We also walked up to the Villa Cimbrone one more time and were happy to see things starting to bloom. We picked up some panini at the alimentari and ate on the Villa's famous balcony with the busts (theirs, not ours!) overlooking the Mediterranean, the one you see in all the guidebooks.
Volcanic Activities
We walked to the top of Vesuvius, visited Solfatara, Pompeii and Herculaneum. A highlight of her visit was eating my meatball sandwiches with a bottle of the local Lacrima Christi wine (the vineyards are on the slopes of the volcano) that we bought when we arrived at the top of the volcano, Mt. Vesuvius. It's a bit of a steep climb for around 20 minutes but definitely worth the effort to look into the mouth of a volcano and see some fumaroles (hot spots) rising like steam, even though this particular volcano hasn't erupted since 1944 and they don't expect any activity any time soon.
The Royal Palace and Gardens at Caserta
On a particularly rainy day we drove to Caserta and toured the Royal Palace and its gardens. The rain literally came down in sheets (fortunately we had our umbrellas) as we walked through the gorgeous English gardens, discovering the little pond area with its statue of Venus, crouching on a stone as if she had just come out of her bath or was about to jump in!
Before coming back to Vietri we made a detour to Benevento so she could see the Roman Arch there and get just a taste of that city, near the birthplace of my great-grandparents on my mother's side.
Trips to Napoli
We went to Naples three different days, once by bus and twice by car. We visited the Duomo, the Galleria, the Teatro and Piazza Plebescito; Castles St. Elmo (where we witnessed a large cluster of ladybugs in love!) and Nuovo, the Archeological Museum and its incredible collection of mosaics and frescoes from Pompei and the other buried cities, and Napoli Sotteranea; the majolica painted cloister of Santa Chiara (where the guard berated us for climbing on the benches for a photo op. I was mortified!!) and the Catacombs of San Genaro.
The islands of Ischia and Procida
We took a ferry out to the islands of Ischia and Procida, climbing all around the Aragonese Castle on Ischia for some of the most beautiful views of the bay and the harbor. We had lunch at Al Pontile restaurant overlooking the harbor and were served the most delicious bruschetta con pomodorini I think I have had in Italy, followed by a mediocre plate of Penne al'Arabiata that surprised (and disappointed), after such a lovely antipasto.
We spent another day touring the Roman ruins at Baia and Bacoli and the Greek ones at Cumae, including the "Sybil's grotto" with its strange trapezoidal-shaped cave and the temple ruins. We even made it to Pozzuoli to see the well-preserved Roman Amphitheatre, a genuine thrill for our daughter who is a professional stage manager. She was especially excited to be able to go below the stage area and wander around, not something generally available in these ancient ruins.
Vietri ceramica and shopping
We spent one day shopping in Vietri where Jessica found lots of pretty things to take home both for herself and for friends, while Bob stayed at home resting. He hates shopping anyway and it was also an opportunity for us to have some girl time, looking in all the shops and admiring and touching everything!
Another drive along the Amalfi Coast
The day before she went home we took another drive along the Amalfi Coast and lunched on the beach near Punta Campanella, putting our feet in the water and collecting pretty colored rocks. We stopped in Positano for a walk down to the beach and a look up at the pastel colored houses that climb up from the sea (or spill down to it, depending on how you want to view it!). From there we headed around the peninsula towards Sorrento and a little walk around the centro, picking up a few last minute souvenirs.
Her flight left early on the morning of the 14th and she took with her one of our suitcases filled with things we needed to send home. We waited around until her 6:55 am flight took off, then went home for a much-needed down day. On the 15th we packed our bags and took the bus back to the airport and headed for Sicily! (but that's another story.)
Rosemary & Bob
Volcanic Activities
We walked to the top of Vesuvius, visited Solfatara, Pompeii and Herculaneum. A highlight of her visit was eating my meatball sandwiches with a bottle of the local Lacrima Christi wine (the vineyards are on the slopes of the volcano) that we bought when we arrived at the top of the volcano, Mt. Vesuvius. It's a bit of a steep climb for around 20 minutes but definitely worth the effort to look into the mouth of a volcano and see some fumaroles (hot spots) rising like steam, even though this particular volcano hasn't erupted since 1944 and they don't expect any activity any time soon.
The Royal Palace and Gardens at Caserta
On a particularly rainy day we drove to Caserta and toured the Royal Palace and its gardens. The rain literally came down in sheets (fortunately we had our umbrellas) as we walked through the gorgeous English gardens, discovering the little pond area with its statue of Venus, crouching on a stone as if she had just come out of her bath or was about to jump in!
Before coming back to Vietri we made a detour to Benevento so she could see the Roman Arch there and get just a taste of that city, near the birthplace of my great-grandparents on my mother's side.
Trips to Napoli
We went to Naples three different days, once by bus and twice by car. We visited the Duomo, the Galleria, the Teatro and Piazza Plebescito; Castles St. Elmo (where we witnessed a large cluster of ladybugs in love!) and Nuovo, the Archeological Museum and its incredible collection of mosaics and frescoes from Pompei and the other buried cities, and Napoli Sotteranea; the majolica painted cloister of Santa Chiara (where the guard berated us for climbing on the benches for a photo op. I was mortified!!) and the Catacombs of San Genaro.
The islands of Ischia and Procida
We took a ferry out to the islands of Ischia and Procida, climbing all around the Aragonese Castle on Ischia for some of the most beautiful views of the bay and the harbor. We had lunch at Al Pontile restaurant overlooking the harbor and were served the most delicious bruschetta con pomodorini I think I have had in Italy, followed by a mediocre plate of Penne al'Arabiata that surprised (and disappointed), after such a lovely antipasto.
We spent another day touring the Roman ruins at Baia and Bacoli and the Greek ones at Cumae, including the "Sybil's grotto" with its strange trapezoidal-shaped cave and the temple ruins. We even made it to Pozzuoli to see the well-preserved Roman Amphitheatre, a genuine thrill for our daughter who is a professional stage manager. She was especially excited to be able to go below the stage area and wander around, not something generally available in these ancient ruins.
Vietri ceramica and shopping
We spent one day shopping in Vietri where Jessica found lots of pretty things to take home both for herself and for friends, while Bob stayed at home resting. He hates shopping anyway and it was also an opportunity for us to have some girl time, looking in all the shops and admiring and touching everything!
Another drive along the Amalfi Coast
The day before she went home we took another drive along the Amalfi Coast and lunched on the beach near Punta Campanella, putting our feet in the water and collecting pretty colored rocks. We stopped in Positano for a walk down to the beach and a look up at the pastel colored houses that climb up from the sea (or spill down to it, depending on how you want to view it!). From there we headed around the peninsula towards Sorrento and a little walk around the centro, picking up a few last minute souvenirs.
Her flight left early on the morning of the 14th and she took with her one of our suitcases filled with things we needed to send home. We waited around until her 6:55 am flight took off, then went home for a much-needed down day. On the 15th we packed our bags and took the bus back to the airport and headed for Sicily! (but that's another story.)
Rosemary & Bob
The Certosa in Padula
We had a lovely day exploring the Certosa with Janet and Stephen. Here are a few views.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Off to Sicilia 3.14.07
Hi folks. Just wanted to let you know that our daughter Jessica left this morning after a two-week visit with us here in Vietri. We had a great time and as always it was hard to say goodbye but this time, knowing we will see her again in just a few short months, home in the states made it easier.
Tomorrow we are off to Sicily for a few days visit with Giovanna and Elio and we are looking forward to it very much.
We have a lot of catching up to do but won't be posting anything new for a while. We'll be back in Vietri on the 20th, in the evening.
Here's wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day and a happy spring. If where you are is anything like here, the weather is warming up, the trees are leafing out and the flowers are starting to bloom. Lovely!
Buon settimana e ci vediamo subito!
Rosemary e Robert
Tomorrow we are off to Sicily for a few days visit with Giovanna and Elio and we are looking forward to it very much.
We have a lot of catching up to do but won't be posting anything new for a while. We'll be back in Vietri on the 20th, in the evening.
Here's wishing you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day and a happy spring. If where you are is anything like here, the weather is warming up, the trees are leafing out and the flowers are starting to bloom. Lovely!
Buon settimana e ci vediamo subito!
Rosemary e Robert
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Janet & Stephen and a visit to the Certosa in Padula 2.21 - 23.07
Photos to follow if time allows.
After a lovely string of emails with our friends Janet and Stephen in the U.K. and much deliberation about whether we could afford to go there for a visit, to see them as well as some of our other friends, we decided we just could not put it all together and so Janet and Stephen, who own a place in Umbria, said they would just come here to see us before we left for America. They planned to fly into Naples from Stanstead, rent a car and then, after visiting with us, drive up to San Feliciano to spend some time in their home there before returning to England. We met them when we were living in Perugia. Janet had corresponded with me through the “Expats in Italy” website originally and she had enjoyed reading the blog and I always enjoyed her very amusing and always entertaining emails about her life in Great Britain. She and her husband Stephen are about our age with grown kids and grandkids and share the love of living in Italy, travel in general, gardens, history and the like. They were anticipating coming to stay in their newly acquired property when we were living in Perugia and we finally met face to face at an Expats gathering there. They found a book I had mentioned on the blog (I wrote about this when it happened) and brought it to me as a gift, a very touching and thoughtful thing to do. We have been friends ever since then and keep in touch via periodic emails. They have had a busy past year with family responsibilities that included the death of her father and the birth of a new grandchild, among other things. They had planned to visit us in each of the places we've lived and promised to do it before we returned to the states. Time was running out! It was just a short weekend but it meant a lot to us that they went to all the trouble to come all the way down here. Perugia and Lago Trasimeno are several hours’ drive from the Amalfi Coast.
All day we anticipated their arrival! We had expected them to call when they arrived in Naples so that we could walk up to centro and greet them. But they had had some difficulties getting out of the airport (not a surprise, the area around the airport is quite crazy to navigate) and never managed to be able to call. We began to worry that they had missed their flight or had some other difficulties. When they finally called it was from the piazza in Vietri and we scurried uphill to meet them. By this time it was late and raining and the Locanda, where we had planned to go for dinner was closed! Plan B was to go downhill to Butera, where we sometimes have a pizza. It seems like a chain restaurant but the people are always friendly and the pizza is good. We don't have to go far from our apartment and if we are lazy on the way home from a day's travels, it's easier to park the car in Marina than up in Vietri. It didn't disappoint. They were still open and we all ate a hearty meal. They were quite tired by that time and everyone went off to bed. It's been nice having a spare bedroom for our guests, affording them more privacy than just the sofa bed we had in Verona and in Perugia.
The weather report was iffy for the next day. It had rained for a few days with more expected. Our plan had been to take the ferry to Procida and spend the day exploring that island. But we were all worried that it might not be the best idea if it rained since the sea would be rough and the boat ride less than pleasant. Our friends Marco and Annalisa from Perugia (originally from Naples) had written to us only days before suggesting we visit the Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula, in southern Campania before we left this area and everyone thought this was a better idea. We consulted our maps and books and the internet for opening times, locations and what have you and planned to rise early and go straight there. Afterwards we could drive a short distance along the Cilento Coast. They had never been to this part of Italy and were excited to see it.
Up early, a simple breakfast and coffee and we were off. The day started off a bit overcast but the promised rain did not come and we were happy to be able to wander around without need of umbrellas. With the help of our GPS system, Padula and the Certosa were relatively easy to find. Stephen offered to drive and Bob navigated, allowing Janet and I to sit in the back seat and enjoy the scenery and catch up a bit on each other's lives. The views are breathtaking all around driving through the interior of southern Campania and we really enjoyed the drive. Unfortunately there was also a bit of roadwork that slowed us down and the drive took longer than anticipated.
The Certosa itself was lovely. A huge complex of buildings and our research told us that the Certosa, or "Charterhouse" in English, is a Carpathian monastery, with the Carpathian monks being a very wealthy but extremely strict, cloistered religious sect who spend their lives in silence and prayer and tending their individual and communal gardens. This particular Certosa is no longer an active one, but more of a museum, while many are still active around the world. It was fascinating to see the various rooms and private apartments as well as the enormous cloister with the city of Padula directly behind it, climbing up the hill. The basic structure of the monastery was begun in the 14th century but as with so many of these buildings, over the centuries it underwent many changes and the Baroque decorations definitely were added on with abandon. The chapel was especially glittering with gold and dripping with baroque details. Bob got yelled at for taking photos of the beautiful wood inlays but couldn't resist! The huge kitchen was fabulous and my favorite part of the tour. Giant tables where the monks prepared their food and ate together and the colorful ceramic tile covered oven in the center of the room were quite wonderful.
Our favorite part of the complex was a gorgeous marble staircase, a sort of atrium with openings that afforded views of the countryside, like giant landscape paintings framed in white marble. It was definitely worth the trip and we all learned something about this religious order and the influence it had and the way these monks lived, lives, we think that were structured and peaceful, but not exactly Spartan.
The drive around the Cilento Coast, as always, was filled with beautiful views. The Cilento Coast has rugged cliffs and little bays with gorgeous beaches. The day was getting late and we headed for Sapri, a walk along the Lungomare and a gelato and we even ran into a couple of other Brits who told us they have a house nearby in Maratea and wished us all well as we headed back towards Salerno and home! We stopped a few times to enjoy the views and watched as the setting sun lit the sky with streaks of pink and red.
By the time we arrived back in Vietri it was well past 8pm and we parked the car and walked up to the Locanda where Ferdinando welcomed us warmly and served yet another scrumptious meal of – they enjoyed his fresh fish caught that very day in the waters off the coast of Vietri: polipo (octopus), seppie (cuttlefish), calamari (squid) and gamberi (prawns). As always when friends share a meal the wine and the conversation flowed easily and we all stopped to enjoy the view of the glittering port of Salerno as we rounded the curve towards our apartment halfway between the sea and the city and returned to talk about what would do in the morning before they headed off for Umbria.
In the morning we walked down to the sea and shared a coffee and cornetti at Martine’s bar and sat outside and enjoying the lovely weather. We took a little walk around centro, peeking into the ceramics shops but as it was still early many were still closed. We showed them our little Duomo, not too exciting, but there is one lovely old altar piece that appears to be from the Middle Ages. I always enjoy the little piazza in front of the church and the beautiful majolica tile decorations on the façade.
By 11am they were on the road again and we were left waving goodbye with promises all around to visit again, whether in Umbria, Britain or the states and we hope we can all keep these promises. This is the hardest part of leaving here. We have made so many wonderful friends that we will hope to see again. We have extended many invitations for them to come visit us in America and hope they know we are serious and look forward to showing them around and returning some of the favors shown to us during this incredible sojourn we have been living.
Now I must close. Jessica leaves here tomorrow after spending two weeks with us. We have tried our best to show her all the important stuff and have been on the go literally every day in this quest. Today we plan another day in Naples and look forward to seeing some things even we haven’t seen yet so it should be fun. The day after tomorrow we will get on a plane and fly to Sicily for five days to visit with our friends there, a happy thought and one we hadn’t anticipated doing until a few weeks ago when Giovanna called and invited us. The last 10 days will be spent without a car (we sold ours and will return the rental when we bring Jessica back to the airport) so we will be as we were in the beginning of this trip, taking buses and walking (not that we haven’t continued to do that!). We will keep attending our ceramica lessons and walking on the beach. The weather has warmed up now, the flowers are blooming and the trees are turning green. The tourists are returning too as we have seen many more busloads on the Amalfi Coast road. It is coming time for us to leave and I am filled with so many emotions I can barely sleep these days. Sad to go, looking forward to returning. I have felt this way each time we have moved in these past two years, from Phoenix to Perugia to Marina di Ragusa to Verona to here and now on to Delaware. How will we ever say goodbye this time???
Rosemary & Roberto
After a lovely string of emails with our friends Janet and Stephen in the U.K. and much deliberation about whether we could afford to go there for a visit, to see them as well as some of our other friends, we decided we just could not put it all together and so Janet and Stephen, who own a place in Umbria, said they would just come here to see us before we left for America. They planned to fly into Naples from Stanstead, rent a car and then, after visiting with us, drive up to San Feliciano to spend some time in their home there before returning to England. We met them when we were living in Perugia. Janet had corresponded with me through the “Expats in Italy” website originally and she had enjoyed reading the blog and I always enjoyed her very amusing and always entertaining emails about her life in Great Britain. She and her husband Stephen are about our age with grown kids and grandkids and share the love of living in Italy, travel in general, gardens, history and the like. They were anticipating coming to stay in their newly acquired property when we were living in Perugia and we finally met face to face at an Expats gathering there. They found a book I had mentioned on the blog (I wrote about this when it happened) and brought it to me as a gift, a very touching and thoughtful thing to do. We have been friends ever since then and keep in touch via periodic emails. They have had a busy past year with family responsibilities that included the death of her father and the birth of a new grandchild, among other things. They had planned to visit us in each of the places we've lived and promised to do it before we returned to the states. Time was running out! It was just a short weekend but it meant a lot to us that they went to all the trouble to come all the way down here. Perugia and Lago Trasimeno are several hours’ drive from the Amalfi Coast.
All day we anticipated their arrival! We had expected them to call when they arrived in Naples so that we could walk up to centro and greet them. But they had had some difficulties getting out of the airport (not a surprise, the area around the airport is quite crazy to navigate) and never managed to be able to call. We began to worry that they had missed their flight or had some other difficulties. When they finally called it was from the piazza in Vietri and we scurried uphill to meet them. By this time it was late and raining and the Locanda, where we had planned to go for dinner was closed! Plan B was to go downhill to Butera, where we sometimes have a pizza. It seems like a chain restaurant but the people are always friendly and the pizza is good. We don't have to go far from our apartment and if we are lazy on the way home from a day's travels, it's easier to park the car in Marina than up in Vietri. It didn't disappoint. They were still open and we all ate a hearty meal. They were quite tired by that time and everyone went off to bed. It's been nice having a spare bedroom for our guests, affording them more privacy than just the sofa bed we had in Verona and in Perugia.
The weather report was iffy for the next day. It had rained for a few days with more expected. Our plan had been to take the ferry to Procida and spend the day exploring that island. But we were all worried that it might not be the best idea if it rained since the sea would be rough and the boat ride less than pleasant. Our friends Marco and Annalisa from Perugia (originally from Naples) had written to us only days before suggesting we visit the Certosa di San Lorenzo in Padula, in southern Campania before we left this area and everyone thought this was a better idea. We consulted our maps and books and the internet for opening times, locations and what have you and planned to rise early and go straight there. Afterwards we could drive a short distance along the Cilento Coast. They had never been to this part of Italy and were excited to see it.
Up early, a simple breakfast and coffee and we were off. The day started off a bit overcast but the promised rain did not come and we were happy to be able to wander around without need of umbrellas. With the help of our GPS system, Padula and the Certosa were relatively easy to find. Stephen offered to drive and Bob navigated, allowing Janet and I to sit in the back seat and enjoy the scenery and catch up a bit on each other's lives. The views are breathtaking all around driving through the interior of southern Campania and we really enjoyed the drive. Unfortunately there was also a bit of roadwork that slowed us down and the drive took longer than anticipated.
The Certosa itself was lovely. A huge complex of buildings and our research told us that the Certosa, or "Charterhouse" in English, is a Carpathian monastery, with the Carpathian monks being a very wealthy but extremely strict, cloistered religious sect who spend their lives in silence and prayer and tending their individual and communal gardens. This particular Certosa is no longer an active one, but more of a museum, while many are still active around the world. It was fascinating to see the various rooms and private apartments as well as the enormous cloister with the city of Padula directly behind it, climbing up the hill. The basic structure of the monastery was begun in the 14th century but as with so many of these buildings, over the centuries it underwent many changes and the Baroque decorations definitely were added on with abandon. The chapel was especially glittering with gold and dripping with baroque details. Bob got yelled at for taking photos of the beautiful wood inlays but couldn't resist! The huge kitchen was fabulous and my favorite part of the tour. Giant tables where the monks prepared their food and ate together and the colorful ceramic tile covered oven in the center of the room were quite wonderful.
Our favorite part of the complex was a gorgeous marble staircase, a sort of atrium with openings that afforded views of the countryside, like giant landscape paintings framed in white marble. It was definitely worth the trip and we all learned something about this religious order and the influence it had and the way these monks lived, lives, we think that were structured and peaceful, but not exactly Spartan.
The drive around the Cilento Coast, as always, was filled with beautiful views. The Cilento Coast has rugged cliffs and little bays with gorgeous beaches. The day was getting late and we headed for Sapri, a walk along the Lungomare and a gelato and we even ran into a couple of other Brits who told us they have a house nearby in Maratea and wished us all well as we headed back towards Salerno and home! We stopped a few times to enjoy the views and watched as the setting sun lit the sky with streaks of pink and red.
By the time we arrived back in Vietri it was well past 8pm and we parked the car and walked up to the Locanda where Ferdinando welcomed us warmly and served yet another scrumptious meal of – they enjoyed his fresh fish caught that very day in the waters off the coast of Vietri: polipo (octopus), seppie (cuttlefish), calamari (squid) and gamberi (prawns). As always when friends share a meal the wine and the conversation flowed easily and we all stopped to enjoy the view of the glittering port of Salerno as we rounded the curve towards our apartment halfway between the sea and the city and returned to talk about what would do in the morning before they headed off for Umbria.
In the morning we walked down to the sea and shared a coffee and cornetti at Martine’s bar and sat outside and enjoying the lovely weather. We took a little walk around centro, peeking into the ceramics shops but as it was still early many were still closed. We showed them our little Duomo, not too exciting, but there is one lovely old altar piece that appears to be from the Middle Ages. I always enjoy the little piazza in front of the church and the beautiful majolica tile decorations on the façade.
By 11am they were on the road again and we were left waving goodbye with promises all around to visit again, whether in Umbria, Britain or the states and we hope we can all keep these promises. This is the hardest part of leaving here. We have made so many wonderful friends that we will hope to see again. We have extended many invitations for them to come visit us in America and hope they know we are serious and look forward to showing them around and returning some of the favors shown to us during this incredible sojourn we have been living.
Now I must close. Jessica leaves here tomorrow after spending two weeks with us. We have tried our best to show her all the important stuff and have been on the go literally every day in this quest. Today we plan another day in Naples and look forward to seeing some things even we haven’t seen yet so it should be fun. The day after tomorrow we will get on a plane and fly to Sicily for five days to visit with our friends there, a happy thought and one we hadn’t anticipated doing until a few weeks ago when Giovanna called and invited us. The last 10 days will be spent without a car (we sold ours and will return the rental when we bring Jessica back to the airport) so we will be as we were in the beginning of this trip, taking buses and walking (not that we haven’t continued to do that!). We will keep attending our ceramica lessons and walking on the beach. The weather has warmed up now, the flowers are blooming and the trees are turning green. The tourists are returning too as we have seen many more busloads on the Amalfi Coast road. It is coming time for us to leave and I am filled with so many emotions I can barely sleep these days. Sad to go, looking forward to returning. I have felt this way each time we have moved in these past two years, from Phoenix to Perugia to Marina di Ragusa to Verona to here and now on to Delaware. How will we ever say goodbye this time???
Rosemary & Roberto
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Janet and Stephen visit from the UK & more 3.11.07
We had a lovely visit from our friends Janet and Stephen that I need to tell you about and we are so behind in our writing! They arrived on February 21 and left on the 23rd – a very brief visit but we had a great time. We went down to see the Certosa in Padula and took a drive along the Cilento Coast. I will write more about that later but wanted to be sure to post at least that much at this point. We want to post some photos and to tell them what a wonderful time we had with them. The day they left, we had our anniversary dinner party, then we met Emma and started ceramics lessons, sold our car, made plans to receive our furniture when we arrive at home on April 5th, in addition to researching cell phone and internet providers, insurance companies and rental car agencies, packed two bags for Jessica to take back to Milwaukee with her, welcomed our daughter for another visit and been on the go every day with her since she arrived on the 1st! There has not been a moment to spare but we wanted to at least put this much out there.
We’ve received a couple of very nice comments on the blog recently that I wanted to mention and thank those people for their kind words. It is always a pleasure to know that people are out there reading and enjoying what we have to say and to show. So thanks for that.
Now it’s 6:15 in the morning and I need to get going. Today we plan to visit Cumae and Baia and need to get an early start. We have had a practically non-stop time with Jessica but enjoy having her here so much. We just wish our son Chris could have been able to join us as well but with his new responsibilities as a daddy, that wasn’t possible. We spoke to our little granddaughter Kyla last week who had a wonderful visit to the zoo and told us all about seeing the brand new baby goats and the peacock who got “bigger and bigger and BIGGER!” We can’t wait to get home and enjoy these sorts of things with her, so we are very grateful to have much to look forward to.
Thanks again for coming along with us. These next weeks will be quite full. Jessica leaves on the 14th and on the 15th we will fly to Sicily for 5 days. Then we are definitely in the “Home” stretch!
Buona giornata,
Rosemary & Bob
We’ve received a couple of very nice comments on the blog recently that I wanted to mention and thank those people for their kind words. It is always a pleasure to know that people are out there reading and enjoying what we have to say and to show. So thanks for that.
Now it’s 6:15 in the morning and I need to get going. Today we plan to visit Cumae and Baia and need to get an early start. We have had a practically non-stop time with Jessica but enjoy having her here so much. We just wish our son Chris could have been able to join us as well but with his new responsibilities as a daddy, that wasn’t possible. We spoke to our little granddaughter Kyla last week who had a wonderful visit to the zoo and told us all about seeing the brand new baby goats and the peacock who got “bigger and bigger and BIGGER!” We can’t wait to get home and enjoy these sorts of things with her, so we are very grateful to have much to look forward to.
Thanks again for coming along with us. These next weeks will be quite full. Jessica leaves on the 14th and on the 15th we will fly to Sicily for 5 days. Then we are definitely in the “Home” stretch!
Buona giornata,
Rosemary & Bob
Ceramic Lessons (below, making a box)
With guidance from Andrea (pictured here with me) and his wife Lucia, Bob and I made a couple of bowls (sort of like the first day of Kindergarten!), a square box and a round one. We learned how to work the clay with our hands and then to roll it out with a big rolling pin. It was so much fun. Their home/studio is on the side of a cliff and looks out to the sea.
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