Cups

  We run a pretty tight ship around the house in the mornings. Wake up way too early, get coffee going, make lunch, do the stretches, hit the beach path for an hour of serious walking... not much time to just kick back and relax before rushing out the door to work. The coffee gets short shrift most mornings. So sad. 

  Sad, because I really love the whole coffee ritual. I like to fill the kettle with water, grind the luscious smelling beans, heat the milk up...yeah, it's only 1%, but I still enjoy it. We have stayed true to the paper filter in the cone system, going back and forth between the two cups. Mmmmm. No fancy machines or anything. What can I say. It works for us. On our "sleep late" day, when we blow off stretching and walking and don't have to go to work, we have our cups in bed, reading art, travel or food magazines. Luxury!

  Sometimes I'll get out the silver Bialetti espresso maker on our days off for an afternoon pick-me-up.

We'll put extra hot milk and even sugar in these special treat cups. Funny, because when we are in Italy, we only use the Bialetti.... Most places we've rented have them, and they even have a cute little tiny gas ring on the stovetop just for this purpose. It cracked me up the first time I saw one of these. Cute little gas ring thingy!

   A massive difference when we are in Italy, is that we drink cappuccinos in the morning with lots of milk and sugar, and we'll throw espresso back any old time of the day. Morning, noon, night. I think we walk so much while on our trips that no matter what, I'm going to sleep like a log. And dream. We'll stop in to the local bar in each and every town we visit, knowing that the cups are always going to be like heaven. Often we'll go native and stand at the bar just long enough to throw back one shot of espresso. Boom, and we're gone. Other times, it's a long rest or a chance to chat with the locals, or other travelers. I like to catch up on my journal writing over a cup, too. Johnny sketches while sitting outside, gazing into the everyday life of the piazza. Sweet.

These beauties were enjoyed by my folks and us in Certaldo, Tuscany. We were there for a local festival
celebrating all the local food and hand crafted products.

Two shots of cups in Venice, while writing post cards...

  We know it almost always costs more to sit outside and be waited on, but when the town center or piazza is active with kids kicking soccer balls, moms with strollers, grandmas gossiping on benches and cats, it's totally worth it. If the sun is shining, all the better. The slice of life you get to enjoy is worth the extra charge every time. And don't get me started about the pleasure I get when the bells go off at whatever church is close by. And there's always a church nearby. I get all teary eyed just writing about it. Damn.

Macchiato in Rome, from what I can see on the map.

At our favorite Bar Gallo in Panicale, Umbria.
For me, a cappuccino is breakfast.

Espresso at Caffe Degli Artisti in Cortona, Tuscany.
The dolci were on the house and yummy.

  For the price of a candy bar here in the states we can sit for hours if we want, sipping our cups, enjoying whatever show may be unfolding before us. One of these days I will learn that I can do this right here, at home... why don't I? Seems there is always something that needs to be done right now that keeps me from taking the time to relax. The clothes need washing, the garden needs tending, the groceries need buying, the house needs cleaning...I NEED RELAXING. 

  But, hey, that's what vacation is for, right? You better believe it.

Two photos after the fact...Assisi on top, and I think Venice is the second.

Our morning treat in Paciano, after walking from Panicale.
Then the long way back!

An Umbrian Lunch 3

  Well, I'm getting down to the last meals we had "out" on our trip to Umbria this past March. That means one thing, and one thing only. Time to book another trip and get back there, PRONTO! Why, I do believe I hear Panicale calling right now. 

  One thing I have learned whilst fooling around with this little bloggy, is to get better at the picture taking- especially with food. Admittedly, many of the photos are pretty dang good, but the food shots are all about the lighting. There are a few meals that sadly won't ever make it to the blog simply because the food looks so icky. It wasn't, but without proper lighting, even the best Trattoria meal looks awful. The camera I use is just a regular little digital thing, nothing fancy.... and I don't want to get all fancy. What I have realized is that it's always good to sit near a window to get that natural light. Since we like to go out to lunch, this works well.

 This was the case with the restaurant I'm writing about today. This place was a trip - no lights on at all in the dining room. So Italian, to be saving on the electric bill. I love this. But the restaurant had big windows along the back wall, so it was bright back there. Perfecto for photos.

  We were told about Locanda di Sanfatucchio by Aldo, the ever informative owner of Bar Gallo, in Panicale. He explained to us that they were known for great pizzas, and he would get one "to go" every week to eat at home while he and his wife watched a favorite weekly TV show. I was craving pizza ever since we had eaten at Pizzaria Remo ( see the post "Pizza in Rome", April ). Weeks in Umbria, and we'd only had pizza once. So we decided to give it a try. First time was a bust, closed! We persevered, and a few days later, on an overcast day, we score.

  As we entered, we thought it was closed again, but it was just dark, because of the "no lights on" situation. Also, we were the only customers. There was an elegantly dressed man that came forward to greet us, and lead us to a table near the back windows, fortunately. He was also the waiter, of course. We looked over the menu, feeling a little odd...it was dark, no one around, just a big old flat screen TV with soccer playing...kind of spooky. No English spoken here, that was for sure. And the main guy was a little intimidating, too.

  But wait.... no pizza until after 17:00! Man, I was bummed! Ah, well, several options for vegetarians that looked good, so we decide to stay. Besides, that waiter was freaking me out. Best thing to do at a time like this? Order a bottle of the local white Grechetto, certamente! We ordered an appetizer plate of mixed veggie bruschetta, as always, a mixed salad and a platter of grilled veg, and just one plate of the awesome sounding risotto with asparagus and spring peas to share. The waiter wasn't too happy about the idea of us sharing a plate, but we knew it would be enough.

  What happened next was classic. Instead of turning the order into the kitchen, he went straight to the phone and made a quick call. Don't ask me how or why I noticed this, but I did. We were served our wine, and a little basket of bread... we were most content, watching the big TV, and the trains passing by in the distance. Nice. After about 10 minutes, a car zooms into the parking lot and in rushes an older woman, waving "buongiorno!" to us as she drops her purse behind the counter and ties on an apron! The phone call was obviously to the chef, sitting at home "on call" during this off season day. Looked like she could have been the waiter's mamma, for sure. The food was so good, we went back a few days later and ordered twice as much! As for pizza, well, next year we will have to go back after 5 to check out that scene.

  Ristorante Pizzeria Locanda di Sanfatucchio, located on Viale Lombardia 3, Sanfatucchio, Umbria close to Castiglione del Lago. Yeah, no website.

  

  

Mixed plate of bruscetta- tomato; olive oil and garlic; soft cheese with truffle;
porcini puree; strange, delightful creamy one with carrots and peas

Porcini puree and the creamy one. This was the only time we had this creamy variety... carrots, peas and potato.
I enjoy the simple, unsalted bread of this area... perfect for the salty, savory toppings.

Now I am hungry. Asparagus risotto served in a parmesan bowl. Perfectly beautiful grilled veg, salad.
Basta.

Mmmmm...gots to have a close up of this... So pretty.

And a close up of this, too... Love the glistening olive oil. Oh, yum.

 As I mentioned, we went back a second time, and each ordered the risotto, plus the beautiful green beans, so simple with olive oil and lemon. And Grechetto. This made our now friendly waiter very happy, indeed! We will absolutely return for lunch, and can not wait to see what they do with pizza.

Mangia, Mangia!

I Love Paris

  I know what you're thinking... Janelle, you're all about Italy, right? True, true... but I love Paris. My first trip to Europe was not that long ago, and it was to Paris.
 We arrived on March 19th, 2003. The day the U.S. bombed the crap out of the Presidential Palace in Baghdad in what was dubbed "Operation Iraqi Freedom". You remember.. it was when everyone was pouring French wines down the drain, and who could forget "freedom" fries? The U.S. was "Country non-grata", or so we thought, because of our invasion of Iraq and France's disapproval of our actions.
  I thought we would be spat upon, and have tomatoes thrown at us, all that sort of thing. On the contrary, of course. The people we came in contact with were kind, helpful, interested in what we had to say. We didn't have any problems at all. No one was rude or nasty to us. It was a fantastic first trip.
  Who knows what would have happened if things had gone another way. They didn't, and we have been back to Paris several times. Johnny would love to relocate to the City of Lights right this moment, in fact. He's all about the cheese and baguettes, man. Oh, and the fantastic light... I love the light, too. The unreal quality of the light. Sometimes, when I'm feeling blue, I think about the trees along the Seine, the way the sun hits the leaves. It's one of those images I hold very close.
   I just came across a bunch of discs with photos from trips we took to Paris and Italy a few years ago. It's better than Christmas morning as a kid, for me. Below are pictures that capture some of what I love about Paris. Still waiting to go back, and we do need to take in the south of France one of these years.     For now, I'll enjoy these pictures and have some champagne.

The boat guy in the Jardin des Tuileries 

Kids hire the boats for a half hour and push them around with long bamboo poles.
Very old school. So colorful.

Windmill in Montmartre, with bird, and purple blooming tree.

The sky is what knocks me out. Pont Neuf.

Pretty.

These are the trees I dream about, with the sun just so.

Giant looming tower. I love how it totally dwarfs you as you get closer and closer.

Lovely cobbled street in Montmartre. Rue Lapin, I think.

He's saying "Now do you believe me?"
 Springtime in Paris.

This guy was painting a very nifty scene on the side of a falafal joint in the Marais.

Sweet street art.

A typical corner market.

Luscious produce.

Bakery yumminess.

All sorts of iron work in one small picture. This is such a Paris scene.

Me And Art 2

  We live a life surrounded by art. We all do. Sometimes it's more obvious than other times, but just take the time to pop into a local museum or gallery every once in a while to remind yourself. The more you expose yourself to art in these types of venues, the more you will notice that art is all around us, all the time.

  Art is, of course, highly subjective. My tastes run the gamut, but I especially respond to color, texture, sound and even humor, in many cases. As long as there is something to respond to, please. I try not to be too critical (if I see one more freaking wave crashing at sunset....), because there should be something for everyone, I guess (did I really just write that?). 

  This being said, here are some more examples of favorites from the '07 & '09 Venice Biennale(s?).      As in my first post about "Me & Art 1", I (cheeks blushing with shame) don't have all the names of the artists. These are just more pieces that made a lasting impression on me.

From 2007  Artist:Leon Ferrari
One of the first things we saw...

   Below are 3 works that I just loved... I think they were ink on paper. Super tiny, detailed images. The one in the middle is a detail of a much larger piece that was an entire little world of bitty people walking, sleeping, sitting... very cool. Plus, I love how they have been folded, and still have the creases.

Cars on the road

Little people living little lives.

Birds flying

 Ok, these sculptures below, by Austrian artist Franz West appeal hugely to the adolescent boy that lives just below the surface of my middle aged lady skin.
  I'll let you figure out why.

I mean, come on, what's not to love?
Plus, these were gigantic.

 This sculpture below was one of several kinetic pieces. The movement in this one allowed the figures to meld into each other, over and over again. There was lovely music playing, too

  German artist, Sigmar Polke, is a favorite of mine. These were really great, and I loved how you could see through to the structure of the stretcher bars that held the painting surface. I have to admit, I really wanted to tap on these to see what they would sound like. The painting surface was like skin on a drum. I resisted. Sigh. So many temptations in the art world.

Two fantastic and giant sized  Sigmar Polke paintings.
I'm pretty sure they were done on some kind of mylar or resin, not canvas. 

  In one of the main pavilions, there was a sort of hall way that you walked through, covered in "blackboard". Artist Dan Perjovschi from Bucharest, Romania did his thing here, in chalk. He is known for covering spaces with his drawings and cultural comments. These photos show a very small portion of the entire piece. The walls and ceiling were covered...

Perfect for the Biennale!

So simple, so true...

  The Italian Pavilion featured Georg Baselitz and the deceased Emilio Vedova in 2007. Below are a couple of the Baselitz paintings that I really liked. When we returned in 2009, we were pleased to see that there is now an entire museum dedicated to Vedova. I especially like the simple black palette and super looseness of the paint.

Georg Baselitz

     

More Baselitz. Love these.

                                        

  Ok, this installation below is by a Polish artist, Monika Sosnowska. It was in the Polish pavilion in 2007.  I think this was about architecture that fails, or is done in an absurd way... It's sort of the frame of a house, smashed into the too small space of the room. I remember walking all through it and loving the idea of it.

Of course, I wanted to climb all over it, but sadly my grown-up self intervened. Damn.

                                     

  Also from the Polish pavilion, this bizarre and wonderful installation of bags of cement, slowly leaking out onto the floor. I think the thing that captured me was the stain of the cement on the wall. I just really liked this one. I don't remember what was going on with the videos. I'm sure it was an important element of the piece, but it was the cement bags that got me.

                        

          

            

  From the Romanian pavilion, the work below really stuck with me. It's a loomed decorative wall rug. The artist is Cristi Pogacean, and it refers to "The Abduction of the Harem", a popular motif used on Romanian wall hangings. Of course, this image is a rif on a photo from the TV news of Romanian journalists and their Islamic captors. 

  What is not to adore about this lovely little boat on a sea of colored glass shards. It was filled with water, and it rocked slowly back and forth. It was in a small room, all by itself, in the middle of the garden area. There was also beautiful, haunting music. I could have stayed and stared at it all day. It totally mesmerized me.

                                

  Are you still with me? Almost done... 

  The final two images are from artist Aaron Demetz, in the Italian pavilion, 2009. The sculptures are each carved from one piece of hardwood, then dripped with sap, I think. There were several of them,  

and they were at least life-sized. With the low lighting, and the far off stares in their eyes, they mad a big impression...

Kind of scary, mostly serene

Seen in full, these were truly amazing sculptures.

  Well, that was a fun re-visit to the biennale, for me anyway. We don't know if 2011 is in the cards for us, but we'll keep swinging, and who knows?

  The Venice Biennale runs through November 27th, in case you are so lucky to find yourself in the area.

                                      

In Florence

  The first time we went to Florence, we were with my Mom and Dad. We were staying together for several days in a great place they had rented. We had planned to travel some on our own, and then spend  some quality time together before heading back home to the states. 

  We had been in Paris for a week, and took the night train to Florence. It was great. I booked a sleeper, and though it was near impossible to sleep, the experience is one I will never forget. As I dozed at one point in the upper bunk, Johnny whispered from below "are you awake? Look out the window..." I could see we were passing by a lake, with snow capped mountains all around. The moon must have been close to full, because the reflection on the water was magic. All around the lake were the tiny lights of small villages along the shore. We were going through the alps, of course, on our way into Italy.

  After being picked up at the station by M&D(hugs, hugs.... in Italy! Together!), and settling into our new digs with the parents, we just chilled for a day or two, taking short drives to nearby villages for all the best goodies. To this day, 7 years later, Johnny still waxes poetic about the alimentari in Inno... he can still see the classic little nonna bringing out a "fresh from the oven" focaccia, salted and glistening with olive oil. Honestly, he would hop on a plane this instant for that focaccia. Also, the donkey outside.

  We took off on our own for awhile, but came back to Villa Lysis and my folks, to spend the last of our trip with them. That's when we went to Florence the first time. I still can't believe how well my Dad drove around that place. It's intimidating enough for us on the back country roads, but he knew how to get in and out of Florence... and where to park. Fortunately, Florence is a great walking town, and you can easily get to most of the big sights on foot, once you've parked. 

  The day we spent with M&D in Florence, they took us to one of their favorite places, Osteria Bella Donna, on Via Bella Donna not too far from the train station. We had a fabulous lunch together. I remember a raw zucchini salad that just killed. The zucchini had been grated, salted, and tossed in a simple vinegar and oil.. we have tried to recreate this, but no can do. 

  We always go back to Bella Donna, and it is now a fave of ours, too. We had dinner our first night in Florence on this past trip in March, and loved it like always. Sadly, the photos are just horrid. The lighting was way too low for good food shots... next time we'll do lunch instead of dinner, or sit outside. I will be happy to share it then. I did enjoy a wonderful raw artichoke salad. Thin, thin slices of small artichokes, simply tossed with olive oil and lemon, served with slices of pecorino on a bed of arugula. Yum. Tri-colored pasta with porcini, of course. Very tasty. Perfect. Johnny had arugula topped with slices of soft Toma cheese and pine nuts. His pasta was pici with artichokes and a little cream sauce. Shockingly, he ordered a side dish of roasted potatoes. I jest. Johnny is a man who loves his carbs. It was all so good!

  The next night, our very last night in Italy, 2011(so far, that is... it's only August...), we stumbled onto a restaurant that we now know to be really popular. We had spent the day climbing The Dome, shopping for dried porcini and candies to bring home, going to Johnny's favorite art store Zecchi, and hiking over the Arno to see the views from the Piazzale Michelangiolo. We had a great time hoofing it all over town, seeing all we could, stopping for espresso and vino, taking in our final hours of a five week adventure to end all adventures. It was April 1st, the weather was sweet, sweet, and we were just filled up with it all. 

  As the afternoon wore on, we took time to walk back to our hotel to freshen up, and headed back over the Ponte Vecchio and into the Oltrarno district. The other side of the river. I had read about the Piazza Santo Spirito, and wanted to just check it out. On the way, we spotted another tiny piazza, Piazza della Passera. There wasn't much to it but a couple of cafes and a gelateria. We stopped and had a glass of wine at the very tiny, charming Caffe  degli Artigiani. Sitting outside, it was just warm enough and we had fun people watching. 

Small, local, and totally buzzing! Outdoor seating around the side, on the right.

I just love the Italian bar scene! Small, but mighty.

  We finished our wine and moved on to the larger, and quite lovely, Piazza Santo Spirito. It wasn't very far. There were loads of people around, some young folk playing guitars, little kids riding tricycles and kicking balls, the usual bench of Nonne.... it was probably one of the first nice evenings of the season. Everyone was out and about. We liked it. We sat for a long time watching these two "carbinieri" (police), one a young woman, the other a young man. They were having the best time chatting with each other, and everyone who stopped by. It was classic. I imagined they must be talking about food, because of the hands moving this way and that, and all the smiles and laughing. Tough, tough job. Great uniforms, too.
  After yet another glass of wine, we walked around, but I didn't take to any of the trattorias in this piazza... in fact, I think there was a little fight over it. But I just knew I wanted to go back to the tiny piazza we had been to earlier. Back we went, and we were lucky we did. We did not have a reservation, but we still got an outside table at Trattoria 4 Leoni, in Piazza della Passera. We were lucky. It was totally booked, and not too many people wanted to eat outside, as it had cooled down a lot. We were happy, had sweaters, and there were tables. No Problem! The outside quickly filled with other people like us that didn't have reservations.. Who knew? We had found a most popular and well loved gem. Lucky us.

The entry.

  Scoping out the menu, which was only in Italian... very good sign... I found several tempting dishes to try. Johnny was craving pasta with red sauce, simple, no cream, no mushrooms, just plain old red sauce. Other than that, he let me order.  

  A carafe of house white, thank you, and I had a plate of grilled vegetables with house made burrata, still slightly warm. To - Die - For. The veg were grilled perfectly, still a little crunchy, but grill marks of caramelized goodness. I loved that there was raddicchio. All were seasoned just right. Creamy burrata heaven.

I kid you not, I ate every bite on this plate. Hey, we walked MILES that day.

  For Johnny, I ordered an amazing salad- chunks of avocado and caciotta (a mild Italian cheese) served in a beautiful cabbage leaf with spinich and arugula, drizzled with a pesto dressing and topped with pine nuts. Johnny loved it, and I think he even ate the cabbage. The house wine was just great.

Isn't this pretty?

  For my main dish, I had gnudi. Gnudi are kind of like gnocchi, but little or no potato. There are different kinds, too. These were made with ricotta cheese and spinich. Probably an egg to bind them. A little nutmeg in the seasoning. They are very carefully brought to an almost boil, so they don't fall apart while they cook. These were gently tossed in butter and sage. What is not to like? Nothing. I loved my  gnudi!

Let's get gnudi!

  As he asked for, Johhny had a very simple penne pasta with a perfectly made pomodoro sauce. He was as happy as he could be.

Simple, and it looks really good right now. Think I'll be making pasta this weekend....

  Since it was our last night and all, we had to have a little treat. No, not sweet, that would be later. We both spied the "carciofi fritti" on the menu as a side, and could not resist fried artichokes, especially after seeing plates of them going by to other tables. These were dee-vine. I don't know how they did it, but these were really crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Not crispy, crunchy. And creamy. Oh, and just a little salty. The triumvirate of food I crave the most. I want a plate of them right here, right now. I'm not kidding. And none of those ridiculous dipping sauces. Just nutty, rich artichoke flavor to enjoy.

Do these look good, or what?

  It was a perfect meal to end a perfect trip, and one we won't forget. As the night went on, the piazza kicked into gear and really came to life. Loads of families were out, kids running around with gelato from the fantastic gelateria across the way. Young people hanging around the bar we had stopped at earlier in the evening, with music playing just loud enough to make you feel really vital. We sat enjoying and soaking in the scene for a little while. We realized there were customers yet to get tables, and asked for "il conto, per favore". 

  After paying, we scooted over to the gelateria ourselves, but the door was now closed. Madonna! What a tease! Oh, wait... the young scooper had just popped over to the bar for a moment, and was soon back behind the counter, with a line quickly forming. We wanted in, so in we joined. The little bitties in line had a heck of a time deciding on which flavors to get, so why not two? It was good fun, all around. And it seemed like a real neighborhood scene, too. I love how families are out at ten, eleven at night, with the kids. Just hangin' in the piazza, with everyone else from the neighborhood. All the parents keeping eyes on all the kids. All the kids running around like bitty demons. 

  As for the sweet treat? If I remember, I had my favorite, hazlenut. Of course it was fantabulous. Johhny loved his pistachio.  Honestly, next time you are in Florence, spend an evening in the Oltrarno, and especially in Piazza della Passera. A little heaven on earth.

Gelateria della Passera. A must. All hand made, seasonal and small batch.

  We didn't want to go back to the hotel, because that would mean our trip was over. So, we walked back over the Arno, through Piazza della Repubblica, all around the Cathedral and Dome. Just squeezing every last moment out of this last night. The lights at night make it all so dreamy and golden. We did come across a wonderful, last night sort of scene at like, midnight.... from the side entrance of the Cathedral, in a long line, were all these black clad and hooded figures, heads downcast, hands clasped together, walking slowly and silently up the steps and into another door across the way. Not scary, just solemn. Who were they? No idea. But it was an excellent way to say good night to one of the world's great cities.