Fiori di Primavera (Flowers of Springtime)

  So.

  I haven't had a chance to write here in a very long time. 

  Between trying to get back into life at home here, catching up at work in the gallery, and a major family emergency, it's been tough to find the time or brain power to think straight enough to post anything.

  This being said, I've decided the very best thing I can do for my stressed out little pea brain is to take a little break and head back to Umbria for a spell. 

  At least through photos. A bunch of photos. Be warned, friends…

  I'm setting my "Way Back Machine" to March, April and May, 2014, if that's ok with you. 

  Springtime in Umbria means flowers….lots and lots of flowers...

  

  

I couldn't get over this amazing display.
Clematis Armandii in white & pink…very fragrant, too.

I see the white variety all the time, but the pink was a treat...

What a perfect spot for these very aggressive climbers!

 On our morning walks, I come across so many great little flower "vignettes". I try to have my little camera at all times, just in case there is something extra gorgeous…..

Wild violets that are so sweet. Here they just make a home in the walls.

Flowering quince are all over the place, but mostly in people's gardens.

We don't have forsythia in our neck of the woods,
so what luck to see them here in all their glory...

Yellow against the blue sky is perfection...

Seriously huge magnolia tree.
Another fragrance bomb.

Wild rose "hips" all around the hills near Panicale..

  There are some really great gardens that I try to get sneak-peaks of. It's nice that most places don't have fences, so you get a chance to take a closer look, get a good shot…

  This stone house, below, is one of my favorites. It was great watching spring happen in the garden here. This is near Panicale, along one of our usual routes for walking.

Lilacs do so well here. Sigh…I can't grow them at all where we live.
I love the color against the stone of the house.

Just down the road from the place in the photo above.
Another favorite garden, I like this pink and grey-green combo.

More lilacs, different area.

This little field between Panicale and Paciano changes so much
during our visits. This is perfection, to me. White with so many shades of green.

 We are always so surprised when the valley below Panicale fills with fog. Here, on the California coast, we're used to it. The few times we saw fog in Umbria, it was early in the morning, and it cleared out pretty fast. I kept waiting to hear seals or sea gulls….

  The real reason for this photo is the nice batch of white bearded iris. This is up at the old cemetery, near a favorite bench. There are lots of patches of purple iris around these hills, but this white group was a surprise.

A little magic above the fog line...

  

We took a ride out into an area about forty minutes away from Panicale to visit a couple of tiny hill towns that had been recommended to us by friends. It's always an adventure to drive down an untried "white road", but we were so glad we did. This little gem was worth it…

 I'm not telling where. It's a secret.

Orange calendula with some nice little flowering succulents. A great combination,
especially spilling over this stone wall.

Color and texture galore!

 

There are lots of wildflowers, of course.
  Some would say weeds…. but it's a pretty fine line between the two, and who gets to decide, anyway?
 

A fantastic patch of wild euphorbia, with a renegade white tulip popping through.
Nice.

Wild red poppies duking it out with "wild" sweet peas.
I like it.

I'm thinking these may not be wild…maybe a cover crop for some
added nitrogen…I saw them in the fields often this year.

"Morning walk" wild flowers, with a field stone I would love in my garden.
It could happen….

  I've done blogposts on the lovely wisteria before, and I just can't help myself…..I am a moth to the flame when it comes to wisteria.

  My favorite is right in Panicale. What's not to love about this gorgeousness, eh?

Purple & white deeeeeee-light.

In Deruta, next to the wonderful art supply store.
Very dreamy...

Just below our apartment. I loved watching these two battle it out.
Wisteria and a yellow banksia rose in full flush.

  All over the hills, I'll see where the wild clematis vines are starting to peek out. Either the new growth, or the finished seed heads left from the fall and winter. I never see them blooming, though. We leave too soon. I guess they are the very simple, small flowered white ones.
So…..
  What a mind blowing, stop short and back-up-the-car moment here. I had to take several photos of this one.

Wowza.

I've only seen these in gardening magazines, really.
This vine is in Pietrafitta, a nearby town.

Mmmmmmmmmm.

  On yet another outing, as always looking for painting inspiration, we came upon this field of poppies. 

  This is another one of those "are you kidding me?" sort of moments. 

  They happen a lot.

All together, now….
"Are you kidding me?"  Good job, people!

That's what I'm talkin' about...

 I know it's a cliche….but I still like it.

  We took the train down to Orvieto one day, which is sweet because it's only a short trip by train, and you don't need to deal with parking or driving after a nice lunch with wine… Super easy.
  We love Orvieto. It's big enough to go back to over and over, there are lots of places to stop for a bite or sip, and the Duomo is always a sight to behold. Plus, there is a great farmer's market, not to be missed.

  After a nice lunch at a favorite spot, we took a long stroll into the outer edges of this wonderful hill town. It must have been later in the trip, because there were beautiful roses blooming everywhere.
  I especially enjoyed the old rambling roses marching up, and cascading down the old walls….
 

Yummy.

Can I have this entire scene in my garden, please? Thank you.

A perfect color/texture thing going on here.

  So.

  I feel better, having escaped the world for couple of hours…it takes me a long time to do these posts, and I can get totally lost in them while I am working. It's good.

  The last couple of pictures are for my Mom.

A caper plant growing out of the wall in Panicale.
My Mom has tried soooo hard to grow her own capers…sadly they tend to poop out.
I guess these tough plants need their own special place.

The teeniest, tiniest Forget-Me-Nots in the whole world.
Just because this blue color reminds me of your eyes, Mom.

  I plan to keep on top of posting more often now…I have lots of photos, including Gnomes, Mirror Shots and loads of tasty food to write about.

  Forgive me if I seem to be missing in action….I sort of am.
  Family emergencies are quite the game changer.

  I just wish I really had a "Way Back Machine".

Old School in Napa Valley

  Man, it's been a wild, miles-laden Fall...... The New York exhaustion wasn't even over before we jumped in the car to visit Mom & Dad in Sonoma this week. Always fun, we try to get in a lunch or dinner out during our time together. Also, dominoes, cooking, drinking wine, a walk, a nap or two, etc.

  We have been going up the Sonoma Valley for our outings on the last few trips, so we decided to check out Napa Valley this time. There is nothing like the wine country in the Fall.... the vines are all in their massive glory, showing off autumn colors like they are on fire. So pretty... but what we really enjoyed was our first time to the Napa Valley Olive Oil Mfg. Company. What a fantastically cool place! Leave it to my folks to be all over this totally old school store. They were surprised we hadn't been there together before...

  It was funny, because we stopped earlier to check out the much ballyhooed Ox Bow Market, in Old Town Napa, and came out shaking our heads. Sure, it's nice, with all the "foodie" bells and whistles covered (for a price), but it was so over done, kind of cold, and just seemed to be trying too hard. I wanted to love it, but instead, I know I will most likely never be back. Sorry, dudes.

  On the other hand......

  In business since the early 30's, the family run Napa Valley Olive Oil Mfg. Co. is the real deal. They don't have to try to be "rustic" or "country", they just are what they have always been. One look around and you know this. There are thousands of business cards all over the walls, and hanging from the ceiling... Some from years and years ago, all faded and simple. An old poster of Lucca, shot from the air, hangs on one wall. Cement floors....

Loads of Italian specialty items on the shelves

  This isn't a big place, but it's packed with everything you would want from an Italian specialty store. They process their own olive oil and have shelves filled with all kinds of Italian goodies. There is a nice selection of cheeses as well as several types of cured meats and salami. Polenta in all it's forms, along with buckets of dried beans. Spices, farro, lentils....even little candies like Aunt Mary Alfieri gave us at Christmas time every year!

The cheese cooler

  We've all been wooed by the whole "foodie" trend and it's massive marketing.  I just love that this place runs rings around the upscale, overpriced and underwhelming "fancy" food stores in the area. You can not replicate this kind of operation.

Mmmmm...so great in risotto and with polenta, dried porcini on the right.

Small bottles or big jugs of the family olive oils....

  Though I am a vegetarian now, I can completely appreciate the sight and smell of a bunch of salami. As a kid, salami was always a staple around our house. The ever fragrant, powdery skinned logs - o - pork are still popular at all the family gatherings. I have a total, pure image of my big brother, David, standing at the kitchen counter slicing salami to put out on a platter for all. 

  As kids, we could not get enough. I loved how you would get a nice thick slice, and pull the casing off... it would be salty and peppery, with just enough fat to make you want to sigh. My favorite school lunch bag sandwich was salami and cheese, with sweet "bread and butter" pickle slices. Of course on white bread. 

No mistaking these bad boys.... just a gentle but tasty memory for this long time vegetarian...

  We had to get a couple of treats... Mom wanted some pancetta, and Johnny couldn't leave without a jar of pesto and a bottle of that fab olive oil. As for me, I was strongly tempted by the dry beans, the incredible variety of pastas and the red tins of amoretto cookies, but I resisted. Regrets?  Ab-so-lute-ly. Fortunately, there's always next time. And, oh... there will be a next time.

More shelves full of delightfulness.

  The place is pretty small, with a front room that includes the check out counter and the totally awesome workbench where they cut up meats and cheeses for you. In the second room, (watch your step) there are the 5 gallon plastic buckets of bulk dried beans and all the shelves of what not. And all covered in business cards, like I mentioned.

  When we were there, there were a couple of women working the front area. Johnny was able to try out a few of his known words in Italian..."Quanto Costo?" He was answered with a swift "Venti due". Man, did that make his day....

Front check out area with old school style meat and cheese slicing workbench.

  We had a grand time, and I will so look forward to another visit. Afterwards, it was off to lunch in St. Helena.... but that will be for another post here in Live Pronto land.

Pretty, eh? Check it out next time you are in the Napa Valley.

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.