Viaggio con Isabella

20 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Amici e Famiglia, Firenze, Italia, Photography, Travel

Tags

Firenze, Galleria degli Uffizi, Italy travel tips, Lucca, Milano, Monteriggioni, Oltrarno, Torre di Giotto, Vernazza, Viaggi in pultrona

One year ago I was just returning from Italia with my nipotina Isabella. Since we are not able to travel in real life, viaggiamo in pultrona, let’s armchair travel and revisit our trip.

A bit of backstory…when Isabella was about 8 years old, she saw a photo of me on the Ponte Vecchio and asked ‘Zia, where is this?’. I replied ‘Firenze’ and she asked if we could go there together one day. I was thrilled at the opportunity to share my love of Firenze with her, so of course I said ‘Si! We can go when you graduate’. We were delayed a few years due to scheduling issues, but last year in between Isabella finishing her university classes and starting a summer job, we managed to squeeze in a 2 week trip!

We flew to Firenze, where we rented a studio apartment in the Oltrarno for a week. It was in a renovated stone tower a short walk from the Ponte Vecchio and down a narrow alley from Piazza della Passera.

Chef Peppe Zullo, our amico from Orsara, was in town our first day. We met him at the Mercato Centrale where he and his son Michele had recently taken over a restaurant upstairs called Tosca.

We had prebooked only 1 museum-the Uffizi of course, for the Saturday so that Gaetano, our cugino in med school could join us. New Caravaggio rooms have opened since my last visit! I noticed many portraits of Anna Maria Luisa de Medici on display. We have her to thank for all of this! Isabella loved the Uffizi, not just for the artwork, also the building itself, so Gaetano suggested she visit Palazzo Pitti another day.

I am ‘vertically challenged’, which may be why I like to climb to the top of things, especially if there is a view involved. We climbed almost everything in Firenze, starting with a walk to Piazzale Michelangelo via Porta San Niccolò for views of the city, then continuing up to San Miniato al Monte. We climbed the dizzying narrow stairs to the top of Brunelleschi’s Duomo to see the views and the Torre Giotto. Another day we climbed the Torre Giotto and saw the Duomo! These climbs were vital to working off gelato! For more photos taken from above see Viste di Firenze.

We also enjoyed the view, modern art and caffè from la terrazza degli Uffizi. This is the title of one of my monotypes, so I had to throw that in there! The Aperol Spritz from the roof bar of La Rinascente in Piazza della Repubblica was the best I have had. With her new headband and puffy sleeves, Isabella looked like a Renaissance principessa enjoying a spritz!

We were on constant lookout for street art by Blub-even Gaetano when he was with us. The results of our Blub hunt are in the post L’arte sa Nuotare.

Isabella loves caffè. She started ordering caffè lungo because both times she ordered un americano, they repeated ‘American coffee’ and tried to serve her drip coffee! Mannaggia! What has the world come to! Caffe a Firenze We had caffè at a different place every morning, including Caffè degli Artigiani in Piazza della Passera, Bar d’ Angolo in Porta Romana, one of my old favourites I Dolci di Patrizio Cosi, and one place way too close to Ponte Vecchio. They were all wonderful! Isabella kept track of the cost of a cornetto and 2 caffè lunghi…..as expected, she found the price decreased and the quality increased the farther out we went! Valuable life lessons!

We joined 5 others on a lovely daytrip from San Gimignano to Siena with Piero of Bike Florence and Tuscany. The weather was ominous, either sprinkling or threatening to rain all day. Monteriggioni was a stop for wine tasting and we cycled parts of the Via Francigena. In Siena we had a few hours to explore the city and have Panforte.

The weather was not very warm for May. I think this is the first time I have ever packed a small umbrella, but glad I did! We had to dress in layers, or ‘a la cipolla’ as they say in italiano. Some evenings in Firenze, it seemed like we were wearing ALL of the clothes in our valigia! Despite this, we walked everywhere.

Here is our map –YES- a map-of where we walked. Maps of the city centre are great for getting oriented. It is much easier than trying to look at a GPS on a tiny phone screen. We did not have time to take the bus to Fiesole or get to L’Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David or attend Mass at Santa Croce. Isabella will definitely need to get back to Firenze. While shopping, she did receive many compliments every day on her Italiano, even bartering down the price of a cute leather jacket!Lucca was our next stop, 1.5 hours away by train. Lucca is one of my favourite places in Italia! We stayed at a small B&B near Torre Guinigi. The owners found out we lived in Vancouver and told us about their nipote in Vancouver who is Isabella’s age. I started to say that Vancouver was a big city…… when Isabella said ‘Uh….Zia….I actually do know him…. Che mondo piccolo! After that, every time they saw Isabella, with no subtlety at all, they went on about what a nice boy he was!

Lucca is known for its intact medieval walls. We rented biciclette to ride the path on top of the walls. The forecast was for good weather. We had done 4 laps of the tree lined 4 km route, when unexpectedly a torrential downpour started. It rained so hard we could barely see.

We tried to get off the path, but visibility was so bad we could not tell which gate and ‘onramp’ we had taken to get up to the wall. This was important because we had to return the bikes where we rented them. Isabella wore her new jacket, and rather than get it ruined in the rain, she had folded it up inside out in a plastic bag in the cestino -the basket- leaving her in short sleeves. Brrrr!

By the time we got to Piazza Anfiteatro to warm up and wait for the rain to stop, we looked like wet rats. The restaurants are outdoor, so they had large heaters, and even blankets. A friend was coming from Viareggio for aperitivo later, but she had to cancel due to the weather. Even in the rain, Lucca is spectacular. It is also a great place to shop! I never spend enough time in Lucca.

Our next stop was La Spezia via Pisa and on to Vernazza, our home base in the Cinque Terre. I wrote about our time there in 2 posts- Le Cinque Terre and Exploring le Cinque Terre. The second post is specifically about our adventures. The weather was beautiful, which is good, as there are no indoor activities there! Hiking all day with a 19 year old is hard work, so luckily there was wine tasting in the evening!The morning we left Vernazza was raining almost as much as on the walls of Lucca! Isabella had been to Roma several times, but not to Milano, so we booked to fly home from there. We met our cugina Federica, who we stayed with, and went to the Navigli area to have dinner with more cugini. Our visit was too short. We spent the next day walking and window shopping around the Cento Storico and had a few ‘streetside reunions’ and phone calls with more cugini and a friend. I have been to Milano many times but have yet to see L’Ultima Cenacola, Da Vinci’s Last Supper. Even 2 weeks in advance, I was not able to book admission. Another reason to return!We hope you have enjoyed this piccolo viaggio virtuale with us! Hopefully we can travel again soon. Ciao, Cristina & Isabella

Cinquecento Love

04 Monday May 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Italian life, Photography

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

#findmyfiat, Accenti magazine, Cinquecento, Fiat 126, Fiat 500, Fiat 500 Giardiniera, Fiat Cinquecento

Cinquecento Love: My lifelong obsession with the FIAT 500 is my article/photo essay in a special print edition of Accenti Magazine. With the COVID Pandemic, we do not know when the issue will be printed. The article is now available online at the link posted below.

Accenti, The Canadian Magazine with an Italian Accent was launched in November 2002. Thirty-one issues were published in print. Since January 2015, Accenti is published online-only. Accenti also publishes a newsletter, which is emailed to subscribers.

Cinquecento Love: My lifelong obsession with the FIAT 500

‘Nothing says Italian style like a Fiat 500 (pronounced cheen·kweh·CHEN·toh). My love affair with the 500 began when I was 16. I really wanted one, but it would not fit into my suitcase. So I had to go home without one. I don’t know if I will ever own a super cute, chubby 500, but I have spent years photographing them all over Italy. Every time I see one, I just want to give it a hug!’ …….read the rest of the article at Accenti online. You can also order a print copy of the magazine-orders outside of Canada just need to pay for shipping.

I hope you all share my Cinquecento love! Ciao, Cristina

Corzetti

17 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Photography, Recipes

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

Cinque Terre, Corzetti, Corzetti with mushroom and walnut sauce, Italian cooking, Liguria, Pasta, Pasta fatta a mano, Pesto Genovese, Printmaking

Corzetti (cor∙ZET∙ti) are a traditional pasta of Liguria, also called croxetti (cro∙shet∙ti) or crosetti in Ligurian. Corzetti are an embossed pasta shaped to look like gold coins. The name comes from ‘crux’, latin for cross. They have been around for a very long time. We know this because the Republic of Genoa had a medieval coin with a Genovese cross and there is a 1362 literary reference to pasta with crossetti served at a banquet.

Corzetti are made with un stampo per corzetti- a corzetti stamp. This is a 2 part device made of unfinished wood-usually pear wood. The textured finish of the wood is functional-it transfers to the pasta and helps hold sauce, as does the embossed design. The bottom of the lower half is used to cut the circles. The top of the lower piece and the upper piece with the handle for pressing each have a carved design.

Corzetti are like edible woodcut prints! The perfect pasta for a printmaker. This must be why I like making them so much!
If you read the posts Le Cinque Terre and Exploring le Cinque Terre, you may remember my determined quest to find a corzetti stamp. In Corniglia, I found dried corzetti for sale, but no stamp. I did not notice any restaurants serving them either, but I also did not look very hard. I finally found a stamp by accident in a tiny shop in Vernazza, the town where we were staying. They were in a basket at the back, where no one could see them!

The design on my stamp is a stem of wheat, with a swirl on the other side. It cost 11 Euro and was carved by a local fisherman. I saw a similar one online for $72 US. You can also custom order stamps but they can be very expensive. It is much more fun to buy something like this where it is produced.

Noble Ligurian families had their family coat of arms engraved on the stamps. Designs also include crosses, wheat, gigli (fleur de Lis) or the emblem of il pastaio, the pastamaker.

Circles are cut on a freshly rolled sfoglia or pasta sheet-not too thick, but thick enough to hold the embossing. Each corzetto is pressed between the 2 parts of the stamp, embossing a design on each side. If the pasta is rolled out too thin, the designs will transfer to the other side.

Corzetti dough is traditionally made with eggs and white wine. It is usually made with flour and semola rimacinata di grano duro (called semolina in North America) or chestnut flour. Traditionally, corzetti are served with pesto or olive oil, herbs and pine nuts. They can also be served with an herb and scallop or mushroom walnut sauce. I have made corzetti several times now, and here is the dough combination I found works the best:

To make Corzetti:

200g (1.5 cups) 00 or All-Purpose flour

200g (1.5 cups) semola rimacinata (Semolina)

3 medium sized eggs plus 2 yolks-add an extra egg if they are small

60ml dry white wine (1/4 cup)

5ml (1 tsp) Extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Make a well with the flours on a wooden board. Place the eggs, wine and EVOO in the center and beat with a fork, then slowly start to mix in the flour. This dough needs to be soft and elastic to hold the embossing and you may not need all of the flour. Keep some to the side in case it is not needed. Once the mixture is less liquid, start to mix by hand. Knead for 10 minutes. Roll into a ball, cover and let rest for 30 min.

Use half the dough at a time, and keep the other half from drying out by covering with an upturned bowl. Roll the dough out by hand 3mm thick. You can use a pasta machine, but hand rolling will result in a better embossing. Lightly flour the corzetti stamp. Cut circles as close together as possible. Pasta rolled out multiple times will not be consistent thickness and will dry out, and not take the embossing as well. Stand up while pressing down firmly on the top of the stamp with the palm of the hand to get the best quality embossing. This makes 60-65 corzetti.

I like to serve corzetti with a traditional Pesto Genovese. This mushroom walnut sauce is also yummy.

Corzetti con Funghi e Noce / Corzetti with Mushrooms and Walnuts

200g porcini mushrooms or mixed mushrooms in season

1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk

2 cloves garlic

Prezzemolo (Italian parsley)

200 g (~3/4 cup) walnuts shelled

30g (2 tablespoons) pine nuts

Dry white wine

EVOO, salt

Finely chop everything except the pine nuts.

Make a soffritto-Fry the onion in olive oil, add carrot and celery, half of the garlic and the pine nuts

In another pan, fry the mushrooms (these can be finely chopped or just separate the tops and bottoms) then add the soffritto. Add wine and cook for 30 min.

Before serving, add salt, the rest of the garlic, and prezzemolo

Cook corzetti in boiling salted water for 3-4 min. Add mushroom sauce and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Want to try making corzetti, but don’t have a stamp? Cut circles out with a 5cm (2 inch) diameter drinking glass. Use a cookie press for the design, or find something that can be lightly pressed to make a design in the dough-a wax seal, a ring, the crosshatch design on your meat tenderizer….. get creative!

It is hard to believe I was in Liguria 11 months ago. Since we can not travel there-or anywhere at this time, I hope this helps you viaggiare in pultrona… armchair travel to the coast of Liguria and the Cinque Terre. Buon viaggio and stay safe, Cristina

In my Kitchen~Quarantine edition

06 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Photography

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

#iorestoacasa, COVID19 pandemic, In my kitchen, Quarantine

Sottosopra (sot•toh•SOH•prah)…upside down. I know I am not the only one who feels like an extra in a sci-fi movie where everything in the world is upside down. Kisses and hugs can be disease spreaders, binge watching Netflix on the couch all day is responsible adult behaviour, and NOT visiting your family is a sign of love!

Everyone copes differently with the stress of quarantine. Some of us are madly productive, and others binge watch Netflix all day. It does not matter what we are doing, as long as we are doing it at home-staying home and helping everyone stay safe. If you have been hiding under a rock and this is news to you, please read these 2 posts: COVID19~Andrá tutti bene and COVID19~Insieme ce la faremo.

I am one of those ‘essential’ workers, but I am ‘freelance’ now, and happened to not have any work booked at the hospital the last 2 weeks. I have been at home, only leaving the house to buy groceries or walk to my parents’ back porch-the socially distant designated drop off/pick up point. This week I work a few days… and am not sure what to expect!

While home, I have done yoga class via zoom almost every day, and spent a lot of time in my kitchen. I made a kitchen ‘to do’ list -mostly things I am not often home long enough to attempt. Making pasta by hand is calming, almost meditative, punching dough is violently therapeutic, and my freezer is now full. It is also time for another ‘In my kitchen’ blog post. Here are some of the things I crossed off my list:

I have made a lot of stuffed pasta, but not filled with meat. Ricotta, spinach, mushroom, pumpkin…but not meat. These tortellini are stuffed with a mixture of veal, prosciutto, mortadella and parmigiano. They were delicious, so I will be making them again, although I may vary the shape.

In the spirit of using absolutely everything, I candied my orange peels, using a technique based on Domenica’s and then dipped half in chocolate. They are a small flavour explosion and a nice garnish for a cheese plate, or served on the side with espresso. I ate a lot of oranges, so made a lot of candied peel and will see if they freeze well.

I love making bread-and the kneading part is a great stress reliever. Making pane senza impasto —no-knead bread, was anticlimactic, but i wanted to try it. The ingredients were just barely mixed, rose for 24 hours, then baked in my heavy cast iron pot with the lid on. The bread was delicious, with a nice crispy crust. Unfortunately, you can only make 1 at a time.

Alumni of the University of British Columbia will drool at the mention of the legendary, pillowy soft, caramelly UBC Cinnamon buns. These were made for over 50 years by UBC Food Services and sold at all of the campus food outlets. The recipe was once a huge secret but is now available. I have wanted to make them for years, but the recipe sounded really difficult and time consuming. It was not as involved as I thought and I will definitely be making them again. There is even some kneading involved! They were so good, I had to try one, keep one for the next day, and immediately arrange for the rest to be picked up so I did not eat them all. I will try freezing them unbaked next time.

Freezer space is at a premium right now, so the frozen raspberries from my garden had to be used to make jam. In a few months there will be new berries to pick.

The south facing kitchen is the sunniest place in the house. A few weeks ago -whenever the full moon was, I planted my pomodori seeds by the window. The tomato seedlings are all looking good and growing well on the covered back porch now.

Orecchiette are not the easiest pasta to make, but they are extremely low tech. No pasta machine, not even a rolling pin is needed. Only a knife. Making them was very meditative, but also stressful, because this was the first time I ever made them without my Mamma. As a surprise, I delivered the orecchiette to their back porch.

Forza! Hang in there everyone! Check out the rest of the monthly ‘In My Kitchen’ blogging community posts from around the world on host Sherry’s blog here.

A special ‘Grazie!’ to grocery store employees, farmers and truck drivers who are making sure we have food!

Ciao, Cristina. Vancouver BC, Canada

Napoli Street Art

29 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art, Italia, Photography

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Banksy, Blub, Contemporary art Napoli, Exit/Enter, Jorit, Napoli Centro Storico, Roxy in the box, Southern Italy

Napoli is gritty, wonderfully chaotic, passionate and anything but boring, making it a perfect place for self-expression. Graffiti is not a new concept to the Napoletani. Ancient graffiti can be found in Pompeii, including ‘I was here’ type messages and suggestive notes written on the walls of the brothel. In the historic center of Napoli graffiti, posters and murals have been elevated to a fine art form. I was in Napoli on a search for Blub street art and ended up finding so much more.

Volto di Sophia, a colourful Bollywood inspired portrait of iconic Napoletana Sophia Loren is on Vico dei Zuroli, just off of Via dei Tribunali. The artist is Stikki Peaches, originally from Montreal.

Madonna con la Pistola is the only work in Italia by the elusive and mysterious English street artist Banksy. It is in Piazza Gerolamini, off of Via dei Tribunali. The Madonna in ecstasy with a gun in place of a halo is the artist’s exploration of the relationship between religion and organized crime. It has now been covered by glass for protection from the elements.

San Gennaro, a hyperrealistic 15m high portrait of Napoli’s patron saint is by Italian- Dutch artist Jorit Agoch (Jorit Ciro Cerullo). It is on Via Forcella near the Duomo. The model is the artist’s friend, a mechanic also named Gennaro. This could be an homage to Caravaggio, who would take ordinary people off the street to be his models for paintings of extraordinary people. There are more ginormous Jorit murals in the Ponticelli Graffiti park near the airport and in the financial district.

Exit/Enter is a street artist from Firenze who paints whimsical, expressive stick figures. There are a few Exit/Enter works around Napoli, including this one which I though was an angry pizza and a clown. Then I realized the clown looked like a skinny Ronald McDonald. Sure enough-it is titled ‘Pizza vs McDonald’s’! I do not remember the name of the street, but it was also just off of Via dei Tribunali.

Beloved Napoletano singer Pino Daniele passed away in 2015. Pino with his smile and guitar is sainted by artist TvBoy in San Pino Daniele found in Vico dei Panettieri. Grazie to Sara from My Dear Italia for the photo.Mission Possible is the colourful mural by Napoletana artist Roxy in the box (Rosaria Bosso). She includes 2 important figures in the history of Napoli; San Gennaro and Caravaggio. They are casually hanging out reading the New York Times and 24 Ore. It is in Piazza Cardinale Sisto Riario Sforza, near the Duomo, Pio Monte della Misericordia and Via dei Tribunali.

This stencil baby is on an electrical panel is near the lineup to get into the Cappella San Severo. The signature on the bum says Joan Aquito.

Giuseppe Verdi and a Renaissance woman covered by a shop door are the only Blub work I found on the street after visiting the Blub Pompeii inspired exhibit at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli. I was disappointed not to find Totò, another iconic Napoletano. For more Blub love, read Blub a Napoli and L’arte sa Nuotare.

I hope you enjoyed this street art tour of Napoli Centro Storico! More Napoli information can be found in Un Giorno a Napoli. Ciao, Cristina

Troia 1019-2019

05 Saturday Oct 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Puglia

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Diomedes, Italy travel tips, Romanico Pugliese, Southern Italy, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Wines of Puglia

According to legend, Troia (TROH∙yah) was founded by the Trojan War hero Diomede (Diomedes) in the 10^th century BC. After the fall of Troy, he found out his wife was unfaithful. Instead of going home to Argos, Diomede travelled around the Adriatic, settling in the Daunia area of Puglia. Troia, also spelled Troja, was at the junction of the Via Traiana –the road from Benevento to Brindisi, and the road to Siponto (Sipontium). The Romans called it Aecae. In 1010, a medieval settlement was built on the ruins of the ancient city, and in 1017 a Byzantine fortress to protect against Saracen invaders. Modern Troia was founded in 1019, making this year its millennia!!! Auguri Troia!

Troia was ruled by powerful bishops, and they built a magnificent cattedrale (cathedral), an exquisite example of Romanico Pugliese, a unique architectural mix of Pisan Romanesque, Arab and Byzantine inspired features. It was an important connection between the Norman kingdoms of Southern Italia and the Pope. Completed in 1119, this architectural capolavoro or masterpiece is celebrating its 900^th anniversary!

The stunning rosone-rose window is made up of 11 thin columns, each with a delicate stone ‘screen’ finely carved with Islamic inspired geometric designs. The 11 ‘petals’ or segments each have a different pattern. They look like they are woven out of stone. 11 is an unusual number of sections for a rose window, or for anything, actually. There could be some interesting numerology related to this building.

The upper façade is elaborate, with the rosone and gargoyles. The arches around the window are decorated with an odd but fascinating assortment of primitive looking animal and human sculptures and are held up on either side by Pugliese lions.

The lower front is a 7 arch façade-the center one being the main entrance through bronze doors with the most magnificent dragon handles. They look straight out of Trono di Spada (Game of Thrones)! The doors were built in 1127 by Oderisio da Benevento. The doors are decorated with reliefs and inscriptions. There are 10 knockers; 8 lions and 2 wyverns, which are small 2 legged dragons. On each side of the door are 3 blind arches topped with geometric carvings and a round window on the middle arch. The arches on the side of the building are topped with geometric sun and moon patterns in green stone. The main doors are closed and entry is only through the side door, another bronze by Oderisio da Benevento. The church is usually open during the day, and of course during Masses.

In contrast to the ornate exterior, the interior of the cattedrale is simple. The design is a Latin cross plan with 3 aisles separated by 13 Corinthian columns, 2 rows of 6 and a 3^rd row in the SW corner with only one column, as seen in the photo below. These represent the 12 apostles and Christ. There is no ceiling, the beamed wood roof is exposed. The Cathedrals in the Romanico Pugliese style, including Troia’s, are on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is the step before becoming a heritage site!

The 1169 pulpit dates to 1169 has an interesting relief carved on one side. It is a dog biting the back of a lion, who is biting the neck of a lamb and is visible in the photo below. The dog symbolizes God, who is faithful and vigilant, preventing poor judgement and heresy (the lion) from devouring the church (the lamb).

Il Museo del Tesoro della Cattedrale di Troia (the cathedral treasury) is worth a visit for rare 11^th century parchments and other medieval sacred artifacts. There are only 32 illuminated Exultet codes (Easter scrolls) in the world, and 3 of them are here. Also worth seeing is Il Capitello delle Quatre Razze (Column of the 4 Races). This is a 13^th Century column with 4 heads, one on each corner, depicting the 4 races of man known before 1492- European, African, Asian and Arab. Admission is free, but it is only open Tuesday and Thursday 17:30-20 and Saturday 10-13. Mondays are only open for school groups with appointments. Call ahead, as they may open for groups 0881 97 00 20.Troia is named for the ancient city, but unfortunately ‘troia’ is also Italian slang for ‘slut’. My best guess is that the origin of this term is from Elena di Troia (Helen of Troy) who was an adultress. Don’t let the name put you off though. Troia is a charming town with a beautiful centro storico. It is also way off the radar for most visitors to Puglia, so you will not find any crowds. As an added bonus, you can find Nero di Troia vino everywhere! Read more about this lovely vino in Vini di Puglia. My Zia lives in Troia, so I have been there a lot. Here are some interesting Troia facts… #1-I had my confirmation at the Cattedrale di Troia when I was 15! Interesting fact #2-Troia is the only municipality in Italia providing free public transportation!

Get off the bus from Foggia or park the car near La Villa Comunale and Bar Cluny. Walk down Via Regina Margherita to explore the centro storico. The Cattedrale is half way down this long, narrow street, which is lined with shops and interesting doorways. Stop at the award-winning Pasticceria e Gelateria Artigianale Aquilino for a decadent treat. Visit the oldest church in Troia, the Byzantine San Basilio with ox heads around the altar. It was originally a Greek Orthodox temple. The haunted Palazzo D’Avolos is now home to the Civic offices and Civic Museum. Wander into the narrow side streets and you may come across a Fiat 600 or some work by local artist Leon Marino.

Troia has a population of about 7000. It is situated on a hill, 439 m above the Tavoliere plain, 22 km SW of Foggia, 15 km south of Lucera and 14 km east of Orsara di Puglia. The surrounding landscape is a beautiful blanket of wheat fields, vineyards and olive groves- like the view from the abandoned Celle Sant’Antonio, just outside of Troia.

Ferrovie del Gargano buses arrive regularly from Foggia and Lucera. The ticket is €1.80. If taking the train to Foggia, the bus station is conveniently next door. Troia has several B&B’s including Alba d’Oro, Stella and Svegliarsi nei Borghi. There is even a car rental agency, Automottola, on the edge of town, towards Foggia. For more information check out Troia’s website.Read more about Troia and Diomede in Puglia-Mia Regione Preferita. Have any of you readers who are not related to me been to Troia?

Ciao e buon viaggio, Cristina

Blub a Napoli

28 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art, Italia, Photography

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Art history, Blub, Contemporary art Napoli, Fresco painting, L'arte sa nuotare, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, Napoli, Pompeii, Street art

A few weeks ago I took a daytrip to Napoli for sfogliatelle-but also to see the Blub exhibit at MANN (Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli). If you do not know about the street artist from Firenze, make sure to read my Blub post L’Arte sa Nuotare. Blub (Bloob) takes famous works of art and gives them a new look, immersing them underwater, complete with blue background, snorkel masks and bollicine-bubbles. Prints are organically glued to the metallic doors of gas and electrical panels, which provide ready-made frames.

To prepare for the exhibit, Napoli’s Centro Storico was ‘Blubified’ with 40 works plastered on sportelli-the doors of gas and electrical panels. A few are specific to Napoli, for example Totò and Re Carlo III Borbone (King Charles III).

In the exhibit, which only includes 5 new works, the project ‘L’Arte sa Nuotare’ (Art knows how to swim) is extended to Pompeii. 4 paintings on metal are inspired by affreschi (frescoes) from the ruins of Pompeii. There is also the portrait of Carlo III and some sculptures have been adorned with masks and fins, as well as the tomb in the photo below.

The nymph is a detail from the fresco ‘Il Volo di Dedalo e la caduta di Icaro’(the flight of Dedalus and the fall of Icarus) from Villa Imperiale, Pompeii. It is an acrylic painting on a metal door and I love how the rust has been incorporated.

Terentius Neo e la moglie (Terentius Neo and his wife) is a fresco from 55-79 AD found in 1868 in the house of baker Terentius Neo, which was also the bakery. The middle class couple is well-dressed, and he holds a scroll with seal, his wife a stylus and wax tablet to demonstrate that they are literate and cultured. His wife is portrayed as an equal, in fact she seems to be standing in front of her husband.

Here is the original fresco in MANN:

Donna con tavolette cerate e stilo (Woman with wax tablets and pen) is a tondo, a round painting found in 1760 in the Insula Occidentalis house in Pompeii. It depicts a wealthy woman with gold earrings and a gold hair net. She is holding a stylus and 4 wax tablets, to demonstrate learning and culture. This fresco is known as Sappho, although it is not a portrait of the poetess, in fact the stylus and wax tablets were more likely used for accounting than poetry. Blub again incorporates the rust on the metal door to add ‘age’ to the work.

The original fresco in MANN:

My favourite Blub here is Maschera Teatrale di Donna (Woman’s theater mask) inspired by a fresco in Casa del braciale d’oro (House of the golden bracelet) in Pompeii. The work is under glass, so my photo has glare issues. The tag says that this Blub work is an acrylic on metal door and is in a private collection in Hingham, Massachusetts, so I think that means Blub made a sale!

Maschera Teatrale subacqua, from L’Arte sa Nuotare Facebook page

‘….water is my element. Life is born from water, it is the hidden side of matter. When you are immersed, time stops and becomes weightless, while thoughts flow freely in a suspended dimension…for this I propose personalities that have transmitted an example of greatness that survives still today, as if underwater, without time.’ Blub

Seeing all the affreschi from Pompeii in MANN really inspired me to get out my bucket of plaster and pigments. Fresco painting is not a very ‘modern’ art form, but I have dabbled in it a bit and really love it. Below is my detail of La Cappella Sistina. My next fresco painting might be one of Giotto’s angels. I’ll be looking for rusty metal doors to paint on! Let me know if you have any.

Blub hunting in the Centro Storico was not very productive. We found a peek-a boo Blub….a Renaissance woman mostly covered by the propped open door of a store! Giuseppe Verdi looks very distinguished among the graffiti. I was disappointed to not find a Totò, but did find a Banksy and lots of other interesting street art-which I will leave for another post!

The exhibit in MANN ends in a few days. I hope you enjoyed this virtual Blub tour and that all of you can some day view real life ‘Blubi’! Ciao, Cristina

*Photo credit-Both photos of Terentius Neo e la moglie and Blub’s Sappho taken by my cugino and Napoli travel partner Mark ‘Peperotti‘ Pepe

Exploring le Cinque Terre

05 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Photography, Travel tips, Vino

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Cinque Terre card, Corniglia, Corzetti, Liguria, Manarola, Monterosso a mare, Pesto Genovese, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vernazza

Le Cinque Terre are 5 stunning clifftop villages on the Coast of Liguria, between La Spezia and Levanto. In my last post I described the area, the villages, how to get there and around. In this post, I write specifically about the experiences I had visiting the area 6 weeks ago with my nipotina* Isabella. Hiking between the 5 villages was our plan. They are connected by rail and also by a series of ancient donkey trails. Along the sea is the ‘Sentiero Azzurro (blue trail) which is flat between Riomaggiore and Manarola, but otherwise gains quite a bit of elevation. The other series of trails is the Sentiero Rosso (red trail), higher up into and over the mountains and terraced vineyards. These are longer and much more challenging, and include trails going to 5 Sanctuaries-one above each village.

Rain and mudslides periodically damage the trails. It is important to check the conditions on the Cinque Terre website. 2 of the 4 sections of Sentiero Azzurro have been closed for a while and are apparently not scheduled to reopen until 2021! We knew this before arriving, but did not know that the trail from Corniglia to Vernazza was also recently closed!

At the Cinque Terre Info Point in La Spezia buying Cinque Terre cards, we were informed of the extra closure. This left us with only 1 accessible section, the Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare section-the most strenuous, of course. To make things worse, they would not sell us a 2 day Cinque Terre card. Perché? Because the next day was going to be one of those dreaded ‘sciopero dei treni’– train strike. Mannaggia! These unexpected things happen when travelling, and no amount of planning ahead will prevent them-so we just adjusted our plans and made the best of it.

Our accomodation was in Vernazza, so we headed there first. Getting off the train at noon, my first thought was ‘mannaggia a te Rick Steeves!’ Via Roma, the main street of this beautiful but tiny village was so packed with people we barely had elbow room! It was loud, crowded, and probably the worst time of day to be there. I could hear the waiters approach everyone in english-a pet peeve of mine. This was mid-May-I can only imagine summer!

After pushing our way down Via Roma to Piazza Marconi at the harbour, we checked in at the restaurant renting our room. The room was waaaaay up a series of 6 narrow staircases winding through tiny streets and alleys, just below Castello Doria. I was glad I did not have a lot of luggage! The view from the top was worth the climb! The roof had a terrazza with chairs and a view of the sea. I could have sat there with a book, but since there were no trains the next day, it was time to do some exploring.

To get to Corniglia, we took the train and climbed the almost 400 steps up from the stazione. Cute and quieter, Corniglia is the only village not on the sea. I looked around for a Corzetti stamp with no luck, then we set off on the much longer and steeper Sentiero Rosso to Manarola via an inland town called Volastra. There were viste mozzafiate-breathtaking views in every direction and the trail not crowded at all. It took us right through ‘vertical farmland’ high above the sea. They are called terrazzamenti a fasce -strip terraced vineyards and olive groves. I thought these long metal poles and brackets were to give support against rock and mudslides, but the next day I found out what they were for.

It took almost 3 hours to reach Manarola, a lovely town with a cute harbour and several viewpoints to walk to and watch the sunset. We decided not to go to Riomaggiore, as trains are less frequent in the evening and our visits to both towns would have been too rushed. Arriving by train back to Vernazza, the daytrippers were long gone and it was a beautiful evening for walking along the tiny harbour, taking photos and watching people try to fish.

The next morning, after colazione-breakfast on another terrazza overlooking the sea, we climbed up to Castello Doria, a few flights of stairs above our room. We had 360° views over Vernazza, the mountains and the sea. Then we headed out of town on the Sentiero Azzurro to Monterosso a Mare before the onslaught of daytrippers stepped off the train. The trail started just above Vernazza. It was a steep uphill climb for awhile and then we were rewarded with birds’ eye views directly over Vernazza. There were many more hikers on this trail than on the one yesterday, but it was not overly crowded. I did say ‘Buongiorno’ a lot! The scenery was amazing and included walks through more terraced vineyards, olive and lemon groves. I even had a closer look at some of the mysterious looking machinery and contraptions for transporting grapes down the mountain that I had seen the day before.

Monterosso was visible long before we reached it. The beach was long and sandy with a lungomare, a seaside walkway. We spotted fritto misto da asporto-takeout mixed fried seafood and veggies sold in paper cones. Despite the sciopero, a few local trains went by. We thought about taking the train to Riomaggiore, but were concerned about getting stuck there without a train back. We returned to Vernazza and bought pesto focaccia and a paper cone of fritto misto to have on the terrazza.

I was excited to finally find my stampo per Corzetti! Corzetti (Croxetti in Genovese) are traditional Ligurian pasta shaped like large coins with a design stamped on both sides. The design holds the sauce better! It was hand carved by a local fisherman and I can’t wait to try it. One design is an ear of wheat and the other a ‘swirly thing’. I looked for one in every town, and ended up finding it right in Vernazza. The shop owner and Isabella could not believe how excited I was to find it! Stay tuned for a corzetti pasta post in the future.

Later we walked part of the Vernazza to Corniglia trail, turning back at the point where it was closed. The views of Vernazza from the other side were amazing, but the weather was starting to change. The Sentiero Rosso can get to Corniglia, via the Sanctuary of San Bernardino, but it takes 3.5 hours! In the evening I attended a Cinque Terre wine tasting event hosted by Alessandro, a local sommelier on the terrazza. I tasted 3 Cinque Terre whites while looking out at the sea. Hiking with a 19 year old is exhausting, so this was a perfect way to end the day! Salute!

We loved our 2 days/nights in le Cinque Terre and could have used another day to go to Riomaggiore, and possibly take a boat. In our case, it is better we did not stay an extra day though-as we left for Milano in a torrential downpour. In bad weather, there are no indoor activities in the Cinque Terre villages-except reading a book on a terrazza. Travel to the area is best between April and September. October and November are rainy, then it gets cold.

In case you think that in my photos it does not look crowded, this is because I could not move my elbows wide enough to take a photo during the peak times! Le Cinque Terre are no longer an undiscovered gem but are definitely still worth visiting. If planning a visit, I would definitely recommend staying in one of the villages, for a calmer experience and to enjoy the mornings and evenings when the crowds of daytrippers have left for the day. During the busy hours, go hiking and exploring. The best way to see the area is on the trails! Many visitors stay in Portovenere or La Spezia for cheaper accomodation, but I do not think the experience is the same at all. Day tours also arrive from Firenze and Milano, 2.5-3 hours away, leaving little time to see the area. Be a daytripper only if you have no other option to ever visit the area. Staying in one of the villages may not be advisable for those with mobility issues or a lot of luggage.

Individual train tickets between La Spezia and Levanto are €4 and valid for 75 minutes. If you plan to hike and take the train, buy a Cinque Terre Card. The combo card (trekking and treno) includes unlimited train travel between La Spezia and Levanto, use of all the trails, and wifi that actually works! It costs €16 per day. For trekking only, it is €7.50 per day. The card is available for 2 and 3 days- except in the case of un sciopero! There are also family and low season prices. For more information, check here. Open toed shoes and smooth soles are not allowed on trails.

Eat as much seafood as possible, and pesto, not necessarily together-although Fooderia Manarola (@fooderia_manarola on instagram) does have panino con polpo (octopus) e pesto! My pesto is very good (recipe here) but the besto pesto is in Liguria! You can choose traditional trofie con pesto, lasagne con pesto and pesto focaccia. Pesto heaven! The paper cones of fritto misto -assorted seafood and veggies are delicious takeout food.

Have you visited le Cinque Terre? What did you think? Buon viaggio, Cristina

*Nipote or nipotina means both niece and granddaughter. In this case, it means niece!

Le Cinque Terre

28 Friday Jun 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Photography, Travel, Vino

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Cinque Terre card, Corniglia, Liguria, Manarola, Monterosso a mare, Terrazzamenti a fasce, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vernazza

Le Cinque Terre are 5 villages precariously perched on the Coast of Liguria, between La Spezia and Levanto. Cinque Terre literally means ‘5 lands’, but in this case terre refers to villages. Inhabited since at least the 11^th Century, they likely date back to Roman times. The 5 villages are connected by rail, bus, boat and ancient trails that follow the coastline and go up into the mountains. The area was almost inaccessible except by sea, until the Genoa to La Spezia railway was built in 1870.

In 1997, the Cinque Terre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as an example of a cultural, evolved organic landscape transformed by man over centuries. The inhabitants have adapted and shaped the steep, rugged, uneven coastal landscape so they could use the land vertically. Terrazzamenti a fasce (terraced strips of land) extend along the steep slopes, up to 400 m above sea level for growing grape vines, olive trees and lemon trees. They are held in place by 100’s of km of muretti a secco (dry stone walls). These are thought to have been built in the 12th century, when Saracen raids from the sea decreased. In 1999 il Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre was established, becoming Italia’s smallest yet most densely populated (~4,000 people) national park.

Aside from clifftop villages of colourful houses, viste mozzafiato (breathtaking views), hiking trails and terrazzamenti, the Cinque Terre area is known for fresh seafood, pesto Genovese made with local basilico and olio, lemons, and white grapes. The grapes are made into white wines, including Sciacchetrà, a sweet wine which is a blend of Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino grapes.

The 5 villages are less than 10 minutes apart by train. Going from South to North, they are:

#1 Riomaggiore is the most Southern village with a population of 1500- including Manarola, Volastra and Groppo. Brightly coloured buildings are stacked on either side of a steep ravine down to the tiny harbour. The main Cinque Terre park office is in Riomaggiore and the start of the Sentiero Azzurro (blue trail) the 12 km old donkey trail along the sea, connecting all the villages. The section from Riomaggiore to Manarola, less than 1 km away, is the fairly flat Via del Amore, which is presently closed until 2021. Sadly, I did not make it to Riomaggiore-find out why in my next post!

#2 Manarola is surrounded by vineyards and famous for wine. The brightly coloured houses seem to follow the natural form of the coastline and lead down to the small harbour, boat ramp and several viewpoints. Carrugi-steep, narrow alleys all lead to the sea. Manarola is a perfect place to watch the sunset. From December 8th into January the hills behind Manarola are illuminated with more than 200 figures and 12.000 lights for the biggest lighted Presepio (Nativity scene) in the world.

#3 Corniglia population ~150 is considered part of Vernazza. It is the quietest village and the only one not on the coast. It is on a 100m high promontory, going steeply down to the sea. Surrounded by terrazzamenti on three sides Corniglia has views of the other villages. Ferries and boats do not stop here, since there is no harbour. Corniglia’s stazione is down near the sea, and the village, is accessed by climbing a wide staircase with 400 steps, called Lardarina. This probably explains why Corniglia is the quietest! There are buses too, although I did not see any. Corniglia was named for the Roman family who owned the land, and it was acquired in 1276 by the Repulic of Genoa. Corniglia’s vino is mentioned in Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14^th Century literary masterpiece Decameron:

e allora in una tovagliuola bianchissima gli portò due fette di pane arrostito e un gran bicchiere di vernaccia da Corniglia“. Translation by Cristina–‘and then, in an immaculately white napkin, I brought him 2 slices of toasted bread and a large glass of Vernaccia from Corniglia

#4 Vernazza is the most beautiful of the towns, with its tiny beach, picturesque natural harbour and breakwater, surrounded by terraced olive groves. The population is ~825 including Corniglia. Vernazza is first mentioned in 1080 as the fortified naval base of the Obertenghi family to protect the area from pirates. Verna refers to native or indigenous. The local vino is called Vernaccia, which is probably where Vernazza gets its name. A climb to the 15^th Century Castello Doria (admission €1.50) will reward you with stunning views over the harbour. The harbour church, Santa Margherita di Antiochia was built in 1251, and the octagonal tower added in the 16^th C. The Sanctuary Nostra Signora di Reggio is a 1 hour steep walk away.

In 2011 rainstorms caused massive flooding and mudslides. Vernazza and its stazione were buried under 4m of mud and debris and 7 people were killed. Along the main street is a large black and white photo display of the flooding.

#5 Monterosso al Mare pop 1425 is the largest and most northern village. It is the most accessible by car and has more hotels and amenities and a large beach, the only sand beach in the area. There is an old and new town, separated by a tunnel and the stazione. Monterosso is famous for lemons and anchovies.

How to get there and around– Taking a car to Cinque Terre is a bit of a pain. It is possible to drive there, but the villages are car free, so the car has to be parked somewhere. Parking is more available in and around Monterosso, Levanto and La Spezia.

Boats and ferries leave from La Spezia, Portovenere, Lerici and Genova. Note that many of them do not operate from October to March.

Train is the easiest, cheapest and most efficient way to travel. There are frequent local trains between La Spezia and Levanto. Many people go on daytours from other cities, but note that Firenze is 2.5 hours away and Milano is 3 hours away, which does not leave much time for enjoying the area. It is possible to stay in La Spezia, Pisa Portovenere, Genova, Levanto, Lerici or even Santa Margherita Ligure and commute by train, but you can read more about that in the next post!

Individual train tickets between La Spezia and Levanto are €4 and valid for 75 minutes. If you plan to hike and take the train, buy a Cinque Terre Card. The combo card (trekking and treno) includes unlimited train travel between La Spezia and Levanto, use of all the trails, and wifi that actually works! It costs €16 per day. For trekking only, it is €7.50 per day. The card is available for 2 and 3 days, except in my case! There are also family and low season prices. For more information, check here.

**Note that proper footwear is required on all the trails. Open toed shoes and smooth soles are not allowed and there are fines.

In the next post, I will tell you the details of my own Cinque Terre experience last month, including why I did not go to Riomaggiore!

Buon viaggio, Cristina

L’arte sa nuotare

08 Saturday Jun 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art, Firenze, Italia, Photography

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Blub, Contemporary art Firenze, Firenze street art, L'arte sa nuotare, Street art

L’arte sa Nuotare -art knows how to swim- is a project by Italian street artist Blub (Bloob). Anyone who has been to Firenze in the last few years has likely seen Blub’s work plastered onto the city’s sportelli di gas e di luce- the metallic doors of gas and electrical panels. I was recently in Firenze with my nipotina Isabella. We were constantly on the lookout for ‘Blubi’ (BLOO•bee). It was like a scavenger hunt! We even spotted a few in Lucca, but none in Siena. No one has met mysterious street artist Blub. All we know about Blub is that he…..or she….. is from Firenze and is a talented artist with a fun, quirky sense of humour.Blub’s series “L’arte sa Nuotare’ takes famous works of art and gives them a new look, immersing them underwater, complete with blue background, snorkel masks and bollicine-bubbles!

More recent works receiving the Blub treatment are contemporary icons such as the kiss from La Dolce Vita, Freddie Mercury and Amy Winehouse. Blubi have a magnetic attraction to anyone passing by. The works are not graffiti painted directly onto the precious, crumbling renaissance walls. Blub paints 1 original acrylic on canvas or metal, then makes posters in sizes to fit the sportelli and pastes them up with 100% plant based glue. Sportelli also provide ready made frames.

How did this series start? According to a February 2019 interview (in Italiano) with Firenze Urban Lifestyle Magazine, Blub claims that for fun, the first ‘masked’ triad were Da Vinci works-La Gioconda (aka Mona Lisa), Dama con l’ermellino, and a self portrait of Leonardo. One night, with the help and encouragement of friends, they were pasted up on sportelli in the San Niccolò area.

It was originally a way of remembering the flood of the Arno in 1966 and the saving of Firenze’s priceless artwork from the muddy water that ravaged the city. That night ‘l’arte non affoga’ (art does not drown) became ‘l’arte sa nuotare’.

Aside from the reference to the 1966 flood, the series brings together the past and contemporary world, pays tribute to the personality of Firenze and is dedicated to those who find solutions in a sea of difficulty. The expression ‘sink or swim’ comes to mind.

Water generates life and is a symbol of rebirth and purification. Time stands still underwater, placing the immersed works that have left their mark and survive today in another dimension. With this series of work, Blub is trying to incite curiosity rather than controversy.

Blub hunting will now also be possible in Napoli! Blub has 6 new works on display at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli until August 31! Frescoes from Pompeii underwater! I will definitely try to see this exhibit! Update! I did make it to Napoli. Read about it in Blub a Napoli. I hope you enjoyed this Blub photo exhibit! Have you had the pleasure of finding Blubi? If you like to view artwork al fresco and un po’ bagnato, happy Blub hunting! More Blub images are available on instagram #lartesanuotare.

Ciao, Cristina

*La Dolce Vita photo taken by Shannon Milar in Lucca. All other photos taken by me in Firenze, except the Amedeo Modigliani which was taken in Lucca.

Un po' di pepe

~ …… (oon∙poh∙dee∙PEH∙peh) Cristina writes about interesting stuff /Cristina scrive di cose interessanti

Category Archives: Photography

Viaggio con Isabella

Cinquecento Love

Corzetti

In my Kitchen~Quarantine edition

Napoli Street Art

Troia 1019-2019

Blub a Napoli

Exploring le Cinque Terre

Le Cinque Terre

L’arte sa nuotare

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