Category Archives: Photography

Tutti i Santi

01 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in Feste, Italia, Italian Folklore, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Puglia

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November 1st is Tutti i Santi-All Saints’ Day and is a national holiday in Italia.  It was created in the 9th century when the Pope superimposed a Christian feast day onto existing rituals, so this festa has been around for a very long time. Tonight is also an ancient festa celebrated in Orsara di Puglia called Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje which is dialetto Orsarese for ‘Falò e teste del Purgatorio’.  This translates to ‘Bonfires and heads from purgatory’ the ‘heads’ being zucche lanterne-carved pumpkin lanterns. For simplicity, it is also called ‘Tutti i Santi’ or ‘La Festa dei Morti’.

The night between November 1stand 2nd provides the opportunity to honour, reconnect and pay respect to the spirits of loved ones.  I wrote about the festa in a 2014 post Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje, but at that time I had not attended.  I had only heard about it from my parents, family and friends.  Last year I had the opportunity to attend. It was cold but the night was clear and an absolutely amazing, magical, spriritual experience-for me and at least 20,000 others. Orsaresi who live in other parts of Italia and Europe come home for the festa, and visitors come from all over Puglia. Since it is a holiday, many families are able to take an extra long weekend known as il Ponte dei morti.

It is believed that this night between Nov 1 and 2, the souls of the recently dead return among the living to visit their relatives and their former homes before moving on to Paradiso.  Bonfires are lit with wood and branches of ginestra (broom). The light of the fires and the crackling and sparks of the ginestra reaching for the sky attract the spirits, to reunite the living with those who continue to live only in our memories. Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje www.unpodipepe.caThe light inside ‘cocce priatorje’, pumpkin lanterns carved to look like heads or carved with crosses-light their way to find their former home.

My paesani are busy preparing for the festa for days.  Preparation involves gathering firewood and ginestra, preparing food for family and friends and picking hundreds of locally grown zucche which are carved and placed all over Orsara.  Restaurants and bars prepare for one of their busiest nights of the year.  There is even a laboratorio di intaglio delle zucche– a pumpkin carving workshop.  My street, balcony and front door were decorated with zucche.  In the evening zucche are exhibited and there is a contest for ‘la zucca più bella’.

When the campanile, the church bell tower, strikes 1900 hours, Orsara di Puglia ‘catches fire’.  Bonfires are simultaneously lit in every street and piazza and remain lit through the night.  The fires, illuminated zucche, music and people in the streets create a magical, enchanted atmosphere. There are 3 large municipal falò, and every quartiere – neighbourhood, and many families also light their own.

I made a point of getting off of the main Corso to visit some of the smaller personal falò. In honour of the dead, simple but symbolic seasonal foods are cooked on the open fires and also served as cibo di strada-street food.  These include patate -potatoes, cipolle-onions, salsicce-sausages, castagne-chestnuts and pane cotto-bread cooked with garlic, potatoes and greens.

Salsicce e pancetta nel fuoco

Muscitaglia (moo•shee•tah•lyah) is a traditional dish served November 1st likely dating back from the ancient Greeks and Byazantines. Muscitaglia is made up of the Greek and Latin words mosto (wine must) and talia (grain). The ingredients include boiled grain and vino cotto. Semi di melagrana e pezzi di noci -pomegranate seeds and walnut pieces are often added.  These ingredients are symbols of fertility and abundance, but also of honour and respect for the dead.

Il fuoco e le zucche di Antonella e Domenico

Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje has often been confused by visitors with the Anglosaxon Hallowe’en, but it is an entirely different event.  Besides the obvious fact that the date is different, dressing up in costume is not part of the custom and there is nothing scary or evil about it.  This is the reason for the hashtag #quinonèhalloween. There are more similarities with Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead.  This event is about being together in community to celebrate the bond between the living and those who we remember in our hearts.  It is also to remind us that our time on earth is precious. The following day, November 2nd is l’Anime dei Morti-All Soul’s Day, and it is customary to go to the cemetery to pay respects at the resting place of loved ones.

The 9 minute video below features 94 year old Z’Gaetan talking about the festa and its significance.

This lively 48 second video from 2016 featuring the music of Tarantula Garganica will make you all wish you were there tonight:

If you did not watch the video….watch it now!  I did not make it there this year, but am looking forward to my next trip to Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje!  Now I am off to my Mamma’s to have muscitaglia! Ciao, Cristina

Il Sole di Metà Pomeriggio

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Italia, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Puglia

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La luce del sole di metà pomeriggio- the light of the mid-afternoon Mediterranean sun is absolutely stunning.  In the backdrop of a medieval hilltop village, cast shadows create abstract shapes among the stone walls, staircases and winding cobblestone streets.

Last summer was exceptionally hot, even at an altitude of 750m like Orsara di Puglia.  Both of the negozi elettrodomestici, the appliance stores, repeatedly ran out of portable electric fans.  Most people remained indoors after pranzo, until at least 4pm.  While everyone else was resting in the cool enclaves of their stone houses,  I often ventured out to try and capture the light with my camera.Here are some of my results….mostly monochromatic, mostly square, abstract shapes cast by the magnificent light of the mid-afternoon sun.Even my tiny balcony on narrow Via Regina Margherita is flooded with la luce del sole!

Imagine the smell of orecchiette con sugo wafting down empty Via XX Settembre just before pranzo. Yum!

Laundry dries in no time with the heat of the afternoon sun, and the shadows make interesting shapes on the old stone walls. This Nonna on Via Cavour wonders what I am doing out in this heat!My Cinquecento radar spots a visiting specimen in town.  The light makes interesting reflections and cast shadows on the street.

Shade under the ombrellone at the local bar.          I hope you enjoyed my attempt to capture ‘la luce’ in these photos!    Ciao, Cristina

Autunno in Italia

30 Thursday Nov 2017

Posted by in Firenze, Italia, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Roma, Travel tips

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Returning from my short trip to Italia, as usual I was back to work the next morning.  This did not help with the cambiamento di fuso orario. I have so many posts to write, but now they will have to wait until after Christmas. Until then, here is a quick summary with some highlights from my viaggietto.  It was a bit of a blur….at 17 days, I think this was my shortest ever trip to Italia!

I had not been to Italia in autunno before. The fall weather was mostly clear and sunny, with a few days of serious rain. I envisioned myself having every piazza practically to myself….was I ever mistaken!  My first few days were in Roma the last weekend of October.  The Pantheon was packed with more people than I have ever seen in July! I could barely make it through the crowd to throw my coin into the Fontana di Trevi!  I found out that some European countries have their school midterm break around this time.  In Italia November 1st, All Saints’ Day, is a holiday and many Italians take ‘il ponte al primo novembre’, an extra-long weekend.  Even so, the guard at the Pantheon said ‘Qui non c’è bassa stagione’-there is no low season here.  My 2 partial weekends in Firenze were similar.  Smaller places, especially the seaside are quiet at this time of year, but the cities always have a lot of visitors, especially on the weekend.  Despite my utter shock at the hoardes of tour groups I was not expecting, Roma was glorious as usual. One day I want to spend a whole month in Roma.

Franco joined me for the first 9 days-this was only confirmed a week before leaving! He had not been to Roma in a very long time, so we decided to visit the Colosseo and Foro Romano.  I took way too many photos of this.  I was obsessed with the way the sunlight struck this green door on the Tempio di Romolo in the Foro Romano. The rest of the day involved a lot of walking. It was centered around a visit to Poggi to buy Fabriano Rosaspina paper for my art retreat, and meeting a friend in Monti.  We ended up doing everything on my Un Giorno a Roma itinerary and a few extras.

Monti

Spending just 4 days in Orsara di Puglia was a mad dash. This was not enough time to visit family and friends, so I greeted a lot of them in the street.  I heard the same phrase from anyone who was not expecting me ‘Ma sei fuori stagione!’. I guess I was out of season, but technically so were they!  It was hard to recognize people bundled up in their puffy piumini. November 1 is a holiday, and in Orsara also the festa Fucacoste e Cocce Priatorje.  In Italiano this would be Falò e Teste del Purgatorio (bonfires and heads from purgatory). Sometimes we simply call it ‘Tutti Santi’.  I wrote about the festa in this post, and now that I have been there myself, I will add photos or write a new post.  There were zucche and bonfires everywhere.  My balcony was decorated with zucche.  I took so many photos I am still going through them, but here are a few. 

Il fuoco e le zucche di Antonella e Domenico

The festa was absolutely amazing and also a moving, sprirtual experience-for me and 20,000 others. The weather was clear and crisp, but it was very cold at night.  My little casa has no heat, so I borrowed an electric space heater.  Brrrrr.

I encountered a lot of olives on this trip. It seemed every road near Orsara was full of parked cars and people with crates and olive nets.  I was not used to seeing the trees full of ripe olives!  I enjoyed spending a day at my Nonno’s olive grove. One evening we walked past the frantoio, the olive mill, which is always closed the rest of the year.  The divine smell of pressed olives lured me in.  I photo-documented the entire olive oil extraction process for a future post.  Then it was arrivederci Orsara until July.  Unfortunately, I missed my family’s olive harvest by one day, but I was able to pick olives in Gugliano.

Next was Firenze for 2 half days. I had not been for several years and it felt good to be back. A spectacular view was the reward for a long morning walk along and across the Arno to Piazzale Michelangelo. A torrential downpour started just as we arrived, so the return trip was very wet. I had to blow dry myself, then got back out in the rain to catch the train to Lucca.  We arrived in Lucca just as thousands of attendees were leaving the Lucca Comics and Games Convention.  For security reasons, the front of the stazione was closed off.  My ride was waiting out front, so by the time we got there, I looked like I had been through the spin cycle.  The imposing medieval walls of Lucca were barely visible through the rain and the mist.  Next came the bumpy half hour ride to Casa Berti near Gugliano for the Catalyst Art Retreat.

Casa Berti

Luckily a fire was waiting.  Franco was in charge of roasting castagne, then he caught the last train back to Firenze to fly home in the am. The retreat was wonderful and the location stunning.  My fellow artists were an inspiration.

My corner of the studio at Casa Berti, looking out over olive trees

Artist Mary Cinque working on a woodcut in the studio

The retreat ended with an exhibit at Villa Coloreda near Pietrasanta

I also found time to visit Lucca, pick olives and cachi, make limoncello cake with freshly pressed olive oil and finally try Bistecca alla Fiorentina.  Lots of material for future posts.

#cooldudesroma

So much for a ‘quick’ summary! I’ll end with a few notes about travelling to Italia in autunno:

-It may be ‘low season’ for airfares, but unless your destination is a small town or a seaside area, do not expect to be alone! This is especially true on weekends. In the cities, midweek hotel prices are lower, but they go up on weekends.

-Dancing around an almost empty Piazza Navona is possible……before 8am!

-The days are shorter.  It gets dark at 16:30 to be exact. Take this into account when making plans for the day.

-The weather can be variable. Even if the days are sunny, nights are cold.  Dress ‘a la cipolla’, in layers like an onion, and be prepared for rain too!

Il Ponte Vecchio 12 Novembre

Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Ruote di Trani

09 Monday Oct 2017

Posted by in Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel

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In August I took a lovely daytrip to Trani, a quiet, sun drenched fishing port on the Adriatic.  While walking through town and the port in the late morning/early afternoon there were times I felt like I was walking through a movie set! One of the reasons is because of all the macchine d’epoca or vintage cars that I saw, as well as motorini and biciclette. I have compiled a few photos of these vehicles in this post and, for lack of a better title, I am calling it Ruote di Trani or Wheels of Trani.

I was disappointed because I did not take any photos of my favourite macchina, as every time I saw a Cinquecento, a Fiat 500, it was speeding past me too quick to snap a photo! I have a bit of an obsession with them-but only the old ones.  It turns out I actually did photograph one though! 

This is a Fiat Cinquecento Giardiniera, also known as the 500K or the Autobianchi Giardiniera.  It is basically a Cinquecento station wagon, made from 1960-1977.  If you think I am joking, cover the back half of the car, and you will see that the front half is totally 500ish!  In 1970, production was transferred to Autobianchi, a Fiat subsidiary in Monza.  Later models were branded as Autobianchi rather than Fiat. Notice this one has porte di suicidio or suicide doors, which are hinged at the rear instead of the front.  They make it easier to get in and out of the car, but are a safety hazard at higher speeds.  I wrote about porte di suicidio here. Notice the bird photobomb in the corner!

The Centoventisei or Fiat 126 was a more modern model to replace the Cinquecento in 1973.  The 126 never became as popular.  My Zio used to have one that was a Robin’s egg blue.  It were very popular in the former eastern bloc countries because of its fuel efficiency.  Later models were made in Poland as the Polski 126p.

This ‘vintage’ photo of a white Fiat 126 was taken by me on my previous visit to Trani, in 1994.  My Zio had one just like this.  I think it even had the same dented front.  Thankfully, not much has changed to the look of Trani since 1994!

This photo of a late 1960’s/early 1970’s Renault 4 GTL on the street in front of old buildings looks like it was taken 50 years ago rather than just 2 months ago!

I spotted this Piaggio Ape (AH·peh) 3 wheeled vehicle at the port.  Piaggio also makes the Vespa motorino.  An Ape is basically a Vespa with 2 wheels at the back supporting a flatbed.  Piaggio started making the Ape in 1948 to fill the post-war need for inexpensive light commercial transport.  Ape means bee.  I thought it was named for the cute buzzing sound it makes while driving, but it could also be referring to the work ethic of this ‘worker bee’ hardworking vehicle.  Api make great delivery vehicles for narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways.

I hope you enjoyed your phototour of Trani’s ruote. Grazie mille to Franco for helping me identify them! Ciao, Cristina

Trani

30 Saturday Sep 2017

Posted by in Architecture, Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel

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A crescent shaped port, fishermen selling their catch on the waterfront, a timeless, picturesque centro storico that looks like it could be a movie set, a castle, and a stunning limestone Romanesque cathedral right at the water’s edge where you expect to find a lighthouse.  These are some of the reasons why Trani is one of my favourite day trips.  It is a beautiful, peaceful, uncrowded fishing port on the Adriatic, between Barletta and Bari.  Trani is on the main ‘Adriatico’ railway line so it is easily accessible without a car.

Trani is ancient Tirenum, allegedly founded by Tirenus, son of Diomede.  Trani is famous for issuing the ‘Ordinamenta et consultudo Maris’ in 1063.  This is the oldest surviving maritime law code in the west. The street along the harbor is called ‘Via Statuti Marittimi’.  Trani is also known for Moscato di Trani, figs, almonds and olive oil.

During the rule of Federico Secondo (aka Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II) in the early 13th Century, Trani became an important political center and trading port with the Orient.  Since Trani was on the pilgrimage route to the Holy Land it grew and prospered.  Trani also had a close diplomatic and trading relationship with Venezia.When I got off the train in Trani, I walked about half an hour, straight to the cathedral.  I am a big fan of Romanico Pugliese (Pugliese Romanesque), an 11th-13th Century architectural style unique to Puglia.  Romanico Pugliese includes classic Romanesque features such as tall facades, campanili and rose windows, blended with Byzantine and Islamic architectural details.  In fact, since 2006, the Romanico Pugliese churches in Puglia are on the the UNESCO World Heritage Sites tentative list.  This is the step before becoming a World Heritage Site.The Trani cathedral was built in 1099 out of local tufo, a creamy coloured limestone that almost seems to glow in the sun.  One of the oldest and largest cathedrals in Puglia, it was used as a model for the ones built later. It was named for San Nicola Pellegrino (the Pilgrim), a 19 year old Greek shepherd who died while on pilgrimage in Trani in 1094.  His bones are in the crypt.  Note….this is not the same San Nicola who is buried in Bari and is the inspiration for Santa Claus.  Trani’s cathedral was constructed on layers of history.  It was built over the foundations of a 5th Century Byzantine church, Santa Maria della Scala, which was built over the Roman crypt of San Leucio.  Both of these ‘layers’ are accessible. The beautiful bronze doors are a copy.  The original doors are on display inside.  The 32 panels were sculpted by Barisano di Trani who also did work on the cathedrals in Ravenna and Monreale. The 60m high campanile built in 1239 has square corners and an octagonal spire.  The number of windows increase with each floor. The campanile was being renovated when I was there, so I have included a photo I took in 1994 without the scaffolding.

Trani 1994

Right on the harbour is the Chiesa di Ognissanti, built in the 12th Century by the Knights Templar in the courtyard of their hospital.  Trani was on the route to the Holy Land and the knights had a hospital here for those wounded in the crusades.  It is not open to the public.At the far end of the harbour, the Villa Comunale is a park with benches and a seaside walk.  The breakwater near the Cathedral is a nice place to sit and soak up the sun or go for a swim.

Federico II built the Castello Svevo in 1249.  It has square towers at each corner.  The sea water moat was filled in.  From the 1800’s-1974 the castello was used as a prison. Now it is open to visitors and hosts cultural events.  Admission is €3.

Trani once had southern Italia’s largest Giudecca community or Jewish neighborhood.  It was not a ghetto, as it was not closed off.  There were once 4 synagogues.  The Scolanova Synagogue spent centuries as a church, but in 2006 it was rededicated as a synagogue.

Trani is small enough that you can walk everywhere.  From the Stazione, walk straight out and turn left at Piazza della Repubblica.  There is an info point here.  It is about a half hour walk along quiet streets with beautiful palazzi to the cathedral and port.  Just ask a local for ‘Il Porto’ if you need directions.  Shops are closed from 1-5 pm.

For seafood lovers, the port has many excellent restaurants.  My cousins had given me 3 restaurant recommendations.  It was such a beautiful sunny day I just wanted to sit near the breakwater and enjoy the sea.  I had a mad craving for polipo-octopus.  I ended up getting a take away insalata di polipo and a glass of Falanghina.  It was perfect!

Trani is a great base to stay for exploring several UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  Castel del Monte, Alberobello and Matera are all about 1 hour away.

Ciao e buon viaggio, Cristina

Villa Jamele

21 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Amici e Famiglia, Italia, Orsara di Puglia, Photography, Puglia

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Villa Jamele (ya·MEH·leh) was mentioned in my post Peppe Zullo~Il Cuoco Contadino. Peppe’s 180,000 m² azienda agricola (agricultural estate) includes this second location acquired in 2004.  Villa Jamele is a few km down the road from Orsara di Puglia, towards Troia.  The property takes its name from the historic 1700’s villa of Hector Jamele, which has been reconstructed and is now home to an international cooking school and 5 guest rooms on the upper floor.

Sala Guadalajara is a large circular reception hall.  There is also a glass reception room, Sala Veracruz.  The photo below was taken from the roof terrace of Villa Jamele.

Dalla terra alla tavola is the philosophy at Villa Jamele.  This translates to ‘Field to table’. Food does not get any fresher. In addition to producing wine and olive oil, Peppe Zullo grows most of his own vegetables here at Villa Jamele, including pomodori which are canned on site in August. 

Il Bosco dei Sapori Perduti is a biodiverse orchard which includes over 50 varieties of fruit trees and herbs.  Peppe uses local, traditional products in his cooking, including wild greens and herbs such as boragine (borage), marasciuolo –a type of wild rucola found in Puglia, fiori di zucca, and wild asparagus. Behind Sala Guadalajara, past a reconstructed stone archway is a large vineyard where grapes for Peppe’s vini, Ursaria and Aliuva are grown.  Read more about them in this post.Also on the grounds is a pond and various animals, including ducks, geese, a donkey and one muddy but very photogenic maiale nero and his famiglia.

The Villa Jamele site is a tranquil oasis of green, dotted with ancient olive trees. My favourite area of Villa Jamele is the campo dei girasoli-a field of sunflowers blooming every July. 

La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina at Villa Jamele is open from September to November and February to April.  Classes can be organized for 8-16 participants. To book an event, suite, destination wedding , or make a reservation at Ristorante Peppe Zullo, call or email 39 0881 964763 info@peppezullo.it

Villa Jamele, Piano della Corte, Orsara di Puglia (FG) http://www.peppezullo.it

I hope you have enjoyed my favourite ‘scatti‘ of Villa Jamele! Ciao, Cristina

Campeggio sul Gargano

29 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Italia, Photography, Puglia, Travel

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Dovè la primavera?  It was a long, cold winter, with far too much snow.  Now la pioggia has set in.  I am dreaming about il caldo, il sole e la spiaggia-warm weather, sunshine and the beach! I have had the opportunity over the last few years, to spend many weekends at different sites in the Gargano (gar·GAH·noh) with my cugini and their camper.  I would love to be there now!  To get ready for summer and welcome warmer weather, I am sharing my favourite scatti from my Gargano travels.

II Arco San Felice

Il Promontorio del Gargano is the promontory sticking out above ‘il tacco’, the heel of Italia.  You can also think of it as la caviglia-the ankle spur of Italia.  One of the most beautiful areas on earth, Il Gargano has unique flora and fauna.  Biodiversity wise the area is more like an island-an island surrounded on 3 sides by the Adriatico with 1 side attached to Italia.  Most of the promontorio is a protected area and marine reserve, Il Parco Nazionale del Gargano, which includes le Isole Tremiti and the ancient Foresta Umbra. Luckily this has prevented the area from being overdeveloped with large multinational hotels and resorts.

Il Gargano is famous for picchi (woodpeckers) and many other birds, 300 varieties of orchids, almonds and olives.  There are also endless ancient hillside olive groves, pine forests, sea grotte, limestone cliffs, rocky shores, crystalline water and fresh seafood.  The coast between Peschici and Vieste has 13 working trabucchi, fascinating ancient fishing contraptions which I wrote about in this post.

Trabucco Punta Lunga

The winding road around the Gargano, SS 89 from Foggia, has sharp turns and viste mozzafiato (VIS·teh moz·zah·FYAH·toh)-breathtaking views. One of my favourite viewpoints is La Baia delle Zagare. Here you can see the clifftop 4 star resort of the same name, and its private spiaggia.  There is a glass elevator built into the cliff-something I have to see for myself one of these days!

Baia delle Zagare

View of Vieste from the SS89

Il Gargano is full of campsites, inexpensive accommodation and B & B’s.  The campeggi e villaggi turistici -campsites and tourist villages, are ben attrezzati (well-equipped). You can camp with a camper and all the accessories, or just a vehicle and a tent.  There are also villette-little cabins that can be rented, but you have to bring your own sheets and towels, so these are mostly used by locals.  Some campsites even have a small hotel attached. This website (in Italiano) lists Gargano campsites. I have stayed right by the water and in an olive grove near Mattinata, and had a view of the beach near Vieste.

View from the camper, Punta Lunga, Vieste

Our setup is always comfortable and rustic, but some of the things you see at the campeggi are hard to believe. Families set up for the whole summer, with those working joining in on the weekends. I have seen TV with satellite, ceiling fans, generators and portable kitchen tents. Last year at Camping degli Ulivi in Mattinata, the family across from us had brought 5 kinds of brooms!

Ancient olive trees provide an interesting handwashing station, and a place to store 5 different brooms at Camping degli Ulivi

No yucky dehydrated camping food is found here! Fresh seafood is available from the mobile fishmonger il pescivendolo (pesh·ee·ven·DOH·loh) driving around to the different campsites. At Villaggio Camping Punta Lunga, we walked 2 km to Vieste to il pescivendolo along the amazing clifftop trail.

View from the 2km clifftop trail to Vieste

Vignanotica is between Mattinata and Pugnochiuso, closer to Pugnochiuso. It is surrounded by a wall of limestone cliffs and is only accessible by walking down the steep hill. Inaccessibility prevents development on the spiaggia. Parking is available in an olive grove, right under the olive trees for €7 and there is a shuttle down to the beach. Vignanotica can be crowded on Sundays in the summer. There is a small bar on the beach. Vignanotica is in sun until about 2pm, then it is in full shade from the cliffs. Some of the Gargano beaches, including Vignanotica, Mattinata and l’Isole Tremiti are rocky, so water shoes are needed to walk in the water.

Vignanotica. The tiny people walking on the beach provide scale for the limestone cliffs.

Most of the tourists visiting the Gargano area are Italian, especially in the summer.  Many Germans bring their campers too, but you do not meet a lot of North Americans here.  Il Gargano is the place to visit if you want to improve your Italiano.The closest major airport for Il Gargano is Bari. The airport in Foggia sometimes has flights to and from Milano, but usually it just has Alidaunia helicopter service to le Isole Tremiti, San Giovanni Rotondo, Vieste and Peschici. It is difficult to get around the Gargano without a car unless you have lots of time. The SS 89 from Foggia is the major road. On the way, be sure to stop and visit Santa Maria di Siponto near Manfredonia. There is no rail service after Foggia, except a local train from San Severo to Peschici. Ferrovie del Gargano buses outside the Foggia stazione leave for towns in the Gargano, but they are not frequent . Parkinbici is a bikesharing service between Gargano towns. For visitors, a weekly card is € 20 and weekend € 12.

Flying into San Domino by helicopter

As the Gargano website says, visit il Gargano ‘per una vacanza tra natura, mare e cultura’…for a holiday among nature, sea and culture!  Buon Viaggio, Cristina

Bloccato dalla Neve

19 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by in Parole piacevoli, Photography

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hollyI was tempted to call this post ‘Snowmageddon’!  Living in Canada, I’ve always been asked crazy questions when I’m travelling.  These were mostly pre-internet, but I’ve been asked questions like ‘In Canada abitati nelle case di ghiaccio?‘ and ‘I tuoi vicini di casa sono Eschimesi?‘ I don’t live in an igloo and I don’t think any of my neighbours are Eskimo/Inuit.  My response is usually something like ‘Io vivo sulla parte ovest del Canada.  Non fa freddo, e nevica un giorno all’anno!’ No, Vancouver is not cold, and it snows less than one day a year.  Even when it does snow, it usually only lasts a day and then it starts to rain and turns to slush……until now.  finestra

It snowed 2 weeks ago and did not go away.  It just got icy and then it snowed again-and yesterday another nevicata.  Mannaggia! Sono bloccato dalla neve – I am snowed in!  Vancouver can not cope with this kind of weather.  Eastern Canadians actually make fun of us for this-ci prendono in giro 😠! The city does not have enough snow plough equipment, the stores run out of salt and snow shovels, most people don’t have snow tires and they don’t know how to drive in the snow anyways, the buses have to cope with a lot more traffic….etc.  I am on ‘staycation’ until Christmas, so I did not have to go to work, but a lot of my plans had to be changed.  I’ve spent a lot of time at home making panettone and decorating!  I have also been walking everywhere since my car has been bloccato in ghiaccio most of this time.albero-di-natale Most of us are looking forward to saying arrivederci neve! It is very pretty, and for now it looks like a winter wonderland…now how would we say that in Italiano?  Un inverno incantata-an enchanted winter?  That’s as close as I can think of.  Here are some photos I took this week while walking, vicino casa, but I did do a rain dance when I got home!albero-di-natale2

My vicini di casa do not live in igloos, but they do like to build them!

My vicini di casa do not live in igloos, but they do like to build them!

This pupazzo di neve (snowman) has his own igloo

This pupazzo di neve (snowman) has his own igloo

Luci Natalizie di Mamma e Papa/ My parents' Christmas lights

Luci Natalizie di Mamma e Papa/ My parents’ Christmas lights

luci2luci3Ciao e Buon Natale dal ‘Snowmageddon’, Cristina

Polignano a Mare

27 Thursday Oct 2016

Posted by in Italia, Photography, Puglia

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spiaggia-lama-monachile-polignanoPolignano a Mare sits atop limestone cliffs on the Adriatic coast just south of Bari.  From the white-washed Centro Storico with narrow, winding cobblestone streets, the crystal clear water, and 3 terrazze with views of the sea, everywhere you look, there are panorami mozzafiato (pah·noh·RAH·mee moz∙zah∙FYAH∙toh)-breathtaking views.  There is even a restaurant in a grotta, one of the caves overlooking the sea, the Grotta Palazzese.  Polignano was the ancient Greek city of Neapolis, founded in the 4th Century BC.  It was prosperous under the Romans too, because Ponte Lama Monachile, the Roman bridge, is right on the ancient Via Traiana.  This was an extension of Via Appia, going from Beneventum (Benevento) to Brundisium (Brindisi) by a shorter route. There was a monastery nearby and the name of the bridge literally means ‘monastic monk’.  Sounds a bit redundant, although better than the other possibility ‘monastic blade’.polignano-a-mare-ponte

polignano-a-mare-spiaggia2Beneath the bridge is Spiaggia Lama Monachile, a small ‘spiaggia libera’ or public beach, with blue-green crystalline water and small white pebbles called ciottoli (cheeot·TOH· lee). I climbed up on some rocks and could have just sat there all day feeling the wind in my hair and sun on my face. Near the water, I noticed a constant movement of people coming and going from a cave.  I was curious and walked over to try and see what was there.  It just looked dark.  A very nice older local gentleman saw me trying to peer in.  He came over and offered me his arm and said he would accompany me.  It was a ‘cave tunnel’ that had about 1 foot of water.  The other end was very windy and opened to the next cove.  We could see cliffs and the surf crashing onto the rocks, sending water over us.  It was incredibly beautiful, but of course I did not have my camera.  My escort told me that he lives in Polignano and comes to the spiaggia every day of the year!

The man in the white hat with his arm outstretched is the 'gentiluomo'.

The man in the white hat with his arm outstretched is the ‘gentiluomo’.

polignano-spiaggia-3When I took a dip  in the water, the waves were so big I was thrown into a seated position and lost one of my flip flops, known in Italia as infraditi (in·fra·DEE·tee). The spiaggia is too rocky to walk barefoot.  I retrieved my infradito and was immediately felled by another powerful wave, taking the other infradito off my foot.  This went on for a few more waves, and eventually my infradito was too far out.  Luckily a nice ragazzo retrieved it for me.  I returned to my heavenly place on the rocks, to find that my cugina had taken my camera and photographed of every stage of my ordeal with the infraditi!  Grazie Maria!polignano-a-mare-spiaggia

The town is a steep walk up the stairs beside Ponte Lama Monachile. The Centro Storico is entered via l’ Arco Marchesale, an old Roman gate. There is an interesting area called Vicolo della Poesia, with poetry written on staircases, walls and doorways. vicolo-della-poesia This ‘graffiti’ is signed ‘Guido Il Flâneur’. Guido is a poet, although the ‘graffiti’ is not his own poetry.  He left his job in Bari and moved to Polignano to pursue a writing career 32 years ago.  ‘Flâneur’ is an 18th Century term for french gentlemen who strolled the streets sharing their passion for literature. Apparently Guido goes for a swim every day, year round!  Hmmm, this sounds familiar.  I found a poor-quality foto of Guido online, and I think he may be the gentiluomo who escorted me through the cave tunnel!vicolo-della-poesia2

Polignano a Mare’s most famous citizen is Domenico Modugno, who shot to fame in 1958 when his song ‘Nel blu dipinto di blu’ (you probably know it as Volare) won the Festival di San Remo, then represented Italia in the Eurovision song contest.  In a piazza on the other side of the bridge is a statue of Modugno, with his arms stretched out like he is ready to take flight over Polignano. Our parking ran out before we could walk to the other side, so I’ll have to go back to visit Domenico.

An interesting building-it looks like it was once a church, but now there is a bar on the ground level!

An interesting building-it looks like it was once a church, but now there is a bar on the ground level!

In the right third of the photois Grotta Palazzese, where you can see 3 white posts of the railing.

In the right third of the photois Grotta Palazzese, where you can see 3 white posts of the railing.

I really enjoyed the day in Polignano a Mare, and so did my camera! It was not as crowded as I expected on a weekday in early August and the spiaggia was just perfect. The only thing I found kind of annoying was the amount of English signage in the Centro Storico, which is not typical for a town in Puglia.polignano-a-mare-loggiapolignanomuro

Polignano a Mare is easy to get to, as it is on Strada Statale 16 (SS 16) the main coastal road. It is also very easy to get to without a car, since it is on the Adriatic train route from Bari to Lecce.  From Bari, Polignano is a 20 min train ride and from the train station the Centro Storico is a 10 min walk.ponte-lama-monachile

Buon Viaggio, Cristina

San Gimignano

15 Friday Apr 2016

Posted by in Firenze, Italia, Photography, Travel

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Torri di San GimignanoSan Gimignano’s skyline looks like a Medieval Metropolis, complete with early grattacieli (grat•tah•chee•EH•lee = skyscrapers). It was known as San Gimignano delle belle Torri -San Gimignano of the beautiful towers. The site was an Etruscan settlement, then a castello called Silvia with a walled village built around it.  Silvia was renamed San Gimignano in 450 after the Bishop of Modena, who spared it from Attila the Hun’s troops.San Gimignano Torre

San Gimignano became an independent town in 1199. It was prosperous, being a stopping point on La Via Francigena, the medieval pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Roma, via France.  San Gimignano also traded in local zafferano (zaf•fer•RAN•noh = saffron) and wine from the white Vernaccia grape. The earliest mention of Vernaccia di San Gimignano is in the archives of 1276! In 1966, 690 years later, it was the first Italian vino bianco to receive DOC recognition.

The 13 and 14th Centuries saw San Gimignano caught in the Guelph/Ghibelline conflicts.  Read about this in Dante’s post. Wealthy San Gimignanesi built tower houses as symbols of power and wealth, as well as for protection.  The height of these torri kept increasing, up to 70m high, to keep up with the neighbors. There were originally 72 torri and 14 still stand today.

Waves of plague and famine hit San Gimignano in the mid 1300’s. The ‘black death’ claimed almost half the population, and San Gimignano was now under the rule of Firenze.  Fiorentino control prevented any urban development that happened in other towns.  As a result, San Gimignano was preserved in a medieval ‘time warp’, retaining its original atmosphere and appearance.  Little changed until the 19th century when it became a tourism destination. Today the population is 7800 and it does have 1 traffic light! To protect San Gimignano from the effects of mass tourism, strict rules prevent modification to the appearance or intended use of buildings.

Bancomat Medievale/Medieval Bank Machine!

Bancomat Medievale/Medieval Bank Machine!

In 1990, the Historic Center of San Gimignano became a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its outstanding examples of medieval architecture and original urban layout.Piazza della Cisterna

The Cattedrale know as La Collegiata, has Masterpieces of 14th and 15th Century art.  Inside the front façade is the Fresco of Last Judgement, Heaven and Hell by Taddeo di Bartolo (1393). The Cappella di Santa Fina with frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1475) was featured in the 1990 Franco Zeffirelli film ‘Tea with Mussolini’.

In the Palazzo Comunale is the Sala di Dante where Dante Alighieri spoke as an ambassador for the Guelphs in May 1300. The Pinacoteca has treasures by Filippino Lippi, among others.  Climb the 218 steps of the adjacent 54m Torre Grossa for views of San Gimignano and the Val d’Elsa.  Admission is €6.View from Torre Grossa

Piazza della Cisterna is triangular with a well on an octagonal pedestal in the center, surrounded by medieval buildings. It is named for the underground cistern built in 1287 which was the main source of water for the San Gimignanesi.  Piazza della Cisterna is the meeting point of the Via Francigena and the road from Pisa to Siena, so it was a happening place in medieval times.

Piazza della Cisterna, seen from Torre Grossa

Piazza della Cisterna, seen from Torre Grossa

San Gimignano is an easy daytrip on the bus from Firenze, Siena or Poggibonsi. There is no direct train. The train route is to change trains at Empoli to Poggibonsi and then bus from there. It’s also nice to be there in the evening or overnight when all of the daytrippers have left.

Like Alberobello, no matter how many hordes of tourists it is overrun with, San Gimignano is incantevole (een•can•teh•VOH•leh = enchanting) and definitely worth a visit. I need to go back to do ‘research’, since I have a drawer full of unfinished sketches, monotypes and etchings!

Buon Viaggio, Cristina