In the Details

We were without internet access for a while so it has been a few days since I have been able to post anything.  While we have visited several beautiful places, including Venice, since the last posting, I want to share some observations in a different vein.

We are winding down our Italian adventure, so we have been finalizing souvenir purchases for our family and friends.  At this point, I believe we have everyone covered and plan to get some last t-shirts for the kids and we are done.  But what I have noticed when we have made purchases is how nicely purchases are wrapped for customers.  In a toy store where we bought a gift for a neighbor, the clerk wrapped it in nice gift paper, then added a bow and string.  It took several minutes to do this, but she worked carefully to make a very beautiful gift.

At a jewelry store, while we waited for help, the clerk very carefully wrapped several gifts that someone else had purchased.  Even though he was the only clerk in the store, he didn't rush, but took his time and wrapped each purchase with paper, bows, strings, stickers.  A similar purchase in most American stores might result in a gift that was put into a decorative bag at best.  Although it meant waiting a bit longer for the clerk to be able to wait on us, it was very nice to see the attention he was giving this particular purchase and well worth the wait.

In the hectic rush of this season, it was nice to experience a situation where there was more than an exchange of money and a bagged item and a few "have a nice holiday" pleasantries.  The Italians seem to give a lot of attention to the details and making sure that things are well done.  It shows in their fashion where it is common for everyone to dress nicely in public.  I have yet to see anyone walking around in their pajamas (a seemingly common fashion statement in the U.S.---and by the way, what is the statement we are saying in this?)  Italians seem to take great care in the details of appearances.  And this attention to detail is very refreshing.

An Advent Song

It has been fun to be in Italy during Advent.  We have watched the lighting of Advent candles in the local churches, just like at Roberts Park.  And we have seen the decorations adorning this already beautiful city of Florence.  Many of the streets have white lights hanging down like a cascade of snowflakes.  The store windows are decorated in preparation for Christmas and one store nearby has a mailbox where children can put their letters to Bobi Feste (I am guessing this is the same celebrity who goes by Santa Claus in the U.S.)

We were fortunate our first night in Florence to be walking toward the city square.  As we approached, I heard music, so we hurried our pace to see what was going on.  There were men dressed in what seemed like renaissance costumes playing instruments and doing a routine with flags.  It was a parade that had come to stop in the city square.  There were lots of people there and we joined to watch the festivities.  The culmination was the lighting of a large fir tree in the middle of the square.

Yesterday morning we walked to the top of the tower alongside the church.  It affords a beautiful view of the city of Florence and some of the surrounding Tuscan countryside.  Maybe it was the 414 steps leading to the top of the tower or maybe it was the view, but the word breath-taking comes to mind.  We caught our breath and took in the sights from every direction.                                                                                       




The view from the Church tower

 From atop the city, I could hear the sounds below.  I could make out the sounds of a saw and construction work being done.  There was the sound of an ambulance (very distinctive here!).  But after listening closely, I heard another sound.  It was the sound of a child singing.  I could not pinpoint where it was coming from, but it was very distinct.  From hundreds of feet above the city, the sound of a child singing was clearly heard.  It brought a smile to my face to hear such sweet music rising from the earth below. 

Isn't this what Advent is about.  Amid all the chaos and noise there is a faint sound that echoes above our cities.  It is the sound of singing...a child's song, Mary's song, angels' songs, a reminder that we all have a song to share.

Peace my friends!

The foods of Italy

Ok, I have been promising a blog about the food we have been eating, so I think it is time.  One of the things I enjoy about Diane is that while we have similar adventurous palates, we often order the two things that sound the best on the menu and share them.  So, especially when we travel, we get twice the tasting opportunities.

One of the things we have done in every location is ask the locals where they would recommend.  We have yet to be disappointed with a single recommendation.  In Pompei, our innkeeper recommended a place called Kobe that had some of the most incredible steaks!  Tasty, juicy and plentiful.  And, we also enjoyed a nutella dessert. 

We also took their advice and stopped at Zi Catherinas for lunch one day.  There we both ordered a pizza...Diane got anchovies and I got a spicy sausage.  Because the pizzas were so inexpensive we thought they would be like a personal size pizza in the U.S.  These things were huge!  And the thing was, even the locals order them like a personal pizza and sit and eat the whole thing!  It was a lot of pizza. 

On the day when we were walking through Naples, we had no recommendations so we wandered into a back alley.  The owner practically pulled us into his restaurant.  While we were looking over the handwritten menu almost illegible and with no prices or explanations, I decided I wanted spaghetti, but not the seafood with mussels version.  Turns out there were not a lot of options.  Before we ordered anything the owner brought us a vegetable plate for an appetizer.  Then he asked whether we wanted spaghetti or meat.  We both ordered the spaghetti.  The result was that we got the spaghetti with mussels.  And it was incredible.  Not a big meal, but very tasty and very filling.  We were ready to leave when he brought dessert (which we had not ordered)...a tiramisu.  Again thinking we are done, he brought us the famous limoncello (a lemon alcohol drink served in an iced shot glass).  I think Diane is trying to figure out how to bring some of this back to the states!  But all of this was incredibly filling and cost next to nothing.

In Rome we stumbled onto a restaurant outside the town near the catacombs.  This has been one of Diane's favorite meals.  She had gnocchi  with calamari while I had a spinach ravioli.  The pastas have all been incredible.

Last evening, here in Florence, our innkeeper recommended a place nearby famous for their pastas and steaks.  I was considering getting the pasta with truffles when Diane suggested the famous Steak Florentine.  It was for two or more.  We decided on this.  We ordered an appetizer of a soft cheese served with marmalade, honey, pine nuts and grape fruit.  I could have made a meal out of this!  Then the owner sent a complimentary selection of appetizers to us.  There was so much food and it was so good! 

Steak Florentine is served rare.  If you ask for it cooked more thoroughly they will not serve it to you.  It is seared on each side and then warmed on the inside.  It is kind of like a t-bone.  But the serving was humongous (I'm running out of adjectives!) and was at least three inches thick.  It was tender and flavorful.  And it was to die for.  The meal was so plentiful that we were both suffed...so much so that we couldn't even imagine sharing a dessert.  We had to go for a long walk afterward to try to work off some of the meal.

Tonight we took a cooking class on Tuscan foods.  We began by making a brocolli souffle, followed by gnocchi which we had made ourselves served with a fresh tomato sauce.  Then we had chicken sauteed with peppers, onions and rosemary.  Dessert was tiramisu.  The only thing that came out of a can or bottle was the wine served with the dinner.

Part of the fun was having the hands on experience and working with other tourists and the local chefs.  We were paired with a couple from Los Angeles who were on a three month sabbatical.  We enjoyed the meal, but also working with others and sitting down and sharing the fruits of our labors.

The foods and desserts have been incredible.  The wines have been delightful (and typically cheaper than a bottled water!)  Diane enjoyed the limoncello while I enjoyed the grappa (another post dinner alcoholic beverage).  As a coffee drinker, Diane has enjoyed the little coffee bars for an espresso which are served in a porcelain cup.  While we would think of getting food and drinks to go, it seems expected that meals and even snacks are times to slow down and converse or watch others. 

We have also enjoyed sampling the various flavors of gelatto.  At one little grocery in Pompei Diane ordered  a chocolate that was incredibly rich.  I was looking at the many options when the lady behind the counter seemed to take a liking to me.  She offered me samples of one of them and then suggested that I might like it with alongside another flavor.  Diane has had the affections and flirtations of many Italian men (including one little boy who looked to be about 5 who blew her a kiss as he walked by), but this was my turn.  If you happen upon the gelatto lady in Pompei tell her I said hi.

Unfortunately, we didn't take photos of the foods we have eaten, but even if we had, I don't think it could do justice to the smells and tastes we have experienced.   

Peace my friends! 

Beauty All Around Us

One thing I don't always understand is why some things and some people are well known and others not.  Maybe it is my own mixed up priorities, but sometimes the things I value are not as highly regarded.  For instance, when it comes to picking a pope...not that I have anything against the current pope, but when the position next comes available, I would pick someone like Father Antonio from the monastery in Albuquerque.  He probably wouldn't be interested in the position, but he was a very kind, loving man who would be a pleasant and memorable pope, but his name is not likely to be chosen for the position.

Or how about music?  I realize that some of my favorite musicians are not likely to be heard on the radio.  But their music is the kind that touches the heart and makes your toes tap and your feet begin to move.  Michael Kelsey, Bill Price, Madeline Peyroux and Tim Vana are not likely to be heard on your radio, but I think they are fine writers and musicians.  I listened to a cd by Tim Vana on the train today from Naples to Florence and absolutely enjoyed it.  His song about the life of a farmer should make him worthy of being on stage at a FarmAid concert.

Or how about art.  When we walked through the Museum of Modern Art in New York I asked Diane, who was an art teacher for a while and knows something about this stuff, why some of these works were classified as art.  I mean really, an all red canvas is art?  Or the hodgepodge paintings that look like someone randomly threw paint onto a canvas.  I guess to someone it was considered a masterpiece, but I can't help thinking that if I gave a few gallons of paint to my kids, let them wear one of my oversized shirts and turned them loose on a blank canvas, they could produce the same results.  Yesterday we walked through Naples.  Not a particularly pleasant city.  But we had heard about a sculpture called the veiled Jesus.  It isn't in a lot of the tour books that we consulted.  It is not well marked and it is in a rather nondescript looking building from the outside.  But this sculpture is remarkable.  It looks like the body of Christ covered with a paper thin veil.  The details were incredible.  We have seen lots of sculptures by very famous artists, and they have been very good.  But this one was moving.  When we asked directions to a nearby church, a man on the street said we needed to visit this chapel to see the sculpture and then he made a gesture signifying that it would bring tears to one's eyes.  Indeed it did.  It is not as well known, but a very moving piece of art.

So what's my point (and does a blog really have to have a point)?  I guess what I feel in my heart is that some art hangs in museums and some musicians fill large arenas and some people are recognized by multitudes of people.  But there is incredible art, music and people to be found in the less familiar settings.  And they are worthy of our attention.  It may take a little more effort but if we keep our senses attuned, we might find beauty in unexpected places

A Pilgrimage

Early in our relationship, I remember Diane mentioning Padre Pio as someone she found very inspiring.  Padre Pio was a priest who served in a small mountainous town in eastern Italy.  One of the distinguishing features of this man is that he had the marks of the stigmata, the visible wounds of a crucifixion on his hands, feet and sides.  The public pictures of him typically show him wearing gloves.  Padre Pio died in that small town of San Giovani Rotondo in 1968 and was made a saint in the Catholic Church.

Having seen all there is to see in Pompei, I asked Diane if she would like to make the trip to San Giovani Rotondo.  It is the second largest pilgrimage site in the world.  We did some research and found that there were buses from Naples.  The downside was that the trip was 3 hours each way and allowed visitors only one hour at the site.  The innkeeper where we are staying suggested renting a car and driving ourselves.  Given what I have seen of Italian roads and drivers, this had me a bit concerned, but it seemed the best option.  The innkeepers let us borrow their Tomtom gps (which we nicknamed TimTom after the Reverend on the tv show "The Middle").  TimTom did a great job getting us through the small towns and onto the highway.  The only problem was in the mountains where TimTom got a bit confused.  On a hairpin turn that went left, he would say, "Turn right here."  Maybe TimTom didn't like me, who knows.  But in the mountain we muted TimTom and made our own route.

San Giovani Rotondo  is set on a mountainside and is a beautiful city.  We found a parking spot near the church and began our tour.  There are three churches...the old one, the updated one and the modern one.  We began in the updated one which led to the museum devoted to Padre Pio.  The museum was filled with stories of his life and ministry and was a very nice tribute to the man.  In the basement of the church, there is the crypt where the priest's body was buried until 2008.  There were many tributes, with people leaving coins, letters, photos, etc. 

At the end of the tour, Diane asked where the body was now.  Unfortunately, their English was as poor as our Italian.  We were directed to one area, but this did not work.  We found a very helpful priest who told us to go to the modern church.  It was a little distance away (and it was raining), but this was important to Diane and we were now on a quest.  We walked into the new building, a vast expansive church searching for the body of Padre Pio.  It was very frustrating and we were having no luck.  We had looked everywhere and we had come a long way.  Diane sat down on the stairs in frustration with her hands on her head looking like she was going to cry.

At that moment, I felt like an observer to Easter morning.  Remember the story of Mary going to the tomb?  She is looking for the body and she cannot find it.  She is grieving and sad.  At that moment, I felt like a witness to Mary's grief.  I looked some more.  We finally found someone and pointed to the picture of Padre Pio's tomb and I asked, "Dov'e?"  "Where?" in Italian.  We were not far.

We walked a little further and came into this incredible gold sanctuary.  There was a priest conducting mass in the room so we joined the service.  Diane noted later that the priest looked to be the age that he might have known Padre Pio.  That made the service that much more special.  When the mass concluded, the particpants joined in a procession to where Padre Pio's body is entombed. 

The tours would have permitted us to stay for one hour.  We were at San Giovani Roounda for about three hours. 

TimTom led us back toward Pompei before delivering us to an unknown location and declaring, "You have reached your destination."  How we got back to the Bed and Breakfast I don't know.  It was dark and it was late when we pulled into the gated inn.  It was an exhausting day and the stress of navigating the unknown territory was a challenge.  But our pilgrimage brought us great joy to visit this holy site.

Sunset over Rome

It is hard to believe that a week has passed.  But we feel that we have seen most of the major sites of Rome.  For our final full day in Rome, we ran some errands and then caught the Metro downtown.  We walked to a castle built by the Emperor Hadrian.  After it was abandoned and fell into disrepair, the church took it over and it became a residence for the pope.

This imposing structure is situated downtown in Rome, alongside the Tiber River.  We walked through the castle admiring its many decorative rooms.  There were some that had been restored to their former beauty.  Others were now serving as locations for traveling historical displays.  In one such room, we learned about the Italian patriot, Garibaldi and his family.

As we continued toward the top, it occurred to us that we had picked the ideal time to visit the castle.  It was late afternoon.  The sun was beginning to set and the view from the top was magnificient.  We watched the sun set and the lights of the city illuminate.  It was wonderful.

Beside is a view of St. Peter's Basilica from the top of the castle.  You can see that the sun is going down and the sky is taking on a soft pink and purple tinge. 

To the right is a picture of the landscape of Rome.  The main structure in the back is a building that was constructed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Italian reunification and liberation.  Next year, 2011 will be the 150th year and celebrations have been planned to mark the occasion.

The view from the castle was the perfect way to end our week in Rome.  It was beautiful and romantic, like much of the city.  After we left the castle, we strolled alongside the Tiber River looking at the vendor stands.  As we crossed the river at one of the bridges we shot this photograph, once again of St. Peter's basilica.

We continued our walk through a few of the piazzas to do some people watching.  We finished the day with another great Italian dinner (I promise, the blog about the food is coming soon!). 


Now we are on our way to southern Italy, staying in Pompeii. 

Peace, my friends!

Roman Catacombs

Visiting cemeteries has been one of the common threads in this time away.  In Baltimore, I visited the gravesite of Edgar Allen Poe on All Saints Day.  A few weeks later I walked the cemeteries of New Orleans.  One of the prominent graves is that of a voodoo priestess from the 19th century.  People still visit her grave, leaving trinkets and items in hopes that Marie will grant their wish.  The above ground cemeteries are called, cities of the dead and are well worth a visit when one is in New Orleans.

Yesterday we visited the underground cemetery outside of Rome known as the catacombs.  This burial site is the final resting place of approximately 500,000 people.  There were units reserved for families where whole families would remain together.  There were also areas where former popes and martyrs were buried. 

Our guide led us through the site, explaining that there were actually four known levels to this particular catacomb.  The burials stopped sometime in the fourth century when Christians were permitted to be buried within the city walls of Rome.  The site continued to be a venerated place until invaders sacked the city and destroyed many of the tombs in search of treasures.  As a result, the catacombs were forgotten and not rediscovered for about 900 years. 

It was fascinating to walk through the often narrow walkways with empty tombs filling both sides of the path.  I always find it meaningful to visit the burial places and pay my respects, even if I do not know those who are buried there.

On a lighter note, while we were waiting for the catacombs to open, Diane and I were walking the outdoor portion.  We came upon four cats and a couple of older women feeding them.  We thought this was humorous to find cats among the catacombs and so Diane took a photo.  The women seemed surprised and with their best Englished asked, "Don't you have cats where you are from?"

They explained that they come to the grounds every day to feed the five cats who live there.  We had a delightful conversation with them and they guided us to some interesting sites while we awaited the opening of the catacombs.

Peace, my friends!