A TASTE OF AUTUMN - ITALIAN STYLE

On Saturday evening the Pro Loco San Venanzo presented "Olio, Vino e Castagne...I NOVELLI D'AUTUNNO", and evening of education, food and fun. The educational part consisted of a talk about olives and olive oil, along with a tasting of the new oil. Needless to say, I was excited about this part of the program, and quite disappointed to discover that only a select few would actually be tasting the oil! Additionally, the man giving the presentation had the most monotone voice and it was very, very difficult not only to understand him, but also just to hear him. Okay, so I probably wouldn't have understood much of the talk anyway, but it was still disappointing.

When the discussion was over the real fun began: the food! Bruschetta with the new oil of the two producers from San Venanzo, "Tenuta Colli Verdi" and "Zaffera e Farnesi" was available, as well as the new Merlot, supplied by "Tenuta Colli Verdi". There we also pieces of a wonderful bread,, sort of like focaccia, but with small pieces of ham baked into it. This was really, really yummy!

After the bruschetta and focaccia was devoured, the soup with farro and vegetables was served, and it was light and tasty. Next came steaming bowls of spaghetti, and as always, we marvel at how perfectly everthing is cooked, even for such a large crowd. There were quite a few large bags of chestnuts sitting around, and given the name of the festa, I assume that these would be roasted and served as dessert. Since neither of us care for chestnuts (castagne), we skipped this part altogether.

The entertainment - and what would an Italian evening be without entertainment and a little dancing? - was provided by our favorite hometown band, the Erika Mastrini Band.

During the lecture about olives I gave up trying to hear what was being said and took a few pictures of the food preparations. The bruschetta was being prepared - first the bread is toasted, then it's rubbed with garlic...



then it's drizzled with oil....









then finished with just a sprinkling of salt....









And here's the bruschetta (pronounced bru SKET ta)



As I said earlier, we don't care for chestnuts, and normally the new wine doesn't hold much appeal, but the Merlot Ricardo served was really good! For us though the star of the evening was the new oil - don't you just love that intense green color?




Just getting TO the food proved to be a challenge.  Making any sort of orderly line is just a concept unknown to most Italians, and it was just a matter of working your way through the crowd...





and Gilberto sums it up best of all - Salute!

THE ERIKA MASTRINI BAND IN SAN VENANZO

When I was younger I was a rock 'n' roller, period. I didn't enjoy any other type of music. Over the years however, I've gained an appreciation of all sorts of music, from Patsy Cline to Pavarotti. There was a time in my life when listening to accordian music and watching a group of people polka to that music would NOT have been my idea of a good time! Now however, we look forward to hearing our friend and neighbor, Erika Mastrini and her band perform. Erika's skill on the accordian is a gift I can appreciate, and Ileana's voice is one I envy. Here are two clips, and more of course are on OUR YouTube PAGE.

FESTA dello SPORT IN SAN VENANZO CONTINUES!

Come join us for the second weekend of games, food, music and of course, dancing! Summer in Italy is soooo much fun!!!!

SAGRAS AND FESTAS

If you've been reading this blog lately, you've noticed that every week we're going to another 'festa' or 'sagra'. It's not too hard to figure out that these are local celebrations, but I thought I'd explain a bit more.

We use the terms sagra and festa interchangeably, but I think that they each signify a certain type of celebration. I think the festa is really a feast day or celebration of a saint, often the patron saint of the town, or maybe just a saint from the region - Umbria is teeming with homegrown saints - Francis, Clare, Benedict, Valentine, Rita, and more!

Sagras, on the other hand, are usually a celebration of a local food specialty - or at least that's the way it used to be! Yes, we still have the celebration of the local onions from Cannara, the black celery from Trevi, the porchetta from Costano, but we also have the celebration of Nutella, of tequilla and of crepes!

When we first arrived in Italy we thought these festas and sagras would be something like the good ole Catholic Church picnic, complete with games of chance, cake raffles and wine instead of beer. We quickly learned otherwise! First of all, local sagras and festas NEVER begin before 7:30 in the evening. The first time we came across an evening festa we assumed that on Saturday and Sundays the festivities would start around lunchtime and continue all day long, but no - 7:30 p.m. - it's almost carved in stone, just like the Italian lunch time of 1 o'clock.

Depending on the size of the festa and the size of the town, there may be travelling trucks selling a variety of goods - nuts, candy, useless plastic toys. More often than not though, the festa is simply local food cooked fresh on site by the local grandmas, then served by an army of teenage volunteers. There might be ticket sales for a raffle to be held at the end of the celebration, but it's pretty low-key. The point of a sagra or a festa is to get together with friends and family - to eat, talk and laugh, then after dinner to dance to a local band or DJ until midnight or later. Most Italians, including the kids, are up until midnight in the summer because it's just too darn hot to sleep before then. Not only is air conditioning a very rare commodity, most Italians would never dream of having a fan blowing directly on them at full blast like I do!

When we were newcomers it was fun to attend a local festa and peole watch to our hearts content. Once the (traditional) music starts the old people fill the dance floor, circling in unison with a waltz or some variation thereof. If the music happens to be more akin to rock and roll it's a different story - usually everyone just sits and watches! If the music isn't too radical some of the young adults might start a line dance, and eventually the floor will be one large group, stepping and turning as one to the music.

Now that we've been here a while we see people we know at the local festas. We can chat with the mayor or even run into the man we bought our house from! We watch the kids run around with such wild abandon, and marvel at how they've grown since we first met them. A few nights ago one local woman confided to me that we'd paid too much for our house - I told her that was probably always the case with foreigners, but that we'd been happy with the price and were glad we'd picked San Venanzo.

If you're ever in Italy, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city during the summer or fall, check out the local billboards to see if there might be a sagra or festa somewhere near you. Although you don't have to get there right at 7:30, be warned that the later the evening the longer the line, but the less time you'll have to wait for the evening's entertainment. Plan to order the special of the day, and plan to share with your friends so that you can sample a lot of different things.

You've probably seen the YouTube videos I've posted of the various bands, but here's a quick look at mealtime at the most recent festa in San Venanzo.....




There are also pictures of some typical foods we've eaten at local festas on our FLICKR PAGE in the folder named "Food in Umbria".

FESTA dello SPORT IN SAN VENANZO!

Come join us for more fun this weekend and next for games, food, music and of course dancing! Summer in Italy is soooo much fun!!!!

AUGUST FESTAS IN SAN VENANZO

Just in case you're in the area, here are the festas scheduled for August:

August 4-10 Festa di San Lorenzo (Ospedaletto)

August 6-9 In Medioevo (Rotecastello)

August 20-23 and 27-30 Festa dello Sport (San Venanzo)

Stop by and say hello!

LIFE ON THE FARM VIDEOS

And of course more on OUR YouTube PAGE.

LIFE ON THE FARM

Another weekend, another celebration! Summer in Italy is one big party,and any excuse will do. Our neighbor, Daniele Spaccino decided to throw a party on his farm, showcasing an old wheat thresher and life on the farm (fattoria) as it used to be.

We didn't arrive until about six, and the small gravel road was lined with cars. It wasn't easy getting closer to the farm, and at one point we thought we'd made the wrong decision to drive on. We were afraid there would be no place to park and no way to turn around. Luckily there was a parking lot area roped off in a flat area right next to the old hay-baling machine so we parked the car and began wandering.

Of course there were horses and cows and baby goats. In the barn were tons of porchetta sandwiches, plenty of water and wine, and of course biscotti and coffee to finish. And what would an Italian gathering be without music? Elvio had his accordian, and later there was a band hired to entertain us. Naturally dancing followed!













































All the pictures from that day are on our FLICKR PAGE.


The following video was shot by poggiospaccato, a fellow sanvenanese who also posts videos from our area!

DINNER AT OLIVASTRELLA

You know how it is - you meet up with an old friend unexpectedly and when you part ways each of you says "let's get together and do something! I'll call you!".....and then nothing happens? I guess we're all so busy and it's hard to make the time, but sometimes all it takes is for one person to call, to set a specific date and suddenly you're having dinner with friends and having a great time!

That's how our dinner at OLIVASTRELLA happened. A few weeks ago at the festa in San Venanzo Janine was telling a group of us about the great meal they'd had at a local agriturismo, OLIVASTRELLA. Of course we all agreed that it sounded great and that we should get together for dinner to see (and taste!) for ourselves. But - had it not been for Janine, we'd still be waiting. Janine took the bull by the horns, emailed everyone to ask what days were good for them, settled on one day that was open for everyone, called Salvatore and made the reservation - DONE!!!

Here are a few pictures from our dinner at OLIVASTRELLA. ( You can read what I wrote last summer about Olivastrella HERE, and all the pictures are on our FLICKR PAGE.

PASTA CON TARTUFO!

We discovered the reason for the mini-festa this weekend: the speech/presentation about tartufi that was given earlier in the evening was filmed for television! The show will air on Umbria TV, SKY (Italia) channel 943 on July 24th at 10 p.m., 25th at 11:30 p.m., and July 26 at 8:30 a.m.

Easting pasta with tartufi (truffles) in San Venanzo

ANOTHER FESTA - AND ERIKA!

After our week long festa in San Venanzo we were surprised to see that another one was scheduled just a week later. This one was sponsored by one of the political parties, Partito Democratico. As usual the food specials for each day and the evening's entertainment were listed on the poster, and we were thrilled to see that The Erika Mastrini Band would be playing on Friday night! It was exactly one year to the day when we'd been at a party celebrating our friends Larry and Shelly's anniversary to the music of Erika and her band!

Here are two short videos from that night - and yes, they do love their line dances around here! More videos from Erika and other nights at the festaa are on OUR YouTube PAGE .


Erika Mastrinin Band



More line dancing

THE BEATERS IN SAN VENANZO!

We invited friends to join us for a night of nostalgia and fun - "In Canto d'Estate" was hosting a Beatles tribute band, The Beaters! There are lots and lots of Beatles tribute bands. Some dress in clothes from various eras - the collarless jackets for the early years and Sgt. Pepper regalia for the later years. They use vintage instruments, or replicas - the Hofner bass, the Ludwig drums. They've learned how to stand and move just like the Beatles, and often assume Liverpudlian accents and joke just like the Beatles did. Some bands even have a left-handed "Paul" to make the illusion complete. For better or worse though, the one thing all these bands have in common is a love of the Beatles and their music. And of course the fans they attract share this love.

Naturally some bands are more proficient musicians than others, and some manage to capture the movements and gestures better than others. Some are better singers than others. No matter at what level each band performs, most fans like me aren't too demanding. We're just happy to hear the songs that brought us so much joy, and happy to spend time with others who share our passion for the Beatles. If we can squint our eyes and somehow believe that we really are seeing the Beatles once again, well, that's great, but really, we're all aware that those days are gone and are just happy to re-live that time if only briefly.

I'm writing all this so that you know I'm not super-critical of Beatles tribute bands, even those that aren't the greatest singers or musicians. I'm happy that others share my love of the Beatles and their music, and I appreciate their efforts. Which brings us to Saturday night's performance by an Italian band called The Beaters.

Yes, I believe that these guys really are Beatles fans. I appreciate their use of vintage instruments, and the way they introduced each song, in the style of the Beatles. As the band jumped into it's first number I was happily singing along, tapping my toes and smiling with joy. After a few songs though, a puzzled look came over my face. At first I wasn't sure that I was hearing correctly, but after several songs it became more and more apparent: they didn't know all the words!!!! Sometimes they would sing the wrong words, while other times it seemed as if they just sort of hummed/mumbled their way through, much as you or I might do when we've forgotten the words to a song.

After the first few numbers I was thinking to myself that what this band really needed to do was to go back and listen, really LISTEN to the original recordings, just to get the pronunciations correct. I realized that these guys weren't native English speakers, and I thought if they would listen to the recordings again, that might help. Once I realized that they were getting the words wrong I once again tried to excuse them because they're not native English speakers. But then I thought about how I like to listen to music in a foreign language, especiall if I want to learn the words. I listen to the music while I'm reading the lyrics. That's how I found out that "Let's Forget About The Money" was really "Let's Forget About Domani"!

Anyway, the show was a lot of fun, but I was really disappointed that these guys who supposedly love the Beatles wouldn't take the time or effort to learn the words and the correct pronunciations. Yes, maybe it is a mean thing to say, but in my opinion, when you bill yourselves as a Beatles tribute band, you've raised the stakes just a little. A Beatles tribute band sets itself to a higher standard than a band who just covers a few Beatles songs. A Beatles tribute band, even a foreign-speaking one, should really want to take the time to listen to the songs, to get the words right and learn the correct pronunciations!

Here are a few videos from that night, but for your benefit I haven't included the ones where the words were forgotten or mumbled! ("Roll Over Beethoven" and "Lady Madonna" come to mind) All the videos from the various bands who performed at our festa, "In Canto d'Estate" are on OUR YouTube PAGE. The Beaters have their own YouTube page HERE.


Please Please Me



Hey Jude

IN CANTO d'ESTATE WITH THE SWINGLE KINGS!

The highlight of Friday night's festivities in San Venanzo was The Swingle Kings. Here are two clips of their perfomance, and more are on our OUR YouTube PAGE.


Buona Sera



Americano

ATMOSFERA BLU IN SAN VENANZO

Thursday night at San Venanzo's "In Canto d'Estate" festa we danced the night away to the music of ATMOSFERA BLU. The food was delicious, as always, but once the music started everyone was on the dance floor.

THE FUN HAS BEGUN!

Last night was the first night of our summer music festival, "In Canto d'Estate". The group 4X8 performed and were quite enjoyable. Here are 3 quick videos - the first one shows the menu board and an overview of the park, and the next two are just clips of the band - who sang several songs in English.

SUMMER FUN IN SAN VENANZO!

Come join us for 5 nights of food, music and fun! The food stands open at 7:00 each night and the music will begin around 9:00 (more or less). Saturday night's dinner will be a moving dinner where we walk from one area to another for each course, and the night's entertainment will be a Beatles tribute band!

Here's the offical announcement:

DAL 17 AL 21 GIUGNO AL PARCO COMUNALE
DI SAN VENANZO

2° EDIZIONE DI IN CANTO D'ESTATE

PROGRAMMA

MERCOLEDì 17 GIUGNO 2009
4X8 IN CONCERO

MENU: LE SPECIALITA' CONSIGLIATE
Il benvenuto della cucina: Pappardelle al cinghiale – Capriolo in bianco

GIOVEDì 18 GIUGNO 2009
ATMOSFERA BLU IN CONCERTO

MENU
Consigliato dalla cucina : Polenta rossa – Capriolo in bianco

VENERDì 19 GIUGNO 2009
SWINGLE KINGS IN CONCERTO

MENU
Consigliato dalla cucina: Gnocchi al ragù d’oca – Coratella d’agnello, Cinghiale tartufato

SABATO 20 GIUGNO 2009
LA NOTTE DELLA TRADIZIONE
THE BEATERS in concerto

CENA ITINERANTE: serata unica per vivere a pieno le specialità culinarie locali.
Antipasto, Trofie alla Sella e Olio del Vulcano, Polenta rossa, Tagliere di salumi e formaggi, Spiedini di frutta e Dolce. Quattro taverne, quattro tappe del gusto accompagnate dai preziosi calici delle cantine della zona. Ingresso unico.

DOMENICA 21 GIUGNO 2009
“AUDIO MAGAZINE”,in concerto il benvenuto all’Estate


MENU
Consigliato dalla cucina: Pappardelle al cinghiale - Coratella d’agnello

TUTTE LE SERE GLI STANDS GASTRONOMICI (apertura ore 19,00) OFFRIRANNO RICCHI E MOLTEPLICI MENU: ANTIPASTI VARI, PRIMI SFIZIOSI, CARNE, TORTA AL TESTO, PATATE FRITTE. GLI SPETTACOLI INIZIERANNO TUTTE LE SERE A PARTIRE DALLE ORE 21,00.

As you might expect, I'll be posting short videos over the next few days, just in case you can't make it.

A PRO LOCO DINNER IN SAN VENANZO

Last Saturday night we gathered with friend and neighbors at the town hall for a dinner sponsored by the Pro Loco association. All over Italy the local Pro Locos sponsor and organize various fun and educational activities. Here in San Venanzo the Pro Loco sponsors bus trips, walks, lectures and even the Carnivale parade. For the incredible price of €7 we enjoyed a huge four course meal, listened to music and watched a slide show of various events held in the past year.

WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT SAN VENANZO?

Recently one of our realtors told us they'd received a comment about our house and wanted to pass it along to us. The comment, from a person who's looking for a house in Umbria, said they liked our house and everything we'd done to it, but that San Venanzo was not a town they'd like to live in. My first reaction was "What??!!?" I guess most people are proud of their towns, especially if it's a town you've specifically picked out, and we’re no exception.

We're pretty proud of our adopted Umbrian town of San Venanzo, as regular readers of this blog probably know. I write about the festas and the dances and the kindness of our neighbors. I post photos and videos in the hopes that the real feel of San Venanzo will be evident, but apparently its charms are lost on some!

No, San Venanzo isn't the cutest village in Umbria. We don't have cobbled streets and stone houses, but what we do have is real community spirit, a sense of tradition, and a great place to live. I think everyone who lives here is genuinely proud of San Venanzo, and as an outsider, I think they have a right to be. Maybe now is a good time for me to write about San Venanzo and what it has to offer.

First of all San Venanzo has location. It's a hilltown, meaning that there's always a breeze in the summer. If you don't realize how important this is, try being down in the valley during July and August! Air conditioning is a rare and expensive luxury here in Italy, so having a breeze can make the difference between being comfortable and being sweaty! Being a hilltown also means that we have panoramic views and plenty of open spaces surrounding the city.

The goods and services offered in a town also make a big difference. Getting in the car every time you want a loaf or bread or need to mail a letter loses its charm very quickly, but that's something you don't have to worry about here in San Venanzo. We have grocery stores, butcher shops, hairdressers, doctors, dentists, a bakery, gas station, pharmacy and the Post Office, where you can of course, also do your banking. One grocery store also sells appliances, should you need them. There's a seamstress in town and a laundry, oh, and the all important flower shop.

In the summer the town pool is a popular oasis. It's a large pool with spacious grounds, and you could easily spend the day here in the sun or the shade. Right next door to the pool is the all-important soccer field where matches are regularly held. During the winter Teresa conducts exercise classes for two different fitness levels, so it's easy to stay in shape year round.

The recently renovated park located behind our house certainly expanded the green spaces in town, and once the main park surrounding the comune (city hall) was re-opened last fall, the fun really started anew. Several festas were held in the communal park this summer, compete with food, music and dancing. The town gathered in the large hall to watch the soccer finals last year, and this hall serves as our gathering place once the weather turns colder. If you're a music lover these festas offer a variety of music styles, and if you're a musician yourself, you might consider joining the town band - a sure way to meet your new neighbors and make friends!

Speaking of friend and neighbors, one of the reasons we chose San Venanzo was because of the Italian friends and neighbors we'd have. We knew we wouldn't be surrounded by other English-speaking expats, stuck in some Disney-fied version of Italy. In many ways San Venanzo is probably like it has been for many years, just a small farming community, filled with people who've lived here for years, whose families have lived here for years. I hate to use the phrase "the real Italy", but the point I'm trying to make is that San Venanzo hasn't turned into some tourist destination or expat enclave. Life here continues just as it always has, filled with tradition.

Location is also a factor when you consider where you need to go. Just ten minutes down the hill is Marsciano, the 'big' town in our area. There you'll find not only a regional medical office with specialists, but also a hospital. There are several large grocery chains in Marsciano, as well as a Home Depot-type store, large electronics store and a variety of all the goods and services you'd expect. Marsciano is also home to our favorite gelateria, Stefania's, and the soon-to-be reopening pizzeria, Nestor’s.

Living in a more 'famous', more touristed town means higher prices, not just for property, but also for goods and services. After all, if you have enough money to buy a house in a more expensive town, you'll have enough money to pay more for groceries and supplies, right? Also, come tourist season, which basically runs from Easter through October, finding a spot for your morning coffee might be more difficult, or even finding a place to park. As lovely as Assisi or Todi or (fill in the blank with your favorite town) is, can you imagine what's it's like for the locals when the tour buses dump their passengers for the day? We like being in San Venanzo where life is always calm, and the only lines we ever see are those at the PostalBank the first of each month when the retirees line up to cash their pension checks. We know that we can easily drive to any of those tourist hot spots, yet at the end of the day we can return to the quiet of San Venanzo.

Getting back to San Venanzo itself, what makes it so special? For us as 'stranieri' (foreigners) the friendliness and acceptance from everyone we've met has been unbelievable. Sometimes small towns can be rather close-minded, keeping outsiders at a distance, but that hasn't been our experience at all. After five years I know it can't just be the novelty of having foreigners in town - these people really like us! Our neighbor Armando is always ready to offer advice on whatever home or garden project we have in mind, and Adamo has given us free use of his garden so I can grow some tomatoes and basil in the summer. Vittoria often pushes Art's money back when he tries to pay for his coffee, and everyone makes sure we know about whatever festa, dinner or dance is coming up.

Yes, we might be a bit prejudiced, but honestly, I can't think of a more welcoming, friendly place to live than San Venanzo, and to those people who dismiss it without knowing it, well, that's certainly their loss.

CELEBRATING AUTUMN IN SAN VENANZO

Italians don't celebrate Thanksgiving per se, but you'll find festas in every little town featuring the new olive oil, the new wine and roasted chestnuts. We had just such a festa one Saturday night this November, with music provided by hometown girl Erika Mastrini! In a small town like this, everyone is out for a night of food, fun, and of course dancing!






There are more videos on OUR YouTube PAGE.

MOTORCYCLE SUNDAY

Because we live in a hilltown. on a winding, curvy road that goes up and over Monte Peglia, we often hear motorcycles, expecially on the weekends. This past Sunday a local ride was organized, starting and finishing in San Venanzo, and promising 90 kilmeters of scenic roads along the way. There was a stop scheduled for breakfast, then a grand lunch once everyone was back in San Venanzo. Here are a few pics I snapped at the beginning of the ride, and 2 videos of the departure.
















I didn't hear the return of the bikes, but I was able to take some photos while everyone was eating lunch. Here are just a few, and the rest are in THIS FOLDER on our FLICKR PAGE

IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY FESTA

Every night of the six day Festa dello Sport promised to be fun, but we were really looking forward to Friday night for many reasons. One of the featured dishes was going to be fresh pasta with truffles (yum!!), Erika was gong to provide the entertainment, and we'd have three Enlish friends with us: Janine from nearby Rotecastello, and new friends John and Sheila. John and Sheila are now retired and live in Avian France, on Lake Geneva, but are here in Umbria for a few weeks, house-sitting. We'd invited them to join in the festivities and were hoping to show off the best that San Venanzo had to offer.

After pre-dinner drinks in our graden we all walked up to the community park where the festa was being held. The weather looked threatening, but we're such pessimists when it comes to rain; it so often passes us by, leaving us with only the sound of distant thunder and the knowledge that someone else is getting our much needed rain. We didn't expect tonight to be any different.

All the tables were set up under the double tent behind the palazzo that houses the comune. Two sides were opne and two sides were closed, giving us a little protection from the wind, but not making it miserably hot like we'd been the other night in Cannara where all four sides of the ten were tightly closed. This picture was taken the next day, but on Friday night the left side and the side opposite it were wide open so that people could easily walk in and out.



We ordered our food and it was delivered quickly. Just as we started to eat the wind really started to pick up. And then it started to sprinkle. And then it rained harder...and the wind blew harder. Someone came to pull the side of the tent, directly behind where Janine and Sheila were sitting, closed. As the wind continued to pick up force the free-hanging side was whipped back and forth until someone else secured the ends to a support pole. We could see outside through a small gap in where the sides of the tent met, and by this time it was raining harder and blowing sideways.

The torrential downpour continued as we bemoaned the fact that we hadn't brought umbrellas, but of course with a storm like this they would have been useless. We were glad we'd already gotten our food! I mentioned the fact that all our windows were open...a fact Art hadn't considered...but without knowing which way the storm had come from, we weren't really sure which rooms would be soaked by the time we got home...IF we got home! It seemed like the storm would go on forever, complete with booming, rumbling thunder and frequent bursts of lightning.

And then the lights went out! I hadn't even brought a purse, so I had no matches, no flashlight, not even a bic lighter! Luckily most of the Italians had their cellphones, and one by one patches of light appeared from the phones. Lightning provided periodic bursts of brighter light. Of course everyone was animated, and there wasn't much else to do but eat, drink and be merry...which we all did!



Eventually, maybe 15 or 20 minutes later, the lights did come back on, and a few brave souls left the tent. Most of us thought it was better to wait it out, but we knew the evening's entertainment would be cancelled. Erika conferred with her dad, and I told her she should just sing in the tent.



A little while later, after several spontaneous songs and increasing joviality, some of the men came around offering complimentary limoncello or grappa. As long as we were stranded there, we figured we might as well make the best of it. Gioberto saluted us with his usual "America America!" toast, and being stuck in the storm didn't seem nearly so bad!



Although the night didn't turn out as we had planned, and even though we never got to hear Erika play, it was still one of those evenings that will stay with us for a long time. Thankfully all our guests were just as philosophical as we were, and despite the stromy weather a good time was had by all. And we did need the rain!

SEPTEMBER CELEBRATIONS IN SAN VENANZO

September always brings the religious celebration of Santa Maria del Liberatrice. The 14th century church is only open on special occasions, but it's a tiny jewel. On Monday the church bells rang throughout the day in anticipation, then later in the afternoon the procession marched through town in it's usual order: all the men, followed by the priests and the town band, then all the women and children.








Once the circuit was complete a few prayers were said inside the larger, more modern town church, then the band played.




After that it was porchetta sandwiches, drinks and crostata for all. When we first arrived here we simply looked on at these events. Since we don't subscribe to their religion it didn't seem right to join in the gatherings or partake of the food, but over and over again the townspeople have invited, no encouraged us to attend. Ah! the true meaning of Christianity! How refreshing!




Inside the parish hall were tables filled with various household goods and trinkets, donated I'm sure by the local shops. For €1 you could stick your hand into a large glass vase filled with tiny scrolls, all secured inside a piece of tiny, round pasta. We bought two chances; the first translated into a pen, but the second was a lovely glazed baking dish, perfect for a side dish. Father Jerry, the Irish pastor (yes, we are ecumenical here!) told me that the proceeds will benefit a church in Brazil, a church where our local priests have worked, so it's more than just a theoretical friendship.


Next door at the Bar Centrale a man was singing, accompanied by the modern wonders of a karaoke machine. The kids ran around with swords made of balloons, the adults danced, or watched, or just gossiped and enjoyed. A wonderful summer evening in San Venanzo.





Tomorrow we'll begin a new festa, the Festa dello Sport, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the town's soccer team. Every night we'll have fun, food, music and dancing. One night we'll have fencing demonstrations, another karate demonstrations, all in keeping with the sports theme. Not surprisingly, we'll be there every night! The cooler nights will make it even more enjoyable.

VEGETARIANS - STOP RIGHT NOW!

Or even those of you who are slightly squeamish...or who think all that meat in the grocery store just magically appears on styrofoam trays! This post is about the reality of life in a farming community, and about the entire circle of life, which is sometimes just a little gruesome for some of us!

Living here in Umbria, and specifically in San Venanzo, we know that almost everything we eat is fresh. So much of our food is locally grown, and what was on the vine this morning will often appear on the dinner table tonight, even for those of us who don't have gardens. In addition to the fruits and vegetables, animals are also grown here...chickens and ducks, pigs and sheep, cows and....pigeons.

We all have our comfort zones, and our ideas of what's edible and what's just gross. I'll eat pork all day long (and my oh my do they know how to do pork in Umbria!), but don't even think about asking me to eat something that was inside that little piggy! No to liver and tripe (stomach lining...ugh!) and tongue and brains. No to testicles from any animal for sure! No, I don't eat bunny rabbits, but I will eat lamb. I can't give you any logical reason for any of it, but that's just the way it is.

Our neighbor Armando raises pigeons, and not to carry messages. He raises them to eat. Seems like a lot of work for such a small meal, but that's okay with him. The other day he brought some pigeons back from the coop and was cleaning them in his garage. I don't know (or want to know) how he killed them, but I do know that just like chickens, and all other fowl, you have to dip them in boiling water to loosen the feathers. After that it's just pluck pluck pluck until the feathers are gone. The finishing touch is the blow torch to singe off the remaining feathers, or stubs of feathers.

Armando said that Giulda (his wife) would clean out the birds and bake them in the oven like chicken, and that each bird would serve two people.

Here are some pictures of the process, well down the page, giving those who don't care to see the pictures plenty of time to click away.....

RENEWING OUR PERMESSI - PART 2

As I wrote PREVIOUSLY, keeping up with the bureaucracy required to live in a foreign country can be complicated and confusing. Now that our permits of stay are renewed through the mail, it's even more worrying, wondering if all the documents were acceptable, and wondering if everything arrived safely.

Luckily Italy is slowly coming into the digital age and it's now possible to check the status of renewals online. I checked after a week but found no information. I checked after two weeks and read that no irregularities had been found in our documents, and hoped that was good news. If it was just another way of saying that our documents had been received but hadn't yet been examined, then we'd still have to wait to see if anything changed. You know me, why wait to worry?!

Today, just three weeks after we mailed our renewal packets to Rome, I discovered that we have appointments for the next step! We're scheduled for September 1st, and even better, we get to go to Orvieto for the renewal! This will be six weeks after we mailed in our packets! What a relief! We were hoping that we'd be able to complete the renewal in Orvieto and not have to drive all the way to Terni. Although the drive might not be much longer, we enjoy Orvieto so much more than Terni, so we'll have a nice day out.

When we go to Orvieto for our appointment we'll have to take copies of our documents just in case they want to verify something. We'll also have to take four passport size photos, our original (ready-to-expire) permessi, and our passports. We'll also get re-fingerprinted, this time digitally, which won't be messy like the FIRST TIME, when our hands were covered with black ink.

I'm not sure if we'll receive our new permessi that day or if we'll have to wait until our fingerprints/photos are processed, but for now I'm just relieved to be one step closer to completing the process. The new permessi will be good for two years, so hopefully this will be the last time we have to go through this process! (Rumor has it the the system will change yet again, and that in the future each commune will handle their own permessi, but who knows when or if this will ever happen?)

AUGUST MEANS VACATION

For many, if not most Italians, August means vacation. Those who live in the mountains head for the sea, while those who live in the big cities seem to head for the cool relief of the mountains. Many shops and restaurants will close for the entire month of August, and services will be limited. When friends recently went to an office in the comune they discovered the one and only person who can perform the service they needed is on vacation for the entire month of August. No one is replacing the vacationer, so the paperwork will just pile up until he returns. What a system!

Our neighbors left today for a week at the beach. I'm guessing the reason they won't be gone for the whole month is that they're retired and living on a fixed income. Our other neighbors, the ones who own the other half of our house, should be arriving soon. They live in Bologna, which is hot and humid in the summer. For them the breezes in San Venanzo and the chance to catch up with friends and family will make this month go much too quickly.

Our neighbor Adamo has already completed his vacation for the year...apparently some companies, including the health care industry, are now letting their employees take vacations in months other than August. Some enjoy the chance to save a bit of money and to visit during less crowded times, but I'm sure for many others, whose families still vacation in August, this presents a problem. Although medical facilities remain open in August, I wouldn't want to schedule an elective procedure during this time, just in case I ran into some doctor, nurse or technician who'd been 'forced' to take their vacation outside of the 'normal' time frame!

For us August signals the beginning of the end of summer. Yes, the fruits and vegetables are at their height, and everything is plentiful and cheap. but unlike Kentucky, where summer seems to last well into September, and often October, summer here seems to know that once the page turns from August to September, summer is really over. I love the idea that the new olive oil will be here soon, and the idea of cool nights, but the shorter days are not something I look forward to, or the cold wet days of winter. Okay, enough of that.....for now it's August...time to savor the long hot days of summer while we still can!

TIME TO GO MEDIEVAL!

Yes it's that time again, time for the annual medieval festival in ROTECASTELLO, located just outside of San Venanzo. Beginning on Friday, August 8th and ending on Monday, August 11th, each night will feature different entertainment. The last night, Monday, will have the medieval procession and play recounting the story of Rotecastello. All the info is on their new and improved WEBSITE, which unfortunately, isn't in English any more! I think you'll probably be able to figure out the details anyway. Hope to see you there!

OLIVASTRELLA

After writing about the grand opening of il POGGIO del LUPO, it seemed only fair that I write something about an agriturismo on the other side of San Venanzo. heading up towards Ospedaletto, just past the public pool. We've been talking about checking out OLIVASTRELLA for months, but we just never seemed to get there. Our friends had told us that this agriturismo had more than rooms, they also had exercise facilities. These facilities, including an indoor as well as an outdoor pool, could be used by anyone willing to pay a fee, just like a health club.


The other day we drove up the white (gravel) road just off the SS317, and before we knew it we found the pool and the panoramic views of San Venanzo and beyond. The housekeeper was kind enough to show us around the public spaces: a large meeting/cinema room, a chapel, a game room, the indoor pool, hot tub, sauna and an exercise room complete with treamill and all the other machines you'd expect.

The restaurant was large but still felt cozy thanks to the comfy-looking couches near the stone fireplace. The restaurant opened out onto a huge terrace, again with panoramic views.

Although we didn't see any of the guestrooms, judging from OLIVASTRELLA’S WEBSITE they look a little larger than the rooms at Il Poggio del Lupo, and the whole property has a much more luxurious feel.

The owner returned home and came out to talk with us. He explained about their organic products: the olive oil and honey, the Chianina beef, and the pigs, sheep and goats they raise.

As I wrote previously, I really think that San Venanzo and the surrounding areas are really up and coming as more and more businesses open and more and more tourists discover the joys of 'the green heart of Italy"....Umbria!

As usual, more pics on OUR FLICKR PAGE.

WHERE THE BUFFALO (DON'T) ROAM

After making several trips to Citta di Castello to buy fresh mozzarello di bufalo, someone mentioned that there was a farm just outside of San Venanzo with water buffaloes, and therefore, fresh mozzarella di bufalo cheese. Somehow weeks passed and we never took the short drive towards Ospedaletto to check it out. We'd been told to turn right on the road just before the bar, and after that, just keep our eyes open!

Finally, mostly thanks to our friends from Canada being here, we decided to drive up the SS317 and see if we could return home with some cheese. As we approached the road, we stopped to ask some people waiting for the bus if they knew where...or even if, the farm was. Unfortunately they were only tourists, so we stopped at the bar to see if the farm did exist, and to get more specific directions.

The barrista didn't know anything about a water buffalo farm, so after a quick coffee we decided to go back home. If the bartender didn't know about the farm, it surely doesn't exist. Never one to give up, Art saw someone we knew from San Venanzo pull into the parking lot, and asked him about the farm. No, this man didn't know anything about it either, and believe me, in a place this small, if there was a water buffalo farm turning out fresh cheeses, everyone would know about it.

I guess for now we'll resign ourselves to buying our mozzarella cheese at the weekly market, at least when we want the really good stuff with fresh, delicious summer tomatoes. Of course we can always find a variety of mozzarella cheeses in the grocery store, and believe me, none of it, even the least expensive, tastes a million time s bettter than that rubbery, flavorless stuff they mass-market in the states!

SAN VENANZO ON THE MOVE!

The other day while getting my hair cut I happened to mention that my favorite band of our three night festa had been the one from the last night, LA MACCHINA DEL KAPO . Everyone in the shop chimed in approvingly....it seemed to be a given that LA MACCHINA DEL KAPO was far and away the best band, the most energetic and the most fun. The young woman who was sweeping up told me that they were going to be back in San Venanzo in September. When I asked if we were having yet another festa, the answer was yes! I commented that it was amazing how much San Venanzo was growing, but of course everyone there is well aware of that fact.

Later in the week I stopped by to ask our neighbor Adamo about his vacation. I knew he'd gone to the sea for a week, but then he'd left for another short vacation. His housekeeper wasn't sure what cities he was visiting, only that they were north of Florence. Adamo is very well educated and very interested in history, so I was hoping he'd visited some interesting places (as if there are places in Italy that aren't interesting!).

Adamo told me he'd visited PARMA and MANTOVA (aka MANTUA).He told me about the Farnesi palace and the fact that Montova is a medieval city, home to the famous Gonzaga family. He told me it was an easy drive straight up the A1, and recommended that Art and I consider a visit. This area, Emilia Romagna, is known for it's food. Parma, not surprisingly, is home to Parma ham...and Parmesan cheese.




I told him that at the moment the dollar was continuing it's downhill slide, and the conversation turned to the economy. As we discussed the mortgage disaster in the states and rising costs in Italy, Adamo pointed out to me that San Venanzo was less affected by the recent price increases. Of course San Venanzo is a farming community, and everyone or their brother has an orto, or vegetable garden. People raise chickens and someone in the family makes wine, or cheese. If a family member doesn't raise their own cows, or sheep or goats, then a neighbor does, so the supply is not only close, but also cheap.

When I told Adamo how much we loved San Venanzo, and how we were hoping someone who loved it as much as we did would buy our house, he nodded in agreement. He said one of the things that makes San Venanzo so strong are the families. Grandparents are here, if not in the same house, then just around the corner, offering childcare for the grandchildren while the parents work. The children of San Venanzo are also an indication of the town's life...a town with no small children is a dying town, and San Venanzo has plenty of children to keep it lively and interesting.

We talked about how new businesses are springing up in San Venanzo...the news agent has just move into a larger shop, the ironmaker opened his new shop last year, the bakery is expanding, and soon Giacomo's real estate office will be open across from the church. The restored palazzo that houses our comune is now surrounded by the restored park, a place where we can once again hold town functions with room to spare. (During the restoration of the comune and it's park the functions were held in the church hall and adjoining church yard, but space was definitely at a premium.)

I did tell Adamo that we'd love to explore the area around Parma and Mandova, and shared with him our idea of making an extending vacation once the house is sold. He asked if we preferred to sell to Americans, but of course I told him it didin't matter to us, and that because of the dollar perhaps the house would sell to Europeans. We have lots of Dutch and German tourists in this area, and of course the English discovered Umbria many years ago.

Anyway, in the meantime, we'll continue to enjoy our life here, and look forward to yet another festa in September. I"ll post the specifics when I know them, and if you're in the area, check it out!

IL POGGIO DEL LUPO OPENS FOR BUSINESS!

We get our information about local events in a variety of ways: from notices posted in the bar or at the comune, from billboards posted in towns and along the roads, from other expats, or message boards, or simply from internet searches. Getting information about local events is still difficult at times….people just seem to know, maybe from word of mouth or maybe it from years of years of tradition. Anyway, whenever we find out about a local event before it happens rather than after. A few days ago I found another unexpected source for information: the local beauty shop.

I’d stopped in at Orieta’s shop to make an appointment for a haircut. Roberta, Orieta’s daughter, who usually cuts my hair was there, and she told me she was Had something to take care of on Thursday but that she could cut my hair on Friday morning. We set the time and I turned to leave when Roberta handed me a flier. A new agriturismo was opening near San Venanzo, just by Civitella dei Conti, and they were having a grand opening celebration complete with food and wine. The festivities were set to begin on Wednesday evening at five o’clock, so we thought, “why not?”

On the drive up to the agriturismo, called il POGGIO del LUPO, I found an answer to a question I’d had for several years. On the road up to Civitella dei Conti we had seen stations of the cross along the road, but I had counted less than fourteen….so where were the rest of the stations? Now that we were on the other road that led up to the castle, I saw the rest of the stations. We’d never driven up this road, not really knowing where it went, thinking that it might just be long driveway to a private home.

Once we arrived at il POGGIO del LUPO we were stunned by the almost 360º views! Beautiful sunrises AND sunsets were guaranteed, and on a clear day you can see forever. The owners, Fabrizio and his wife Elena greeted us and encouraged us to have a look around.





The table inside was groaning with food, beautiful food, and so of course I had to ask: who’s the chef? Fabrizio claimed the honor, and I complimented him on the variety of summer salads…faro and orzo salads and bean salads, as well as cheeses with marmalades or honey, some breads, and of course, some sweets. A sommelier was there to help with the wine, and later we’d also enjoy bread with Fabrizio’s own olive oil and tomatoes from the garden.

Fabrizio showed us the rooms and told us a little about the history of the house. It had once been used as a church, and the chapel still remains, although now it’s equipped with surround sound and internet connections. There are three guestrooms, all ensuite. They’re small and simply decorated. One room has an antique cast iron bed and overlooks this beautiful oak tree.














The beamed ceilings are something we love.


















The later it got the more crowded it got, and eventually the tiki torches were lit and everyone ate and drank and talked…then bottle of vin santo were passed around, along with plates of cantucci to dip in the vin santo. The kids ran around while the adults talked….in Italian, English, German, Dutch and French…yes it was quite an international event!

In addition to the three rooms for rent, il POGGIO del LUPO will also have space for campers, and will also operate a restaurant! Dinner will be by reservation only, and because of the small size of the room, I’m sure every dinner will be quite intimate and special. Fabizio is certainly an imaginative and talented chef.

We wish Elena and Fabizio the best in their new business! What’s good for them will be good for all of San Venanzo!


See all the photos on OUR FLICKR PAGE in the folder named....Il Poggio del Lupo.

LA MACCHINA DEL KAPO IN SAN VENANZO

As usual, they saved the best for last. After two nights of music that was just so-so, music that never really hit you in the gut or moved your soul, from the first note it was apparent that LA MACCHINA DEL KAPO was going to rock the town! And rock we did, for three continuous hours! The musicians and the singers...two men and two women who took turns throughout the night...really knew how to rock...and how to work the audience. Although this was a concert, not a dance, the music was so enticing that eventually the dance floor filled with enthusiastic dancers, and the audience sang along to many of their favorites.

Clicking on the above link will take you to the website where they have photos and videos of much better quality that my little camera could take. For a quick look the YouTube videos are below, but the sound quality isn't good at all.

SAN VENANZO PICNIC 2008 - COOKING THE PASTA

SUMMER HAS BEGUN!

Because of the way the dates fall this year, this weekend is similiar to Memoral Day weekend in the states: it's a national holiday, a long weekend for everyone, and the unofficial start of summmer.

Whenever possible, the Italians always add a 'bridge' day, making a three day weekend into a four day weekend, and that's exactly what's happened this year. Because June 2, the "Festa della Republica" (the day Italy voted to end the monarchy and become a republic) falls on a Monday, many Italians started celebrating early by taking Friday off too. Here in San Venanzo we had a town celebration on Thursday night which started with a dinner and ended with a concert that lasted until midnight. (Youtube videos are posted below this one)

Tomorrow, the official holiday, we'll do as we always do and attend the San Venanzo town picnic. It's held in a wooded area just outside of town, complete with a huge grill to cook the sausages and a cool stream to chill the wine, water and melons. The town grandmothers will cook perfect pasta outdoors in huge pots heated with a gas ring powered by a portable gas tank.

The forecast isn't looking great, but if the weather stays as it was today, just overcast, we'll be in business. Of course on Thursday night during the dinner, when everyone had planned to eat outside, the heavens broke loose and everyone ate dinner standing up, huddled under the few covered sections. We talked with our English friends about how there never seems to be a back-up plan for such events, but somehow everything works out okay. I guess this laid back attitude is typical of Italians, and is just one reason why life is so sweet here.

Be prepared...pictures and probably movies will follow. For now, I hope you're enjoying some wonderful summer weather and a picnic with friends and family!

SUMMER BEGINS WITH A CONCERT

SAN VENENZO'S TOWN BAND CELEBRATES!

WAITWAITWAIT….WHIZZZZZZZZ…

Okay, it’s official, spring is here! How do I know? Let’s see….the sun is out, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming….and the first big bicycle race of the year just whizzed through San Venanzo yesterday!

According to THIS ARTICLE, the Tirreno-Adriatico is the first big race of the year, an 1100 kilometer, seven day event going from Italy’s west coast to it’s east coast. In the process it goes up and down, over mountains and through towns, and yesterday was the second leg, the one that brought the cyclists over Mt. Peglia and right through San Venanzo.

Eventually the riders ended up in Gubbio, and you can read the day’s results HERE.

After nearly two hours of waiting and quite a few false alarms….how many ‘advance’ vehicles do they have???...the two lead cyclists zoooomed through, preceeded by lots of motorcycle cops. A few minutes later the 200-odd other cyclists came flying by in a flash of colors, followed by all the service vehicles carrying spare bikes, spare parts and assorted supplies.

Wendy told us there was quite a pile-up in Ponte San Giovanni, but luckily everything went smoothly…and quickly!... in San Venanzo. Here are a few pictures, with more on our FLICKR PAGE, and a YouTube video posted below.

PSSST...HEY!...YOU!....WANNA BUY A HOUSE IN ITALY???

I always know well in advance where my next vacation will be, but that's because the planning stage is so much fun for me. Others may wait until the last minute, and although there's nothing wrong with spontaneity, for a really major vacation, I like to plan well in advance. so here it is, almost March, and I'm guessing that there are a lot of people who are making their plans for a visit to Italy sometime between now and the fall. Those people are my target audience today!

When we came to Italy on vacation we never looked at houses, but once we'd made the decision to move here we did make one trip specifically dedicated to checking out areas, towns, and even a few houses. We really hadn't planned to find our house on that trip, but only wanted to get a feel for some Umbrian towns, and to find out where we could afford to live and where we wanted to live. Of course we did find our house on that trip, as documented in the three posts listed in the right hand column of the blog under "The History".

If you want to read about us, the house, our neighbors, or San Venanzo, it's all right here on the blog! One woman recently contacted us about buying our house, saying that we'd written about everything in such detail that she wouldn't even need to come to Italy to see it in person! While I wouldn't recommend buying a house you haven't seen in person, at least through the blog any potential buyers can read and see what we've done to the house over the past four years....no big surprises, nothing hidden or held back since as I wrote the blog I never dreamed we'd end up selling our house.

And so, now here's the pitch: if you're planning a trip to Italy, and have ever thought about buying a house here, you just might want to spend a few days in central Umbria. We'd love to show you our house, tell you about some of the wonderful restaurants in the area, or direct you to a scenic drive.

We think that not only is our house a wonderful bargain, but the town of San Venanzo is perfect in so many ways. If you only want a house for summer vacation or occasional visits, the house is secure, looked after by neighbors, not isolated and vulnerable like a house in the country. If you arrive in San Venanzo exhausted from your trip, all it takes is a quick trip to one of the three grocery stores to stock the fridge, or maybe a stop at the bar for a sandwich and a gelato. If you'd like to keep a car here so you don't have to rent one, the house has a garage. The back garden requires very little maintenance...I only add a few annuals in the summer for color.

San Venanzo is a quiet, relaxing place in any month, but especially so in the summer when life just seems to float by. The house has good cross ventilation and San Venanzo is a hilltown....an important thing to consider for the summer. Other towns in the area, the 'famous' ones, are crowded with tourists, taxing both the services and the patience of the locals. Here in San Venanzo you're within an easy drive of those famous towns should you want to play tourist yourself, but at the end of the day you can return to the peace and quiet of San Venanzo.

I've written extensively about the house, the town and the area HERE. There are pictures galore, a room by room slide show of the house, and floor plans. The price of the house is €195,000, and you can contact us at unbriahouse4sale@hotmail.com for further information...but why not include us in your vacation plans and see for yourself?

THE PARADE ARRIVES!

THE CARNEVALE PARADE IN SAN VENANZO

WHAT'S UP IN SAN VENANZO

Last year the big news in San Venanzo, aside from the big butcher shop almost burning down, was that the newsstand/gift shop moved to larger digs across the street. We were happy for Katushka and Fabiana, the owners, but after a few months we wondered if someone would rent the old newstand location. A few weeks ago we noticed some activity; Mauro's guys were working there, so we knew it wasn't a small job. Yesterday we found out that the bakery's moving across the street, expanding their store and even adding a coffee bar....coffee and a warm pastry, yummy! Now of course with this move the old bakery location will be empty, but we're hopeful that the pharmacy might decide to expand! Or maybe someone will take advantage of the oven (assuming it won't be moved across the street) and open a real pizzeria! Lookout world, San Venanzo's on the move!

CARNEVALE IN SAN VENANZO

Every year right before the somber days of Lent begin, celebrations are held all over the world…one last decadent, over-the-top indulgence before the fasting and “giving up” favorite things in preparation for Holy Week. Of course New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Venice and Rio are famous for their Carnevale celebrations. But here in Italy celebrations are held every where. Parades snake their way through tiny medieval streets, children and adults dress up in costume, confetti is everywhere, and the festivities often continue for days, sometimes weeks.


Here in San Venanzo large open-bed trucks are decorated, then filled with costumed adults and children, each celebrating a particular theme. This year's celebration was bigger and better than usual, with at least ten floats and lots of kids in costumes. Normally we watch the festivities from our living room, since the parade comes right down our street, but this year, feeling ready to get out of the house after weeks of being cooped up, we walked down to the church where everyone would assemble.

Kids were running around throwing confetti, shooting spring string on whoever or whatever was available. One by one the floats showed up….the circus, the smurfs, the chefs, the shopkeepers of San Venanzo, the train full of children. As they started off up the street, everyone socialized while waiting for their return. We found out that because the parade was so much larger this year it did NOT come down our street….thank goodness we’d decided to come out!


After the parade had made two loops through town the floats stopped in front of the church and everyone disembarked, ready for the food and further festivities that were waiting in the church hall. Everyone was now ready for Ash Wednesday and the forty days of deprivation, knowing they’d had their one last fling.

All the pictures are on our FLICKR PAGE, in the "Carnevale" folder.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Here we are, back in the gold ole US of A, slightly jet lagged but adjusting quickly. The trip from Italy wasn't without it's moments of drama and excitement, but that's fairly typical for travel these days, don't you think?

My internet access is limited at this point as I try to figure out just what I need to make my laptop WiFi accessible, so posts may be few and far between. For now I'd like to wish every one a very happy holiday season, no matter what holiday you're celebrating...or even if you're not celebrating at all. Best wishes to us all for a healthy and prosperous new year.

What would make our new year REALLY happy would be to sell our house in Italy, so please feel free to pass on the link to our blog to anyone who might be interested...or who might have a friend...or whose friend might have a friend....you know what I mean! The "House For Sale" link is displayed in the right-hand column of the blog. Thanks, and don't forget to vote for the sunflower photo as well!

SAN VENANZO 2008 CALENDAR

DOLLS FOR UNICEF

PICKING OLIVES 2007

We helped Belinda and Giacomo pick their olives last weekend. We should have picked them a few weeks earlier, but events conspired against us, so we picked them as soon as we could. Most yields are down this year due the dry weather we had last winter. For Giacomo and Belinda this problem was compounded by the fact that many of their older trees were moved last spring to make way for a new building project. Although all the moved trees seem to have survived the process, as you might expect they didn’t produce much (if any) fruit this year. On the good side, the younger trees produced exceptionally well, but of course still didn’t equal what an older larger tree would have. Additionally, I would expect that last year’s bumper crop might be followed by a lean year. In the in we ended up with half the olives we had last year.

We had beautiful weather for picking the olives…always a blessing. With shorter days and cooler temperatures, having a sunny day makes all the difference in the world. As we picked we could hear the neighbors in the next field talking and laughing as they too finished up their raccolta (olive harvest).

Giacomo had to make a quick trip to Amsterdam to see his children, so on Monday we helped Belinda load the car with our six crates of olives and take them to our local frantoio near Collelungo. Once there the crates were sent upstairs on a conveyor belt where they were weighed and transferred to large wooden trays. This is the process used for those who don’t have enough olives for their own pressing. These small groups will eventually be combined and pressed together, with each person getting their percentage.

I don’t know how many olives (by weight) are needed to have your own press. Last year the twelve crates we had were enough, but the six crates this year were not. Additionally you must make an appointment to have your olives pressed, and when you make the appointment you must estimate how many olives you’ll be bringing in order to help estimate how long each pressing will take.

Once the olives were weighed, trayed and labeled, we went into the office to see when they could be pressed. The rather impatient woman in the office told Belinda that her olives could be pressed “maybe on Friday”. Since many of the olives were VERY ripe, we all knew that they should be pressed as soon as possible. The woman insisted to Belinda that this was impossible! Impossible! But of course this is Italy, and nothing is impossible, you simply have to find a way around the problem.

Belinda asked if any of her neighbors had pressings scheduled. Alberto had an appointment on Friday, but another neighbor, Daniele, had an appointment on Tuesday afternoon. Could we possibly combine our olives with his? The woman at the mill said as long as Daniele agreed, it would be fine with them. We left for home, and Belinda called Daniele to see if she’d let her add her small harvest with his. Daniele, a friendly, smiling, guy told Belinda of course she could add her olives to his, so we arranged to meet on Tuesday afternoon.

Once we arrived at the frantoio none of us were surprised to find out that they were running behind. You’d think after years of doing this that both the frantoio and the farmers would have figured out a better system, but for some reason people seem to underestimate their yield, meaning that their press takes longer than expected…and throwing the schedule completely off.

We took the opportunity to drive Belinda into Ripavella, just down the road. Our friend Wendy has a lovely house listed there, and Belinda and Giacomo have a client who’s searching for the perfect property. We hoped we’d be able to help all our friends do some business and make some money. We’d seen the property just outside of Ripavella about a year ago with some friends from Poland. The house is beautiful and the land has over 300 olive trees. The clincher for us was the pool, with it’s amazing view of Montecastello di Vibio.

We then drove into Ripavella, a tiny little place, to have a coffee. I think Ripavella has one bar and one tiny grocery store, and because it was barely 3 o’clock, we weren’t sure if the bar would be open. Normally bars do stay open during the afternoon, but in such a tiny village things might be different.

Luckily we’d been here before and knew that the bar was around the back of one of the buildings. As we walked down the hill we saw a woman on the balcony above and asked if the bar was open. “Certamente!” she said, but when we tried the door it was locked. She told us to wait, and just then a man came around the corner to unlock the door. Art and Belinda ordered coffee, I had a bottle of water, and we sat at the table chatting.

Belinda asked the man behind the bar a question, and of course he could tell that none of us were Italian. He told us that an American couple had bought an apartment in Ripavella, but that they didn’t live there fulltime. Another man entered the bar and he too joined in our conversation about the many ‘stranieri’ (foreigners) in the area. He told us that his cousin had been married to an American, and I immediately said “Frank!” “Yes”, he said in English!, “my cousin was married to Frank.”

Of course that led to a conversation about our friend Frank, who died last November. Although he had continuing heart problems, Frank continued to smoke, and eventually his heart gave out. It wasn't surprising to find a relative of his in this area...Frank's wife was bron in Ripavella and most of her family lives in San Venanzo.

We decided we’d better get back to the frantoio to see if Daniele had arrived, and if by chance they might be ready to begin pressing our olives. When we arrived we saw that Daniele had arrived with his cousin, and they were getting ready to empty their crates into the huge hopper. Belinda’s olives were dumped down a chute, and the olives gradually began their journey into the frantoio. Out of the hopper they sent via a short conveyor belt and were sucked into a long tube. This tube took the olives to the inside of the building where they were washed, and where many of the larger leaves and stems were separated. After this they were sent to large stainless steel vats were they were crushed into a red looking mush. As you can see in the slide who, one of the vats was overfilled, and the mash (and eventually it’s oil) oozed out.

The olives filled up four of these vats…well, three and a half… and they churned away in the vats while the olives of the person before us were processed. Once it was our turn the valve was opened and Daniele and Belinda’s olives began the final step. The liquid was extracted and the semi-solid waste was removed. A centrifuge separated the water from the oil, and eventually the oil began to flow! We all ran a finger through the stream of oil to have our first taste! The oil was thick and silky, but with a nice spicy taste.

The oil was then sent via a tube to the lower level where it collected in a large tub. The residual scum was skimmed off the top, then a pump was hooked up to send the oil to the containers. Each container was set on the scale and weighed before it was filled so that the weight of the oil could be determined.

We knew that Belinda’s olives weighed 117 kilos, about 10% of the total. Last year’s olives had yielded about 14% oil, and of course we were all curious to see what this year’s yield would be. Belinda thought she’d be lucky to get ten liters, but once the numbers were crunched the yield was 17.7%, and Belinda’s share was 22 liters….probably enough to last them the whole year.

It was around seven o’clock by the time we left the frantoio, and we stopped at the store on the way home to buy some bread for bruschetta. I opened some cannellini beans too….another perfect food for drizzling the new oil! Of course it was delicious, and knowing that we’d all worked hard for this oil made it taste even better. The three of us toasted the new oil, and enjoyed a well-earned dinner at last.

Here’s a slideshow of the process….

IT'S NICE TO BE MISSED!

Over the weekend we picked olives with Belinda and Giacomo (more on that later). Being outside all day, reaching, bending, stretching, climbing up and down the steep hillside, carrying the crates full of olives from place to place, well, at the end of the day we were pretty exhausted...glad for a hot shower and an early bedtime! Guess we're getting old!

Anyway, this morning as we left the house to take the olives to the frantoio, we said hello to Armando, our neighbor, who was working in his garage. His first question for us was "Where were you Saturday night?" We of course had no idea why he wanted to know, but we told him we'd picked olives that day and were tired. Turns out there was a festa on Saturday evening...a castagne festa...chestnuts! Oh well we told ourselves, we don't like chestnuts anyway.

And then tonight at exercise class, no sooner was I in the door when four women asked at once "Where were you Saturday night?" Wow! And then I felt a little sad that we'd missed it...in addition to the castagne, dinner was served...spaghetti with sugo (sauce), and bruschetta with new oil...now THAT would have been worth staying up late for!

Re-DEDICATING THE VILLA FAENA

After 3 1/2 years of waiting, it was only fair that the dedication of the Villa Faena be a multi-day affair. This brochure outlined the activites for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Thursday night was the photo exhibition, Friday night was the car show followed by the inevitable speeches, then everyone was invited to tour the Villa Faena.


Dinner was to be served, and gradually the hall began re-filling with people was they wandered back in from the villa. Many of us had brought desserts, but the main meal was supplied by our local butcher shop, Davide's.



We watched the porchetta being sliced and put onto freshly made buns, saw the huge chunk of prosciutto grow smaller and smaller with each paper thin slice that was carved from it. There were trays of sausages too...all in all a pork lover's delight!

Once the dignitaries arrived the floodgates were opened! Everyone flowed as one towards the food tables, and once there it was hard to get back out!

Somewhere, behind all those people, are the food tables! I wasn't brave enough to attempt a second visit, but I'm sure the tables were empty by the end of the evening.

THE PHOTO CONTEST

After three and a half years the renovations on the palazzo that houses our comune (town hall) is finally complete! (well, almost)

A photo contest was held, and to kick off the four day celebration the public was invited to view the photographs and vote for their favorite. A jury would choose the winners, and to be honest, I have no idea what the votes were for! We thought maybe there would be a fourth prize for the photo with the most votes, but that never happened.

I walked around the room where to pictures were displayed, and although you can't see a lot of detail, at least you get the idea. I can point out the picture that won third place: it's seen at -2:33 into the video, and is of a dead (or leafless) tree, with a bright blue sky in the background.

The second place photo was taken in nearby Rotecastello, looking up at the medieval tower with a full moon in the background. You can catch a glimpse of this photo at the very beginning of the video, on the left. You can see the tower , but not the moon . (Sorry, if I'd known it was going to win a prize I'd have zoomed in!) The photographer said that this photo was taken a few years ago, in November or December, so once again, all the trees were dead too! Do we have a theme?

First place went to a picture of a snail on the side of a tree. The snail has some sort of stuff oozing out of it, and personally I thought it was pretty gross!! Watch for it at -1:22 into the video. There's a countdown timer at the bottom of the video of the times.

The prizes were HUGE baskets of local foods...honey, olive oil, chingiale sausage....it was hard to see everything because of the cellophane that was covering it......and there was no point in taking a picture.

The video is posted below this post.

SAN VENANZO PHOTO CONTEST

A GRAND OPENING!!!

Yes, after months of planning, renovations and preparations, La Locanda del Borgo, a new restaurant in Rotecastello, had it's grand opening on Thursday! As I wrote previously, this restaurant represents the dream of our friends Josepina, and her daughter Lucia, along with Josepina's sister Mariella, and her mother, whose name I dare not try to spell!



The restaurant has two rooms inside, each small and intimate, as well as an outdoor terrace with beautiful views of the countryside in one direction and the medieval city (and tower) in the other.





On Thursday night everyone who was anyone showed up for the fun, the food and the entertainment.











The food just kept coming and coming, but the crowd was so overwhelming that we only got to sample a few dishes, but I'm sure over the next few weeks we'll be sampling everything on the menu. Speaking of menus, no, I haven't seen one yet, but as soon as I do Ill write about what's cooking, and as soon as we eat there we'll do a full report. The website for La Locanda del Borgo isn't finished yet, but as soon as it is I'll post a link, along with the phone number to make reservations.

Videos are posted below.....

CHURCH BELLS IN SAN VENANZO

MORE PHOTOS!

I've uploaded some more pictures to my FLICKR PAGE. I snapped a few shots of green and purple grapes one day when we were on our way home from Perugia...



And a few stills from the medieval festival in Rotecastello....




And I've also uploaded MORE sunflowers too, (yes, I know I go waaay overboard!)



Click on the FLICKR LINK to see them all, or to view any other pictures we have posted there.

IF YOU LOVE YOUR HOUSE.....

....why are you selling it? That has to be THE number one, most often asked question we get in emails about our house for sale. Of course I've answered just about every other question anyone could ever think of, but still! I guess if you're thinking about buying a house in Italy you always want to know "the rest of the story"...the stuff no one tells you, the stuff that might make you reconsider. Sure, moving to any foreign country is scary and confusing, but it's also an adventure and a challenge.

So the simple answer to the question is this: we're selling our house because we didn't plan on the dollar sinking like a stone. We're selling our house because we budgeted a set amount each month for our mortgage, and that amount has now increased by nearly 40%. We're selling our house because our plan was to travel, travel, travel once we were in Italy. We though we'd be able to travel without jet lag or security checks . To travel without exorbitant transatlantic airfares and masses of tourists. To take our bottled water or contact lens solution with us. Since we've lived in Italy our travel has been very limited due to the incredible shrinking dollar, and even Art (the optimist) had to admit the things aren't likely to improve any time soon.

Had the euro cost $1.38 when we started our house hunting we would have factored that in, but at the time we were looking, the so-called experts were predicting that the euro and the dollar would eventually settle out about one to one. Oh if only we'd had a crystal ball! But wait! No, I don't think I meant that!

If we'd had a crystal ball we would have said "No, at $1.38 we just can't afford to live in Italy and travel around Europe." I guess in a way I'm GLAD we didn't know what was to come, because if we had, we probably never would have had this experience, never would have met friends who have become so dear nor had the many, many experiences we've had here.

When we made the decision to move to Italy part of our reasoning was that we didn't want to wake up one day and think "Damn, I wish we'd gone to Italy!". We wanted to enjoy Italy while we were both still young enough and healthy enough to do so. Has anyone ever laid on their deathbed and wished they'd done LESS??? I think not.

So, here we are. We curse and moan and cringe every time we look at the exchange rate. We're sad that we'll be leaving the house we've so lovingly restored and the town that's adopted us. But part of us still shouts "YES!!! WE DID IT! WE LIVED OUR DREAM!", and now we know that what lies ahead is simply our NEXT adventure.

We're ready...how about you??? Have YOU lived your dream? Taken a chance? Thrown caution to the wind? What's the worst that could happen? For us, selling our house isn't an admission of failure, but rather a recognition that it's time to move on to the next house in the next place, wherever that may be. Isn't life exciting and full of surprises?

MORE SUNFLOWERS

This morning we set out for a field just outside of San Venanzo. There are in fact three sunflower fields, all along the road leading from Rotecastello to Marsciano. I needed to get up close and personal with the fields to see if they were in full bloom...I can't really see the entire fields from the road, so an in-person check was the only way.

Once we reached the first field it was obvious that it wasn't quite ready....perhaps 70% of the flowers were open. The good news was that I could see another field off in the distance, but I wasn't sure I knew how to get there. Art felt confident that he knew the right road to take, and he was correct.









As we drove up the road there were even more sunflowers than we had imagined. From the top we could now see that the sunflowers simply cascaded down both sides of the hill, and the waves of yellow just went on and on! It didn't take me long to fill up the memory card of my camera.



I've posted more pictures on our FLICKR PAGE. Note that although the newest sunflower pictures now show up on the main page, they are also contained within the SUNFLOWER FOLDER, and once I add more pictures, the sunflower pictures won't be seen on the main page but will still be available in the folder.

CARNIVALE

On Saturday night we had a Carnivale celebration in the church hall. All the kids were in costume, throwing handfuls of confetti, squirting spray string and generally having a ball. We left around 9:45, and the food hadn't even been served yet!















The floor became a slippery, dangerous place because of all the confetti, and more than one child came crying to their mom after a fall.



On Sunday, despite the cold rain, a parade came down the street! Costumed adults and children showered us with more confetti and spray string, and made us forget the dreariness of the day.









The next morning, this is what it looked like in front of our house...

Here we are!

I wrote this after our frirst week here, but couldn't post it because we weren't online yet. I thought it might be of interest.

We are home! It feels like home, and even though we don’t “get” a lot of things, we are here, in Italy, bella Italia! Art is still having a hard time getting used to being retired. After working 2 jobs for more than 30 years, it takes a while to decompress. The adjustment was much easier for me, for several reasons. First of all, even when I was working, I only worked part-time. And I hadn’t worked at all this summer…my last day was in early May, when my mom went into the hospital, and then I never went back. And then there is the fact that I have a hard time putting forth my best effort for someone else. If it is a project I am interested in, like renovating a house or even better, a garden, I can and will work from sun-up til sundown. And then of course, while working for the post office, there was that thing about getting up at 4 am…ugh!

Our sleep is still rather erratic at this point…we even overslept on Friday and almost missed the SlowTrav GTG! Wendy ordered a new mattress for the bed, and we are very comfortable, especially since we brought our pillows from home. We moved the bed, and the room feels much nicer…all we have to do now is have some plugs installed on that wall for the bedside lamps, clock/radio, etc. We broke down and bought an electric mattress pad, just to be ready for that first cold snap. Eventually we will have a carpet on the floor, but for now, all we have are 2 small area rugs on each side, to ease the shock of that cold tile floor.

When we arrived at the Rome airport, we had no problem finding our driver, and, miracle of miracles, all 9 pieces of checked luggage arrived, on time and unharmed! Once we arrived in San Venanzo, Wendy met us at the house and took us to Perugia to pick up our car. Once that was done, we were finished for the day, and went to bed around 8 pm.

Day two, Thursday, had us shopping at the grocery store in Marsciano, then to the larger shopping center near Perugia for such household items as wastebaskets, throw rugs and assorted kitchen goods.

Day three was the day we overslept…we had both fallen asleep quickly the night before, then woke up after 3 hours. Art took one of his prescriptions to help him sleep, but after tossing and turning for quite a while, I got up and did some organizing, before returning to bed around 4 am. When we woke up the next morning, it was 11 o’clock, which was the time we had planned to leave the house for our GTG in Chianti. We jumped out of bed, threw our clothes on and headed out the door, calling ahead to let them know NOT to wait for us. Once we arrived, we had a great time and a fabulous lunch with the SlowTrav group, headed up by our queen, Pauline. The lunch lasted 4 hours, then we stopped by to see Cristina, who had organized the whole thing but was unable to come because she had the flu. It was dark by the time we got back home, and we fell into bed, but not before setting our alarm for the GTG on Saturday!

On Saturday we went to the next SlowTrav GTG in San Quirico, a charming little town just outside of Pienza in Tuscany. Another great lunch, more great people, another full day. We went to see Joanna’s house, which was about 10 minutes away, and it was a charmer! She still has lots of work to do, but the possibilities are fabulous! Our day was capped off by a stop at the Mercatone Uno, a large, K-Mart type store. We found a heated mattress pad with dual controls and a few other necessities, but still no large pitcher for iced tea. I did find one plastic pitcher with a lid, 1.5 liters, for about $14, so I passed.

On Sunday, we woke up to discover that the electricity was out. Pauline called to tell us that there was a power outage in Italy, extending north from Rome and that France was suspected of cutting a major line. We later learned that after France denied responsibility, a major storm near the Alps was identified as the cause. We finally got the power back around 3:30, and the water pressure followed a short time later! I was glad that I had charged the phone before we went to bed! We decided to drive down to Marsciano to look for something to eat, but most places were just opening or just starting their food due to the outage. Luckily for us, we stumbled on a great little pizza place with a wood oven, and their first pizzas of the day were coming out of the oven. For about $8 we both had a large slice of mushroom pizza, sausage pizza, and about 3 large glasses of red wine! A great deal!

Monday was the day we were supposed to go to Terni to apply for our residency papers, but Wendy needs some house documents that she won’t have until Wednesday. We went to the market for more supplies …these trips seem to run about $100 per day, but we only bought stuff we needed, so what are you going to do? We then went back to San Venanzo and met with Wendy, the geometra, (a kind of general contractor), and the plumber. We had previously emailed Wendy a list of the things we wanted to do to the house, so we sat down and worked out the details. It seems that we need a new caldaio, a system to heat the water for our radiators and the hot water. The good news is that we will get rid of the electric water heater, which is 18 years old and surely completely crusted over with mineral deposits due to the hard water. We settled on a location for the new bathroom, where to put the washer, and other such mundane items as making sure there were plenty of plugs in the kitchen, where the water softener would go, and what the wrought iron for the railing would look like. With Wendy there to help us, we were able to both give and receive detailed information regarding these projects.

The bad news was that although Rosella is ready to start the kitchen next week, the geometra can’t complete his work until the end of October, so we will have to make do with the smaller kitchen upstairs for a few weeks longer! We are going to try to reschedule our Italian classes for earlier than our Oct 27 start date, so that we can be here when the remodeling is taking place. I would not let anyone remodel my house while I wasn’t there, and we plan to stay in Perugia during the week and return home on the weekends. We are hoping to maximize the “immersion” by living and eating with an Italian family…I know I will need all the help I can get, and even Art will benefit, although he is much more advanced than I am…at least in Italian!

So, after almost a full week here, we are alive and well, excited and overwhelmed, still in awe every time we go out for a drive. Thanks goodness we aren’t pinching ourselves, or we would be black and blue by now. Tomorrow we will open a new bank account at a bank in San Venanzo…our bank now is located about 20 minutes away and doesn’t have as many branches, plus we would like to have a relationship with the people and businesses in San Venanzo. Art tells everyone we meet that we have bought a house here. Those who live in San Venanzo are happy for us, and those who live elsewhere always comment on what a pretty town it is. We decide over and over again, that yes, this is home.