An Italian Evening

This evening was a very pleasant experience for me in so many ways. My oldest son took me out for dinner for Mother’s Day. Delayed until tonight due to work schedules, it was a treat because we rarely have the chance to spend any one-on-one time together.

What made it even more special was that we went to a small Italian restaurant that he and my daughter-in-law discovered this past year. Ristorante Lombardi – Sun of Tuscany is the name of this wonderful establishment, and it is truly an authentic Italian restaurant featuring Tuscan cuisine.

I know you will be surprised to learn that I did not order pasta pomodoro but instead chose one of the special featured dishes not on the usual menu, Rigatoni Braciole. The waiter described it as rigatoni stuffed with spinach, ricotta cheese, and sausage in a creamy red sauce, and I was eager to try it. The rigatoni was green so I thought it had been made with spinach, and then was surprised that the spinach also was inside, just as he had told us. It was absolutely delicious, and I have never had it until now.

We also had an appetizer of mixed bruschetta, which consisted of three types of bruschetta.
One was the classic with olive oil, tomato and garlic, one was pesto with ham, and one was salmon with ricotta (I think, since I did not eat that one). The pesto and classic were excellent and my son loved the salmon also.

I felt almost like I was in Italy when the owner, Doriana, walked out of the kitchen wearing her black chef’s hat. I loved it that she was speaking with the customers in English with her wonderful Italian accent. She also spoke Italian to a table of what must have been regulars, since they were laughing and enjoying the conversation.

I was thrilled to have a chance to practice my Italian and speak with her, as she came to our table. She was impressed that I could speak the language and she talked to me in Italian, most of which I understood. It was just wonderful.

From what she had to say, she and her husband Giuseppe have been married for twenty-four years and they came from Tuscany. She is from Montecatini, a small town between Florence and Lucca. Her husband is from Parma, home of prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

They had a restaurant in Vinci, Italy for twenty years. Doriana says they also had a gelateria. So they cook and serve authentic Italian food at Ristorante Lombardi like they did in Tuscany. Their last name is Lombardi.

The pizza here is supposedly out of this world, and Giuseppe came in second in the world out of 800 competitors, in a pizza making contest held in Montecatini. In case you aren’t quite sure of the authenticity of the statement, the documents line the walls to prove it.

Thank you David for a wonderful Mother’s day gift and a fun evening. I know I will return here, and next time I must try a pizza.

I didn’t take any photos but you can check out their Facebook page which has quite a few photos, including the food. Mmmmm.

Mother’s Day in Italy is Festa della Mamma

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms and Auguries to Mammas in Italia on Festa della Mamma!

Happy MothersDay to everyone who has the full-time job of being a mother. I realize how fortunate I am to have a loving mother. She is 87!

With my beautiful Mother

I had written an article for La Gazetta Italiana last year for Mother’s Day, and it was published in  the newspaper but not the online edition. Here is the text of the article. Enjoy.

Mother’s Day Celebrations in Italy and America

May is the month for Mother’s Day celebrations both in Italy and in America. Celebrated as Festa della Mamma in Italy, Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the second Sunday in May, the same date as in America.

Mother’s Day was not officially recognized as a holiday in the U.S. until 1914 although its origins began in 1907 here. The first official Mother’s Day celebration in Italy did not take place until 1957, and it was in the city of Assisi. It was here that a priest, Father Otello Migliosi, from the village of Tordibetto, promoted this special day.

Today in the United States Mother’s Day is one of the most commercialized holidays, especially for the card industry and florists across America, not to mention the candy companies. Restaurants in every city and particularly in “Little Italy” neighborhoods offer Mother’s Day special lunches and dinners, as families take their mothers out to eat. This seems to be one of the most popular ways to celebrate, giving mothers a break from meal preparation and getting the family together at the same time.

Festa Della Mamma sign in Verona

In Italy Mother’s Day is not so much a commercial holiday as it is a special day to spend with mamma. Usually dinner and a gift is part of the celebration, with a focus on the family spending time together. Antonella Baratta-Spina from the village of Colle d’Anchise in the Molise region explains that this is exactly how her family celebrates this holiday.

I asked some of my friends in Italy as well as some of the more popular bloggers living in Italy to share with me their perspectives on Mother’s Day celebrations there, and here is what I found. Sara Rosso, author of the very popular blog, www.msadventuresinitaly.com, shares that “Italy celebrates Festa della Mamma, Mother’s Day, much like they do in America, on the second Sunday in May. Children bring fresh flowers (often roses) and gifts to their mothers, and there’s an emphasis on writing poems as a way of showing appreciation. In schools they often write these little poesie (poems) dedicated to la mamma and bring them home. Families often go out to eat lunch or dinner to give mamma a rest from cooking.”

Debra Kolkka, author of the blog, http://bagnidilucca.wordpress.com, tells me that the “custom was adopted from other countries and that there is not really any Italian tradition for this day. People do the same as in other countries and buy flowers or take their mother out to dinner.”  Today more Italians are opting for restaurants on holidays such as Mother’s Day.

Lucia Bari from Brindisi says that Italians in the Puglia region offer best wishes or “auguries” and give their mothers small gifts, emphasizing that Mother’s Day is not such a big holiday like it is here in America.

My long time Sicilian friend Teresa Savoca has been a primary school teacher, or “insegnante,” in Giardini-Naxos, Sicily for many years. She informs me that it has been a tradition for her to teach the children a poem dedicated to their mothers. They spend time learning it so they can recite the poem on Mother’s day as a special gift from the heart to their mothers.

Caroline Swail has lived in Bagni di Lucca in the region of Tuscany for many years and together with her husband Rod, own and operate a charming bed and breakfast, http://www.villarosalena.com.  Caroline remembers her sons bringing her cards and gifts that they had made in primary school. She explains that today Festa della Mamma consists of a nice lunch at a restaurant and that a few of the local shops feature special gifts for sale.

Mothers in Italy are generally considered to be dominant figures regardless of whether they work outside the home or not. The Italian mother is basically in charge of all of facets of domestic life, and sometimes this may seem unfair and unbalanced to Americans. Italians recognize their mother as the one person who is credited with holding the family together.  At the same time an Italian mother knows that she can count on her family in times of need. She is highly respected in the Italian culture.

The Sunshine Award

What an honor and surprise  for me to be nominated  for  The Sunshine Award by one of my favorite entertaining writers, Robbie Cox.  He is the creative mind of  The Mess That is Me and I always come away smiling after reading his perspectives on everyday life. You will definitely want to check out his blog. Thank you Robbie for this honor.

The Sunshine Award  is given to blogs that inspire others, so this truly is an honor. The rules of receiving this award involve the following:

1.  Post the Sunshine Award Logo, which you see here.
2.  Accept the nomination and link back to the nominator.
3.  Answer the questions below.
4.  Nominate ten other blogs and inform them of the nomination.

The QUESTIONS

1.      My favorite color – Yellow – I guess I like it since it is so bright and cheerful.

2.      My favorite animal – A cat – specifically my 14-year-old male cat Jeronimo. He is such a good cat and very friendly.

3.      My favorite number – I don’t really have one.

4.      My favorite non-alcoholic beverage – Diet-Coke. In Italy their version of it is called Coca Cola   Light.

5.      My favorite alcoholic beverage – A glass of good wine, preferably red.

6.      Facebook or Twitter – I have an active presence on both, especially since I have learned about book promotion. I have a Facebook Author page and a Twitter page.

7.      My passions – Family, Travel, Italy

8.      Giving or Receiving Gifts – Giving.  I enjoy surprising someone with something I baked or something that has personal meaning.

9.      Favorite City – I guess it would be in Italy. Venice.

10.  Favorite TV shows – Mad Men, The Amazing Race, The Good Wife, Grey’s Anatomy, The Following, Survivor, Parenthood

I would like to nominate the following blogs for The Sunshine Award because  I have found inspiration reading them.

Composer in the Garden
Meg Travels
I.AM.VAGABOND
Anti-Tourist Traveler
The Notebook Blogairy
A New Beginning
CIAO AMALFI!
An American in Italy
Once in a Lifetime Travel
4opluscareerguru
leavingcairo.com

I could name so many more since I learn something and am motivated and inspired by many bloggers but there is only so much time in a day. Make the most of it.

 

1

Giro d’Italia Stage 3

Amalfi Coast Road

I was supposed to be in Italy today watching Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia. As you know the trip is postponed till September when hopefully my brother will be able to go and run circles around me.

The next best thing to being in Italy on the Amalfi Coast today was watching Stage 3 live on the computer. I found a site that was streaming the European sports channels live and I found one with Irish announcers. It may seem weird but they were speaking English so I was able to understand more than if I were listening to announcers on an Italian station.

Vietri sul Mare on Amalfi Coast

What I really liked were the aerial shots of the region, and having been there I was familiar with the Amalfi Coast part of the stage. Eventually the race moved through the mountains, but I enjoyed seeing the landscape of an area I have not visited. This link from VeloNews.com has quite a few great photos of Stage 3 on the coast.

The Giro d’Italia lasts three weeks and today was only the third of twenty-one stages. The final stage of the race is on May 26 and of you want to see any of Italy’s beautiful countryside you can watch live in the mornings at http://www.kakibara.com/

On the right hand side of the site, where it says “Search Live Streaming Video Here” enter Giro and a number of stations pop up. All you have to do is click on one and you are in Italy watching the Giro d’Italia.

Thirty-six year-old Italian Luca Paolini won the stage today and as the winner, is now wearing the pink jersey, the maglia rosa. I didn’t know why the current winner wears that color jersey until today when I read a story about it. La Gazzetta dello Sport is the Italian sports newspaper that created the Giro, and the color of the paper used to print the newspaper was pink. Since 1931 the winner of the general classification wears the pink jersey.

There is a long way to go in the race yet, and it’s exciting everywhere the race passes through in Italy. 2013 is the 96th edition of the Giro and this year’s route is 3405 kilometers. Tomorrow’s stage of the the race is one of the longest, 246 kilometers, and has the first uphill finish, ending in Calabria.

Recent Travel News from Italy

Sorry I have not posted here lately.I didn’t even realize it has been ten days. I have been doing a lot of editing of my book and have been busy with other things, like everyone else. No excuses.

So many of you have expressed an interest in my brother’s recovery after his bike accident that I have told him he has a fan club. He is very appreciative of the support. I am happy to report that Rick, whom I will be traveling with to Italy this fall, along with my sister-in-law Monica, has been making progress. Still wearing a sling, he manages to get his exercise in, even if it is not on a bicycle. He reports to me that he is now walking eight miles a day or more, plus doing five miles on a recumbent bike at the gym. I had better kick it into high gear to keep up with him in September.

Colosseum

Some news in Italy has gotten my attention since it affects travelers to Rome and Venice. For anyone traveling to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, also known as Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, you may be interested in knowing that now they are providing thirty minutes of free Wi-Fi access. The catch is that it is through Boingo and only AT&T customers will be able to access this service.

I had to smile as I read this news story about Venice because it totally reflects their feelings about tourists to their beloved city.

Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal

I love Venice but so do twenty millions tourists a year and many of the Venetians have moved away since they believe the tourists are ruining their city. This has been especially an issue with the mega cruise ships blocking the views and upsetting the ecosystem of the lagoon. Here is their latest attempt to act nice but let visitors know what is appreciated and what is not. The city of Venice is launching its campaign titled, “Venice Yours Too – Respect It.” This is basically a list of ten things they suggest for travelers to blend in with the locals. In other words, ten rules they would like us to follow.

Gondolas in Venice

Their suggestions include reminders not to feed the pigeons in St Mark’s Square and not to walk around in bathing suits. They would also like travelers to help pick up trash and not to buy knock-off items from street vendors. The guidelines will be posted around the city and printed in seven different languages. Apparently proper tourist etiquette is not being followed and the Venice authorities believe they will get their message across with charm rather than a list of rules. Only time will tell, but I doubt if anyone is ever going to stop feeding the pigeons in Piazza San Marco.

Feeding pigeons in St Mark’s Square

Photos from Lake Como in Italy

Lake Como Italy

Lake Como is one of the most beautiful places I have seen and lends itself to some gorgeous photo ops. Enjoy some scenes from Varenna, Bellagio, Pescallo, and Menaggio.

Varenna

Steep staircase in Varenna, Italy

French Fries sign in Varenna

Varenna on Lake Como

Bellagio, Italy on Lake Como

Church of San Giacomo in Bellagio, Italy

Waiter carrying a tray up a staircase in Bellagio, Italy

Villa Melzi Bellagio

Outdoor restaurant in Bellagio,Italy on Lake Como

Pescallo, Italy

La Placida on Lake Como

Italy in Pictures – Photos from Small Towns in Italy

My brother Rick says thank you to everyone who has sent him get well wishes and he reports that he is walking three miles at a time now. You know he is gearing up to put me through the paces in September. I’d better get moving and get in shape here sooner than later!

I have been writing lately, working on my novel, a medical thriller, so for this post I am going to make it a photo collage of some of the small villages and towns that I visited in Italy. Enjoy!

Apricale caruggi

Longano, Italy

Dolceacqua Bridge

Workers making repairs in flood damaged Vernazza

Maiori on the Amalfi Coast

Doorway and stairs in Cesaro`, Sicily

Ostuni

Marble quarries in Carrara

Caffe Longobardo in Cividale, Italy

Travel Planning to Italy – Trip Postponed

To all of you who have been reading my blog, thank you. I appreciate all of you and enjoy reading any comments you take the time to write as well. Between reading my blog and my book, you know that I have traveled to Italy with my brother Rick and my sister-in-law Monica on several occasions. In fact they were the ones with me on my very first trip to Italy in 2007.

In the Cinque Terre with Rick and Monica

I had not planned on returning to Italy so soon but last fall Rick decided that he wanted to go to Sicily and asked if I would like to join him and Monica. Naturally it didn’t take long for me to say yes and we started planning a trip which would include ten days in Sicily, four on the Amalfi Coast, and two in Rome. The plan was to explore the parts of Sicily that we haven’t seen and also return to the parts that we really enjoyed. On the Amalfi Coast we were going to be able to experience Stage 3 of the Giro d’Italia, Italy’s three week long cycling race, and Rick in particular was very excited about that since he is an avid cyclist.

Rick and Monica in Cefalu

You have read many times of my descriptions of him kicking my butt in Italy with his insistence on walking everywhere, simply with the goal of getting a lot of exercise. He really is obsessed with being fit. Too bad it hasn’t worn off on me. Anyway, seven weeks ago he suffered a cycling accident himself and broke a few bones and has been lamenting the fact that he just has to wait till they heal. He may even need surgery and although it is not a certainty, it was clear that he would not be in shape to leave for Italy in a few weeks as originally planned, although he was in denial about that for awhile.

Rick hiking in the Cinque Terre

So we cancelled our nonrefundable tickets from Delta, kicking ourselves that we had not bought travel insurance. Without it the penalty to change an international flight is $250 per person. On top of that we had made reservations at one of the hotels in Sicily for five nights and these rooms were also nonrefundable. What can you do? It is what it is. After a week or two of checking things, making phone calls, and securing another vacation at work for September, we were lucky enough to have Delta waive the penalty for all three of us after explaining the situation. We also lucked out with the hotel which we booked through Booking.com. The customer service people there were able to communicate with the hotel, through phone calls and emails, and they allowed us to change the dates without losing any money. Today I had a phone call from Dehan who gave me the good news that both rooms were changed successfully till September.

I was able to change the other reservations myself since they were not prepaid, and we have not yet booked the rental car. I learned two things from this situation. One is to always buy travel insurance. I even wrote an article about why it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance and then did not take my own advice. The second thing I learned is that I will not purchase nonrefundable hotel reservations even if they are cheaper.

Rick after his accident

So everything is going well. Hopefully Rick won’t need surgery but if he does he is prepared to do what he needs to do. He has attracted a little fan club actually from readers who have grown fond of him, so I told him that you are counting on him to be good to go.

What I Love About Italy

Varenna

Where do I start? There are so many reasons I love Italy, and if you have been following my blog you probably know most of them. The people, the little villages built into the hillsides, the architecture, the art, the food, the way I feel at home there, the wine, the narrow winding alleys. I could go on and on.

To quote a cliché a picture is worth a thousand words so enjoy a few of the reasons I love Italy through my photographs.

Cappuccino

Life in a Venice Neighborhood

Margherita Pizza

Flowers at Campo d’ Fiori

Apricale art on walls

Positano

Statue of David at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The people of Italy

Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Colle d’Anchise

Beautiful Vernazza, Cinque Terre

View from the Top of St Peter’s

Italian Salaries Among the Lowest in Europe

Trevi Fountain

Italy is not a place to get rich quick, in terms of salary. Although their socialistic government compensates workers with pensions and health care as well as their form of unemployment, the average salaries in Italy are among the lowest in Europe.

Local butchers in Termini

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average salary for an unmarried worker without any dependents is not much more than $25000 a year, based on 2012 statistics.Only Greece and Portugal have salaries less than those in Italy. This number is calculated after taxes, making a gross average salary slightly higher than $35,000.

Piazza Navona

From what I have been told by my Italian friends, there are basically two levels of salary, and not much in between. Some jobs have options to work overtime, such as police officers. Others are seasonal and the job is only for six or eight months, with the rest of the year subsidized by the Italian government.

Police officers in Italy

I would love to know what the salaries for nurses are, but I do understand that nurses in Italy do not enjoy the status of professional, as they do in the United States, and I am sure the salary is commensurate with that role. As much as I love Italy, some things are not better there, which is why I enjoy visiting but will always want to live in the U.S.

A church in Catania decorated for a wedding