Christine Ricci

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000+01:00

Ciao from Monzuno! One of my resolutions this year is to spend less time on facebook and to start posting again on this site. Not a strong writer, but I do miss expressing myself here and posting photos. Along with speaking in Italian more, I 'll work hard to maintain this promise.


The sunrise this morning, from the kitchen window.

Summer Knocked

2011-06-27T11:06:00.000+02:00

Tori, me, Christine, Patty and Mary

Well hellooooo. It has been a long time since I last posted and I am sorry. Life was racing past me but now summer is here, school finished this past Friday and I can get a life again. I had a great 4 day (only) visit home for Lauren's wedding in NJ a few weeks ago, attended the wedding of Will and Kate in London, and am taking a week vacation in Switzerland on July 11th. In between, just have been working and gardening and preparing for some visitors in July (Keiko, Pico and Tom). August is still relatively free so if anyone wants to visit, just hint!Oh, and we celebrated Ray's 6th birthday and my 50th.

(And now I just had to pause to remove a young bird from the chimney flu. I came in the kitchen this past spring to find a full grown owl on the floor. I covered him with a windbreaker and released him outside. It was beautiful to watch his wings unfold as he flew away).

Ray is doing great. He is in camp in Loiano this week and seemed happy enough to be there even if he doesn't know any other kids. I told him to make some friends since these are the local kids and he can invite them over to play. I hope it's fun as tomorrow they spend all day in the pool and Thursday all day with horses. Love the country - camp in Bologna meant all day on the concrete playground.

As a result of the HHI show, we had had some inquiries about buyers for the house. An architect in Canada wants to buy both our and the neighbor's property, but there is no way they would sell. We would consider especially since we decided to keep Ray in school in Bologna (he begins first grade in September) and Andrea's mom is getting more frail and is going through some health problems. We'll see what pans out but of course we are very happy to stay, especially since I want to see all our plantings mature and how does one go back to a city after the serenity here, and we do love our neighbors Rita and Filippo (who hosts an outdoor Sunday lunch every weekend).

Here are some photos - like the new pergola? We really love having a place to eat outside. (I am still being challenged posting photos so bare the "brutto" layout problems I am having.)

Rita and Filippo's Sunday lunch

Together for the first time in 8 years.

Pergola

First tire swing

Best friend Michael from Michigan

Birthday boy

Springtime

2011-04-15T19:52:00.001+02:00

(NOTE: I wrote this on March 15th but had problems posting. Here it is, albeit a bit late.)

We suffered our last major snowstorm a few weeks ago - we slept in Bologna for a week to avoid having to return and deal with the icy driveway. It was a nice break to stay in the city and not have to commute, and the bonus is that I can't wait to return to the peace and quiet of Castaldo (that is the name of the house if I failed to mention that previously). So now it feels as though spring is finally showing her colors - the air smells fresh and earthy, the deer are calling in the night to breed, and the birds are waking me up at 5.30 every morning. Today is a national holiday, only for this year, the celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Italy's unification. Ray would probably love for me to take him into town to see the miliary celebrations, but I invited a few girlfriends over this afternoon to sip prosecco and make pizza. Sorry Ray! But I will take him this morning to the garden shop to stock up on some lavender plants and he can run around there a bit. If I can get my act together, we can squeeze in a walk in the woods.

This site offers some new features, so I will post some photos using the labeling of photos. )Forget it, it is a bit of a disaster and the layout stinks!)

Sunday morning, town center, Loiano

Just sayin'...

2011-01-18T06:34:00.002+01:00

Say, is there Beauty yet to find?
And Certainty? And Quiet kind?
Deep meadows yet, for to forget
The lies, and truths, and pain? . . . oh!
Stands the Church clock at ten to three?
And is there honey still for tea?
(Rupert Brooke)

A Walk in the Woods

2011-01-09T11:38:00.025+01:00

The temps went into the 50s yesterday and today, so it was time for me, Ray and Asia to take a winter walk this morning on an unexplored trail behind our house. It was an old track that had been used back in the farming days, and we followed it only halfway around the back of the mountain where I assume it blends in with another existing road. It was nice to seek some serenity through nature on the anniversary of Daddy's death. Hard to believe that 23 years have since passed (it could still be only yesterday).

When we were buying the house, the previous owners didn't tell us about these trails that run close to the property. Probably because it is used by the public (motorbikes, horses, school outings, etc.) and therefore it exists an element of vulnerability for homeowners seeking some isolation (like yours truly), but I feel having these trails are beneficial in countless ways (and hopefully my thighs will thank them in bikini season).

Merry Christmas, Darlings

2010-12-22T21:18:00.007+01:00

It's that time, again, and already. Though I have not been in touch with anyone consistently, please do know that I am thinking about you. I bought my ticket home for a 5 day visit in June that seems almost not worth mentioning, and am hoping hoping hoping for some stateside visitors to come to see me.

Halfway into my first week home from work - the school is closed for 3 weeks so I have a generous break. Winter has been good to us so far with only one snowfall that required a plowing of the drive. I hope it continues this way and though we were fortunate to not get hit with the storms the rest of Europe is suffering through, we have some very cold temps. Lovin' the fireplaces, I must say, and I look forward to opening the Winter Pimms that recent visitor from London, Agnes, brought with her.

Christmas eve will be celebrated at friends Harriet and Robbie' house, with Katherine, Julia and a total of 6 kids including Ray. I am making gyoza! Christmas day is planned in Lugo with a lunch reservation at a restaurant (my mother-in-law is breaking tradition as it was her idea). Then we head to the Marche to see the Hoddell's who are here for a few days from their new residence in Kenya. All good.

Monzuno is as beautiful this time of year as she is in the summer. The views and sunrises are spectacular and in our little microclimate here, we can see the heavy clouds below us and often we are ten degrees warmer then at the bottom of the mountain. A nice surprise as we expected to be freezing more than the town residents!

Wishing you the best for Christmas and a great New Year. Memories of past celebrations, and the making of new ones, keeping me sane while I miss my family and friends.

Hitting close to home, again...

2010-12-03T19:38:00.009+01:00

A message from a best friend from high school, Jim Shargo. Sisters, I think you remember Beth and certainly you heard about Lori O. passing away this summer. We all have so much to be grateful for.

just heard from marybeth h that beth c passed away suddenly, sometime over the thanksgiving weekend...no cause of death is known at this time (not a heart attack or stroke, and supposedly she was not ill)...marybeth gleaned the info from several of our former classmates facebook pages so the details are kinda sketchy...beth left behind two young sons...wot the fuk, this kinda shit just should't happen...it's times like this that bring home the realization that life is so fucking fragile and that at any given moment everything you take for granted could be taken away without warning or reason...i just want you to know that despite all the years, the miles, the good times and all the bullshit we shared i treasure the memories of our misspent youth and value the friendship we had...love, jim

2010-11-20T08:48:00.011+01:00

In the past couple of months, I relied more on facebook to post accounts of what I have been up to, but miss posting here so I am giving up one for the other (it sounds like chosing one lover over another, which in a sense is accurate if you consider the time invested...).

Anyway, settling into the house has become much easier in spite of the much cooler weather. It helps to have two fireplaces going to keep the stone walls warm, though the real freeze has yet to come. In addition, our neighbors Rita and Filippo could not be nicer and Ray is getting very attached to them. He sometimes goes over to visit and draws at their kitchen table while chatting with them, and Rita carved a pumpkin for him for Halloween. We really lucked out there. Hosting a slew of friends has kept me busy and almost every weekend we have a number of them here. It has been great for Ray who now has space to play without me yelling at him to keep the noise down (here he is with his first candlelight dinner with friends, Anna and Ella, and with his best friends, Michael and Yeelan - always posing as superheroes).

Friend Tom came to visit from NJ for (only) 5 days at the end of October when I had a week off work. It was nice to have him embrace everything Italian and it was fun to have a shopping partner. We hit Venice, Florence and Bologna though the weather prevented us from taking advantage of more exotic locations such as the fall beach scene of the Adriatic. Next time....

I have been also getting quite good at hosting aperitivos at home though I would like to increase my experimental cooking. (Above is a photo of a pot of ragu, and a plate of tagliatelli with a shaved local truffle). Next weekend I am having Agnes visit from London and invited 20 for lunch on Saturday so I will take this opportunity to learn how to roast meat on the grill, though the fireplace in the kitchen works well for small pieces such as sausage and chicken.

So, for the moment, the hightlights of being here have been fireplace, views, dog-sitting Lucy, hosting and cooking. Most of all, getting a break out of the city and the fresh air. Well worth the commute. Visit.

Getting ready for the cold...

2010-09-26T19:41:00.007+02:00

Guess what we did today.

We had our wood shed put in a couple of weeks ago to get ready for the delivery, but needing exercise I wanted to stack it ourselves. It was kind of fun. Four hours of it. Fun. Really.

If you like stuffed pork loin, cut the loin in a spiral till flat, then line it with sage leaves. Add sausage meat, then a layer of fresh mushrooms. Put a cooked carrot on the end. After tying up the loin, roll it in salamoia seasoning (I gave everyone a jar in a past visit), sear it in a hot pain, then roast it in the oven. I toss in the diced potatoes when it is cooked halfway. Slice and waalaa - serve it with some crusty pugliese bread to your friends who come and visit by motorcycle.

Calm After the Storm

2010-09-22T01:37:00.003+02:00

It was a little weird to watch the HHI show - after spending 5 days of filming and seeing it cut down to 23 minutes, it seemed a little thin and I think they edited it just to catch all my "wow"s. But the whole experience was fun and now seeing Ray walk away from watching it after 5 minutes kind of says it all!

I will post some photos of a festa we attended in Monzuno a couple of weekends ago. Twenty chefs came from Bologna to cook two different menus and we signed up for one each, then visited the various stalls to taste their goods. It was really a treat (also to drink wines from the local vineyards, one of which was my favorite: Tizzano) and I hope somebody stateside comes next year to try it with us. This weekend we will go to Urbino with Andrea's students, and the following to Rome where Andrea has a conference. Otherwise, the days are full of commuting and students for both of us. Ray is doing well at the International School. He is learning all the rules and comes home with a "well done" sticker most days.

Well, it's late and I have to get up in 5 hours so I'll post the photos in the next day or so. Buona notte.

Late summer Saturday

2010-09-04T20:50:00.007+02:00

Saturdays are for:

gift of a basket of fresh vegetables from the neighbor's garden (again)

and with some help chopping from a little boy

turns into a late summer lunch

followed by an evening of bread making.

September I'll Remember....

2010-08-26T18:20:00.009+02:00

I feel almost like a real local - the man at the forno (bread bakery) sold me bread on credit (I had only a big bill, not that I went shopping with no cash!), and the green grocer knows what I want before I open my mouth (almost always "5 peaches: 2 yellow, 3 white and a bunch of grapes"). I also make it a point to have a quick chat in our real estate agent's office as Albertina is very sweet and it cracks me up that she tells me more about our business than I know myself (for example, we are getting our driveway paved this weekend and I didn't even think she would know, but she had already told the mailperson not to go up to the house but to drop the mail to her for us to pick up).

September is lingering outside the door, and Ray begins his first day at the International School on the first. I am looking forward to some interesting conversations we will have in the car during our 45 minute commute, and also to having him in the classroom next door. He is going to love the school. I returned to work yesterday and it is lovely to reconnect with colleagues who are now good friends and we will go out for drinks after work tomorrow.

Ray has discovered a new life here in Monzuno. A typical day is helping me with the gardening, a hike on the trails that run along the property line (we had a picnic in a field my last day home), a little soccer practice in the yard, and running through the wet sheets on the clothesline. It's the childhood I hoped he would experience, and so am very happy. He is also enjoying the neighbor's dog, Asia, who comes to visit every day (at dinner time). As for Andrea - after his initial panic attack of moving out of the city - he can't wipe the smile off his face when we sit outside in the evening breezes, while those in Bologna swelter under the oppressive heat and humidity. It is a real slice of what I imagine heaven might be like.

I am a little embarrassed to post our Househunter's show info as I don't know how idiotically we will be portrayed, but here goes: http://www.hgtv.com/house-hunters-international/chris-and-her-husband-andrea-want-to-raise-their-son-in-the-countryside-outside-of-bologna-italy/index.html

Some of the photos below are another Monzuno sunrise (I can't catch the beauty on film), a day in the life of Ray, a Monzuno festa, and the one above is the pre-terrace entrance. We have to figure out what will tolerate the freeze of the winters here. Come see these things firsthand!

Dog Days Update

2010-08-11T07:22:00.004+02:00

Our neighbor's welcome basket included a bottle of nocino (a wine made from walnuts, not in photo). Fresh picked from her garden, I hope Rita will help me next spring with vegetable and fruit choices to plant. Below is one of her husband's motorcycles, a Ducati. Filippo has a collection that includes many beautiful vintage ones.

I am almost done painting just over half of the walls. We had some of Andrea's furniture delivered from Lugo, and the moving guy, Giorgio, installed it and this Saturday is returning for a BBQ with his wife and four adopted children. We have used him for three moves so we are becoming friends and as he has a hardware and garden shop, is bringing us our new grill (I hope I like it as I really would like a Weber kettle grill but I know he doesn't carry those).

Monzuno sunrise. The weather these days are just gorgeous. When living in Bologna, I discouraged August visits as everything shuts down, but out here there is a festival in a nearby town every night, and the oppressive heat stays in the valley Bologna sits in.

One more link...

2010-08-04T18:40:00.001+02:00

For those of you who didn't see his post on facebook, Kenji is scoring in magazine write-ups:

http://www.rentedspaces.com/2010/08/03/big-deal-chef-in-a-small-kitchen-10-questions-with-kenji-lopez/

some links

2010-08-03T23:08:00.004+02:00

I wanted to post some newish links. Andrea has updated the BCSP site and Sky, the student who filmed our househunters audition tape for us, did this very nice intro of the program: http://www.bcsp.unibo.it/index.htm You can imagine how happy Ray was when Alexandra would babysit, and check out Rodolfo on the Internship Profile video on the same page.
Check out Sky's personal experiences of Bologna food at: http://www.skymedia.tv/SKYMEDIA/sky_media.html (my favorite is Cioccolato but listen to the caffeine buzzed guy in Il Caffe)
And then there is Marc, whose blog I still enjoy reading: http://www.marcbologna.blogspot.com/ (and we get an honorable mention again in "Goodbye BCSP")
And of course, if you come visit, Florence is an hour away: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/travel/25hours.html but who needs all that history when you have your own American in Italy stuffing you with ragu and pasta and wine?

We're in. Monzuno Rocks.

2010-08-03T08:09:00.011+02:00

From this to this:

We are two weeks into the new place and it has been a long haul. Moving was stressful due to Andrea's last-minute cold feet of moving out of civilization, but he has been won over by the beauty of nature, the peace and quiet (except for the deer calls at night), and the space we have to put all our things (no more washing machine in the bathroom). The best part is having the outdoor space for our plants and for Ray to play. We'll be busy in the spring putting in the 40 lavender plants we have planned for the dry, rocky soil of the area.

Andrea was busy setting up his new (off-limits) office and is counting on some privacy. Ray asks on occassion when we are going back to Bologna, but is starting to understand that this isn't vacation and yesterday during a trip into town, discovered a classmate from Bo who spends time here with his grandparents so they have a play date tomorrow. In addition, friends Harriett and Philippa visited on different occassions with their 3 kids each and it is great to have them play hard and not be underfoot. This is something new for us after years in tiny spaces. We also hiked the trail behind our house with the Hoddells and it was quite beautiful (and challenging, I must admit). I have already seen the truffle hunters behind our house with their dogs, seeking out where the gold is hidden to return in October to collect them at maturity.

This past weekend we were invited to lunch at an agriturismo with Andrea's friends. Their daughter has a restaurant and it is not far from here. See her holding up the Florentine steaks for approval before cooking. I bought a bottle of their wine since it was so delicious, and now that I can actually start storing bottles in the cantina.

Today I will start painting the walls while Andrea takes Ray into Bologna for some errands. The house is still a mess and we are trying to sort out all the stuff - how we fit all this into our little place in Bologna, I will never know but am taking this opportunity to donate many things to a local place. I admit, though, I am loving the kitchen, our neighbor's dog Asia (who joins us for a meal now and then) and the mornings of juice and coffee outdoors while Ray takes a quick swim and sunbathes.

Visit. xxoo

Why I love the Italian (European) Football Culture

2010-06-24T18:00:00.008+02:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/sports/soccer/25slovakiagame.html?hp

As you know, football (don't call it soccer) isn't just a national obsession. It runs in the blood so it is in the DNA of Italians and a huge part of the culture. I have learned that the best time to go food shopping or to the park is when there is a big game on, and as a result, little traffic and no crowds. I just finished watching the Italy/Slovakia game, and Italy lost (3-2)and is out of the World Cup games. They were the champions of the last World Cup, and so this is especially disappointing. But we did have the pleasure of being in Sicily for final game four years ago. We watched it outdoors in the piazza of the small town we were staying at- the game was projected onto a bedsheet hung by the young men onto the side of the town hall. Unfortunately, a torrential rainstorm came through half way and the tv lost its reception, and our friend Marco (who, with Kathryn, was vacationing with us) ran all the way back to our apartment to continue watching the game.

When I went to get Ray at school today, the Italy game had just started. The classroom had been converted to a TV room. The teachers lined up chairs in front of a small TV and the students - 3, 4, and 5 year olds - had the Italian colors painted on their cheeks and were all sitting quietly and watching the game. They sure start them young, eh?

Why do I LOVE watching football here?
1. Because the English (and non-) teachers I work with all went to the nursery room (where the biggest TV is) after school to watch England play yesterday, armed with beer and wine.
2. Because the carpenter who is working on the garage outside our apartment pulled his car closer to listen to the game on the radio while he continued working (which is surprising as most people go home or to a bar but I suspect he is not Italian).
3. Because the Italian players broke down and cried like babies on the field when the game was over.
4. Because the coach of the Slovakian team did the victory walk around the field, waving at the fans with tears running down his stoic face.
5. Because businesses close, and schools shut down whenever Italy makes it to the finals.
6. Because when Italy wins an important game, you can always here the cars honking for 30 minutes after the game is over - and if you are lucky enough to be in the main piazza, watch the waves of Italian flags out of car windows and motorbikes. The police take a step back and just watch.
7. Because I was able to attend/watch many of the World Cup games held in the NJ/NY area in 1994 and I can remember the Irish fans going absolutely crazy (they won against Italy) and walking on the shoulders of the highways to walk back to where ever they were staying, singing and waving their flags. I didn't get it then, but I do now.

Updates

2010-06-22T07:20:00.003+02:00

http://nymag.com/arts/all/approvalmatrix/66753/ - go Kenji! Are those french fries?

We are packing up, finishing off the last days of school, and heading to the beach for a week on Saturday and then to visit the Hoddells in the Marche for a couple of days (they are returning this week from DC) . We have been so busy socially as well that we are pretty wiped out and looking forward to doing nothing but building sand castles and eating pizza (the end of the school year brings tons of events for each of us). I have loads of photos to show, but I left my camera at the last party we attended but will get it tonight at an aperitivo I am going to. Funny, not having that thing felt like I lost my left hand. I take it everywhere with me.

Ray is going to attend my school next fall. He is so excited and this will make my new commute incredibly easier. We are renting a garage a block over from it so it couldn't be more convenient. Here is a photo of him at the new house when we went to visit last weekend. He went straight into the sprinkler with all his clothes on.

I'll write more later -

Movin' to the Country

2010-06-02T18:13:00.010+02:00

With one phone call, we know that we are probably moving homes on or about July 15th. We are getting really psyched, and will book a moving company this week so that we get some boxes delivered to begin packing. I am going to do it all myself: curtains, dishes, clothes, hanging lamps, etc. In Italy, unlike in the USA, homeowners take everything including light bulbs. It is common to move into a home requiring a new kitchen and bathroom fixtures (I am talking toilets and bathtubs here) than to have them in place. We agreed to leave all that in our house, though we will take some of our light fixtures - a traditional Venetian hanging light, some sconces we bought on our trip through Sicily (Caltagirone - famous for ceramics), and a couple of our favorite smaller ones. Fortunately, our new house will be mostly furnished in the sense that the only things we have to buy are a dishwasher and a washing machine (dryers are becomming more common, but for the most part Italians line dry and I will have a clothesline, finally! No more laundry on the balcony rail.) and of course some bits and pieces of furniture. At this point in life, I would like to minimize purchasing as that just feels like more of a burden than anything else.

Ray is telling his friends how happy he is to move too - which is a relief as I think we are doing this just in time. If we had waited even another year or two he would have put up more of a fight, I think, but the promise of a new cat and another hamster, and a tent along with a plastic pool seems to do the trick for now.

Plan to visit!

And there are some things I will miss about the city, but I think there will be other scapes to distract me.

May events

2010-05-26T20:20:00.012+02:00

There was a lot going on in May. After our stint of "reality" TV, we finally celebrated Ray's 5th birthday with Nonna and Godmother Kathryn and Uncle Marco, our 7th wedding anniversary, an end-of-the-year school party at Ray's scuola materna (Patty, you would not believe how many parents asked me for the recipe for the confetti cake mix you mailed me!), and a rock 'n roll (for a 6th!) and a pirate themed (including parrot) birthday parties. Don't laugh at the scotch tape on the pirate hat I made for Ray - he loved it and the paper eye patch!

Musica

2010-05-20T17:44:00.008+02:00

My friend, Kathryn, organized a very successful musical instrument "fiera" - a convention of dealers. We attended last Sunday in Bologna and though it was really loud, it was great fun to see not just the instruments but the exhibits with all the canned bands that show off all the cool products. I hope we will buy a digital piano soon, though Ray really really wants a guitar (half size, of course).

Ciao! (sob)

2010-05-12T13:44:00.004+02:00

So our new best friends are on their way back to Milan where they will catch a flight back to LA tomorrow morning. It was so much fun working with Susan, Tom and Stu these past five days. I think they got the footage they wanted, were totally relaxed and we will miss their company. Keep checking the HHI listings and let us know when it airs - you will probably see it before we do. (Unfortunately, I had left my camera at work and only had it for the final day of shooting.) We have to remember to peel off all the black tape around our house where the brands of appliances had been covered. Action/cut/tone!

HH International

2010-05-06T06:27:00.006+02:00

So, in the end, it all really progressed and the crew of three House Hunters are arriving in Bologna today. We have a hectic schedule that runs through to next Wednesday and I never lost the ten winter pounds, grew out my butchered fingernails (ah, to work with 5 year olds every day!), got my hair cut, colored and styled, and so on - so you get the authentic Chris appropriate for "reality" tv. I will try to take some photos throughout and hope there are none of anyone losing their patience.

We have been busy just running our regular schedule, but we did manage a weekend escape to celebrate a certain 49th birthday (ouch, well actually a little wine took the pain away) with friends Kathryn and Marco (it's her 34th - double ouch). We went to the same agriturismo that we celebrated at a year ago (www.marzanella.it/) and though it was a little rainy, we were still able to visit the "vulcano" - a natural gas flame that has become our favorite picnic spot (next time we will bring hotdogs on a stick along with the beer and cheese sandwiches).

Above is a game of Italian billiards - I never grasp the goal - those little pegs on the table - to knock down or not?

Lake Garda

2010-04-19T17:18:00.007+02:00

This past weekend we went to visit our long-time friends, Marco, Barbara and their 11 year-old daughter Giulia. They owned an Italian restaurant in Times Square for 12 years but returned to Italy the year after I moved here (2004). They have a restaurant at Lake Garda now, but spent the day with us to show some of the local sights, and it was nice to chat with friends who miss NY as much as I do. Ray got his first taste of a real Ducati -now all his model ones just won't do.

I knew him when...

2010-04-15T07:04:00.003+02:00

he was just a "little cousin" I used to swing around by his arm and leg. Maybe he will use some of his grub to come do a foodcrawl around Bologna.

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2010/04/fake_shack_creator_kenji_alt_s.html

‘Fake Shack’ Creator Kenji Alt Scores Six-Figure Book Deal
4/14/10 at 2:02 PM

James Kenji Lopez-Alt, the MIT grad who is better known as Kenji Alt to readers of Serious Eats, Goodeater, and Cook’s Illustrated (Grub Street readers will recall him reverse engineering the Spotted Pig’s deviled eggs) has sold a book, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, to W.W. Norton (curiously, his editor is Maria Guarnaschelli, mother of Butter chef Alex, and his agent is Vicky Bijur, wife of Serious Eats honcho Ed Levine). Kenji confirms that twelve publishers bid on the book, and he ended up selling it for six figures. So what got the publishing world so stirred up earlier this week?

Alt tells us a little about his plan for the 300-page, ten-chapter tome, which will consist of all-new material: “What I’m doing is taking classic, American foods like fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, barbecue, hamburgers, and fries and using them as a jumping-off point to explain various principles of food science.” There will, of course, be “hacks” along the lines of his method of cooking brick-oven-style pizza, but don’t expect re-creations of restaurant dishes à la Fake Shack — “it’s more ‘the ultimate hamburger’ or ‘ultimate fried chicken.’” The Food Lab will hit bookshelves in the fall of next year.

Aprile/April/Spring/Primavera!

2010-04-11T19:00:00.014+02:00

It's been a beautiful spring so far. We went to visit Lake Como in the days following Easter, and I spent the rest of the week off just hanging out in the beautiful weather. Here are some photos to show you what we have been up to - my only regret was not making it to Venice for an afternoon (as Ray is wanting to see more boats) but we can do that in the coming weeks. Oh, and another food article (and again, you can get a similar experience at the Ricci house later this year): http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/travel/11Frugal.html

Here, we had lunch at a local osteria in the Bologna hills where they serve various meats with crescentine (fried dough) - that is the entire menu. Oh, and pickled mushrooms, olives, artichokes and peppers. It is lovely to sit outside of this farmhouse while Ray zips around the tables on his scooter.

Lake Como is beautiful - and one has to take a ferry ride to really appreciate the landscapes that surround it. With Andrea's love of WWII history, we had to visit the place where Mussolini's body was recovered and a couple other related sites. Andrea also loves talking to old locals - here in front of the hotel we stayed at. It was great not to have huge crowds of tourists, though I wonder how these little towns survive the crush in the summer. We had the entire patio to ourselves for a leisurely lunch - that will not be possible from even a month from now!

Hand Gestures

2010-03-27T19:57:00.006+01:00

As some of you know, we have been working on getting together some tapes for an American home show. On some of the videos, I realized how much I use hand gestures and I always notice when my British colleagues at work use classic Italian gestures to help express feelings. I have some favorites - they are like words in no other language that perfectly express what I am trying, unsuccessfully, to say. Here are some things to show what I mean (I always use the "what are you talking about gesture"):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0n4Vw6twKo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdn6TSc9T2A

Almablu

2010-03-25T07:03:00.004+01:00

Ray is so happy to have a new pet. Almablu is incredibly sweet and so cute. Ray is very serious in his responsibility with him, and he stopped talking about an imaginary baby brother so I feel like we definitely got a two-fer.

Spring All Around

2010-03-22T21:30:00.008+01:00

Well, I heard all about how spring has arrived in the northeast corridor of the US, and indeed she found her way to Bologna as well. It is to hit the high 60s this week and it is hard to believe we had a snowstorm two weeks ago. Finally Ray can spend some time playing outside after school, though daylight savings time won't arrive here until this weekend. (Here he is on the balloon slide at Giardini Margherita, in the white socks.)

Andrea left yesterday for his long stint in the US. He is in Philadelphia today, then to North Carolina tonight and then off to Indiana for the weekend. He has to come back to Charlotte to go back through Frankfurt to then return to Bologna next week. Agh. These trips are becoming more torturous, and he was pulled aside by customs in Philly to be questioned about applying for a green card in 2005 (hum, we just had a baby in Bologna so highly unlikely. And his name here is as common as John Smith in the US.).

I am more excited than Ray that we got a hamster on Saturday. Almablu (Ray's insisted on this made up name) is very cute and I held him tonight for the first time. Trying to teach Ray patience and all that jazz, when I am the one waking at 4 to go take a peek at him on the wheel and insisting we wake him in the day to see if he is hungry. I will post a couple of photos tomorrow.

Here are some more landscape photos of Tuscany for Paula, since my last one set her imagination on fire. The church is in Assisi - of my favorite Saint Francis. And the "For Rent" sign above is for a place in that little town you liked.

Snow again

2010-03-15T07:32:00.009+01:00

Mother Nature's (hopefully) last laugh came last week - the upsides are that the motorbikes were moved by the firemen, Ray was able to have his best friend over to play, and blood oranges are especially delicious these days and make the best juice.

Tuscan Winter

2010-03-09T16:36:00.017+01:00

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/travel/07tuscany.html?em

If you go: contact Chris and she will pick you up at the Florence or Bologna airport.

We went through Tuscany at the end of 2009 and it was really lovely. I know I posted about the trip previously, but this made me want to reemphasize that visiting Italy in the winter definitely has its benefits. In Cortona, the ticket seller at the museum told us that in the summer he sells more than 2000 tickets a day and these days he sells maybe 40- the baths at the terme we visited for the day in December were pleasantly full - enough to pick up a conversation with a neighbor but also do some laps if you are so inclined (and even I was). It was lovely not to have to battle the crowds.

I also recall that visits to Florence in the summer were hell and I experienced claustraphobia for the first time. However, a visit there one week before Christmas got me striding through the ticket booth at the Uffizi museum solo, while in the summer there can be a thousand people waiting in line.

I feel as though I am trying to sell a visit to friends and family. I am just so happy that after July, I can be a true host.

(Actually, looking back, I see I never posted about the trip. The place we stayed at was beautiful and we look forward to a return visit. The New Year with friends in the Marche was really really nice, even though James sniffed the wine a little too intimately.)

Blessing

2010-03-02T18:37:00.005+01:00

The devil sat on my shoulder tonight. The front doorbell rang and I sent Ray out to see who it was - our house is such that we have an independent entrance, but the gate on the street is shared by three residences (the people who live above us and those below) and Ray can stick his head out the door to see who is there at the street. He came in and said it wasn't Daddy, so I ran out wiping my hands as I was cooking at the stove. A man stood there at the gate and identified himself as Don Carlo so-and-so and I looked puzzled as he spoke as if I should know him. To make a long story short - he is the local priest and I remembered that we had gotten a notice that this week the homes were to be blessed for Easter. He realized I wasn't Italian and after some fumbling of words, I told him "io non capisco bene" (I don't understand very well (this tradition)) and he said "me too" and we shook hands for the second time and he said "God bless you". The weird thing was that I realized I was almost flirting with him as he was young, handsome and with a great smile. The minutes following, back at the stove, I found myself thinking maybe I need to start taking Ray to mass every Sunday...and of course there is confession....and, yes, all those volunteer opportunities....oh naughty, I think I am breaking a commandment.

Moving Residences

2010-02-28T07:20:00.011+01:00

I was happy to read this article in today's NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/realestate/28cov.html?pagewanted=1&hpw

I often wondered why I enjoy moving homes when most people I know dread it. I know it stems from the early years of moving to and from Japan every three years, but having had seven addresses in the past eight years makes me think that it has to go deeper than that. Even though we are moving this July to our fourth residence in Bologna (in 6.5 years), I find I am still picking up real estate magazines and scouring what is on the market. I have no real desire to be in the business, though I do love tearing out ads and passing information to anyone I know looking for a new home.

I can just say that the thought of moving into a new area, neighborhood, country - whatever the case may be - I have a heightened sense of excitement, anticipation, self-reliance in finding that new market, restaurant, home goods shop, butcher, coffee shop. I feel like an explorer looking to set some new challenges. Unveiling the culture and interest in local architecture also makes me want to walk unknown streets and getting lost just makes me learn the way better. Oddly enough, I never think of moving in terms of loss or leaving something behind but only in terms of something to be gained.

Anyway, I am anticipating the time I will spend on the hiking trails on the mountain that run just off our new property, where I hope to find a local who can teach me how to hunt for truffles and gather walnuts from the craggy trees. Also, I heard the butcher in our new town is reknowned in the area, and the famous "bread trail" runs through the area - where the century old mills are valued and bread still made the old fashioned way. I can't wait to become a regular at the yet-to-be-discovered garden shop, as well as the local forno (bread shop). Also, to try our new local restaurant - just a mile from home - can't wait to walk the trail that takes us right to it! http://www.la-capannina.com/

(These photos are from a few of the places we lived here in Bologna, including a front door, religious celebrations viewed from two different residences, and unpacking two moves ago. Okay, I never lived in Venice.)

A day at the beach

2010-02-22T13:57:00.004+01:00

We went to the beach on the Adriatic Sea yesterday. It was so warm and sunny in Bologna that we wanted to get out of Dodge, but didn't count on how windy and cold it would be by the sea. But it was nice to be out in the air, and we saw some nice cars in Milano Marittima - the coolest place to hang out if you want to be seen. Italian men love their fast cars, and the women their high heels. This trio was walking towards the sand dunes and I don't know how they were going to manage on those kickers.

We stopped at a Fiat dealer on the way home since we will have to buy a second car with 4 wheel drive to commute from our new house. We will buy a small model, a Panda, that barely holds four bodies but will make it down our driveway next winter. Even at the dealership, they have model vehicles so that the next generation has something to strive for...

World Nutella Day 2010

2010-02-16T17:00:00.004+01:00

http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/

This is for Marsha and her giant jar of authentic, Italian Nutella!

(Okay, the photo isn't of Nutella but that is some serious hand-made (and seriously man-handled) tagliatelle and ragu - at that agriturismo you know of.)

Geezz, time flies when it snows

2010-02-16T07:14:00.003+01:00

It has been a dreadful winter in Bologna. Snow every week, cold, 100% humidity. Chilled to the bones. But on one rare sunny day, all the snow melted and we could take Ray to the gardens to ride his scooter.

I can't believe it is almost two months since I have posted, but will do so when I am off next week. In the meantime, here is one of Andrea's student's blog. I get an honorable mention on the February 1 posting, though it is my father who is of Union stock.

http://www.marcbologna.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-25T07:34:00.005+01:00

I miss you all a lot. Thinking of the memories of Christmas' past and feeling a bit sad, but grateful to have them and for Ray who makes new ones for me.

We are heading out on the 27th, Andrea's 50th birthday, to the termes in Tuscany. We are staying at an old palace (http://www.palazzobizzarri.it/ - love the English translation on their homepage-cute) for two nights and visiting the hot springs nearby where one can take advantage of naturally warm, sulfer baths from the nearby volcano (I suppose - I have to read up on that one). We will then head over to lower Tuscany and then arrive in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with the Hoddell's at their house in the Marche. We decided, with all the stress over housing recently, to not try and push our way down to Puglia at this time, but perhaps over Easter vacation.

It is 7.30 Christmas morning and Ray has yet to wake. I better write that note from Santa before he does so, telling him to continue to be a good boy and especially to listen to his mother and give her lots of hugs. Merry Christmas everyone. Lots of love for the New Year!

The House is Ours!

2009-12-24T14:16:00.004+01:00

Christmas came a day early this year.

So far so good - the owner of the mountain house signed our offer this morning and if all goes well, we should move in this summer. I didn't want to get excited knowing how things can fall through, but he was a very nice, older man and was only a little disgruntled about accepting our low offer. I told him that I love old houses and that we had looked at so many, and this one was particularly well done (he replied, "I know") so at least he knows I appreciate the work and planning he put into it. He also agreed to leave the curtains covering the lower spaces in the kitchen so that is one less thing I have to worry about. Ray will finally get his sprinkler and blow up pool this summer. The owner also said there are wolves, deer and even a falcon nest in the backwoods. A hike, anyone?

Christmas time

2009-12-20T16:17:00.013+01:00

We made an offer on the house and will have a reply by Tuesday. If it doesn't work out, we will go back to the original house we offered on as the owner has decided he is ready to let it go. I will keep you posted.

http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/travel-deals-six-days-in-italy-including-air/#comments

Visit Florence and come visit me in 37 minutes by highspeed train Bologna-Florence, or I will come and see you. (OK, so this article is outdated but maybe prices are even lower now. Nice Christmas present!)

Snow has hit Bologna big-time and the cold temps are hindering any melting. I am making stinco today (pork shanks slow-cooked in wine with herbs - love the name) and Christmas cookies. We have yet to dig out the car but will try to take a ride for some air this afternoon. Here are some photos I took yesterday. Nice view from our window.

Godfather Alberto came to visit us from Providence last weekend. He will stay with his family in Rimini over Christmas then return to Esther and baby Giocamo the days after. We have yet to plan our trip to the Puglia region. We will probably just take off and go where the warmer winds blow us.

http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/riding-the-roads-as-the-romans-do/#more-17491

I have to add this article on renting a scooter in Rome. A real risk but what a blast.

December, lovely December

2009-12-12T03:49:00.018+01:00

It has been a long time between posts these months. Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. We celebrated with Andrea's students and several professors at a nice restaurant that makes the turkey with all the trimmings. I took a ton of photos which Andrea failed to download before clearing my camera disk and I am sorry I have nothing to show of it.

I am exhausted on the house search. We found a lovely place on a mountain that we really like, but we hash over the commute to Bologna and Ray's future schools. But the price, since we expressed interest, has come down almost 30% so it is a tempting choice. However, the offer we made on the house a while back has resurfaced but in the form of a four year rental contract with then possible option to buy (while the owner tries on a new life in Milan with mistress and baby) which initially sounded awful to me, but the offered flexibility has now made me think it is not a bad idea. But I am a little gun-shy of this guy since he backed out an hour before on the signing the original contract ...

Anyway, we are all fine and preparing for Santa. One week left of work at school, the off for three weeks. Wish we were planning to visit the US but instead we will take off for a trip to the Puglia region to celebrate Andrea's 50th. Woohoo! Here are some house photos of the mountain home,with friends Philippa and the girls, in a village called Tra Sasso (translates to "between stoney hills"), and my favorite elf.

(The house is a renovated barn and the brick columns are the original area where the cows were kept - it is now a kitchen with sitting area, and the loft upstairs has original beams. It really is quite unique though it still only has 1.5 baths and the two loft bedrooms would have to be walled in (or curtained, or glassed)- there is another bedroom we would use as Ray's. The views are beautiful and the closest town, Monzuno, is quaint. Oh yes, a photo of Ray with the Monzuno Santa - he was a sad sack who then got teased by the local dudes. That is spiced wine in the copper lined barrel - vin brulè -a yummy treat this time of year.)

2009-11-14T06:27:00.007+01:00

When I posted this photo from a chestnut festival last month, I commented to my sister that it was unfortunate that I didn't realize how cute this guy (the one on the left) was when I snapped his photo, and I only noticed after downloading it at home. Well, Paula thought he looked familiar, and here is where she saw him before.

So the deal with the house offer - we made it, it was accepted, then an hour before signing the goon pulled it off the market. So today we are going to look at another place, and have a few more lined up for the coming week. We have decided to refocus and concentrate on finding an independent house, which means it could be a bit isolated, but we will cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

Last weekend we saw the Bologna "basket" team, Virtus, play (they don't call it basketBALL here) and had the opportunity to see up close and personal the owner of the opposing team - Giorgio Armani - who is looking quite elderly and frail. The players for teams in Italy are often recruited from the US, so their kids end up going to English speaking schools so we, the staff, often get to know them quite well. I wonder if the players on GA's team dress better than others?

On a boring note, we have all been incredibly sick - I really think the swine flu swept through our house. Quite a few people in Bologna have been diagnosed with it and there is really nothing one can do except treat it like any other flu - as long as I don't start oinking.

We are gearing up for our formal Thanksgiving dinner at a local restaurant. The students will attend and a number of special guests. This year I will leave Ray home with Nonna so I can sit and have an adult evening. I just hope none of the students start getting homesick and break down crying. Thanksgiving seems to be the most family-focused holiday so it can be difficult. Even for me.

Advice on moving to Italy

2009-11-13T06:53:00.003+01:00

Before I made the big move, I received some advice from an expat living here. I just found it on my computer and thought it might be helpful even if you plan to come for just a visit.

You have so little time to learn all the info you need to come on over....be prepared.

1. there are no clothes dryers
2. get used to wearing clothes more than once before washing
3. you can buy 100% cotton nothing shrinks here
4. Olive oil goes on all food, no salt – that is used in cooking
5. Pasta is served before the main dish and salad is last
6. Use a cell phone all the time (including playing with all the sounds it makes) in public = cool.
7. look to the right and left before crossing, and even behind you cuz you never know where the cars are coming from or at.
8. Find where all the americans hang out, irish pubs are, and xpats...because you will miss BSing.
9. Learn how to cut in line before the italians do.
10. Say "Non parlo Italiano" all day till you learn it.
11. Hand towels are used after you wash your ass and not to dry your hands and face.
12. Your DVD and VCR do not work here buy it when you come.
13. Teaching english is what you will do till you get tired of it.
14. Walking more than you have to because the bus you planned to take is too packed to get on.

That should be enough for now....if I think of anything else I will let you know....Maybe someone can add more to it.

Don't think that what I wrote is negative and trying to get you not to come......Remember that Italy is a better place to live than the USA!

Italy vs. USA

1. If you are robbed you will not know about it here till you get home. Beats getting bashed in the head for your wallet or have a gun pointed at you.

2. You can walk the street late and will not get harassed by some bum...he will only ask for money

3. Italian men do not beat their wives if unhappy, or divorce them. They find a lover that makes them happy.

anything else?

Daniele

2009-11-05T18:56:00.003+01:00

Before I started working at the International School, I studied for a TEFL certificate (teaching English as a Foreign Language) and then taught English privately for a couple of years. It is a great thing to do when you have a tiny baby at home who sleeps a lot, but it is really stressful in that the preparation takes a lot of effort so the high fee one can charge per hour isn't so great once you add in travel time and missed appointments (and I didn't have my Vespa in those days). But you meet and get to know very well many Italians and I made some nice friends along the way. Anyway, one of my favorite students was Daniele. He wanted to learn an American accent to prepare for his launch in Hollywood where he enrolled in acting school and we would spent hours reading over movie scripts. Fortunately, not "Streetcar...". Here is his website -

http://www.danieleguidi.com/Daniele_Guidi_Website/Home_Page_1_Eng.html

Julia Zarankin and White Ragu Recipe

2009-10-30T07:49:00.014+01:00

Julia Zarankin was a graduate student in Comparative Literature at Princeton and I met her when I was the manager of the Slavic Department. With her background as a Russian-Canadian and a dissertation advisor in Slavic, she was often in my office and I got to know her as a very gentle, incredibly sweet being – always with a smile even during her most high-stressed moments. Her father, noted pianist, Boris Zarankin, came to perform Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata (partnered with a violinist - the wife of Julia's advisor) on campus, performed after a short reading of Tolstoy’s The Kreutzer Sonata by distinguished Tolstoy scholar (and my then boss), Caryl Emerson. A very impressive performance and we had expected a handful of attendees and instead had to resort to standing room only for some.

When I left Princeton to move to Italy, Julia gave me a cookbook, Bologna Mia (by Loretta Paganini), as a parting gift and this book has been an invaluable source of not only wonderful recipes, but tips on where to buy ingredients in the food markets of this city, and I often (in cooler weather) make the following white ragu recipe for guests. Even the hard-core Italian palates are impressed with it.

Thanks, Julia, for this gift and also for the recording of your father’s music. I think of you often and look forward to a visit from you one day!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kreutzer_Sonata
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Sonata_No._9_(Beethoven)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mixnMzHUYxA (beautiful to listen to, though a dated version - without those mentioned above)

Bolognese White Ragu – Christine’s slightly altered version
Make this when you have a few hours to spend in the kitchen and want the house to smell like an Italian kitchen. Friends Marsha and Tom have been waiting for this one.

For 8 people as a primo, 4 -6 as main course
Ingredients are not exact - use slightly more or less of anything

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (I chop each of these separately in the food processor).

I.5 pounds of ground pork
1 - ½ - ¾ “ hefty slab of prosciutto, finely chopped by hand (you can request this at the meats department at Wegman’s and they may put it through the grinder for you)

½ bottle of dry white wine (sip the other half)
3 cups of chicken stock
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 (or slightly less to use to heat up leftovers) pint of heavy whipping cream
2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1.5 teaspoon coarse or sea salt, or sale grosso
½ teaspoon ground white pepper

In large stockpot, cook the carrot, onion and celery together in the olive oil until the onion is transparent. Add the pork and prosciutto until brown. Add the wine, reduce the heat and simmer until wine evaporates – up to one hour – stirring regularly. Do the same with the stock. When the meat has become heavy on the spoon during stirring, add the tomato paste and cream, season with salt and pepper. On the lowest heat possible, stir occasionally for at least 45 minutes to keep meat from sticking.

Serve with fresh garganelli pasta (go to the fresh pasta section of the supermarket- buy enough to feed up to 8 as a primo, or 4-6 as the main course). Boil the pasta in heavily salted water and mix with ragu in a bowl before serving. The author recommends boiling the pasta with asparagus tips but I haven’t tried that yet, and the flavors are enough and should be enjoyed as is.

Note – Americans tend to drown their pasta in sauce. In Italy, they know to coat the pasta in the sauce and make a greater effort to blend the two together. A tiny bit of sauce can go a long way.

Another note – the red Ragu Bolognese sauce still maintains great consistency and flavor when frozen. If you have leftover white ragu sauce – I recommend that you eat it in the following day or two and add additional cream when heating to restore the consistency. Because of the cream, it does not freeze well.

Buon appetito!

Italian Autumn 2009

2009-10-19T17:20:00.006+02:00

Our region of Italy, Emilia Romagna, had the loveliest fall weather - it had been very warm until last week when the temps finally dipped into the 40s at night, though it is still sunny and high 50s in the daytime. Here are some photos of the season - the chestnut festivals are in Scascoli (the first 8 photos, where they also hold a American style western riding competition and where we hope to be living this time next year) and a neighboring town which is so small they roasted the chestnuts in a parking lot. The night photo is an aperitivo on a friend's property that overlooks Bologna. Ray is ready for Halloween... oh, and oranges are in season.

2009-10-09T21:54:00.004+02:00

Blogging has become so popular - here are a couple from Andrea's students. I asked Sky if she would make our audition tape for Househunters International as they have been emailing me frequently asking for one. They must have a shortage of Americans abroad who are buying real estate. With the dollar at €1.47, I can understand why.

http://www.skydylanrobbins.com/skydylanrobbins/unAMERICANAinITALIA_./unAMERICANAinITALIA_..html

http://www.mariasengenberger.blogspot.com/

If you can believe it, we still haven't made an offer on the old farmhouse. We plan to do so just after the weekend. I am having to drag Andrea through the mud to do this. Thank God he wasn't stuck in this way before our wedding. He just needs to come around, which seems to take longer the older HE gets. (Or maybe I am losing my powers of persuasion as I get older. That makes sense, hagnag that I am.)

Fall still hasn't come to Bologna. Sleveless tops and sandals are still the rage. Hitting the chestnut festival in our (hopefully) new hometown this Sunday. Missing the colors of the NE corridor.

Nobel Prize Chemistry

2009-10-06T21:33:00.005+02:00

Good luck, Uncle Koji. May this be your year. The Nobel announcement comes this week. (...a famous and talented magician....ummm, I remember a show at a Thanksgiving dinner in Ringoes a lifetime ago...)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koji_Nakanishi

http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/remarkable_columbians/koji_nakanishi.html

Follow up: maybe next year. :-

We're outta here - good bye Bologna

2009-10-03T09:16:00.010+02:00

We accepted an offer for our apartment last evening. We are very happy! We had spent the afternoon at the house in Scascoli (my flavor of the month) and then after receiving the offer took a drive out there to see the property in the full-moon light. This is the house I really want and it is a 30 minute drive to Bologna and so would not be a drastic change of life for us (the little white door you see above the light fixture is where a small statue of the Madonna is supposed to sit - we will have to go to a convent shop to buy one).

I hope we can make an offer on Monday that is acceptable as real estate in Italy is quite different than in the US. First, if you are looking to buy a house, you have to contact the listing agent as there is no such thing as multiple listings. So you meet a lot of agents and some are good, some are great and some are a disaster. As a seller, you only have one agent that shows your house, and we used a professional gentleman that we bought and sold from twice before. But now we have to deal with someone new for the place we want. The hitch is, you can set the closing date any time and waiting 12 months for one is quite common. So our buyer wants up to a year to close on our place. Now we just have to get the seller of the house we want to agree to that, with the hope that it comes much sooner. But we know he wants to buy a new place and will be less than happy with such an agreement.

So the flavor this month is an old farm house with an attached barn that has been converted into a loft space. There is a nice old, part with small rooms and old, wavey brick floors, a guest room and three baths, all redone very nicely and even combining old ceiling beams with steel ones. The barn has been converted to a loft and dining area - a funky layout with a nice combination of old and new. The exterior still needs to be done and we would have to put in a terrace and plant the 2000 meter garden. The house is a bi-familiare and so attached in the back to another residence. We met those owners yesterday - a retired couple who use the house only for the summer. The village itself (and this is where Andrea hesitates) is small - perhaps 100 residents, and not even a coffee bar in sight. But the bread man comes with his wagon (er, van) every day so at least we know we can get some fresh rolls if we don't want to drive out of town for food. This Sunday is the chestnut festival that we attended exactly one year ago and posted on my blog - who'd have thought we would have come around to actually wanting to live in a place where we once went to for the quaint break in the countryside.

ok, too much time

2009-09-26T19:41:00.002+02:00

when I am surfing for ancient but great music. This one brought a chuckle. It is for you, Patty, and your "patient" Amanda (a man, duh).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUiso6MHvRw&feature=related

Lou Reed

2009-09-26T19:24:00.000+02:00

and NYC = perfect together

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4pppHD7HNQ

2009-09-26T08:52:00.014+02:00

The days are getting short though the weather has been holding out with mild temps in the 70s and lots of sunshine (hence the haircut by good friend Ermanno). We have been looking at several houses for sale in the hills outside of Bologna. We are still hashing over the desire for more space vs. the commute into Bologna. Coming in by car is a nightmare as it takes as long to get through Bologna as it does arriving from 50 kilometers away, though the greenery of the hills has a LOT of appeal. The big question now is Ray's education as Bologna is one of the more diverse and sophisticated cities as far as education goes (after all, it does host the oldest university in the world), and to move him to a very small school in the provincia could be a dramatic step back in time. Part of me feels that as long as he gets to the US regularly and his mother takes him to cultural events and the theater (which would be more for me I suppose) in the city, and I keep a close friendship with my best friends (from Barcelona, London, DC and S. Africa) who all have kids, he won't grow blinders and will be just fine. Here are some photos of a recent lunch outing we all went on in the hills of Bologna, a trattoria that was once a monastary. Ray and his "cousins".

I rejoined the board of the International Women's Forum after a two year hiatus. We held our first welcome back aperitivo of the new year this week. The number of English speaking women in Bologna has increased tremendously - the group had 40 members when I joined back in 2004 - now it has 150 with a lot of lurkers who haven't joined yet. The italians make up perhaps 30% and there are members from about 15 different countries.

My job is going really well this year. This class of kids are really great and we have a lot of fun. We are studying celebrations and here, Miriam, the art teacher (originally from England), had Mendhi patterns painted on their hands for the Hindu holiday, Diwali - the festival of lights.

Today Andrea is in Urbino with his students, so I took Ray for a picnic in the hills with Philippa and her girls along with Agnes, Philippa's dear friend from London who is visiting this weekend. A real hoot - Agnes - who is an attorney and has lots of colorful stories to tell of men and single-hoodom. Three bottles of vino bianco between us kept the topic flowing.

2009-09-20T18:13:00.003+02:00

Here is Andrea's syllabus for his course that starts in two weeks. If anyone wants to audit it, I am sure he wouldn't mind. And you can stay with us for the ten weeks. But note that it is all in Italian! And most of the films are pretty heavy since it does cover Italian history after WWII.

THE CINEMA OF THE ITALIAN ECONOMIC MIRACLE
BCSP – Fall 2009

DESCRIPTION: This course aims to offer a broad view of the Italian cinema in its historical passage from the widely recognized Neo-realist foundations to the great divide of the revolutionary sixties, which we see as the culmination of its golden age. The modernization of Italian society, the building up of the urban space over the agricultural tradition, and the problem of Italian identity as reflected in the cinema of the sixties will be among the main points discussed in the course.

All the films we will study, with a variety of styles and ideological underpinnings, explore crucial moments in the history of modern Italian society. By interpreting that history from different standpoints, the directors/authors represent encounters between cultures and religions, social classes, and the sexes. These films lend themselves to enriching discussions on film aesthetics, the development of Italian cinema, and notions of national identity and ethnicity, gender roles, and the class struggle.
INSTRUCTOR: Andrea Ricci is Adjunct Assistant Professor of Italian at Indiana University and Resident Director of the Bologna Consortial Studies Program in Bologna. His research interests are focused on several aspects of the Italian Cinema and Literature of the XX century. He has published several articles especially on genres like the Italian poliziesco, the police procedural novel, and the noir film. His most recent interests are centered upon the problem of the Italian identity as represented through film.

METHOD OF PRESENTATION: Classroom lectures and group discussions.
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: Italian
REQUIRED WORK AND FORM OF ASSESSMENT: Participation (20%), mid-term exam (30%), oral exam (30%), class assignments (20%)

CONTENTS:
• Introduction to the course. Italian History at the end of the Fascist period. Italo Calvino’s introduction to his "Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno" (1964)
• Neo-realism: a point of re-birth. The three directors: Rossellini, De Sica, Visconti.Roberto Rossellini: Roma città aperta (1945)
• Neo-realism according to André Bazin vs. Cesare Zavattini.
• The great divide and the fake reconciliation between two opposite concepts of Italy as a unified country. The "catholic-communism" Guareschi, censorship, and the "Neorealismo rosa." Julien Duvivier: Don Camillo (1952)
BCSP 1
• The Italian provinces - the dreams of a group of young men: escape or integration? Federico Fellini: I Vitelloni (1953)
• Moraldo goes to town. Neo-realism betrayed?
• A new genre: Comedy Italian Style. The regional identities. The first signs of the Italian industrial revolution. Mario Monicelli: I soliti ignoti (1958)
• Getting ready for the Economic Miracle. Religion, morals, politics, culture.
• Italian history in the life of an ordinary Italian: the case of Alberto Sordi. The "Boom". Dino Risi: Una vita difficile (1961)
• Politics and History of the Economic Miracle. Social and cultural changes. The industrialization of family ties. The economic Boom in the north, in the south and in central Italy. The "film-inchiesta".
• The change from a country of peasants to a country of employees. Society in fast and constant change. Ermanno Olmi and the pseudo-documentary feature film. Ermanno Olmi: Il Posto (1961)
• Olmi’s style. Signs and cinema. The boom in the north. Calvino’s "La speculazione edilizia". What is "La dolce vita"? Structuralism and new theories. The great international success. The turning point in cinema and society. The country is changing, its cinema is changing. Italy is no longer the same. Art film vs. neo-realist film. Federico Fellini: La dolce vita (1960)
• The group ’63. Roland Barthes’ structuralist theory. Fellini and Antonioni: two ways to intend cinema and art. Instinct vs. intellectualism. Painting vs. geometry. Michelangelo Antonioni: L’Avventura (1959)
• More about the the bittersweet mix of the Comedy Italian Style. The Italian stereotypes. The problem of national identity. Pietro Germi: Divorzio all’italiana (1962)
• The episodic film: the representation of women. Dino Risi: I mostri (1962) and Federico Fellini: Le tentazioni del Dottor Antonio (1963)
• A voice in the desert. Pier Paolo Pasolini: a non-traditional personality. Hopelessness and death in the rural communities of Rome. Pasolini’s theories of cinema.
• How to negotiate between religion and Marxism: unresolved conflict. Right and Left in Italy. Pier Paolo Pasolini: Mamma Roma (1962)
• Identity and comedy. Broken dreams. The separation of classes creates the basis of conflict. The s-boom. Dino Risi: Il sorpasso (1963)

General rules:
The course is based on the instructor’s lectures on films and on historical periods that will be gradually examined, but the participation of students to discussion is required. At every meeting, readings or homework will be assigned and every week the instructor will start the class with questions about such readings or the vision of films. Students’ ability in answering these questions will be taken into consideration in the count of the final grade.

Dolce Vito - Dream Restaurant

2009-09-18T16:22:00.004+02:00

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article6740182.ece

So I am told that Andrea and I appeared on British TV last night on channel 4. We were actually on a reality show, "Dolce Vito - Dream Restaurant" - albeit for us it was more for the free meal than for tv exposure when we went there in the early summer. Vito Cattafo opened an English restaurant in Bologna and the pre-opening opening for dinner was for about 100 guests. The tv crew was there and interviewed Andrea (as an Italian eating English grub) and apparently his clip made it in for a few seconds. I can't say that we would go there for dinner any time soon as Italian food is so much more interesting (to put it nicely), but it was fun to watch Vito make the rounds and at the end of the evening propose to his girlfriend 4 times before she reluctantly agreed to be his bride. If anyone sees this on satellite tv, let me know!

On another reality front, if we sell our apartment and make an offer on the house in the country, House Hunters International expressed interest on coming over to film our "experience" for their show in the US. I better keep dieting.

On Wednesday I attended a Woolrich store opening in Bologna where the crowd of a couple of hundred people spilled out into the sidewalk and devoured the sushi and Bellinies (champagne and peach juice - yum). We met Beppe Grillo, an Italian comedian and activist but Andrea thinks that this is an imposter in the photo taken with Beppe and my two American friends, Kathryn and Elizabeth. (http://www.beppegrillo.it/en/tour.php) He also thinks I am going to miss all these social opportunities if we move out to Praticello, but I beg to differ.

Modigliana

2009-09-14T21:28:00.005+02:00

Giuseppe is a gentleman whom we met when we looked into the little stone ruin on the mountaintop of Santa Maria in Castello. He works with the church administrators as the geometra who overlooks their properties. He has taken us to see a half a dozen or so different properties after we found out the ruin had been sold, and has invited us into his home to introduce us to his wife and children. Our relationship has developed into a friendship, so I will be sorry if we don't hire him to restore a church ruin, but you never know.

He invited this past weekend to visit again his hometown of Modigliana, a sleepy little village in the Apennine mountains near the border of Tuscany, where a lovely little festival was held with the theme of recreating paintings of the 1800s using live people and with half the town dressing in costume and performing period music (including Giuseppe who had to grow facial hair for his role). It was wonderful and is held every year (so come and visit this time next year if this appeals to you) - here is a sampling - they really did a great job. Next year I want to sew a costume and wear it to the event, though I will make an odd addition to the cast of local characters. Also added is a photo of the local area of the house-of-the-month.

Apartment for Sale in Bologna

2009-09-11T18:04:00.010+02:00

It is official. We signed the contract yesterday and if all goes well, we will sell this sunny place and by next summer I will be complaining of all the yard work I have to do.

Here are some photos of Bologna; the end of a race in the main piazza, a wedding, a photo of Andrea and Ray at the news stand, and another I took last night from the window of an American friend. The two leaning towers of Bologna are its most famous landmarks. Keiko climbed to the top of the taller one by herself one year, and I did it with Pico and Jeremy a couple of years ago. It has the most beautiful views.

I wonder if I will miss Bologna should we move into the provincia.

First Day of School

2009-09-11T17:23:00.005+02:00

Ray had his first day of school on Monday, and we faced the horrendous inserimento process where we have to stay with him initially, then leave for shorts bursts of time over the period of two weeks. The Italian law says that employers must give time off to parents for this, though the employees do have to use comp or vacation time. Being that I work at a school, it is difficult to ask for time off at the most critical period of our new year. But they did their best to help me out.

Luckily, on Monday, I had the day off and took Ray in on the Vespa at 9.30. After 15 minutes of lingering around the classroom and being totally ignored by Ray, I asked the teachers if I could leave. They told me to return in 45 minutes and took my cell number. When I returned (after a lovely caffe americano e pasti di mela at my favorite local bar), I was told to take Ray home. The next day, since they understood Ray was so tranquillo, I was allowed to leave him until 2.30, then the rest of the week full days until 4.15.

Ray loves this school and is so happy to go. The playground is less beautiful than his old school, but more contained so he is free to run to his heart's content. It is so lovely to watch him grow and mature. An absolute tesoro.

Thinking of America on this date.

2009-08-26T18:56:00.021+02:00

Gosh, how do I even begin to describe seven weeks in the US after a 3+ year absence except that I returned to Italy revived by familial nurturing and the love of old friends. Ray and I had spent one week in Manhattan, then off to Bordentown for a bit before spending the next three weeks in scenic Montana. Ten days back in New Jersey prepared us for the heat and humidity we returned to in Bologna. We didn't have much time here before Andrea's students arrived last week, and I returned to work at the International School.

I can post photos which would best describe the time we had, though I have to admit that Facebook became a main source of communication in the US though I haven't spent much time on there from here. So if you haven't already seen some photos on my facepage, here is a sampling:

It was nice to be have dinner and stay over night in the lovely, rustic home of Marsha and Greg in Lebanon (except for the french wine, their counter top could be anywhere in Italy!) and also have dinner with good friends hosted by Susan in Princeton (above). Ray enjoyed the American food and I indulged myself the first week then went healthy the last six, though the 15 pounds I lost are slowly creeping back.

While I was away, Andrea served as translator for American poet Jack Hirschman, who came to Lugo to present his book. An old social activist, he wasn't on the good side of any anti-communists here, but the evening pulled through pretty well. (Their expressions are puzzling, eh?)

In the meanwhile, Ray really misses the 14 hours a day of the grass of suburbia and the trees of Montana, so we are back again at looking at homes outside of Bologna. Here is my latest flavor of the month in real estate - we may put our apartment up for sale soon. We will decide in the coming days.

Thank you thank you thank you for all the attention - the time you spent on making my visit special: the tube of my new, favorite lipstick on the bedside table, the Ipod Touch, the meals, the diners and American coffee, rehashing of memories, the crabcakes and wine, the campfires and American breakfasts. For playing with Ray and for meeting me in New York. Buying me the big, fat sequel written in English and Pop Tarts, the rides to and from airports and everywhere else, the surprise photo album stashed into my carry-on and a grand dose of American music. For not asking me to "say something in Italian." The drive through the mountains of Montana and the mountains of love and the great big good-bye hugs. You can't begin to know how much it all means to me.

Marche Weekend

2009-06-22T19:48:00.010+02:00

We were invited to the Hoddell's house in the Marche for the weekend. It was very nice to spend a chunk of time with my closest friends here - Philippa, Harriet and Sogand (I got a lot of tea and sympathy about the ruin, as well as prosecco and a negroni). It was a mix of rain and plain, old overcast sky, but the sun finally broke out on Sunday afternoon. We had left just after lunch so we didn't get to swim, but I heard the pool was pretty warm. We did spend the time learning backgammon and foosball, and Ray got to hang out with his "Italian cousins" - well, as close as they all can get to having some!

We took the long way home and passed "the Rock" of San Leo - a castle built on a stone hilltop. It is much more impressiveto see in person.

I hope I can post again before Ray and I leave for the US next week. It seemed so distant but these recent weeks have gone by much too fast. Still, I am so psyched to see everyone....

Spilt Beans

2009-06-19T22:34:00.008+02:00

Well, the beans got spilled in the comments. I was going to wait until I felt better to post that the ruin, when we called to begin the offer process, had been sold one month before to someone else. We had just spent a half a day on the property with a picnic and the blueprints (and later wading in a nearby river), so you can imagine my disappointment (then multiply it by 1000). I'll get over it, but it will take a while.

Here is a photo of Ray and Andea playing on the church property - hummmm, didn't I mention once that was going up for sale in the future...?

June in the Middle

2009-06-12T21:04:00.008+02:00

I realized today that I have been writing on this blog just over a year. In many ways, it feels almost ridiculous to throw out in cyberspace such mundane information about one's life. On the other hand, it has kept family and friends up to date and saves a lot of "touching base" even to just make certain I am still alive and well. So if you can put up with me, I will continue to write and you have no obligation to read (when Paula and Susan stop posting comments, I know it is time to drop the curtain).

Ray continues to be Spiderman (can you spot him at this recent birthday party?), Andrea is in Rome at the moment attending a conference, and I am winding down the school year at the International School. Andrea and I have been toying with the idea of really buying the ruin, and I am really hoping we will move forward on it before I leave for the US. Mortgage rates are historically low now and there doesn't seem to be a good reason not to go for it. I think I want it badly enough for both of us at this point, and had the nerve to finally show Andrea all my sketches of the floor plan including furniture (and even sink taps) as well as the garden layout. Imagining having this place has helped me cope with living in a small space in Bologna where I can't invite those closest to me to stay, and this house will give me that option. In addition, I will get a lot of exercise working in the terra surrounding it, and hopefully get rid of my new flabby, flapping upper arms. But again, we shall have to see. (Are you sick of this topic?)

My US trip is coming up quickly. Can't wait to see everyone. A visit to the city, the Hooks and others are lined up. Can we swing a PU reunion on the 10th, Suziq?

Pietro Frassica came to Bologna from Princeton to attend a conference in Italian studies, and we stopped at his hotel to see him. He was Andrea's best man at our wedding, and he is doing very well. You can tell that Ray had just received a gift from him.

2009-06-06T06:08:00.018+02:00

Ray's 4th birthday came and went with just a small celebration with Nonna and a spiderman cake. He is growing up so fast and it is so fun to watch him dress himself, brush his teeth, etc. and in addition, anything I do (such as unlocking our front gate) that he intended to do has to be repeated so that he can do it (whew, makes for tedious days sometimes but pazienza).

We went back to the agriturismo to celebrate our 6th anniversary on May 24th. It was just as lovely as it was two weeks earlier. Franco, the owner, though covered in green grass as he was weed wacking when we got there, took us off immediately in his serious off-road Range Rover to show us around his property and then to two abandoned housese that are for sale. This pink one is enormous and has ten acres for €100k (or $142k). Franco has 40 acres of mixed woodland and fields and the week before had taken on two mares and their foals for boarding. We went to visit the Dream House and then hiked down to an abandoned house which is the one that initially got us exploring that area. This particular ruin (the first photo) is on the hillside in a stunning position and is more beautiful than I expected. But it needs not only major work (there are huge gaps in the roof) but the driveway is a half mile long and no doubt it needs electric run to it. Anyway....enough about the abandoned farms of Italy...

Ray had his little school celebration among a slew of birthday parties to attend. Here he is with his best friends Davide and Francesco. We have been out a lot as well - here are some photos of recent events, including a lovely crescentina with prosciutto eaten at a recent festival and one of Giro Italia - the Italian bike race that Lance Armstrong participated in for the first time. Here is a photo I caught of the head group - the second and main group were more than two minutes behind. we stopped in a small town where there were about 20 people waiting for the race to go by. I don't know why but one can't help but shout out when they fly by!

I am gearing up to begin packing for our long summer in the US. Mom and Keiko will pick Ray and I up on at JFK and we will stay in Manhattan until the 4th of July when we head to Bordentown. The I will shuffle between there and NYC until Ray, Mom and I depart for Montana on the 16th. Can't wait to see everyone and head over to Princeton for some of the old haunts.

Marsha and Greg

2009-05-14T17:47:00.015+02:00

Marsha and Greg, friends from NJ, came to visit us for five days. Marsha and I both worked at PrincetonU and we socialized regularly, but I hadn't seen them for several years so it was a treat to spend so much time together. Marsha and I celebrated our birthdays - hers in Bologna (we are pictured here having an aperitivo) and mine two days later at a gorgeous agriturismo near the Dreamhouse (www.marzanella.it/ - we are going there this again this weekend to celebrate our 6th). We also went to stay at the Hoddell's house in Borgo Pace for one night. Though the Marche region is really beautiful, Greg was very nice to say that the place we discovered (where the Dreamhouse is) was spectacular. Here we are on the trail that runs on the property.

Ray found a new playmate in Greg, and here he is in his best spiderman pose and Greg as "that other guy" wearing his best swordsman face.

We were able to meet with James and Philippa and their three girls for a picnic in the Bologna hills. The kids had fun running around, but poor Cressida fell and scraped the side of her face.

It has been a long time since I had visitors from home. I really appreciate their coming to see me. Please come back soon. xo

They don't even come close to Hunterdon County...

2009-05-08T00:15:00.003+02:00

One of the most beautiful counties of NJ. The fox hunts - the master of the hounds blowing the brass in his red jacket, the dogs and the riders on horseback - coming around the corner of a trail to see this pass by was extraordinary (though I admit I could never support the lynching of a live fox...).

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/travel/escapes/08njhike.html?hpw

I found this article in this week's NYT:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/12/08/travel/escapes/08adventurer.html?pagewanted=1

He got in!

2009-05-05T13:43:00.004+02:00

I am thrilled to find out on-line (just a few minutes ago) that Ray's application has been accepted for a school transfer. Last year he was not admitted to the Montessori school across the road from us, but they have accepted him this year. This not only means we can now walk him to school, but that he will be in class with some of his friends and learning through the Montessori method. I think this will suit his personality much better and he will be more enthusiastic. I am really happy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montessori

April showers - basta!

2009-04-27T06:24:00.008+02:00

I promise to post the Vienna photos this week. Andrea downloaded them on an external drive so I have to get around to connecting it to my computer to access them. I am also having problems downloading in general - the site, I think, so here are the only three that were able to come through. Will try again this afternoon.

This past Saturday, it was so beautiful out that we went on a hillside picnic. Fortunately, as we lack a garden (or yard, as they say in NJ), Bologna provides a lot of open green space in the hills surrounding the southern part of the city. We live on the first hill outside the center, so it takes only about 5 minutes in the car to reach some lovely, public yet private areas where we can spread a blanket and have some spectacular views.

(I am glad Andrea is not looking at me with that queer look on his face.)

We also have the little field at the end of our street where I took Ray last week, but the farmer was there that day (he actually lives on our street and is probably a retired lawyer or something who works this piece of land for fun) and told me that what we were told when we moved here - that he welcomed locals to use his hillside- was far from true. If it wasn't for the legal responsibilities he held, he wouldn't mind but he has this big, fat, sweet dalmation that he lets run around and a dog is a dog, however you want to put it, and kids can be annoying to even the sweetest of them.

2009-04-20T13:18:00.004+02:00

A good friend, Kathryn Purdy, came for a surprise visit to see the old gang last week. We were all together for a kid birthday party when she walked into the room. She was in Bologna for a few years but now lives in California, so we were really shocked to see her. Kathryn does some interesting work - I keep trying to uncover her secrets for the weight loss program, but she laughs at me. Here is her website, and, as you can see, Ray acting a little flirty around her. http://www.katherinepurdy.com/

Kathryn has two daughters - their father is Chinese American and when we used to go out and around Bologna, people thought I was the girls' mother and Kathryn was Ray's mother (one daughter in particular really was a mini-me). When Kathryn was out with her girls alone, people asked her if she was their nanny. When I was out alone with Ray, I was asked if I was his nanny - we just couldn't win.

Vienna

2009-04-13T18:40:00.001+02:00

We are just back from 6 days in Vienna - an amazing city. I will write about it and post a lot of photos as soon as possible.

Earthquake in Abruzzo Region

2009-04-06T21:06:00.008+02:00

April 6, 2009
This Warden Message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens to the earthquake in central Italy on April 6, 2009.
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in central Italy at 3:32 a.m. local time (1:32 a.m. GMT) on April 6, 2009. The epicenter of the earthquake was 60 miles northeast of Rome in the region of Abruzzo. Damage from the earthquake is concentrated around the city of L'Aquila, the capital of the Abruzzo region, as well as other small towns near L’Aquila in Abruzzo.
According to media reports, the earthquake has disrupted electricity, phone service, and other utilities. Widespread damage to buildings is reported in and around L’Aquila. Italian civil protection authorities have requested that people avoid traveling to the L’Aquila area. Americans should strongly consider deferring any travel plans to the area affected by the earthquake. Americans traveling in Italy should also consider contacting family in the U.S. to let family members know they are unharmed. U.S. citizens traveling to or through Italy are encouraged to follow post-earthquake developments in the media.

The footage in t.v. is just awful. Somehow, that this is the week leading into Easter makes it all the more devastating. Having visited so many medieval hilltop towns in Italy, I visualize the ancient piazzas full of old men leaning on their canes and chatting - the women hovering near their doorways, often knitting or snapping the ends off green beans as they gossip. That this hit when they were all sleeping in their beds seems like a curse or a blessing. Watching one of those old men being interviewed this morning while waiting to be reunited with his son, then filmed walking aimlessly and crying later in the afternoon coverage when the reunion still hadn't happened was heartbreaking. I don't know how a town begins to recover.

Apparently, there was an earlier quake 35 miles south of Bologna late last evening, but I didn't feel it.
Update: Andrea's mom felt the earthquake in Lugo and she said that her hanging light fixture was swaying quite a bit. Maybe it was those two beers that stole that experience from me. ha.

Ensure

2009-04-05T23:00:00.001+02:00

God, how I remember those cans of Ensure from 20 years ago...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/fashion/05love.html?pagewanted=1&em

Dog loving and goings on

2009-04-04T08:22:00.006+02:00

I haven't had a dog now for almost 6 years - after a lifetime of no less than two dogs at any one time. I hope that one day we will be in a home where I can manage one (or two).

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/life-lessons-from-the-family-dog/?em

Andrea returns home on Monday after almost two weeks in the US. He has been a shopaholic - picking up odds and ends (q-tips, vanilla extract, bisquick, shampoos, Spiderman books in English) that are not available here. Fortunately, he took a soft suitcase inside his larger one and can stuff it since the international flights allow two bags. Two years ago the US postal service eliminated freight shipping and everything has to mailed first-class, so the care packages from family have dropped off as the shipping often costs more than the contents.

It has been tough getting Ray to school in the mornings so that I can be at work by 8:30. Especially since it rained (pouring, torrential, non-stopping) for nine days in a row. But I have to admit it was nice to hog all of his attention and needs to myself.

We pick up the Honda on Tuesday and then take off for Vienna through Easter. Unfortunately, Andrea's mother who has had her house for sale this past year just got an offer that has to be considered and she is talking about buying a small apartment in Bologna. Fortunately, we will have a lot of time to talk on our seven hour road trip to Austria. Her living nearby would be nice for Ray and she isn't the typical Italian mother-in-law. She is pretty hands-off but in any case, the obligations become greater. At the moment, she lives an hour away and we see her maybe twice a month.

Happy Easter to all: I hope the spring offers you a light heart and warm sunshine.

Art of Aperitivo

2009-03-25T06:34:00.002+01:00

Here is an article that explains the aperitivo a bit more. The negroni mentioned is one of my favorite drinks. You can only have one though, if you plan to go out to dinner after...

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/18/in-milan-the-best-meal-deal-in-italy/?em

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-19T16:59:00.020+01:00

Bologna is just beautiful these days. We have had day after day of sunshine and temps in the 60s. No one is wearing a coat any longer and I see some neighbors trying to catch their first tan lines of the season (the serious tanners stay brown all year with weekly visits to the salon. Andrea has one under his office and it is busybusybusy.). If I didn't mention it before, most Italians love their tans and it is a big deal here. It depicts good health....I think, until one turns 50 and looks 65. I take Ray's bike to the park when I pick him up from school, and he can ride around for an hour or so before coming home. Here are some pictures of Giardini Margherita where his school is. In the first photo, his school is the dark brown, low building on the right.

Last Friday I had my English co-workers over for an aperitivo which was fun. Ray had two new playmates to share toys with. Dillon is English/Italian and 2, while Ruby is English and one week older than Ray. The adults had a good time tasting some wines while analyzing the recent Manchester game, and admittedly are not as well versed in vino as their Italian counterparts so when Martin started drinking my cooking wine, I didn't try too hard to stop him. I may have them over again while Andrea is in the states, when I can partner the wine with some rice and curry (yum, you say? Beer might be better.).

The week before, James brought the three girls (here they are with Ray) over for dinner as Philippa had to go to London to see her ill mother. James was pretty desperate for something to do with the kids, so it was nice to have him here along with Krissy and Andrea. Krissy is an alumni of Andrea's program and now works for Furla. She promises to get me some sample bags for the new season at a discount. By the way, if you remember the JBrand deal I had, I did receive my JBrand jeans from LA. Pretty nice stuff, I must admit. Wearing them now.

Italians rely a lot on face-to-face communication. Andrea frequently has to go to an office to discuss something or make a transaction or just to learn of some news. When I ask why he can't do it over the phone or internet, he tries to explain how important it is to have a "personal relationship". This was evident when we bought the car. To the salesman, Andrea became "my friend the professor" to everyone who walked into the dealership and I became the "American wife". So it was no surprise that he was a little annoyed when he learned through the computer that we stopped in another dealership and as a result made things a little complicated by acting offended (and asking for more money). After understanding that we were more than willing to walk away from the deal, he couldn't get the car to us fast enough - the end of this month (originally we were to receive it in May). So we will have it in time for our trip to Vienna the week before Easter.

Here are some photos per Paula's request - Ray the painter, Ray as Spiderman and a recent sunrise. Andrea leaves for the US next week and I have my request in for a new camera so hopefully my pictures will be a little more sophisticated. The cost here is about double than in the US. Thanks to Ken for this Canon. As you can see, I have used it well these past five+ years.

email me

2009-03-08T19:47:00.004+01:00

Dear Family and Friends,
Once again, Andrea has installed a new email program for me and didn't carry over my address book. Please send me an email from your account, so I can add you to my contacts list.
Many thanks,
Chris
(The photo is just to add some interest. It is hard to believe Ray was ever so tiny.)

La Macchina

2009-03-08T14:45:00.007+01:00

Well we finally bought a new car yesterday, a Honda FRV which is not available in the US, probably due to the three front seats. It will hopefully serve us well as a family of three and we can roadtrip with our bikes in the back. A long overdue purchase though I will miss the old Audi. Andrea and I can't believe that we have a family car. A far cry from the Miata.

2009-03-07T06:54:00.023+01:00

It has been a hectic few weeks with lots of little events that have been keeping me really busy. The International School was closed for "ski week" (the Italians love their winter sports) so I spent a week at home and cutting Ray's school days a little shorter, and also going to tutor Michele a couple of times at his home. On that Friday, Ray and I went to Philippa's house in the Marche for a long weekend. I gave Philippa and her three girls a ride down and James joined us later that evening. Ray had a great time, as usual, with the three sisters. James and Philippa took us to visit an old guy who restores old furniture where the kids made friends with these little ponies. Needless to say, as digging through old furniture is one of my favorite things to do and I haven't been able to do much of it here in Italy, I was so happy to poke around the hundreds of pieces and found so many that I would like in a country house (note the dusty kitty pawprints on the table tops). James and Philippa bought a couple of pieces and she surprised me with a gift of one of those old copper cow bells that make a lovely donging noise. If you ever visit the north of Italy, the Dolomite mountains (or the Italian Alps as they are sometimes called), you can see a herd of white cows grazing and the bells on their necks make a beautiful choral sound, though I wonder if it ever makes them crazy as it can be quite loud.

Carnivale, a big holiday here where one indulges in every aspect before the periods of fasting during Lent, was celebrated and Ray dressed as his current favorite super hero. Entertaining at home was the norm this long winter, and we just held an aperitivo for 20 faculty to mingle with Andrea's boss who was here for a few days for a visit from Indiana University. I invited all my work-mates from school to come over this Friday for a wine-tasting. Very casual, of course, just a rush to see who can taste the most wines. ha.

Andrea is getting ready for his trip to the US in two weeks and we plan to take a road trip to Vienna when he returns as it will be Easter break here. I am now counting down the weeks to my visit to the US - and am making a list of must-buy items. I know that winter hit once again in the northeast US, but here the birds are singing and the buds are bursting. Spring in Italy, anyone?

State of Mind

2009-02-16T12:31:00.012+01:00

Well, so I am being pestered by a sister or two on an update of the "ruin", or "paradiso" depending on your outlook to life. We were back on track this last month with the thought of trying to buy this little stone house. Unfortunately, however, Andrea sees the ruin and I see the paradise and we can't get on the same page. I am going to step back from my obsession and let the house go at this time. We can buy it, I think, at a price we can cover, but the work to be done is so extensive and expensive that for Andrea it is a burden. For me, it is another reason to keep me tied to a life in a country that sometimes can feel as though it is just too challenging, and to develop deeper, more substantial roots here in Italy. I also love the prospect of planning the projects, the work and sweat - of transforming it into a home and a place of nature, beauty, serenity (not to mention being able to host a slew of family and friends), even if it does take the next couple of decades. And it would be a good opportunity for me to practice speaking in Italian.

But the reality is our car is breaking down and we are shopping for a more, environmentally friendly machine. Ray is really not happy at school and I am thinking of enrolling him at the International School where I work so there will be an additional monthly cost there (and they charge €8 a day for lunch no matter the age which equals $10.40 in USD. I know the lunches are hot and healthy but I can feed the three of us dinner on that. It reminded me of how we paid just 2 cents for milk when I was in elementary school in the 1960s in NJ.). Anyway, in the end, it would just make us less financially strapped and I can visit the US more often and we can plan a little more traveling. And just reading the headlines on the economy is enough to keep my spending emotion in check.

So unless I find a couple of more pigeons to do their business on my head, the crumbling stone house on the hilltop will just have to wait for me a bit more. I haven't given up completely on her, yet.

February Update

2009-02-15T07:32:00.033+01:00

We returned from Milan last night. I feel as though I haven't been out of Bologna in a long time, and so took the opportunity to accompany Andrea to a conference he had to attend on Saturday. We decided to go by car even though the new high speed train (which runs from Milan to Bologna in one hour as opposed to 2.5 driving hours) just opened this year. It was very nice to get away and Milan is very different from Bologna - much more modern, faster paced, more inhabitants and tourists, slicker.

I had been to Milan only once before - the year I arrived in Italy and at that time the Duomo was covered with scaffolding. Now, as you can see, the marble is brilliantly white and a sharp contrast to the dim, candle-smoke stained interior. It is stunning. After a trip there, Ray and I went to a park where they had some amusement rides, then took a run in the castle garden followed by a quick visit to the nearby acquarium. It was cold but sunny. At the end of the day, we went to a place I found on the internet - a tiny sushi bar and even tinier Japanese grocery store where I paid 13€ for a roll of futomaki (17$) which is completely insane but I have to say it was delicious and worth every cent.

The police making a fashion statement. Here Run is chasing pigeons at the castle.

Last weekend we had some BCSP alumni over for dinner. John, Beth and Krissy (and her boyfriend, Andrea) are all living in Italy - struck by its fever and unable to break away. John even worked as a shepherd in the south - herding sheep on horseback. It is nice to see them occassionally and know that they will be something like an extended family for me as at least two of them plan on a future here.

Boys Night

2009-02-06T07:23:00.014+01:00

We had some friends over for a Japanese dinner last weekend - Harriet and Rob with their three boys, Finn, Kei and Seth (from South Africa) and Bologna couple Elena and Franco with their son Giulio (the red head). Ray had a great time playing with them and slept for 12 hours the next night. He usually plays with Philippa and James' three girls, who dress him up and push him around their apartment in a stroller (with a small suitcase full of toys in his lap and holding a leash with one of the girls at the end playing a pink poodle), so it was nice for him to have a rough and tumble night with the boys.

Slow Foodies

2009-02-05T18:26:00.011+01:00

For all of you who appreciate food grown the slow, old fashioned way, the Slow Food Film Festival is heading again to Bologna. Marsha and Greg will be visiting then, but if anyone else is interested (Kenji?), it is a great introduction to this organization.

Grilled eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper on garlic-rubbed toasted bread slices - a Sicilian specialty

The Slow Food USA Blog
Travel to Bologna for Slow Food on Film
Slow Food on Film International Festival of Food and Film Bologna: May 6-10, 2009
Slow Food on Film is an international festival that matches passion for film with that for food, while also promoting a new critical awareness of food culture. The festival plays host to screenings of films, short films, documentaries and TV series that focus on food-related issues (drives, perversions, identity and emotional implications) in an original way, as well as on the agricultural and food industry’s repercussion on society and the environment, and on gastronomic memory as a common heritage to be safeguarded.

After the great success of the first edition in Bologna (2,000 daily spectators, 1,350 Slow snacks sold and 800 accredited journalists from 20 countries), Slow Food on Film will be back May 6-10, 2009.

Start booking your stay in Bologna and your food and film schedule at Slow Food On Film! Read more about the event, including how to buy tickets at http://www.slowfoodonfilm.com/

Winter Views

2009-01-26T07:16:00.014+01:00

We took a drive to...guess where. The house is still standing after all the snow of the winter. It was cloudy when we arrived, but as we drove away the sun broke out and I got some beautiful shots. The area is on the border of Tuscany so we can see the Tuscan hills on a clear day, which are still part of the Apennine range. We are closer to the decision to make an offer.

We saw another ruin along a road we explored. It is in a panoramic location and a very interesting building, and even though the roof has collapsed there is an outbuilding with some beautiful wood beams that are jointed without nails. There is a lot of potential if anyone is interested in taking on such a project.

We met a woman walking her dogs on the street. She asked us if we wanted this little puppy (ek! in a minute..) but she has been living in the area for ten years and complained how isolated she felt. A song to my ears.

We also discovered the Church of Saint Valentino at the end of a little-used road. We read on a board that the area holds a terrible history of bloodshed and violence of a battle taken place in 1943-44. The area is so peaceful and beautiful, it is hard to believe such a thing has happened but I suppose one could say that about almost every war zone at some point.

The Bowels of Winter

2009-01-24T06:16:00.024+01:00

The lowpoint of the winter was last week and a teacher at work said there had been a formal study and last Monday was cited as the most depressing day of the year - arriving shortly after the holidays have passed and before the next holiday (and spring) is here. I suppose that depends on one's geographics, but it certainly seems true for me and most everyone in dreary Bologna.

Ray fell off a ladder while Andrea and I were working on setting up the new program office, and here is his first beauty (it really started as a bump on the forehead and moved down to the eye the next day). Three days later, I sprained my ankle by missing a step on our landing. You can imagine how funny I looked as I had a box full of groceries in my hands and we all ended up sprawled all over the balcony then I had to crawl to the phone inside to call Andrea to come home, all the while trying to sound cheery so Ray wouldn't be more upset than he was ("Mommy, what happened? I am going to cry...", he was so frightened). I laugh now, but man, that hurt and it is still swollen ten days later. And don't ask me why I just didn't use my mobile phone and save myself the humiliation of crawling.

On the upside, all of the 36 new students arrived and we were able to pull off the pizza party at home without incident (my ankle didn't get me off the hook) and the new office looks great but will be better when they get the internet installed. Andrea has been doing all his advising from home so the students have to walk up the long hill to get here. I hope no one is complaining. Here Ray and I are at the restaurant, the students crammed into the apartment, and at the restaurant again in first photo of this post.

The local Americans organized a party at a jazz club to watch the Presidential Inauguration live last Tuesday at 6 pm our time, and with my bum ankle and Ray being fried from school, I opted instead to go to my (English) friend Philippa's house across the road to watch it with her (we don't have satellite at home). She was sweet enough to have a chilled bottle of French champagne waiting, and we really enjoyed celebrating. My friend Kathryn (pictured below) told me that at the club, after the event was over, everyone broke into the national anthem which must have been nice to witness. Yesterday at school, the 5th and 6th graders had to analyze Obama's speech and except for the word "less", every other word he used repeatedly was positive. I hope he is able to continue to pull the country together and up.

Ray had a late Christmas visit from Godmother Kathryn who brought him a surgical Shrek head (future doctor?). Yoshi came over for dinner a couple of nights ago laden with gifts. He returned to Bologna after spending Christmas with his family in Japan. He gave us a beautiful calendar and a framed ink print of his local landscape. He also gave us one of those beautiful Japanese fortunes, done in ink calligraphy and wrapped in a red paper ribbon that Ray ripped off, much to Yoshi's chagrin as it is now supposed to be bad luck. Agh, we will see. Discussions of the dream house have not been taken off the table and tossed into the trash...hummm.

Andrea is planning for his trip to the US at the end of March, beginning of April. If anyone is interested in visiting at that time, I would welcome the company. And only five more months before I touch down on American soil. Can' wait.

2009-01-09T14:50:00.019+01:00

It usually doesn't snow often or much in Bologna, but these past two weeks brought the most gorgeous snowfalls - big, lazy flakes swirling in the air before quickly piling up on the ground. It makes the hassle we suffered of having these large windows installed well worth it. The original terrace was partially walled in a couple of decades ago, and last year we changed all the little windows to the largest pieces of glass possible so they are about 6 feet tall and ten feet long and really bring the outdoors in. The view on the hills are especially beautiful, though today with the sunshine the white is quickly disappearing.

Not much has been going on these days. We had some of Andrea's friends over for dinner last week and I was surprised to realize just today that the language of the evening was in almost all Italian and I UNDERSTOOD most of it! ha. Finalmente. Here is a photo of them - the men are friends for 40 years now. Lucrezia is 11 and fell asleep on our sofa as the conversation wandered on until 2 am. They had a 1.5 hour drive home so I hope they made it okay. Oh, and they liked alot the beef mignons, which is taken from the white cows of Italy and even at a whooping $35 a pound was well worth it.

Poppy stayed with us for a few nights over the new year. Ray has become so comfortable with her which makes me very glad as I look forward to the day I will be able to have dogs back in my life again. I am back to work at school this week and the kids have really changed a lot in three weeks. Not only are they all a little taller, they are enthusiastic to get back to reading and writing and it is obvious they have been practicing. I really like this job and had a conversation of going on a permanent contract beginning in the fall which would be nice, though I could double my earnings if I ventured into the business world. But got to love the summers free, and a week off every 6. (The Italian job market is a huge topic to cover, and there are many complications and contracts - all very different from the American mentally of doing things. One day I will go into more details.)

Andrea's students arrive on Monday, 36 in all, and so next week will be hectic as we will attend a dinner out Tuesday night with them, then give them an introduction to the Italian aperitivo on Wednesday, then have them all come here for pizza on Friday evening. This place is feeling way too small! Oh dream house, come back to me...

Final Visit to the Dream House

2009-01-03T18:34:00.013+01:00

The Dream House will always remain in its state - a dream. We went to visit it with a geometra yesterday and there were no surprises in the condition of the house, but the news of the church next door going up for sale was a whopper - and I was really disappointed to hear about it. This would give us some very close neighbors, and depending on how a converted church would be used, could potentially lead to more traffic than we would like along with noise, people, foot traffic, etc. So the whole purpose of finding a hilltop home to get away from it all is mute in this property and I am truly sad. Here are some photos taken with the lovely snow - we have now seen the house in three seasons and it is heavenly. I hope one day someone will appreciate it and restore it back to some of its former beauty.

Carla Capucci

2008-12-29T16:59:00.012+01:00

I met Carla Capucci seven years ago, when Andrea's mother, Dina, came from Italy to visit us in New Jersey and we took her to see this friend whom she had not seen in 35 years, since Carla moved from Lugo to New York City. Carla is retired now and has been battling a series of serious health problems over the past years, but getting to know this spirited, generous, crankerous woman has been a real pleasure for me and I smile as I write about her.

This is Carla's story: When Carla was 11, it was Liberation Day, April 25, 1945, here in Italy and the American soldiers were marching through Lugo (which is very close to the Gothic Line, the last major line of defense held by the Germans in the Apennine Mountains at the end of WWII). Carla lived on via Mazzini and as the the soldiers marched down this main street of Lugo, her young, earnest face caught the eye of a young soldier and he approached her with a smile and a number of food items: coffee, tea, flour, bread, chocolates, etc., putting it all into her arms. Carla, shocked, turned and went into her house to deposit these items to her mother who suspiciously questioned her on how and why she received them. Carla, still in awe, explained the non-verbal exchange with the soldier and then exclaimed to her mother how she though America was the most wonderful country and one day she was going to move there.

Carla was in her 30s when, shortly after both her parents had passed away, she bought herself a ticket to New York City and once there, found a job as an accountant and eventually worked for many notable companies and personalities. After our visit to her with Andrea's mother, Carla regularly invited us to Manhattan, taking Andrea and I to the Broadway show of Phantom of the Opera, getting us backstage to meet the cast and then after the show, to an apartment of one of the actors where the leading actress joined in for tea and cookies. When my mother and Lee came to visit, she took us to a Turkish restaurant where she knew the owner and we were treated especially well. My niece Sophia and I caught up with Carla at a designers shop she was working in that day, and so on - it was obvious Carla knew a lot of people and they all loved her snappy (and snappish) personality.

Carla never married, never had a family of her own during her long life in America, but in the short time I have known her I feel as though I have found a kindred spirit (but perhaps this is wishful thinking on my part). This courageous woman serves as an Aunt who doesn't hesitate to tell me to how lucky I am in many ways, who reminds me that the glass is always half full, who always makes me feel she is thinking of me and consoles me when I suffer from the cultural differences while living here in Italy. I know I can call her anytime. Though Carla frequently contemplates returning to Italy to spend her final years, economics has not made this probability and so I look forward to seeing her this summer in New York.

Here are some of Carla's writings that she recently sent.

Viewpoint

For America, this limitless notion in which
in spite of human contradictions, everything smells
of "Promised Land", three things seem
to be sacred: Jobs, Family, and Business!

In America, this unequaled Country where,
on every street, Man is flanked by Good and Evil,
thus finding or losing himself it's his constant
choice, three things seem to be inviolable: Privacy, Freedom, and Law!

America, this young world rich
of superfluousness and solitude,
that still confuses arrogance with
freedom, lacks three things: Humbleness, Tolerance, and Wisdom!

Memories

From a far gone past
memories are calling me back.

Their muddled stillness
would poison my freedom.

I must ignore them,
and keep on walking
toward every new morning.

Perhaps, one winter evening,
from the cozy warmths
of a fireplace, my mind
will pay a visit to the ones
that did not fade away.

New York City

In the dark, millions of windows are
sparkling, and they are burning,
by day, playing with the sun.

A rigidy, quiet troop of gigantic rectangles
and cubes in concrete is standing
by the side of intertwinable roads.

The stylish, even if geometrical transparency
of the U.N. Palace is telling
Le Corbusier's secret dream: a rough but limpid world!

Then, after the magical forest of buildings;
the subway's dim and grime;
the Bohemien memories of Greenwich Village;
the party-colored crowd;
the omnipresence of gangs, drugs, and violence;
the harmonious elegance of the most high Empire State Building;
the homeless' human degradation;
the vibrant luminousity of Times Square;
there is the resting, greeen immensity of Central Park.

It's hell and heaven on Earth: it's New York City.

My Creed

If our small private worlds
would abolish their frontiers;

If our hands would stretch out,
the palms open, clean to feel
the warmth of others' hands;

If our eyes would gaze
into others without boredom,
then Babel's world would vanish
into the sun and the strengths
of Unity would smooth even
the thorns of sorrow.

The Family of Man

I wake up every morning
happy for I belong
to the Family of Man,
sad because I belong
to the Family of Man:
this indestructible
yet vulnerable race;
courageous
yet coward;
the sweetest
yet cruel;
rich of dreams
yet full of nothingness;
lover of Justice
yet unjust;
constantly searching for Truth
yet enslaved by hypocrisy
and, looking at my daily life,
I fall asleep, every night,
happy and sad together.

The Holidays

2008-12-27T08:57:00.013+01:00

One of the best things about becoming an "advanced-age" mother is that in my mellow state of mind (or rather, a tired state of brain), at the age of 47 I can truly relish the delights of a three year-old on Christmas morning. We left our little plate of cookies under the tree the evening before and lo and behold, in the morning there was a note to Ray from Santa and the cookies were gone. Ray claims to have heard Santa come in during the night, and even saw him in the living room bringing all the presents he promised and that Ray worked so hard for. Lunch consisted of an Italian mother-in-law eating American-style stuffed turkey and apple pie with vanilla ice cream. A visit with some relatives in Lugo capped the day of obligations, and the day after we just chilled out by staying home all day.

Andrea's birthday two days later passed uneventfully - one more step before the big 5-0. We will celebrate more with a dinner here tomorrow night with two of Andrea's friends from childhood and their wives. I bought some filet mignons to cook with mushrooms and scalloped potatoes - an American menu - since one of them owns a restaurant and I am too intimidated to cook Italian (though it is hard to go wrong with all the great ingredients here).

No plans for the New Year - just how I want it. Hope you all have a safe and happy one. May all your resolutions be reasonable.

Merry Christmas, Darling

2008-12-22T18:46:00.007+01:00

So it comes, and Ray is ready. I am done with the shopping, will hit the food markets tomorrow for the necessities for Christmas lunch, and in between help Andrea pack and unpack his office. He is moving the program to a larger space in a much more active part of town - off the main roads that leads from the train station to Piazza Maggiore on an old street called "via Malcontente" or "street of discontent" which may allude to it being very close to the old Jewish Ghetto (which goes back centuries - you can go on an underground tour of old Bologna and see the original canals (still with water), a Roman bridge and carved out stones where the knees of the washing women wore them smooth. It is odd to think that a city is so old that original parts of it are buried ten feet underground. But that is what happens when you keep adding on top of roads and buildings. There have also been attempts to build a subway system but there are so many Roman ruins around that it is impossible to excavate without destroying some, and so it hasn't happened yet.).

Anyway, I have recovered from a very active party we threw last Friday - in part to celebrate the beginning of an almost 3 week break for me. We wished a Very Merry to almost 30 friends and fortunately for me, Ray spent his first overnight with James and Philippa's three girls so I didn't have to worry about noise level or him blowing out all my candles. It was great fun and I hope this becomes a Ricci tradition.

Just a couple of photos to to post today - the one of Ray at top from the Thanksgiving dinner with the students. He really looks like my little ragazzo italiano, eh? And here we are at the Christmas party with the students, Ray's first "white-elephant" gift exchange experience. I am glad no one tried to wrestle his gift from him.

Wishing you the best for happy holidays.

December Updates

2008-12-12T21:38:00.003+01:00

Christmas is arriving so quickly - I put my tree up over Thanksgiving weekend only because Ray was so exicted to get into Santa's spirit and I was happy to oblige, but still with all my international friends taking off for the holidays in the next week, it feels like a real rush all of the sudden to get in a lot of celebrating. I invited about 40 of them to come toast with us on next Friday at what will be a very tight space here at home. Andrea is moving his office across town on the 29th, so we will spend the holidays preparing the new space by hanging curtains and then arranging furniture in time for the 40 new students arriving in January. School will be closed for two and a half weeks so Ray will get a lethal dose of mom and dad. And of course I can't close without saying I hope we can make Christmas mass at the church next to "the house".

I have learned that Italians don't go for the lights and decorations on their homes and this is something I miss. There are lots of lights over streets in Bologna, but nothing that compares to home. On one hand, it is nice not to feel pressured to decorate our meager exterior, though I do miss driving around to see the lavish decorations that the Americans love so much.

House Continued...

2008-12-09T18:27:00.022+01:00

So, with this posting, all three of my loyal readers will no longer be waiting in suspense for more news on the ruin (or, Il Paradiso is what I call it in my head, or, The (difficult) Second Child). I apologize for keeping you on the edge, ha. We have been to see the Deacon (I think he is) of the church of Faenza (a lovely town to visit when you come see me in Bologna - famous for ceramics) and he was very pleasant and happy to give me copies of photos and floorplans of the house and property. We went to see the house again as he told us to go ahead and break in so we climbed through the window and took some photos. I admit, afterwards, I was completely discouraged as I looked at it from a different prospective, and those huge cracks running on the interior and exterior walls really threw me for a rude awakening. But I got over that in a day or two and so we returned there again this past weekend and I fell in love with the surroundings, the views from the windows and even the rough beams in the ceilings all over again. So if we can rustle up enough cash, I hope we can make an offer after Christmas. Though we won't offer the "non-negotiable" price, I pray that in this economy they will look favorably on anything that comes almost close to it.

By the way, we ate lunch at the agriturismo down the street from the house that I wrote about before, http://www.marzanella.it/. I must say, the meats grilled at the outdoor smoke house were pretty fantastic, as was the bottle of house wine. We plan to stay there with the Hooks when they come to visit in May.

sign from pigeon

2008-11-26T23:58:00.004+01:00

So my funny sister sent me this photo with my face cut and pasted in. I kind of like the haircut...

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends - you have all been so good to me and I appreciate every little thing.

The Dream House Revisited

2008-11-24T07:39:00.012+01:00

I had a restless night last night - you know how life-thoughts seem more sinister and dire in the wee hours of the night and I wonder how we ever take on some challenges in the light of day without thinking twice about it? Well, the dark thoughts didn't invade on the crazy idea of the house in the country-

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day so we decided in the late afternoon to take the hour and a half drive to "our" house in the country that I wrote about last month. When a house like this is listed with an agency, it is called a "ruin" because it needs so much work and when we saw it yesterday, the railing of the rickety deck had fallen off so it appeared to be even more so in that category. However, the views surrounding it were even more beautiful with all the leaves off the tree, and I felt so peaceful and as I sat on a rock, the warm, setting sun so healing. (These photos are from our visit during the summer.)

There just so happened to be some people who drove up to the church parking area next door who turned out to be locals who came to enjoy the air and the views. Andrea found out from them that two weeks ago the house had been on the auction block for a ridiculously low price that we would have jumped at (Paula, your comment was right on last posting) and we don't know if it had been sold or not. These folks even broke into the cantina and gave us a tour of the ground floor that included a large fireplace (a perfect study and music room, and storage for wine). I told Andrea he had to call the priest today to inquire. Interesting myth: there is evidence that there was once a castle built under the house and church which makes sense as it sits on the very top of a hill.

So, last night I was restless and kept thinking how crazy we would be to take on such a huge project - it would be an ongoing thing that perhaps we wouldn't even begin for another year or two and could go on for the next twenty. But the challenge felt only positive and exciting, so if it turns out that the timing is right and the house is still available and we can convince the church to pick us to sell this little ruin to, life will be much more interesting in the coming years. I will keep you posted.

Update: the house indeed is for sale, but for about 25% more than we expected. With the current exchange rate, add another 25% and there you have a price that is just too high. However, it does include five acres of land - more than we expected. But we will meet with the person in charge this week and see what he has to say - he did say the price was not negotiable but this is Italy, after all (maybe I need a sign from a pigeon like Diane Lane got in "Under the Tuscan Sun"...).

Summer plans

2008-11-23T08:16:00.040+01:00

I have my tickets in hand (well, since they are ticketless tickets, I should say that I have tickets sitting in my e-mail box) to return to the US for 6 weeks this summer. I am soooo excited. Yesterday, I also booked the Montana leg of the visit. So the deal is Ray and I will be in NY/NJ from July 1 to 16th, then to Montana for the next three weeks, then back to NY/NJ from August 6 to 16th unless we decide to throw in some time in Florida before heading back to Bologna. Andrea will join us at some point if he can.

I know it is ridiculously far off but as it has been almost two years since I last visited and by the time July arrives I will really be jonsing for all those things I miss about the US: family, friends, ethnic foods, competitive consumer shopping (Marshalls), a truly wild landscape (Italy is a small country that has been settled for so long there is no real wilderness even though there are lots of landscapes), beer at Triumph (with a couple of my favorite PU economists among others), 20 ozs. of take-out coffee and attending the theater and movies in ENGLISH. And seeing my mother after the death of my stepfather and my dearest aunt this spring is long overdue. Also can't wait for Ray to experience a lot of things Americana: bbqs, cousins, the NJ shore, NYC, Sesame Place, fly fishing, cowboys, and on and on.

So now with these plans in place, I can concentrate on Christmas and the short wish list of one little boy that is starting to grow a bit longer - it is quite simple, really - anything that has to do with Spiderman, Batman, and Gormitis. Oh yes, if he is a really good boy, perhaps a pint-sized guitar and (more) Legos.

*******************************

Here is one of my favorite holiday photos - Seb and Evan bringing home the Christmas tree in Montana a few years back.

Shiro

2008-11-18T19:34:00.004+01:00

I wasn't going to post this article I wrote that was published last week in a local newsletter (the theme was people and their pets), but I just received an email from my friend, Susan, at Princeton who is going through a difficult health spell with her lab, Chelsea. I know that a pet becomes a valued family member and I am sorry, Susan, that you are going through this. Thinking of you.

Grace, Love, Speed (A spoof on the title of the popular book that is circulating around the book clubs: Eat, Pray, Love)

He appeared to be an elderly dog at the tender age of three. His racing name was “Spuds”. I was told that I could find his identification number tattooed on the underside of his floppy right ear. His eyes were unfocused and panicked, his ribs stuck out and his long tail represented a snake skeleton covered with paper-thin skin. Only his back was covered in thin fur flecked with scars, and the muscles on his bald, upper hind legs swelled enormously under its bright red skin, reminding me of ham loins. His mouth with its pale, heavy tongue hung open and his brown, tartered fangs were visible. He was the ugliest dog I had ever laid my eyes on, and he had just been shipped in the belly of a plane from a racetrack in Florida to be delivered to his first-ever home in New Jersey. I had waited two weeks for him and it was love at first sight.

He was renamed “Shiro” which translates to “white” in Japanese, a name I had chosen when I received the call from the adoption program that this “sweetheart of the kennel” was available in Florida and was I interested? Though I was told he was pure white, in reality he turned out to be white with freckles and a brindled face and back (hence the name Spuds - the little Budweiser beer dog that was the fad-of-the-day). He was on the taller side for a greyhound, and had a successful racing career of more than two years. The plight of retired (or non-qualifying) greyhounds had just begun to make the news and the day the adoption program was featured on TV was the day I called for an application.

The National Greyhound Adoption Program was founded in 1989 by a man named Dave, who gave up his construction company to focus full-time on greyhound rescue efforts. I recall Shiro being one of the first 100 dogs adopted through this program, and now, almost twenty years later, thousands of dogs have been placed in loving homes by their efforts (http://www.ngap.org/). On the Humane Society’s web site, it is stated that “in the 10th century, King Howel of Wales declared that the penalty for killing a greyhound was the same as that of killing a person—death. In the days of the Egyptians, greyhounds were valued by the pharaohs for their grace, beauty and mild temperament. But in the 21st century greyhounds in the racing world are prized for only one thing—speed. In 2003 alone, an estimated 7,500 to 20,000 greyhounds were euthanized simply because they couldn't run fast enough.” Shiro was unique in that he had a racing career of two years, a very long and successful one in the world of greyhound racing. Most of the dogs never see their first race as they are euthanized when failing to display superior speed in the trail runs.

Life with Shiro was remarkable, to say the least. This zombie of a dog that came off the plane that day went through his puppyhood at the age of three. With a healthy diet, he began to fill out and thicker fur covered even the track scars. He had to learn to play with his toys, how to go up and down the stairs, to not be alarmed at the sound of the doorbell and telephone, even how to go for a walk. Shiro perfected sleeping on the sofa with all four legs straight in the air (in this case, the name Spuds would have been appropriate in that he became a real couch potato). As he had never bonded with a human before, he suffered from a tragic case of separation anxiety whenever left alone at home, and I had to resort to sedatives and even introduce canine prozac for a period. (One day I left him outside and he jumped through the upper sash of a window to get into the house - through the screen. Another time, left indoors, he was so frantic he knocked framed paintings off the wall.) I will never forget those afternoons when the garden gate was left open and I had to sprint off after Shiro down the sidewalk in whatever I was or was not wearing - the neighbors gleefully shouting “there she goes again!” and even the township police telling me where he would eventually be sighted (greyhounds can run up to 72 kph). I have to admit that we even bought a new home on a large tract of land to give him more running space (he always ran in wide circles throughout his life - never able to break the habit of the track). We were rewarded with pointy-nosed kisses and that ever wagging snake of a tail.

I had the pleasure of Shiro’s grace and companionship for almost ten years. The day he was scheduled to be euthanized, I returned home early from work to lie on the bed with him in my arms, a block of sunshine through the window settling over us like a warm blanket. Shiro had bone cancer, and a prior hind-leg amputation - unfortunate for an animal that is prized for his speed - had failed to stop the progress. I have had a number of adopted dogs throughout my life, but watching Shiro’s metamorphosis from a gambling commodity to a sweet, gentle, soulful companion has touched me to the core. I won’t ever stop missing him.

November Various

2008-11-13T18:07:00.018+01:00

We are finally completely immersed in our routine for the school year. Ray wakes just before I have to leave for school at 8.15 (it takes me less than two minutes to get there via Vespa), and Andrea is left to make certain he has breakfast, change him into his clothes, and drive him to school by 9. I then leave my job at the International School by 4, scooter home to drown a quick cup of hot tea then take the car to pick up Ray at school as soon as possible before 5. Ray has completely changed this past week - he kisses me good-bye in the mornings whereas even ten days ago he clung to my leg, weeping, as I tried to escape through the door in the mornings. My friend Sogand told me that every 6 months he will exhibit some major transformation in behavior, and it is strange how predicable this has been as Ray will be 3 and a half next week.

The day after the U.S. elections, the 5th and 6th graders invited me to their classroom for a 5 minute skit - there were two t.v. commentators who discussed the Presidential election, and then a line of students each read a few lines of President-Elect Obama's speech. I was really touched as none of them were Americans, and again illustrated how much the international community has a vested interest in this election (the students pictured are from Australia, France, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Italy). Rachel, the vice-principal here, is a good friend (and she hired me) who hails from England.

Here is a photo of me in the classroom, trying to explain to the first graders how we can determine when a toy is old or modern. I am enjoying my job, I am happy to admit.

It has been pouring rain these past few days. Tomorrow's forecast doesn't call for any improvement so the damp, moldy days of the autumn are definitely here. Bologna's old buildings are famous for mold and everyday I can hear at least one conversation on how to get rid of it in one's home (it grows even behind the sofas and drapes). This afternoon I did my annual bleach spray on the walls - it is really amazing how fast the stuff grows.

Here is a view of the fall colors from our balcony. It can't be compared to the amazing spectacle of the American northeast, but it will have to do (it is rather sad, eh?).

President Obama

2008-11-05T14:24:00.003+01:00

I am the sole American employed at school and today I was surprised to receive hugs and congratulations from my international friends and colleagues, making this presidential election feel quite personal. There is a lot of excitement in the air. A big party is planned tonight in the centro. It's all good.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/11/05/italy.france.us.elex.whip.cnn?iref=mpvideosview

Morandi: Bologna to New York

2008-11-04T22:15:00.002+01:00

One of Bologna's native sons. There is a decent Morandi Museum in Piazza Maggiore. It seems one either loves or hates his work. I quite like his view.

http://www.slate.com/id/2200698/slideshow/2200790/fs/0//entry/2200789/

All Soul's Day

2008-11-03T06:09:00.018+01:00

So I recently had another “religious” experience here in Italia. Not in the “church” type (as when the priest knocks on the door every spring to bless the apartment) but in a more “spiritual” one, I suppose. November 1st is “All Saint’s Day” and the day after is “All Soul’s Day.” The first is treated as a national holiday and when my sisters and I were growing up, our father explained to us this was when we honor the saints and then on the following day, our deceased loved ones. Well, okay, to us in America that didn’t mean a whole lot. Well, for those here in Italy, it does.

We went to visit Andrea’s mother in Lugo this past weekend, and on a balmy Saturday morning, accompanied her along with her sister-in-law and her daughter, and her daughter (three generations of daughters) to the cemetery to honor those deceased. Dina (Andrea’s mom) brought a short stack of Mass cards with little strings attached and a bouquet of mums and a potted plant. (Remember the 50 mums we used to plant in the yard around the house every fall? No one plants mums here as they are used in the cemeteries.)

So, the Italians take this weekend to honor the souls by visiting the cemetery, which, unlike those in the US, is a walled in and gated labyrinth full of monuments, small temples, walkways through mausoleums, and row upon row of marble, granite, and concrete tombs. Many of them have glass doors and alters, some with huge, life-size photos of the deceased (usually those who have died young) and smaller, modest ones from the early 20th c. Almost every person buried has a photo of him or herself that is encased in durable glass or plastic. I had visited here in the summer on Andrea’s father’s death anniversary, but on this particular weekend, every single tomb had flowers: in vases, potted, hanging, bouquets, planted, every possible type (orchids, carnations, birds of paradise, MUMS). The cemetery was full of families cutting, pruning, watering (even scrubbing) and praying. It was fascinating to walk through the different sections and to see the faces in the photos; the ones from the turn of the century are stern – the non-smiling women (in what I always thought of as the traditionally Italian black headscarves) and the men in bowler hats. The modern photos are full of smiling faces, some with cigars or a motorcycle, a favorite pet or just walking down the street. Until I viewed the photos, I didn’t realize just how many people die young. Andrea’s father tomb (above right) is in the “highly desirable” area, under some evergreen trees where it is mossy underfoot. Raimondo Ricci has a big smile on his face – his photo sits above the one of his mother, who is buried beneath him. Here is where Andrea’s mother put the fresh mums in two vases attached to the tomb, and then read through the cluster of Mass cards that hung there. Andrea’s mother’s family tomb consists of the four aunts who raised her (four are buried here together - can you see Ray in the photo below?), as well as her mother, Sara, who died giving birth to her brother when Dina was four years old. When I asked about the coincidence of the mother dying the same year as her father (Andrea’s great-grandfather), Dina told us that he was already ill when he learned that his daughter died in childbirth, he then had a heart attack and died the same day.

The Mass cards: one can buy them from the church or one of the local stands outside the cemetery. On the card, you write your name as well as the name of the deceased, and then hang it on the tomb to show the family that you remembered their loved one. I asked Andrea if this was really to memorialize the one deceased, or was it more to gain recognition (and good standing) with living family members? He said it was probably a little of both. Dina hung about 5 cards on various tombs (and put the remaining potted plant in another) but still had a dozen or so remaining. To save her a return trip and a long stroll, Andrea and I returned to the cemetery the next morning to finish distributing her cards so that the living friends and relatives wouldn’t think she shunned their loved ones. We had to call her a few times on the mobile phone when we couldn’t find a particular tomb, but we were successful in the end (“….towards the tall trees, to the left, look for the red marble columns; or, on the wall facing the road, it’s on the upper right corner with one of those eternal candles…”). It felt as though we were on a treasure hunt, and Andrea always had an interesting story to tell me about each person we visited so I feel that we were on target about what “All Soul’s Day” is about.

Andrea's maternal grandfather and grandmother.

All in all, I like the idea of devoting one day a year to celebrate the dead. It must be reassuring to the living to know that one day a year your tombstone and photo will be spiffed up and your loved ones will visit to again celebrate your life. For myself, I anticipate being scattered over a green field to serve as my final resting place so that won’t be in my cards, but for those in Lugo, it is pretty much a sure thing.

A very elaborate family tomb. Beautiful mosaics.

Scenes from a chestnut festival

2008-10-31T16:10:00.024+01:00

Autumn brings a slew of chestnut festivals to Italy. We stumbled upon one in the Apennine mountains recently, and there was a riding competition as part of the program. Some men were dressed with cowboy hats and there was a bbq and American country music playing. The guy with the gray horse has a Harley patch, along with his buttons and Pink Floyd one (oh wait, that band is English, right?). Anyway, sometimes it is really obvious to see the influence from North America here, even in the most obscure places.

Ben Bernanke

2008-10-29T19:25:00.006+01:00

Ben Bernanke was my boss for many years when I worked in the Economics Department at Princeton University. His chairman's office was across the hall from mine, and we could talk to each other from our desks. He was a very quiet, kind, family man - one might even say shy. I am glad to see that in his often criticized role as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, he is now getting some credit.

http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2008/10/29/turns-out-bernanke-was-right-about-inflation/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Bernanke

Europeans and the Election

2008-10-27T07:01:00.003+01:00

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/25/barcelona.obama.art/index.html

This article gives you an idea what Europeans feel about the election this year - it is no surprise they are hoping Obama is elected (even though the artist is American - from NJ). No doubt Berlusconi will be best friends with whoever holds the seat.

Election Time

2008-10-26T06:52:00.003+01:00

The Democrats Abroad are holding an election night vigil at a local jazz club on November 4th from 10pm top 3am. There is no organized Republicans Abroad. (I'm not in the photo.)