This blog is still incomplete! I promise to finish the last few weeks soon!
We kept ourselves very busy toward the end of our time in Jesi and upon returning to Charlotte life got even busier!
I will finish soon--by the end of September (so I can keep my word).
In the meantime, enjoy Joe's blog, he has kept up with it. The link is in my links section.
Cheers!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Catching Up on the Blog
Genga
Okay, I’m a little over 2 weeks behind. No excuses just a lot of fun things going on. Let me back up to 14 June to begin blogging again.
It was promising to be a rainy day so we decided to go to Genga where the Grotte di Frassassi is. It is the largest natural cavern in Europe, plus it is also a 20 minute train ride from Jesi into the mountainous area of the Marche. Since we were going there, Joe consulted our Slow Food Guide to Italy and found a restaurant listed. We decided to eat there and then go to the grotte. Upon arrival in Genga it was pouring down rain. The restaurant was listed as being in the vicinity of Genga and a short walk from the grotte. We weren’t exactly sure where to go so we went into the post office. It was a one person post office since Genga is a small town, the caves probably have more visitors per day than the entire population of the town. The postal worker told us (from what we could gather of through our minimal understanding of Italian) that Pierosara was on top of the mountain, 3 kilometers away, but all uphill. She asked Joe, Francesca and I if we could wait 20 minutes and when she closed up the post office for the day she drove us up there. This was shocking to us that someone would do such a thing. I kept thinking that if we were in the US there would be no way that we would do such a thing---getting in a car with a complete stranger.
The lunch was phenomenal. We started with fonduta. The fondue came out in pottery dishes with votive candles. There were three types of cheese (plain, mushrooms added, truffles added) and crusty squares of bread. Francesca thought it was cool to use the small forks and dip her bread in the cheese. We also had a cold cut plate from the region with various salumi--yum. Summer truffles are in season and Joe had a pasta dish with those, I had pasta with wild boar Bolognese—we split our pasta dishes. Francesca ordered gnocchi, but helped me to eat my pasta. For the main course I ordered mixed grill—Francesca ate the “meat lollipops” and Joe had something wonderful too. The sky was beginning to clear as we finished our main courses (secondi piatti) but we couldn’t resist dessert—crepes filled with vanilla gelato and a “fruit of the woods” berry sauce.
Fortunately the rain held off for our walk down hill.
When we arrived at the bottom of the mountain we walked to the grotte. The system was strange. You had to purchase entry tickets at a different location from the cave. So we took the free bus back to the parking area where tickets are purchased. It was a short walk from the train station so we checked the train schedule prior to purchasing tickets. We went through the cave—spectacular. The first “room” of the cave is so large that the cathedral of Milan would fit into it. Relatively speaking this discovery is also quite young, some spelunkers found the cave in 1971. I couldn’t imagine crawling through a small cave and realizing there is a drop off, tossing a pebble into the drop off and waiting many seconds before hearing it hit bottom. Fortunately, the tour does not start with the original cave, but a tunnel that has many doors to keep the environment in its more natural state.
After the tour we high-tailed it to the train station only to have the train we planned to take blow its whistle and continue on down the track without even slowing down. If we waited 4 more hours we could have taken another train, but that was not an option for us. We went to a local hotel and asked if they would please call us a taxi. The concierge was very helpful, he must have made 10 calls before he found a person who would take us back to Jesi.
The taxi driver pulled up in a decked out Mercedes station wagon, all GQ. He told us it would cost 65 Euro since he came from Fabriano which is in the other direction from Jesi. We decided that beat a hotel room cost and got in the car. Joe sat up front and started talking with the driver who happened to be a foodie. Joe told him about our lunch at Da Maria and the driver approved of our selections. He also talked about the regional foods with Joe and some festivals that were going on at the time. He reduced the price of our fare when we arrived at our apartment—guess he enjoyed good conversation with Joe.
That day will stick in my mind due to the kindness of strangers—the postal worker, the concierge, and although we had to pay him the taxi driver.
Ancona
On the 15th—Father’s Day, we decided to go back to Ancona to visit some of the sites that we had not seen the first time. We took the bus in and got off a little before the port. We first visited the Lazzeretto which is a pentagonal building in the water. It had boats tied up around it and was very interesting. It is currently undergoing some restoration work so we didn’t see much on the inside of it.
The Porta Pia (aka Grand Gateway) came next prior to the actual port where people take ferries to various locations. It was originally part of the walled city of Ancona.
We then walked around and saw some of the churches around the area. The most impressive church is duomo church on top of a hill that overlooks boats as they leave the port. It was impressive, not to mention an impressive hike up to it. We were able to inside the church and gleen some of its history. They crypt room was quite interesting since the old bishops were entombed in glass coffins, imagine explaining what a mummified looking corpse is doing in those robes. They were quite old, hundreds of years. The overall view was great.
We then walked down the Vialle della Vittoria that is a tree lined street with a walk way down the middle of it (we walked down it the first time we visited) and stopped at the playground.
In the evening we took the train back to Jesi and had a wonderful Father’s Day.
Parents and others
My parents arrived by car via Rome on the 17th. They rented a car for their stay so that we can have more freedom than simply taking the train or bus.
CJ, a friend from Charlotte, arrived on the 18th.
The 19th we went to Senigallia and had a fun time on the beach.
Upon our return from Oriveto Ron arrived (this is out of order, but it fits with the “others category”)
Orvieto
On the 20th we went to Orvieto to visit our friend Lorenzo and also revisit Orvieto. It is a great town. The week after our visit one of Joe’s visiting teachers owns a pastry shop in Orvieto. As with many of the buildings in Orvieto, there are caverns below the shop. Maurizio, the chef, invited Joe and the rest of us to tour his caves. It was very interesting. We stood in a cistern that was built by the Etruscans, saw a medieval “trash space” places where wine was aged, etc. Our guide was very passionate about the caves and provided a lot of information throughout the tour. Saturday afternoon we headed to Lago Balsena to “chill out” and then eat at a restaurant we visited last summer. We like this restaurant because it is high on a hill overlooking the lake. It was great again!
The week after Orvieto we ventured to Falconara Maritima to the beach. It has calmer waters. Francesca caught some sort of virus that week so we did not do much in terms of going places. She is much better now, but 2 days with fever and many more with another type of ailment kept us close to home. One thing that Joe, CJ, Ron, a classmate Jennifer, Maurizio the visiting chef, and I did was go to Uliassi. It is a Michelin one star restaurant in Senigalia. It was a great time. It was mainly seafood, and being on the cusp of liking seafood, I truly enjoyed the meal. The chef came out and spoke with us for a while and we also were able to tour the kitchen.
Weekend of June 27
Joe and CJ left for Bologna on Friday afternoon to see Iron Maiden at the Gods of Metal music festival. They rented a SMART car, and being the lucky person who gets to pick up the rentals, I was able to drive it from the rental place to our apartment. I wouldn’t mind having one of the 4 seaters. They had a great time at the concert.
I cooked dinner for my parents and Francesca in Jesi and we closed up early for the night.
Saturday we hung out and then in the evening ate a recommended restaurant called Hostaria Santa Lucia. We had heard the chef was temperamental and we got to see that in action. Some people from the south of Italy (as stated by the chef) refused to pay the bill. He followed them out of the restaurant and was yelling. At one point he hit the car they were in. After the altercation, he came back in and started ranting and apologizing at the same time for what occurred. Too bad my Italian isn’t any better. The food was great! The entertainment was also interesting.
Sunday we dropped CJ off at the train station and headed for the Conero Pennisula. We had heard that everyone goes to the beach on the weekend and we witnessed it. The entire coast line was like Spring Break. People wall to wall, people making their own parking spaces, it was insane. So we headed up to Loreto. It is second to Lourdes, France in terms of Catholic pilgrimages. I had never heard of it. It was fascinating. According to our guidebook for the Marche, “the house in Nazareth where Jesus lived after his return from Egypt was transported by angels first to Istria and then” to Loreto. We stood in the small sanctuary area that was apparently the house. Sorry no pictures allowed in churches. From there we braved the beach at Civitanova Marche to eat at a Slow Food restaurant. It was great (aside from finding parking about 1.5 miles away). The location was right on the beach in an air conditioned restaurant. Afterward, Francesca and my dad went swimming in the water and my mom, Joe, and I sat on the beach and watched hundreds of people walk by with their shoe leather tans or bright red sunburns. I am still amazed at the amount of people who were at the beach. To finish off Sunday we stopped in Ancona for a short walk (traditional for Italians on Sunday evenings) up the Vialle della Vittoria. The breeze from the water was great.
Photos to come once I get them from Joe (he took the pictures).
Okay, I’m a little over 2 weeks behind. No excuses just a lot of fun things going on. Let me back up to 14 June to begin blogging again.
It was promising to be a rainy day so we decided to go to Genga where the Grotte di Frassassi is. It is the largest natural cavern in Europe, plus it is also a 20 minute train ride from Jesi into the mountainous area of the Marche. Since we were going there, Joe consulted our Slow Food Guide to Italy and found a restaurant listed. We decided to eat there and then go to the grotte. Upon arrival in Genga it was pouring down rain. The restaurant was listed as being in the vicinity of Genga and a short walk from the grotte. We weren’t exactly sure where to go so we went into the post office. It was a one person post office since Genga is a small town, the caves probably have more visitors per day than the entire population of the town. The postal worker told us (from what we could gather of through our minimal understanding of Italian) that Pierosara was on top of the mountain, 3 kilometers away, but all uphill. She asked Joe, Francesca and I if we could wait 20 minutes and when she closed up the post office for the day she drove us up there. This was shocking to us that someone would do such a thing. I kept thinking that if we were in the US there would be no way that we would do such a thing---getting in a car with a complete stranger.
The lunch was phenomenal. We started with fonduta. The fondue came out in pottery dishes with votive candles. There were three types of cheese (plain, mushrooms added, truffles added) and crusty squares of bread. Francesca thought it was cool to use the small forks and dip her bread in the cheese. We also had a cold cut plate from the region with various salumi--yum. Summer truffles are in season and Joe had a pasta dish with those, I had pasta with wild boar Bolognese—we split our pasta dishes. Francesca ordered gnocchi, but helped me to eat my pasta. For the main course I ordered mixed grill—Francesca ate the “meat lollipops” and Joe had something wonderful too. The sky was beginning to clear as we finished our main courses (secondi piatti) but we couldn’t resist dessert—crepes filled with vanilla gelato and a “fruit of the woods” berry sauce.
Fortunately the rain held off for our walk down hill.
When we arrived at the bottom of the mountain we walked to the grotte. The system was strange. You had to purchase entry tickets at a different location from the cave. So we took the free bus back to the parking area where tickets are purchased. It was a short walk from the train station so we checked the train schedule prior to purchasing tickets. We went through the cave—spectacular. The first “room” of the cave is so large that the cathedral of Milan would fit into it. Relatively speaking this discovery is also quite young, some spelunkers found the cave in 1971. I couldn’t imagine crawling through a small cave and realizing there is a drop off, tossing a pebble into the drop off and waiting many seconds before hearing it hit bottom. Fortunately, the tour does not start with the original cave, but a tunnel that has many doors to keep the environment in its more natural state.
After the tour we high-tailed it to the train station only to have the train we planned to take blow its whistle and continue on down the track without even slowing down. If we waited 4 more hours we could have taken another train, but that was not an option for us. We went to a local hotel and asked if they would please call us a taxi. The concierge was very helpful, he must have made 10 calls before he found a person who would take us back to Jesi.
The taxi driver pulled up in a decked out Mercedes station wagon, all GQ. He told us it would cost 65 Euro since he came from Fabriano which is in the other direction from Jesi. We decided that beat a hotel room cost and got in the car. Joe sat up front and started talking with the driver who happened to be a foodie. Joe told him about our lunch at Da Maria and the driver approved of our selections. He also talked about the regional foods with Joe and some festivals that were going on at the time. He reduced the price of our fare when we arrived at our apartment—guess he enjoyed good conversation with Joe.
That day will stick in my mind due to the kindness of strangers—the postal worker, the concierge, and although we had to pay him the taxi driver.
Ancona
On the 15th—Father’s Day, we decided to go back to Ancona to visit some of the sites that we had not seen the first time. We took the bus in and got off a little before the port. We first visited the Lazzeretto which is a pentagonal building in the water. It had boats tied up around it and was very interesting. It is currently undergoing some restoration work so we didn’t see much on the inside of it.
The Porta Pia (aka Grand Gateway) came next prior to the actual port where people take ferries to various locations. It was originally part of the walled city of Ancona.
We then walked around and saw some of the churches around the area. The most impressive church is duomo church on top of a hill that overlooks boats as they leave the port. It was impressive, not to mention an impressive hike up to it. We were able to inside the church and gleen some of its history. They crypt room was quite interesting since the old bishops were entombed in glass coffins, imagine explaining what a mummified looking corpse is doing in those robes. They were quite old, hundreds of years. The overall view was great.
We then walked down the Vialle della Vittoria that is a tree lined street with a walk way down the middle of it (we walked down it the first time we visited) and stopped at the playground.
In the evening we took the train back to Jesi and had a wonderful Father’s Day.
Parents and others
My parents arrived by car via Rome on the 17th. They rented a car for their stay so that we can have more freedom than simply taking the train or bus.
CJ, a friend from Charlotte, arrived on the 18th.
The 19th we went to Senigallia and had a fun time on the beach.
Upon our return from Oriveto Ron arrived (this is out of order, but it fits with the “others category”)
Orvieto
On the 20th we went to Orvieto to visit our friend Lorenzo and also revisit Orvieto. It is a great town. The week after our visit one of Joe’s visiting teachers owns a pastry shop in Orvieto. As with many of the buildings in Orvieto, there are caverns below the shop. Maurizio, the chef, invited Joe and the rest of us to tour his caves. It was very interesting. We stood in a cistern that was built by the Etruscans, saw a medieval “trash space” places where wine was aged, etc. Our guide was very passionate about the caves and provided a lot of information throughout the tour. Saturday afternoon we headed to Lago Balsena to “chill out” and then eat at a restaurant we visited last summer. We like this restaurant because it is high on a hill overlooking the lake. It was great again!
The week after Orvieto we ventured to Falconara Maritima to the beach. It has calmer waters. Francesca caught some sort of virus that week so we did not do much in terms of going places. She is much better now, but 2 days with fever and many more with another type of ailment kept us close to home. One thing that Joe, CJ, Ron, a classmate Jennifer, Maurizio the visiting chef, and I did was go to Uliassi. It is a Michelin one star restaurant in Senigalia. It was a great time. It was mainly seafood, and being on the cusp of liking seafood, I truly enjoyed the meal. The chef came out and spoke with us for a while and we also were able to tour the kitchen.
Weekend of June 27
Joe and CJ left for Bologna on Friday afternoon to see Iron Maiden at the Gods of Metal music festival. They rented a SMART car, and being the lucky person who gets to pick up the rentals, I was able to drive it from the rental place to our apartment. I wouldn’t mind having one of the 4 seaters. They had a great time at the concert.
I cooked dinner for my parents and Francesca in Jesi and we closed up early for the night.
Saturday we hung out and then in the evening ate a recommended restaurant called Hostaria Santa Lucia. We had heard the chef was temperamental and we got to see that in action. Some people from the south of Italy (as stated by the chef) refused to pay the bill. He followed them out of the restaurant and was yelling. At one point he hit the car they were in. After the altercation, he came back in and started ranting and apologizing at the same time for what occurred. Too bad my Italian isn’t any better. The food was great! The entertainment was also interesting.
Sunday we dropped CJ off at the train station and headed for the Conero Pennisula. We had heard that everyone goes to the beach on the weekend and we witnessed it. The entire coast line was like Spring Break. People wall to wall, people making their own parking spaces, it was insane. So we headed up to Loreto. It is second to Lourdes, France in terms of Catholic pilgrimages. I had never heard of it. It was fascinating. According to our guidebook for the Marche, “the house in Nazareth where Jesus lived after his return from Egypt was transported by angels first to Istria and then” to Loreto. We stood in the small sanctuary area that was apparently the house. Sorry no pictures allowed in churches. From there we braved the beach at Civitanova Marche to eat at a Slow Food restaurant. It was great (aside from finding parking about 1.5 miles away). The location was right on the beach in an air conditioned restaurant. Afterward, Francesca and my dad went swimming in the water and my mom, Joe, and I sat on the beach and watched hundreds of people walk by with their shoe leather tans or bright red sunburns. I am still amazed at the amount of people who were at the beach. To finish off Sunday we stopped in Ancona for a short walk (traditional for Italians on Sunday evenings) up the Vialle della Vittoria. The breeze from the water was great.
Photos to come once I get them from Joe (he took the pictures).
Friday, June 13, 2008
Montalcino and Montepulciano
On the way back from Giglio we stopped in Montalcino and Montepulciano. Masa, Sadao, Toshi, and I had a wine tasting at a small Slow Food enoteca appropriately named "Bachus." It was a funky little place that had a very friendly staff and was a little off the main street so not as touristy. It rained almost the entire trip back so there are no panoramic shots of the area--it is beautiful!
I had never been to Montepulciano. It is a neat city, much bigger than Montalcino and it probably hosts more visitors. We came across an enoteca that invited people to tour the underground cellars-hence the video. It was very interesting and all of the barrels were full of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. We did taste a few wines there too.
Isola Giglio
The Island of Giglio was great! When you talk about various activity orientations with cultures, the culture of Giglio is definitely in the "being" category. I could go back there and spend one week hanging out not worrying about anything.
Marcella was a wonderful, gracious host. I first met her in December of 2007 as her student in a cooking class. I enjoyed hearing her talk about Italian cuisine and also about her island. Now I truly understand her love of the place. She is so knowledgable about the culture, history, flora and fauny. She also seemed to know just about everyone.
The waters around the island were crystal clear. It was beautiful! In some of the movie shots you can see. The small inlet with Joe walking down the stairs has ancient Roman ruins. One of the hotels has a foundation consisting of a Roman foundation. How cool!
On the trip back to Jesi we stopped in Montalcino and Montepulciano for some wine tasting....more to come on that. (Our wireless server has been down so posts have been late. Also check out Joe's blog, it makes your mouth water so don't read it on an empty stomach.)
Friday, June 6, 2008
Laundry and this weekend
Well, I'm trying to catch up with my blog. This week has flown by and I realized that I didn't even put anything up about the Florence or the rest of Zia's visit.
We did go to San Marino. It was beautiful. If it had not been overcast I'm sure we would have been able to see beautiful vistas from the mountain top. The down side was that because San Marino is tax free, it was like a big shopping mall. I would like to visit it again one day.
We went to Florence last weekend. Monday (June 2) was a national holiday so it was tough finding a hotel, but we did. Florence was crowded, I couldn't imagine what high season would be like. If felt weird to have so much English (that is American English) spoken in Florence.
The exchange rate is hurting everyone. Even the vendors at the leather market near the Medici chapel said that they had to raise prices and couldn't haggle as much because the almighty dollar is not what is once was and so we are not spending as much.
We had some great pizza! Good company and interesting adventures.
Francesca and I hung out for the week and this morning we did laundry. I will forever be thankful for my in-home laundry facilities. It costs about $17 to wash and dry a large load of clothes. Don't even get me started on the cost of taking laundry to people who do it for you!
This weekend we head to "Giglio" which is an island off the coast of Tuscany. Francesca is referring to it as the island of the Skog (if you have not read that children's book, it's a good one). Three of Joe's classmates are going with us. We drive to Siena tonight and then one to Porto Santo Stefano in the morning to catch the ferry to the island.
We are going at the invitation of a very nice woman named Marcella who Joe met through a woman in Slow Food Charlotte. Marcella is also a chef who teaches at the Epicious Culinary School in Florence.
More on this trip when we return.
We did go to San Marino. It was beautiful. If it had not been overcast I'm sure we would have been able to see beautiful vistas from the mountain top. The down side was that because San Marino is tax free, it was like a big shopping mall. I would like to visit it again one day.
We went to Florence last weekend. Monday (June 2) was a national holiday so it was tough finding a hotel, but we did. Florence was crowded, I couldn't imagine what high season would be like. If felt weird to have so much English (that is American English) spoken in Florence.
The exchange rate is hurting everyone. Even the vendors at the leather market near the Medici chapel said that they had to raise prices and couldn't haggle as much because the almighty dollar is not what is once was and so we are not spending as much.
We had some great pizza! Good company and interesting adventures.
Francesca and I hung out for the week and this morning we did laundry. I will forever be thankful for my in-home laundry facilities. It costs about $17 to wash and dry a large load of clothes. Don't even get me started on the cost of taking laundry to people who do it for you!
This weekend we head to "Giglio" which is an island off the coast of Tuscany. Francesca is referring to it as the island of the Skog (if you have not read that children's book, it's a good one). Three of Joe's classmates are going with us. We drive to Siena tonight and then one to Porto Santo Stefano in the morning to catch the ferry to the island.
We are going at the invitation of a very nice woman named Marcella who Joe met through a woman in Slow Food Charlotte. Marcella is also a chef who teaches at the Epicious Culinary School in Florence.
More on this trip when we return.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Zia
My sister Melissa arrived on Sunday, May 25. She flew in to Rome and then took the train to Jesi. We met her at the train station and then showed her around the town. We did take her to Francesca’s favorite place—the park.
On Monday we meandered around town and saw some of the sites to include the “home depot” and “famous footwear” type stores. We also went into a store called “Euronics” that was like Best Buy. I plan to keep Joe far away from that because they have a huge selection of espresso machines.
Today we picked up the rental car. It is a C3 Citroen. Not large, but it does the trick.
We went to Numana in the Conero peninsula and drove through part of what is called the Conero Riveria. It was beautiful. The water was cool, but the sun warmed us enough to brave the clear blue water.
The beach in Numana has small pebbles instead of sand and you can see Mt. Conero from the beach. It is spectacular.
Tomorrow we venture to Sengallia and parts north along the beach in the Marche.
On Monday we meandered around town and saw some of the sites to include the “home depot” and “famous footwear” type stores. We also went into a store called “Euronics” that was like Best Buy. I plan to keep Joe far away from that because they have a huge selection of espresso machines.
Today we picked up the rental car. It is a C3 Citroen. Not large, but it does the trick.
We went to Numana in the Conero peninsula and drove through part of what is called the Conero Riveria. It was beautiful. The water was cool, but the sun warmed us enough to brave the clear blue water.
The beach in Numana has small pebbles instead of sand and you can see Mt. Conero from the beach. It is spectacular.
Tomorrow we venture to Sengallia and parts north along the beach in the Marche.
Ancona
On Saturday, May 24, we went to Ancona. Ancona is about 30 kilometers from Jesi and is accessible by both train or bus. Joe had mentioned to his classmates that we might go to Ancona and two of them suggested we go together by bus. We met at the Piazza Republica in Jesi Saturday morning and proceeded to the bus depot.
Upon arriving in the “centro” of Ancona we were in the midst of a huge street market. This market was has vendors throughout the bus depot type piazza and along two of the main streets that lead to the port. There was all kinds of stuff from art to jewelry to clothes. We even spotted some booths with belly dancing type attire. It was very interesting.
We split up from Sadao and Massa and went to the port area and saw the Arco di Traiano that was built around 200 BC. Ancona has probably been a port city for as long as a city has existed in that particular spot. From Ancona you can catch ferries to Croatia, Turkey, and Greece to name a few places. The store fronts and restaurants along the port are very diverse and you can tell that there is a blending of many cultures in Ancona.
After we met back up for lunch we went to a great seafood restaurant and walked along the main street that has a tree lined promenade down the middle. At the end of this street we found a huge monument that was being renovated and stairs leading down to the Adriatic. We walked down the stair and saw many people sun bathing (few swimming, the water is still pretty cold). Once we arrived at sea level we noticed these old style double garage doors lined up along the base of the cliffs. We were able to look into a few that were open and they went about 10-15 yards into the cliff side. People had boats, some had nice kitchenette type facilities, and we even saw a group of elderly Italian women sitting around a card table drinking wine and playing cards. These spots might have once been owned by commercial fisherman, but now they seem to be owned more individually for recreational purposes.We did not seem the other noteworthy monuments in Ancona so we plan to return.
Upon arriving in the “centro” of Ancona we were in the midst of a huge street market. This market was has vendors throughout the bus depot type piazza and along two of the main streets that lead to the port. There was all kinds of stuff from art to jewelry to clothes. We even spotted some booths with belly dancing type attire. It was very interesting.
We split up from Sadao and Massa and went to the port area and saw the Arco di Traiano that was built around 200 BC. Ancona has probably been a port city for as long as a city has existed in that particular spot. From Ancona you can catch ferries to Croatia, Turkey, and Greece to name a few places. The store fronts and restaurants along the port are very diverse and you can tell that there is a blending of many cultures in Ancona.
After we met back up for lunch we went to a great seafood restaurant and walked along the main street that has a tree lined promenade down the middle. At the end of this street we found a huge monument that was being renovated and stairs leading down to the Adriatic. We walked down the stair and saw many people sun bathing (few swimming, the water is still pretty cold). Once we arrived at sea level we noticed these old style double garage doors lined up along the base of the cliffs. We were able to look into a few that were open and they went about 10-15 yards into the cliff side. People had boats, some had nice kitchenette type facilities, and we even saw a group of elderly Italian women sitting around a card table drinking wine and playing cards. These spots might have once been owned by commercial fisherman, but now they seem to be owned more individually for recreational purposes.We did not seem the other noteworthy monuments in Ancona so we plan to return.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
2nd week so far
Well for those of you who are world-wide weather buffs, you already know that it has been in the low to mid-60s and rainy all week for us here. For those of you who don't, it has been rainy and in the low to mid-60s all week. So what do two American females do when it rains besides sit in the 2 room apartment and watch Italian tv? Shop!
On Tuesday Francesca and I ventured to the edge of Jesi to an "centro commerciale" where there is a good sized grocery store and some stores. One of them is the Italian version of Home Depot. They have pre-made outdoor wood burning ovens and I am ever so tempted to determine how much it would cost to send one back to Charlotte. The next time we venture by there, I'll take pictures. This would be a great asset to our pizza and bread making--there is nothing like wood-fired pizza.
Two of the other stores we found were very similar to Old Navy and Famous Footwear. Needless to say, Francesca got a new dress, baseball cap, and sandals (she really needed new sandals since we hadn't made it to the store for those prior to our departure).
I have been watching the Italian women and their fashion and it is quite interesting. Western style boots are huge here. Not only that but low cut jeans with maybe 2-3 inch zippers--even the grannies are sporting them. Yesterday (Wed.) Francesca and I went to the main street in the town center and I ended up going into a store calls "mad's" and purchased some "Euro-jeans" since it is cold and I didn't bring any long pants and a shirt. I like low-cut pants but I'm not used to pants being this low. I'll get a picture up soon.
In terms of the television, we have been enjoying some shows that we normally see in the US but are dubbed in Italian--Power Rangers, The Flintstones, Happy Days, and Sponge Bob. There have also been some intersting Italian shows. Hopefully all of this viewing will help us with our Italian language abilities 8-).
We have continued our visits to the Gelateria. Ciro & Pio is our favorite and the people who work there recognize us. I think we confuse them since sometimes Francesca is the only one partaking in this wonderful dessert. Last night she had hers alone and instead of a cone ordered a cup. The lady must think we're crazy to give our child daily gelato, oh well.
Joe gets back tonight, he has enjoyed his trip to the Trentino, plus he visited an artisanal beer maker on this trip and will be bringing me a present (can't have too much or those jeans won't fit).
My sister Melissa arrives on Sunday and we plan to rent a car for the week. One place that she has requested we visit is San Marino--a small principality (i.e. tax free zone) on the northern border of the Marche region. It is about an hour drive. We also plan to explore the Conero Penninsula that is not accessible by train. There is at least one historic site where Napoleon's forces blockaded the British.
Other than that it is open. For those of you who are reading and have questions, please email them or post them.
On Tuesday Francesca and I ventured to the edge of Jesi to an "centro commerciale" where there is a good sized grocery store and some stores. One of them is the Italian version of Home Depot. They have pre-made outdoor wood burning ovens and I am ever so tempted to determine how much it would cost to send one back to Charlotte. The next time we venture by there, I'll take pictures. This would be a great asset to our pizza and bread making--there is nothing like wood-fired pizza.
Two of the other stores we found were very similar to Old Navy and Famous Footwear. Needless to say, Francesca got a new dress, baseball cap, and sandals (she really needed new sandals since we hadn't made it to the store for those prior to our departure).
I have been watching the Italian women and their fashion and it is quite interesting. Western style boots are huge here. Not only that but low cut jeans with maybe 2-3 inch zippers--even the grannies are sporting them. Yesterday (Wed.) Francesca and I went to the main street in the town center and I ended up going into a store calls "mad's" and purchased some "Euro-jeans" since it is cold and I didn't bring any long pants and a shirt. I like low-cut pants but I'm not used to pants being this low. I'll get a picture up soon.
In terms of the television, we have been enjoying some shows that we normally see in the US but are dubbed in Italian--Power Rangers, The Flintstones, Happy Days, and Sponge Bob. There have also been some intersting Italian shows. Hopefully all of this viewing will help us with our Italian language abilities 8-).
We have continued our visits to the Gelateria. Ciro & Pio is our favorite and the people who work there recognize us. I think we confuse them since sometimes Francesca is the only one partaking in this wonderful dessert. Last night she had hers alone and instead of a cone ordered a cup. The lady must think we're crazy to give our child daily gelato, oh well.
Joe gets back tonight, he has enjoyed his trip to the Trentino, plus he visited an artisanal beer maker on this trip and will be bringing me a present (can't have too much or those jeans won't fit).
My sister Melissa arrives on Sunday and we plan to rent a car for the week. One place that she has requested we visit is San Marino--a small principality (i.e. tax free zone) on the northern border of the Marche region. It is about an hour drive. We also plan to explore the Conero Penninsula that is not accessible by train. There is at least one historic site where Napoleon's forces blockaded the British.
Other than that it is open. For those of you who are reading and have questions, please email them or post them.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Sunday May 18
Joe has four classmates, three of whom are from Japan. Joe invited all of the class over for an early Sunday dinner. He went to the daily market and bought fresh monk fish, mussels, squid (calamari), and scampi. I went at a different time to buy our vegetables. The classmates brought dessert--flan and a cake with pine nuts and ricotta. It was delicious, but we forgot to take pictures. Francesca bonded with Kaichi and Massa and had a great time. After eating we went on a passagiata (walk) to the park. Along the way we heard people honking horns and saw them waving soccer flags. There was a big soccer match on Sunday for some sort of Italian league and the fans were celebrating. When we arrived at the park, there was an impromptu pep rally. People were waving flags, sporting jerseys and "do-rags", and jumping up and down singing. It was great to watch.
After our walk we walked through the historic part of Jesi to the Piazza de la Republica. The other students in the class live in an multi room apartment and they showed it to us. The pictures of the views from the hills are from there balcony. Their apartment is "in" one of the walls of the old city.
It was a great time!
Joe is currently on a "field trip" to the Trentino region which is one of the most northern parts of Italy. He will return Thursday.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Our First Week
Our first week in Italy was great (Joe’s second). Francesca and I got used to the 6 hour time difference, learned our way around town, and enjoyed Joe’s wonderful left overs. Aside from the park, we have come to enjoy two of the Piazzas in town—Piazza Federico and Piazza del la Republica. Pza. Federico has an interesting fountain with lions, sea serpents in and Egyptian oblisk. Francesca and I seem to go every day and enjoy the ambiance of the piazza, plus Francesca thinks pigeons are pretty cool. I keep thinking it is good that they aren’t like the ones in front of St. Peter’s in Rome or else she’d be covered in pigeon droppings. The Pza. Republica is the main piazza in town. In the afternoons people of all ages come and enjoy the time sitting on benches or sipping an espresso in one of the cafés on the square. On Friday evening Francesca made friends with a cute little Italian girl. She was enamored with Francesca and they held hands and “paraded” around the square for almost an hour. An elderly couple shared a bench with me and in my limited Italian the woman told me how pretty Francesca is and that she liked her long hair. She was very surprised at Francesca’s age, but I told her “marito mio e molto alto”—roughly my husband is very tall. When Joe arrived, she agreed. When she and her husband left, she grabbed Joe’s arm in order to be able to look all the way up to see him-hahaha.
Saturday we went to Senagallia. It is a beach resort that is also one of the most environmentally friendly beaches in Europe. It was a breezy, mostly sunny day and we greatly enjoyed ourselves. We even wandered into the old part of town for lunch and there was an interesting fortress. When I get those pictures from Joe, I’ll upload them.
Saturday we went to Senagallia. It is a beach resort that is also one of the most environmentally friendly beaches in Europe. It was a breezy, mostly sunny day and we greatly enjoyed ourselves. We even wandered into the old part of town for lunch and there was an interesting fortress. When I get those pictures from Joe, I’ll upload them.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
First few days--getting acclimated
It is now Wednesday afternoon and Francesca is “trying to take a nap” and watching the flies bump in to each other in the bedroom. For those of you unfamiliar with European homes, there are no screens, the bugs are meant to fly through the houses and apartments.
I left off the last post arriving in Jesi. Joe took us on a walking tour of the city. We walked to the Parco Publico and Francesca checked out the playground, then we walked through the town center which is in the walled part of the city, past Joe’s school, and then to a Pizzeria. It was great food, and it was wonderful to see Joe.
Jesi is not a tourist destination. It will help us to understand Italy better by experiencing the culture and the slower pace of life that the Italians have (aside from the driving). The people here are friendly. On Monday, Francesca and I went to the park and then to a grocery store to buy a few items that we had failed to pack. While in the grocery store, a woman stopped to ask us if we were “Inglese o Americana?” I responded appropriately only to have her excitedly speak to me in Italian and then notice my baffled facial expression. The last thing she asked was “Capiche?” and the correct response was “no” and that was the end of it. This was not the only time we have had people ask. I’m guessing that no too many Americans frequent the stores like Francesca and I will. The culinary school does have American students, but they are in class all day long and the school purchases groceries for them twice a week.
We also have groceries delivered through the school. It is great, Joe brings home the left overs and if you have seen the picture of “Pranza” on his blog, know that there are only 8-10 people eating lunch so the left overs are split among the students. This is great because we don’t have to worry too much about food costs. We do plan to eat out once a week to experience some of the restaurants here.
Francesca and I had lunch yesterday at Joe’s school. Everyone was very nice. The kitchens are wonderful and the food—fantastico!
One thing we didn’t plan for was the rain and cold that we experienced yesterday, so our first order of business today was to buy jackets. I am still without, but Francesca got a cute little blue hoodie.
This weekend we hope to get to Senigalia which is a small beach town about 30 minutes away by train.
Not much else to report at this point in time!
I left off the last post arriving in Jesi. Joe took us on a walking tour of the city. We walked to the Parco Publico and Francesca checked out the playground, then we walked through the town center which is in the walled part of the city, past Joe’s school, and then to a Pizzeria. It was great food, and it was wonderful to see Joe.
Jesi is not a tourist destination. It will help us to understand Italy better by experiencing the culture and the slower pace of life that the Italians have (aside from the driving). The people here are friendly. On Monday, Francesca and I went to the park and then to a grocery store to buy a few items that we had failed to pack. While in the grocery store, a woman stopped to ask us if we were “Inglese o Americana?” I responded appropriately only to have her excitedly speak to me in Italian and then notice my baffled facial expression. The last thing she asked was “Capiche?” and the correct response was “no” and that was the end of it. This was not the only time we have had people ask. I’m guessing that no too many Americans frequent the stores like Francesca and I will. The culinary school does have American students, but they are in class all day long and the school purchases groceries for them twice a week.
We also have groceries delivered through the school. It is great, Joe brings home the left overs and if you have seen the picture of “Pranza” on his blog, know that there are only 8-10 people eating lunch so the left overs are split among the students. This is great because we don’t have to worry too much about food costs. We do plan to eat out once a week to experience some of the restaurants here.
Francesca and I had lunch yesterday at Joe’s school. Everyone was very nice. The kitchens are wonderful and the food—fantastico!
One thing we didn’t plan for was the rain and cold that we experienced yesterday, so our first order of business today was to buy jackets. I am still without, but Francesca got a cute little blue hoodie.
This weekend we hope to get to Senigalia which is a small beach town about 30 minutes away by train.
Not much else to report at this point in time!
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Trip!
Okay, so we are here! The journey was interesting and there are a few tidbits that I’d like to share. First our friend Russ who is watching Kaiser took Francesca and I to the airport. It was great. Apparently while I was in the bedroom doing one last vacuum, Russ asked Francesca if she would promise to be a good girl while traveling with Mommy. She was! I guess she didn’t want to disappoint anyone—but she really is a good traveler anyway.
Our flight to Atlanta was delayed, but we made it. The flight to Roma was interesting. The Oklahoma University Women’s basketball team was traveling on our flight to play some bball in Italy and Greece on a whirlwind 10 day tour. They were a great bunch of women! One disturbing incident also occurred. When we were half-way across the “water portion” of our flight many flight attendants raced down the aisle to a window seat about 8 rows ahead of us. Then there was an announcement, “If there are any medical doctors on this flight will you please report to row &*$^A.” Immediately people began to stand up and gawk at this woman who was evidently having a medical emergency. I even noticed people from the higher paying end of the plane using the mid bulkhead restroom to look on. Fortunately there was a doctor and fortunately the woman walked off of the plane on her own. It was frightening. I was more concerned for the woman and scared that we would have to make an emergency landing. I have to admit that even though others were gawking, I first looked to where the attention was going, then slowly began to scan everyone else and their behavior. I guess car wrecks and airplane emergencies are part of our morbid fascination as human beings.
We had a 5 hour lay over in Roma. Francesca and I met an Italian couple who had missed their connection in Roma to go to their home in Trieste. They had already been traveling over 24 hours from Sydney Australia visiting a child and grandchildren. They spoke good English so we were able to carry on a conversation. One of our conversation topics actually turned to the lack of customer service that the couple experienced upon missing their flight. I found that to be rather interesting since I complain about that as well but thought it was only a phenomenon in the US.
Once we arrived at the Ancona airport. Our luggage was there, Joe had hired a driver and was there, and we drove to our humble apartment in Jesi.
Our flight to Atlanta was delayed, but we made it. The flight to Roma was interesting. The Oklahoma University Women’s basketball team was traveling on our flight to play some bball in Italy and Greece on a whirlwind 10 day tour. They were a great bunch of women! One disturbing incident also occurred. When we were half-way across the “water portion” of our flight many flight attendants raced down the aisle to a window seat about 8 rows ahead of us. Then there was an announcement, “If there are any medical doctors on this flight will you please report to row &*$^A.” Immediately people began to stand up and gawk at this woman who was evidently having a medical emergency. I even noticed people from the higher paying end of the plane using the mid bulkhead restroom to look on. Fortunately there was a doctor and fortunately the woman walked off of the plane on her own. It was frightening. I was more concerned for the woman and scared that we would have to make an emergency landing. I have to admit that even though others were gawking, I first looked to where the attention was going, then slowly began to scan everyone else and their behavior. I guess car wrecks and airplane emergencies are part of our morbid fascination as human beings.
We had a 5 hour lay over in Roma. Francesca and I met an Italian couple who had missed their connection in Roma to go to their home in Trieste. They had already been traveling over 24 hours from Sydney Australia visiting a child and grandchildren. They spoke good English so we were able to carry on a conversation. One of our conversation topics actually turned to the lack of customer service that the couple experienced upon missing their flight. I found that to be rather interesting since I complain about that as well but thought it was only a phenomenon in the US.
Once we arrived at the Ancona airport. Our luggage was there, Joe had hired a driver and was there, and we drove to our humble apartment in Jesi.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
2 days away!
Joe left last Saturday and we have been finishing up a few things here prior to our departure.
To use an overstated metaphor and mix it up in strange ways, we are in the tunnel and the light is beginning to blind us. Wednesday I finished up my spring semester classes at UNCCharlotte. As I walked from Colvard to the Cone Parking Deck I felt lighter with every step. I knew that one more goal had been accomplished prior to leaving.
Today was “Beginner’s Day” for rising kindergarteners at Francesca’s elementary school—Sharon school. It was great, she was very excited but when it came time to separate the kids from the parents, she kept a stiff upper lip when I know she wanted to have a melt down like the little girl sitting next to us. One more goal accomplished prior to leaving.
Tomorrow is Francesca’s last day ever of preschool. She has had wonderful teachers this year and our entire experience at Charlotte Jewish Preschool has been phenomenal. To celebrate the last day, Francesca will be bringing cupcakes.
Tomorrow will also be a continuation of this afternoon with chores such as straightening up the house (i.e. clearing it of a week’s worth of preparing for the end of semester clutter) and a little light yard work.
Saturday our friend Russ will be taking us to the airport and it is on to Jesi Italy in the Marche! The next posting will be from there, expect pictures, hopefully interesting anecdotes and for more in-depth food information link over to Joe’s blog. He already has some amazing pictures and commentary of 3 days of school.
We will miss our friends, colleagues, and neighbors, but this is one of those experiences that one should not dream about, but do when the best possible opportunity presents itself.
To use an overstated metaphor and mix it up in strange ways, we are in the tunnel and the light is beginning to blind us. Wednesday I finished up my spring semester classes at UNCCharlotte. As I walked from Colvard to the Cone Parking Deck I felt lighter with every step. I knew that one more goal had been accomplished prior to leaving.
Today was “Beginner’s Day” for rising kindergarteners at Francesca’s elementary school—Sharon school. It was great, she was very excited but when it came time to separate the kids from the parents, she kept a stiff upper lip when I know she wanted to have a melt down like the little girl sitting next to us. One more goal accomplished prior to leaving.
Tomorrow is Francesca’s last day ever of preschool. She has had wonderful teachers this year and our entire experience at Charlotte Jewish Preschool has been phenomenal. To celebrate the last day, Francesca will be bringing cupcakes.
Tomorrow will also be a continuation of this afternoon with chores such as straightening up the house (i.e. clearing it of a week’s worth of preparing for the end of semester clutter) and a little light yard work.
Saturday our friend Russ will be taking us to the airport and it is on to Jesi Italy in the Marche! The next posting will be from there, expect pictures, hopefully interesting anecdotes and for more in-depth food information link over to Joe’s blog. He already has some amazing pictures and commentary of 3 days of school.
We will miss our friends, colleagues, and neighbors, but this is one of those experiences that one should not dream about, but do when the best possible opportunity presents itself.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The countdown has begun!
We are getting much closer to our departure date. Joe leaves May 3 while Francesca and I leave on May 10. Kaiser is staying home and our friend Russ will be his roommate.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Getting Started
We are in the midst of preparing for our life in Italy. We do not intend to post too much until we are closer to our departure time. Emotions are running wild as we get closer, but the main emotion we are experiencing is excitement!
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