A Countryside Compound

Normally in the states you get about 2 weeks of vacation to be taken whenever you choose. In Italy the entire month of August is dedicated to vacation on top of whatever other holidays they take throughout the year. Places shut down, the beach is crowded, pizza everyday and gelato everywhere. It is a 30 day festa filled with screaming children, exhausted nannies and very tan Italians. We spent the main period of the holiday, called fer Agosto with Claudia’s entire family in Torgiano. It is a city in the region of Umbria, right outside of Perugia. The city where I studied abroad.

I had heard of what Torgiano might be like but there really isn’t a proper way to do it justice. Despite my extreme stomach virus I picked up from my last adventure (I will spare you the details) I was still in awe when we pulled up to Fattoria Spinola. Once again imagine with me if you will. We entered through a private gate, and then drove about a quarter mile down a cypress tree lined street with vineyards on either side arriving at the main entrance to the grand villa. A three story 6,000 square foot (I am guessing at that, just know that it was HUGE) mansion. That is where the family stays. Then across from that villa is where Claudia’s cousin, her daughter and husband live year round in a 2 story villa, probably about 3,000 square feet complete with tanning bed if you can believe it. Allison, the other tata and I stayed in a smaller 2 bedroom loft type apartment above one of the garages and next to the pigs, horses, rabbits and ducks. Yes Mom and Dad, it is FINALLY true that I have lived in a pig sty. Despite the constant smell it was incredible to have my own room for a week.

It was very easy to get into a routine in Torgiano. Wake up to the roosters, eat breakfast with the fam, change into swimsuits, play in the garden and then go to the pool. Lunch was always incredible because the Ukrainian cook, Galia was there. Fresh baked bread, sausages on the barbeque, incredible HOMEMADE pasta with organic vegetables from their garden, rabbit with rice (I could do without, I mean we were neighbors. Yes, that also means I saw and then ate poor Mr. Peter Cottontail). Then comes the pausa, my favorite time of the day. Three hours without any responsibilities. I would nap, or take the electric scooter to the market, swim laps, take a walk… but if I were to be honest for most of the time I sat in my room in front of a fan. No air conditioning caused me to be quite lazy. The afternoon called for another swim and this time most of the clan was there to play in the pool, thankfully. My arms were getting tired from throwing her from my shoulders listening to her scream, ancora! (another time). Dinners were of course incredible as well and quite the event. We all sat outside and ate on a huge slab of marble. Always eating off of fine china and sampling such appetisers as liver pate and drinking Ferrai champagne. If I wasn’t the help and concerned with when to clear the table and who wants their coffee in what way it would have been quite the vacation. But hey, I got a small glimpse into the rich life of wealthy Italians and on the other side I can say that liver pate is something that I can do without.

It was fascinating to see how such a family operates on a day to day basis. The children and nannies stay at home during the morning… and most of the day. My hours and location were set. However the rest of the family would go shopping and exploring the nearby cities in search of “the one thing” you can only get in that region. In this case it was ceramics, and thankfully Claudia took me to near by Deruta, one of the main areas for beautiful ceramics so that I could get a taste of what it was all about.

It didn’t take long to feel like I was a guest star in an Italian soap opera. On this compound, with so many family members around and countless opinions flying about you can see how nothing is kept a secret. I would hear from Claudia about the other nanny, and then from her aunt about the cousin, and from the cousin about the grandma. It was exhausting to try and keep up with who likes who, and who is mad about what and then to try and find the balance of being the help and taking part in their family life. Needless to say I savored the afternoons and evenings when I could be gossip free. It was all a bit too ridiculous for me.

At one point they had a 50 person party at the house. Now to those of you that know of my Thanksgiving feasts 50 people can be done…. But 50 people in the kind of style that the Spinolas put out, that was something very different. The maids prepared for 5 days ahead of time. The silver was polished, china perfectly cleaned, linens washed and of course pressed. I was afraid to sneeze anywhere inside of the house with a fear of ruining something. The party went off without a hitch…. Unless you count my responsibility of Lulu, having a massive freak out session and literally running from me to her Grandma who happened to be welcoming at least 20 guests. I got the nastiest look from her perfectly manicured face when she took her hand and led her back to me. Ohhhh the little angel. Its amazing how she can fool so many people into thinking that she is so funny and adorable. Ha. I know the truth. Heres a story for you… so the night of the party we were exiled to one of the rooms to watch cartoons and her grandfather, with whom she is named after, found us with his old college friend. Ludovica was introduced to said friend and he replied that if she is lucky she will one day be as great as her grandfather, Ludovico. She immediately replies, oh no, I already am better and then continued to watch her cartoon. Hahaha laughs all around. Maybe I am more keen to her “kind” words but that is not cute to me. Aretha please, some R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

I am sitting here with 2 days left. Wow. Cliché yes, but the time has flown by. I am off to Caserta, near Naples to visit an old friend for a few days and then I leave my favorite country to explore 11 more. Greece first and then all the way up through Eastern Europe until I get to London. Meeting friends along the way and then joining up with a tour for 3 weeks. It is going to go by so fast but I am ready for my month of backpacking. I can do without diapers, bottles and bidets for a bit. Updates with come as often as I can but no guarantees. I will take note of the ridiculous things that occur and hope to share some good stories.

2 months down, only 1 to go.

For the last time… Jenny the ta-ta

Part 2

Yup, you guessed it, I went. Me, Jennifer Avise on a spontaneous venture to Hungary with the thousands of other backpackers in search of a true European experience…. or just some really good music. You would think that a night train would be so trendy sitting with people from all cultures on a journey to a far away land. Ha, NO. Picture at least 150 tired, dreadlocked hippies waiting to climb on an already packed train at 2:30am ready to sit for 9 hours – or in many peoples case, stand for what turned out to be an 11 hour journey. It was quite comical to listen to the people outside of the cabin where I was SITTING (total score that I even got a seat) say that they were trying to save money on a hostel and sleep on the train. Oh so many times I have tried to explain that very same situation to clients and here I was living it with backpackers just like them. The worst was as soon as you dozed off to “sleep” there were angry border guards in your face, with guns, demanding to see your passport. If I wasn’t so exhausted I might have cared. But I did care enough to get 2 new stamps!

Upon entering Budapest it was quite overwhelming, but that might have been because I was in a “I haven’t slept for almost 2 days and I just took an 11 hour train ride phase”. Regardless, we walked down what I assume to be one of the main roads in Budapest to our hostel – Astoria City Hostel. Nothing too exciting, kind of like all other communal sleeping situations but hey it was a place to shower and drop off luggage. Then, it was time to find some goulash. Mmmmm. I had been craving it since I decided to take this crazy side trip. It was found along with Hungarian sausage and local beer and made me oh so happy – although I think that you could have put a cows tongue in front of me and I would have scarfed it down willingly.

That night was a walk through as much of the Pest side as my legs would allow. Sidenote… for those of you that don’t know – like I did not, Budapest is divided into 2 parts the Buda and the Pest side. I get the feeling that most people stay and frolic on the Pest side because that is where a majority of the main sites are. Anyways we took a long walk on both sides but there is a rather large hill on the Buda side and I was able to get a wonderful view of the Danube followed by the main buildings on the Pest side. It is hard to believe that 20 years ago this city was overtaken by communism and, as I have heard, very run down. I found it to be a bit chaotic but overall quite charming.

The next day I finally awoke refreshed. After too many days of no sleep I was ready to see more of what this city had to offer. Just to let you in on one of my travel “must sees” ….I have a small obsession with markets wherever I go. Covered markets, food markets, craft markets… it really doesn’t matter to me. Budapest did not disappoint. Despite hitting the great wall of language barriers I found it thrilling to interact with locals and have the chance to get a small glimpse of what a normal day might entail. Oh yes, and the fact that I like to think of myself as a quasi foodie required me to sample some of the local cuisine that this market offered. They had a vast spread of local fruits, pastries, spices, coffees and handcrafted goods. I do have to say that next to Florence, Budapest has the best covered market.

Next stop, the baths. Hungary as a country, and Budapest in particular is known for their thermal baths so of course on my city checklist it was a must see. 3,500 HUF (about 12 euro) and you get a locker and all day access to the pools, about 6 in all. It was a refreshing experience and the baths were very nice…. However I think that I am complete spoiled brat because I have spent the past 2 months in Cinque Terre so to pay that much to go to a bath… well I quickly discovered that unless you thrown some Enya on and add some aromatherapy candles I prefer the seaside. Also, the private women’s area where the elderly flock and flop about made me NEVER want to age. Old boobs, scary.

Feeling rejuvenated and glad to be young, Scott and I made our way back to the hostel so that I could pack before the main event. Sziget! After about a 40 minute walk we finally made our way to the boat taxi, purchased our tickets and were on the Danube heading to the island where the Sziget music festival was taking place. Coincidentally this festival is the same week as Woodstock was years ago and is a 5 day, multinational event involving countless bands from all over and at least 400,000 people. Madness is the most appropriate word to sum it up. I have never in my life been to something quite like that. It was everything that I imagined it to be – thousands of happy music lovers dancing, drinking, singing and laughing to whichever band was rocking out on stage. I had the pleasure to arrive when a Spanish punk band was on and the crowd was so into it. There even came a point when people were crowd surfing in inflatable boats, now there’s a good time. After Ska-P there was a slight break before one of the main bands I came to see, Snow Patrol. It was the perfect chance to take a quick walk around and try to absorb of much of the insanity as possible. Strange booths, disco stages, dance parties, people picnicking anywhere they could find a place to sit. It was a scene. After the little jaunt we positioned ourselves on the right hand side of the stage and took in the amazing show that Snow Patrol put on. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how good they were. Next was one of my favorites, Lily Allen. She put on a great show. So much spunk and great sound. Even the guys that thought they were too cool were dancing to her show. Way to go Lily.

After the highlight (Lily), the rest of the festival was filled with bands I would have loved to see but had no idea who they were. I ventured to a few stages but at 2 am decided it would be best to make it back in time to catch my 4 am taxi to the airport. Enter day from hell. 4 am taxi, 6 am flight from Budapest to Milan. 1 hour bus ride from the airport to the city center. Wait 3 hours for the train. Take a 4 hour train ride. Wait 1 hour at the train station to be picked up. Baby-sit a 3 year old for 6 hours. Then 2 days later suffer the consequences of my actions. I got my travel sickness out of the way. A 6 day stomach virus. Oh good times.

We just got back from Umbria, specifically Torgiano and a stay with the entire family (about 15 people). There are several stories from there but my bed is calling me. A dopo.

JIA

Hans Solo - Party of One

Part 1:

Slovenia, check. Hungary, check. Travelling alone to Eastern Europe, check. Thanks to a free rail pass, savvy internet skills and a degree in communications I found myself taking the road less travelled and on a journey that I couldn’t have planned.


Initially I left Levanto with a plan to see Ljubljana and Lake Bled over a period of 4 days. After a 15 hour train ride with stops in Venice and Milan, a few cheesy photos, a broken rail car and 4 loud French backpackers I was dropped in the capital city of Ljubljana, Slovenia at 4 am weighed down by a large pack and completely alone. Amazingly enough the hostel waited for me to arrive and I was able to crash out as soon as I got there. However “sleeping” in a 4 bed mixed dorm is not the most restful experience, thus I was up a very short 3 hours later in search of coffee and friends. Thankfully both were waiting in the communal kitchen when I crawled out of my room. I recognized a shirt from Costa Rica on a guy in the kitchen and struck up a conversation about travels and caffeine. Just like the instant coffee, Scott the Canadian, became an instant friend. Me, being a travel agent came with a list of things to see, places to go and local specialities to eat and he being a solo traveller in search of an adventure was willing to join me in exploring Ljubljana and completing my list.


Ljubljana is a very small city – despite its title of being a capital. The Dragon Bridge, Triple Bridge, Castle and famous square are the main attractions and all about 10 minutes from each other. After crossing the bridges and wandering around the antiques market absorbing the communist paraphernalia (swastikas and the sort) the trek to the castle on the hill called my name. The hike to the top wasn’t that bad and the view from the tower was a wonderful way to see the entire city. However after the castle adventure all of the main spots were photographed and my checklist was complete. Hmmmmm. Sightseeing in 1 hour, check.


Craving the local delicacies of sausage, mustard and beer I took out my list and we ventured to a restaurant with a menu that I couldn’t understand one word…. that’s how you know that’s going to be authentic. The food was great and very different. I got a sausage in a red wine sauce and tried the mushroom soup, both very good and as I found out later, an aroma that I would have of for a few hours. Ha, oops. That afternoon it was quite hot so the hostel directed all of its customers to a local pool around the corner. Relaxing and restful- just what I needed. Then that night the castle was hosting a movie in the main courtyard so armed with a picnic we took a ride on the cable car and arrived at the top with locals and tourists to enjoy Revolutionary Road with Slovenian subtitles. Just to give you an idea how different their language is hvala is thanks… yea about that, huh?


The next day Lake Bohinj and Lake Bled were on the agenda. There was a slight attempt to rent a car with 4 people from the hostel but all of the local agencies were sold out so the bus was the best mode of transportation. 2 hours later I found myself at the base of the Alps on the edge of a crystal clear lake listening to language I have never heard before and wishing my camera could truly capture what I was seeing. The water was absolutely frigid but so refreshing. This lake, Bohinj, was beyond the typical tourist path and made me grateful to have heard about it (thanks Lonely Planet). After lunch - sorry, nothing exciting to report here, and a 45 minute bus ride the city and lake called Bled were before me. What a difference between the two lakes. 5x as many people wandering around, hotels, shops, and countless restaurants. Don’t get me wrong this place was beautiful. A clear lake with an island church in the middle, a castle very high on a hillside that overlooked the water and very cute wooden boats for hire scattering the shoreline. Quaint.


As we headed back to Ljubljana I was at a crossroad in my journey. I had a decision to make. Do I stay in Ljubljana for another day and take the train back at 2am on Wednesday or do I venture with a new friend to the Sziget Music Festival in Budapest, Hungary and fly back on Thursday… hmmmm.


Details to come but Lulu has awoken from her “na-na” and I need a typing break.

JIA – the tata

When in Rome - Rick Steves has nothing on Tuscans

This past weekend (well actually two weeks ago now.. time lapse) I was able to head to Tuscany. (yes I know, it was the second weekend in a row… I am a jerk for sharing sorry) Anyways, I met up with my friend Beth who was one of my roommates while studying in Perugia – and she also happens to be from Davis. You see, Beth was a nanny as well a few years ago and like a fairy take she fell in love with an Italian named Marco. She has been here for a month or so to visit him and I was lucky enough to be able to leech onto their vacation and spend some time with a true Tuscan.

After a 5 hour train ride I arrived into Chiusi, a small town near the edge of Tuscany and Umbria. Beth and Marco picked me up and we ventured to his parents house. There we rested and I got a chance to wash off the train ick before we took a drive through the Tuscan countryside. I have this thought that most people secretly want to star in their own movie, and if I had a chance mine would take place in this area. I was in the back of what I assume to be the traditional Italian car… tinsy, 2 door manual. We blared Italian music as we whipped around the curves and I plastered my face to the window in awe of all that I was able to see. We passed giant bales of hay, fields of vibrant yellow sunflowers, coffee shops packed with people of all ages and of course wineries.

After our little jaunt we arrived in a town called Montepulciano. You may not know this town right now but for those of you that are Twilight fans the next movie, New Moon, was filmed there. They even have the cheesy t-shirts in the shops. I know… gag me. However not only are they now known for being a movie location but they are also home to a world famous wine called Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. Ill let you in on a little secret. If you can ever find a way to make friends with locals DO IT. Yes it might be scary and if you are travelling alone it might not be something that I would recommend but if you really want to know the hidden secrets that even Rick Steve’s can’t find then you need a local. Marco (Beth’s boyfriend) is from a town near Montepulciano he knew all of the places to visit and of course the cuisine to try.

As we trekked up to the center… it was a hillside town and pretty steep to get to, we arrived to the sounds of a symphony performing in the main square. Seriously, a symphony, composed of about 70-100 people playing every instrument. We listened and tried to absorb as much as possible as the sound echoed throughout the Piazza to the 14^th century buildings. After the concert we dropped into a local cellar to tour the casks and later we had a wine and cheese tasting. Heaven. World renowned wine and 4 types of pecorino I cant think of a better combo.

Perugia was our next stop. Aww to be “home” again. Walking the town, seeing the famous fountain, eating a Baci chocolate and listening to the variety of languages in the center. It was so good to be back if only for a few hours. That night we went back to Tuscany (la Citta de Pieve) and I woke up to a vast valley before me. The schedule for the day was a picnic on Mount Amiata with Marcos friends. I loved tagging along on the shopping adventure with Tuscans because 1. they know that places to go and 2. they are very particular. We went to the butcher and I watched as he sliced off a huge chunk of raw beef called bistecca Florentina that is supposed to be served barley cooked…. Not so sure about that one but who am I to judge? A few sausages and some other groceries later we were on out way.

The drive to Mount Amiata was about an hour and allowed us to pass through a good portion of the countryside. We arrived at a large park on the mountain and set up camp. Lunch was perfect.. a slow 5 hour meal filled with joking, the sharing of stories and of course incredible food. Stuffed to the brim we passed out on the dirt. Classy, I know. Then we climbed to the top of the mountain where the view jolted me to the reality of just how lucky I am.

A little town called Lucca was the final destination for my weekend 2 hours north of La Citta de Pieve. This town is surrounded by a huge wall so thick that you can drive a car around the perimeter – we choose bikes. A 7 euro rental and we had wheels. The churches, piazzas were wonderful – however I have to admit a real reason I was excited about Lucca. A co-worker is Italian and knows this town fairly well. She warned me of a thing called, “Lucca bread” and told me of a place to look. We biked over to the B&B to see if they had it…. They did not but directed us to the place where it could be purchased. We jetted over to the pasticceria called Fabbrica Buccellato Taddeucci and entered a fresh baked haven. I bought a loaf of such bread (braided with chocolate and candied orange pieces) and 2 small other pieces. I have to ashamedly admit that I walked out of the store sampled my purchase and walked right back in to buy more. Glutton yes, but oh so happy J I think that sums up Lucca. Adorable, bike-able city with great baked goods. It certainly suited my fancy.

Many more adventures to be added. Coming very soon.

JIA

Leather, Pashminas and of course, THE David.

Ahhh. Florence or Firenze to those of you in “the know”. I love that city. The leather, jewellery, pashminas, food markets and of course countless tourists blindly following the plastic flower, umbrella or waving hand to guide them to the next major attraction.

Last weekend I ventured to Florence to visit, Kassey and friend from college who was living there for the month of July… I know, lucky girl. It was so refreshing to see a an old friend and what was even better was her knowledge of the town and of course her apartment near the Ponte Vecchio was a great place to stay with her and her Mom and Grandma who were visiting. We spent the weekend eating apperitivos at very cute local bars, shopping in the San Lorenzo Market, eating gelato from its birthplace (yes gelato began in Florence, I mean what better reason to feast on that incredible frozen delicacy than in the place where it originated? At least that’s what I told myself) and of course visiting the incredible historical monuments that it has to offer.

For those of you that have not been to Firenze let me paint a mental picture for you. Go ahead imagine with me if you will (I would say close your eyes but then you cannot continue…alas) a town in the region of Tuscany known for art, wine and the ideal Italian vacation (it has also been the home to many chick flicks, hence the reason most women have an unknown draw to this area). The smell of cheese, salami, procuttio and coffee combine with the sounds of laughter from of the cafes to make a perfect setting for a get away. The only draw back from this incredible place is the humidity and heat, but I will no dwell on the negatives.

Upon exiting the Santa Maria Novella train station you are immediately met with the Santa Maria Novella church immense and beautiful standing before you. As you walk towards the center of town you pass countless clothing and shoe stores, the San Lorenzo market, the covered market and of course during all of this the smell of leather is wafting through the air. If there is such a thing as a shopping crave I certainly got one inhaling that amazing aroma. Continuing on you see the Duomo and Campanile, one of the most famous in Italy. And in front of them hundreds of people posing, while squinting from the bright, hot sun. Leaving there you can pass through a very famous Piazza (so famous in fact that its name is currently slipping my mind, sorry about that) where the FAKE David is. You know, David, THE DAVID, the incredibly famous statue of the biblical David.

***Tangent….. I find it so odd that in a culture where people are often more modest than not in the Academia building where the real David is there is a bench behind him. I know the reason that it is there but I always have to laugh because it is the perfect place to take a rest and bask in the glory is his perfect behind. Maybe its just me but people get into some sort of trance sitting there “relaxing”. I mean sure there are people that sit near his front side but every time that I have visited the bench behind him is always packed. People saying oh this is so incredible… yea, you are just so – in awe- .

Back to the rest of the trip. If you continue past the famous, forgotten name, Piazza you will pass the Uffizi building which houses an large number of Florence’s most famous paintings. Just behind the Uffizi lays the Ponte Vecchio, the only bridge that didn’t get destroyed in WWII, and home to the gold jewellery headquarters of this town. If you continue walking you will pass the Pitti Palace and behind it the Boboli Gardens. They are a great combination of art, history and the patience of a person with a very green thumb.

Don’t be mistaken there are many more historical sites that can be explored but these mentioned (oh yes and the Santa Croce Church) are the main sites if you are doing a whirlwind tour. The new thing that I did this trip was that I climbed the top of the Duomo. I got up really early and was at the side entrance of the Duomo by 8:30 am ready to climb the 463 steps to the top. Besides no ventilation, narrow walkways and spiral staircases it was not that bad and the view from the top is something that HAS to be seen. It allows for the perfect 360 degree view of the entire town and the regions beyond it. You can play Where’s Waldo with the churches and places that you have visited and it gives you a satisfaction of knowing just how much you walked to earn all of that gelato. Just me? OK moving on.

All in all it was a great way to spend the weekend (and my hard earned 80 euro per week). I just got back from a Tuscan vacation but that update will come in just a bit.

Until next time..

JIA

Also, just to keep you coming back for more, here is another recipe:

Pepperoni

(Italian style, not the kind that comes on a pizza)

I realize that this may not sound like the most appetizing dish (sorry Mom, I know that you didn’t seem to be a fan) but TRUST ME, if prepared correctly it is incredible!

• 2 red bell peppers and 2 yellow bell peppers
• ¾ cup raisins
• 1 red onion sliced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• ½ - ¾ cup bread crumbs
• 1TBS red vinegar
• 1 TBS brown sugar

1. Clean and slice the bell peppers into chunks
2. Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion. Once soft add the bell peppers and sauté until cooked
3. Add the raisins, brown sugar and vinegar and heat all together. If there is no remaining liquid add some water to ensure that there is enough for the bread crumbs to absorb
4. Just before serving add the bread crumbs

*parmesan can be added to the dish for a little something extra J