Archive | June, 2013

Cortona Town Guide: Cortonaweb

10 Jun

Each year in Cortona, we are fortunate to befriend more and more locals, one of the reasons we return to Cortona. This year, two of those people are Luca Tiezzi and Simone Rossi, founders and publishers of Cortonaweb.net. Pictured below with Len, they introduced us to Le Celle, one of the most beautiful places in Cortona. (Le Celle to be covered in another post!) While we knew of the monastery’s existence, we thought the grounds were private, so we never entered the monastery of St. Francis of Assisi. But for now, back to Luca and Simone and Cortonaweb.

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Len, being a business professor of Entrepreneurship, loves meeting with young entrepreneurs and discussing the challenges and opportunities they face. Here in Italy, there are many challenges for the young as unemployment  is well above 20%. With Luca and Simone, our conversations dance between English and Italian, and include everything from local and national politics, their business goals and challenges, food, wine, historical sites, travel, and whatever is happening in town. Being natives of Cortona, their depth of knowledge and appreciation of the historical area is evident, not only in their conversation but also in the relevance and thoroughness of their work.

While Len and I have many books and maps on various parts of Italy, Cortonaweb is a Cortona tourist’s friend, offering a detailed website that includes local events, weather, local attractions and historical sites, and some recommendations for shopping,  dining and accommodations. While not all-inclusive, it certainly is a great place to start.  In addition, from the website, you can order a small but concise Town Guide and an interactive map with GPS coordinates and links to video guides and podcasts. The photo-filled small guide, available on Amazon through their website, is light and easy to carry, unlike so many others. If coming to Cortona, a must have!

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Grazie to Luca and Simone for introducing us to one of Cortona’s best treasures, Le Celle, and sharing their knowledge and expertise with us.

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New friends, new finds…we are always open for the unexpected as we experience all that Cortona has to offer!

Ciao,

Judy

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Cortona Market Set up

8 Jun

If you wake early enough, you can watch the empty Piazza Signorelli come to life on Saturday morning and become the open market.  We have wondered how all the trucks arrive and set up, as the streets leading to the Piazza are narrow and steep. This morning we found out.

A truck that becomes a canopied stall looks like this when closed:

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Between 7-8 am, dozens of trucks maneuver through the narrow streets to reach their assigned  spaces. This truck actually made it through without hitting anything!

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In an ancient town like Cortona, one might expect market stalls to be rather simplistic. However, that is anything but true. These modern marvels are fascinating. If you have ever seen a factory with automation in full bloom, you’d still be impressed with the robotic mechanisms on these trucks which transform them into stand-alone self-sufficient markets.

As you can see in the video, articulated robotic arms open and move canopies and sides into all directions to become  open-air covered stores. Then the contents are moved outside, whether clothes, shoes, household goods or food.

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Gabriella and Luigi, our Saturday roasted chicken vendors, told us about their truck. We learned that there is a factory between here and Firenze that customizes each truck to fit the needs of the vendor. Some  just need canopies, while others, like them, require refrigeration and spit-fired roasters. Whatever the need, the factory can oblige. Some of the canopies are even opened by hand-held remote controls. Incredible!

Like so many other proprietors in town, the “roaming marketeers” are self-sufficient, hard-working people who cater to the needs of their customers. Some set up at multiple markets throughout the week, different towns, different days. Cortona is one of the smaller markets, so it is easy to get to know the vendors. They are helpful and always have a kind word and a smile. A most enjoyable morning and well worth an early start to this warm and sunny day!

Ciao,

Judy

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Italian Hill Towns

7 Jun

Just returned from a two-day tour of the Italian countryside in Tuscany and Umbria where the drive was as lovely as the three ancient towns we visited.

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Our first stop was Citta di Castello, meaning town of the castle. Although there actually is no castle, there are stately old buildings and monuments, and of course, in the “larger” cities as least, a duomo or cathedral. The area was an ancient Roman port on the Tiber River and some archaeological remains of the port are visible in the southern part of the historical center.

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Eliza, at Antico Canonico where we spent the night, was most helpful in telling us about the city as well as other nearby towns which we visited the next day. Our “hotel” was originally built years ago as a home for priests. While the door to each unit is the original “cell” door, the apartment behind is simple, ample and clean. Yes, this is our apartment door!

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In the afternoon, we enjoyed  watching the men’s bocce tournament. And in the evening, we strolled the town with the locals.

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The next morning, our first destination was the lovely town of Citerna in Umbria, a tiny hilltop town which boasts of Etruscan and Roman origins and is ranked among the 100 most beautiful villages in Italy. It is the northernmost town in Umbria and while it was severely damaged during WWII, you’d  never know it today.

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The panoramic views as we left town were spectacular!

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From there we headed back to Tuscany to a town called  Anghiari. At first, this appeared to be a “modern” town until we came upon the ancient hilltop walled city. Anghiari is famous for a 1440 battle between the towns of Florence and Milan, and even inspired Leonardo da Vinci to create a fresco in Palazzo Vecchio. Although the original fresco has disappeared,  a sketch of it by Peter Paul Rubens is still in existence.

Peter Paul Rubens' copy of the lost Battle of ...

Peter Paul Rubens’ copy of the lost Battle of Anghiari. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The ancient town is filled with steep, winding streets, and on one of them, we came across a wonderful shop called Carabattole. Sitting inside was Marinella, from whom we learned about tombolo, an art not practiced in the US.

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I bought a lovely pair of earrings similar to the ones shown above. Afterward, we enjoyed a simple but wonderful lunch at a local Cantina.

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When we returned to Cortona and talked to some of the locals about our trip, many had not even heard of tiny Citerna. How lucky for us that  Eliza directed us there, as well as to Anghiari. Continuing to follow the road less travelled without agenda always brings us wonderful surprises and new memories as well as the opportunity to share them with you.

Ciao,

Judy

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A New Fiat in the Family

3 Jun

Check out our new car…a Fiat 500 L, (cinque cento)

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Comfortable room for four

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Lift-gate hidden cargo area

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Well, it is new, and it is ours…if only for four weeks.

We took the car for a ride today, off to get coffee and find the sun. And that we did. After driving some winding roads, we headed toward Montalcino to find Avignonesi, a winery we learned of from our friend Patricia. We’ve tried some of their wines and like them a lot, so off we went.

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From their website:

The winery is named after the Avignonesi family, the founders of the original estate. Constant research and development aimed at expressing the true character of the Montepulciano terroir has, over time, earned the winery a well-deserved place among the flagship producers of Tuscany. http://www.avignonesi.it

As is true throughout Tuscany, it is impossible to photograph or paint the magnificence and simplicity of the rolling hills.

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Avignonesi has a lovely tasting room, and offers tours, lunches and culinary classes. And the customer service is wonderful.

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After purchasing some wine, we headed toward the relatively quiet town of Castiglione del Lago, which sits above Lake Trasimeno.

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In 217 BC, however, the areas was anything but quiet as Hannibal and the Carthaginians defeated the Romans in one of the most successful ambushes in military history. But today, one lone sailboat.

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The lovely town above the lake offers local products, dining, and some great old architecture to locals and visitors alike.

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Another day filled with sunshine, until we returned to Cortona storms, but no matter, we enjoyed the day, the sun and the Fiat, which handled the curves, hills and AC quite well. Perhaps this is my next car, Mike? Could be a great city car!

Ciao,

Judy

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Cortona: Back to Normal

2 Jun

Today, Sunday in Cortona, life back to normal, warm and sunny!

We hiked the hills

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The men returned to their benches

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The Saturday market was replaced by the Medieval Market: 

Breads

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SpicesIMG_0561

Beans

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Grilled local sausagesIMG_0594

Ciaccia (fried dough)…note the cell phone!

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Cheeses and local products

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And the workers!

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People have returned to the piazzas

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Life is good!

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we take to the road, not sure which direction, and perhaps no internet. Stay tuned!

Just now, as I am finishing this, black clouds have filled the skies and the winds are swirling. Nonetheless, a wonderful day! Good we have those leftovers…

Ciao,

Judy

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Buon Appetito…and Immersion!

1 Jun

A few years ago, knowing that my dream of travelling to Italy annually was about to begin, I began a two-year search for Italian classes. I wasn’t looking for academic credits, or a class filled with grade conscious students; rather, I wanted to join a group of like-minded adults who yearned to improve their knowledge of everything Italian –  the language, food, culture, holidays, nuances, etc. This also meant I needed to find a native Italian teacher, not someone who merely majored in the subject. Luckily, my search finally led me to Giovanna Dimetros. I must admit, her Greek last name puzzled me at first, until I learned it was her married name and she’s actually a native of Tuscany. Pictured below are Giovanna (left) and two classmates who hosted a dinner for our class last December at Giovanni’s (right) house. As you can see, we are big on immersion!

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Simply put, Giovanna’s classes provide me with more than I had hoped for. Each session is interactive, dynamic, challenging, and filled with great camaraderie. Of most importance is Giovanna’s desire to have us learn and understand what she teaches, not just memorize.

My goal was to reach a point where I no longer felt like a tourist in Italy, and while my learning will be a lifelong pursuit, I’m now comfortable conversing with locals who speak no English at all – a great tribute to Giovanna!

In our book, Unit 5 is called Buon Appetito, and we learned how to prepare a shopping list, go to market, and make lunch or dinner. Today in Cortona, we did just that. Our list included roasted chicken and turkey, cheeses, tomatoes, basil, bread sticks and vino.

While we order the roasted chicken weekly, our favorite “chicken lady” had a special this week: roasted and boned turkey leg with herbs. No antibiotics or preservatives…just incredible flavors and a heavy dose of fresh sage leaves and dill rolled inside. How does one have the patience to bone a turkey leg????

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We carried everything home and set out our feast. The only thing missing was all of you, and we could have fed all of you! Good for us we like left overs.

Mozzarella fresca e pomodorini

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Grana Padano Parmigiano

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Boned roasted turkey leg (left)  and roasted chicken (right)

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Una vera festa…A true feast!

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Even the constant rain decided to pester others today

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and granted Cortona a rain-free and sometimes even sun-filled day…

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Listening to Andrea Bocelli as I write…Perfetto!

And to my Italian class:

Vorrei che tu fossi qui per andare a fare la spesa con me e gustare un delizioso pranzo. E sto anche usando il passato e il futuro bene!

Ci vediamo a settembre! Ciao, ciao,

Giuditta

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