Bersalgieri Visit Rapallo

23 Friday Oct 2009

Posted by in Italian men, Italy, Law and order, Photographs, Rapallo, Uncategorized

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For a couple of weeks the main streets of Rapallo have been criss-crossed with hundreds of little Italian flags.  Why? we wondered.  This weekend we found out: the Bersaglieri visted Rapallo and some neighboring towns for a gathering of the Corps from central and northern Italy.  There were many events around their visit, including a concert on Saturday evening and a parade on Sunday morning.  We were able to go to the parade for a few hours, which made us  swell with pride, if not for being Italian, at least for living here.

pre-parade (10)

There’s something about a uniform – or at least there always has been for me – and the signature feathers of the Bersaglieri hat are so over the top (oh excuse the pun) that they are divine.  Where did that idea ever come from?  Was it a type of ill-thought-out camouflage?  Perhaps it was to suggest the speed of flight (though wood grouse, the source of the feathers, have never been noted for speed)?  Me?  I think it was simply a Style Statement, and a very fine one, too.

The Bersaglieri were founded in 1836 to serve as high-speed infantry in the Piemontese Army (this was before Italy was unified). Piemonte could not afford a large, expensive horse-mounted cavalry, so instead developed a superb corps of sharp-shooters that featured quick movement, either on foot or bicycles, and later on motorcycles.  The Bersaglieri never walk – they run everywhere, whether in training, in the field, or in a parade. Their demanding physical training made them useful as mountain troops, too; the Alpini, the elite mountain troops, were founded in 1872, and there is still a friendly rivalry between the two groups (there were several groups of Alpini in the parade and some proud veterans watching).  While there have been as many as 12 regiments of Bersaglieri in the past, today there are six, and they are all now mechanized.

pre-parade (15)

In addition to unique headgear and running everywhere, the Bersaglieri are famous for their fanfara, the brass bands that accompany every regiment.  The musicians must be adept not only at playing, but at playing as they run, because they, too, are obliged to run everywhere they go.  The Fanfara from northern and central Italy formed the major part of Sunday’s parade, and they certainly impressed with their musical skill and physical stamina!

parade (18)

During World War II there were both bicycle and motorized troops:

parade (41)

parade (59)-1

There was a huge ovation for the oldest gent on a bicycle – 92 years old and still going strong:

parade (40)-1

And how about the fellow who has to ride a bike AND play the trumpet??

parade (55)-1

I find it very moving to see old Vets watching a parade, and Sunday was no exception.  There were scores of former Bersaglieri watching the parade; it wasn’t always easy to read their expressions.

veteran

veteran (2)

veteran (3)a

veteran (5)

And of course there was a viewing stand full of dignitaries:

dignitaries (2)b

A parade is always fun, and a military parade particularly stirring.  But only in Italy, I think, will you find a military parade that showcases such stamina, showmanship and style in one package: The Bersaglieri.

If you’re interested in some more photos of the parade, you may see them at a web album here.  I recommend a slide show, F11 for full screen.

Colpo d’Aria

19 Monday Oct 2009

Posted by in Health and health care, Italian habits and customs, Uncategorized

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Oh, the dreaded Colpo d’Aria!  If you’ve suffered a Colpo d’Aria you’ve been struck by some moving air, most probably chilly air, and most probably on your chest or perhaps the back of your neck.  If you live in Italy, it can be deadly; ask any Italian!  I’ve heard Colpo d’Aria blamed for everything from stiff muscles, to inner ear infections, chest colds and even heart attacks.  I have not yet heard anyone say that a Colpo d’Aria caused his cancer, but that, and gum disease, are about the only illnesses for which a stiff breeze has not been held responsible.

Fortunately there is some good treatment available should you fall victim to an evil air current.  The first thing you want to do is go to the pharmacy and get a bastone di zolfo, a stick of sulphur.

bastone di zolfo

You roll this stick back and forth across the skin of the afflicted area (our model was shy).

bastone di zolfo in use

The great thing about the bastone di zolfo is that when it has outlived its usefulness it crumbles or breaks.  Then you know it’s time to buy a new one.  Evidently the sulphur absorbs… what? moisture? bad vibes? infection?  My guess is moisture, but I wouldn’t swear to it.

The next line of attack is the Flector patch, a bit of treated rubbery material, about 4″ X 5″,  that is slightly adhesive on one side so it will stick to your skin. It is in the NSAID family of medicine, and delivers a non-steroid anti-inflamatory drug topically. From all reports it also feels good.

flector pads

There are probably as many treatments for Colpa d’Aria as there are sufferers.  My prescription would be a day in bed with an endless supply of hot tea with lemon and honey, and a good trashy novel.  The best line of defense though is always prevention: stay out of drafts!  I grew up sleeping with the windows wide open, and still do – it’s a miracle that I’ve survived so long.  If you live in Italy the only thing worse than a colpa d’aria is a colpa d’aria in the dark.  Many Italians sleep with their windows tightly closed and shuttered.  Also, now that the cool weather has arrived, don’t forget to bundle up when you go out, and remember especially to wear a good warm scarf to protect your chest and neck from the dangerous air currents.

I’m making light of this notion, but I’m not so sure there isn’t a measure of truth in it.  It falls in the category of folk belief, but such beliefs are often based on years of experiential evidence.  I may laugh at the idea of a colpa d’aria harming me, but I have a great collection of scarves and never go out without one in cool weather.  As they say here, ti raccomando!

The Best Thing We Ate Last Week – Baked Stuffed Peaches

15 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by in Desserts, Food, Italian men, Italian recipes, Piemonte

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pesche ripiene - stuffed peaches

Our friend Leo made Pesche Ripiene (stuffed peaches) for dessert when we visited in Piemonte last week.  They are amongst the best things I’ve eaten, ever, in my whole life.  And they are easy to make.  In fact, they are so easy I will give you the recipe here rather than send you off to another page for it.

Here’s what you’ll need:  peaches, amaretto (or amaretti) cookies (about 3 per peach half, depending on size of cookies and size of peaches), marsalla, sugar, butter

Cut firm but ripe free-stone yellow peaches in half – Leo recommends Elberta. (They are widely available here but nowadays are not as common in the U.S. as they once were).  Chop up the cookies, add some sugar (+/-  1/2 tsp per peach half), and add enough marsala wine to make the cookie stuffing hold its shape.  Overfill each peach half with the cookie mixture and top with a dab of butter.  Put in a preheated (350) oven and bake until done.  The peaches are delicious with this stuffing, and somehow there is a by-product of excellent caramel sauce that can be drizzled over the top (Leo says it comes from the moisture the peaches throw off mixing with the sugar).

Next time you need an easy dessert and peaches are in season, try making stuffed peaches, and then when everyone tells you how fantastic they are, send a silent thank-you to Leo.

leo

Stop, look and listen

10 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by in Driving in Italy, Italy, Law and order, Piemonte, Uncategorized

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We are very dull here in Rapallo, I am beginning to think.  Granted, there’s lots of traffic and hubbub downtown, scooters darting in and out of traffic, pedestrians crossing outside the zebra stripes.  But it is the stripes themselves that makes me think we are dull.  Our stripes are the plain old white stripes depicted in the driving manual.  Here’s an example:

rapallo beauty nice ass

(This is an old photo so it shows more of the crosser and less of the crosswalk, but you get the idea…)

This past week we were, once again, in Piemonte (about which you’ll hear more in an upcoming post).  Now there’s a region that knows how to make its crosswalks attractive  and eye-catching.  How about this snappy blue?

crosswalk blue

Red has ever been the color of caution, and this red crosswalk would make any pedestrian feel safe.

crosswalk red-2

But my very favorite is, granted, a variation on the white theme, but done with such artistry.  Nothing says class, whether it’s in the foyer, the bath, or inlaid in the street, more than marble.

crosswalk white

Say… isn’t that the captain crossing outside the stripes?  I bet he didn’t stay in the lines when he colored as a kid, either.

In the spirit of fairness I have to say that just in the last year Rapallo has added some very sparkly little lights that blink feverishly at night along the boundaries of some of the zebra crossings.  But only some of them, which makes me wonder if the others aren’t more easily overlooked by speeding motorists expecting the twinkling visual cue?  In any event, they look quite modern and marvelous… when it’s dark outside.

I’m feeling pretty good about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, so I’ve come up with my own design for a crosswalk, using all the others for inspiration:

flag of crosswalksb

Expatriate on the Isle of Skye, Part 2

05 Monday Oct 2009

Posted by in Photographs, Travel, Uncategorized

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Across the fields of bounding heather ~ (click link for wonderful old Beers Family recording of Dumbarton’s Drums…)

our walk heather-1

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

5 sistersa

The Isle of Skye is a big lobster-shaped island to the west of Scotland, near Inverness.  It is part of the inner Hebrides and is considered part of the Highlands.  The above photo is of Five Sisters Peaks; on the advice of a delightful woman who filled our car with gas we made a diversion to climb a hill (by car!) to get a good view of the mountains.  It was well worth the short amount of time it took, and was one of our first tastes of the excitement the Skye scenery offers.

The woman who gave us our gas was no exception; everyone we met on Skye was friendly and helpful to a fault.  Consider this: the host at The Salento B&B actually offered us the use of his washing machine to do our laundry.  It didn’t work out with our timing, but the fact that he offered amazed us.  He was typical of the people we met – eager to help, happy to chat, informative and fun.

We were on Skye for only three full days, not nearly long enough to explore the whole island.  My favorite day included a brief stop at the Isle’s capital Portree:

portreea

followed by a walk through the woods called “Two Churches Walk.”  Much of Skye is windswept and feels barren, but this walk through a tall piny forest gave us a good feeling for the large Norway Spruce forests that have been planted on the mainland and to a lesser extent on the island in the years since WWII.

MacLeod 2 churches walk (7)a

This walk began and ended at St. Mary’s Church, a small ruined chapel where many of the chiefs of the MacLeod clan are buried.

MacLeod cemetery (8)

No, it wasn’t especially warm that day…

From there we went to Dunvegan Castle, home for 800 years (with a brief 20th century lapse) of Clan MacLeod.  In addition to the castle itself
Dunvegan Castle
there are extensive and beautifully maintained gardens, including a water garden and a circle garden.

Dunvegan Castle water garden

Dunvegan Castle garden-12

But for us the most exciting and fun part of the experience was the ride in a small boat to see the seal population of Loch Dunvegan.  We had wanted to take a boat tour this day, but our plans had been scotched (oh ha ha) by winds and tides.  To our delight the Dunvegan boats were operating, and we were the only two aboard with Captain Allan, who gave us a good history of the clan, the seals and the area in general. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the seals – they are very cooperative.

Dunvegan Castle seal boat ride-1

Dunvegan Castle seal boat ride-16a

Dunvegan Castle seal boat ride-17a

Note the guy having a big yawn up there in the grass… or judging from the others’ expressions, maybe he just told a really stupid joke.

Dunvegan Castle seal boat ride-24a

Is there anything more picturesque than sheep calmly grazing?

sheep may safely graze-8

There may well be more four-footed inhabitants of the Isle than two – it certainly seemed that way to us as we drove around – and frequently the cows and sheep are not fenced in.

not highland cows-1

The real story of Skye, though, is the scenery and the light.  Clouds and showers come and go with frequency, shifting the light and changing the landscape before your very eyes.  None of it is easy to catch with a camera, but we both loyally tried.  Here are some photos from our drives around the island, and from a short hike we took up a hillside to view the water on both sides of the peninsula we were on:

light and sheep-1a

our walk-3a

scenery-10

Those are the Cuillin Hills in the background, some of which are over 3,000 feet in elevation. Here is another view of them:

cuillin hillsa

They are a dark and brooding presence on the south part of the Isle.

On our last evening on Skye we went a short distance onto the mainland to the picturesque town of Plockton where, we were told, many movies and TV shows have been filmed.  There we ate haggis at the cozy old Plockton Inn – an experience no one should miss when visiting Scotland.

Plockton-3

We were sad to leave the Isle of Skye – it has many more secrets than we had time to discover.  As we drove away we looked back at the castle of Eilean Donan, not far  from the Isle – it summed up for us all the magic of the preceding days, and issued a mute but compelling invitation to return.

castle and rainbow-1a

If you’ve any patience left at all, you will find about 60 photos of the whole Scotland trip here. (I recommend the slide show, full screen (F11) – the quality of the photos is much better than in this post…)

Expatriate on the Isle of Skye – part 1, Forres and Inverness

01 Thursday Oct 2009

Posted by in gardening, Travel, Uncategorized

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Scotland with Pidge 233

I’ll try to keep this as short as possible, but when you have visited a place so different from your usual haunts, and so utterly atmospheric and magical, it is hard to be terse.

The background:  My sister spent two weeks on the Isle of Iona, after which I joined her for one-week stay, mostly on the Isle of Skye.  While she was on Iona one of her friends remarked, “Scotland… it’s all about the light.”  I agree, but would add it’s also all about hospitality as an art form.  We had generally good weather, which in Scotland means it isn’t raining.  Of all our days we had only one where it rained on and off all day; the rest of the time was a delightful mix of sun and clouds – which is what makes the light so delicious.

We met up on a Tuesday in Edinborough (not the original plan – for an elaboration of a travel nightmare, click here) and drove immediately to Forres, a little north and east of Inverness, where we found the very comfortable Cluny House B & B.  In true Scottish fashion, when I called to tell owner Susan that we wouldn’t be there the night before (see elaboration…) she was more concerned about our discomfort than about losing one or possibly two nights of rental income.  The village of Forres itself was delightful, featuring an amusing public garden full of ‘topiary’ – which proved to be iron frames in which plants were growing, rather like enormous chia pets.

forres gardens topiary

Our main purpose in going to Forres was to position ourselves for a visit to Findhorn, the ecovillage and commune founded in 1962 by Peter and Eileen Caddy in a trailer park.  We had wanted to see the gardens which were, over a period of years, created under rather inimical conditions, and perhaps to get a spiritual taste of the place.  What we found was very much an institution, complete with property management and fund-raising offices prominently placed.  Of gardens we saw only one, though it was quite pretty.

findhorn water garden

Most of the land around the many houses seemed unkempt and there was lots of junk lying around.  The cottage gardens of Findhorn village were much more interesting and far better maintained.  It had the feel of a place that was started for all the right reasons, but, once institutionalized had become somehow less.  We were surprised when Susan told us that the community there does not do much outreach or give programs for area children.  When we visited it made sense.  I’m sure the programs they offer are excellent, and we were there for just half of one day – during which we felt we’d seen all there was to see – no doubt one has to immerse oneself in the community itself to get full benefit.

Our next port of call was Inverness, a small bustling city, where we stayed at the Bannerman B&B, another comfortable house where the owner fed us a huge and hugely satisfying breakfast.  Chocolate Lab Hugo was extremely welcoming.  The river Ness, on both sides of which lies the city, is interrupted by three islands that have been turned into a large and inviting forest park.  The city has a 19th century castle on a hill which gives an impressive view of the rest of the city, including the spire-less  cathedral.

inverness view from castle

But our true destination was the Isle of Skye, and that’s where we went next.  I’ll tell you all about that in the next post…

Meanwhile, for a slide show of photos of the whole trip, click here.

All Fall Down

22 Tuesday Sep 2009

Posted by in Italy, Liguria, Uncategorized

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In April the town of L’Aquila and neighboring towns were devasted by a terrible earthquake.  Almost 300 died, hundreds more were injured and tens of thousands were left homeless.  Events such as the L’Aquila earthquake and the 1997 quake in Umbria that severely damaged the cathedral in Assissi are catastrophic seismic events that draw attention to a more mundane fact: Italy is a falling down kind of place.

In an April article in the Times, Mark Henderson, Science Editor, wrote: “Italy is on one of the most seismically active regions of Europe, where the African tectonic plate pushes up against the Eurasian plate. The situation is further complicated by a microplate beneath the Adriatic Sea that is moving northeast, pulling apart the rocks that make up the Apennine mountain range running down the country’s spine. The result, according to John McCloskey, Professor of Geophysics at the University of Ulster, is an “extremely complicated geology” in which “the entire country is crisscrossed by lots of faults”. …  Professor Bob Holdsworth, of Durham University, said that in the Apennines “recently created mountains are now slowly collapsing due to a complex large-scale interaction between plate tectonic forces and gravity.””

It takes a lot less than seismic activity to get Italy’s hillsides and cliffs rocking and rolling; sometimes all it takes is a good rainstorm, or a heavy truck passing by. It’s not uncommon to see stone cliffsides along roads held in place with huge expanses of heavy cable netting.  Frequently the cables are precautionary.  Are they necessary?  You betcha.

rock net full

This bulging net is along the road that leads to San Maurizio di Monti, much of which is netted.  There are frequent rock slides here; last January our neighbor Turi came out of his house one morning and found a whole hill in his driveway.

turi's rock slide (2)

It’s all cleaned up now, but a friend who met him shortly after his discovery described him as grey and shaking – imagine if he’d been in his car on his drive when the side of the hill gave way!

Several years ago we watched men installing nets on the rock cliffs above Punta Chiappa in Camogli.  I didn’t have a camera with me then, but it looked pretty much like these men whom we saw in Scotland last week – a cross between rock climbing and web-weaving… not a job I would enjoy, that’s for sure.

hanging rock nets

These are the road signs that alert drivers to the danger of possible rock falls.  I find them hopelessly confusing; there’s something about the positive/negative of the black and white that just doesn’t say ‘Cliff’ or ‘Falling Rocks’ ; to me they look more like ships in deep space or something from chemistry class,  or perhaps a video game (I think it’s the hexagonal ‘rocks’ – they just aren’t that tidy in real life).

img022

In addition to the nets there’s another thing that helps keep the hillsides well behaved: it’s all the terracing that’s been done.  Those walls, built by hand over centuries, serve a purpose beyond giving people a bit of flat land on which to grow things – they actually help hold the ground in place, and in a place where the earth is always wanting to move, that’s a good thing.

terraced hillsideA

Expo at Val Fontanabuona

13 Sunday Sep 2009

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Not exactly a Sagra, not exactly a trade show, the Expo at the Val Fontanabuona was a showcase of the arts and businesses of the Valley.

The Expo was held in Calvari, which, like almost every other town in Liguria, sports a statue of Cristoforo Colombo.

cristoforo columbo

(Why do the statues so frequently depict Columbus pointing?  I’m sure he was too busy to stand at the prow with his finger out-stretched – it looks so he-went-thataway.)

Containing many small communities (and several larger ones) (View Map) the Val Fontanabuona, which runs behind the sea-hugging mountains between Genova and Chiavari, is perhaps best known for its ardesia (slate) mining and production. (There are some exciting mining photos in the link.)  Below are some small items made of slate, but it is as often used in construction here for steps, window sills and trim work.

things made of slate
There are lots of other business in the Valley, though, and the Expo is a way of demonstrating the variety and quality of production there, as well as giving a boost to the region’s towns, many of which had information booths at the Expo.  The many wood-working and furniture-making shops in the Valley produce everything from reproduction pasta-making chests

pasta making furniture

to wooden bowls and decorative items

wood worker

to timber framing for building construction.

wood framing

Several solar heating companies displayed their mysterious pipe arrays, and there was even a very efficient German vacuum cleaner sucking up piles of crumbs and dirt from an aged oriental carpet.  A food distributor handed out cups of Covim Caffe (the Captain’s favorite!), and the booth for Borzonasca gave us lovely little fried squares of polenta to taste – secret recipe, alas. The ubiquitous food booths touting dried porcini, wines and cheeses of the region were augmented by displays of honey, which evidently is in high production in the VF.  We could even watch some of it being made in a portable show hive.

bees (2)

One of the more interesting displays, I thought, was a 16th century loom which is still in use to weave the famous Genoese velvet, made from 100% silk, which is lustrous and rich.  The Cordani Velluti company of Zoagli owns the last three looms in existence; each loom can produce a piece of fabric daily measuring 30 cm x 60 cm.  No wonder it’s expensive!

16th century loom

The regional food specialty, available in the dining tent, was battolli, a pasta from Uscio made from wheat and chestnut flours, served with pesto:

battolli (2)

The chestnut flour gives the dish a touch of sweetness which is both surprising and delicious.

The Captain has always said that the Val Fontanabuona reminds him of what Italy must have been like fifty years ago.  This woman perfectly exemplifies the marriage of old – the tombolo (Genovese bobbin lace) she is making – and the new – the IM she is receiving on her cell phone.

tombolla and telefonino

The Val Fontanbuona is like that: behind some of the very small town exteriors are some very modern businesses that are serving customers all around the world.  The Expo was a great way to become familiar with some of them, and to learn more about the beautiful Valley itself.

the val (2)

Vendemia!

10 Thursday Sep 2009

Posted by in Italian habits and customs, Italy, Piemonte, Uncategorized

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dump 'em

Our cousins invited us to help out at their Vendemia in Piemonte this past weekend, an invitation we eagerly await every year.  The vendemia is the annual grape harvest, and from all reports this is one of the best years ever, in terms of both quantity and quality.  There was lots of rain early in the season, and then it was dry for a couple of weeks, which made the fruit very sweet.

It’s a family affair in a big way.  Our cousins’ extended family includes three generations ranging in age from 17 months to I’m-not-telling (but I would guess early 80’s), probably about 35 people including the children who are too young to pick.

All the grapes are cut from the vine by hand.  Fortunately the vines are well managed, and most of the grapes seem to grow between knee and shoulder height.

cutting grapes

grapes (2)

We put the bunches of grapes in plastic buckets which are then emptied into the bucket loader of a small tractor.

grape ferry (2)

This in turn is dumped into the trailer. With so many willing workers, their vineyard is harvested in about a day and a half. Usually, one of the uncles told me, they collect two medium trailers full of grapes. This year there was a small load, a medium load, and a huge load:

dump 'em (4)

Later in the afternoon the vineyard manager, who takes care of several vineyards in the area, appears with his big tractor and hauls the grapes to the place where they are pressed (in this case Cascina Orsola, some 38 km distant).

tractor (12)

It’s a LOT of work (my estimate is about 250 person-hours) and while everyone loves doing it, they are also very  happy when it’s finished for another year.

Finished! (3)

Then comes one of the highlights of the weekend: the communal meal!  The older generation used to have a fish restaurant in Genova, so the cooking is outstanding.  This year they served us the world’s most delicate and light lasagna, roast beef with drippings, french fries, eggplant  that was lemony and garlicky, fruit, cheese and home-baked cake.

adults eat (2)

There are small and medium-sized family owned vineyards all through this part of Piemonte.  I imagine the scenes above are repeated a hundred-fold at this season, each with a different cast of characters and a slightly different view.  This must have been what farming was like back in the days before agri-business took over, both in the US and here.  It’s refreshing that it still exists.

If what ‘they’ say is true, there will be some superb wines coming from this years’ grapes.  So  Salute!  Cincin!  Bottoms up!