Off The Road Again.....

I have written before about our adventures on Italy's secondary roads.  Well, here's another one!

We live in the foothills of the Appenines, the mountains that run like a backbone down the spine of Italy.  Leaving Cervinara and heading east, we go directly into those mountains and the roads that we find can sometimes be challenging.  The Sanctuary of Montevergine is a big draw in the area and it usually takes an hour or so to get there.  We've been several times, admiring the church and sanctuary as well as the pretty ride to get there.  How it was built more than 500 years ago, before streets and machinery, is in and of itself quite extraordinary.  It's a testament to faith and courage.

Well, our faith and courage were sorely tested today!  There has been a small road through the mountains that takes the brave to the highest peaks and then down again to Montevergine.  In years past this road has been said to be impassable, but this year we were told that the road was open and except for a few areas of potholes, we would be fine.  So, this morning Mike and I decided to make a day of it, taking the scenic route through the mountains and on down to the Sanctuary.  A few potholes indeed!


Once we got past the Mafariello state park things started to deteriorate quite quickly.  Much of the road was washed out in places, falling rocks littered the paved areas, and craters filled with water were to be dodged very gingerly.  There were places where there was nothing but air between us and a very precipitous drop.  Other spots were blocked with falling branches.

In one area, we had to stop because of a big branch covering our lane.  Facing the opposite direction, a car was parked, making it impossible for us to pass.  I hopped out and pulled the branch out of the way while Mike maneuvered by the parked car.  A few meters ahead, a bigger branch was covering the entire road.  I tugged and pulled, eventually managing to clear enough space for our car to go by.  That was when Mike hollered for me to get back in the car immediately.  It had dawned on him that this was a perfect set up for an attack of some sort.  We were indeed hemmed in by the parked car and the branches and had someone wanted to rob us (or worse) we would have been sitting ducks.  I hopped back in the car and we were on our way, but the thought of what might have awaited us put me on edge.

We continued our way up the road, never going beyond 5 miles per hour, dodging obstacles and keeping our eyes peeled for crossing deer.  Of course it wasn't all stressful.  There were moments of incredible beauty, such as the surprise plain that met us right at the summit.  We rounded a curve and there was a beautiful stretch of flat land, acres and acres of it, with green grass interspersed with a carpet of yellow flowers, buttercups and dandelions, and red poppies. It was spectacular!  There was a little pond on one side of the plain and bike trails crossed throughout.  Just lovely.

We soldiered on, finally making it down the other side of the mountain and into the Sanctuary area.  It was as lovely as usual, definitely worth the trip.  We did decide to take the main roads home however!  One off-road adventure is enough for any day!

April is the Cruelest Month?

They say that April is the cruelest month.  Is it the sudden showers?  The temperatures that can vary by 20 degrees from day to day?  The snow/hail/thunder storms that ruin fruit blossoms and flowers?  Perhaps all of the above.  But this year in Cervinara, May has shown herself to be a pretty nasty lady. 

In the week that we have been here, everyone has raved about the amazing April they had.  Warm, sunny, consistently beautiful days.  They put away their winter sweaters and were out and about in summer garb.  May, on the other hand, has been nothing but ugly.  It's cold.  It has rained every day since we've been here, often just enough sprinkles in the afternoon to ruin the clothes drying on the line, other times like today it's been a consistent downpour. 

Today was market day and when we got there at 10:00, the vendors were already packing up to go.  No one wanted to stroll through the bancarelle today!  One poor lady was heading under an awning when the water that had accumulated on top decided to let loose.  That was quite a spontaneous shower!  We dodged the puddles, bought our requisite clams and olives, as well as some more flowers to pot and we headed home.

We've tried to do some beautifying of the old house this week, spending way too much at our local greenhouse and now at the market, putting pots of plants around the courtyard and on the stairs.  For years we have had pots of perennials that survived all sorts of bad weather, but last summer's drought followed by this winter's extreme cold has destroyed most of the plants and several of our trees.  The lemon tree will be pruned back to almost nothing this fall as there are only a few sprouts showing on it's bare skeleton.  The mandarin tree is denuded of any foliage.  And all the potted plants are gone, so this is our attempt to repopulate the flora of our old house. 

I'm not sure how well they are going to thrive in this weather.  At least we won't be messing around with watering anything for quite some time!  In the meantime, we are renaming May as the cruelest month and are hoping for some respite soon.  Of course it won't be long until we will be cursing the sun and the heat....and blaming Mother Nature for her indifference to our comfort.  It's always something! 

If Music Be the Food of Love....

People often ask what there is to do in Cervinara.  Aren't you bored?  What is the cultural life like there.  As with any small town, there are certainly moments of inactivity, days where the highlight is the passing of the fruit and vegetable truck or the cheese man.  But there are also moments of such beauty and richness, it seems impossible that they are happening in this small hill town.

We have been here for five days now, several of which have been spent tracking down our errant luggage, a situation which has fortunately been resolved.  So last night, when our neighbor invited me to join her at a concert at our small local church, I was happy to tag along. 

To be perfectly frank, I wasn't expecting a lot.  I knew that there would be some students from the local high school that specializes in music, some of their teachers, and some local talent.  And as is so typical here, the 7:00 pm start time was delayed by an hour to accommodate late arrivals and logistical issues.  But when the orchestra played the first notes of a Rossini overture, I and the rest of the audience were spellbound.  We were in for 90 minutes of spectacular music, both orchestral and vocal. 

The acoustics in our church allowed the voices and strings to fill every corner of the edifice.  The enthusiasm of both spectators and performers was electric.  The absolute beauty that permeated the space gave me "brividi", that absolute pleasure that comes from hearing a beautiful piece of music performed flawlessly and passionately.  The ninety minutes flew by and we were ready for more. 
After amazing renditions of Vissi d'Arte, E Lucevan le Stelle, Nessun Dorma, and Si, Mi chiamano Mimi, the audience begged for more.  So tenor and soprano came out together to finish the evening with a rousing version of Libiamo!  Let's Drink!

This wonderful program is part of the Festival di Maggio, a May festival that publicizes and presents the gifted students, teachers, and performers of this little village.  I've seen my share of great performances, including Pavarotti twice and many operas at the Met, but I swear that our local musicians in our local church provided a more memorable and moving performance than any of the others.  The intimacy of the setting, the fact that we were no more than 10 feet from the singers, that the orchestra was squeezed onto the altar...these all contributed to the magic of the evening.

There are more concerts coming up; a wind quintet on Monday, a string quartet on Tuesday, and student recitals on Thursday are all on the calendar.  I look forward to another week of tidying, planting, and shopping....and more fantastic music, so.....play on!