Mad Dogs and Englishmen

 It was just about a year ago that I wrote a blog post bemoaning the summer that wasn't. I whined about still sleeping in flannel and the rain that came almost every day. Beach operators were wringing their hands in desperation over rainy weekends when no one headed to the lidos. It wasn't until September that some real heat started to show up. 

Well, what a difference a year makes! We have been in the throes of the longest and most intense heatwave in 70 years. Don't get me wrong. You never make it through an Italian summer without lots of days in the 90s. It's just a fact of life. But we are into week two with temperatures approaching 100+ all over the peninsula. Just about every major city has had "bollino rosso" alerts for temperatures over 100 and high humidity. Even the diehard old folks who are convinced that a bit of cool air from an air conditioner will kill them are beginning to admit that it's a "little warm". 

We here in Cervinara are luckier than most. Even when it's beastly hot during the day, by 7 pm the sun has lost its potency and a nice breeze kicks in. The mountain air rarely gets too humid and, if we are content to just lie around like a bunch of beached sea lions, we manage to get through the day. 

We have given up on any excursions that might take us past 11 am. The other day we went to Bricco Casa in search of some light bulbs. The doors were flung wide open and there wasn't a hint of an air conditioner anywhere. We headed over to the Liz Gallery thinking our little shopping center would be cooler. It was at first, but then again Dante's Inferno would have felt like a relief. As we started to wander around we realized again that, as our good friend Brian once said, "Italian air conditioning is like two guys in a corner blowing on a bowl of ice cubes". Yup. That's just about how cool it was at the mall. 

So, now we're getting ready to head into the belly of the beast. We'll be leaving in a few days for Puglia, the lowest point on the heel of the boot. We are hoping for cool sea breezes but are expecting some pretty hot weather there too. We know it won't be perfect and we will miss the cooler mountain evenings, but cabin fever is taking its toll. We will at least be with friends with whom we can commiserate and with any luck we'll find a quiet swimming spot where we can chill out. 

We know that eventually this heat wave will pass. Until then, let it be known that not even mad dogs and Englishmen are going anywhere in the noon day sun!

Non Solo Rock

We knew it was coming. All month we have seen signs around town that this annual music festival was in the works. Last week our neighbor dropped off an invitation to some of the affiliated programs. And last week, mowing and clearing of the vacant lot down the street was begun. 

But now, the evidence is clear. We awoke this morning to the unmistakable sound of construction...metal tubes and reinforcements being put together, hammering of joints and many voices giving instructions to the workers. Even the portapotty is in place. All that is left is for the electricians to complete the installation of miles of cable and we will be ready. For what???

For "Non Solo Rock", a musical weekend that guarantees big crowds and lots of activity in our quiet neighborhood. It also guarantees sleepless nights and cranky mornings for those of us in Ioffredo. 

Don't get me wrong. In theory I am all in favor of anything that can help our neighborhood survive. After the devastating flood of 1999, the heart of Ioffredo was lost. So many homes destroyed and lives lost. Up the hill in Castello, there has been a renaissance with the opening of a great pastry shop, a chocolate and ice cream maker, and even an artisanal beer maker. That little neighborhood is hopping!

Down the hill, the Ferrari section keeps going, unchanged. Anchored by the lovely Piazza Elena and the Palazzo Marchesale, Ferrari thrives. 

It is in the middle, between these two neighborhoods, where Ioffredo is struggling. An aging population and a lack of a common gathering area are making our home almost into a ghost town. So the thought of hundreds of people pouring into Ioffredo fills me with pride. 

However, tomorrow night when the music starts around 10 and keeps going until 2 am Saturday morning, with the same schedule for Saturday into Sunday, well let's just say that I won't be all that happy. I'm not a night owl and I really need my sleep. That obviously won't happen this weekend!  

The stage is basically in our backyard. The amps will blast their music our way and sleep will escape us. We will toss and turn and curse this whole festival. And then when it's over, and people are talking about how many young people discovered our lovely town and our perfect little neighborhood, I will forget our sleepless nights and will celebrate the organizers who every year work so hard to pull this great event together. It is their dedication to Ioffredo that pushes them to undertake this huge project. I thank them and promise to try to endure these "notti bianche" with good humor. Let the music begin!!

With New Eyes

With New Eyes

We’ve been back in Cervinara for a couple of weeks and by now I would usually have posted a blog or two about my impressions upon returning; the weather, the menus, the changes in our little neighborhood.  But this year has been different in that we came over with our daughter, her husband, and our two year old grandson, James.  Then, their friends arrived with their four (count ‘em!) four children, aged 10, 5, 3, and 8 months.  We have had quite the crew!

It’s chaotic, of course.  Kids running back and forth, splashing in our little pool, discovering the deliciousness of cherries picked right off the tree, apricots all sweet and juicy, and watermelon at the ready, and experiencing the freedom that comes with having our own little cortile where they can do crafts, explore and just kick the soccer ball around.  It’s a joy to have a houseful of happy kids, even if our floors may never recover!

But the best part of having these little guests is how we get to revisit old spots and do old activities yet see these things through new eyes.  Our James is enthralled with every new discovery.  A bag of old keys found in the storeroom has provided hours of playtime for our little fellow.  The little plastic wheel barrow and the springy hobby horse, both of which have been here for over 40 years, are sources of delight.  Getting our vegetables from the local vendor who passes by in his truck is a thrill for this guy, as it is for all the children.  They come back from the truck with kilos of fruit, which never lasts very long!

We have taken them to the bakery where they’ve peered into the wood burning ovens and have seen the giant paddles the baker uses to pull the warm loaves from their heat.  We have taken them up to the Mafariello springs where we have grilled burgers and let the kids run through the pine groves and taste the cold, sweet water that is there for the asking.  “Mountain water” has become James’ go-to drink.  We have taken them down to the Villa Communale where there is a merry-go-round, swings and a little play castle.  First we go to Micione for gelato (James always wants fragola (strawberry)), then it’s off to the play area where friendships are made and the gelato sugar rush is run off. 

  When he goes out on the balcony first thing in the morning on his way to the potty, he always looks up and says “Beautiful mountain!” He loves to run down the covered alley way into the back garden, where there is a nice little echo when he yells.  What fun all the kids had at the market, where they were able to see the chicks and ducks, watch the fish being weighed and do a bit of shopping.  Ten year old Julie was so thrilled to have completed her own purchase for a cute little hoody.

We’ve had a huge family dinner up at the Giardino pizzeria around the corner.  It’s so nice to know that even as 8 month old Sammy screeches because of his teething issues, and James and 3 year old Ava want to run around under the trees, no one is judging.  It’s a family place, the food is good, the owners bring out a free Nutella pizza for dessert for the table…it’s not a scene we would readily find back in the States.

I asked James the other day what he liked most about Italy.  Ava said the gelato.  Amelie said the cherries.  James said “Olives”.  Indeed, our olives here are unlike any we can find in the states and we relish them as long as we can.  The fresh ricotta was another source of enjoyment; bought still warm from the cheese vendor’s trunk, it was eaten fresh from the bowl, cooked into crepes with eggs, and mixed with honey and lemon to be served next to grilled peaches.  This latter treat, laced with some Strega, was saved for the adults.

 I have waxed poetic here about the day to day activities that are part of our lives here in Cervinara.  So routine are they that I have forgotten how special they can be.  By having this household of kids, and being able to show them how different things can be, we have all had our eyes opened again to the excitement and beauty of the new.  Our little friends are gone for a few days now, which is why I finally have the time to put these words together.  They are enjoying the sun and sea of Sorrento and Ischia.  They’ll be back for a few days and then are heading back home, to normal lives of air conditioning, TV, and swimming lessons.  I hope that they will remember the freedom they enjoyed here, the joys of kicking a soccer ball around the piazza, drinking from the fountain down in piazza Elena, and slurping up a gelato at the Villa.  I hope that they will remember that there is more than one way to live one’s life and that the world is full of new and wonderful things.  I hope that their time in Cervinara will enrich them for years to come.

La Passeggiata

La passeggiata

Walking is an integral part of daily life in Cervinara.  There are frequent short jaunts around the neighborhood; to the bakery for the occasional loaf of bread baked in the wood-burning oven, to the bar for a shot of espresso or to pick up the various grocery items kept on hand for the unprepared housewife (me!), or to the local pastry shop where they have free wifi (and some of the best sfogliatelle outside of Naples). 

There is also the post-prandial promenade.  When the food stupor of the noon meal has started to wear off, the streets and piazzas fill up with folks out for a stroll, oftentimes down to the Villa Comunale where at 4 pm Miccione Gelateria refills its coolers with freshly made gelato.  The van pulls up to the sidewalk stand, they unload 8 or 10 tubs of deliciousness, and the line forms immediately.  Their gelato is always so good, made with fresh ingredients and scooped generously into cup or cone.  Of course the gelato eaters enjoy their treats while strolling through the lovely park that is the Villa Comunale.  It’s never enough to burn off those calories because there are benches awaiting and we often just sit and watch the passers-by as we savor every lick of our gelati.

Mike and I often go out in the evening for a quiet stroll down to Piazza Elena.  This piazza is without a doubt the loveliest in Cervinara and we head down the hill, past a couple of orchards and the field where the goats go to graze, until we find ourselves in this beautiful cobble-stoned square.  The fountain is a welcome source of refreshment and the spectacle of the kids kicking their soccer ball around or of the toddlers learning to ride their bikes for the first time is always entertaining.  We sit and relax for 10 or 15 minutes before heading back up the hill towards home.  If our timing is right, we get treated to some spectacular play of sunlight off the local hills; first there is Mount Taburno to the left, standing majestically against the sky changing from blue to pink to the deep purples of sunset, then directly in front of us, Mount Pizzone, whose granite crags become golden as the setting sun splashes against the rocks and sparse trees.  We always pause to soak in these views because there is always something new in the way the sunlight plays against these hills and it makes us appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.

But sometimes a “passeggiata” is not enough and we hunger for a good hike in the hills.  I am never happier than when I am traipsing through some mountain trail, stopping to look at rocks and vegetation and marveling at the panoramas from high up on the hills.  Today we drove up to the family property, crossed over the dike that was built to prevent flooding and mudslides and hiked way up into the woods.  The steep climb was brisk and invigorating and the views were well worth the effort.  Mike didn’t come all the way up; he’s not as “excited” about getting out into nature as I am.  But even he enjoyed checking out the chestnut trees and marveling at the terraces that have been painstakingly built into the side of the hills. 

It was a beautiful hike, but it was also a bit distressing.  All summer we have been hearing how the chestnut harvest is not going to be good this year.  There is a parasite that has attacked many of the trees and added to that is the odd weather we had this summer…much too chilly and rainy for a good harvest.  The “ricci” that we found on the ground were empty rather than filled with two or three chestnuts.  Most were still closed tight, indicating that they had dropped prematurely.  Some were partially cracked open, but still the fruit inside was small or wormy.  It’s clear that chestnuts are going to be sparser and more expensive this year.

But be that as it may, this knowledge didn’t detract from the wonderful passeggiata we enjoyed today.  As long as we keep coming back to Cervinara I know that we will take advantage of the opportunities for walking (and eating) that this lovely little town provides. 

Life in the "cortile"

Life in the “Cortile”

Housing options in Cervinara are many and varied; there are the single family villas, often large and elegant, built on fields that were once farmed; there are modern apartment buildings and public housing complexes scattered throughout town; there are multi-family houses where several generations share the same construction; but in the old parts of town, in Ioffredo and Castello, there is the “cortile”.  A cortile is a courtyard that is often shared by several households, sometimes related, sometimes not.  It is an experience in communal living that can have a variety of outcomes.

There isn’t a lot of privacy in the cortile.  Doors and windows open out onto this common ground and it’s impossible to avoid your neighbors, even if you try.  Parking often presents complex logistical problems.  Arguments that should be private become public knowledge.  Everyone knows his neighbors’ preference in TV programming, dining times and musical tastes.  When you get along with your cortile neighbors, this is fine.  When you don’t, it can be very trying.  There are relatives who have shared a cortile for years without speaking to each other, and neighbors who pretend not to see the person standing next to them.  But when the cortile relationship works, it is a beautiful thing.

We have been blessed to be part of a cortile where the whole system works.  For five years, our neighbors have been two sisters and their spouses, Bianchina and Michele (Lello) Valente, and Maria Rosa and Pietro Campana.  We have been welcomed into their homes and have grown to admire and love each and every one of them.  There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t hear a knock at the door and in comes Bianchina with a plate of some goody to share.  Sometimes she brings over fresh squash blossoms.  She gets too tired to cook them up herself so I make up a batch of my squash blossom fritters and we share the finished product for lunch.  If we have extra cookies from our trip to the pastry shop, they go over there.  We have helped with some basic home repairs and Bianchina has shared her many recipes with me.  And every evening, without fail, we sit in our wicker chairs and we chat…about everything and nothing and all that is right and wrong with the world.  We discuss our supper menus and the history of Cervinara and what life was like during the hardships of WWII.  We share stories of our youth and compare prices at different stores and we gossip about what is happening in town.  These families have become ours and we are lucky to have such good cortile partners.

That is why when, last Sunday as we were looking forward to another nice day away in Puglia enjoying some sea and sun, we were devastated to receive a call telling us that our dear friend Lello had passed away very suddenly.  It was a shock that left us reeling.  For me, Lello was almost a substitute father.  When we first moved to Cervinara I was still recovering from the loss of my own dad, and Lello reminded me so much of him.  They were both born in 1922, both served in the Navy, both were men devoted to their family and both were men of unshakeable faith.  Lello was a gentleman just as my father was.  He could never get used to just calling me “Dorothy”.  He used to call me “signora” and finally settled on “Signora Dorothy” as a happy compromise.  If he and I were taking the garbage out at the same time, he always insisted on carrying my bag as well as his own.  A lady shouldn’t be taking out the garbage!  His last words to me as we were leaving for vacation was that I shouldn’t worry about closing the big portone door, that he would take care of it for me, and for us to have a happy and safe trip.  Little did I know that that would be the last time I would see him.

It has been a week now that we have been without Lello.  The cortile has been busy with the funeral, with many visitors, with the comings and goings of daily life.  We still see Bianchina, Maria Rosa and Pietro every day, but there is a shadow now that hangs over us all.  We smile and sometimes laugh together, but we know that Lello will not be joining us in our conversations.  His passing has left a hole in our hearts that will not be easily filled.

I am so grateful to have our little cortile, even with all the inconveniences.  Our little corner of Cervinara is filled with love for each other and for our town and for that we are truly blessed.  Rest in peace, dear Lello.  You will never be forgotten.

Budapest

I've often written about how nice it is to be living in Europe, just a short flight away from so many interesting and beautiful spots.  Not that Cervinara, and all of Italy for that matter, isn't enough.  It's just such a nice change being able to hop on a plane without needing to plan for nine hours of being squashed into too small seats eating rather unappetizing food and dealing with the seat recliner in front of you.
Wizz Air is the company that flies direct from Naples to much of Eastern Europe, places like the Ukraine and  Romania that aren't on my bucket list right now, but also to Prague, Budapest, and many more places that I'm anxious to see.  While it's not fun having to run to the plane to try to get two seats together, or to have to pay to have a carry on bigger than your purse, or to have your purse count as that free carry on...well suffice it to say that they can do pretty much what they want because they're the only game in town. 
At any rate, this past month we headed to Hungary for the wedding of my nephew to a lovely young woman from Budapest.  We flew over with the parents of the groom as well as one of my sisters who had come to visit for a few days prior to the nuptials.  This was a week dedicated to lots of site seeing but more importantly connecting with loved ones and getting to know the new members of the family.
I have decided that Budapest is one of my favorite European cities.  Maybe it was because we were there for a full week and were able to take our time with the site seeing, maybe it was because we were there for a very happy event, maybe it was because we were able to see some things not normally available to the casual tourist, or maybe it was all these plus the fact that it's an incredibly beautiful city; the bottom line is that I am in love!
We stayed in Pest, the more active and interesting side of the city.  This is where the restaurants and clubs are hopping, where the baths, the opera, the good shopping and the museums are all within an easy walk or short tram ride.  While Buda is beautiful to visit, there isn't as much to do beyond admire the castle, St Mathias' church and the rising hills.  It would be fine for a one night visit, but if you are looking to really get a taste of the city, Pest is where it's at.
Budapest is known as the city of monuments, and rightly so.  There are statues dedicated to politicians, musicians, poets and war heroes.  Many of these are not simply statues standing in the middle of a square; they are artistic and effective ways of reflecting the importance of a person or event that stop the visitor in his tracks.  Most poignant of these must be the Shoes on the Danube memorial.  Walking along the banks of the Danube in front of the gorgeous Parliament building we happened upon a collection of shoes...ladies' heels and farmers' work boots, children's shoes and slippers, all made of iron....some with pebbles inside them, others with votive candles, dried flowers, or ribbons.  This monument represents the dozens of innocent Jews gunned down in that spot , their bodies falling into the river and then forgotten.  It was impossible to be unmoved by this simple memorial.  On nearly every street, in every square, and even in hidden corners of town there are monuments that remind the visitor of Hungary's difficult history and their many important artists, authors and heroes.
Budapest is also known for its baths.  Our visit to the Szechenyi thermal baths provided us with a relaxing and fun way to while away an afternoon in the city.  We hopped on the metro line 1 and took the straight shot out past Heroes' Square to the bathing complex. The lobby of the baths is beautiful in that Belle Epoque way that evokes past elegance.  The locker rooms not so much!  But once changed and into the pool area we were able to enjoy a leisurely soak in the hot pool followed by a more invigorating dip in the cooler pool.  We didn't head into the "serious" pool where people were doing laps back and forth.  As someone who always feels the need to cover up as soon as I get out of the water, this was a very pleasant environment because the natives had no such compunctions.  It was refreshing to see some very hefty women unashamedly strolling around the pool areas in very revealing two piece suits. 
Budapest is also a city of cafes.  The coffee culture is embedded in its very essence.  One of our most elegant moments was having coffee and pastries in the Parizsi Book Store cafe.  Believe me, this was not like grabbing a mochaccino at Barnes and Noble!  The elegant architecture, vaulted ceilings, polished woodwork, and grand piano complemented our cappuccinos and cakes and made us feel like we were back in those elegant days of grand ballrooms and sparkling chandeliers.  We savored every sip of coffee and delicious bite of cake.  It was like being in a fairy tale.
Budapest is also a city with a tragic history.  The buildings still marked with bullet holes are evidence of the violence of the Russian invasion.  The Jewish cemetery and Memorial Garden next to the Great Synagogue remind us of the more than 2000 Jews who died from hunger and cold during the brutal winter of 1944-45.  There is also a very visible population of homeless whom we saw bathing in the Danube, sleeping in parks, and asking for handouts.
Budapest is a city of real people.  It has not been so sanitized that tourists do not feel that they are in a real city as much as in a Disney version of a city.  It has beautiful panoramas and vistas, great museums and monuments, lovely churches and fantastic restaurants.  But it also gives the feeling that it is a work in progress, that it is struggling with its difficult past and yet is proud of the progress it has made.  I'm glad we made it here before it becomes too much like Prague...beautiful and yet somehow not real.  I'm glad that we have seen the sometimes gritty, often poignant, but always vital and vibrant city that Budapest is today.

Could This Be Summer?

We arrived in Cervinara on June 1, ready for another summer of fresh air and sunshine and of course, a little bit of summer heat.  We have been in sweaters, raincoats and blankets ever since!  This year it seems that summer just doesn't want to show up.
At first we blamed the cold and damp inside the house on the fact that it had been closed up for six months with no heat to dry things out.  While we waited for some sunny days to warm up our meter thick walls we bundled up in jeans, sweaters and overcoats.  Then it started raining.  And raining.  And raining some more.  We had hail that ruined the plantings I had put in, but that is nothing compared to the farmers who saw their tomatoes get hammered and their potatoes rotting in the ground. 
Eventually the full days of rain tapered off to afternoon storms.  A sunny sky would turn black and ominous in a matter of minutes.  I had a load of clothes out on the line for the better part of a week.  No sooner would they start to dry out than another freak thunder storm would get them dripping again.  It was at this point that we ran away to Budapest for a week where we enjoyed seven straight days of warmth and sun with only occasional gusts of wind requiring us to put on a jacket.  Pure heaven.
We came back to Cervinara at the beginning of July, ready for another summer of fresh air and sunshine and of course, a little bit of summer heat.  We have been in sweaters, raincoats and blankets ever since.  Wait!  Didn't I just write that?  Could it be that July would be as wet and miserable as June?  So it has seemed.  But today, when I got up at 6:30 for my walk to the loo, there was a warm breeze in the air.  And there was sun surging up behind the hills.  At 10:30 as we strolled through the market, we actually complained about the heat.  And we turned on the AC in the car for the ride home!
I don't want to think that Mother Nature is toying with us.  I don't want this to be another tease of a day, only to be followed by damp and chills.  I want this to be the real thing.  I want to complain about the heat and need to sit INSIDE to cool off instead of outside to warm up!  Could this be summer?  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!