The New View

What a week! We had rounds of dinners and get-togethers before leaving Ascoli Piceno. We packed and departed in the rain, just like when we had arrived two years ago. It was sheeting in torrents when we got to our new temporary home on the Costa del Cilento, too. There seems to be a trend of moving in the rain. Maybe there is some deep message in that, but I have not yet figured out what it is.


As I type this I am watching the sunset throw a spectacular orange blaze below high banks of clouds over the Mediterranean Sea. We are on a perch up the hillside for an unimpeded view of the nightly show.

We made a reconnaissance foray into the nearby town to get a feel for the place and figure out where the necessary stores are located. It was sunny and several degrees warmer than we expected. As we strolled down to the lungomare the sea was rough but not angry, smacking playfully at the break-wall and tossing up great swirls of effervescent froth.

The place is enormous so we have closed off the entire upper floor. We are getting settled in and figuring out what projects need tending to first. But we made it here safe and sound and think we'll somehow manage to enjoy the area and views for the next couple of months.

Food For Thought

Italy is nothing if not the land of food. It's pretty well-known, well-loved, and there is not a man, woman or child of our acquaintance who cannot exhibit their passion for palatable meals with lengthy, mouth-watering discussion. So one day last month, while enjoying my morning cappuccino I happened to be perusing a local publication and came across the school lunch menu for December, and it just highlighted once again how tasteful the bel paese is when it comes to cuisine.

Let's take a gander at some of the samplings, shall we?

1)Pasta con melanzane (with eggplant); Robiola or Stracchino cheese; Bread; Steamed carrots; Fresh seasonal fruits

2) Minestrone with mixed beans; Stuffed Zucchini (with lean meat, baked); fresh bread; Fresh seasonal fruit; Fiordilatte gelato

3) Spaghetti with white fish; Baked Sole; Spinach with a drizzle of olive oil; fresh bread; Banana.

Nice, huh? What the heck, let's look at one more:

4) Pasta e Fagioli; Frittata; Beet Greens with a drizzle of olive oil; fresh bread; Fresh Pears

Sounds pretty darn good. Looks well-balanced; I mean, you've got your primo, your secondo, your vegetable, your fruit, and some crusty bread. Every Friday features fish, as is still the custom throughout Italy regardless of religious affiliations (or not).

Looks typically Italian, is what I concluded. The dishes we eat regularly, either at home, at friends', or in local restaurants. It seemed so normal that it took me a minute to register, this is a school menu. And it sure isn't like school menus in the US. I looked online at my hometown's school menus. Brace yourself.

Mini corndogs. Pizza. Hot dogs. Chicken nuggets. Sloppy scoops (which I assume is a Sloppy Joe?) And something called Bosco sticks, which I've never heard of and I'm not sure I want to know what it is. For "healthy" fare they have a taco salad one day. And vegetables. Mashed potatoes with gravy. French fries. Canned peas, canned green beans. Fruit? Mixed fruit cocktail, which I can assume is canned, or applesauce.

Both menus are for elementary school children. Gives you a little food for thought, no?

Change is Good...Right?

That's what they always say, anyway. And mostly, I tend to agree. A get-out-the-rut shift in actions and attitudes can invigorate and rejenerate a person, and can often (dare I say, usually?)leads to a door opening on wonderful, new opportunities. I mean, that's what happened when ditched it all to move across the ocean, after all.

So now we're moving again, and I'm reciting the mantra, "Change is good!" while not quite sure if I've convinced myself. One thing I've discovered about myself in our adventures abroad is that I'm a 'nester'. I like having a settled-in feeling, even if the place is temporary. That's probably what drew me to the concept of Slow Travel in the first place, and is why we've pretty much planted ourselves in Ascoli Piceno for more than two years. Sure, it's been our base and we've explored a bit of Central Italy from here. We certainly have seen every hamlet, castle, and rabbit trail within a 100 mile radius. And while we've made several trips to Basilicata, realistically we've not spent much time really traveling around other parts of Italy. When I stop to think that we've been here 2 1/2 years and have never been to Sicily, I startle even myself! We must surely be the slowest of the Slow Travelers!

Which is partially what contributed to a sort of wake-up call. That, and the fact that our lease expires and our landlord won't be renewing the contract. And, when we looked into the coffers we realized we didn't have enough money to renew it in good faith for another year, anyway. Simultaneously, a friend offered a house-sitting position in his splendid villa on the Costa del Cilento. They don't want it left empty all winter, and since they also want to have some small projects completed during the off-season months, our presence there would make it easier for them to schedule the workmen to come.

So, while they may seem trivial, the little signs have pointed us south. We'll be heading laggiu` at the end of the month, and will take the change as the great opportunity it is - a chance to explore a beautiful, relatively unknown area while trying to regroup and coax the money tree to sprout and bear fruit again.

Our plan is to return to Ascoli Piceno, which we consider 'home', when business picks up again or some form of measurable income starts to trickle in again. Meanwhile, we'll be down in the land of sun, lemon groves, and mozzarella di bufala. New year, new adventures.

Ci vediamo laggiu`!

All About Me Meme

When I saw this meme on Palma's blog, I realized just how long it has been since I've done a real, Q&A meme. Well! Time to tickle the keyboard and answer a quiz, don't you think? Feel free to chime in!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No. No other Valeries in the family, and no Valerie inspiration from history, either. But there is a story behind my name.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Last week when my sister called to tell me that her dog had died shortly after midnight on New Years.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Most of the time. Sometimes I get lazy and write like the doctors I used to work for.

4. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No. No cats at the moment, either. Sigh.

5. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Of course!

6. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Me? Ya think? Uh, yes. The answer is yes.

7. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
Yep, alive and well and sitting pretty back there.

8. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Hell no!

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Barbara's Bakery Shredded Oats. Their Shredded Spoonfuls cereal is pretty good, too.

10. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Usually no. I scrunch them off.

11. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I'm pretty wimpy physically, but am a strong person emotionally and spiritually. And strong-willed. Just ask my mom.

12. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ice cream? Nooo. Gelato. I always start with a base of chocolate-hazelnut and add another flavor to that...maybe stracciatella, or amarena, or frutti di bosco, or....well, I like most gelato.

13.WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their eyes and smiles, if they seem open or not.

14. RED OR PINK?
Red. *So* not a pink person.

15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My teeth. I should have gotten braces.

16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I lost two very important people from my life last year. I miss them both intensely.

17. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Tan sheepskin slippers purchased in England.

18. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Maccheroncini di Campofilone con ragu di cinghiale.

19 WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
My husband's voice talking on his telefonino.

20.IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Sky blue.

21.FAVORITE SMELLS?
Citrus; pinon wood in a fireplace; a pine forest; fresh popcorn.

22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My mom.

23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Football americano. Preferably college football. Specifically The Ohio State Buckeyes.

24. HAIR COLOR?
Brown.

25. EYE COLOR?
Brown.

26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope. I do have glasses for distance vision, though.

27.FAVORITE FOOD?
Hmmm...tough question! I love variety and different ethnic cuisines. My main stay (obviously) is Italian.

28. SCARY MOVIES OR SAPPY ENDINGS?S
Sappy endings. Every time. I don't like gore or horror flicks but I do like suspense films.

29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The Last Outpost, a 1935 Cary Grant and Claude Rains movie. The DVD was a Christmas gift.

30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Brown turtleneck with a fleece pull-over. It's rainy and cold here.

31. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Definitely Summer. Did I mention it's rainy and cold?

32. HUGS OR KISSES?
Yes, please.

33. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Pie. Or Chocolate. Or Chocolate Pie.

34.WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
La Mia Vita da Brigante by Carmine Crocco. It's an autobiography of a political brigand (in Italian).

35. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Slow Travel.

36. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Niente. Italian TV sucks.

37.FAVORITE SOUND?
Silence. Wind lightly rustling the forest leaves. And, as a complete dichotomy, the unique blending of noises of central Rome.

38. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Love 'em both!

39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Italy. Until I made Italy my home. So maybe I'd have to say Alaska.

40.DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I can write pretty well. And I have a Roman chef's approval of my cooking abilities!

41.WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Ohio.

Buon Anno Nuovo

Happy New Year! I know, I know. I'm a little late with my greeting. My parents came in bleary-eyed and jet-lagged on December 30, just in time to hot-tail it to Ascoli, get a little sleep, and start the celebrations.

I cooked up a cenone at home that could have rivaled most restaurants' special dinner parties, then we bundled up and walked to the Piazza Arringo to wait for the stroke of midnight. The mayor does the countdown each year, but he got a little long-winded, as he tends to do when giving speeches, so the church bells were tolling the hour before he could quite bring himself to wrap it up and proclaim the "official" call of midnight. Champagne corks were flying and fireworks were bursting while he was still droning along.

Giorgio and Francesca, still in a party mood after Santo Stefano, joined us. They toted along the fixings for the polenta fest, including the big wooden board needed for serving the dig-in-with-your-fork feast, just on the off-chance that we hadn't consumed enough food on New Year's Eve (which is technically known as San Silvestro, in case you're keeping track of the holidays and feast days around here). Except for an earth-shaking, ear-aching firecracker that scared the bejeebers out of us and caused a little damage to the historic Caffe Meletti, we all had a great time amidst the (mostly) controlled chaos and general merriment in the piazzas.

We've been scampering about the area showing them some of our favorite haunts, hence my lack of blogging. We'll be heading out tomorrow for a few days of touring before sadly dropping them off at the airport. I'll be back on the ol' blog somewhere around Thursday or Friday. Until then, I hope your New Year is bright, happy, and filled with life's simple pleasures.