CHAPTER ONE: Orvieto
Ciao everyone, I
am home from bella Italia and wanted to share some of my experiences but first
it is only fitting that I thank the five talented artisans who made this
adventure possible: DD, Jeanne, Chris,
Teresa and Nancy. That we were able to
take this amazing journey during such difficult financial times, not to mention
H1N1, seems a minor miracle and there were many times when I believed it would
not be possible. It was such an honor
and privilege to work side by side with these very talented women during our
precious studio time.
And, grazie mille Bill & Kristi for crafting a wonderful Orvietan experience for us.
Orvieto is even
more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined her time worn patina, her
exquisite art and architecture, and her delightful warm and engaging
people. And, oh the food! Italians have truly mastered the art of
eating. The local dishes are created
with foods that are grown regionally and therefore fresh and more flavorful
than the foods we often find in our grocery stores. We had the privilege of spending an evening
preparing a meal with a celebrated local chef and James Beard recipient, Chef
Lorenzo Polegri, in his kitchens at Ristorante Zeppelin. Chef Polegri, a warm and solicitous host,
was accompanied by three young and talented chefs who hailed from some of the
most prestigious culinary institutes in the USA. Our entire meal was crafted under their
watchful eyes by our own hands from scratch, including the pasta, foccacia,
several meats and sauces, salad, salad dressing and desserts, all while
indulging in delicious wines and cheeses.
After our meal was prepared we were seated and served dinner by the
talented young chefs, and quite to our amazement, the food we prepared was also
served to patrons who dined at Zeppelin that evening!
We had so many
outstanding eating experiences that it would be difficult to list them all, but
I must describe our picnic lunches which were prepared by our host Bill and my
husband Dale. Each day as our studio
time commenced, Dale and Bill would venture out into the wonderful village and
select fresh foods for our lunch time picnics.
Freshly baked breads, salami, cinguale, cheeses, pesto, assorted olives,
fresh fruits and veggies, chocolates and of course wine. An abundant feast for the soul as well as the
stomach.
Most importantly, I want to sing the praises of Orvieto Classico, which is now my favorite wine and I will never be without a bottle or two in my wine stores, bianca (white) of course. And my label of choice, Palazzone, where we enjoyed a tasting like no other I have experienced. After a brief history and tour of the winery, we tasted Italian style. Our handsome and gracious host was none other than the owner himself. He poured several wonderful varietals from the Palazzone vineyards while casually relaxing and chatting on the back veranda, overlooking the surrounding countryside with Orvieto glimmering in the background. And as Italian custom dictates, delicious bites and breads always accompany the wine. If you would like to experience some of this golden elixir, it is available in the states through deGrazia Imports LLC in Winston-Salem, NC and Snooth lists a number of sources.
We also managed
to peel up a layer or two of the nearly 3000 years of Orvieto history, and on
more than one occasion voyaged into the labyrinth of underground chambers once
occupied by the Etruscans which now serve as wine cellars and tasting
rooms. While sipping some of the best
wines available in the region, we enjoyed a lecture on the systems in place
which not only classify the wines produced in the region, but insure the
quality.
For me one of the
most memorable experiences of Orvieto was the Duomo, from the glittering mosaic
facade designed by Maitani to the mesmerizing and oft times terrifying frescoes
of Luca Signorelli. I am so grateful
that I made time to study the 200 year history of this glorious cathedral and
the artisans who dedicated their lives and art to it. Sadly, there were day trippers who barely
took a side glance in its direction as they passed through the piazza.
Shopping! There are some really wonderful little shops
such as Papiro where we found beautiful Italian papers, pens, and lovely labels
and accents for our journals. And on
market day it was fun to find, in addition to all the fresh foods, other items
offered up for sale. Teresa and Nancy
discovered a funky little shrug and sent me to the booth so that I might buy
the last one, and then the three of us wore them to dinner that evening. I also found a cute tunic top to wear with my
leggings, which are what all the fashion magazines are showing for fall! Our fashion finds bore price tags in the 12 –
13 Euro range, really good values even with the plummeting dollar.
As luck would
have it, the day we arrived in Orvieto was the day of a local craft fair. Held in one of the narrow medieval corridors
were approximately ten to fifteen artisans.
Each artisan had a unique and original craft, ranging from ceramic work,
beadwork, dichroic glass work, carved wood, and watercolors are a few that I
can recall. It was there that I
discovered Maro Marri and his tree paintings and etchings. His etchings were executed over stones,
wonderfully intricate and detailed tree silhouettes, accented with hand rubbed
patinas. I purchased a small stone and
carried it with me throughout my journey.
Among his offerings were also some tiny, and again intricate detailed,
watercolors of various trees. They truly
resonated with me and I purchased a collection of three of these small scale
marvels. Mauro was soft spoken and thoughtful,
and I am grateful that our paths crossed and that I was able to bring his
delicate and thoughtful renderings home with me.
Another artist,
located along the via del Duomo, was Torre dei Maurizio. Each time I passed his corner ceramics gallery, I
felt connected to the colorful and whimsical characters painted on small tiles,
vases and other vessels. One morning,
as our little community of artists stopped at a neighboring café for a brief
respite I finally found time for a visit.
I wanted to bring one of the small tiles home with me, but after
spending some time getting acquainted I decided to purchase a vase. I had already made a decision on which one,
when he pulled one off an upper shelf and put “her” before my eyes. This little figure and I instantly connected
and I think she will be at home alongside some Jenny Mendes cups that I have
collected.
As we progressed
through the piazza, I also discovered a gallery of engraved prints and among
them some hand colored reproductions of work done by French surrealist Nicolas
de Larmessin II, c. 1690. They were inexpensively priced and I
discovered two that spoke to me, one a medical man surrounded by streams of
speech (my son Adam is studying speech pathology) and the second an engineer
(my son Ian is in engineering school).
It was exciting to find a familiar artist tucked away on a quiet little
street and to be bringing some new artwork home.
The art workshop
portion of the tour was the primary reason I was in Orvieto and a
responsibility that I did not take lightly.
During the many months spent developing my teaching plan specific to the
art and architecture of Orvieto, I was very aware that expectations would be
high. It is no small sum that people
paid to be there and I wanted to do everything that I could to meet and exceed
those expectations. In spite of all of
our good intentions, we learned that two or even three hours per day dedicated
to art making, no matter how full of cultural tours and great food, just did
not satisfy the needs of this particular group of artists. I am grateful to Bill & Kristi for their
flexibility and willingness to do what was necessary to apportion more time to
the art workshop, allowing us to strike the necessary balance.
I truly enjoyed the opportunity to share my working methods with this group of hungry and eager creatives. We spent our first day developing our reliquarial journals, while working with paint, collage, a fabric transfer technique and gilding methods. Each consecutive day was designed to provide “journal prompts” that would jumpstart the creative sessions, allowing each individual to take that process in a personal direction. In my role as art instructor, it is this that I find most exciting and rewarding and even educational, as each person absorbs the concept and makes it their own.
On our final day, I demonstrated a
photo transfer technique that would allow the brave at heart to transfer photos
directly onto the pages of their beloved journals. There are a multitude of factors that come
into play, from the type of brush used, the brand of medium (Liquitex did not
work), the viscosity of the medium, the brush strokes, the book pages (our
books, Orvieto Dust, are nearly 100 years old), to the humidity, the amount of
pressure applied during brayering, etc. It is definitely a process of trial by error,
but all in attendance prevailed and I hope they are all at play transferring
their personal photos to complete the final pages of their journals.
One of the most
serendipitous methods we found ourselves exploring, often times during lunch,
was making rubbings. Giovanna, the
proprietor of our B&B and workshop site,
graciously allowed us to take rubbings of some exquisite terracotta pots
dating to 1833, as well as a beautiful bas relief plaque bearing a love knot
outside the wedding chapel, and our obsession with rubbings did not stop there
as even the drain grates in the patio bore lovely raised words in Italiano.
One evening while
dining alfresco outside the Mezza Luna pizzeria we discovered a pomegranate
(melagrana) tree. We were once again
graciously offered some fruit which led to yet another wonderful discovery in
the studio the following morning. I
sliced open the fruit and printed its lovely textures onto a page in my
journal, using its own luscious pink juice as ink. (This is one of few pages I actually created
in Orvieto, and also a favorite as it brings back a wonderful evening shared
with friends and my indoctrination into the delights of this exotic fruit
-- Grazie Teresa and Nancy.) We then loaded it with gold paint and printed
it many times over on the pages of our journals. Bellisimo!
One member of our
group, Chris, organized the chapters of her journal by senses, and that led to
some very aromatic entries. The gardens
of the San Lodovico B&B were planted with Lavender, Rosemary, Basil, and
other aromatic herbs, as well as citrus, peach and figs trees, etc. In addition, we were given permission to pick
grape leaves at Palazzone and a wild flower or two here and there, and many of
us journeyed on with lovely pressed leaves and flowers on the pages of our
journals. An abundant population of
pigeons scattered feathers high and low, some of them quite beautiful and
unique found their way to the pages of our journals.
It was a very
full and fulfilling week in Orvieto and I was wondering if perhaps my husband
Dale and I might have made a mistake not staying on for another week, there was
so much to do and we were so comfortable there.
But, the plans were laid and the next leg of our journey was a visit to
the Isola di Capri. Dale and I bid our
farewells on our last evening together and departed on the 5:00 am train to
Napoli the following morning. Our
four-hour train sojourn was followed by a brief taxi ride to the Port of Mollo
Beverello where we caught the hydrofoil to Marina Grande on Capri. From there we took a taxi to the piazza,
where further travel via car is prohibited.
That left us with a brief walk to La Minerva, the albergo where we would
spend our remaining days in Italy.
CHAPTER 2: Isola di Capri
Our seven hour
journey from Orvieto to Capri was long and layered, but at the same time quite
an easy one as all the connections were readily met and we arrived safely at La
Minerva, our pied-à-terre on the Mediterranean coast. While we waited for our room to be readied,
we were led through lush tropical gardens to a quiet resting place, and served
cool mineral water and a light meal by the pool. La Minerva's pool is a little gem among the
flora and fauna, cliff side with ocean views. Very often we would return from a day of
wandering and hiking to sit with a class of Prosecco (a sparkling wine made
with the prosecco grape grown in Italy) and a bowl of luscious green
olives. It is one of things we hope to
continue here at home. In fact, I have a bottle of prosecco chilling as I
write. The olives, unfortunately, will
be harder to duplicate!
(Via Occhio Marino and entry to La Minerva -- a typical Capri street)
(La Minerva pool and garden as scene from above)
In very little
time we were led to our room. The room
was painted a sun bleached white; in fact it was a study in white from the
lovely white sofa to the bed linens and white washed furnishings. The white was beautifully offset by the blue
and white ceramic tile floor, an architectural feature typical of Capri and the
Amalfi coast. Each day we were served an
elegant breakfast, either on our private balcony or in the Solarium alfresco on the terrace. Tables
were set with white linen tablecloths and white china, each one adorned with a
clear vase of orchids. The buffet items
were fresh each morning, offering an assortment of fresh fruits, yogurt and
cereals, breads and rolls, tarts and brioche, cheeses and meats, along with
fresh squeezed orange juice and mineral waters.
Eggs were prepared fresh to order, as was cappuccino, espresso and other
coffees. And, we were attended to most
attentively each and every day in a warm and friendly manner by Minerva’s
dutiful staff (Luigi, Marianno, Tony and Kamal). I am not really a coffee drinker but can’t
resist when travelling in Italy. The
espresso is perfectly prepared and they use a special milk reserved just for
coffee, not like anything available in the states. In fact, it is so good that I don’t like to
think about the effect it may be having on my arteries. It is rich and thick and somewhat sweet. When it is frothed up, it looks like whipped
cream sitting on top of the espresso, and it is squisito! I take mine con zucchero (with sugar), but my
husband Dale takes his straight up, doppio (double shot)!
(Marina Grande as seen from piazzeta -- where the ferries and hydrofoils arrive and depart)
(boats for hire -- Marina Grande)
(our room and the beautiful ceramic tile floor)
(photo taken on the Solarium at La Minerva)
I should say that in addition to reading the excellent reviews on La Minerva, I read many reviews on travel blogs about uppity shopkeepers and waiters on Capri, which made me a bit trepidatious, particularly after the very warm hospitality that we received in Orvieto. But this was simply not our experience. Everyone we encountered was friendly and inviting. Shopping, however, was primarily an activity to be carried out with a black American Express card. Perusing the fashion show afforded by the lush designer shop windows of Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, D&G, et al, was free for the taking and I found myself mesmerized each day as we wound our way through the city center. The one treasure I did manage to bring home from Capri was a bottle of perfume from Carthusia.
I discovered an
exciting new artist while visiting a gallery on Capri, Luca Bellandi. I found his use of dress iconography and
texts resonated and fell in love with his painting entitled White Tattoo on
Your Ghost, This painting was offered
at 6,000 Euros. We were told that his
work was part of the permanent collection of the Museo Michetti, one of Italy’s
“most prestigious contemporary art museums.”
I left Capri sans the White Tattoo painting, but did discover upon my
return that reproductions of his work are widely available through many poster
sellers on line.
Capri has always
been known as a playground for the rich and famous, but what enticed us most
about this magical island in the Mediterranean Sea, is its abundance of natural
beauty. We needed a place, away from the
noise and chaos of the cities, a place to rest and relax and for that there is
simply no better destination than the Isle of Capri. It is a fairly small island and you can get
around easily and inexpensively on the mini buses, or travel to the Marina
Grande via the funiculare, and of course there are the famous Capri
convertible taxis. I have to admit that
I enjoyed cruising with the top down, hair blowing in the cool island breeze
under the warm embrace of the Mediterranean sun. The island is small, making rides short, so
even the cost of a taxi ride is relatively inexpensive at around 15 Euros. Just do not expect a ride to your door, as
cars are not permitted beyond the via Roma.
The only vehicles you will see beyond this point are the mini Tonka-like
work vehicles that deliver luggage and all manner of supplies to the island.
In addition to
needing a quiet respite, we were enticed by the many walks which ultimately
lead to overlooks and breathtaking views of the sea below. We strolled the winding cobbled pathways of
the Gardens of Augustus and hiked one hour straight up hill to the
Villa Jovis, we took a one hour hike up
Anacapri to a breathtaking overlook, experienced it’s magnificent chair lift,
and the toured the Villa San Michelle. We rented a private little boat and spent
half a day cruising around the island, exploring the secluded grottos and
swimming niches, rowed into the Blue Grotto on a tiny boat, swam the Green
Grotto, sailed through the Faraglioni rocks, and dined on Mediterranean sea
creatures at the La Fontelina. Our boat captain Mario brought us ashore at
La Fontelina ristorante for lunch, where we were served a delicious meal with
wine, lobster and fresh fish, and a regional specialty, mixed fried vegetables dusted with salt and
freshly grated cheeses, consisting of an assortment of cheeses, potatoes,
zucchini blossoms and more, all of which is difficult to describe but was one
of the most delicious offerings we experienced during our visit. We had read about it and wanted to try it,
but after this first taste we ordered it nearly every time we dined out and
each time different bites were offered but always tasty.
(a typical street scene along the via Migliari)
(Faraglioni Rocks as seen from one of the many scenic overlooks)
(Faraglioni Rocks -- yes the Mediterranean Sea truly is an Azure blue)
(each villa we passed had gated entries similar to this one)
(view from pathway in Gardens of Augustus)
(one of the many grottos -- this may be the green grotto)
(swimming in a grotto -- it was breathtakingly cold but wonderful!)
(cruising in our Italian hats)
(Captain Mario -- who took us on a half-day tour around the island)
(La Fontelina Beach and Restaurant)
(Remnant of mosaic floor at Vila Jovis, c. 23 A.D.)
(Courtyard at Vila San Michele)
Overall, one of
our favorite meals was on Anacapri, at La Savardina. We were hiking back down from Vila Jovis and
had worked up quite an appetite. We
decided to check out this earthy little trattoria nestled on a terraced plateau
of earth overhead. We walked up a flight
of steps to find tables set under a canopy of lemon trees. Lemon trees are a major feature of the
landscapes of Capri and Anacapri and all manner of little cakes, cookies and
other delicacies, including lemoncello, made with lemons are a local specialty. Naturally, I selected the linguine al
limone. The pasta was homemade and
served with a creamy and lightly flavored lemon sauce over a trio of deep green
waxy lemon leaves, in a bowl created by the shell of a very large lemon. It was not only delicious, but the presentation
was a feast for the eyes. For our final
night out on the island, La Minerva reserved a table at ristorante Villa
Brunella. The
most pricey of all our meals and frankly the most disappointing, with the
exception of my antipasto, honeydew melon wrapped in prosciutto. The melon was rich and sweet and paired with
the slightly salty savory taste of the ham was simply delicious. I should have stopped there. But, the views of the ocean below where
several yachts were anchored, their lights illuminating the azure waters, made
up for the disappointment of the meal.
Most afternoons we preferred to have a nice lunch while we were out and
eat something light in the evening, so we would find ourselves out around 7 or
8 pm sitting in the piazzetta at Bar Tiberio people watching, sipping a bottle
of local wine and enjoying another island specialty, Caprese salad.
(wine at Tiberio's in the piazzeta)
(enjoying one of many espressos at bar on Anacapri)
We left Capri and
spent a night in Rome before catching our flight home. I just want to add that if you find yourself
in the Rome Airport, or NYC, do be sure to stop by the Fabriano paper shop. I had been reading about the paper jewelry
they were offering and was delighted to find this shop unexpectedly on my way
home. Italians love and make beautiful decorative papers, but
Fabriano is more of a stationer. They
had some really wonderful little journals and notebooks, and a selection of
pens that I found irresistible. If you
find yourself yearning for some beautiful Italian papers, you can always visit
Paper Mojo on line and peruse their vast selection of luscious Italian
papers.
I hope that you enjoyed our Italian adventure. I know many of you would have liked to have accompanied me and I hope that you were able to enjoy it vicariously through my blog. Ciao!