Harold In Italy

Back on Track... in the USA

2009-07-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

If I had a dollar for every time I apologize for not keeping up with this Blog, then I would be so rich you might not even have a Blog to read! That's right! I would be rich and would be living full time in Italy. Then maybe I would have all the time in the world to write.

But apologize I do. It was my good fortune to spend the month of June in Italy. I know, I know. Perfect time to write about what's up. When I arrive in Italy I seem to lose myself. Another being takes over and lives every moment to the fullest leaving no time to even think about a computer... drinking, eating, walking, laughing, sharing hours with friends, taking them just down the road another few kilometers for there is another exciting adventure just waiting for us.

June in Italy. Doesn't sound as romantic as "A Month by the Lake" or "Enchanted April" but I can assure you it was every bit as adventurous! I arrived in Rome on June 3, to meet up with several friends who would be with me for the first two weeks. None had been in Rome before so I felt responsible for introducing them to the vibrant and bustling city... all in just a few days.

After I saw them off from Pisa back to the USA and on to London, I needed my planned three days of rest in Lucca. A few days later I met up in Florence with the second group... this time, all ladies ready for an adventure! Well, we had it. I needed a few more days rest after I got them all aboard the train in Arezzo 10 days later.

But I didn't rest. Had business to attend to near Arezzo and then off to Montepulciano for a few days before returning to Rome to rest up for the flight home.

Now I am sure you all feel real sorry for me but working in Italy is not an easy job. But it sure is a wonderful job.

Over the next few weeks I will share with you some of the delights and treasures we found and discovered. I especially enjoyed a number of new restaurants experienced during the month. I'll include some updates on favorite places and let you in on some of the adventures we had. We were in Tuscany the entire time with the exception of 5 days in Rome.

Stay tuned!

Buona Pasqua... Happy Easter

2009-04-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

Ham and lamb have been showing up on the Easter table for hundreds of years. Lamb is an older tradition probably originating with the first Passover feast. Easter ham is a tradition that dates to pre-Christian Europe, when the pig was considered a symbol of luck. Either are certainly delicious, so ham or lamb: What's on your Easter menu?

I am partial to lamb. In fact, when traveling if lamb (agnello in Italy) shows up on the menu I am most likely to order and look no further. I am convinced there is not a bad way to prepare lamb. There are hundreds of great recipes available. Google “Easter lamb recipes” and you will find nearly half a million hits. Most will be either Italian or Greek influenced or another Mediterranean country. All favorites with me!

You will find many traditional uses of lamb throughout Italy. As with most other foods each region has its favorite way of preparing lamb. One of the most interesting is found in Rome. Romans are likely to enjoy a light first course of Brodetto Pasquale at their Easter table. This is the local version of a soup that features eggs as well as lamb. This is not a difficult recipe but will take some time and planning ahead.

If you are looking for something seriously Italian and different to serve this Easter, you might consider adding Brodetto Pasquale alla Romana to your menu.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/03/snapshots-from-italy-roman-easter-soup.html

“Buona Pasqua” to those who celebrate Easter and to our Jewish friends “Chag kasher ve’same’ach!” It’s Passover. Time to read Haggadah, enjoy a warm Seder and have a joyous time with your friends, family and loved ones.

Ciao!

Abruzzo Earthquake - How you can help

2009-04-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Cari Amici - Dear Friends,

I wish I had better news to share with you this week, but as you probably know by now, central Italy was hit by a devastating earthquake at 3.30 am on Monday.

The epicenter was in the countryside just outside L’Aquila, in Abruzzo, and the shockwaves ripped through the region, down to Rome and Naples. L’Aquila itself and 26 neighboring villages bore the brunt of the quake, which killed around 200 people.

Powerful aftershocks, rain and sleet hampered the rescue efforts, and, at the moment, a number of people are yet unaccounted for. However, relief workers still hope of finding some of them alive after they saved a young woman who had been trapped for 23 hours in the ruins of her home.

The disaster also injured some 1500 people, who are in need of hospital care, and left some 17,000 homeless, shattering houses and infrastructure.

I would like to ask your help in making their life a little bit easier. The Italian Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal to raise money to provide health care and assistance, and help fund the rebuilding of crucial infrastructure in Abruzzo.

You can make a donation in three ways:

By bank account:
Bank account n° 218020 at:
Banca Nazionale del Lavoro – Agency of Roma Bissolati, Via San Nicola da Tolentino 67, Roma
IBAN code: IT66 - C010 0503 3820 0000 0218020
Cause ABRUZZO EARTHQUAKE

By mail account
c/c postale (mail account) n. 300004
Croce Rossa Italiana, via Toscana 12 - 00187 Roma
IBAN code: IT24 - X076 0103 2000 0000 0300 004
Cause ABRUZZO EARTHQUAKE

Online: www.cri.it/donazioni

Please help the people of Abruzzo.
They need you now. Grazie!

Il giorno della festa degli innamorati...

2009-02-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

Can’t guess what that means can you? Why can’t we just forget about it and let it slide on by without a comment? Well, to begin with we are talking about Italy here - Land of Love and surely the Land of Lovers. How in the world did Italy get this reputation anyway? I’ll leave this to the scholars. I was, however, curious just what connections Valentine has with Italy. Valentino, after all, is still a popular boy’s name in Italy.

Some legends place the founding of this holiday in northern Europe. Explore further afield and we find legends and myths that lay claim to it in other cultures. Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas for the number of cards purchased in the US market. (A distant second, 2.1 billion for Christmas and 191 million for Valentine’s Day.)

The most endearing and enduring legends are founded in Italy. We are certain spring time celebrations of mating and love existed in Pagan times. In ancient Rome a date corresponding to February 14 was a day honoring Juno, Goddess of women and marriage. Juno was favorably known as the Queen of All the Roman Gods and Goddesses. Her day came during the even older celebration of the Feast of Lupercalia, which had evolved into a three-day festival of love. Legend has it that in the early days of the festival young dudes ran through the streets naked and spanked the hands of maidens. Later love lotteries were common on the eve of the Feast. Eligible girls names were written on pieces of paper placed in urns and young men would draw a name, making these two partners for the duration of the festival.

The early Christians had a bit of difficulty with the erotic nature of this festival and the Church was not successful in toning things down until much later when romance was substituted for eroticism! With the help of Saint Valentine or Valentinus, who had been martyred on February 14 in 269 A.D., it became convenient to fashion a new celebration.

There are several versions of the Saint Valentine legend but it is certain he defied Emperor Claudius II. The Church’s favorite has Valentino, who was a Christian priest, consigned to a Roman noble family. When Valentino was credited with curing the noble’s daughter of blindness, the family converted to Christianity. Emperor Claudius issued order to execute the entire family. Valentino was to be the first and on the eve of his execution he wrote a letter to the young daughter and signed it “from your Valentine.” Shortly after his death a pink almond tree blossomed near his grave. The almond tree was a favorite symbol of abiding true love.

More likely Valentinus, who was chaste himself, defied Emperor Claudius by secretly marrying countless couples; a practice the emperor had banned believing that marriage weakened his army. He was condemned and beaten to death. Some say he befriended his jailer’s daughter and left her with the now famous letter signed “from your Valentine.”

It wasn’t until 496 A.D. when Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine; he became the patron saint of lovers. During the Middle Ages Valentine’s Day reached its peak. In 1465, Pope Paul II authorized distribution of marriage gifts to poor women. The first ceremony was set for February 14th, thus Saint Valentine became known as the protector of lovers. In some regions the practice of lottery drawings to select Valentines persisted into the eighteenth century. Commercially produced cards appeared in the late eighteenth century.

Over in Umbria things took a different path and very much influence the festival celebrated in Terni. Saint Valentine was Terni’s first Bishop. He died in 273 on orders of the Roman prefect, Placidus Furius, during the persecutions ordered by Emperor Aurelius. In 1644 the citizens of Terni proclaimed Valentine the Patron Saint of the City and patron saint of lovers. Every year in February Terni celebrates Saint Valentine with a series of cultural and religious meetings.

Today the rest of Italy treats it pretty much the way we all do with one exception; it is primarily just between lovers. Family and friends do not generally exchange gifts or cards. In city of Turin (Torino) betrothed couples use February 14 to announce their engagement. Lovers place a lot of emphasis on having a specially prepared dinner in a romantic or unusual setting. I can just imagine some of their choices. If not in Venice then without a doubt my favorite spot would be Solo Per Due.

SOLO PER DUE - or "Just for Two" - is the smallest restaurant in the world: it has only one table and it takes just two people at a time. So there are no queues, no turns, and no waiting; all attention is dedicated to the two people who have booked. Check it out at http://www.soloperdue.com/ SOLO PER DUE is in Vacone, a lovely little village in the province of Rieti, in central Italy, 68 km north of Rome near Terni.

What would a day for Lovers be without learning a few Italian words? Come on guys, you can do it! Ladies, you too.

Ti amo (tee ah moe): I love you
Ti adoro (tee ah door oh): I adore you
Mi manchi (me mahn kee): I miss you
Ti penso sempre (tee pen so sehm pray): I always think of you
Sei molto bella/bello (say mohl toe bell ah/oh): You are very beautiful/handsome
Sei sempre nel mio cuore (say sehm pray nel me oh kwo ray): You are always in my heart
Voglio baciarti (volley oh bah char tee): I want to kiss you!
Baciami! (bah cha me): Kiss me!

The phrases above can be preceded by calling your love romantic names such as:

Amore: Love
Amore mio: my love
Cara/Caro: Dear
Anima Mia: My soul

No matter what you do on February 14, just remember; for the lovers’ country of Italy, the major day for celebration of love is il giorno dell festa degli innamorati!

Arrivederci i miei amici!

La Cucina Italiana... Mangiamo!

2009-01-16T13:39:00.000-08:00

Food and wine, my first attraction to Italy, still dominates my experience today. Yes, I enjoy the art, history and music, and certainly the people but it is Italian cuisine that draws me back to Italy over and over. That first journey to Rome so many years ago turned out to be 5 days of eating the most amazing cuisine. Way beyond spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and cheap wine, I discovered a most satisfying life pursuit.

As I often say, “I was born and raised in Arkansas, but grew up the year I lived in New York City.” There are many implications in that statement that probably should not be discussed here but the one thing I remember most about my early years was the presence of many Italians in Northwest Arkansas. And in New York I really became familiar with Italians and their cooking.

The Italians arrived in Northwest Arkansas in 1898 after a false start in the southeast part of the state. Some 40 farming families followed Rev. Pietro Bandini to what became Tontitown. Each family agreed to buy 10 acres paying $8 - $12 an acre. They introduced apples and grapes to the area. Both became major productions in the region. From childhood I remember the beauty of viewing the orchards and vineyards. I don’t have any memory of actually working in either as my family grew strawberries, tomatoes, peppers and chickens… lots of chickens.

Today many of those early family names still live on in the businesses and streets of this small town. Pietro Maestri and his wife built one of the first cabins. For some 70 years family descendants have operated Mary Maestri’s Restaurant serving up some of the most elegant Italian food in the region. Mama Z’s Café headed up by Edna Zulpo serves the best old world pasta. When I was a teenager it was every boy’s dream to take his really special sweetheart to the Venesian Inn for a memorable dinner. That was an expensive undertaking and sure to impress your date. You had class! The Venesian Inn (yes, they spell it Venesian) is still around today but more famous for its fried chicken and rolls.

In fact, most Italian restaurants in Northwest Arkansas serve fried chicken these days along with spaghetti. One of those Italian family names has made it into my family. My niece, Sherry, married a Pianalto and they live on Pianalto Street. I even had fantasies that maybe my family was really Italian and the name got changed. Partain could easily have been Partaini or Partini. Even as a kid I dreamed of Italy.

A year in New York City introduced me to “real Italian food.” I must credit one restaurant in particular for giving me one of my most memorable dining experiences in NYC. After all, in those days I could not afford much. Early last year I found myself in New York City and in the neighborhood. I dropped in thinking I would never be able to get a ‘table for one’ on a Friday night without a reservation. Even back in 1970 you best have a reservation to get in.

But I did walk in at 236 W. 56th Street between Broadway and Eighth Ave. I wasn’t shooed out the door, and I was not looked down upon for not having made a reservation… and being alone. A table was created just for me right up front by the door and with complete view of everything going on - exactly what I like. The efficiency of Patsy’s is still remarkable. The food delivered in a timely manner but never did I feel rushed. The meal was a treat and brought back memories of my “date” at Patsy’s Italian Restaurant.

In the early 20th century Italians immigrated to New York in large numbers and “Little Italy” can still be found in the Bronx and Manhattan. Italians went on to found pockets of “Little Italy” in Buffalo, Troy, Syracuse, Niagara Falls, Rochester and Utica. Wherever you find the Italians you will find dozens of neighborhood restaurants featuring home style recipes brought from the homeland. All across America this is true of most ethnic groups but especially true in New York City. The 2005 census for New York City revealed that Italians are still the third largest ethnic group in the city. However, it is Johnston, Rhode Island that claims the title of the municipality in the US with the highest percentage of Italian Americans.

Today there are literally hundreds if not thousands of Italian inspired restaurants in New York City. Many make it to just about everyone’s Top 10 List. Some of my favorites include any of the Lidia or Joseph Bastianich family places. Felidia Ristorante (243 E. 58th between Second and Third Ave) will always be my favorite Lidia Bastianich restaurant. Combine the Bastianich influence with Mario Batali at Babbo (110 Waverly Place) or Del Posto down in the old city meat market (85 Tenth Ave) and you come up with real winners.

The Maccioni Family still thrills me at Osteria del Circo (120 W. 55th). The i Trulli (122 E 27th St) serving up the finest Pugliese food in the city takes me back to an adventure I had in Apulia a few years ago. The very chic Insieme (777 7th Ave) would not normally be my type of place but Marco Canora’s first Italian restaurant at The Michelangelo Hotel is a knockout. Next door the wine bar, Terroir, serving up an excellent selection of Italian wines by the glass, is the buzz in NYC these days.

La Cucina Italiana… Mangiamo! The Italian Kitchen… Let’s eat! Yes, it is true. Good Italian food can be found in many places and there is no reason you cannot learn to cook it yourself. There are cooking classes here and in Italy where you can get your hands into more than just pasta. We will talk about these another time.

I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine.

La Cucina Italiana. Since 1929 this has been Italy’s premier food and cooking magazine. This beautiful magazine has become a welcomed part of my life and anyone who is an Italian foodie should become acquainted with it. I have been drooling over it for years but in November 2007 I noticed a big change in its appearance and quality of writing. The American version suddenly began to look like the superior Italian version. Every trip I made to Italy I would pick up the local issue, especially the fall issue as it is usually packaged with the latest Gambero Rosso Ristoranti d’Italia book.

Although I could not understand all I read, the magazine photography was exceptional. I would spend hours on the flight home devouring it from cover to cover. Since November 2007 when the Italian company took back control of the American version I have been inhaling every issue and thoroughly enjoying the great recipes and culinary travel articles it now provides. The December 2008 issue yielded no less than ten recipes that have been my winter’s passion. From making a wide range of spectacular Risottos to learning more about Olive Oil and how to use it in cooking and for marinating and preserving; I am experiencing la cucina italiana nirvana.

Check out the new website http://lacucinaitalianamagazine.com/... Subscribe to this magazine. You will thank me, I guarantee. In fact, if you would like a copy of the December 2008 issue, be one of the first 30 persons to email me at hpartain@epicopia.com and request a copy. Include your address. I will send you a complimentary copy of this beautiful magazine. Check out page 39. You too can make Tortellini in Brodo. Consider joining Harold In Italy in 2009 for one of my perfect excuses for traveling to the Italian Mother Land. http://www.epicopia.com/

I’ve worked up an appetite. Shall it be risotto or polenta for dinner tonight? La cucina italiana, no matter where it is. Mangiamo!

Ciao!

Felice Anno Nuovo! 2008 was a Cheesy year...

2009-01-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2009 is going to be an exceptional year. What a great time to travel. Don’t let the fear mongers and doomsayers damper your Travel Spirit! Italy is better than ever. I look forward to sharing more of Italy with you in 2009. Join me on one of our culinary excursions or read along here and live vicariously as we extol the virtues of Italy.

After nearly two weeks in Paris and barging along the lovely Midi Canal of southwestern France, I arrived into Rome on October 16, ready for more great food and wine. France is a big favorite of mine as well as Italy but one thing I was really looking forward to was a “good cup of caffé.”

Don’t get me wrong. French coffee is good but when it comes to really good coffee I have to go with the Italians. There is nothing like the burst of energy and flavor from a genuine Italian espresso early in the morning or throughout the day. It was in Italy the espresso machine was invented. Through the ports of Italy back in the 1600s coffee was introduced to Europe. It is a daily ritual and a major part of the Italian culture… and thus, mine as well. Although, I admit, here at home I often ‘settle for less inspired caffé.’

Over the coming months you will undoubtedly hear about some of the many delightful experiences we had in Italy in October and early November. Not only did I visit Rome three times I explored the culinary and cultural environs of Bologna and the Emilia-Romagna with a delightful small group of friends. Then I was off on an exploratory excursion into the heart of Le Marche region, one of the rising stars on the Italian scene. Wild and rugged in the west Le Marche is squeezed between the mountains and sea with rolling hills down to the Adriatic Sea. Not as well known as its neighbors Emilia-Romagna to the north, Tuscany to the west, and Umbria to the west and southwest, the Marche is a treasure chest of history and culinary delights.

Cheese, cheese, and more cheese! This was certainly the ‘year of the cheese.’ Near the historical town of Riolo Terme where we were based for a week, we visited with Giacomo and Franca to see the workings of a small organic cheese maker’s farm operation. After watching Franca and her staff of two make three varieties of cheese from their morning milk we were treated to lunch prepared by Franca in her home. I must admit, even for me, having 10 different foods based on 10 different types of cheeses was a bit overboard! And it was just our first day.

Fortunately, it was two days later before we sampled more cheese. However, I didn’t detect any hesitation among our group when we were offered fresh, creamy, chunks from the very center of the Parmigiano Reggiano wheel cracked open before us. You have to get up really early if you want to see the making of the bedrock of Emilia-Romagna’s culinary triad (Parmigiano, Prosciutto, vinegar).

True Parmigiano-Reggiano must be produced in a distinct region of Italy, by a cheese maker who is a member of the Consorzio Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano, a self-governing body of dairies. The cheese is produced in accordance with strict regulations, and a fine-quality Parmigiano-Reggiano is one of the glories of the cheese world. It takes over 150 gallons of milk to make one wheel of this golden wonder. (One wheel is approximately 77 pounds.) The wheels go through a very elaborate and closely regulated process before receiving the final stamp of approval for shipping out to us. Minimum aging is 12 months but most of the finer wheels receive up to 18 months in the dark, cool rooms.

If you can get your hands on some, the very finest and most expensive is Parmigiano from the “red cows.” This is the Parmigiano-Reggiano delle Vacche Rosse, Parmigiano-Reggiano from Red Cows. Even better than the finest consorzio product, it is made from the exceptionally rich and creamy milk of the original milk source for Parmigiano-Reggiano, the Pezzata Rossa, a breed almost extinct by the late 1980s. This exceptional cheese requires aging a minimum of 24 months! Rare indeed and seldom found outside Italy… or even the immediate area in Emilia.

(A hint for those in the Dallas area, check out Jimmy’s at Bryan and Fitzhugh. My last purchase of Parmigiano… only $9.99 a pound! Best source for hard to find Italian wines as well.) http://www.jimmysfoodstore.com/

The front page December 10, 2008 of The Wall Street Journal carried an interesting article. You may have missed it along with the many other ‘bailout’ stories and the arrest of the Governor of Illinois. “Hard Times for Parmigiano Makers Have Italy Ponying Up the Cheddar” shared the brilliance of the Italian government in this day of bailouts. The Italian government bought up 100,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano and donated them to charity. Although the demand is high for this quality product at home and abroad, producers have been struggling for years to make money.

The Italian consumers seem to support the cheese bailout, which also included a purchase of 100,000 wheels of another grating variety, Grana Padano. The operation cost the Italian government €50 million ($68 million approximately). The interesting aspect of this ‘bailout’ is that the funds used were taken from a European Union fund meant to help feed needy people. Three cheers for the Italian government, they got one right! One of the biggest problems seems to be that the small businesses (some 430+ family run) refuse to consolidate which in turn does not help them to leverage prices when negotiating with the conglomerates. Mass market producers in other countries are ‘copying’ the production at much lower costs… and, I might add, at extremely lesser quality.

In Dallas we have seen the opening of two wonderful artisanal cheese shops. Hallelujah! Although both Whole Foods and Central Market are doing a good job of introducing Texans to cheese, these smaller cheese shops are providing us with true artisanal, handmade cheeses from around the country and the world. I am particularly happy with the offerings at Scardello over on Oaklawn. Rich and his knowledgeable staff will walk you through a taste search beyond expectation! You can taste any cheese in the display counter. Tell Rich you like a particular cheese and if he does not have it he can direct you to one that is similar taste. Welcome to Dallas. By the way, Scardello carries several superb Italian cheeses. http://scardellocheese.com/

I support local producers and suppliers, but when it comes to two of my favorite cheeses, I will accept no imitation of époisses de Bourgogne, produced only in the small village of Époisses in the commune of Côte-d’Or located halfway between Dijon and Auxerre in France, and Parmigiano-Reggiano produced in the areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, and near Mantova in Lombardy, Italy. There are no substitutes. I admit the creamy Redhawk cheese from California is exceptional but it only hints at the exquisite taste of époisses.

I might ‘settle for less inspired caffé’ but I am not about to settle for lesser quality époisses de Bourgogne nor Parmigiano-Reggiano! So, 2008 wasn’t really a cheesy year, just a year with lots of Cheese!

Ciao! (I would like to thank Beth Patterson for sharing her excellent photos!)

Do the Love Don't do the War!

2008-09-27T10:34:00.000-07:00

(The title was seen written across the back of a broken seat on a local bus from Lucca to Braga – September 2006. It inspired me to write this little diddy.)

Do the Love
Do the Love
Do the Love
Don’t do the War!

Do the Love! Do the Love! Do the Love!
Don’t do the War!

World needs now
Love, and How!

Do the Love
(Don’t do the War.)

Children dying
Mothers crying

Do the Love
Do the Love
Do the Love
Don’t do the War!

Villages leveled
History forgotten
Fields not shoveled
Crops going rotten.

Do the Love! Do the Love! Do the Love!
Don’t do the War!

There are no young men
Marched off to their end
Old men praying
Nothing to defend.

Do the Love!
(Don’t do the War.)

Can’t justify this action
No explanation
Any satisfaction
Doomed nation?

Do the Love!
(Don’t do the War.)

Reduced to ashes
Tears our Hope
Rising from the clashes
Still we cope.

Do the Love
Do the Love
Do the Love
Don’t do the War!

Insanity the Game
Control the Fame
War the Name
Who to Blame?

Do the Love.
Do the Love.
Do the Love.

Come from Within
Give no Control
Refuse to Begin
Accept no War Patrol!

Do the Love.
(Don’t do the War.)

Feed the children
Care for the old
All men are brethren
Peace Behold!

Do the Love!
(Don’t do the War. Do the Love. Do the Love. Do the Love. Don’t do the War.)

(Harold D. Partain 29 Oct 06 copywrite)

In today's world what we need is Love and Peace. Inspiration comes from many places but Peace comes from within each of us. When I travel in Italy it seems Love flows through my veins. Odd when you think about it. Italy, a country where wars and battles for possession and dominance have been fought for thousands of years. Maybe it's because Italy is the very heart of the Renaissance. The real beginning of Humanism and the belief that the individual does matter and can make a difference.

Maybe it's because the food is reminiscence of the hearth and the loving hands of mothers and daughters preparing sustenance for their families. Maybe it's because when I taste the very earth through the vine I am drinking in the blood of generations. Maybe it's because I just feel warmth and happiness. But sometimes I am sad with remembrance of times forgotten by most.

For whatever reason I am always grateful for each time I return to this land that so easily brings tears to my eyes. Some say it makes them forget themselves for a while. For me, I believe it is because a journey to Italy always makes me remember. It is a refueling, a rebirth, and each time a little more awakening to myself and just why I am here on this beautiful planet, Earth.

I look forward to Harold In Italy... just a few more days!

Encounter with a Culinary Guidebook...

2008-08-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

Book Review with comments…

Having arrived at the Pisa Airport several hours before my traveling companion’s flight from London, I wandered into a bookstore with an enticing display in the window. To my surprise I found a large section of literary classics in English, but for reading while in Italy I prefer travel journals and other books that might shed light on my impending experiences. My primary reason for visiting Italy frequently is to experience the local food and wine culture. As I rummaged through the books in English I spotted an inviting title, Tasting Tuscany – Exploring and eating off the beaten track by Beth Elon.

Thinking it was probably just another repeat list of highly overpriced restaurants by some unknown English author; I cautiously picked the book up and opened it at random. To my pleasure I opened to a section describing the region of “The Casentino and Tiberina”, Chapter 6. Indeed off the beaten track. Having just spent a week in this unknown eastern edge of Tuscany bordering Umbria and planning to return later in this journey, I read on with personal interest. Would this book reveal new gems I had failed to unearth?

Another surprise: Beth Elon is an American who has lived in Tuscany for the last thirty years with her husband and family. After restoring a centuries-old farmhouse they set about reestablishing its vineyard and olive groves. Beth learned to cook using the bounty of local produce and cultivated her own vegetables and herbs as well as the orchard. Living side by side with her neighbors she learned to do all things in the traditional Tuscan way. This delicious book is a testament to her efforts.

Beth Elon’s articulate descriptions of the varied topography invited me to explore further. Being familiar with three of the five eating establishments featured in the Casentino and Tiberina, I heartily agreed with her assessment of two of them. Da Ventura in San Sepolcro across the valley from Anghiari was certainly my favorite for the local version of ribollita, “made with a rich vegetable minestrone rather than the fairly simple bean soup you find in Florence.”

Trattoria La Nena has long been a favorite of mine in Anghiari and Beth’s description is right on. Thanks to Beth I now have the recipe for Risotto galeotto (Risotto with mushrooms and wild berries) which I had thoroughly enjoyed just six days before. I was disappointed, however, not to find my all-time favorite in Anghiari, Da Alighiero Ristorante.

Maybe Beth just didn’t have enough time to try everything in this medieval village. But, that being the case, why did she include Locanda di Castello di Sorci on the road from Anghiari to Monterchi? Average to say the least in my opinion. It may be great value for what you pay but not of the caliber of other establishments featured in this exceptional guidebook.

Perhaps the omission of Da Alighiero was because her focus for the book is on traditional style eateries. Or it may have been simply a matter of time. Lunch or dinner with Sylvia and Gianni easily takes three hours to savor. Sylvia has mastered the art of taking local, traditional foods to new highs. Blending her passion for purely good food with creative methods has yielded a style all her own. Her outstanding breads and excellent dishes reflect the local ingredients but are untraditional for the region. (That's me with Sylvia in front of Da Alighiero.)

Since my friend and I would be leaving from Pisa Airport and driving east to Lucca and then north into unknown territory, I was eager to see what Ms. Elon recommended for the Garfagnana Region. We would be spending the next five days based in the hill-top medieval walled town of Barga in the heart of the region. With renewed faith in the author I turned back to Chapter 2 “Valle del Serchio and the Garfagnana”.

“The Garfagnana lies in the wildest part of the Apuan Alps, where old fortified towns hang over narrow valleys; skinny roads wriggle their way up through seemingly unsurpassable mountains. A few hundred years ago, the area was little more than a strategic passage, continually occupied by overbearing outsiders, robber barons, bandits and mercenaries for hire; a gloomy place.”

Oh my goodness! What were I and my unsuspecting guest about to experience?

“Agriculture and small industry along the Serchio have given the area a new prosperity. Nowadays the roads are decent. It’s a special pleasure to head up from Lucca along the twisting riverbank road that slowly winds into the hills.”

That’s a relief. I have spent a good amount of time in Lucca over the past seven years. Located about 30 minutes east of Pisa Airport, it’s an ideal place to begin a sojourn in Tuscany. Many a time I have gazed up into the mountains north of Lucca as I rambled along the park atop the brick wall that surrounds this Roman-Renaissance treasure. What is hidden in those dark mountains?

I was about to find out. Little did I know that Tasting Tuscany was about to introduce us to the joys and “rich offering of Garfagnana special dishes, thick farro and bean soup, savoury sausages, polenta and funghi, and more.” Our discovery from one vantage point after another, with views looking down across the graceful red-tiled roof of yet another medieval church fronting a little piazza… we believed we had reached heaven. “The silence is penetrable, the feeling awe-inspiring.”

Each day we were rewarded with another great example of the abundance available in this hidden corner of Tuscany. Although the highlights of our journey in the Garfagnana were the suggestions Beth Elon shared, we also discovered there are many more gems waiting for the unsuspecting traveler. Another exciting find in this area is yet another American-Anglo expat, Heather Jarman. Heather concurred with Beth’s jewels of the Garfagnana. Gaining the faith and trust of the many small food producers in the region, Heather has embarked upon sharing these traditional flavors and knowledge of Lucca and the Garfagnana through her company Sapori e Saperi Gastronomic Adventures. (check out Heather's Olive Oil and Polenta itinerary in November at http://www.epicopia.com/destinations-olive-oil.html )

The hours we spent over lunch with the warm and welcoming Andrea Bertucci at Osteria Il Vecchio Mulino in Castelnuovo were hours spent in a gastronomic nirvana. Had we not just stuffed ourselves we would have purchased everything in sight at the nearby food shop L’Aia di Piero.

Although we opted to only eat at the smaller local traditional eateries featured in Tasting Tuscany we did make note of the Michelin-starred Ristorante La Mora in Ponte a Moriano. Heather assured us it was worth a return trip. We quickly realized we needed several more days to thoroughly explore all the culinary features of this region between the Apuan Alps and the Apennines.

Satiated from our indulgences in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Barga, Borgo a Mozzano, Bagni di Lucca and others we reluctantly headed for Florence. But not before detouring through another region: Chapter 4 “Pistoia and its Mountains”. Never one to take the autostrada when there are winding back roads available, we headed up to the top of the Apennines to Abertone where Chapter 4 begins.

Taking the high road and the long road can be pleasantly distracting. The verdant forested beauty of the SS12 route was a feast for the eyes. Around two o’clock as we descended back down the mountains, we realized hunger was now our constant companion. We were heading into Pistoia, where I had planned a stop to see the medieval walled center of town. Parking alongside an old stone wall we walked toward what we thought was the town center. My companion’s silence was loudly proclaiming, “I need to eat!”

Just a bit farther, I thought. We are almost there. But I began to fear we might be lost. Stores closed. No one on the narrow streets. Deafening quiet. I had no map of Pistoia, which is not a small town. “Let’s turn down the next little street. Surely there will be places to eat.” I could see the market. Yes! My companion steered for an empty table at the first open establishment. “No. Let’s go a bit further. I know there is something wonderful just ahead.” I didn’t like the smell of this one.

Over the years the gods and goddesses of Wine and Good Food have given me a nose for sniffing out the best places to satisfy my hunger and thirst. Just 30 feet more on the left was the perfect spot. The open air market was just in front. Not outside, please… that is where the smokers now are seated in Italy.

Comfortably seated inside, I suddenly remembered Tasting Tuscany and pulled it out of my backpack. The only entry for Pistoia was La BotteGaia. “This little restaurant just off the marketplace in Pistoia’s centre has two entrances. The front door leads on to the busy market. The back door takes you out to the splendid Piazza del Duomo that is Pistoia’s grand centre.” One ristorante and we were in it!

Our lunch was truly excellent and who cared that we might be late in our arrival to Florence. We were in Tuscany in a highly recommended ristorante of our new, favorite culinary writer, Beth Elon. That called for an extra bottle of wine to celebrate our good fortune.

As we were leaving, we noticed a copy of Tasting Tuscany by the register. My companion asked one of the owners, Carlo Malentacchi, if she could buy the book. “No, no. the author has given it to me.” It was an autographed copy. He explained, “Beth Elon is friend. She lives nearby toward the mountains.” We had probably seen her gardens and orchard on our way down the mountain.

Were there no recipes in this very readable book, I would be happy with the regional descriptions that capture the passion and admiration Beth Elon certainly has for the ten off the beaten tracks included. There is no doubt that she has eaten at every establishment. She knows and understands what each cook is passionate about. What unites them “is regional food created with the finest seasonal ingredients.” Local ingredients each cook knows intimately and to which is applied his own personal twist.

But recipes there are. At least one or two from each of the fifty favorite eateries are included. This is not complex food. The real secret to very well done traditional food is… its freshness.

When you head out to explore these off the beaten tracks of Tuscany, you need only this one guidebook in hand. The carefully woven texture of art, culture, people and culinary delights is, in itself, extremely refreshing. Each chapter offers an overview of the region including brief historical information and sites to visit. This is followed by an informative section on the specialties of the area and concludes with typical restaurants and their recipes.

Oh, the other two restaurants I was not familiar with listed in the Casentino and Tiberina? Superb! I am planning my next trip to Tuscany with Chapters 8 (“Montelupo Fiorentina and the Truffles of San Miniato”) and 10 (“The Maremma and Western Slopes of Monte Amiata”) foremost in my plans. I look forward to more delicious adventures off the beaten track in Tuscany.

(Above originally published in E-zines Articles)

Tasting Tuscany: Exploring and eating off the beaten track
First published in Great Britain by Cox & Wyman Ltd. for Bantam Book
Copyright 2006. Paperback. 383 pages.
Includes Index, Index of Recipes by main ingredients, and List of Restaurants by Area
Available in USA under title
A Culinary Traveller In Tuscany: Exploring & Eating Off the Beaten Track
Printed by Little Bookroom for Random House, Inc. Copyright 2006.
Hardcover. 320 pages. Contents within book are exactly the same as Paperback.

In Paperback from Random House, Inc. January 2007

Chicken Under a Brick...

2008-08-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

Adriano suggested we stop for lunch with his old friends, Paolo and Maria. A little farm family restaurant. “She is famous for pressed chicken,” he informed us. “We are in the neighborhood. I will call Maria.”

Three days, three restaurants. Adriano was batting 100% so far. I didn’t see any reason why we should trust our stomachs and taste buds to anyone else. After a morning visit we were just leaving the Catacombs located out of the center of Rome along the Appian Way.

Three days before Adriano had picked us up in front of the Hassler Hotel. Literally. We walked out of the hotel located near the top of the Spanish Steps and there he stood beside his shinny gray Mercedes. His price was right. He was clean, dressed well and spoke excellent English. He was a part-time interpreter at a local UN office. His son was on the Italian swimming team headed for the Olympics. Adriano became our new best friend in Rome. This was my first visit to Rome.

“Adriano, what is a pressed chicken?” I enquired. He laughed and said, “You will see it is very thin, very crispy and taste very good with Paolo’s wine.” I still did not know what pressed chicken was. Or why it was called pressed. Adriano went on to share with us that Maria, her brother Paolo, and their old mother were the only family members still living on their tiny little farm. Their great grand papa had been granted this small acreage near Rome for his services during the Risorgimento. (Italian Unification which ended several wars with Austria in the mid 1860’s that brought together the entire peninsula as one country.)

“Maria and Paolo raise everything. All their meats, vegetables, even make their own wine from their own grapes. We can see.” We turned off the via Appia Antica onto a small narrow roadway that didn’t show much promise of there being a restaurant anywhere near. After the really superb ristoranti we had experienced in Rome I was afraid we might be headed for a big letdown. The Mercedes was barely making it along the narrow passage. Adriano was driving very slowly and very carefully.

After about twenty minutes we had obviously left civilization. The silence among the passengers began to drive each of us to new heights of tension. I looked at John. He had not eaten a thing in Egypt surviving only on water and bread Roger and I brought to him. The past three days had been a culinary nirvana. I could see fear of not eating again consuming John's face. Roger was about to crack with anticipation.

I was riding shotgun. I saw no signs of life ahead. Suddenly, a flutter of dust and wings flew across in front of the car. I jumped in my seat. Roger let out a squeal. John slammed his body back into his seat.

Adriano calmly drove on. We glared toward the front of the car. A dozen or so rather plump chickens of various colors were running ahead along the narrow roadway. The hens turned left in unison at the next bend and led use directly to a small cluster of stone farm buildings with a tiny orchard, a few rolls of grapevines, a large fenced garden, and small animals everywhere.

Maria greeted us as if we were long lost family. Obviously Adriano had told Paolo of our fondness for the grape. The glasses were already full on the old wooden table he showed us to. Both chattered and bowed and made a really big fuss about us being there. The three of us not understanding a single word. The five guests at the other two old wobbly ancient tables must be wondering who the heck we were!

The light white wine was crisp, tingling, with a hint of peach, and a simple elegant finish. An artichoke marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and mysterious spices started our meal. Then a homemade tomato and basil sauce fusilli pasta miraculously opened our taste buds. When the beautiful golden pressed chicken arrived on a scattered bed of fresh baby leaf lettuce, with a side of rosemary potatoes, we were eager to continue.

The chicken was as thin and crispy as Adriano had promised, and more. The succulent flavors were... philosophical. What are these wonderful spices? Pollo al Mattone. It taste, smelled... love? Moist, fresh, probably alive as recently as the phone call from Adriano.

It was a simple meal. After sharing together another bottle of Paolo’s wine, we bid the other guests goodbye. Ciao. We were there long after they departed. We lingered all smiling and grinning thinking of nothing. We sipped limoncello Paolo’s grand-daughter had made and brought up from Amalfi just the week before. We walked in the garden where Maria and Paolo lovingly tended the crops they so willingly shared.

Chicken under a brick. Maria showed us where she grilled the chicken with bricks stacked on top. The bricks pressed the young meat down to about 1 inch thickness sealing in the marinated flavors creating a pure, juicy, crispy, golden brown pleasure. Ah, Maria. Paolo. Adriano. John. Roger and me.

A recipe. These memories of my first visit in Rome rushed forward this morning when a recipe for Chicken Under a Brick – Pollo al Mattone arrived in my email box. Thanks to Kyle Phillips, who writes and edits the Italian Food section at About.com, I share this flash of lunch that afternoon so long ago, just off the via Appia Antica.

In Kyle’s words… “Pollo al Mattone. This is grilled chicken, which is flattened by setting a weight -- a mattone is a brick -- on top of the bird as it cooks. It's an extremely old technique, perhaps even Etruscan, and is just as tasty today.”

Thanks, Kyle. I’ll try the recipe this weekend and conjure up some more memories of that afternoon along the Appian Way. I know the perfect Frascati wine...

http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr0390.htm?nl=1

A Curious Controversy in Venice...

2008-07-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tramezzini? Who makes the best in Venice? I ran across an article this week from Buongiorno Venezia about the tramezzino. Having just mentioned last week the breakfast tramezzini found in the South of Italy around Napoli I thought I might share a bit more about this ‘famous triangle shaped’ sandwich found throughout Italy.

Of course, everywhere you go in Italy (and other countries as well) each area claims to be the motherland of a particular item. It is no different for the tramezzini. (With an i on the end it is plural, o is singular – your Italian lesson for today.) It seems the tramezzino is at the center of a curious controversy in Venice. There are probably well over 100 varieties of this sandwich in this area alone.

Venice food culture is a bit different from the majority of Italy in that here there developed what I commonly refer to as the ‘Italian version of the Spanish tapas.’ Little plates. These are smaller portions that are consumed these days by the ‘after work bar crowd’ who work on the island and actually live on the mainland in what is known as Venice Mestre. So, after work they like to have a drink with their friends and get a bite to eat to tide them over until dinner. There are some really fine restaurants in Venice but since they live in or around Mestre that don’t want to come back to the island after they go home. The tramezzino is very popular for this bar snack.

The typical tramezzino features ham, mozzarella cheese, and mayonnaise. Another popular one combines mushrooms and ham or vegetables. The number of recipes is virtually infinite. All are triangular. The question is whether the best tramezzino is made in Venice or in Mestre. The matter is especially meaningful for bars that display claims as “The Guinness (record) tramezzino.” In Calle della Rasse (just behind the Ducale Palace) the typical Venetian tramezzino is traditionally made with “pano nero” (black bread), elsewhere it’s normally made with the whitest, softest bread. Some “baristi” claim to have more than 150 different kinds of tramezzini, and more than one claims to be the “king of tramezzini.”

The bar managers association would like to organize a challenge between tramezzini makers in Venice and Mestre with a jury made up of an entire theater audience that gets to sample them all and vote for the best one. Some say that Venetian Umberto Zanon invented the first tramezzini in the late forties. Yet, as some others claim, if its name was coined by the extravagant Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio (who died in 1938), there must have been another creator of this light tasty sandwich.

In actual fact, (there we go again!) the birth of the tramezzino can’t be placed in Venice but in Turin (Torino). Nevertheless Venetians, who love having the last word, are now declaring that their tramezzini “are different.” One finds fantasy names for fantasy recipes: “scoasse de marca” (which is destined for one of the prizes) means “garbage of the market” and is made with shrimp and typical local food (radicchio and porchetta). Another one of my favorites is “babbuccia della nonna” (grandma’s slipper) and is made with the soft and tasty but strongly aromatic gorgonzola cheese. How does one get an invitation to be in that theater tasting audience?

Where did the tramezzini actually originate? When I was young and we got home from school each day, my mother would make small sandwiches for us kids to tide us over until dinner. To keep my sister and me from fighting over who got which one, she cut them all in half from corner to corner. We each got two tramezzini. I wonder if our mother realized she was making Italian sandwiches.

What is an Italian Breakfast?

2008-07-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, friends who own a small pizza style restaurant asked me what an Italian Breakfast is. Their restaurant is located in a small, quiet town in central Texas just on the edge of the Texas Hill Country. Parts of the Hill Country look a bit like Italy especially when you add those rolling vineyards into the picture.

The restaurant does a pretty good pizza business at lunch and dinner. The owners traveled to Italy with me a few years back. They are thinking of adding a breakfast menu on weekends and wondered if an Italian Breakfast would work. After all, they are a pizza place. This little town gets a good crowd of visitors on the weekend; mostly antique sleuths and weekend residents living at developments on the nearby lake. The couple breakfast places around town are okay but there just isn’t anything exciting.

This got me to thinking. Breakfast in Italy is not often a remarkable experience. In fact, you have very little to select away from your hotel restaurants. Most city or village dwelling Italians take breakfast in the local bar/coffee shop. The Classic Italian Breakfast is a coffee and a pastry; normally a cornetti (crescent shaped pastry) or brioches (small cups with scalloped edges). These may range from rather plain to puff pastry stuffed with creams, chocolate, and jams. Usually called sfoglie, in Florence these are more clam-shaped than crescent and are multiple layers of pastry dough folded over and filled with cream, rice and cream, chocolate, or whatever suits the chef’s fancy. In Naples the dough is slightly different and the filling is normally ricotta based.

The Italians believe they invented coffee. Giving them the credit, they did start roasting the beans properly to enhance the flavors. 9 out of 10 Italians declare they have a regular first meal in the morning. But 15% limit themselves to 1 espresso, 25% to a cappuccino and croissant. Some take their caffé with sugar and even caffelatte. The Florentines might dust their cappuccino with cocoa powder, and the purist will take only caffé amaro (bitter espresso straight up). Statistically this is uncertain but I expect many of the others have caffé correcto… an espresso fortified with a dash of grappa, cognac or some other spirit. They don’t touch cappuccino after ten in the morning. They leave that to the tourists.

In the countryside a heartier breakfast of sandwiches with cold cut meats and cheeses is generally in order. Even some city dwellers have a breakfast Panini. In the south around Naples you often also find budini di riso which is rice pudding firm enough to be eaten by hand. In the south you also find small pizzas and sandwiches known as tramezzini.

For my friends offering the traditional or Classical Italian Breakfast is not very exciting. However, if they offered an Italian Inspired Breakfast Menu I bet there would be a flurry of activity on their corner in downtown.

For starters, this Breakfast Pizza from Southern Living, slightly modified with Italian meats, would be delicious. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dynaction=displayRecipe&recipe_id=257847

And I love this Breakfast Bruschetta from Cottage Living magazine… make the dressing with Italian herbs and it is perfect. http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dynaction=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1585268

Let’s talk about Breakfast Sandwiches. That would be Colazione Panini. Where would you begin with this treat? In the south of Italy, egg and bell pepper sandwiches are a classic not normally for breakfast, but what the heck? http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/23869/red-pepper-egg-provolone.html

Iron Chef Michael Symon knows there’s nothing better to wake up to than a brilliant breakfast Italian sandwich. http://www.esquire.com/features/recipes-for-men/michael-symon-0308

Got bacon? This Breakfast Panini using pancetta or sopressata is a knockout. Sourdough bread, cheese and fresh spinach add Italian zip to this sandwich. http://www.relishmag.com/recipes/view/35528/italian-breakfast-panini.html

Omelets and scrambled eggs? Endless possibilities. Italian cold cuts are called salumi. The list is endless but includes salame (salami in English), pancetta, prosciutto, cured lard, sausages, mortadella, culatello, bresaola, capacollo, Zampone, sopressata… and on and on. And what is more Italian than the dozens of cheeses you could add? Spinach is egg's lover. Add Italian arugula, porcini and several other varieties of mushrooms. And don’t forget the oil infused with truffles. Ahh Frittatas… savory mini frittatas… In the summer add fresh grilled veggies, tomatoes, eggplant, onions, zucchini, peppers, basil… drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. OMG.

Risotto? Probably a dozen ways suitable for breakfast. I had rice pudding for breakfast when I was a kid.

And definitely Polenta. Polenta di Viandanse seasoned with lemon zest, sugar, and fried is a traditional breakfast in Mantova. http://italianfood.about.com/od/polentarecipes/r/blr0405.htm

Breakfast Polenta with warm Berry Compote? Use your imagination here. Polenta and Risotto could marry well with many fruits and berries. Polenta richly layered with butter and cheese? Hey, wait a minute. Ain’t that yeller grits?

Basta! Basta! Stop! Enough already.

But I didn’t even get to the Italian Breakfast casseroles. What could be better on a warm summer morning than spiked Iced Cappuccino? And then you could offer a decadent special version of the Classic. Italian Roast Coffee, Honey from Sardinia, jams from Sicily, and a small loaf of Tuscan bread.

It’s enough to make any true blooded American feel a bit Italian.

The brand is fake but not the fine...

2008-07-23T09:55:00.001-07:00

Wondering whether you might buy that fake Italian purse or other item on the streets (or the beach) in Italy? This just in from Buongiorno Venezia...

A tourist along Jesolo's beach, about 30 kilometers from Venice, was fined 1,000 euros for buying a fake Dolce & Gabbana belt; it's the second time a tourist has been fined in the past few days.

Jesolo and other local police in Italy are fighting illegal vendors by applying their "zero tolerance" policy to the buyers whose patronage encourages commerce in counterfeit goods.

1,000 euro? At today's exchange rate that is approximately $1590.00. Wonder how much an original Dolce & Gabbana belt goes for?

A birthday gift from Sir Colby...

2008-07-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I shared a week at Priello, our farmhouse in eastern Tuscany, with a group of great friends. Among those who joined us for a lazy, laid back, approach to this hidden area of Tuscany, was a very talented man. We know him now as Sir Colby. While at Priello he was forever sketching and did a number of beautiful renditions of the restored 16th century Italian farmhouse.

Last year Sir Colby presented me with what has become my favorite birthday gift of all times. The drawing you see here with me doing what I do best! Well, drinking wine is what I do best. I asked Colby if I could use it on my business card and on my web page for Harold In Italy. Being the wonderful, warm -hearted gentleman he is, he gave me full permission to use any way I wanted.

Those who know me well say this is a better capture of me and my personality than any photograph! I have to agree with them. For I do enjoy having a good time when we travel.

In fact, why don't you visit our website at www.Epicopia.com and click on Harold In Italy... maybe you would like to join me in Italy this October. Returning to Priello October 11 - 18, and really would like to invite you to join me for a Food Lovers Adventure in Emilia-Romagna October 19 - 25. Let me introduce you to my good friends Raffaella and Marcello. There will be lots of opportunity for photo moments and some great sharing around the kitchen table.

In the meantime, take a moment and visit Colby's wonderful website. His art work is fun and those cartoons are really good!. http://sircolby.com/

Three years later...

2008-07-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

And it's time to get serious about this blog. Much has happened in the past three years. Much. I have traveled to Italy every year since 1999 for at least 2 weeks at each time and often longer. The past few years have been no exception. It's my job, you see. Some one has to do it!

It all started more years ago than I like to recall. I reckon my first trip to Italy was in the early 80's. An amazing journey as it started in Egypt that year where I spent twelve days (my 4th trip to Egypt), then on to Athens for five days then to Rome for five more days. My interest in ancient civilizations reached an epiphany on this unique journey. The influence of one culture on the other was an eye opening experience as one unfolded into the next. Western culture found a solid base in this three country travel extravaganza.

I am often asked why I came to be so fascinated with Italy. The answer to that question is not one so easy to answer. Maybe it was a conscious effort to settle in on a destination that would provide me with unlimited opportunities to explore and discover. By the late 80's Egypt was becoming increasingly more and more difficult to travel to on a regular basis especially with a small group of clients. My journey to Egypt in 1993 was my last until a recent return in February of 2007.

In the meantime I had focused on the Latin America cultures hoping that interest in this area would be able to fuel my exploration by escorting groups to these emerging countries. But that was more difficult than I expected. There just were not enough clients to afford travel to these remote and beautiful cultures on a regular basis.

So, I did some soul searching and fact finding and zeroed in on Italy. Well, more precisely, the Roman Empire. I was really afraid I would become bored with travel just to Italy. So, thinking ahead and envisioning the ability to keep Rome as the center of my specialization I could then travel to the hinterlands of the Roman Empire and still be in my area of interest. The Roman Empire was vast and I had already been enjoying the far flung reaches into the Middle East.

Bored with Italy? How wrong I was. Italy is something that gets in your blood. Once you sip the pleasures of the vine, taste the centuries of care given to food preparation, and stroll the landscapes of Italy, laugh and smile with the people, you are grounded. Your roots grow strong and go deep, nourished in this land. Your soul and body yearns for complete immersion in this inexplicable world called Italy. Home? Yes, in many ways it is. Lover? Oh, yes. Italy is love. Torture? Sometimes it will drive you crazy. But bored? Never.

Come with me as we explore and experience this place many refer to as La Dolce Vita. The sweet life. Far niente... no words will ever describe what you feel in Italy. As my dear friend and author, Darlene Marwitz says, "You get the fever. Italy Fever!"

Until next time... ciao!

The world is my oyster...

2005-05-14T08:49:00.000-07:00

... and Italy is the Pearl. Harold In Italy is just that. Pearls of wisdom from my journeys in Italy. Byron has his Childe Harold, Berlioz has his musical masterpiece "Harold In Italy" and now I have my Harold In Italy. All things Italy. That is what this blog is about.