Trentino-Alto Adige

I'm in the mountains....quite a change from Tuscany. In every direction there are terraced green hills covered with vineyards and apple orchards, more than I have seen anywhere else in Italy, or the U.S. Every available space has an intricate web of vines; it is mind-boggling to consider how the vendemmia (grape harvest) is possible, considering it is done by hand.

German is common here, and the houses remind me of mountain chalets, with bright flowers trailing from window boxes on every level. Everything seems orderly, clean, and new. It's odd to see German words beside the Italian counterpart on every sign or business. Are we still in Italy? I have a lot to learn about this part of the country.

At night the temperature here in Segonzano falls to 4 degrees centigrade, but I'm warm and cozy in my room at the environmental center where my friend Lucia lives, smack in the middle of a forest. During the day, it's been sunny, but cool. We have spent many hours hiking through the woods, looking for mushrooms, and enjoying the fall beauty that surrounds us. Marta, at 11, is already accomplished at distinguishing the edible funghi and porcini (mushrooms) from the poisonous ones. As you might imagine, being out amidst the trees is more interesting to me right now than writing about it, so I'll continue the story when I return to Firenze.

The Hills of Montici

What started out as another pleasant adventure on Saturday turned into a near-nightmare by the end of the day. Or so it seemed at the time.

Along Via del Benedetto Fortini

I'd run across a brochure about several walking paths in the hills south of Florence, and due to the enduring nice weather, I decided to try the longer route to Montici (7.3 km, 4.5 miles), starting out at 10 am to give myself plenty of time. My first mistake was not checking the route out on my maps beforehand to see where I was going; I trusted the information in the brochure. Unfortunately, some tourist brochures in Italy have outdated information, so it's always wise to double check things out before planning your itinerary.

I headed to the bus stops near the train station, as indicated in the brochure. But the bus lines have been re-routed in the past year, since most buses are no longer allowed in the centro storico (historical center) of town. I stopped in at the tourist center to ask for help, and was told the information in the brochure was correct. But the stops on the bus line did not match the stops listed in the brochure, so I was hesitant to take one. I decided to go back to the apartment and regroup. After looking at my maps, I realized I could take a bus near the apartment to get to the starting point of the walking route, and decided to try again, even though it was 1 pm by then. I'd made arrangements to meet a friend at 4, and the brochure said it would take 2.5 hours to walk the route, so I thought I might be able to finish it in time. It was worth a try.

The bus took me where I needed to go (Brava, Mb!) and the first part of the route was all I had hoped for: quiet, winding roads leading to panoramic views, with many historical villas to view along the way.

Along Via del Pian dei Giullari

It was peaceful, beautiful and refreshing. Ah, nature! This pleasant course continued for nearly two hours, so I was hoping the return route would go faster. Unfortunately, is was at this point that things began to go awry.

Torre del Gallo

First, the map skipped some important information, leaving me unsure of which road to take to access the main road back to town. I started down an unmarked country road, but it was very steep, and I was unsure it was the right one. I turned back to find someone who could point me in the right direction. The first person was a young man, who wasn't sure where the street I needed to find was located. The second person was an old woman who spoke in dialect, so I wasn't sure I was understanding her directions. The third person assured me that the steep road was the one I needed to take down the hill. In the meantime, I had walked up and down several steep roads, and had wasted over 30 minutes. One of my friends called me while I was in this maze, and when I told him I was lost, he asked, in jest, if he should call out the forest rangers to rescue me. Well, not yet.

A villa entrance

I made my way down the steep road, only to discover that the main road back to town was like a tiny, narrow highway...with lots of traffic and no shoulder on the road. Pericoloso! (Dangerous!) Cars whizzed by, and I could feel them, within inches of me. At one point, something flew off of a truck and could easily have hit me, if several cars hadn't been in front of my path. And villas? I could care less about seeing villas, since I was more worried about getting back to town safe and sound. I sent a text message to my friend that I would be 30 minutes late to our meeting. After nearly 40 minutes on the "highway," I turned onto a broader stretch of road. It had less traffic, and I felt safer, but still had a good ways to go. It was then that I realized I had lost the map from the brochure, so I wasn't sure how to get back the rest of the way. I knew the name of the road, but I wasn't sure how far to go on it before turning towards Florence.

I decided to rely on my intuition, judging correctly the direction that would lead me back to town, and I found a street I recognized, though it was not the way that was shown in the brochure. I found a bus stop that would take me across the Arno, and called my friend to tell her of my whereabouts....by now, I was an hour late to our meeting. I met her at Piazza Beccaria and we walked back to my apartment, where I was ready to relax with a glass of Chianti wine.

By the end of my journey, I had walked for nearly five hours, and I was exhausted. But another day, I know I'll be ready once again to try the second walking route in the brochure, which leads to Arcetri, where Galileo spent his final days.

Today will be a day of rest. Tomorrow I head to the Trentino-Alto Adige region, in the northeast corner of Italy, to spend a few days with my friend Lucia. I'll be in the mountains not far from Austria, in an area of Italy I've never seen before. It's a 3-hour train ride and another hour by car to her home in the woods east of Trento. Another adventure!

For more photos from the day, click here: Montici#

Fiesole

Yesterday I decided to spend the afternoon in Fiesole, a small, picturesque town in the hills north of Florence. The weather was sunny and warm, a perfect day for a long hike. Fiesole is a short bus ride from Piazza San Marco and provides easy access to some wonderful panoramic views of Florence and the surrounding area.

After arriving in the main piazza, I decided to explore quiet streets away from the center of town, and found a scenic passeggiata that took me around the perimeter of the town. During the week, few people are in Fiesole, and most people come to see the Etruscan museums rather than walk outside the town, as I like to do, so I was quite alone most of the time. The town's history dates from 283 B.C., when it was conquered by the Romans, and the Roman theater is still used on occasion. I usually go to Fiesole to enjoy nature, so I haven't explored the museums yet.

Along my walk, I noticed many expensive homes, secured by elaborate gates, and got the definite impression that these are homes of very wealthy people.

I found several long pedestrian paths which were walled on both sides, and I wondered how often anyone uses them, as they seemed to be neglected.

My main goal for the day was to walk down the hill from Fiesole to another small town, San Domenico. I walked down along narrow, empty streets, enjoying the weather and the sounds of nature around me: the whisper of lizards climbing the walls along side the road, the music of birds, and the constant buzzing of bees in the vines covering the walls. Cars were an infrequent sight, but when they came along, I would look for a doorway to step into to give them room to pass by me.

It took me about 40 minutes to hike down to San Domenico, and the only place I stopped to visit was the cimitero, or cemetary, whose gates were open as I walked by. I like seeing the way photos are included on the gravestones, so you get a sense of the people who are buried here. This gravestone included a couple and their son.

I had a wonderful time exploring Fiesole, and know I will return again and again to become more familiar with the winding, empty streets leading down the hill.

For more photos, click here: Fiesole#

Honoring the Creative Process

Che onore! : What an honor!

A few weeks ago, I was invited to give a presentation about my theory of the creative process to a group of writers here in Florence. Since living here is an extension of my creative process, it seemed synchronistic that I had the chance to share my ideas about creativity while I am here. One of my major goals is to write books, and I started this adventure in Italy four years ago to further that goal. In the meantime, the journey has become so compelling that I'm distracted from writing books by the adventures I'm having. All in good time, the books will come...but for now, I'm attending to my writing life by recording parts of the journey on this blog.

Tonight I gave my presentation. On the one hand, talking about creativity was no big deal. I've done it many times before. I developed my theory in the 90's and have been writing and teaching classes about it for many years. Melinda, a woman that I know here, started a writing group called FLOW (FLOrence Writers), and invited me to participate in the group while I'm here. And once she heard that I had developed a theory of the creative process, she asked me to talk about it with the group. Like I said, no big deal. On the other hand, it IS a big deal...and it was quite an honor to be sharing MY ideas about creativity in Florence, one of le vere sedi della creatività (the true centers of creativity).

All dressed up for my night out with FLOW.

I spoke to a group of seasoned, published writers, and the presentation was a great success. We met for aperitivi (an alcoholic beverage with a small plate of snacks) at a nearby restaurant, and I had a Bellini (Prosecco with peach juice). I made connections with several of the group members, who will likely become new friends. I have to admit, it was a bit of a thrill for a gal from Kansas. Who knows what might happen next?

You can read more about Melinda and FLOW here: /2010/08/Almost there

Fare il bucato: doing the laundry

Doing the laundry in Italy can be a challenge. Fortunately, I have a tiny front-loading washing machine in the kitchen of my apartment, and several clotheslines on the terrace where I can dry things.

la lavatrice (washing machine)

As a general rule, dryers are not commonly used in Italy. Utilities are expensive, and dryers have not become a common part of the Italian household. In Florence, it is also not common to see laundry on clothes lines hanging from windows...there may be an ordinance against it because it's considered unsightly. Most people use a folding stendino or drying rack, placed in the hallway of the home when clothes need to be dried. I often see my neighbor's stendini sitting on the roof across from my terrace when they do laundry. I feel fortunate that I can dry my clothes on the terrace, in the sun. This means that I only wash clothes on sunny days, which is fine with me.

hanging out on the terrace to dry

I didn't have any clear instructions on how to use the washing machine, and the first load I washed took three hours! I was alarmed by this, hoping to avoid having high utility expenses while I'm here. I asked for some advice, and the next load I washed, I tried the "rapid" cycle, which only took 30 minutes, but didn't clean the clothes well or add the fabric softener. Today, I tried another setting, and found the right one....it takes about 75 minutes, but I hear that is normal for washing machines in Italy. They use less water, and there are pauses in the agitation cycle, so it can change directions. It's considered to be more energy-efficient as well. I don't have to wash my clothes often, and so it's quite manageable. However, once the cool, wet weather sets in, I'm sure to be less eager to deal with fare il bucato. But there's nothing like the smell of fresh, clean, sun-dried sheets!

Visiting Vinci

I had another busy weekend, walking from one end of Florence to another and back again, then heading out to Leonardo da Vinci's home in nearby Vinci.

On Saturday, I decided to challenge myself by going to Parco delle Cascine, on the other side of town. I walked and walked, took a bus and walked some more, and finally arrived at my destination, a huge park along the Arno river.

I went to see an exhibit called Ruralia, a Festival of Florentine Agriculture, which is similar to the county fairs back home. Many vendors were there to sell homegrown/homemade jams, honeys, produce, meats, cheeses, wines and olive oil.


There were also petting zoos, horseback riding, displays of live farm animals and stuffed wild animals, mushrooms, truffles, etc. I bought some fresh pecorino cheese and Finocchiona, a type of salame made with fennel seed that I discovered I liked earlier this week in Chianti. I also found a tin of Chianti Classico olive oil that will be safe to bring home in my suitcase. Over 100,000 people attended the 3-day event.

On the walk back, I discovered that Florence's tram line runs through the park, and using the still-valid bus ticket I'd bought earlier, I took the tram back to my side of town. Sure am glad I didn't have to walk! Later I met with a new conversation partner that I'd met through the Paperback Exchange store that I frequent, and we walked around the centro storico and talked for several hours. It will improve my Italian to have a fiorentina (Florence native) to talk with while I'm here.

On Sunday, Massimo, Sofia and Erika drove down from Bologna to spend the day. I met them at the Sant'Ambrogio parking lot near my apartment, and we walked down to Palazzo Strozzi to see an art exhibit: Bronzino: Artist and Poet at the Court of the Medici, which was quite impressive. I did not know much about the artist previously, but really enjoyed the exhibit. To learn more, click here: Bronzino

Sofia had made fresh tortellini, and brought me some, which was a wonderful surprise. I'd been able to watch part of the tortellini-making process while talking to Massimo on Skype the night before, so was thrilled to be able to taste it. I can't wait to fix it for dinner tonight!

Sofia's homemade tortellini

After the Bronzino exhibit we walked around the centro storico to see the Duomo and Piazza Signoria, then made our way to Piazza Santa Croce, where an International Festival was taking place, with many vendors from all over Europe: cheeses, chocolate and lavender from France, bulbs from Holland, meats from Germany, and much more. Sofia and I bought some cyclamen plants from Holland, for only 1 euro each. We stopped to eat lunch at a German food vendor that featured grilled wurstel.

After our meal, we headed back to their car and drove west, into the hills outside of Florence. We made our way to Vinci, where there are several museums devoted to Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.

Museo Leonardiano

We saw many models of his machines, and climbed a tower to see a panoramic view of the area.

Vinci is a lovely town, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, heavy with fruit. We also noticed pomegranate trees laden with ripe red globes.


After the museum, we drove up the hill to a smaller town, Anchiano, where Leonardo was born, to visit his family home.

It's hard to imagine how he was able to master so many fields of art and science, but there's no doubt he's left an indelible imprint in history.

Sofia walking in the olive grove near Leonardo's home.

It turned out to be a great day for a drive through the hills west of Florence, e sono molto grata (and I'm very grateful) to Massimo, Sofia and Erika for making the trip possible.

Un Giro in Chianti: A Tour in Chianti

Here I am in Chianti!

This week I lucked upon a great, inexpensive tour of the Chianti region south of Florence, sponsored by the Florence Tourism Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. For only 15 euros, each Thursday it is possible to enjoy a day-long guided tour entitled "Artisans in Chianti." The tour visits 4-5 small villages, stopping to visit artisans, churches and farms. We left Firenze at 9 a.m. and returned at 6 p.m.

The towns we vistited were Tavarnelle in Val di Pesa, Barberino Val d'Elsa, Greve in Chianti and Montefioralle.

The tour was led by Marco, a native to the area, who had wonderful stories to share. Here he explains the unusual history of an ancient church, Sant'Appiano, dating back to the 11th century.

Tavarnelle in Val di Pesa

Some of the crafts we saw in Tavarnelle.

Included in the tour are several stops at farms that produce wine, olive oil, cheeses, meats and jams, where we were able to eat and drink enough for several meals! The vendemmia (wine harvest) was in process, so we often saw trucks filled with grapes along the highway, en route to be processed for wine.

Our first "tasting," which included wine, olive oil, bread, cheeses, prosciutto and jams.

The village of Montefioralle, with vineyards in the foreground.

A scene in Montefioralle.

The second stop, where we tasted olive oil with bruschetta and Chianti Classico wine.

There were 17 of us in the group (all couples except for me, mostly Americans), but it was not the usual tourist fare, as many of the villages we visited are rarely seen by tourists. In fact, the tour is intended to bring more attention to these areas and their artisans, so they can continue to survive from the art and food that they produce. There was no pressure to buy anything, but after tasting the food, many people were eager to take some home with them.

The Chianti landscape, complete with vineyards.

Everyone enjoyed the tour, but who wouldn't? We were feeling pretty good by the end of the day, pleasantly sated by good food and wine. There are two itineraries available with this tour, so I hope to have the chance to take another tour with Marco this month.