letting go

Changes

115 moonflowers blooming at once!

I had a stressful time in Italy this year, and I haven't been able to muster up the energy to make a return trip this fall. I have decided to take it easy and recover from my awkward and hectic soggiorno (stay) in Zagarolo. I ended up traveling and spending more money than anticipated, missing out on the quiet time I had imagined for my three-month stay. Still, I had some good adventures!

Now I enjoy having time to swim every day, even in the 100 degree heat, and having time for reading and watching DVDs, while also managing my online classes. I'm looking into other options for house-sitting next year, in other parts of  Italy. One is 30 minutes from the sea, 20 minutes from the mountains, and close to my friends Domenico and Roberto, who I haven't seen in several years. It would be fun to explore  a new and different region of Italy.

In the meantime, the pride of my yard this summer is my moonflowers, who sporadically have more than 100 blossoms. They open after 9 pm, and only bloom for one night, but their fragrance fills the air and beckons hundreds of bees to get drunk on the nectar within. Che bella!

The jasmine I bought last month is growing by leaps and bounds, but the gardenia didn't survive the heat. Che peccato!

Fragile blossoms that seduce bees

Another fun thing that happened recently was having a house guest from Hiratsuka, Japan for 10 days. My son Jesse is involved in the sister city program in our town, and went to Japan in June as a chaperone for a group of high school students. In July, the contingent from Japan came to Lawrence, and we hosted one of their chaperones, Taishi. Here's a photo of Jesse and Taishi going for a bike ride. (For those who don't know, Jesse lived in Tokyo for four years, 2006-2010, and speaks fluent Japanese.)

Heading out for the local farmer's market.

I've been on jury duty for the past two weeks, but have lucked out so far, as there have been no trials, so no need for a jury. The forecast says the worst of the summer heat is over....at least it's below 100 now. I have a month left to enjoy the outdoor pool, and I plan to make the most of it! A presto!

Lazy days

Hot enough for you?

Well, it's hot here in Kansas. I mean HOT!!! The thermometer has been reaching over 100 degrees F (41C) for nearly two weeks. As it write this, it's 105. I't's best to stay home in the air conditioning. They say things will cool off by 10 degrees tomorrow and stay in the 90's the rest of the month. Speriamo!

My son went to Hiratsuka, Japan for 10 days as a chaperone to a group of teenagers as part of a sister city exchange. Later in the month, we'll be hosting one of the Japanese chaperones when their group of teenagers comes to our city. 

Sister city teens planting rice in Hiratsuka, Japan. My son is in the back with the beard.

Otherwise, I'm being lazy! I'm teaching two sections of my online university course in July and August, and have some 40 students to deal with, but still have time for reading, riding my bike and swimming laps everyday at the nearby outdoor pool. For the pool alone, I'm happy to be here. Swimming laps for an hour is the easiest way I know to calm my mind, get some exercise and tan at the same time.

My very own Jasmine!

I found some sweet-smelling beauties for my garden, including gelsomino (jasmine)!!! My son wanted to buy me a jasmine plant for my birthday, and I'd been scouring the town, trying  to find something similar to the jasmine in Italy. After visiting three or four garden centers, I was getting very discouraged, when one of the sales people mentioned another store across town that I rarely go to. Sure enough, they had the perfect Star Jasmine plants, and I got two, since I'm a Gemini. I will have to bring them indoors for the winter, but now I have my very own gelsomino that with proper care will vine into a profusion of scented flowers.

LoLa, my twin jasmine plants (on the right is a mosaic of a tree I made some years ago).

In my search for the jasmine, I discovered that many stores were selling plants half-price, so I was able to get some great bargains on other scented lovelies. No need to miss Italy: I'll have my own perfumed garden!

Asiatic lilies.

A white gardenia bush with about 15 buds on it!

Sweet verbena that goes nicely with the rudbeckia (black-eyed susan) growing wild next to it.

Moral of the story: instead of longing for what you don't or can't have, make the most of  your own backyard!

La Bellezza: It's that wild beauty I miss!

Entrance to a nearby house in Italy: what a lovely welcome home!

Since my last post, I've returned to the States, spent three days minimizing the jungle of weeds that had sprung up in the yard during my three month absence, and plunged into 50-hour work weeks that will last until the end of June. Ergo, I've had very little time to write.

Poppies were blooming everywhere!

As people continue to ask me if  I've "adjusted" to being in Kansas again, I've been thinking about the differences between my life here versus the life I have in Italy, and am eager to share some of those thoughts in an upcoming post. For now, the biggest difference I'm noticing is the absence of wildness, the profusion of flowers, the pungent perfume of flowering trees and bushes that were so prevalent. I miss the vibrant views and scents that are a constant at this time of year in Italy. When I take walks here, I see square yards with neatly mown lawns, but there are few flowers and no scents wafting down that street, as there are in Zagarolo. Sure, we have many flowering trees in  April and May, and the city does a great job of creating vibrant displays of flowers through the summer months, but lately I've mostly seen green: trees and grass.

How I miss the profusion of fragrant Gelsomino (Jasmine)!!!

Until I have time to write at length, here are some photos I took of various plants that were blooming EVERYWHERE in Italy. From Puglia to Liguria, Veneto to Lazio, Tuscany to Basilicata, I miss the constant presence of poppies, jasmine, ginestra, roses and other blooming flowers, vines, bushes and trees that were evident during my travels this spring.

Ginestra (broom): a sweet smelling bush we don't have in Kansas

At least my yard has a  few blooming flowers, but it's a meager show compared to the wild beauty that was always on display in Italy. However, as a solace, I bought a sweet bouquet this week for only $3! The rich colors are vibrant enough to make up for the lack of any scent. I'm hoping there will be more bouquets like this to sustain me through the summer.

I'm a sucker for purple and red bouquets.

And I have a small atomizer with  the scent of flowers from the Tiglio (linden) tree that Lucia bought me last year when we visited a park in the mountains of Trentino. I spray the honeyed scent of Tiglio in my bedroom before sleeping, and it seems to sweetens my dreams. Or as they say in Italy, it brings me sogni d'oro (dreams of gold)!

Tiglio flowers (http://bellabiker.blogspot.com/)

Villa d'Este Fountains video

Here's a video my friend Massimo made of the fountains at Villa d'Este in Tivoli when they came to visit me a few weeks ago. It really gives you a sense of the beauty of the gardens and the majesty of hundreds of fountains on display. The soundtrack provides the perfect accompaniment to the video. Bravissimo, Massimo! It's a work of art!

Lerici, Liguria (by way of Parma!)

Lerici, Liguria

Last week I went to visit friends in Parma, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. I'd last seen Renata and Pietro in the fall of 2009. In 2007 and 2008, I spent several weeks as a guest at the Palazzo Ducale in Parma, so I'm very familiar with this affluent city in northern Italy. Parma is famous for many things, including its prosciutto (Parma ham) and of course, parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan cheese). The Barilla pasta factories, whose pasta products line the shelves of grocery stores in many countries (including the U.S.) are also located there. In addition, Parma is known for it opera house and annual Verdi festival, and I was able to attend a performance of Rigoletto there  in 2008.

Bike and scooters parked in Parma

After arriving about 2 pm in Parma, Renata and I set out on bicycles to tour the centro storico. This area of Italy,  known as the Pianura Padana (Po Valley), is flat, so biking is a common way to get around town in many cities of Emilia-Romagna. We rode around on cobbled streets, stopped for a gelato shaped like a rose, and visited two of my favorite parks in Italy: the Parco Ducale and the Cittadella. The Cittadella was built in the late 1500's as a pentagonal citadel, but its high walls now enclose a community park. I've previously written about the Parco Ducale, which you can read by accessing this link: Parco Ducale.

 

Parco Ducale, Parma, 2008

The next day, we drove to Liguria, on the western coast of Italy. Driving through the countryside was a real treat, as both the Apennini and Alpi Apuani mountain ranges were in view throughout our 90-minute drive. Our destination was the seaside village of Lerici, on the Italian Riviera.

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A scene along the autostrada

It was a lovely sunny day, and since it was mid-week, there were no crowds in Lerici as there might be on the weekend. However, we did see many people sunbathing, choosing the free beaches or the rocks rather than paying for a space with an umbrella.

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this beach is likely to be full on the weekend

We strolled along the lungomare (walkway by the sea), had a leisurely lunch, (the best pizza I've ever eaten!) and simply enjoyed being near the sea!

Piazza in Lerici where we had lunch

Later, we drove further down the coast, and into Tuscany, to see friends of Renata's who were visiting from Germany. They had rented a villa in Marina di Massa, another seaside town. On the way, we passed by the famous mountains of Carrara, where marble is mined. It is well known that Michelangelo came here to choose the marble for his sculptures, but the same marble was used in ancient Rome to build the Pantheon and Trajan's Column. 

The mountains of Carrara, with blocks of marble in the foreground

I'm very thankful to Renata and Pietro for their hospitality, generosity and companionship during my short stay in Parma. I look forward to more travels with them in the future!

Renata and  Pietro in Lerici