It's time for Roma

Well, I made it to Rome. Of course the first thing you need to do is to do the tourist walk. So I got on the metro (be very careful of pickpockets on the metro. Don't be shy about pushing people away, especially if you are being crowded needlessly, Twice I found guys groping for my wallet) and took it to Piazza de Popolo which is at the base of the Borghesi gardens. It's called the tourist walk because it's only about 2 miles long and it covers every major tourist attraction. The Piazza where you start with was made very famous by the Dan Brown movies. That was the site of several of his priest killings.

Note, I am finding fellow travelers to swap picture taking duties with so I can prove that I am here.














One of the exhibits that you really shouldn't miss is right in the Piazza in one of the churches at the entrance to the Bourgasi Gardens. It is the da Vinci historical exhibit. They have lots of his original workpapers from all the research that he did. It's fascinating.

A little know fact is that da Vinci was disleptic and all of his research papers, all he wrote, is in a mirror image, which means to us mere mortals, we can only read it by looking at it in a mirror. It is perfectly written, just as if it was a negative reversed photocopy.

It is in this church that has the permanent da Vinci exhibit, also the scene for a murder in "Angels and Demons".

The dual churches at the end of the piazza are the entrance to Roma. The piazza itself is just inside the ancient roman walls that we the protection for the city.

From this famous piazza you as you walk through the streets the first tourist stop is the Spanish steps. I'm not really sure the history of the Spanish steps just that everybody from Rome goes there. As you can see in this picture.

I think there was an open spot on the 7th row up on the right, but it was crazy crowded, all the way to the top. There was obviously some tourist attraction, or cultural significance I'm missing. I never really liked this location.

The next spot you come to is the Trevi Fountain. This I do like, as it does something. They are beautiful statues, and it spouts water. There are still, 50,000 tourists, but I accept that to see the sculptures and to throw my coin in the hopes to return again.

From here there are lots of choices but almost all of them will lead you to the Forum walk and the Colosseum.

The buildings everywhere you look are amazing. from 2000 year ago excavations going on now (look at the very ancient apartment buildings in the background)

To more modern marble edifices, like the buildings surrounding the piazza veniza.

 The buildings everywhere you look are amazing. from 2000 year ago excavations going on now

Every where you turn, there is another building, another street that just beckons you to explore to find another building even more elaborate or of an era you hadn't seen before. or even better a private Piazza in the center of a building with statuary and a fountain, for the residents for the past 2000 years.

 My word for Roma, and why I like it so much, EXPLORE, you never know what is around the corner at the end of the VIA.

This is a link to a lot more pictures of this marvelous city  ATouchOfRome

My dinner with Manuela

Eight years ago, I met this wonderful Roman woman, she will tell you she is not Italian but Roman because she is of Etruscan heritage at a pottery class I was taking. We have been fast friends ever since, and whenever I get to Italy, I have to swing by Rome to say hello.
Because of the holiday weekend, we were not able to get together until my last night in Rome, in fact I extended my stay for an extra day to be able to see her.

She took me to her favorite restaurant in her neighborhood, a Sicilian place called La Norma. Oh, we showed up at 8pm, and we were the first customers. They were just opening their dors. I'd forgotten how late everone eats in Roma, very late. Other diners did not even start showing up until after 20:30.

 This was my dinner, fresh pasta with a light tomato sauce and lots of vegetables.

Manuela's was a more traditional plate of a vegetable spaghetti.

This was the local sicilian wine I drank. It was all mine as Manuela was not drinking.

It was just the kind of evening I had hope for, two old friends catching up on the gossip of our lives since we had last seen each other, about 5 years.

It was a great way to be able to say Arrivadiercci, Roma.

A return to Orvieto

In 2005, Merrillee Ford and I attended a Maiolica painting and Ceramics class in Certaldo, Tuscany, Italy. Its a small town between Florence and Siena. Part of the class was taught by a very talented Italian ceramics painter by the name of Marino Moratti. At that time Marino had just purchased a 700-year-old castle in the town of Orvieto. We went to visit him in his new home and studio one day as part of a class field trip and I ended up purchasing a couple of his pieces. I realized that Orvieto is only a one hour train ride from Rome. So I decided to make Ovieto my first "Learn the System" train project from Rome.
On my second day here (the first day was learning the subway), I got up early and went to the Termini train station. But not early enough. November 1 is a national holiday (All Saints Day) here in Italy it's the last holiday before the Christmas Holidays. So everybody, families included, is taking advantage of a last gasp of the summer weather. And it was beautiful. About 60° maybe a little warmer no breeze just perfect fall weather. With trepidation, I walked on the train back to Torino, You head in that direction to get to Orvieto. I was thinking if the pass doesn't work, they can just throw me off the train. But it did work, and I got to Orvieto.

Another knowledge lesson. While I was waiting for the first train, the schedule board list the train and track it is on. Usually it only announces that about 10 minutes before it leaves. So I was carefully watching the board and it posted 2EST. So I went to track 2 but their was no train there. So I waited until it was the posted time to leave, and I saw on the board it was no longer listed. I went to the station agent and asked if the train was cancelled or something. No, she said, the train has already left. I said I was at the track and it never was there. Then she explained, the 2 was for track 2 but the EST meant it was a stacked train behind the train on track 1 (EST means east). So I was supposed to go to the train behind the train on track 1. I actually missed my first train. But there was another train in 30 minutes, and this train has a first class coach. I got on that one, and it was much more comfortable. I was off to Orvieto finally.

Orvieto is this very old Roman city on the top of this hill. The first challenge is to get to the top of the hill. 8 years ago, we were in a van. Now its just my legs, I thought. But I looked across from the train station and there was a funicular. A tram that goes up at a very steep incline but levels the car so the occupants don't fall out the back.

 I bought a ticket for 1.50$e (There are tickets for everything, like in Disneyland, bur not as expensive) and rode to the top. The first thing you see are the roman ruins, stabilized and available to be visited.

 These are massive brick walls, popping up out of the hillside rocks that make them impenetrable.

 That is why these towns survived for so many years, thru the Middle Ages and even during the world wars. They are impenetrable You just cant get in unless someone opens the drawbridge gate for you.

These are amazing engineering feats for 2000 years ago, and many of these battlements are that old, and still standing. They are good feats for engineers today. making structures this massive out of hand made and laid brick.

There are more pictures in my web link found here:   Orvieto Pictures

What I like about Orvieto is that it is a pretty typical italian town that has reborn itself based on its history and made Itself conform to its goal of displaying its history and charm.It is different in that it is a living vibrant village with people living and working there, unlike some other villages which are strictly "tourist traps".

Oh, as far as my fellow potter and teacher Marino was concerned. I never did find his castle on the hill. I never realized the whole city was a hill. I did find several very interesting ceramic shops.

I would love the have the skills to do pieces like these.
Merrillee, who I mentioned in the first paragraph produces hand drawn pieces like this. Its not the pottery piece. I can make plates like this all day long. But spending the time and having the skill to detail this work is beyond my skills at this point. That is why I've taken up painting in acrylics, to hopefully learn the patience and skills to do art pieces like these.
The town of Orvieto is picturesque, hill, old and very clean. The Italians relish old, Old is character, Old is to be respected, and Old is strength.

The Roma Metro - A very nice way to get around

From Torino to Roma The clock said it was time to go

So, on Halloween day, I took off from Torino to head for my next big adventure, Roma. It was a very sad good by. I enjoyed the city, the people and especially Ivan, for all the work he did to make my tour very special.  After just a short while, the focus of what we did changed to meet my interests. And it made it all the better for me. I think that is the nature of the Torino Italians, always very solicitous and looking out for each other and helping each other. Most of the time, I was living in the University area near Piazza Vittorio Veneto. There are several Universities and secondary schools right there, and I think that helps the energy level and the fun factor. On a Friday or Saturday evening, the square was filled with families with small children and young adults who were out until midnight, the adults even later. I took a lot of photos around there .
See the album of night photos and you'll get a flavor for this.  Night Photos of Torino

But Roma was calling so I got on the high speed train from Torino with stops only in Milano and Firenze then Roma Termini. During this 800 km journey we were very smoothly and comfortably cruising at over 300 kph or about 200 mph much of the time. With the stops and all, the trip took only about 4 hours averaging 200 KPH or about 120 MPH. BTW, the Italians are now complaining about how slow it is and how long it takes to get long distances. Lets introduce them to Los Angeles traffic with little or no alternative.
This link explains the different trains in Italy.    Italian-high-speed-trains 
With my Eurail pass, I can ride on any of the high speed trains anywhere for a flat fee of 10 euros, reserved seat, in first class no less. Any other of the regional trains, I just walk on and show the ticket collector my pass and they stamp it, and I'm on. No waiting in lines. Train travel in Italy is very popular and there has to be 100,000 people a day on them. And they go very frequently. Like the metro/subway in Rome. Another blog, but just to say, the subway runs ever 3 minutes, and the cars are full.
The trains are high tech and took a lot of their design from airplanes. Sitting in first class (how else do you think I'd travel) the seats are comfortable, wide and you have a work surface to do business with. They provide free WiFi so you are connected to the internet at a decent speed and they have drink service, but no food.

It was an amazing trip, and the train was completely full, as are most of the trains around here, at least the ones I've taken. It really is well planned, and since it covers the country, people tend to use it a lot.This is the kind of investment in infrastructure we should be making, not more freeway lanes (political button is now off. But you can see what it does in many ways). And realize, that while cruising by at 300 kph you are seeing 1000 year old castles and ruins. Just have a fast trigger finger on the camera button.
So when I got to Termini (The main Roma train station, right downtown), I was suffering from a Cappuccino  withdrawal. 4 hours without caffeine. They really could do with adding a dining car, which some of the high speed trains in France and Germany do have. I expect to sample them, especially the French TGV, which is supposed to be the best in the world, China be damned. You can't get croissants and brie on the Chinese trains yet.
This was my first Cappuccino in Rome at the termini station. It cost almost twice as much as in Torino, I guess the chocolate design on the top is the reason. It was about 1.60 euros, about $2.00US, where it was very common to pay 1 euro in Torino.

Not this time, but often I usually will have a "bread" with my morning coffee, bread being a croissant or similar pastry. Not that sweet unless you get it filled with chocolate or Nutella. I just like it plain or in a brioche pastry. I am watching what I eat so I'm hoping to keep my weight down. Been good so far. We'll see with the Czech pirogi's pastries and goulash, next on my schedule.

Barolo Wine Tour, The best in the world

If I asked you to name the best wine in the world, would you say Barolo from the Piedmont district of Italy? The have been fighting for the title with the French Bordeaux, but the Bordeaux has been scandal plagued over the past couple of years. I think if you tasted it, as we did, you would agree. Ivan, is an italian wine expert and got us the chance to take a tour and tasting at the Marchesi di Barolo Wine center in the town of Barolo. The tour was very technical and extensive. To learn more , here is a nice Wikipedia article about the wine:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barolo

 We took a tour of their processing facility there on the winery grounds. This Winery has been in existence and processing Barolo from the Nebbiolo grape since the early 1800, when the Marquesi moved from France and brought her winemaking skills to this region. There is still bottles of wine that she personally bottle, in the private wine cellar

If you look closely at the hand written lables on the right most bottles, you will see the years 1859 and 1861. And the wine is still drinkable. That is one of the characteristics of the Barolo wine, it really doesn't begin to get good until it is at least 10 years old. One of the things I learned, is that if you do have a bottle of Barolo, it already is at least 4 years old. It has to be that for the fermentation and bottling to occur, That is all very strictly controlled by the Appellation governance, which is what makes this so good.

Also, in their private wine cellar, they have a collection of wine going many years back, which can be purchased (the Marquesi wines from the 1800's are not for sale). For example, they have wines bottled in the early 1940s, which were great growing years and which can be purchased for about $2500 per bottle. For a 70 year old wine. Oh, They actually change the corks on these older bottles every 10 years because they do dry out and would spoil the wine if left alone.

We missed the harvesting by only 1 week. Just last week they finished picking the grapes and pressing   them.(No they do not stopm them with their feet any more). after all they are producing hundreds of thousands of bottle every year.

They use only certain oak for their barrels and these barrels here, which are probably 10 feet in diameter are over 100 years old. They were refurbished 10 years ago and are good for another 100.

The smaller barrels, which are made exclusively of a certain French Oak and are used in the finishing aging process, are only good for 5 years and then they are sold. Did you ever wonder where those wood barrels came from that you plant in, and why?

There are many steps to creating a great wine like a Barolo. In fact, a sister wine, a Piedmont Barbera uses the same great grapes but a slightly different storage and aging process.. It is not as agedas the   Barolo is.
After the tour, we got a chance to sit and taste some wines. And I also learned from Ivan the correct way to Sip to get the maximum effect. I'll just have to show you the next time someone pours a good Barolo or a Barbera for me. (hint, hint) Actually a "new" Borolo not aged 10 years, can be found in the $25 to $75 range. A good buy especially if you have a place you can lay it down for 5 to 6 more years and have the discipline not to drink it.

   

 These are the three wines we tasted, A Barbera, A Barbaresco, and A Barolo. We tasted the youngest first and moved to the best last.

We had a great goat cheese and bread sticks to keep us going. We also had water available. Not that we drank that much, Just a short glass of each. 

It would have been nice to finish the bottle, but we did have to drive back to Torino.
I now know what to say when someone volunteers to bring wine to one of my dinner parties. Barolo, of course.
I'm making light of this but it is an absolutely wonderful wine, you just can image how good it tastes.

There are more pictures in this link:  Barolo Wine Tour

Of course this is a business and there are plenty of wines for sale

This is only 1 of several hundred Wineries that make up the Barolo appellation area, but it probably is one of the larger. Barbera and Barolo are the exclusive wines they crush and make. One of the things it became clear of in the process is that the wine is the result of the controlled process and the assistance of nature, wind, rain and soil. It is not the result of chemical manipulation, which has become the mainstay of lots os commercial wines, to create a consistent flavor. Thats why in a premiere wine like a Barolo or a Bordeaux, some years are more favored that others, because nature was better to the grapes.