Com’e il tempo? (How IS the weather?)

Saturday

So warm, so sunny and today – so bright that I can see the distant Alps from the northern side of the Venetian islands.

Sadly, the Italian train that I am now on is not blogworthy. I was looking forward to a late departure, a broken ventilation system, the rambunctious discussions amongst fellow passengers – all common experiences from the past, but instead, our world has become so homogenized that even the Italian trains are running punctually and the lovely voice of the conductor tells us all to please keep our voices down to a subdued level. And the odd thing is that everyone is complying with the request.

In Florence, the “one way street” (all going the wrong way) capital of the world, I picked up the car that would serve as transport to and within Umbria. I’m not even going to list all the things that went wrong with that small portion of the day. But then, it’s all in the past, because indeed, I am writing this from Umbria.

Therefore (doubters of private Internet deals, relax!) there is a Bruno, and there is an Umbria, and there is a farmhouse, and there is even a farm of sorts since Bruno – an older guy with a ponytail – cultivates certified organic sunflowers. And, judging from the proliferation of plums on the premises – fruit trees as well.

I am onto my next internet challenge. How can a farmhouse accommodate a computer?

Answer: it cannot. There isn’t a phone jack, to say nothing of some fancy Ethernet or wi-fi connection. And the nearest town, Todi, is a winding-up-and-around-on-unpaved surfaces 15 minute drive away. For today, I am stumped. Tomorrow is another blogger day.

(p.s. I begged someone off the street --literally--to let me use a phone line!)

what else... organic sunflowers 

Sunday

I’ve been asked what the thrill is of going to a farmhouse, given that I live in such close proximity to the countryside back in Madison. To me, “renting a farmhouse in Umbria” is really a code name for an experience that I think tops most, if not all vacations. What are the essentials?

The farmhouse has to be relatively old, though comfortably modern inside (I am looking for visual appeal here, but I’m getting too used to an easy existence to call “roughing it” a vacation);

It has to be in a stunning setting – certainly hilly, with views, fields of crops of the type that postcards depict (sunflowers, vineyards, etc);

I t absolutely has to be close to a town or village where one can find at least one great but simple eatery where locals congregate to feast on regional cuisine;

That same town has to have a bit of history to tantalize the eye and the mind.

Todi represents all the above and it does so perfectly. Not many outside of Italy (including me until last year) have ever heard of this place. It is a perfectly preserved medieval hill town (the recent attention to “faithful preservation” is in part thanks to the fact that Todi is less than two hours from Rome and many rich artsy types use it as a summer and week-end retreat). It is stunningly beautiful, perched high above the surrounding fields of sunflowers and forests of old oak.

Enough touristy descriptions. I wanted to say that this morning, Todi delivered something equally important: breakfast.

for one person?? 

Per l’Amore di Dio! (Venetian classics and oddities)

I'm looking back at the last 24 hours and ticking off the themes that are permanently linked, in my mind, to Venice.

What’s a Venetian classic? From last night, I can recall a bellini (prosecco + white peach coulis) before dinner.

a bellini with Italian olives at the side.. 

And what struck me as a peculiarity? for the love of God, taking your dog to church! True, occasionally there’ll be a sign posted, in the form of a puppy with a red slash through it. But I have seen dogs trottin’ down toward the altar (with owners, of course). These are not my churches nor religions, but doesn’t that just seem wrong?

Another classic, from this morning – sunrise over the lagoon. I got up again to see this. The back yard of the “professor’s house” (that is where we’re staying) stretches all the way to the lagoon and so it did not take me long to drag myself to the water’s edge. I was rewarded with this:

a Venetian sunrise over the lagoon

Peculiarities? I wonder why this person had use for so many cooking forms (they were drying on the window sill this morning)?

must've been quite a party...

This morning I was sniffing out certain well-known art collections. Take note of the two horses out front, belonging to Peggy Guggenheim’s vast estate. Bold, beautiful, ready to leap into the Grand Canal.

What’s odd is that I have become crotchety. A young girl straddled one of them and would not get off. Okay, so they are a piece of art and the mother was standing by listlessly. But did it warrant my audible “thank you!” when the attendant asked her to get down?

Or, how about when I saw an older man using a camcorder in a church, even though the sign clearly indicated this was not permitted. Why did I walk by and mutter a “tut tut”? Next thing you know, I’ll be poking little tykes with a stick if they’re in my way and kicking dogs that are annoying.

Peggy's garden horses 

Blueberry ice-cream with whipped cream at Nico’s, overlooking the Gudecca Canal – wonderful. But, am I scarfing down all these? Is that normal? (Answer: they were not all mine, I promise!)

a mid-afternoon pick-me-up 

Nobody will deny that musicians can always pick up extra cash in Europe by playing on street corners. But what if you find yourself in Venice and you haven’t the musical competence to play anything well enough? You might try dancing, with a hat strategically placed for a donation.

tango your way to cash 

These are an interesting addition to the souvenir stalls this year. When you see one in my office, you’ll know where it came from (actually they were made in Hungary; that's close enough).

they add color and playfulness to alleys, passages and campi 

On the last night in Venice, tradition has it that one should go to St. Mark’s, spend money on that last drink and listen to the music from the competing cafés. But in the last couple of years, at least some of the cafés have not been able to attract customers. Why? Because Venice is sinking and in portions of the greatest square on earth you are likely to see not so much people swaying to the music, but this:

In places, the water at night is ankle-deep