Sometimes you just need a car

8 Dec

We sold our cars when we moved to Rome,  and although my bright blue BMW X-3 was the best vehicle

My first Car Share. Ric navigated and pointed out the red lights. I only missed one.

My first Car Share. Ric navigated and pointed out the red lights.

I ever owned, we have not once regretted being car-less.  But sometimes you cannot get where you want to go by public transportation: perhaps a special museum, a lake, or a picturesque small town. Or public transportation takes too long, turning a quick trip to IKEA into a 4 hour marathon. A few times we have rented cars from Hertz for a few days, but we have to pick the car up by Noon on Saturday and cannot return it until 8:30 Monday morning.  So we end up paying for a car for 2+ days, €95-€130 when all we really needed was a car for half-a-day.

Now we have Car Sharing Roma. Like Zip Cars in the U.S., one obtains a membership and pays a small fee per hour and per kilometer to use a communal car.  It took a few weeks, a 12 page contract in Italian, several on-line transactions, and a trip to Poste Italiane, but we were successful. Today we took our maiden voyage and it was smooth sailing. My little Car Sharing card opened the door to the reserved car (only a 10 minute walk from the apartment), and other than being swarmed by motorini drivers at one point on the GRA (Grande Raccordo Anulare), it was smooth sailing. The up front cost is about the same for the first year as two weekend rentals from Hertz, so it’s a no-brainer. Plus you can borrow a car with little or no advance notice, any time of the day or night. Looking forward to more weekend outings in-and-around Rome and Lazio, because sometimes you just need a car.

Our almost-neighborhood Car Sharing point.

Our almost-neighborhood Car Sharing point.

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Kilograms, centigrade and convection, Oh My!

30 Nov

I’ve prepared a lot of turkeys. A conservative estimate would be that I have prepared 40 over the course of about 36 years. My first was when I was in my mid-twenties and decided I had to be the hostess for Thanksgiving and my mom had to help. I was terrified of ruining the Butterball. The years we did not prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving at home I surely made one for Christmas or sometime during the autumn.  And I graduated over the years from frozen (Norbest with a built-in timer!) to all-natural farm-raised turkeys from an organic store. But the most satisfying turkey-venture was this year, in Rome.

Leonardo reads the menu - in English and Italian - as we start with the soup.

Leonardo reads the menu – in English and Italian – as we start with the soup.

Our friends, Alessandra and Francesco, invited us to prepare the feast in their beautiful apartment. They would provide the turkey and wine while Ric and I would prepare the contorni (side dishes). Knowing they had an Italian oven, which are smaller than most we have in the U.S., and since this type of meal is a bit unusual in Italy, we gathered over supper the Friday before Thanksgiving to plan our attack. I warned them that turkey takes time: I will be in your kitchen much of the day.  Since Thursday was a work-and-school day here for all but employees of the American Embassy, I worried it might be an imposition. But Ale and Francesco were undeterred and in fact invited a crowd to experience the American feast.  There would be 11 Italians at the table, plus Ric and I. We decided that if it would fit in their oven, a 7 kilogram turkey would be a nice size, about 15 pounds U.S. Their friend Stefania would provide dessert.

Beautiful butternut squash and fresh sage on the way to making a velvety soup.

Beautiful butternut squash and fresh sage on the way to making a velvety soup.

Early Thursday we headed out to pick up artisan bread for the dressing and fresh green beans, managing to get in a 6 km walk in advance of the feast.  While we were inhaling the glorious smells at Roscioli, Francesco called and said “You need to talk to Ale. She has the turkey and it’s big.” Ale confirmed: her butcher has provided an 8 kg (17 pound) hen turkey and the butcher says it will take 5 hours to cook. Can we come earlier to start the cooking?

Ale's elegant tableware from Castelli, famous for ceramics.

Ale’s elegant tableware from Castelli, famous for ceramics.

We planned to serve the soup at 19:30 and the main course about 20:30, so we figured the bird needed to go in the oven about 16:30, if it weighed 7 kg. Now we had 8 kg to deal with, and (surprise!) a convection oven, which changes the cooking game considerably, plus the butcher’s recommendation to cook it in a low oven for 5 hours. Yikes!  Arriving about 14:45, Ric set to chopping herbs for my herb-butter turkey recipe. By 15:20, after calculating and re-calculating cooking time and centigrade-versus-Fahrenheit, we had herb-butter under the skin and put her in the oven trussed up as tightly as we could, just managing to squeeze her into the space available.  (Ric has a wonderful little app on the tablet that does all manner of conversions since our American-system brains have to constantly deal with length, volume, temperature and distance conversions.)  With any luck, she would be done by 20:00, giving 30 minutes for “rest” and to make the final prep.

Every good dinner starts with prosecco. Rita, Valentino, Francesco, Eleonora and Nello.

Every good dinner starts with prosecco. From left, me (elbow), Rita, Valentino, Francesco, Eleonora and Nello.

Whew! Deep breath, now all we have to do is monitor, baste, add broth, and prepare the contorni. Ric is a terrific sous chef and spent the next hour carving up butternut squash for soup, peeling potatoes, and various other tasks assigned, while the kids came and went. All-in-all Alessandra, Ric and I spent a compatible couple of hours doing prep, setting the table, chatting and enjoying the time immensely. At each check on the turkey I worried it was getting too brown, but my research on roasting a turkey in a convection oven said do not cover with foil. By 17:30 I was nervous: it looked done. My brand new meat thermometer (Celsius, of course!) said it was done in most parts.  Can’t be! Two hours at 160C (325F) and it’s done!?!?!? The main event was still 3 hours off! We wanted the guests to see this magnificent beast, but how could we hold it safely not have it dried out like the scene from “Christmas Vacation?”

Ale said “We must Google it!” We typed in “how to hold a turkey safely when it’s done early.” Amazing

Eleonora, Stefania and Francesco share the cranberries

Nello, Eleonora, Stefania and Francesco

number of hits! Who knew?  Survey says: aluminum foil, low low temp (about 200F), and moisture in the pan beneath the turkey.

Can I tell you this was the most beautiful turkey I’ve ever made? And the moistest? And the best-tasting? My updated recipe for perfection at Thanksgiving = The company of people you enjoy + Natural Italian turkey + Convection oven + Creativity and a little experience with turkeys.

Ignore the goofy-looking cook and focus on the bird: perfection!! Sara clearly finds me amusing.

Ignore the goofy-looking cook and focus on the bird: perfection!! Sara clearly finds me amusing.

I think the only side dish quite familiar to the guests was mashed potatoes. Gravy is not normally made in Italy, nor dressing/stuffing as we do in the U.S. (mine is made with sausage, apples and raisins). We managed to acquire fresh whole cranberries (shipped in from Massachusetts)  and made sweet potatoes with gorgonzola.  Stefania’s tarte tartin and homemade whoopee pies made for a festive and tasty finish.  See the whole menu here. Multiple portions were consumed and even the kids were adventurous in trying foods they’d not seen before. No one seemed to miss pasta.

Everyone who has prepared a Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner knows that the final prep is chaotic. Getting stuffing, Potatoes, sweet potatoes, veg, gravy and turkey all on the table at the same time. Ronnie is a blur as he speeds to help!

Everyone who has prepared a  big turkey dinner knows that the final prep is chaotic, getting stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, veg, gravy and turkey all on the table at the same time. Ronnie is a blur as he speeds to help. Thanks to Ronnie, Ric was off clean-up duty for a change.

Dinner went off without a hitch. Except as usual I forgot something, sending the sweet potatoes to the table sans the candied pecans on top, and I forgot the peperoncini for the green beans. (I think I am the only one that noticed.)

Last year, our first Thanksgiving in Italy, we knew we would really miss the large crowd we tended to gather around our table in Portland, so we celebrated in a totally non-traditional manner. This year we had a memorable, wonderful day thanks to Alessandra, Francesco, their family and friends. We are very grateful to have been able to share the traditions and spend our holiday with them, and to them for opening their home and kitchen to the American Invasion.

I am so getting a convection oven the next time we need to buy an appliance.

Thanksgiving green beans with red peppers and American bacon. Not your mother's green bean casserole.

Thanksgiving green beans with red peppers and American bacon. Not your mother’s green bean casserole.

I ragazzi doing what kids usually do after dinner.

Giordano, Leonardo, Giuseppe and Sara, doing what kids usually do after dinner.

Giuseppe and Giordano at table - even the kids liked the soup!

Giuseppe and Giordano at table – even the kids liked the soup!

Me with my friend and Italian teacher, Eleonora.

Me with my friend and Italian teacher, Eleonora.

Kitchen action stops fo a quick pre-dinner drink. Ale, Eleonora., Francesco and me.

Kitchen action stops fo a quick pre-dinner drink. Ale, Eleonora, Francesco and me.

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Ravishing Ravello

10 Nov

We headed south for the Veterans’ Day weekend. Last time we were south of Rome on the mainland was in December 2011 when we spent a lovely week in Sorrento visiting sites from Naples to Pompeii, Ercolano and Amalfitown. Ravello has been on my list for some time, and it seemed a good idea to hit the hiking paths of the Sorrentine Peninsula during the cooler weather of the off-season.

The view from B&B Auditorium Rooms.

The view from B&B Auditorium Rooms.

As the week prior to travel progressed, it looked like we might be rained out. But the train tickets had been purchased and a B&B secured, so off we went on a gloriously sunny Friday. Ravello did not disappoint and the weather has been kind. Our B&B overlooked the Bay of Salerno from a delightful east-facing balcony where we were able to eat freshly baked cornetti and ham-and-cheese toast kindly prepared by our hosts Marco & Pasquale. We’d have to walk a lot to amortize breakfast.

Italy's show

Italy’s show

Friday evening was a fireworks contest between Japan and Italy, held in the gorge below Ravello, with the fireworks rocketing to a height easily visible from the Piazza del Duomo. There, ensconced with glasses of good red wine, we joined the locals and enjoyed the spectacle of two 3-minute shows before heading off to dinner at a cliffside restaurant overlooking the bay. What luck to arrive the evening if such an event!

Gathering for fireworks contest, Italy vs Japan.

Gathering for fireworks contest, Italy vs Japan.

There is an amazing variety of surfaces in this network of trails around Ravello. this one of stones set in concrete with retaining walls. Far more sophisticated than the Cinque Terre.

There is an amazing variety of surfaces in this network of trails around Ravello. this one of stones set in concrete with retaining walls. Far more sophisticated than the Cinque Terre.

I had hoped to hike the Sentiero degli Dei, but it would have required a couple of buses to achieve the start of the trail, four hours of walking, and an additional two buses to return.  As I am nursing a bum knee (possible torn meniscus and under care of a physical therapist) we opted for a shorter hike with no buses, thinking it would be a shorter journey. Ha!  It turned out to be an arduous hike between five small towns: Ravello, Santa Caterina, Campidoglio, Minuta and Pontone. We were the ONLY PEOPLE hiking this path on a Saturday, testament to the fact that the tourist season had passed.

Photographer on the edge. Beautiful vista over the Mediterranean.

Photographer on the edge. Beautiful vista over the Mediterranean.

These sheep along our trail eyed us suspiciously.

These sheep along our trail eyed us suspiciously.

Our hiking book (under)estimated the hike at 7km. It was closer to 10km by our reckoning, and took  4.5 hours of walking due to the crazy number of stairs we had to ascend and descend…and my bad knee. My physical therapist would not be amused as she told me to avoid stairs for “awhile.” Oh well! It was trek, through amazing terrain and a variety of surfaces and stellar views. We encountered hard-working farm folk, horses, sheep and a talkative kitty that escorted us through Minuta. We took a wrong trail for about 20 minutes, where we almost gave up and turned around,

Decision point - we chose incorrectly and went left for 20 HARD minutes down through the forest.

Decision point – we chose incorrectly and went left for 20 HARD minutes down through the forest.

thinking the trail the book depicted had fallen into disuse.  (The book said “Where the pavement ends take the dirt path on the left.” It said nothing about the staircase to the right, which was the correct way.) Luckily we decided to ascend said staircase to see where we were and picked up the rightful trail, one with mush easier going. We’ve encountered many un-groomed trails in Italy. This one had parts that were almost too good to be true! Contrary to the ruggedness of the Cinque Terre, parts of this trail were stone embedded in concrete with retaining walls.  But oh-my-God there were stairs!

Farmers use horses and mules to carry products and supplies on the network of paths.

Farmers use horses and mules to carry products and supplies on the network of paths.

Italians usually do not eat pizza for lunch. We have no such reluctance. This one with tomatoes, spicy salami, anchovies, mozzarella and pecorino.

Italians usually do not eat pizza for lunch. We have no such reluctance. This one with tomatoes, spicy salami, anchovies, mozzarella and pecorino.

We wore off those cornetti. At Pontone we had to refuel. The only restaurant along the way served up mid-day pizza, much to our satisfaction, fueling us for the uphill slog back to Ravello. Three minutes after returning to our room, the skies opened. We barely avoided being soaked, and reveled in afternoon naps and reading until it was time to eat again. (As I’ve said before, our trips are great meals strung together by long walks.)

Sunday we awoke to mostly clear skies and another fine breakfast. Time to walk

We were the first visitors this day. No one else arrived until we were leaving.

We were the first visitors this day. No one else arrived until we were leaving.

again! Ravello is blessed with two beautiful villas and lots of charming alleyways (and stairs!). We set off for Villa Cimbrone where we meandered completely alone for an hour-and-a half. This is a remarkable property. An estate dating to the 11th century, fallen into disuse and decay, restored in the early 20th century by an English nobleman who had more money than God. It is truly lovely. In addition to being open to the public, it is an ultra-exclusive hotel, booked up for months in advance despite the high prices.

This was called the crypt....not sure why. Magnificent vaulted arches. Villa Cimbrone.

This was called the crypt….not sure why. Magnificent vaulted arches. Villa Cimbrone.

Infinity Terrace at Villa Cimbrone.

Infinity Terrace at Villa Cimbrone. A little overcast but no rain.

Avenue of Immensity, Villa Cimbrone

Avenue of Immensity, Villa Cimbrone

Much of Villa Rufolo is lost to the ages. This tower dominates the remains.

Much of Villa Rufolo is lost to the ages. This tower dominates the remains.

After a restorative double espresso in the Piazza, we tackled the smaller but lovely Villa Rufolo. This one dating to the 13th century, where it was once of such an impressive size, it was said to have “more rooms than days in the year.”  Here we found magnificent sea views, ancient ruins, gardens, and a weird purple man floating in a pond. After, we ate a nice lunch of seafood and fresh vegetables in the company of two very vocal cats.

Note the purple man, floating in the pool in a garden of pansies.

Note the purple man, floating in the pool in a garden of pansies.

Ravello is peaceful. There is no traffic to intrude on a good night’s sleep, nice locals who seem happy it is now off-season, breathtaking vistas in every direction, and (we think) good food, leaning toward fish, with one of our favorites prominently featured in most establishments, marinated anchovies. But then as Ric says, “We’ve never had a bad meal in Italy. Some are just better than others.”

Iconic Ravello view from Villa Rufolo.

Iconic Ravello view from Villa Rufolo.

In a place where land is scarce, gardens are strung along hillsides in tiny plots. Ingenuity! Pumpkin vines and other squash are hung from lattices and caught in netting to prevent falling.
In a place where land is scarce, gardens are strung along hillsides in tiny plots. Ingenuity! Pumpkin vines and other squash are hung from lattices and caught in netting to prevent falling.

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La Festa di Halloween: “Dolcetto o Scherzetto”!

1 Nov
Finally a chance to wear my hat and cape again! Mild evening, plenty of wine, no cars.

Finally a chance to wear my hat and cape again! Mild evening, plenty of wine, no moving cars.

Our little slice of America in Italy, the Embassy, threw a Halloween party last night.  Can I tell you how delightful it was in this mild Mediterranean climate, to be outdoors on Halloween, versus the snow-suited-trick-or-treating of my Minnesota childhood? Or those dreadfully cold Halloweens in Omaha when Derek’s class had a “haunted woods” we had to walk through in the bitter weather?

The party theme is “Trunk or Treat.” Families decorate their cars and the kids parade through the decorated parking lot doing the traditional candy-gathering while the adults drink wine and listen to a bluegrass band. The embassy cafe puts on a barbecue so no one goes hungry.

SUVs and vans work great for Trunk-or-Treat!

SUVs and vans work great for Trunk-or-Treat!

The Italian kids in particular seem to love the hot-dogs and it’s a joy to see the families of both American and Italian employees come together. Since November 1 is a holiday (Ognissanti or All Saints’ Day) no one had to worry about bedtime to school the next day. How sensible is that?

Ambassador Phillips and his wife, Linda Douglass, were good sports!

Ambassador Phillips and his wife, Linda Douglass, were good sports!

Baby lobster and family

Baby lobster and family

Our little neighbor

Our little neighbor

Tiny dancer

Tiny dancer

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Another festive vehicle

Security Officer gone rogue

Security Officer gone rogue

Little witches

Little witches

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

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Up one side and down the other

15 Oct

Saturday it was supposed to rain, a rather large disappointment when one is in the Cinque Terre as the major activities here are out-of-doors.  Luckily the day dawned partly cloudy and we refused to believe the forecast pushed out to our cell phones.

The path begins climbing gently from Monterosso al Mare, but the climbing continues for 2 km.

The path begins climbing gently from Monterosso al Mare, but the climbing continues for 2 km.

The Sentiero Azzuro or “Trail No. 2” is still closed in some sections, plus it is the trail most tourists gravitate to, so we headed in another direction, north out of Monterosso al Mare to the town of Levanto.  As we were staying in Manarola, we had to take a train to Monterosso, about an 11 minute ride. Any adventure that begins with a train ride scores extra points with Ric.

Train station with a view, and Ric.

Train station with a view, and Ric.

The fact that we also started the day with freshly-baked, flaky pastries filled with chocolate,  still warm from the oven… well, need I say more? Yes, I must say more, because we topped off with a torta di noci e marmelada di albicocchi (pie-like pastry with walnuts and apricot jam) before leaving Monterosso. SIGH, I love vacation.

Tower above Monterosso, along the path. A residence? A hotel? Non lo so....

Tower above Monterosso, along the path. A residence? A hotel? Non lo so….

We enjoyed almost complete solitude for the first 2 kilometers of the hike, only encountering three people.  This was a tough trail with steep and unending stairs placed into the hill.  Some scrambling was required where hard rock refused to yield to trail building.

Unending stairs.

Unending stairs.

By now the path is steeper. Ric says try not to show how much he is sweating.

By now the path is steeper. Ric says try not to show how much he is sweating.

Monterosso from above.

Monterosso from above.

After an hour of constant uphill trekking we reached the ruins of the Eremo di Sant’Antonio, a 13th century monastic hermitage at Punto Mesco. Stupendissimo!

Eremo di Sant'Antonio. Imagine buidlng this in the middle ages?

Eremo di Sant’Antonio. Imagine building this in the middle ages?

Ruins of Sant'Antonio

Ruins of Sant’Antonio (Not me! The rock walls!)

Three years ago, in October 2010, we first traveled to Italy and were in the Cinque Terre about this time. We were daunted by the 60-or-so stairs we had to climb to our room in Vernazza! We hiked a portion of the Sentiero Azzuro that trip but nothing nearly so ambitious as this 10 km hike-and-scramble. Now, with a level of fitness we never thought we could achieve, it was a challenge but one we knew we could accomplish.

On the way down, different surfaces through a piney and then deciduous wood.

On the way down, different surfaces through a piney and then deciduous wood.

This is not an environment of “groomed” trails and sometimes it was difficult to tell where the trail was.

At a junction we couldn't decide if this was a stream bed or a path.... The path was in fact hidden to the right and then merged into he stream bed.

At a junction we couldn’t decide if this was a stream bed or a path…. The path was in fact hidden to the right and then merged into he stream bed.

Where's the path? This rock formation presented right in the middle of the path. Where to go? Upon scrutiny, there was a "path" to the right...sort of.

Where’s the path? This rock formation presented right in the middle of the path. Where to go? Upon scrutiny, there was a “path” to the right…sort of.

From Punto Mesco most of the 2.5 hours was in descent, but the extent of trail maintenance seemed to be clearing off fallen trees. Not that it was a bad trail, but in some places it required some creativity in finding the best path. We encountered a number of people hiking up from Levanto, intent on reaching Monterosso.  Looking back at our route, we were happy we hiked Monterosso to Levanto, and equally happy we started quite early as we hit Levanto at just the right time for lunch, allowing us to call this hike yet another Path to Lunch.  And how nice is it to start with pastry and end with wine?

How cute is this? On the outskirts of Levanto, a little cat-feeding station protected by an umbrella.

How cute is this? On the outskirts of Levanto, a little cat-feeding station protected by an umbrella.

Boardwalk in Levanto

Boardwalk in Levanto

It was windy that day.

It was windy that day.

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