Brian & Jessica in Europe

Did It

2009-08-27T22:30:00.004-04:00

Di-dun did'it. Back home.
No more Italy.
Just like that.
We've been thinking about it and weighing our options for the past month and decided that now is the time to come home. It's too early to reflect on everything that's happened in our lives, so we'll give it a little while till we make the proprio final post.

For those of you who kept up with us, we would like to let you know that we are grateful for all your support and encouragement. Part of the reason we created this blog was to stay connected with our family and friends back home. It worked... probably too well.

We'll post an album from our final days soon.
We love you all.

See you soon.

Brian and Jess

Una bella serata

2009-08-23T07:48:00.008-04:00

Due to the tragedy of the train derailment and explosion at the station here in Viareggio on June 30th, a concert was held for the hospitals and victims last Wednesday night. The idea for the concert was headed up by the highest selling Italian artist of all-time, Zucchero, who is a blues/southern rocker, some of you may have heard of him. Sara, Ilenia, Sofia, Brian and I all decided to go and had so much fun. The concert was held in the Pini Soccer Stadium which is surrounded by these massive pine trees that set a beautiful backdrop to the stage. Most of the 16,500 people in attendance sprawled out on the soccer field, including us, and ate paninis or gelato while waiting for the concert to begin. There were around 20 artists in the lineup, mostly Italian performers, plus Solomon Burke, Eric Lewis, Jeff Beck, and Sting. On top of these guys we also got to hear some of the Italian artists we've been listening to a lot here recently like J-Ax, Malika, Karima, Mario Biondi, and Andrea Bocelli. We got to see Bocelli here and also in Venice. He’s never been one of my top favs but he really sings so beautifully live and performs with ease. The soccer coach for Roma, Lippi, is also from Viareggio and he came on stage and said a few words along with some other Italian celebrities. It was really a beautiful evening, and I think the perfect opportunity to experience an Italian concert since we got to see such a variety of performers. We were also happy to support the town since we were here on the night of the explosion.

One thing that surprised us was how many songs we heard in English. Each performer sang about two songs with at least one in English which was kind of strange, but just further proves their obsession with American culture. It certainly made it easier on Brian and I to relax and not have to worry about translating. Highlights for us included getting to see Sting perform for the first time, watching Eric Lewis go nuts on the piano, Jeff Becks' rendition of Nessun Dorma while feeling the excitement and electricity of the crowd as they sang along with his guitar, Matteo Becucci, Karima, and Mario Biondi. It was a really incredible evening, perfect weather. The concert started at eight thirty and didn’t end until almost one, after which we went to the Cremeria Emma for some lemon and sugar crepes the girls and gelato for Brian. The Viareggians were thrilled and moved by all the support. The word they kept using to describe the evening to me the next day was indimenticabile...unforgettable.

Zucchero for the finale with the children's chorus

Simple. Easy to Mess Up. Complicated. Hard to Get Wrong

2009-08-14T11:39:00.014-04:00

Back home, there's no telling how many people have devoted their lives to Italian cooking. Grandmothers, mothers, chefs, TV stars, authors, importers, exporters, marketers, business people etc. Some people have gotten it right... and many wrong. How do you recreate a cuisine that has more to do with a lifestyle than a recipe? I don't know yet, but something tells me when I do try I'll hit the same wall as those before me. The garlic losing its sweetness, olive oil that smells like play dough, mealy tomatoes, flavorless egg yolks, or a culture obsessed with balsamic vinegar...

When I pull out our fancy cutting board, I hope Jess reminds me that's not how Italians do it. They grab whatever sharp knife is closest, probably a steak knife, and cut their misshapen pieces directly into the pots and pans that cook them. There is no thinking, no second-guessing, no laying out the recipes on the counter. If they have a leftover cheese rind, they'll throw it in with their soup to thicken it. If it's not there, oh well. If their bread is old and stiff, they soak it in water and make it a salad with tomatoes and olive oil. They are on a first name basis with the person that bakes their bread. They normally eat what's in season, and YES, they do eat A LOT of pasta... but I've never heard them talk of carbs (carboidrato). Their silverware doesn't match and neither do their plates. The cooks are always looking for compliments and if you give them and do it well - prepare for a whole new experience. You'll notice your plates being fuller, hotter, and with several more scoops of the good bits.

But it's not all good.

I've had the pain and pleasure of cooking for Italians in their homes these past 5 months. Here are some things I've learned:
Their simplistic style and lack of pretension are at odds with their distrust of change.
They like to eat what/how they have eaten their entire life.
If the pasta water was seasoned with 2/3 handful of salt instead of a full handfull, they will know on the first bite.
If they eat roma tomatoes in their salads, they only eat roma tomatoes in their salads.
If you add something to their pot of soup, you'll find it uneaten and subtly pushed to the edge of their bowl.
They are annoyingly brand loyal.
They eat dishes one at a time. No exceptions.
Salads are always eaten after the main course.
There are 1,000 different ways to make Pasta e Fagioli but each one is considered the best.

That being said, here is a recipe for the best Pasta e Fagioli you will ever taste ...wink...but seriously

Fagioli "Cannellini Beans" - 1 can maybe 2
4 or 5 Roma tomatoes cut into pieces
A few glugs of olive oil
2 garlic cloves sliced
Box of tiny cut tube pasta for soup
Boiling water - maybe 3 or 4 cups
Salt and Pepper to season (she added the salt later... not early)
Parmigiano Rind (cut up into pieces and put in for last couple minutes ... serve in bowls)
Fresh basil leaves - small handful

Sautee garlic and olive oil with tomatoes for 8 minutes or so till tomatoes really break down. Add the beans and stir up then add boiling water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes or so then add pasta and continue cooking into soup reduces down with cooked pasta. At some point, add the basil to the pot. Add parm rind pieces a couple minutes before serving for thickening and also to have a treat in the pasta to eat. This turns out more like a soupy pasta dish than a soup.
Served 5 bowls

Good Luck and enjoy.
Brian and Jess

Panzanella - wet bread and tomato salad

Notice the cheese rind

fun on the farm

2009-08-09T14:39:00.011-04:00

After more than a month and a half living and traveling in cities, Brian and I really started to miss the countryside; all the green and quiet and working outside that we've been enjoying here and we were glad to get back to a wwoof farm. This farm, Spannocchia, is settled just outside of Rosia, a town near Siena in Tuscany. Spannocchia has a pretty incredible intern program where kids between the ages of 19 and 24 come and live for three months on the farm working from 7:00-12:00 and 3:00-6:00 every day assigned to a specific type of work such as wine intern, animale, or intern of food and hospitality. They get to take Italian lessons, cooking classes, and "field trips". There were eight interns there for the summer group, most were Americans and two from Canada, all with little farm experience. On our first day, we were met at a little bar in Rosia called Circolo Arci by Broni, the director of the intern program, who drove us into the farm, gave us a quick tour and then straight over to dinner on the terrace where we met Francesca and Randall, the owners, some guests and all the other interns. Spannocchia itself is around 3000 acres, mostly woodland, but also includes several gorgeous gardens, vineyards, olive groves, an assortment of fruit trees, lots of animals (pigs, cows, horses, donkeys, sheep, chickens, cats). All this land is taken care of by the Italians Riccio, Carmen, Julio, Angelo, and some others that we didn't really work with. Brian and I were required to work 30 hours a week and not much else. The interns took care of most everything so wwoofers don't have as much responsibility. Lunch was prepared by them and dinner by the Spannocchia cooks, Graziella and Gaetana. The interns also cleaned and took care of dinner duty and the dishes which are things wwoofers might normally do, but their system made it easy on us. Pretty sweet deal. We loved getting back to working outside and also enjoyed the experience of animal care for the first time. We harvested potatoes, stacked wood, built fences for the pigs, moved the pigs, cleared out brush around the electric fences, and helped transport grains in the mill. Brian also helped Julio, and interns Nick and Jon with the haying and feeding the animals and I got to spend a lot of time in the gardens with Carmen and interns Karla and Annie harvesting the vegetables and planting new ones. The maiale (the pigs) at Spannocchia were pretty cool to work with because they are an heirloom breed specific to the Tuscan region that were once nearing extinction. They're called Cinta Senese and can be recognized by their colors: black with a white band around the middle. I've never worked with pigs before and found them to be pretty funny, sweet, crazy and I guess a little gross all at the same time. There was one little sick pig that was really personable that they had named "Babar" and Annie, the vegetarian intern, was constantly lobbying to save.

In our time off, we often took advantage of their gorgeous pool or took walks around the property. Weekday dinners at Spannocchia are pretty incredible. Everyone on the farm eats together, including any guests there just for vacation. They have wine on the terrace at 7:00 and dinner at 7:30. Every meal was four courses prepared with the fresh ingredients from the farm, including the wine. The first course was normally a pasta or soup or risotto, our favorites being a wild boar ragú made from the wild boar found on the property served with homemade tagliatelle pasta and the mushroom risotto. All the meat came from the animals on the farm and were served with a fresh vegetable side dish like eggplant or zucchini. These courses were always followed by a salad made with the garden greens and homemade olive oil and vinegar. The desserts were always good. We had salame dolce, moka, wine donuts and a spice cake made with a persimmon marmalade taken from the persimmon trees on the property. Every other Wednesday night is a little more special, nostra cena, that includes an extra course and candlelight. Everyone dresses up and stays late talking and enjoying themselves. On the other Wednesdays, they have pizza night. Seriously, this place is everything you'd hope it to be. For our pizza night, Brian went over to watch the process and ended up getting to make the dough coached by Gaetana. It was delicious. Some of our favorite pizza toppings were veggies from the Spannocchia gardens, plain old margherita made incredible with the homemade sauce, and gorganzola and pear. There were no organized dinners on the weekends, so the interns and Brian prepared the meals together. One night we made our own pici pasta and had a cobbler made with blackberries picked on the farm, plus fresh whipped cream. Broni and the interns would also use the free time to take day trips to nearby towns. Our first weekend, Brian went with Broni, Jess, Jon, and Cat to Montepulciano which is an old beautiful city mostly known for its wine...which, come to think of it, describes most of the towns in Tuscany. Some of the interns also went to Florence and stopped at this restaurant owned by Dario, a butcher who became famous after working with Mario Batali, which they all raved about and the rest of us regretted missing. The next Sunday, even though she'd already done a ton of driving that weekend, Broni said "Life's too short, let's go to Darios again" and left at 11:00 with Nick, Brian and I. The restaurant is over an hour away in Panzano but is a beautiful Tuscan drive. When we got there, we unfortunately found out that on Sunday's Dario has a pre-set meal that costs 50 euros and even though it looked incredible it was still more than we wanted to pay, especially since lunch is normally just 10. Luckily there was a great market going on that day so we had fun exploring it and finding our lunch of bread, cheeses, meats, veggies and fruits from different vendors which we ate picnic-style near an old church. Plus we got to see Dario at his butcher shop and sample some of his food there. Turned out to be a great substitute.

Being at Spannocchia felt like all that we had hoped to experience with wwoofing. We felt like we learned a lot about food, got a taste of planting and harvesting, caring for animals and how to incorporate all these things into your meals. We loved walking out to the garden and picking the thick, dark basil and veggies or gathering fresh eggs as well as getting to see or be involved with making most of our food from scratch. Maybe one day, we'll have property of our own where we too can pluck early figs from their branches, or slurp down a juicy plum after a day of hard work, or make a zucchini frittata with eggs stolen from the chicken coop... (that part was added by Brian) It was exactly like what we had imagined Italian farm-life to be. It's kind of interesting though because the farm is largely run by Americans. There were Italians who took care of the farm but it is owned by Americans and supported by an American board of directors on the Spannocchia Foundation. And maybe all of our American expectations and ideas of Italian farming were met because of this reason. It would be interesting to see if a farm like this could sustain itself run strictly by Italians or how different it might look. Maybe more of a focus on lunchtime and café and less focus on organization, atmosphere and experience. Probably no pool. Maybe exactly the same. Maybe who cares. Either way, we had an incredible two weeks there. We had a lot of fun with the interns, felt like we learned so much and were inspired more there than in any other experience we've had on this trip. We'd love go back one day.

If you want to check out more on Spannocchia, go to this website http://www.spannocchia.org/

Also, check out our pictures on Picasa!

Jessica and Brian

Urbino Dopo Sei Anni

2009-08-03T10:07:00.004-04:00

Six years ago, I took my first trip to Italy.

Freshman year was a big year for me. Let's call it the year for relationships.

Enrolling in Italian was an unusual idea, even for me. Spanish was the language I studied in high school... with most everyone else in my grade. Why not take it again in college where it would be easier to get through the required 12 credit hours? I'm not exactly sure why I chose Italian, but I think it's because I wanted a clean slate with a foreign language. Sure, I studied Spanish, but I didn't actually learn Spanish. Maybe I was just embarrassed to enter a college level Spanish class.

I found myself in Italian 101 sitting next to an old friend, someone I've known since my earliest days in Knoxville... Matt Martland. As the hour approached, we heard a whistling coming from the now empty hallways. The sound was old. Something recognizable. Maybe an opera... There was no mistaking that this whistle was from someone who knew exactly what he was doing. Not a student. The whistling became louder and eventually the person responsible for it strolled into our classroom - casually dropping his books down on his desk... still whistling. This was Sal Di Maria, and he would be the only professor in my four years at UT to influence me personally.

As it turned out, Italian classes were generally the harder ones, but always the most fun. Sal's method of teaching was of comprehension through conversation. Regardless of our progress, he would insist that we speak Italian in class; to him and each other. Everyone felt like they were a part of something special. It was engaging, which was more than our Econ or Accounting professors could say.

Eventually, Sal gave his semesterly-lecture on studying abroad. He took a group of students to a small town called Urbino every summer where they would eat, sleep, drink, talk, walk, and whistle in Italian. There was never any question from Matt or myself that we would go to Italy with Sal. We would make it work. And to that point in my life, I had never anticipated something more than this trip. It was bigger than anything I had done before and would turn out to be much more than a summer exchange in Italy.

In April 2003, I found myself in a Starbucks; standing behind a staggeringly beautiful blonde girl named Jessica Presley. By this time, my long hair was already cut off, and I was wearing something ridiculous like a white buttoned up short sleeve work shirt, white polyester Puma pants, blue shoes, and my ears were pierced. When she turned around, I knew it was the same girl I had met 3 years ago at Kalamata Kitchen. We worked together for nearly two years, but never really talked to each other. That night in the library, I had my first conversation with my future wife.

The conversation started off something like this:
B: Hey!
J: Hey I know you...
B: Yeah, I know you too... (blushing already)
J: (Noticing my Italian book) Are you studying Italian?
B: Yeah, uh ... and i'm going there this summer.. to Italy
J: Me too! I'm going to study Opera
B: Really?!! wow... we should talk
J: Yeah, let's... excuse me ~ (to barista) I would like a double tall, nonfat, iced latte
B: (to barista) uh... I'd... uh... I'd like a Grande Chai thanks...

So, this is how the conversation started. We sat down and talked for 2 hours about everything: school, family, Italy, music, her coming birthday, and anything else I could think of to keep her from walking away. When I got back to the dorm room, I told my 'suite mate', Brad, that I was in love. To which he laughed, grabbed my arm, and with a straight face told me he was happy for me. And well... the rest of that story is history.

Two and half months later, Matt and I arrived in Italy for our first time. After three days in Rome, we met up with the group and traveled to Urbino, Italy. That summer was unforgettable.

The following year, Jessica took the same trip to Urbino. And she too had an unforgettable summer.

Urbino is sentinmental to us both. We have each spent hours roaming its streets, eating at the same cafes, studying in the same classrooms, and for the first time in 6 years, we came back... together.

We spent three nights in Urbino from July 16 - 19... and I am regrettably, just now getting around to typing the blog. We met Sal on the morning of the 17th when he was walking up the street with his hands behind his back - Jessica spotted him while we were doing laundry and I ran out and grabbed him... and true to Urbino fashion, within two hours we were sitting on a flowered terrace eating a picnic of fried anchovies and calamari from the market, farmer's cheese, bread, sliced tomatoes, grapes, apricots, plums, prosciutto, and some homemade wine given to Sal by the landlord of his rental apartment. We sat with Sal and Professore "Mike" Vena (who have collectively been running this program for umpteen years) and a friend/colleague of Sal's, Candace. Lunch lasted three hours. We talked, laughed, and all enjoyed what many people seem to find in Urbino - good company.

For the rest of our time there, we ate at the cafes and restaurants we remembered, went to the river with an old friend, Fosca, ate at the Mensa, walked around the town with cups full of gelato, and of course had many long conversations with Sal. It was the perfect weekend before heading back to the farm.

I have always wondered what my life would be like had I not taken Italian. I probably wouldn't have gone to the library that night to study for a test, nor would I have found such an immediate bond with Jess, and more than likely... probably wouldn't be here with her now.

Things are going very well for us. We just finished two weeks at Spannocchia Farm in Tuscany. We will post about it, but what I can tell you now is that we will be recommending this place to everyone - as a guest, intern, or volunteer.

Thanks for keeping up as always.
A new album is posted.
We're back to Viareggio for work.
Lots of Love to you all
Brian and Jess

Marseilles

2009-07-25T14:37:00.006-04:00

We had made plans to go to Urbino late in the week after Pamplona which left us a few days to kill in between with which we decided to spend in Marseilles. Neither of us had been there before and both had an interest in the city because we love the book "The Count of Monte Cristo". One thing we've been really lucky about on this trip is meeting nice people who show us a different side of the place we're visiting. This held true for us here in Marseilles as well where on our first night we were invited up for drinks on the terrace of the man who was renting us the apartment, Jean. Even though we didn't know it, it was Bastille Day and there was a huge fireworks show that evening. They had invited several of their friends and some of the other guests with a huge spread of food which included a variety of breads, cheeses, and meats, melon, a carrot and curry salad, a zucchini frittata with a little bit of mint, and some other things I don't remember, followed by a delicious fruit and cream dessert during the fireworks-all homemade. We were so surprised and it was a great introduction to the city. For the other two days there, we took a ferry over to the Chateau d'If, saw an exhibit at the Fashion Museum, and took a train ride through the town to visit the Notre Dame de la Garde at the top of the city. We also enjoyed a little organic cafe we found called Green Bear Coffee owned by this young guy who gave us some of his homemade cheesecake to try because he wanted an American opinion. Brian kept commenting on how nice everyone was in Marseilles which was very different from his last experience in France. Some other things we loved about France was their incredible train system. Everything was super clean and efficient with plenty of space and air-conditioning. I could travel like that all the time. We had heard from some people that Marseilles is the Naples of France and while we definitely saw that in some areas, we also saw a beautiful port city with such a history (it's the oldest city in France), really nice people, and great food. All in all, it was a great time.

Check out the pics on Picasa,

Jessica and Brian

Barthelona and another city in Spain

2009-07-19T17:39:00.007-04:00

As you will have read in our recent posts, we've been traveling now more than ever. And needless to say, have exposed ourselves to the pains and pleasures of public transportation. We have taken planes, trains, buses, ships, cars, boats, gondolas, tractors, taxis, bikes, scooters, metros, and of course... a piedi for what feels like a thousand miles. Sometimes it's a breeze, both literally and metaphorically; other times, painfully unpredictable. But regardless of the circumstance, we have always managed to find our way... arriving with more self-confidence than the day before.

From London, we booked a flight on RyanAir to Barcelona. We didn't however arrive in Barcelona. We landed in what RyanAir considers Barcelona; Girona, a small town 50 miles north. From there we took a bus, which had us on Las Ramblas by midnight. Tired, yes. Cranky, yes. Hungry, probably.

Our room was perfect, and in my opinion, the best value we've seen yet. Private room, private bath, AC, shared/modern kitchen, internet, and the location was in the heart of Las Ramblas, the main thoroughfare in Barcelona, all for 45 euros a night. Deals like this will mend a weary traveler, believe me. Then we went to bed with no intentions of waking up before noon.

At noon, we awoke to a downpour that would make south Florida blush. The skies were grey and gave no sign of relenting. We were too hungry to wait, so we skipped out in the storm with our tiny umbrella and took shelter in the first restaurant we could find. This would be our first meal among many other disappointing ones in Spain. Protected from the rain, we ordered what we assumed would be good anywhere, Paella. Not true. Unsalted, overcooked, flavorless bowl of rice it was. La cuenta por favor. Back in the rain.

I wish I could say that this was the worst of our meals, but it just aint true. The tapas tasted like it was being degraded for the tourist season. The sauces were mild and the sandwiches... boring. I'm not sure what caused it, but my acid reflux came back... probably the taller, watered-down cups of coffee.

The saving grace for our Barcelona was the Boqueria Market. It's a daily food market, one of the best in Europe apparently. We took plenty of pictures, so I'll let those that story. We also visited La Sagrada Familia, which was the most impressive cathedral we have seen in Europe thus far. It as well as many other sites there were designed by Gaudi. Plenty of pics to see. We walked around, explored, got lost, admired some of Picasso's stuff, had a picnic, bought a chipmunk from a street vendor and released it into the wild... ya know normal touristy stuff. That was Barcelona for us.

Then we went to Pamplona for the San Fermin (Running of the Bulls) festival. If I had to describe Pamplona in July I would only need three words. Urine, vomit, and drunk people.. okay four. Of course, most people there might've used more flattering words like party woo!!! or running of the bulls!!! yeah!! Or up all night man! yeah! Either way, you catch my drift. All we wanted to see was the bulls, and what all the fuss was about. And for me, the fuss wasn't worth it. The idea is exciting, but the reality... to me... was cruel. We didn't see an actual bull fight though, because our bus was leaving.

All in all, our experience in Spain wasn't what we hoped it would be. However, we DID spend our time in the most touristy spots and during the peak season. We will give it a second shot... someday.

Lunch at Boqueria Market

La Sagrada Familia

Tiny Elevator

Bull gore

Chipmunk Liberation

Enga-land Swings like a pendolem do

2009-07-16T15:24:00.010-04:00

Since neither of us had been to London before, we were excited to go. We did a homestay in Chiswick a bit outside of the city center which turned out to be a pretty great little area close to the metro with good restaurants and...Starbucks. I was thrilled. Our first full day there, we met a friend of Brian's, Kingsley, who took us on a walking tour of London with his girlfriend, Ayesha. It was so great to have someone take us around like that to see all the sights. So much quicker than finding our way on our own and we got to see things that aren't just touristy as well. We spent the next day with Kingsley and Ayesha watching the Wimbledon final between Andy Roddick and Roger Federer at a pub (I was pulling for Roddick), walking around, and getting dinner. Monday morning, Brian and I got up super early to get in the "queue" for tickets to La Traviata at the Royal Opera House with Renèe Fleming singing Violetta, my favorite opera singer. We had tried to get tickets months before and they were sold out, but thankfully the ROH does the cool thing of holding 67 tickets of every performance to be sold the day of the show, first-come-first-serve. We were able to get good seats at a much better price than the ones we were looking at on e-bay. After getting the tickets, we went shopping for something appropriate to wear and had a lot of fun at Topshop. The opera was wonderful: Renèe sang beautifully, Joseph Calleja was amazing as Alfredo, the ROH was gorgeous and their chorus was incredible. It was such a fun evening. The next day, we toured the Natural History Museum which turned out to be so much cooler than we thought it would be. It’s a massive, beautiful building and each exhibit is incredibly detailed and presented in an entertaining way with interactive features, videos, etc. We could have spent all day there...but....the Harry Potter premiere was that night and there was no way we were skipping it. I'm a bit of a Harry Potter nut and, let's face it, who isn't, because it was jam-packed with people of all ages, not just kids. We read that people started lining up at 10 am the day before. There was also a huge storm that day and everyone who had waited was soaked. We arrived an hour before it started but still managed to get close enough to see the stars (including Jamie Oliver) and JK Rowling. Brian took pics up close and I hung back a bit where I could see better (too short) and also see the huge projector where they were showing the interviews live. It was definitely exciting to be there. Afterward, we had bought tickets to see the film at the Vue theater which was not the same one with the stars but still right there in Leicester Square. We both loved it and had a lot of fun with the whole experience. The next day, we we were on the road again heading to Barcelona. Overall, it was so great to be in a country where people spoke English (although we still sometimes had difficulty understanding their accent and they ours), eat some proper breakfast as well as lots of other great meals, and to see London which is a really cool city. It's definitely a place I'd love to visit again.

The pics are up on Picasa if you'd like to check them out...

Jessica and Brian

Kingsley and Brian

breakfast more than a croissant!

the Natural History Museum

A Blog Post About Venice.

2009-07-09T11:10:00.004-04:00

Due to unreliable internet connections and trying to spend less time on the computer, our blogging has turned into a blog about what happened several days (and sometimes a week ago). This makes it harder to write with the same enthusiasm and accuracy as if it just happened. Rright now, we're in Barcelona. We just spent 5 days in London and have a lot to write about, BUT first things first right?

That being said...
In our last stop before leaving Italy, we met up with Alan and Erica in Venice. As it turns out, Alan was the only one of us who hadn't been already. No worries, Venice is big enough for several visits. We all shared an apartment that was a 5 min walk behind Piazza San Marco. The window of our living room overlooked a restaurant, "Il Giardinetto", which was hidden under a vine-trellaced roof - tables lit with candles. Pretty romantic.

We spent our two days there as most people probably do in Venice... walking around with a map - scratching the notables off our list - cappucinos for breakfast, paninis for lunch, pasta and wine for dinner - gondola rides and prosecco on the canals - 15 euro bellinis at the world famous Harry's Bar - and generally feeling lucky to be there.

There was a nice surprise on our first night though when Andrea Bocelli appeared onstage in Piazza San Marco singing Con Te Partiro...Apparently there was a summer concert series going on that we didn't know about. Anyways, our time was short but plenty of fun. Spending time with Alan and Erica was wonderful. It was something we all needed and looked forward to.
Thanks for meeting up with us! See you back home one day :)

A new album is posted from Venice.
love you miss you

Brian and Jess

We Heart Viareggio

2009-07-05T05:46:00.012-04:00

The explosion at the train station kind of overshadowed our last night in Viareggio, naturally, but we did have some good times before it happened that I wanted to mention. For one, Sara, Brian and I took a long bike ride down to the murolone (big wall) of Viareggio, down through the parks that go through Torre de Lago, and back to our favorite, the Cremeria Emma, for our ultimo crepe with lemon and sugar. The next day, Sara, Brian, and I, along with a girl we had become friends with from the hotel, went to the beautiful town of Lucca which is just a short train ride away. We however rode the bus which took almost an hour through the curvy Italian roads. Once we got there, we were very happy and enjoyed visiting the medieval city-which is also the only city in Italy surrounded entirely by walls. Anche, there is a unique tower in the middle of the town that has a small grove of oak trees growing on top. We climbed it, took in the view, and toured the rest of the city. The pictures show it off better so check them out on Picasa. That evening after Lucca, we had our delicious dinner prepared by Muriel with Sofia, Carlo, Sara, Ivan and his son, Joshua which Brian mentioned in the last blog. Then our walk out to the pier and the explosion. Very tragic and strange and sad... The next day, Sara and I rode over to see the scene at the train station and get some pictures of the fire damage. When we returned, Sofia told us that Berlusconi, the Italian President, was coming to Viareggio because of the tragedy so Sara and I, being the curiose that we are, went over and joined the crowd to wait on him. That was also interesting and something I've never before experienced. When he arrived, half of the crowd started cheering while the other half started shouting out against him. Then some people yelled at them to have respect for the people that died the night before and then people were arguing all over the place and the media jumped all over it. We have gotten very mixed reactions on Berlusconi and his presidency from the Italians we've met and there I got to witness it first-hand. I got a great video of them arguing and tried to post it, but it was too long.

Aside from all this, we loved our time in Viareggio. Sofia, Carlo, and Sara were so wonderful to us and we were very sad to leave them. We made so many memories and had so much delicious food plus the incredible amount of Italian we learned through our day-to-day interaction and their patience was priceless. They're our favorite people in Italy and we'll miss them. I hope you all enjoy the pictures on Picasa! Brian is going to make a post on our trip to Venice with Erica and Alan soon.

We love you all, thank you for keeping up with us,

Jessica and Brian

by the murolone

the view of Lucca from the tower with the oak trees

short video of Berlusconi's arrival (no fighting)

at Carlo's butcher shop on his last day of work and our last day in Viareggio

Fire in the Sky

2009-06-29T18:24:00.007-04:00

Tonight was our last night in Viareggio, and what a night it was.
We ate like kings and said our goodbyes.

The meal was prepared by our new friend Ivan, a ship captain, and his "first mate" Muriel. We ate an octopus casserole made with potatoes and greens, seared tuna, and tiramisu con frutti di bosco (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries). It was a wonderful dinner needless to say. As usual, we finished it with a cup of espresso and a walk to the pier. All was well.

And then the sky lit up with flames...

Everyone on the pier began to panic - calling family members and rushing towards their homes. The four of us were running to what looked like an explosion in the center of our city. It seemed to be spreading like a wildfire...

The closer we got to our home, the more clear it became that the fire was not in the center, but at the train station. When we arrived at the hotel, this was confirmed.
People were gathered in the streets covering their mouths and trying to make sense of what happened. Apparently a train carrying 14 carriages including two gas tanks had derailed and collided with another train... hence the explosion. The collision happened just past the passenger platforms - the same platforms we stepped off of just 5 hours earlier upon returning from Lucca.
After a short while, someone had the idea to take our photos to the giornale "newspaper". So we did just that and hurried over to the giornale where we uploaded our pictures to their server.
Now we are all watching the news and listening to reports of people who have been killed (16 so far) and badly burned. It's too soon to tell, but the damage appears to be great.
Alan and Erica, if you're reading this... we might run into a few snags tomorrow on our train ride. I'm not sure how we'll get out of Viareggio yet, but we'll more than likely take a bus to a surrounding city and leave from there. We will keep you posted.

Keep these people in your thoughts and prayers. They will need it.

Much Love,
Brian & Jess

CHEEN-kway TEAR-ray

2009-06-26T10:04:00.004-04:00

For the past four weeks, we have only been a short train ride away from what many consider as one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. And we just now got around to going...

The hike took us about 6 hours. Starting in Riomaggiore, we headed north through the "5 Lands", which were Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, & Monterosso. The views were of course, breathtaking, but the highlight for me was eating the wild plums we found off the trail.

The towns were small and picturesque and from what I can tell, all the guidebooks must point to Vernazza, because the Italians were outnumbered by Americans 10:1... It was madness in this town. So much so that we failed to take any pictures. We stopped in from the trail, grabbed a ripe peach and bottle of water then headed on.

If you start in Riomaggiore, you will find that the 2nd half of the hike is significantly more difficult than the first. It's misleading really. Leading up to Corniglia, the paths are flat, well-built, and packed with people... But everything after, is quite the opposite - Narrow trails cut into the mountain, secret paths leading to unknown beaches, wild plum trees, steep descents, and a fraction of the tourists.

So that's that. We went to Cinque Terre.
There will be a new album on Picasa.
We only have 4 days left in Viareggio.

Up Next - Venice --> London --> Spain --> Urbino --> TBD

Much Love,
Brian & Jess

Start of the hike

One of the beaches along the trail

Wild plums off the trail

The Man in the Mirror

2009-06-26T07:06:00.008-04:00

I was planning to make a quick post about our hike through Cinque Terre, but Michael Jackson died this morning... and I would be doing the music world a disservice if I failed to mention this tragedy.

Rest in peace Michael. You were, are, and will forever be the King of Pop. The international reaction to your death is overwhelming proof that while your life may have had its ups and downs, you will always be remembered for your successes. And MAN will you be remembered. Your music, your dancing...your style. I don't even care who Diana is or that she was Dirty, but I will always clench my fists, close my eyes, and shake my head when I hear you sing of her name.

Thank you MTV for devoting a full day of programming entirely to his music. As a result, sweeping the floors have never been more fun.

R.I.P.

just another week in paradise...

2009-06-24T09:55:00.011-04:00

Last week, Sara, Brian and I took the train over to Genova to see the acquarium. It was supposed to be the biggest in Italy and our hopes were high but it didn't quite compare to the acquarium in Tampa. We had a good time, saw the fish, some cute seals and dolphins, stingrays, jellyfish and a 3D movie on sharks. Nearby there is also an ancient ship that we got to explore. Kind of made me want to be a pirate. Later in the week Sofia taught me how to make polpette - meatballs! I just hope I remember how when I get back home... Another night we had a big dinner with Sofia, Carlo, Sara, Ivano (a captain on a huge sailboat who's been staying at the hotel), and Murielle (his first mate), Edele (the maid at the hotel), and her daughter, Maria Elena. We've been so happy that we get to eat with this sweet family all the time. The food in the Italian home is so much better than eating out. Carlo is a butcher and so we eat a lot of meat. He was very excited about the pieces of steak he had cut for Brian and Ivano. Sofia also fixed a gnocchi (handmade!) with ragu this week that was delicious. Sara showed us this beautiful park nearby that we've loved to ride our bikes through or find a spot to read. We also took our bikes over to Torre de Lago (about an hour) one day and toured the home of Puccini! It was so cool because it was turned into a museum one year after his death and everything is the same as when he lived there. I loved seeing the piano on which he composed Tosca, Turandot, Boheme, the actual sheets of paper he sketched his notes, his diplomas and awards from all over the world. Brian also liked his hunting boot collection. There are fantastic photos of him in his cars and boats and with other composers and performers of the day. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside to share it with you all, but I can tell you it was wonderful. A few weeks ago we went and got a picture of the beautiful garden outside if you want to look back in the albums.

After the girls from California left, things have been nice and quiet at the hotel. Hopefully it stays that way... We've posted some pictures of the week; Brian wanted to make sure he got proof that I cooked something. If only you could have tasted it...

Miss you all,

Jessica and Brian

3D glasses

The park where we go for bike rides - pineta

Un Fiasco alle Cinque nella Mattina

2009-06-18T04:03:00.010-04:00

I always knew this post was coming. It was only a matter of time. Being stranieri, or foreigners... but most notably young-American foreigners, we run the risk of guilt by association. Association with people who care very little about the reputation they leave behind them. A reputation of trashing hotel rooms, public drunkenness, demanding too much, and in general just being way too loud.

Please don't get the wrong impression, I'm not bashing our country. I love our country. I'm just tired of people giving it a bad name. So begins the fiasco at 5 in the morning.

It was 5 in the morning when our phone rang, which by the way is never a good thing. Apart from being sound asleep, our bodies were sluggish with the obscene amount of meat we ate the night before. Struggling with the heartburn and nightblindness, I picked up the phone to hear Carlo's angry and impatient voice repeating the same phrase over and over again. "Le ragazze in due cento sette hanno portato due ragazzi nella camera. Se loro non escono in cinque minuti, telefonerò la polizia." When I pieced together what he was saying I went down to meet him at the door of room 207 where he was yelling in Italian at four ubriaca American girls who could only understand one word he was saying... i'm sure you can guess which word that was.

I restlessly started translating, which was that the guys who came in with them had to leave in 5 minutes or he was calling the police. Also, their music was way too loud, it was five in the morning, and people were trying to sleep. Their response was that there were no guys in the room and they could turn the music down. When I told this to Carlo, he pointed under the bed where we could clearly see the bottom of two feet - to which they said it was one of the 4 girls who had paid for the room and not to worry, because she was naked and darted under the bed in embarrassment when Carlo knocked on the door. This however, did not calm him down. He insisted that there were still two guys hiding in this beer-bottle-littered and smelly room. I asked them several times if there was anyone hiding and their answers didn't change. Carlo then said he was calling the police and it was at that moment when the girl who was causing the most trouble said to me "OK, well maybe there are two guys somewhere... uhh... I could go look for them... they might be in the bathroom." I then said, "So, you're telling me there are two guys here?" "Yes."

After I translated this to Carlo, he sorta lost it. He barged into the room and for a second I thought he was going to slap the girl who had been lying to us for the past 5 minutes. Thankfully, he didn't and proceeded into the bathroom where he found two Italian guys with beer bottles in their hands. He told them to leave immediately and that he was calling the police. Meanwhile, that same girl must have thought she was about to be slapped too, because she became hysterical...Crying and yelling that he couldn't put his hands on her and she didn't pay for this kind of hotel. (which by the way is 35 euros per person, 5 minute walk to the beach, and includes breakfast).

I was stunned.

Eventually, things settled down. The police came, smoothed things over with Carlo, and left us all to go back to bed. I returned to room 207, if anything, to apologize for the way Carlo handled the situation, and say goodnight to the frantic girls.

But it wasn't their fault...They didn't know that nearly the same thing happened last weekend with a group of Americans. Or that Carlo was fed up with the way they were treating his hotel. They were just having a good time. It's what we do when we travel... Get obsessively drunk, invite random people up to our hotel room, take off our clothes, and turn on the music.... Yep.

Unfortunately, it's these people who ruin things for the rest of us.

Maybe next weekend there will be a group of people from TN. This way, Carlo will believe me when I say that not everyone in America is from southern California.

Thanks for keeping up.

Needless to say, I won't be posting a photo album for this one.

Pace Fuori.

Brain and Jess

Soccer/Futbol, Futbol/Soccer

2009-06-15T15:37:00.004-04:00

The US is playing Italy right now in a game for the Confederations Cup and we're up 1-0. What? I'm a little afraid these people are going to slash the tires of my bike...

E' finito...

Okay, well they beat us 3-1 so my bike is safe. It's pretty funny to hear them call the USA "oozah". I'm proud of us anyway...

so there's this tower that's leaning....

2009-06-12T05:04:00.008-04:00

This week has continued to be enjoyable; good meals, good fun with the family, lots of lessons in English and Italian, and some translating. Sunday night we went with Sofia and Sara to see Terminator which was quite entertaining, but, as Brian pointed out, "Io ritorno", the translation for "I'll be back", falls a bit flat. The action was good; Sofia and I accidently screamed out loud a few times which was extremely amusing to Sara and Brian. After the movie, we walked down the Passegiata, picked up some delicious pizza and cecina and after that we walked over to the Cremeria Emma and had crepes with lemon and sugar, my new favorite. Tuesday, Brian and I took the 20 minute train ride over to Pisa and saw the leaning tower. Sofia said that it's had some plastic surgery and doesn't lean as much now as it used to. We were glad to see it nonetheless but chose not to pay the 15 Euro to walk to the top. We've also been to the beach a few times. I mean, now's the time to do it, right?

The weekend is here and the hotel is full. Tonight we're all going to some type of festival with an outdoor concert and maybe even a parade...and we'll probably eat something mouthwateringly delicious.

I've uploaded some pics of the week on Picasa...

Thanks for keeping up with us,

Jessica and Brian

A time-lapse clip of us hanging around the hotel with Sofia and Sara.

New Cell # for June

2009-06-10T05:06:00.002-04:00

If you need to get a hold of us via cell phone, we have a new # for the rest of the month of June.

This is what you will have to dial from a U.S. phone to call us

011 - 393 -935-000849

For those of you who don't know, you can call cell phones from Skype. If you put money on your Skype account, you can call whoever you want to. The rate for us to call a US cell phone from Italy through skype is like 10 cents a minute. Not too bad at all...

Burlamacco

2009-06-08T10:58:00.011-04:00

Good riddance crazy lady. Our new gig is better than we thought, and we thought it'd be good. We have a comfortable room with a beautiful view, bottomless cups of espresso, and a family who have accepted us as their own. Sofia and Carlo run the hotel with their daughter Sara.

Here's our daily routine
8:45 am - Breakfast: cappucinos, espresso, sweet croissants, juice
9:15 am - depends
1:00 pm - lunch & Italian Soap Operas with the fam. Always delicious and more than we can handle. Finished with some fresh fruit and more espresso.
2:30 pm - go out for a bike ride or a walk. Maybe go to the beach. If there are English guests arriving we might hang around to translate.
4:00 pm - Nap time with the windows open and the faint sound of church bells ringing
6:00 pm - wake up from nap and shower. Go downstairs and talk Italian with Sofia, Carlo, and Sara. Maybe go for another walk. Maybe even have another espresso.
8:15 pm - dinner. Same as lunch, but a little more formal.
10:00 pm - Go out for another walk or bike ride. Maybe get some gelato or lemon & sugar crepes.
12:00 am - watch TV in the reception with Carlo and talk Italian. Then it's off to bed

This is of course, a gross generalization of our days, but it's as accurate as it is simple. Sometimes in the morning we'll help Edele, the maid, changeover the rooms, or make espresso drinks for the guests, and occasionally we just hang out together. Lately, after lunch we have been giving English lessons to Sofia and Sara. Our Italian skills are accelerating... a result of spending hours a day with people who only speak thus. I think we fit in here. Other than being taller, paler, and blonder... wearing shorts, sandals, and longer bathing suits - yeah, we fit in just fiiine.

Jess and Sara (16 yrs) have formed a sweet relationship in our short time here. If you passed them on the road, you'd think they had been friends for years... with all the giggling, dancing, and sharing of ipod headphones. Thanks to MTV, Sara along with everyone else in her generation is fascinated with American pop culture.

I, as expected, have formed a sweet relationship as well.... with the cross-eyed cat. She likes me I can tell.

A lot is still lost in translation though. The other day, a woman ran in here yelling something about being trapped, and can't find a way out, to which Carlo rushed outside and followed her next door. I was left stunned, and hastily searching for the translation of tetto. I began to put the pieces together when I found that tetto means roof in Italian. Then I recalled hearing gatto in the sentence. At this point, I was fully aware that the cross eyed cat was stuck on the roof next door. It takes time ya know.

We have also been 'skyping' more frequently. Search for JessicaGPS and add her as a contact. We would love to talk to all of you, just remember we're 6 hours later in the day than you at least.

Here are some pics from our first 10 days at Hotel Burlamacco. The first one is the view out our bedroom window on a cloudy day.

And there is another album up on Picasa.

Love ya'll. Miss ya'll.
Brian & Jess

This is a pier in Torre del Lago where Giacomo Puccini lived.

Skyping with Anj

a little o'this, a little o'that...

2009-06-03T16:39:00.005-04:00

In order to get to Ischia you have to take a ferry from Naples, so when we set our plans for Ischia, we were pretty excited to have a little time in Naples as well after having heard from many people at home, and here in Italy, how much they loved it. We, on the other hand, were pretty miserable there. It was so dirty! There was trash everywhere and although there is a fair amount of graffiti in Italy, it was the worst we've seen. The people were very rough, the streets were packed, the scooter drivers were dangerous and no one wore their helmets. Not even the little kids riding with their parents! Also, the dialect is so different and was very difficult for us to understand. They use a lot of slang and slur their words together. It was very strange and a very different experience than we've been having on the farms or in Northern Italy in general. We did do one thing that was pretty fun. A few years ago, Brian saw a show on the Food Network which said the oldest pizzeria the world was in Naples. We found it (we think) and ate some pizza which was really good, although a bit overpriced. I also loved the limon granita (had two in one day!). There are a few pics on Picasa...

Following Brian's fav below (the video of Fabri Fibra), here is some more of the music we've been hearing here. Some is, I'm sure, behind the times for you guys, but some may be new. Some are the tunes that are ridiculously overplayed and we're sick of hearing (and never liked in the first place) but still a part of the music landscape surrounding us ... Enjoy...

Artist : Song Title

Empire of the Sun : Walking on a Dream (+ music video)
Peter Bjorn and John : Nothing to Worry About (+ video)
Bob Sinclair feat. Sugarhill Gang : Lala Song (overplayed but still kind of can't help to like it)
Offlaga Disco Pax : Onomastica (+ video)
Kings of Leon : Use Somebody
Emiliana Torini : Jungle Drum
Seal : It's a Man's Man's Man's World (+ video)
Razorlight : Wire to Wire
Gary Go : Wonderful (+ video)
Friendly Fires : Skeleton Boy (+ video)
Elisa : Dancing
The Progidy : Warrior's Dance
Calvin Harris : I'm Not Alone
Oasis : Falling Down
The Rakes : 1989
Mephisto : The Beat of the Bee (+ video)

Overplayed...

Lady Gaga : Pokerface
Britney Spears : If You Seek Amy
Depeche Mode : Wrong
The Jonas Brothers : Paranoid
Beyonce : Halo and Single Ladies (anything Beyonce...all the time)

Fabri Fibra

2009-05-31T13:37:00.002-04:00

An italian song that we've enjoyed listening to...I hope you do too

Fabri Fibra Incomprensioni - The most amazing home videos are here

Fun on the Roundabout

2009-05-30T09:34:00.002-04:00

Scotty wasn't having fun. He was naseous for thirty minutes after this. A wimp from New Zealand? Maybe it was all the gelato ...

What was in store for us...

2009-05-29T19:24:00.011-04:00

If you have been following the blog, you already know that we are back in Viareggio. And if you've really been paying attention, you'd know the reason why... to house-sit, or cat-sit rather, for a woman named Sofia that we met a month ago. In a normal world, that's exactly where we'd be... cat-sitting for a Polish-Italian widow in the Tuscan beach town of Viareggio. Sounds like a dream right? However, plans change. What seems normal, sometimes gets turned upside down and suddenly you're stuck in the house of obsessive compulsive maniac, who knows no other way to talk than by yelling at the top of her lungs in a italo-polak dialiect that's incomprehensible... even to Italians. Che miseria.

This was our situation. And I say was with the deepest sense of relief. Relief that we no longer have to step foot in that environment again. You can rest assured though, we were never in danger - we were simply the w r o n g people for the job. A job that we thought consisted of watering plants, feeding the cats (occasionally petting them), and in general making sure the house didn't burn down. But it turned out to be an agreement that neither of us knew we entered into. It should have read as follows:

If you, Brian and Jessica, agree to the following conditions please sign your names at the bottom. Of the conditions clearly presented in this letter, you will be expected to comply with the entirety. But please note, that this is only an example of the conditions that may be presented to you. It could be more or less.

You will NOT be given a list of daily chores, but you WILL however be expected to know what these chores are, and complete them in a timely manner. You will NOT be allowed to wear anything on your feet other than the appointed slippers that the owner (Sofia) has handmade for all guests in her house. (pics to follow). You are only allowed in the kitchen during the following hours: 7:30 am & 7:30 pm. Occasionally, the kitchen door will be unlocked around lunchtime. You must close every door in the house after you pass through it. Even if you plan on exiting said door immediately after entering, you must close the door. If you plan on going outside, you must place a pair of shoes/sandals outside that door so that you will always have something to change into when you take your slippers off. You will not be given a key to the house, therefore it will be necessary to let the owner know your exact times of departure and arrival every day so that she may be present when you ring the security bell. She will then unlock both doors for you where you will proceed to take your shoes off outside and trade them for the previously mentioned sandals. You will be required to memorize every obsessive compulsive pattern or formality used by the owner so as to not disturb the tranquility of the house and her peace. For example, if you are lucky enough to be trusted with dishwashing duty, please note that the yellow, sterile, dish gloves must never touch the soapy water in the sink. And if they do, the owner will then be compelled to throw those "soiled" gloves in the trash whilst looking at you in disgust for the horrible mistake that you made. Please understand that even though every square inch of this house may appear clean and spotless to you, it won't however appear the same way to the owner, because she is crazy. As for the cats, don't expect to have any relationship with them. They are not allowed outside of the porch, and if they approach the screen door leading into the house you may find the owner yelling at them exclaiming "Che vuoi!!!! Non mi hai capito?!?!?! Hai capito niente!!!". translation: "What do you want!!! Do you not understand me?!?!?! You understand nothing!!!" (please note she is yelling this to the poor cats who are only looking for some affection).

In summary, please be aware that the agreement you are entering into is anything but the agreement you had in mind. The owner will not be leaving for several weeks, therefore you will be living and working with her until she leaves. Please enjoy the papa smurf tapestry handmade by the owner for guests like you. If you accept these terms, please sign below.

________________

________________

OK. if this was given to us, maybe we could have avoided the last two days. But, things don't always work out like that. Life does however, turn out just fine. We were asked to leave at about the same time we decided we couldn't take it anymore "Non c'e la faccio piu" and we immediately called up our friend who gave us this recommendation. She apologized and sympathized with us, welcomed us into her hotel for the night, gave us a free place to stay for the weekend, and offered us an apartment to rent for a reasonable rate here in Viareggio. I guess things do have a way of working out. If there's an agreement we have now ...it's to stop by the hotel occasionally - just to talk English/Italian with the owners and their family. That's it. We are happy with our new situation. We hope to be in Viareggio for the month of June and then plan on meeting up with Alan and Erica thereafter.

Here's to leaving behind the crazies...

Brian & Jess

La strega. You can look up that word

Disobeying the master by touching the floor - thus making a mess.

Now we're just being outright criminal.

Papa Smurf

Confused and unhappy.

Happy to be leaving.

A week in Ischia

2009-05-26T14:23:00.006-04:00

So....we're at the train station in Napoli waiting on our train for Viareggio. We've just spent a grrreat week at the B&B, Villa Ischitana. Our hosts, Stani and Philomonea were sweet and happy, the beach was beautiful, and the food delicious. Our days started with a breakfast of croissants, nutella, coffee, yogurt, and orange juice-or the Italian equivalent of Tang. The scooter was lots of fun and allowed us to explore all parts of the island. I know you might think something could happen like Brian almost running us into a wall, accidently popping a wheelie, and landing while simulaneously honking the horn, but that never happened. We found a beach that was not crowded and had two great ristorante/pizzerias nearby. Last night, we stumbled upon a baia which are these naturally hot thermal baths right on the edge of the ocean. It was so beautiful, late at night, stars out, and tucked in a cove with cliffs all around. We wish we had found it earlier in the week....but it's hardly anything to complain about. The pictures describe Ischia better than words so I'll leave the rest to that (check them out on Picasa-click Photos above). We're looking forward to heading back to Viareggio and seeing what's in store for us there...

Proof.

2009-05-20T09:11:00.002-04:00

Arrived in Ischia

2009-05-20T07:09:00.002-04:00

We are in Ischia right now and we have a room and a scooter for one week. I posted a new album on Picasa -- from Casa Rossa. Enjoy it... we certainly enjoyed being there.

More later.

Brian

Welcome Back Welcome Back Weeelcome Back

2009-05-18T07:02:00.003-04:00

Where do we begin? Some of you may think we put our blog on the back burner, but we have a perfectly good explanation. No internet access for two weeks - believe it or not.

We've been working at an 'agriturismo' called Casa Rossa in a small town, Niviano - just south of a bigger town, Piacenza, which is south of a much bigger town, Milan. Francesco and Laura are the owners who live here with Laura's 15 year old daughter, Ginevra. All of them couldn't have been more kind to us. We were treated like family, fed plenty of delicious food, and as expected...the countryside was beautiful. Our work day started around 8:45 and lasted till 4:00 M-F with a casual lunch break from 1 - 2:30.

Our Italian is getting better every day, largely due to growing confidence. We've made friends from London, New Zealand, Poland, and California... And of course there are plenty of stories. Both of us have mastered the Rubik's cube, learned several new recipes, spent hours in the sun, and took several naps in the loft of a barn. There were good times and bad times - hot showers and cold, but the most ironic thing was that we had to leave Tennessee to become a redneck - pics to follow. But the hardest part is telling the story. Inside jokes don't translate. Coincidences to us are less meaningful to you. Everything here is new and exciting and frankly... too much to put in a blog. When we are back home, we will tell the whole story - complete with hand gestures and spousal interruptions.

I dwell on food, this is no surprise. So I guess i'll talk about it. Casa Rossa has been the culinary highlight of our trip. Laura and Francesco love to cook and most importantly love to feed. Fortunately for them, we love to be fed. The generalization of Italian cooks filling your plate until you can't take it anymore has finally been validated. Every meal was more than we needed. Then when we couldn't take it anymore "Non c'e la faccio piu!" Laura would bring out a homemade tort or a bowl of Macedonia (kiwis, strawberries and apples macerated with grapefruit juice and sugar). Need I mention the espresso? Of course, pasta has been a staple here as well. Regardless of the meal, we ate it as a 'family', together... with many laughs and broken translations.

Right now, Jess and I are in a cafe in Piacenza. We just skyped a B&B in Ischia, an island off of Naples, and made a reservation for the week. It's called Villa Ischitana and the room comes with a free scooter rental to take to the beach. Tonight we're getting on an overnight train to Naples from Piacenza, and tomorrow we'll take a ferry to Ischia. After Ischia, it's back to Viareggio where we are housesitting for a Polish woman for 15 days. Don't worry though - it's not as random as it sounds...we met her through our host at the B&B in Viareggio. Sweet old woman whose husband passed away recently... apparently she couldn't find anyone to housesit for her because she has 4 cats. Also, she thinks we'll be able to find work there - maybe at a restaurant. And if we're interested she will rent out a room in her house for us after the 15 days at a good rate.

lots going on... hard to remember it all right now, but we're safe and happy and healthy -- well almost healthy. Our allergies have been a problem on the farm. They are clearing up now, but the last week has been rough.

We're short on time so i'll end this now.... if the connection is strong enough, we'll upload pics from Viareggio and maybe Casa Rossa.

Let us know if anything important happens back home. Miss y'all. Love y'all.
Brian and Jess

check out our photos from Viareggio

Buon Viaggio a Viareggio

2009-05-06T17:45:00.003-04:00

I have a farmers tan…
Yep, it’s true. I have officially made it. After three amazing days in Viareggio, we arrived at our new wwoof farm, Casarossa. This organic farm/Bed & Breakfast is on the outskirts of a little, unimportant (non touristy) town called Piacenza, about forty-five minutes south of Milan and is home to Francesco, Laura, and her daughter, Ginevra. There were two other wwoof girls here when we arrived and they told us that their experience here had been very bad (no hot water, Francesco is moody, they had to work all day 8-6) and that they were leaving in the morning. However, our experience has been very different. The entire family has been extremely pleasant and hospitable, Francesco showed us how to turn on the hot water the first day, our working hours are they same as at Villa Lina, (six hours) and we have eaten all our meals together which Laura has prepared for us. Every meal gets more delicious than the last. So far, we are very happy here. Brian has been working in the vineyard and I have been pruning the hedges. Which is how I got my farmers tan. Yippee. The only frustrating thing is not being able to access the internet on the farm. Yesterday, Brian and I took a long walk outside of the farm and its so gorgeous. We are looking forward to doing that more often. Brian has gotten two recipes from Laura for some of her delicious cooking. Her apple torte is published with Slow Food. As soon as we find a faster internet connection with more time, we will post our pictures from Viareggio and the farm. We will try to make another post soon, but it might take a little while…thanks for keeping up with us!
Jessica and Brian

Back at it...

2009-05-01T14:36:00.008-04:00

Hello. Salve. What up. Hey. Ciao.

Sometimes we forget which one to use, but we're adjusting well after our time in Knoxville. It was a really sweet time at home with family remembering Jessica's Papaw. Since then, we have been saddened to learn that two of our friends from Central UMC have also passed away, Nancy Connelly and Virgie Peake. Our hearts are with their families as well as continuing to be with Jessica's.

As for us, we arrived in Rome on the 29th and left for Viareggio the following day. Our room is h i l a r i o u s - also clean and unique. The ceiling is on average 4 1/2 feet high, but the bath is HUGE, the bed is comfortable, and we have two skylights where I can stick my head out and stand up straight... pictures to follow.

Viareggio is a beach town in Tuscany. We are VERY happy here and are glad that we have till Sunday. The seafood is everything we expected - fresh. Last night we took a stroll down and around the marina. The weather was slightly cool, maybe 60 degrees, with the waves crashing against the rocks. Sweet. Romantic... still full off of seafood and pasta, we headed toward the brighter lights and found a theatre playing a late showing of Wolverine Origins.... I was reluctant, but Jess was dying to go.... Needless to say we bought 2 tickets and loved every minute of it. People clapped at the end. Funny really... It couldn't have been a better movie for us to see in Italian, because it was easy to follow.

Today, we woke up late and have been spending time getting adjusted. Jet lag can be nasty.

Some other updates: Jessica solved the Rubik's Cube. (picture below). Brian played with a cross eyed cat (picture below). Sunday we head out to our next farm in Piacenza (south of Milan) http://www.casarossapiacenza.it/
We put up a new album from our easter and "little easter" picnic on Picasa. We will wait and create an album for Viareggio, because we haven't taken many pictures yet.

In the meantime, the sun has set and someone in a distance is playing a harmonica. It's time to get off the computer and enjoy this beautiful town.

Love you all

Jess and Brian

Flight from London to Rome

Rubik's cube. Solved.

Avery Presley

2009-04-23T11:19:00.003-04:00

We haven't made a post in a long time and apologize for that. My grandfather passed away this past Saturday and we, last minute, decided to come in for the service and to be with my family during this time. Papaw was a great man who lived a good long life. He was a farmer in Virginia and was loved by all his family and many friends very much. The picture below is of my sisters and I and two of our cousins, Scott and Lindsey, on Papaw's 67th birthday. We will be back in Italy on the 28th. Thank you all for keeping up with us and your love and support.

Buona Pasqua

2009-04-12T07:23:00.007-04:00

It has been a few days since our last post, and I wish I had more to say and show you. The biggest news is that the matriarch of the farm, Paola, is back from her 2 week honeymoon in Senegal and the social/work dynamics have changed dramatically. Our cook, Lucia, has since resumed her position as cook, people who werent getting paid are now getting paid again, and the farm is starting to look prrrretty good. We've planted zucchini, cabbage, tomatoes, beans, arugula, basil .... and still have about 1/2 of the plot available. We've trimmed 50 year old rose vines, raked leaves, tied down support lines for kiwi trees, slept, swept, eaten great food, and watched one of the biggest annual soccer matches in the basement of a pub in Trastevere, Rome. Lazio won 4-2. Today is Easter and the only real plans we have are to play soccer and eat. We picked up a dessert in Rome called Pastiera, which is essentially an Italian cheesecake made specifically for Easter. You can see a pic at the bottom. Here are two different recipes I have found ... more involved ... less involved.Overall, the WWOOFing has been going well. The weather is warming up here, flowers are beginning to bloom, and guests are starting to visit the farm. We still have our pros and cons though... For instance, the 4 white dogs that would follow us around have been spending most of their time on the other side of the property, which is too bad... Grazia, the Italian WWOOFer who is essentially our boss, is nuts, generally making work days more of a drag. On the positive side, we might have the opportunity to film this 80 year old Italian woman (friend of Paola) making some of her family recipes and possibly assembling a cook book from them. I'm trying to work up the nerve to ask the owner of our local Gelateria if he wouldn't mind showing me how he makes gelato. Depending on how these work out, we'll be planning our next stop soon. Some thoughts we have: to stay with a friend of ours in Salerno for a few days, find a smaller farm where we can practice more Italian, take a week to travel, or stay here a little longer.... we're flexible. We're also considering getting a refund for our rail pass and spreading out our travel time - thus making our money last longer. Happy Easter! For many of us, we will celebrate more than the symbolism of the bunny and the egg. May we thank God for his mercy and gift of Salvation. However you celebrate Easter, I pray you are safe, happy, and well fed today. Buona Pasqua, Joyeuses Paques, Felices Pasquas!, God påske, Schöni Oschtere!
But if this is your way of celebrating, then I will simply pray that you make it through the night... Anyway, thanks for keeping up with us. We LOVE receiving your comments and knowing that you are reading the blog. It keeps us connected with all of you. As always, feel free to email us at bstrutz@gmail.com or jessicagracepresley@gmail.com

Much Love, Brian & Jess

p.s. there is a new album up on Picasa. Click Photos above

Earthquake

2009-04-06T09:06:00.003-04:00

For those of you who may have heard, there was an earthquake in Italy. It was in Abruzzo, which is the next region over from us. It didnt affect us, but someone said they felt it last night.
Heres a link.. http://tinyurl.com/earthquake-in-Italy .
If you look at the google map image you will see three lakes that are north of Rome. We are next to the tiny lake in the middle (At least 100 miles away from all the destruction.)
We are happy and safe. If anything should happen, we will post/email/and do whatever we can to get a hold of you.

On another note, we put more photos up on Picasa --- in the Viterbo & Villa Lina Album.
We went north to Viterbo on Saturday and took some pics. Beautiful city. At one point during the fall of Rome, Viterbo was actually bigger. Unfortunately for them though - the population never changed and it still has about 60,000 people... which doesnt hold a candle to Rome.

We have to get some rest

lots of love to all of you

Brian & Jess

Hoeing Around the Farm

2009-04-02T16:50:00.004-04:00

We're finishing up our first week on the farm, and after several blisters and long naps we are relieved to have the weekend upon us. So far, we have bent the young vines on the vineyard in order to 'train' them how/where to grow, hoed around the olive trees, hoed around the lavender bushes, plucked the lavender bushes, and tomorrow we will more than likely start planting in the vegetable garden. Nobody said it would be easy, but thankfully our hours arent too bad. I never realized how satisfying it would be to work on a farm... Tough, but therapeutic. Our muscles are already adjusting to it. Work aint bad tho when you get a delicious meal prepared for you by a 60 yr old italian woman... BUT, the only thing that compares to the food is the long nap afterwards.

The house we are living in is beautiful. Did I mention our front yard is an olive grove? Also, the dogs on the property have taken a liking to us and made it their responsibility to watch over our house day and night. Today, we went out for some pizza and gelato mmmm... pics to follow.

We have our weekend free and are contemplating where to go for the weekend... any suggestions?

Here are a few pics ... a couple from my birthday dinner. And as always you can click photos above to see the full album on picasa.

Also,

Jessica and I both are constantly thinking and praying for her family and her grandfather who is in the hospital in Virginia. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well.

love you and miss you all.

Brian & Jessica

Salumi platter with 7 different kinds of cured meats..... mmmmm

Below is a photo of dinner cooked by an Italian WWOOFer, Grazia. Polenta and Lentils with insalata crudo.

Workin' on the farm...

2009-03-31T16:31:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, first of all, was gorgeous. It made such a difference on our impression of the place and our moods. It was rainy today but we're hoping that yesterday was a glimpse of the weather turning. The flowers are starting to bloom and it's a touch warmer...so hopefully... We began our work yesterday in the vineyards which consisted of about nine of us, four wwoofers and five Italiani, slowly working our way down these long rows of vines, vine by vine, and training each vine: bending it at a right angle and tying it to the wires strung down the rows. Not too difficult and with the beautiful weather it was really enjoyable. We definitely didn't do it correctly at first and would often get stopped by Leo or Lisabetta to show us the right way. Half the time, I didn't know why they wanted me to cut a vine or tie it at that particular place or whatever but I just do what they tell me to do. Maybe someone will explain it later? Non lo so. I'm by far the slowest one. Leo and Stefano can do two and half rows in the time it takes me to do one. I don't really know what the deal is... Today we finished the second vineyard (having to take several breaks as the rain came in and out) and then started work on this huge lawn in front of the house where Brian and I are staying. Leo and Stefano are using weed-eaters to cut the grass and the four wwoofers have to rake the cut grass and load it into the back of the trailer on the tractor. It's pretty ridiculous. I mean, get a lawn-mower. I don't know if that's what we'll be doing tomorrow or not, but it will take forever, whoever has to do it. It's very strange to be a foreigner. The foreigner feeling when you're just traveling and sight-seeing is not so bad; just kind of part of the exciting and interesting experience. When you're trying to really live in a place for a while, the feeling is different. It's definitely more lonely and confusing and frustrating trying to communicate and work alongside these people. Even with that, I'm so glad to be here with Brian. I would hate to be doing this by myself. It would just be so lonely. Together, we laugh and joke around and have a good time. I wish we could have taken pictures in the vineyards or at any of the amazing lunches that Lucia has been cooking for us but we don't want to come off too touristy just yet...

Con affetto,

Jessica and Brian

Thanks for all the Birthday Wishes

2009-03-30T12:39:00.004-04:00

Sunday was an okay day for a birthday. The weather was dreary and cold. Not a soul was around. We woke up too late for breakfast so we walked into town to grab lunch. Silly for us to think we'd find anything open as it was between 1 -4 pm, and as anybody who has known ANYONE who has been to western Europe knows this is the time when everything closes. Needless to say, we found nothing. So, hungry and tired, we walked back to our 'WWOOFer kitchen, whose stock was expectedly low as we arrived unannounced on a Friday leaving little time to stock it. By some birthday miracle, we managed to find some zucchini, grape tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, capers, spices, pasta, day old bread, and some farmers cheese - which translated into a tasty meal that we ate in our humble little kitchen. After lunch we went back to our house, or the bottom floor of the house we live in. It was cold, so we turned our space heater on that conveniently enough, overloaded the power outlet and blew out the electricity on the entire floor of the house. We then spent the rest of the evening transferring our things to a tiny little cabin of a house on the other side of the property where our space heater would work. Eventually, someone caught wind that it was my birthday and gave me some salami and a bottle of wine made from our property as a gift... i'll post some pictures later. Eventually, we made it out for a nice dinner at a fancy shmancy ristorante in town. Food was great, as expected. Walked back home and stared at the millions of stars that finally decided to come out.

When the sky is clear, this place is beautiful. But rainy days are for the birds.
Thanks for all the birthday messages! It means a lot to know that people are thinking about us and wishing us well.

I'll let Jess post about our first day of work... on the vineyard

A Presto

Brian

Villa Lina

2009-03-28T16:25:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, when we arrived at Villa Lina, we were first greeted by these four big white dogs that we love. They are very comforting. We also met Katrina, the girlfriend of the son of Paola who owns the farm from Miami, Joe, another wwoofer from Texas, Grace, another wwoofer/office worker, Stefano, worker on the farm, Lucia, the sweet little cleaning lady and cook, and Leo and Lisabetta, the head man on the farm and his wife. Katrina took us on a tour of the farm which is fairly large, has several houses, and larger ones to rent, several pools that are pretty gross right now, ponds and fountains, goats, olive trees, and kiwi trees which is the main thing grown here. She also took us to our living quarters which is part of Paola's house. (Paola is away until April 10 on her honeymoon). We have our bedroom, bathroom, a large living area with a fireplace (yea!) and kitchen for our use. After touring the farm, we ate lunch with Joe and Katrina in this little tiny building that is really a kitchen that just stands alone where we will eat all our meals with the wwoofers. Last night, we walked into Ronciglione (got lost a little bit), found the piazza and the fountain (thank goodness again). We ate dinner at Arcadia, a little pizzeria/ristorante on the outskirts of town very close to Villa Lina. Yum. Monday we start working at 8:00 and have been assigned to help in the vineyard. They think it will be fun for us because the vines are very young and we can learn how to bend the vines, etc. I just hope it will warm up some! Brian says it's not that bad, but I'm definitely layering up and running the space heaters a lot. We got a little homesick last night after arriving at a place that feels more permanent but are excited about how much we will learn. Hopefully our Italian will continue to improve. Sometimes we think we're pretty awesome and then...other times we don't. We just realized there is a working TV in here in the office and so we're watching soccer. Typical. We have so many pictures but can't post them all here. Check the rest out on Picasa by clicking "Photos" above!

Much love,

Jessica and Brian

What's been happenin'

2009-03-28T12:18:00.008-04:00

Where to start... We've been a little scattered the last few days and haven't had time to blog like we should have but I'll try to catch us up. In Roma, we enjoyed our stay at the hostel Alice in Wonderland, tried to adjust to the time change, learned about getting along with your spouse while traveling, worked on our Italian, saw some sights, got lost a bit, and ate some of our favorite foods. Overall, a great time. We had planned to spend this first month traveling to France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, etc., but realized that Rome would be the most southern of all those places and it was pretty cold. During the middle of the day, it would be allright, but at night, very cold and getting down around 40-30°. This, we decided, would not be an ideal way to travel and sight-see. So, we called Villa Lina and they said we could come on a month earlier than we had planned. Just a hop, skip, a metro line, another small train through a type of Italian ghetto which I didn't know existed here, a bus ride through gorgeous country (thank goodness), and a jump later we arrived at Villa Lina. It is definitely a farm and in the country while at the same time, picturesque in a way that only Italy can be. Just a note on style, while in Rome, I noticed that everyone dressed monochromatically in black or gray then add a splash of color like an orange scarf or pink tie but once we got to the country, you start to see a lot more color and jeans and browns-just like in America. City mouse vs. country mouse. You're welcome for that. Here's some pics from Rome...

Change in Plans

2009-03-27T06:28:00.003-04:00

The weather in most of Europe is still relatively cold. Spring comes about a month later here, so we've decided to head straight to Ronciglione and put off traveling for a month or so... We'll make a proper post when we get there. We will be at the Villa Lina www.villalina.com

Jess and Brian

Florida

2009-03-24T18:43:00.006-04:00

Great time in Florida. Days spent with the fam mostly. Cooking, cleaning, relaxing, watching Blues Clues, Madagascar Dance Parties.... normal stuff. Sebi was A LOT of fun to be around ... sweet little boy. Cruz basically slept and ate the whole time. He didnt have much to say, but cute nonetheless. Jen, thanks for your sisterly love and hospitality. We miss you. Mo, as always it was great to see you - glad I could show you a thing or to on the bball court. Farzaneh, thanks for the Tahdig recipe and all your delicious Persian cooking. Happy Iranian New Year. Lets see if I can remember the recipe...

1 cup basmati or jasmine rice, 1 1/2 cups of water, butter, saffron, egg yolk, 2 Tbl of yogurt, salt. Cook rice with butter and salt then separate in half. Mix half with egg yolk, yogurt and saffron and spread at bottom of nonstick pot. Top with chicken or something else and remaining rice mixture then cook in pot with lid wrapped in a towel for 45 minutes on lowish heat until edges turn orange. Then break off bottom crust of rice and serve separately.
Is this right? If not please add your comments! For anyone interested in a short film about the cultural history of Iran, check out this link courtesy of Mo's mom, Farzaneh.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5356229498218843348&hl=en

Enjoy the pics from our time in FL.
To see more photos then what's posted, click the photo tab at the top of the blog.

up next... Roma.

B

How to Comment

2009-03-23T00:13:00.005-04:00

Some of you have pointed out that you don't know how to comment on our posts.
Look for the yellow post-it note above each post on the right side.
This will take you to the comment page...

I've created a picture for you.

-B

About Us

2009-03-22T15:24:00.003-04:00

Welcome to our blog. We are two newlyweds, Brian and Jessica, who have decided to delay the conventional path of home ownership, dinner parties, and parenting... for at least a little while. NOT running from it - postponing it. With this site, we hope to keep up with those who care to keep up with us. We love you, we think about you, and we miss you. Please feel free to email us at bstrutz@gmail.com and jessicagracepresley@gmail.com.

pray for us.

Brian & Jess