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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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