More Weekend in Tuscany

More Sacra Bosco/Parco dei Mostri......

Neptune

Sleeping Woman

Fury and Lions

Mermaid Echnia

Cerberus - 3 headed dog that guards the gates of hell

Etruscan bench

Hannibal on elephant

Ogre

Inside the Ogre's mouth - stone table and benches around 3 walls - great place to escape the heat of an Etruscan summer

Dragon

Temple - side view



Temple - front view

As we approached our destination for the weekend and the sun was going down, to our left appeared this little hilltop community of Marano.  It looked very interesting.  We took a quick run up to the community, but as it was a place you needed to explore on foot, we decided we would come back to explore it in the daytime.



And then IT HAPPENED AGAIN!!  My battery died and suddenly I had that sickening sinking sensation in the depths of my gut!  Just as with the previous camera trouble, the realization dawned that I had ONCE AGAIN, forgotten my charger and spare battery!!!!!!!  I cannot be a tourist without a camera.

Pouting deeply, we went and found our accommodation for the night and waited for 7:30 to come so that we could go to supper.  To try and cheer me up, my darling husband took me to visit the local cemetery.  It was a very interesting place to visit and because people were paying respects to their loved one's I did not miss the camera.  What I found interesting about the cemeteries here is that, even with adequate ground seemingly available, they are not buried in the ground as in most of our North American Cemeteries.  As with the Etruscans, Pharaohs, Greeks etc, their dead are buried in tombs above the ground, in mausoleums.  Small family buildings hold up to about 10 individuals. It appeared that some had been there for well over a century, based on the dates of death.  There were other larger buildings that contained well over 100 deceased persons.  All were well tended with fresh flowers, eternal lights, etc. and in just the short time we were there, at least 12 people were visiting their family members.

Sunday morning, we were off to Viterbo, to find yet another charger.  This time I got one that had a car adapter as well, so I could charge on the go.  Then, we went in look of the purpose for this weekend foray from the city, the Wild Boar Festival.  I was not having much luck finding where it was, but based on what seemed to be the norm for this type of thing, we headed to the historical center of the city.  Sure enough there was something going on there.  Streets were closed, parking rules were relaxed and there were hundreds of people moving through the gates of the old walled city into the historical center.  What was on was the "Fiere della Annunziatas" (fair of the announcement) celebrating both the arrival of spring and the Catholic feast of the Annunciation. 

This thing was massive - I read afterwards that there were 3 kms of stalls.  Think of anything and everything you might want and you could find it there, from clothes to household items; bedding; small appliances; furniture; pets - chicks, ducklings, rabbits, birds, fish, gerbils; food items; toys; any late night TV infomercial item you were ever tempted to buy but didn't; they were all here.  And the demonstrators with their microphone around the neck, selling their "miracle" pans, slicers, dicers and what have you.  It doesn't matter if it is in Italian or English, it all sounds the same.

We spent about 2 hours wandering through some of this, never once seeing anything that resembled wild boar.  It may have been there somewhere.  We probably managed  to see only about half of all the displays.  It became tiring trying to maneuver thru the crowds.  What we did find was lots of "porchetta" which is like hamburgers to North Americans.  Porchetta is a side of pork, the rind still on, seasoned with spices like garlic, rosemary, and black pepper, rolled and tied tightly, then slow roasted so you get a crunchy outside and succulent, flavourful, tender internal meat.  This is then sliced and served on a bun.  It is the Italian's go-to fast food.  

We left Viterbo and decide to take another route home.  New charger in hand, my camera battery was charging as we travelled, but I had to keep adjusting it.  On the way we saw this country side rolling out around us.  Wanting to get a higher vantage point to look over a valley, we took off down a gravel road that promised what I was looking for.  As we approached we saw there were several cars parked at the ridge.  When we got there we discovered it was a reserve of uncultivated ground and that the cars belonged to mushroom pickers.  People strolled back to their cars, wicker baskets under their arms.  We asked to see what they had been picking.  Under a protective napkin we saw luscious great mushrooms.  Someone was going to have a great feast tonight.

Rocky Tuscan soil

Fine fern like plant - possibly wild asparagus, fennel or dill

Reserve where mushroom pickers were working

Old abandoned building

Tuscan hills in background, mushroom reserve in foreground





Ancient structure - possibly segment of an aqueduct

Because we have never been to the Mediterranean, except to pass it by train, we decided to drive to Civitavecchia, which is the seaport for Rome, and where all the cruise ships dock.  All of a sudden we were approaching what looked like a toll booth.  I thought "Oh, no, we have been on a toll highway, how did that happen AND how much is this going to cost us".  Well, we have to go thru now, there's no way we can turn around here.  Up to the booth we roll.  The man is asking us something I don't understand.  I ask "quanto" how much - he just stares at me, says some thing again - I don't understand - I say "non Italian" - he looks at me now with great exasperation, pauses then gives a big "bah.h.h..." as if to say "I don't want to deal with you" - opens the gate and shoos us thru.  Then I see the sign for the city center and I understand what has just happened.  Somehow I had missed the exit to the center and had ended up in the line to get into the Port yard.  Needless to say I made a quick retreat out of there towards the city center.

 The Mediterranean at last

And my battery died again, something is wrong with the new charger. 

From Civitavecchia we headed north and west to Tarquinia, Tuscania, Marta, Montefiascona and on to Bagnoregio.  At Bagnoregio, we came to a traffic circle that left us a bit confused, because we weren't sure which town we needed to head for, so we pulled over to study the map.  Next thing we know, there is a little gentleman on a bike, frantically waving to us to follow him - we look at each other and say, "why not" - he obviously thinks this is where we should be going.  So we follow him, he waves us on and we continue down the street.  There must be something going on because a lot of people seem to be heading towards one building in particular. 

Not being interested in stopping to see what it was we drove on, but ended at a dead end at what was called "The Belvedere" and a parking lot.  We were going to head back out but I asked Bill to stop so that we could have a look at a large building on the opposite side of what looked like a large ravine.  Then I walked back to an old building that was there to read a plaque.  It was commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Beatification in 1500s of a St Bonaventure of this community.  While I was reading this people were drifting out through a gate on the side of the building, and they all had cameras with them.  I thought "Hmmm....., there must be something interesting to see"  I walked thru the gate and my jaw just about hit the ground!!!!

This is what I saw

Rising up from the valley floor below was this town perched on the top of a cliff.   This is a picture I gleaned from the Internet and does not nearly do justice to what we saw.  This is what I found out about it.  This is the old village of  Bagnoregio called Civita.  It was first inhabited by the Etruscans 2500 years ago.  The city is positioned atop a plateau of friable volcanic tuff overlooking the Tiber river valley.  It is in constant danger of destruction as its edges fall off, because of earthquakes and river erosion, leaving the buildings built on the plateau to crumble.  At one time there was a natural bridge connecting this community to the present day community, but by the 1600's most of this had crumbled away and the old site was all but abandoned. In the 19th century,  it's location was turning into an island and the pace of the erosion quickened as the layer of clay below the stone was reached in the area where today's bridge is located.  A stone bridge was built to allow remaining residents to come and go.  Today there are only about 14 year round residents living here.  That number swells in the tourist season.  All buildings in the community are privately owned and the place has become a bit of a rich person's retreat with wealthy Italians purchasing homes for summer retreats.  Supplies are ferried by Vespa to and from the town by a man whose father did the same thing by donkey years ago.

We did not go up to the town because of time constraints, but we will return before the end of our holiday and make the trek up to the city.  By the way belvedere in Italian means "beautiful sight".  Quite right!!!!

After this wondrous discovery we made our way back to our hotel arriving well after dark.  Driving back and looking across the valley, I commented to Bill that it looked like the hillside had lighted eyebrows.  All up and down the valley you could see these lights that went upward in a single line ending in a clump of lights at the town site,  just like the shape of an eyebrow!

It was a wonderful weekend and I now know why people fall in love with Tuscany and Umbria.  Waking to the sound of song birds in the morning, the gentle warmth of the sun on your skin, and the heady scent of Forsythia, Mimosa and wild berry bushes, detectable even to me with my loss of smell, are all reasons.   Winters mantle had not yet been completely shed, the fallen leaves were still crunchy under foot while over head the tree buds were swollen, ready at an moment to unfurl their leaves.  Only a few trees were showing green, but that had increased in just the 48 hours we were there.  The grape vines were all trimmed, the olive trees were in the process of being pruned and the ground beneath tilled, gathered wood was being stacked or burned, gardens were being tilled and it was clear that Spring was well and truly on it's way.

We will return.



A weekend in Tuscany

This past weekend we decided to go out to the country.  I had read somewhere that there was going to be a Wild Boar festival in Viterbo, a city about 80 miles North West of Rome in the heart of Etruscan country,  on Sunday the 25th.  Great, I love the Etruscan history and art, and we both love food and a chance to try wild boar in some variations would be an added bonus. 

So we were up early Saturday morning, caught a train to Viterbo, rented a car and headed towards our accommodation which was in a small community called Attilignano, about 30 miles from Viterbo.  On our way we did some touring.  Our focus was to stay off the Autostrad and take only the smaller roads and byways.  Driving on Italian roads is not difficult.  They are clearly and frequently posted with speed limits, directional signage to towns, dips and humps noted, traffic lights and crossroads signed with distance to same.  There are five different speed limits in Italy.  On multi lane roads like the Autostrad, 110kph is not only expected but if you can't maintain it, you could be fined.  Scooters and cyclists are not allowed on the Autosrand.  Primary highways, two way with paved shoulders, are posted at 90kph.  Secondary highways, 2 way with no shoulders (our choice), are 70kph.  In communities the speed limit is 50kph, and around congested area, schools, etc. 30kph is the speed. 

We had no trouble finding where we had to go, unless signs were missed because the navigator was too busy gawking and not paying attention to her job!  The drivers though now, a whole other story, can be impatient and all tend to drive like they are Formula 1 drivers, not paying particular attention to center lines, speed limits and no passing signs; taking curves deep and on the inside; riding your bumper if you are slower than they want, and clearly feel that pesky road rules are only meant as suggestions.

The first community we reached was Bagnaia, and it was not until we were through it that we realized it was one of those hilltop towns often described when Tuscany is talked about.  We were aware that the town had some age to it, because as we drove through it, there was a traffic light controlling traffic thru a particularly narrow part.  There was one way alternating traffic for about 5 or 6 blocks because the street was so narrow.  No sidewalks for pedestrians, they had to keep an eye on the traffic and tuck themselves alongside the wall as traffic past, if necessary.  We then crossed a bridge going down over a ravine to the other side and that is when we became aware of how this town was perched on the edge of  a cliff.

I was unable to get a good picture as I was on the wrong side of the car and there was nowhere to pull over to get out and get a good shot.  I did find one on the Internet that was taken in 1950's that is exactly the same as it looks today.  Sorry for the poor quality.

Below, the one way street, note the doorway opens right into the street.

The next community we arrived at was Bomarzo.  I had read about a place called "Sacro Bosco" (Sacred Wood) or more recently the "Parco dei Mostri" (Park of Monsters) that was located here.  This was to be a complete surprise for Bill, as I had not told him word one about it.  This is what we saw as we wend our way towards the park.

Hills and valleys stretched out below the town of Bomarzo

The town of Bomarzo as seen from the "Sacro Bosco"



Now, for the Sacro Bosco/Parco dei Mostri. The history/story is that in the 1500, one Pier Francesco Orsini commissioned a Mannerist wooded park, located at the bottom of a valley where the castle of Orsini was erected, and populated it with sculptures and small buildings divided among of the natural vegetation.   It is one of the most suggestive examples of late Renaissance art in Italy. The park's name stems from the many larger-than-life sculptures, some sculpted in the bedrock, which populate this predominantly barren landscape. The park was intended not to please, but to astonish.

The park went into decline in the 19th and 20th century, but about 1970 a program was established to restore the gardens.

Now a look at some of the "Mostri"

Proteus - Glauco - child of 6 or 7 can stand in the mouth

Struggle between giants - about 20 ft tall

Turtle

Tourist Bill in front of turtle to show scale

Whale - sits in stream in front of and below turtle's head as if rising up to grasp him

Pegasus fountain

Nymphaneum and seats

  

A resting "Nymph"

Nymph Fountain

Leaning house

Inside the leaning house

More to come..............

Exploring the neighbourhood

The last three days we have spent exploring our neighbourhood and more is being revealed each day.  It is always an adventure as you never know what you are going to find around the corner or thru a doorway, but, it will almost certainly be something more than you expected.  Such was our experience yesterday.  We walked into a store called "Aqua & Sapone"  literally, water and soap.  On entering, it looked like a 12 X 20 foot store with mainly female facial care products, but the further you went, the more that was revealed.  It was like entering a tardus.  Aisles went this way and that, as you progressed deeper and deeper into the store.  It truly was a water and soap store as every manner of cleaning product for body, home, pets, cars, etc. could be found here.

Along with stores that we have found, we also have found all manner of little street markets close at hand.  Some are food markets, some clothes markets, some selling a variety of home goods.    Again, every manner of item can be found here.  Today, we found a hugh food market, just mear blocks from our apartment.  There were 152 food stalls.  Across the street was a market that sold mostly clothing, shoes and fabrics - another 34 stalls.  Of this particular market, I loved the fabric stalls, because they were primarily African and Indian fabrics, beautiful Sari cloths and all manner of exquisitely  embroidered cloth.  I resisted buying today but am certain that I will be making some fabric purchases before I leave.  I did not inquire about the Indian fabrics, but the African cottons were 2 Euros a meter.  I know they sell for about $20 a meter at home.

The weather has remained incredible, in the low 20's and no rain.  Some evenings we go out for a typical Italian "passeggiata", evening stroll.  Here is a sign that I noted one evening that gave me a giggle.

And I always thought it was Draft beer - I guess it's all in the translation

Santa Maria Maggiori during our evening passeggiata

This is the best time to really see the mosaics in the upper gallery

as they are in shade during the day

Below are pictures from the big food market we attended today.  There were a lot of ethnic foods available here, as well, because the Esquilino area that we are in is very much a multi ethic area.

Meats of every kind can be found, beef, veal, pork, lamb, rabbit, chicken, duck;

all manner of fruits and vegetables;

oysters, clams, snails, periwinkles, and ????;

fish, every shape, size and color;

all variety of rice, beans, lentils;

colorful, flavourful, fragrant spices;

olives of every kind;

more seafood, shellfish, even salmon;

feet, heart, lungs, spleen, tongue, liver, tripe, brains, tail, everything but the "squeal"!

Tramjazz

Quiet day yesterday, Bill is still getting over his cold and I think the beast has found me!!!  Another fort to the grocery store and the "Farmacia"  to get drugs.  Bill is trying a herbal preparation this time that includes pin, sage and thyme to help get rid of his chest congestion.

Last night we became night owls and stayed out much much later than is normal for us.  We bought tickets for something called "Tramjazz" .  It is a three hour trip on a converted 1920's tram car that simultaneously offers a jazz concert, candlelight meal and a tour of the center of Rome by night.  The trip ran from 9 to midnight.  Beer and wine were also included with the meal.  There were two tram cars doing the tour.  Ours was older than the other one with seating for 28 at tables for 2 or 4.  We were seated with a young couple Rodrigo and Anna, he a Logistics technician for the Italian Post office, and she an Architect, currently working on renovating their home.    They were celebrating their 1st anniversary of meeting and as it happened we were celebrating our 38th anniversary.  They are getting married in August.  Both spoke English reasonably well.  We had an enjoyable conversation,

The music was both recorded and live, presented by a guitarist and trombonist.  It was British Rock Jazz from the 60s, with tunes from Pink Floyd, and other rock artists of the time, good but a bit more sedate than expected.  By the time 11:15 came around you could see everyone flagging a bit, what with the wine and food consumed.  The food was good, we started with a salad of Panzanella "fried strips of bread" with tomatoes; then a plate of pears, 3 cheeses and honey;  next Ravioli stuffed with ricotta in tomato sauce; and finally, Involtini "little bundles" of veal wrapped around a stuffing of cheese, breadcrumbs, and ground vegetables, with brocholletti.  Dessert was a chocolate torte (cake) good but very sweet - couldn't finish it.  We were concerned about eating a big meal so late in the day here as the restaurant meals that we have had at lunch have been quite large, often we will share a plate, but the portion sizes served were just right and well spaced apart over about 2 hours time.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening, ended off by a 1 1/2 mile walk home.

 

Our tour car for the night

the Colosseum by night

Arch of Constantine