We arrived this morning in Italy, which makes us very lucky people. Everything is different here. It’s like Brigadoon. You would think that air is air, sky is sky, light is light – it’s the same wherever you go, the same world, right? Nah. Italy is enchanted. They even speak a different language over here. Crazy, no? Today – to tide over my jet-lagged body until dinner – I had half a salami sandwich. That’s all we had in the house at that point. I sliced a thin piece of whole grain bread off the loaf, slapped three or four slices of salami on it, folded it in half and took a bite. It’s not the same, baby. Nowhere else in the world does a salami sandwich taste like this.
our cherry tree
I took my sandwich outside to look at our vegetable garden and I noticed that our cherry tree had ripe cherries on it. Crazy, no? The problem is that it’s a big tree, which means that most of the good fruit is ten, fifteen feet off the ground. This poses no problem whatsoever for the birds – we have thousands of birds around the house and they all seem to like cherries. What they do is they wait until each cherry is perfectly ripe and delectable before they plunder it. They won’t touch a semi-ripe cherry. They’re very particular. So for us to be in any way competitive we have to set up a ladder and at least one of us has to be up in the tree on a twenty-four hour basis. So the birds win. However, there’s a store in our village where you can buy cherries that are just as good. You can just walk in and buy them. Crazy, no?
Così felice di vedere che sono tornati in Umbria!
Spero che il tempo è buono e le ciliegie maturano in fretta.
Enjoy your time and mangia in Italy.
why don’t you go and give the tree a good shake..the ripe ones will fall down and you pick them up…or just go to the store…enjoy and keep us posted on all things Italian.
Yes, lucky indeed!!!!
“Shakin the Tree” by Peter Gabriel will give you a good perspective on how to obtain free cherries and seems allegorical to the wonderful life you have created by stepping outside to enjoy such a wonderful place.
Lotta years since Big Sur on the hill.
Chas
I got an email from Rome this morning from a friend who is a computer whiz on Madonna’s world tour. They had just arrived from Istanbul. A million to one you would pack salami sandwiches for that one. Enjoy the cherries.
Welcome back. We leave for Roma tomorrow and then back to Connecticut. We return for September through the end of October. We have no cherry trees, BUT our fig trees are ready to mature. Tonight was bistecca fiorentina in Todi. A great meal, but we are sad to be leaving. Enjoy.
Interesting that today I was talking (In Italian) to my fiend Mario about the difference in lifestyles both here and in Italy. Mario’s from the way north (his last name is Moznich, indicating his apparent Austro-Hungarian provenance) and we talked, among other things, about the blessed lack of 24/7 establishments in Italia, the still-prevalent three-hour ‘pausa’ at mid-day, the inability to greet any friends or acquaintances without at least a little wine, etc., etc.
Che bella vita, even in the face of disaster in the Euro-zone.
Judy and I leave for Maine in two weeks, for a summer of photo workshop teaching, then are off to Umbria again in October for our annual photography workshop based in ‘our’ villa just outside Cannara. But the big news is that we have inaugurated (finally) our ‘Unseen Serenissima: Venice in Winter Photo Workshop’ in mid-January–just after Christmas and before the pre-Lenten chaos of Carnevale. We are fully booked for January, but there’s always 2014 for any who are interested. See my current column for details, as well as a look at three new books on Venice by three very different photographers: http://www.TalkingPhotography.com
I know you and Jill will have a great time back ‘home’ in Umbria. We know the feeling.
Molto amore,
–Frank VR
So glad you’re back in Italy! I love postings from there best. Say hello to the boot for me; I hope to be there before long!
We’ll staying at the Borgo Della Marmotta starting tomorrow. Perhaps we’ll see you at la casaline.
We have the same Cherry problem. Crows! Then there are the bears in the apple trees but that’s a whole other story.
You are lucky indeed. Everything tastes better in Italy!
How lucky you are, you’re right everything tastes better in Italy. I’m jealous. I’ll go to Babo’s and pretend.
@ David Jones – Grazie. Siamo in paradiso.
@ Charlie — Yeah, from one paradise to another.
@ Debbie – Shaking the tree? Too easy!
@ all the others — Stay tuned. More fun to come.
I must tell you that your description of the antipasti at Le Casaline is spot on. At one point we wondered if we would even be able to reach the pasta course. He then signaled the end of the antipasti with the best piece of melon I can remember eating. What a great experience.
@ Arthur – Yes, Le Casaline is unique and amazing.