Christmas Time is Here!

Okay, well maybe it's already been "here" for several weeks as I do reside in a country that doesn't do Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving morning I headed out to Auchan with the most adorable blonde boys and their mom. While we were there I bought a baby tree that will be decorated with Nico safe ornaments before too long.

Although I tried to decorate the apartment that afternoon, I found it odd that I didn't have twinkly lights or a normal sized tree (fresh from Roseburg, OR). Then again, maybe it was because I was on my way out the door for Thanksgiving dinner. Who knows?

Well after deleting the hundreds of Black Friday sale emails from my inbox today, I decided to take another approach to getting into the holiday spirit by watching The Grinch. I also decided that Nico needed to watch it with me and he did. I think he was cold and wanted to steal my body heat but he didn't sleep and actually kept his eyes on the screen.

Then I made the mistake of moving my foot which of course took his attention from the movie and over to attacking my foot. When he was satisfied that whatever had moved was gone, he hopped off the couch. I was busy watching perhaps my most favorite Christmas movie of all time, but out of habit a few minutes later I chirped out for him to make sure he wasn't causing problems. He wasn't. In fact, he was only a few feet away from me.

Yep. I think he was concerned that the Grinch (or Erin) was going to steal "his" Christmas tree! My cat is such a smart one! I guess we now need to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas so he knows how to decorate it himself?

I did make him watch the rest of the movie and although he saw the Grinch's heart grow and return everything, I had to laugh when I just now looked up and saw him sleeping on the chair next to his tree. I'm just glad he likes the tree and has moved on from attacking the moose hanging from the banister!

Cento Cose Di Cui Essere Grati

It's that time of year again when hand prints are turned into turkeys, stomachs expand to accommodate a feast, relatives gather, and yes, you reflect on all the things you are thankful for. For a split second this year I started feeling sorry for myself- sorry that I wasn't going to be able to join my cousins at the kids' table. Sorry that I wasn't going to eat the pies my grandma makes. Sorry that I wasn't going to make the Fred Meyer sock sale on Friday. Seriously. It's hard core.

Then I saw a picture of Carolyne on my desk- the amazing little girl I met this year in Kenya. Then I recalled all the other little kids I saw on the trip, and remembered that for each one represents several others living in the same conditions. These children were so thankful for everything- no matter how small. Once again I was reminded that the opposite of poverty is not rich, but just enough.

Enough.

I don't know about you, but I feel like I have way more than enough. Way beyond the things that fill my ridiculously large house I've been given opportunities that many could never dream of having...including this adventure in Italy.

So sure I'd love to be seated at the kids' table with my siblings and cousins with our glasses of wine (seriously...over half the kids' table has been at a legal drinking age for at least a few years), eating pink cranberry stuff, and laughing with my family but I'm going to be spending it with my "other" families here in Italy.

This Thanksgiving I'll be starting some new traditions but 2 must go on: turkey hand prints & pink cranberry frozen deliciousness. No matter how you celebrate today- in a foreign country, out to eat, in front of the tv, or with family I hope you too are reminded just how much we have to be thankful for. If you need some help thinking of things, Nico and I got into the holiday spirit. Yes, his turkey looks like a hawk but since he's Italian I still need to teach him all about Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Germana

I know! I am suppose to be headed to new countries, not ones I've already seen multiple cities in! Oh well, it was nice to actually see something other than the Munich airport for the first time this year. This weekend I headed to Garmisch for a women's retreat with 10 others from Naples. The conference was decent- although I swear if I was asked one more time what service my husband was in I was going to slap someone.

Getting there was quite the adventure. My traveling buddy quickly dubbed it as our "planes, trains, and automobiles" day and it was 100% accurate. We left Naples at 0700, took a train from Munich to Garmisch, and then a cab took us the last few miles. On the first segment of the flight (the 30 minute one) I was in what would have been the perfect seat for flying home in: tons of leg room, cushy, wide, window seat in row 2. The Rome to Munich flight had me seated much further back and sharing my aisle with a German who I'm pretty sure was shocked when he heard my American accent. Yep, it never gets old playing my "I'm going to keep my mouth shut and see what language people talk to me in" game.

When it was time to catch our train, we all got on the first one with no problem. As we tried to get on the regional train at the main station there were very few seats. Luckily my traveling buddy didn't want to sit around waiting for the next one, so we boarded using our luggage as seats for the first few stops. I really wish I had pictures to show you just what we experienced on this close to 2 hour trip because I fear that you won't believe me!

While we sat on our luggage in the crowded exit area of the car we had no personal space. No personal space as in I was thankfully the one in the corner. Then again maybe not. At one point I glanced over to the passageway (on the other side of my friend) and saw a college student bending over. Well, that's what I thought I was seeing but upon closer inspection I think he was adjusting the zebra print thong on the outside of his jeans. Um yeah. You try not to laugh when you see that. There was a girl about the same age standing across from me and the looks we shared translated just fine even with the language barrier.

As soon as he left, the beer pong parade began. Yep. More college age guys started to make their way through. First we saw a drunk guy. Then it was a guy holding a stack of plastic cups with ping pong balls in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. Next up was a rather intoxicated guy balancing a crate of bottles on his shoulder. For some reason he felt the need to stop right in front of us and once again, my travel companion was subjected to danger. Keep in mind, we're on a moving train, this kid has been drinking, not holding on to anything, and he's balancing a crate of glass beer bottles (German sized, not American). A few times it looked like we would have beer falling on us- both in liquid form and bottles filled of it. When a hand reached upward as to prevent the corner of the crate in her face, one of his friends thought she wanted one. Ha. That triggered the "I bet if you take one they won't even notice" talk but luckily for us they got off within a few more stops- along with their traveling table.

We didn't realize we were on the party train!

As the entertainment ceased we started to realize that we were starving and tired; it had been nearly 9 hours since we woke up for our coffee. Not a minute too soon we pulled up to the station. As tempting as it was, we didn't head straight to the Mexican place by the station- I don't think it would have been any better than Taco Bell. We headed up the street in search of anything open and non Italian and settled on a little bakery where the girl spoke English. You know who didn't speak English? The cast of Scrubs on TV. Talk about confusing! We got over it rather fast as we inhaled our sandwiches, coffee, and strudel.

Finally we made it to our destination (via cab), as did the rest of the group not too much later.

Like mentioned before the conference was okay. The highlight of the weekend for me was running around the downtown area early Saturday morning. It was so cold even with my 4 layers on but after the initial shock of cold mountain air it was a great run. I've really missed running the empty streets of a city with the stars overhead. It was relatively flat too so I was a happy camper. Of course after I got back and saw my skin was cold to the touch even under all those layers I was a little thankful Naples is warmer in the winter. I did get the shock of a lifetime when after the sun came up I realized just how much frost was out there. Guess that explained the lack of sweat!

Um, I really didn't see anything new in this town nor did I see anything new while back in Munich the day we were flying out. Again, had fun and did some shopping (yummy raspberries) but nothing I deem blog worthy.
Maybe my attitude wasn't the greatest- I was just ready to head back to Naples. don't get me wrong, I love the mountains and it was a nice change of pace but Garmisch in particular is such a touristy place it sort of reminds me of why I hated Monterey so much. It's funny. For the 3rd time this year I find myself in a beautiful place that is a lot more like home than Naples is and yet I find myself longing to be back in Naples.

Who'da thunk!

VISITORS!

My second official visitor group to Bella Napoli were my aunt, uncle, and cousin from Indy. Their ship left them in the port early this morning and eventually they got off the port to meet at our designated spot.

Of course I wasn't there as planned (I run on Napoli time these days) and as I climbed the stairs I heard my dad's voice on the phone held to my aunt's ear. We assured him everything was okay and let him get back to sleep since it was close to 0100. Stinkin' time difference. So why was I late? Well I have the tendency to forget that driving at 0800 is a little different than 0500. That compounded with not being 100% sure where I was going and being on a train into town with what appeared to be a bunch of protesting students...like I said Naples time.

After being handed the most glorious bag of peppermint items (have I mentioned lately just how much I am in need of a peppermint fix?) we ventured out a piedi with no real destination in mind other than wanting to see a few new things. After a cornetto break, we wandered through some back streets while migrating towards Christmas Alley. I had given up my map at this point (I get too distracted looking at everything that I forget to check where we are...hey didn't someone once say it's all about the journey?) At any rate, we walked through some seriously narrow old streets. I'm sure we gave the old ladies hanging out their windows something to talk about for at least a little while.

We continued to wander off the typical major roads in downtown and quickly found ourselves in the neighborhood 2 of my coworkers had told me the day prior to be wary of. So naturally that's where we ended up right? Well, it wasn't too sketchy and I had to see Il Duomo one of these days- so why not on a day I wasn't touring solo? Walking inside the church, I'm sorry- cathedral, we really didn't know what to expect- but I think the vaulted ceilings with golden ornate images and marble everywhere really weren't in our mind. Attached to the main cathedral there were several side chapels, also decorated with statues which pretty much blinded us as the sun came pouring in the windows. We joked that I could never attend church there on account of it being so distracting! Well actually, the fact that I'm not Catholic would already making it tough and the language issues are sort of strikes uno e due. In this chapel is where the skull and vials of blood from San Gennaro blood that liquifies three times a year. Well, the city prays that it liquifies because the years it hasn't has resulted in catastrophic events for Napoli.

When we were duomo'ed out we headed back to the street and continued our walk to Via San Gregorio Armeno in search of  Christmas Alley. As the presepi became more and more frequent along the street vendors we figured we had made it. Turns out we passed our turn when we checked out a fish vendor. Yeah, fish. It's a very common view in the markets and along the streets- tubs of clams, muscles, octopi, squid--all still alive! The fish are already dead at this point, but you know just a few short hours prior they were swimming along. If you're picturing an aquarium in your head, you aren't that far off. Just like we weren't that far off of the correct street to see some of the largest and some of the smallest nativity scenes I've ever seen. The presepi are all handcrafted with tree bark and moss (preventing me from being able to take one home!) and then custom occupied. Il bambino Jesus, Mary, Joseph, livestock, shepherds, wise men, and angels predominately lined the shelves but among the traditional items/characters there were others. Should you want a Pulcinella, Santa Claus, or Bart Simpson you could easily find one. How about a pizza oven to add to your manger? Got one of those, look for them between the lamp posts and mini pizzas. It really was amazing to see all the accessories lined up and yes, I do love living in a country that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving- BRING ON CHRISTMAS!

With our one destination reached, the stopping in stores back to the main road continued and I found a few great deals. I'd write about them here but should they end up as presents (as in, I don't keep them for myself) I don't want to have the element of surprise ruined. Before hitting the main street again we were by Santa Chiara. This church was recommended to visit by my Italian instructor so I had to check it out since it's her favorite. This Gothic church was much different than the ones we had seen previously. It was only in this form though after being bombed during the war and being almost completely destroyed. When the decision was made to rebuild, they restored it to its original style (even after it had been "updated" to Baroque style well after its 14th century construction). My favorite part was the stained glass windows, for now. Next time I'm going into the museum area to see the rest of it.

As promised, we made our way to Via Roma/Toledo and once again joined the fast paced city. It's really amazing how just a few streets off from the main roads you can be transported to what Italy must have been like earlier on. On Via Toledo, the vendors promised great deals even if every other one had the same items. Business suits walked by at a fast pace while older women took their time with their produce from the market. Coffee shops were busy- even if by American time it was time for pranzo...not another coffee break. One block found us across from a sea of people. Just what was the commotion? A new H&M was opening. Craziest part? It actually looked like people were lining up on the sidewalk.
Katie's tour now took them to Galleria Umberto, Palazzo Reale and the likes. I figure if these are a few of the sights that made me fall in love with the city, I have to share! It was a success and we even had a ton of carabinieri heading to the Palazzo Reale. Nope. Still not sure why but since we're sort of going through some political changes I'm sure it had something to do with that. Well, maybe not since I find that the most logical explanation for many things here couldn't be further from the truth.

With several kilometri under our feet and almost an acceptable lunch time for the locals, we went in search for a place my aunt and uncle had eaten at last time. Apart from knowing the general location and that it was a 2 story pizza place "with baskets" we had nothing. But guess what? They found it. We also found a guy willing to give us a great deal on an iPad along the way.

No. We didn't buy it. C'on. Electronics from the street?

Lunch was pretty good. It was nice to choose from pizza options other than what my pizza man makes but I still like his best. I'm not sure if it's the electric oven or what. This place was super cute though and since the kitchen was upstairs, they used baskets on pulley systems to send up the orders. Dopo il pranzo, siete andati per gelato. And it was almost more difficult to find than the restaurant! I guess we were a block past were we spent most of our day and as the old heart of city gelateria were not part of the original city plan? It was very odd. As the search continued we walked towards the closest metro station so I could eventually make it to soccer practice. Not only did we find our gelato, but we also found a coffee bar right next to the station. Not really wanting to head off to see my team (the season is almost over), sleepy, and impressed that we weren't just at any bar but at the 3 Gnome/Dwarf bar I had to have un caffe! Only as the sun began to set behind the tall buildings did I realize it would take me a while to head back...so that's what I did.

On the train back  I couldn't help but smile at what a wonderful day I had with my relatives exploring and sharing my new home with them. Sure there is trash on the side of the road, traffic, a ton of people, poor air quality but that's only a portion of this place, and the coffee, ancient history, beautiful buildings, friendly people and amazing views out weighs all those "cons." Shoot, I'm not even sure if all of those things are even cons...I think they are still in the "quirk category" in my book so they are a few of the many things that make Naples Bella Napoli. I'm sure the onlookers thought I was crazy  with my hair getting further out of control in the wind as I stood bracing myself with a pole as we made our way down the track with graffiti and sunbeam covered buildings but I don't care. Sure my attitude changed a tad when I pulled up to practice with 10 minutes left (it was on my way home) due to traffic but it quickly adjusted back while I ran inside an extinct volcano.

Seriously. 

How did I get so lucky to have this be my life?

Can someone please pinch me to make sure I'm not dreaming?

It's Go Time

Today is the first day in an 18 week marathon training program.
Yeah, 18 weeks.
And yes, I did say marathon.

142.195 kilometers or you know, 26.2 miles.

Get ready to read even more posts about running because I'm about to get serious about this.

SB out.

Another Milestone Reached

As most of you have heard, I've been fighting this cold that's making its way through Naples. I believe one of the soccer kids decided to share with us coaches as my coworker came down with it last weekend and come Monday we were both sad cases. Our entire shop (the whole 4 of us) were sneezing and coughing by the end of the week. To be fair, the other 2 were also exposed to it at their homes and I really do keep my germs to myself.

Well, apart from the Shoe Alley adventure yesterday I told myself I wasn't allowed to leave my house expect for in search of pizza or in case of emergency. There was a point yesterday where I almost restricted my outings to only life threatening emergencies. I even told Nico he was responsible for saving me.

It would be a lie if I said I was super productive today but progress was reached in the unpacking department. I finally opened the last few boxes and all but one is now unpacked. The one with items still in it is from my office and given that I don't even have enough workspace now, these items will need to find a new home eventually.

The office/craft room finally looks like a room rather than a room out of a hoarder's home. Unfortunately the zebra couch remains in there but hopefully that's not for much longer. I did open it up (why yes, it is a sleeper couch). Did you know that it's part of the New York City series? The copy right date? 1982. If this is an original...it's older than me! With this discovery and realizing it was nearly 1pm, I went up to my much newer couch and took a nap. Well, maybe like 3. From time to time I was woken up by Nico sharing Baby Mouse or wads of packing paper with me.

Round two in the office made me laugh because once again I was finding things I forgot I had. Like a set of glasses? Oh well, I still don't regret my new set from Ikea! My creations from high school ceramics? Oh just you wait till they are worth big money. What really triggered my need to unpack was my list of a few missing items. Nothing huge but I was finding it odd that both of my aprons are still MIA. Yeah, still MIA. Guess it's time to look through my clothes again? No lo so.

Who says you can't have it all? I slept in, got a room unpacked, napped for 2+ hours, and even had pizza today. Yeah, I am productive even when sick.

BEWARE THE BOX TROLL!

To Market, To Market

One huge perk about American holidays these days (I mean, apart from the 8 hours of holiday pay) is that the Italians still go on with business as usual. This means markets, businesses, schools, and the likes are all open and for once I'm able to live the Italian life.

Today's destination was Shoe Alley. Yes, I have been there before but not for months! My coworker and I had been talking about needing boots for a few weeks and we made the plans late yesterday afternoon. (What else would 2 government employees be talking about late in the afternoon before a long weekend?)

With my coworker taking over directions (my GPS and I are still working through our issues) I drove my car closest to downtown Naples it's been. The drive proved to be entertaining and the traffic at 940 suggested it was still early in the work day. We arrived without incident and I even backed up onto the sidewalk for a very Italian parking job. By the way, Ravi is really learning to love some of his all terrain capabilities in this urban center.

The sun shone down on the shoes causing buckles and bling to glisten like treasures. The stacks of boxes reached several meters high, each containing a pair of shoes. Like two pros, we wandered back and forth between the stalls in each row- careful not to to miss any! In today's search for boots nothing really caught our eyes until the 3rd row. It's here I found the first pair of suede wedge with a little faux sheep wool lining- super cute but just filed away as we continued our search.

Our search for boots was temporarily detoured as I realized I want to find a few scarves since I'm determined the key to dressing like an Italian is to accessorize. My research has concluded that the reason the women always look so fabulous in their outfits is because they've layered and accessorize everything on their person to be art. Granted, it could just be the shoes but I'm not willing to give up my flip-flops just yet.

Row after row we searched. It wasn't until the very back that we finally found one of our favorite types of stalls- cinque euro! Although the selection wasn't too fabulous, for 5E you can buy a pair of shoes and if you don't like them after 2 or 3 wears you pass them along or not feel guilty as they sit in your closet. My coworker found her (only) pair of boots here, but I was still on the hunt for something similar to the ones I saw previously.

And then I saw the most adorable dress ever. Okay, maybe not ever but marked 10E it was pretty fabulous. After checking it out I was 99% sure that this body with my "no carb left behind" Italian food plan was not going to squeeze into it.

Onward!

I finally found a pair of boots. No, they weren't like the ones I saw before (and despite going back for a second look still didn't come home with them) but they looked like something my shoe collection was missing. As we made our way back I once again crossed paths with that dress. Feeling optimistic (I knew it would fit, but it was the "how would it fit" that was the mystery) I tried that and another dress on. And this is how the  clothes shopping at Shoe Alley happened. The original dress was a no go, but I found another one. The only problem is I have a feeling I'll be checking Nini's closet for it should it ever go missing.

So today's trip was successful: boots, a pencil skirt, a dress, and a top all for way less than the holiday pay I was paid while I was outside enjoying the sun rather than in my dungeon.

Non Ho Fatto Niente

Well, that isn't entirely true. After putting in my hours at the office, I head home  to spend some time with mia gatto.

Today's post is a tribute to my past life as Queen of the Front Office. In those days, my kingdom had windows (that's right, more than one) and I had a desk that if in my current office 3 would be expected to work at. Ah, the good old days. Things weren't always golden in that kingdom though, and when times got tough in those post lunch and "did the clock stop advancing?" times, we knew only one thing could solve the problem- a cute cat picture break.

So since I hijacked his posts (he didn't really have anything else to say) here's his photo journal of the last few days:

Left to Right: Nico discovers he can sit on the ledge and watch water drain. Nico loves Mr. White Rat. "Mom, we have a spider problem I think that's more important than the no jumping up here rule."

I realize that most of you think that I've already completed step one of transforming into a cat lady. I assure you, I have not. I know I talk way too much about this little guy, but he's so stinkin' cute and too entertaining to not tell you about his adventures.

And besides, it's still il gatto not i gatti so I'm good.

We Survived the Night

Despite being exhausted after yesterday's 9 hour touring evening full of eating when I got home sleep really was not an urgent thing. Maybe it was due to my nap on the way back, my belly being a little too full, the desire to see my pictures, or the wind.

Yep. The wind.

For some reason it's always very windy in my part of Italy. I'm beginning to think that it's due to my house being on a mountain facing the water with pretty much nothing blocking it. It was insanely windy last night to the point that both Nico and I were paying a little too much attention to every sound we heard.

No. I'm not insane. This wind was so strong that in my sun room (all windows, facing into the wind) were shaking. I almost, just almost, relocated my location but then I realized that the windows blowing out would be a rare (if not near impossible) event.

On my last tour to make sure everything was secure before setting the alarm I looked out on the patio to see two terra-cotta pots smashed against the patio, no longer on their ledge. No, they weren't large ones but just some indication of the wind.

Alarm set (with keys near by should the alarm be triggered by all this wind) we tried to get to sleep. Tried. That oh so fabulous automatic metal shutter on my bedroom window rattles like an angry momma rattlesnake. It was one of those nights that every time I drifted off I heard something that caused me to jump. Little Nico was curled up next to me all night which was somewhat comforting but still- he was even more nervous I think. We were good until the wind started driving the rain (or maybe it was hail) into the metal shutter causing him to jump and run over me. Ouch.

I was happy to hear the rain to start though but still didn't get a very restful night.  And actually for the first time in a very long time I was scared to be in a house alone. Seriously, I was about one major noise from calling home to just talk with them since it was still a decent out there & they got an extra hour last night...

Fast forward to this morning- rain, wind, thunder, lightning, and hail.

Coffee was task #1 on my list. Shoot, at this rate it's going to be task #2 and #3 as well. As I made my way upward to the kitchen, I opened up the shutters to see just what type of day we're working with out there: stormy. While waiting for my coffee to percolate, I went out on the non windy side of the house. By this point, I could feel the thunder every time it blasted and lightning bolts flashed across the gray sky. With the thunder claps practically back to back and my cat MIA I kept looking out the window impressed with the buckets of water on my balcony...until I jumped back because my kitchen was shaking, my ears were ringing after the thunder clap and I saw sparks coming from a roof about 2 blocks away.

Time to step away from door. 

Katie, you survived the wind last night, you've got this. Weren't you just talking about how you love storms?

Um...yeah, but not scary storms that look like they should be in a movie and not in real life. 

Queue hail.

Seriously. I was one of those "hit me with your best shot" moments in which mother nature did just that. By the way, I may have been a little freaked out during all of this but Nico? I still don't know where he went. He came from downstairs when I called him but is only now getting semi comfortable with each thunder clap.

 So there you have it. They weren't kidding when the weather forecast called for rain today. Oh well, I have (more) coffee drinking, homework, cleaning and some cooking to do so assuming I don't fall asleep here on the couch I just may get through that list.

Sagra della Castagna

It was a soccer bye week so of course I couldn't sleep in or have a rest day. Nope. I haven't changed that much. Weeks ago I had signed up for trip to the Chestnut Festival. At first I was just laughing about why chestnuts would need their own festival but coming from the land of strawberry/artichoke/garlic/squid/jazz festivals I figured I didn't have much room to talk.  With the weekly festivals occurring out here I have a feeling all the festivals in Monterey are due to the high Italian population. Of course, that's just a theory. 

At any rate, early Saturday morning the two buses rolled out headed to the town of Montella. It's in the same direction that I went a few weeks ago for the wine tour within 30 minutes of driving we were seeing mountains and valleys which I sometimes forget exist when I'm doing all my driving in/around Naples.

Our first stop on the Sagra della Castagna tour was one of the producers of the area. (Are you ready for some chestnut information because here is comes...) Montella is one of the top 3 towns that produce chestnuts. Just how many? Well, this region produces 50% of their product (60,000 tons) to the US market. The quality of their product is so high that they've been awarded a mark which is somewhat equivalent to the marks for the ones given to wines. At the production facility we learned how they were sorted by size before being placed on the second floor on a grate with a fire drying them out from the ground floor. Apparently only removing 13% of the humidity from the nut is key, as is being delicate with them as to avoid injury which can change their flavor. The ones roasted in this facility are roasted over chestnut wood fires and raked around with a shovel made from chestnut wood. The rooms were chalked full of chestnuts and pretty crazy looking.

After hearing about the process, we got to taste their products. I don't think I've had a chestnut until today and I think I picked the perfect time to try them in various forms: cooked with mushroom, made into a chocolate spread, soaked in rum, boiled, baked into cookies. And here I've thought for all these years that you could just roast them over an open fire while Jack Frost nips at your nose. (Um yes, we did keep singing that all day....you couldn't help it!) With roasted chestnuts purchased and a jar of the rum marinated ones (that look like little brains) we loaded back up on the bus to head to the Monastery of S. Francesco a Folloni.

At the Monastery we learned about Saint Francis by one of the friars living there. (Story time!) Many (many) years ago Saint Francis was passing through the area to visit a higher up. That night when he was sleeping under a tree there was a snow storm that covered the ground everywhere but under the tree he was under. The towns people begged him to stay but he had to continue on to his destination, but left two friars there. The church was then built where the tree had been. The original church is now under the building you see, which was built in 1743. They are in the middle of restoring it and in the process are excavating portions of the original church. The tour was pretty amazing, we actually could take pictures within the church, were shown books from the 1400s showing records of people, and also robes over 500 years old. We also saw the last remaining portion of a sack the bread was delivered in one very snowy winter when the friars were starving since they could not get food. After days of prayer, they opened their door and saw the sack full of bread but no footprints in the snow. They thought it was a miracle but in reality it was from France but they still recall that story for hope. After the 9/11 attacks, some of the friars took the swatch of the sack to NY as a symbol of hope.

Did I mention that the friar that was telling us all of this had the best outfit ever? He had jeans and a collared shirt on under his gray robe complete with a slight hoot and cord belt...which was covered in his down jacket. I really don't blame him though. It was freezing in that church! But that's not all, at one point during his presentation his cell phone rang. Yeah, not what I have in mind when I think friar or monk...which is why I love seeing these things!

Starving and a little frozen, we left the monastery around 2 to finally hit the Sagra della Castagna in the downtown area. First stop was food. Joe and I (did I mention he was on this tour too?) had found a couple at the production place where she had been on the trip last year. We practically drooled over her retelling of the melted cheese spread over bread and told them we'd be joining them on the search to find it again. Over our lunch of pasta (with chestnuts and mushrooms) and some local wine that required my newly acquired skill of wine blending we chatted. They were incredibly entertaining and just fun for being significantly older. Hey, it's true. At any rate with the hunger edge removed we started off our "cheese quest" which I told them I'd join if it included a side trip to the pastry booths we'd passed on our way to lunch. Not only did we need to find the fire melted cheese but also the sharp provolone she had purchased last year that her husband loved but we had several hours so off we went.

We didn't make it very far before finding the fire melted cheese smeared on bread with a tad of truffle cream. I think I could have stayed there the rest of the day eating it slice by slice, but we still had the second part of the cheese mission accomplish. After making it back to the main street we were once again distracted, this time by a booth of various liquor. Some looked (and tasted familiar like the melon creamy liquor you find in the limoncello stores in Sorrento. We had asked for a sample of the chestnut variety and a few communion cup samples later we had tried several, including a strawberry one that looked like cough syrup but tasted 1,000,000 times better. It didn't take much convincing and we each walked away with a bottle of the chestnut one. Hey, when at the chestnut festival you gotta purchase chestnuts!

As we continued to walk around the streets we saw every type of chestnuts possible and were handed samples from every booth- meats, cheese, olive oil, chestnuts and had to try a 50euro cent glass of wine! Yeah, no shortage of food. In the main piazza the cheese booth from last year was located and part two of the cheese mission was accomplished. Now time for the dessert part! I actually took a side trip to purchase "raw" chestnuts. Again, if this is what the region is known for, it's what I'm taking home with me. We wandered up the street and found a booth with a chocolate fountain. No big deal (shoot, my parents own one) but he was also selling cups of liquid chocolate. After our cookie-kebabs dipped in chocolate, we decided that the best euro (possibly EVER spent) was for the cup of chocolate. The vendor was super nice too and let me go behind the table for my "kid in candy shop" picture. I think he was just passing time because I didn't see many Italians walking around with cups of chocolate at 5pm.

Needless to say we did a ton of eating and it didn't stop there. I still needed some pastries! With a bottle of white wine in hand we headed back to the piazza to sit and enjoy it with a pastry while we people watched. Okay, they were watching people and I was starring at 3 young (really too young) Cabinieri officers across the street. We were off again to make sure we saw everything and in the process I may have found another pastry stand and left it with several thousand more calories. Our last stop was a small park while waiting for the bus to take us back home. It was in this park I found my first Italian bocce ball court. Next to it there was a statue, probably their patron saint, but she had a crown and held an orb like thing. I think it's their tribute to my bocce ball skills.

So it was a fabulous day. Much different in some regards than the other tours I've taken but still a blast and I loved learning some of the history of the town and really getting details of the production and monastery. Chestnuts and I will no longer be strangers and I may start blending them in with potatoes...since that's still what they taste like to me!

Cooking Class- Round II

I've said it again and I'll say it again- I'm not a huge fan of Italian food. It's not that I hate it (I rarely meet anything I won't eat) but it's down my list of picks. Pizza is the only Italian food not part of this list- I can eat that every day of the week. But that doesn't mean I'm going to stick to my typically very American diet while I'm here- if I were to not try real Italian food I'd be missing out on a huge part of the culture.

Even before departing Monterey I had made the decision that I wanted to learn how to cook authentic Italian food (and find a pasta I like) so once again I signed up for a cooking class at La Vigna. Yes, the place I took the last one and probably more familiar sounding from the stomping of grapes adventure. So after work Joe and I headed over to La Vigna to learn how to make gnocchi di patate alla sorrentina and pastiera napoletana. Some faces were the same and others were new. I once again met some really fun people that are civilian, close in age AND only got here a few months prior to when I did. Sweet! New travel buddies.

Chef Raffaele lead us through the first steps of making Pastiera Napolentana, a very eggy cake typically eaten for Easter in Naples. Just like the chocolate cake from last time, we started with a ton of butter. I think it was 2kilos? Granted we ended up making 5 of these things but still, nothing says health food like a slab of butter on the metal counter...unless you toss just under a kilo of sugar on top of it and are told to start mashing it up. Hey, it really was a hands on cooking class! While two people mashed the butter, sugar, and a touch of flour together another person "melted" a huge bowl full of ricotta with more sugar until it was a batter like substance. Once the batter/filling was smooth candied fruit, a ton of eggs (28) and perfume were added. With both portions ready, it was time to roll out the crust. After he demonstrated once, someone did one and I had to laugh at the lack of rolling out dough skills. Granted he was a high school student, but seriously? Once he was done I volunteered to roll out the 3rd crust. I'm a pro- chalk one up to all of those sugar cookies I've made in the last few years. My crust was rolled out within a few minutes and pressed into the round pan. Filled added and then more dough rolled out to cut the lattice for the top. Our group pounded it out pretty fast. While the cakes were taken into the kitchen to bake for 100 minutes we turned our attention to our first plate- gnocchi!

By this time little mounds (okay, 2kilo mounds) of riced potato had been placed around on the work spaces. We worked the potatoes with flour until the flakes turned to a dough. Once that happened eggs (yeah, we must have used about 100 all night) were added to the already sticky dough before just a touch more of flour to make it the proper consistency. Dough done, it was then cut into tablespoon-ish sized clumps and rolled out to equal length "snakies." It was pretty fun, I mean who doesn't like play-dough? Once we had all our snakes lined up, we got to chop them into the little pillows that looked like after dinner mints and toss them in boiling water. When they floated to the top, they were scooped up and tossed into cool water to finish cooking. I'm not sure how many pounds we made, but it was about 3 huge trays full. After the last gnocchi was cooked, they were mixed with a tomato sauce and cheese- lots of cheese.

It was so pretty and smelled amazing! But then again, I think anything would have after working a full day at the office and then cooking for 2 hours? We finally were told to go sit down and were served antipasti and the wine appeared. The first wine we were given was sort of a cider? We were calling it a wine beer since the aftertaste was beer-ish. All was forgiven though when the bottles of red hit the table. The gnocchi was simply fabulous. I'm already trying to figure out when I can make it again because this was the second time I've had it and I still liked it. I think I want a little more cheese on it next time around, but the chewiness factor of it is fabulous and it doesn't seem like a pasta.

The second plate was veal (veal is still not my favorite but it's not raised the same as we do in the states so I'm not so opposed to it here). It was served with a pretty tasty gravy but I almost would have preferred more gnocchi instead. Shoot, I made those by hand so I wanted to enjoy them!

Finally, it was dessert time. The cakes turned out beautifully so of course I still had to taste it. My verdict? The crust was fabulous- it's amazing how butter makes everything taste so fabulous. The filling was rather eggy and the candied fruit pieces (tiny ones) caused texture issues for me. Someone at the table suggested removing the candy and perfume and just adding rum...he may be on to something.

Now I just need to track down the recipes so I can try these again, unsupervised.

Wine Blending

Now that I don't have Italian class in the evenings I'm rediscovering that I can go out after work to do fun things like...Wine Blending at Stappo! Way long ago (like 3-4 months ago) I met Heather who does wine info classes at the local wine club here in MdP. It's not quite Taste of Monterey but it's a ton of fun and I always learn something new. Tonight's class was about blending wines and how with the correct blend you can get something a whole lot better than the individual wines. We learned about the different quality levels in Italy and how with each level up the "pyramid scheme" there are fewer and fewer. Yes, house wines and home blends are the bottom of the pyramid but we all know that some of our favorites are from that category! Don't under estimate your unlabeled bottle of wine from the local grocer.

After tasting 2 wines we were put to the task of blending them to make our entry for the taste test. Our team of three liked one bottle a whole lot better than the other so it was our base with just a splash of the other.

Yeah, that didn't work.

With several more splashes and swirls we had a drinkable product and poured it.

We apparently had gone for a different market segment than our judge belonged to, but what I learned in Napa was if you don't like it, don't make it since if you don't sell it...you're going to have a whole lot to drink! Nope, we didn't win but the glass handed to her was empty by the end of the evening. It was a with food kind of blend.

Really?

Here we are day number too many without hot water. I'm quickly learning that domani doesn't necessary mean "tomorrow" but more like some time in the future. I guess with the holidays this week they are having an issue tracking down the necessary part for the repair. Well, maybe. I haven't actually heard from Fabio today with an update and now at 1130 I probably shouldn't call...but again, super motivating for getting up in the morning to hit the gym. We'll see how tomorrow fares since it's so late and my alarm goes off at 430.

Today was once again one of those days I caught myself asking "really?" far too many times. Yes. These days seem to happen a lot here...it's an Italian thing. Must be. Don't get me wrong; it's not always a bad thing and sometimes it's entertaining.

Yes. Entertaining.

Reviewing travel  (authorizations and vouchers) unfortunately still falls as one of my tasks out here. 1 January I'm implementing the official "Gold Star" award system because a) I want the travelers to realize the volume of requests we deal with and b) for folks that travel 3+ times a month they really should have perfect vouchers and they don't. I've teased for months now that I only see a few gold star vouchers a month and since they actually talk about it I figure why not? It's all part of my "help me, help you" workplace attitude.

At any rate, while reviewing, returning, and pounding my head in over these authorizations and vouchers today I had to stop and just laugh. Why? One of our guys had submitted a (legit) claim for $0.72 or you know, 1 euro for parking. Worse part? We require substantiating records (receipts) for all expenses (not just like the rest of the Navy and ignore >$75) AND (oh yeah, I'm not done yet) he hadn't check what he uploaded or else he would have seen the blank page. Yep. I had to email him and admit it was ridiculous but that didn't change the fact that I needed him to spend more than $.72 of his time on it and re scan the receipt. In fact, I think the time we spent talking about it in our office far exceeded $72 in wages but it was rather entertaining. Sorry tax payers...I know these aren't the stories you want to hear. 

Speaking of entertaining please sit back and read the final chapter of Signore Nico vs. Mr. Lizard. (Um yeah, because it really was like a horror movie that you never escape.)

When you last left,  Nico had given me a Halloween trick; a lizard knocking on death's door in my entry way. After distracting him with some new toys, I figured out a way to collect the lizard without ever touching it and took in on the patio. He was tucked under a large planter and blocked off with a few weeds.

This evening I was apparently not paying too much attention to him while he was outside, so when I headed up to call him in I really shouldn't have been too shocked to see what he had found for me. But I was. (I'm telling you, it's a reflex when I see a lizard.) Yep. He found Mr. Lizard, now really dead and partially desiccated and brought him back- again. I've got to say, Nico is very determined with his hunting. Best part? I think he found the missing tail while he was also outside so in one FINAL I can't touch this lizard paper shuffle ceremony all of Mr. Lizard was buried in the trash before it went out to the street for early AM pick up.

And if Nico finds him again I just may need to go visit the priest across the street!

Field Trip Day!

Buon giorno! Sto morendo di fame e la mamma ha preso il mio cibo distanza. Spero davvero che ovunque andiamo c'è cibo e un batuffolo di carta sarebbe stato troppo bello.