Stone, Sea, and Sun: A Journey South

May 17, 2026 by JLF

April 25 – May 7, 2026

Italy is made up of 20 regions, think of them as the Italian equivalent of USA’s states. Jim and I made a promise to ourselves after we moved to Italy: we want to visit all of them. This trip let us tick three off the list in one go: Basilicata, Puglia, and Molise. This trip was our best “let’s explore a new region.” We saw a lot, did a lot, but had enough down time to enjoy it all.

We hadn’t expected it, but the unofficial themes of the trip emerged quickly: birds everywhere we looked, and wildflowers carpeting every hillside and roadside. What lovely surprises!

Part 1 – The Volcanic South: Venosa & Matera

Our first stop was an overnight in Venosa, a friendly town in the northern part of Basilicata. We happened to arrive on April 25th, Liberation Day, a national holiday, and the whole town was out celebrating. There was a festive energy in the air that made the most ordinary piazza feel like a party. Very big and imposing castle in the main piazza, along with nice Roman ruins and a half-built basilica made this town more than just an overnight stop.

Venosa castle in town — *This beautiful castle dominated Venosa’s main piazza.*

Venosa abby and roman ruins — Just outside of Venosa, an archaeological park preserves the ruins of the ancient Roman colony of Venusia, birthplace of the poet Horace, alongside a massive 13th-century unfinished basilica. It’s like visiting a construction site of a medieval church when all of the workers have left for the day.

We then visited the Elena Fucci winery, where we tasted her Aglianico del Vulture — a rich, volcanic red wine that is one of the south’s best-kept secrets. The name comes from the ancient volcano nearby, and you can almost taste the mineral intensity of that land in the glass.

*Elena Fucci, Jim and JoAn. Unlike many Italian wineries with centuries of heritage, Elena Fucci built hers from old family vines that had never been sold commercially.*

The drive to Matera was a delight in itself. Birds of prey circled above the ravines, and we pulled over more than once just to watch them and take pictures. Basilicata is a rugged, largely untouched landscape of rolling hills, deep ravines, and ancient volcanic peaks.

Red Kite — *We saw both Red and Black Kites soaring over the countryside.*

Matera is difficult to describe – not beautiful in the typical Italian sense, but striking. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, with cave dwellings carved into the limestone ravines, called the Sassi, that date back over 9,000 years. In the 1950s, the Italian government considered the Sassi a national embarrassment and forcibly relocated its residents to modern housing; decades later, UNESCO declared those same caves a World Heritage Site. Today the Sassi have been transformed into boutique hotels, restaurants, and museums. Matera’s striking landscape has drawn filmmakers for decades, serving as the backdrop for Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”, the James Bond thriller “No Time to Die” and many more.

We stayed in the old part of town in a hotel where our room had literally been carved out of the rock. The spa was a bonus and a very welcome one after a day of walking. Getting around the Sassi on foot is rather difficult, with lots of iffy steps, the streets wind and double back on themselves in ways that make maps almost useless. We took a tour in an Ape, one of those tiny three-wheeled vehicles that are perfectly suited to navigating narrow lanes. It was the best possible way to get our bearings. It’s an odd feeling to know that you are just a few minutes away from your destination but you aren’t sure how to get there!

Matera during the day — *The Sassi of Matera: 9,000 years of human habitation carved into limestone, once considered an embarrassment, now appreciated for its history and raw beauty.*

Matera church in rocks — *The Sassi churches of Matera were carved directly from the cliff face, sacred spaces hidden inside the stone itself.*

Matera inside of church — *Standing inside a cave church in the Sassi, surrounded by Byzantine frescoes still vivid after a thousand years.*

Matera Ape tour — *We zipped around Matera’s tiny streets (but not the steps!) in this Ape.*

Matera inside cave home — A reconstructed cave home in the Sassi, one room for the whole family, and often the animals too. In the 1950s, the Italian government declared these dwellings uninhabitable and forcibly relocated some 15,000 residents to modern housing.

Matera hotel room — We stayed in a beautiful cave hotel room. Today it is ruggedly elegant.

Matera spa — *Our hotel had a beautiful spa carved out of the rock, including this wonderful hot mineral pool.*

Matera at night — *Nine thousand years of history, lit up for the night.*

Part 2 – Baroque Puglia: Lecce

If Matera is all drama and geology, Lecce is all elegance and exuberance. Known as the Florence of the South, Lecce built its reputation during the 17th century when the Catholic Church funded a building boom of extraordinary ambition. Local craftsmen worked a uniquely soft, creamy-colored limestone into facades so intricately carved they look almost lacy. The style became known as Barocco Leccese, and it is unlike anything else in Italy.

On two different evenings we went up the bell tower of the Duomo to watch the city change in the fading light. The first evening was about the architecture — the way the golden stone glows at sunset is something you have to see to believe. The second evening was about the birds. Kestrels and swifts by the hundreds flew around the tower in formations that seemed almost choreographed. We stayed up there longer than we intended both times.

Lecce Duomo and Bell tower — *Late afternoon light on the Piazza del Duomo and its grand bell tower.*

Lecce Duomo detail — *Lecce Baroque in detail: saints, scrolls, and sculptural flourishes cascading across the golden facade of the Duomo at sunset.*

Lecce, in Bell Tower — *Goofy selfie from the bell tower with the beautiful golden city in the background.*

Eurasian Kestrel in flight — *We saw Eurasian Kestrels in Lecce and Eurasian and Lesser Kestrels in the countryside.*

*The Altare Maggiore of the Chiesa del Gesù — twisted columns, intricate sculpture, and the warm glow of local stone. Lecce Baroque at its most extravagant, dated to 1699.*

*The Basilica di Santa Croce: Somewhere behind all that carving, there’s a church.*

Our wine visit took us to the Leone de Castris winery, one of Puglia’s most historic producers. We tasted several wines, but the highlight was their Five Roses rosé, which has long been one of our favorites. We finally learned the story behind the name — which I’ll leave for you to discover if you visit. Some stories are better told in person.

Part 3 – Trulli, Coast & Countryside: Ostuni → Alberobello → Trani

I plan our trips carefully, but I’ve learned over the years that the willingness to adapt is just as important as the planning. This stretch of the trip gave me several opportunities to do that.

Ostuni, the White City, perched brilliantly above the olive-covered plain, was on our list, but the day we’d earmarked for it turned out to be stormy. Rather than wander a hilltop town in the rain, we pivoted to a nearby cave system that friends had recommended: the Grotte di Castellana. What an unexpected treat. The caves are vast and otherworldly, and they kept us completely dry while the weather sorted itself out above ground.

From there we headed to Alberobello, the capital of the trulli. These remarkable cone-roofed limestone dwellings date back to the 15th century, when local farmers built them without mortar on orders from the ruling Count of Conversano, the idea being that a mortarless building could be quickly dismantled if a royal inspector came to levy taxes on permanent structures. The trulli were essentially a centuries-long tax dodge, which somehow makes them even more charming. The town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and today has over 1,500 of these extraordinary structures.

We didn’t just look at the trulli — we stayed in one. Our trullo had a terrazza with an amazing view over a hillside covered in those conical roofs, one cone after another as far as we could see -and even one trullo church! We took a walking tour, wandered on our own, but found that living inside one (the thick stone walls, the cool air, the unexpected coziness) told us more than any guidebook could.

Alberobello, our trullo — *We rented this adorable trullo for two nights.*

Alberobello, our trullo inside — *Inside was cozy and modern, but you could still see the traditional elements of a Trullo like the fireplace and the shape of the ceiling.*

Alberobello, our terrazza — *We had a spacious and comfy terrazza with an incredible view of the town’s hill filled with Trulli!*

Alberobello, view from our terrazza — *This view doesn’t get old… This part of town was very touristy and most of the trullis were shops, restaurants, or museums. But still adorable!*

Alberobello, Trullo church — *Even this church gets a conical roof in Alberobello!*

Alberbello adordable Trullo — *This had to be one of the cutest Trulli that we saw. Our walking tour guide explained that if there were flowers out front, that someone lived in the Trullo. That makes it even more special!*

Alberbello pretty terrazza — *Some stores had beautiful terrazze that you could visit – and I loved the flowers on this one!*

We made another unplanned detour when we dropped a winery visit in favor of a day in Bari. The highlight, without question, was enjoying the back street where women were making orecchiette pasta by hand, just as their grandmothers had; rolling and shaping each little ear of pasta on wooden boards set out in the open air. We bought a bag and were surprised at the thickness of the pasta… not quite our favorite, but I am glad that we experienced it! As for the city itself, a friend had warned us that Bari is “Puglia’s version of Naples” — chaotic, crowded and loud. He wasn’t wrong. We appreciated the orecchiette women and moved on.

Bari pasta lady — *Flour, hands, and a lifetime of practice. Bari’s famous street pasta makers are a living tradition.*

Our final stop for this part of the trip was Trani, a coastal city that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. It flourished in the 11th and 12th centuries as a powerful maritime hub and a departure point for the Crusades, and its glorious Romanesque cathedral is built from a blush-toned local stone and seems to rise directly from the Adriatic Sea. The city had a wonderful ease to it: people out walking, enjoying themselves, not overwhelmed by visitors. After some of the more tourist-heavy stops on this trip, it felt like a gift.

We got a bonus we hadn’t planned on. Driving back to our apartment one afternoon after visiting Castel del Monte, we stumbled into the tail end of a procession for the town’s patron saint, exactly the kind of scene you imagine when you dream of southern Italy. Priests in robes, banners swaying overhead, and a brass band filling the streets with horns and tubas. It was like something out of a movie, and I wished we’d known about it in time to see the whole thing. No pics, only fleeting views…

Trani duomo — *Trani’s cathedral dominates the seafront piazza — Romanesque architecture at its best.*

Trani Duomo seafront — *Where stone meets sea: Trani’s 11th-century cathedral standing watch over the Adriatic as it has for nearly a thousand years.*

Trani Duomo interior — *Romanesque restraint at its finest: the interior of Trani’s duomo lets the stone do all the talking.*

*Castel del Monte: Frederick II’s geometric masterpiece rises from the Apulian plateau — eight towers, eight sides, and eight centuries of mystery.*

*Lots of birds of prey in the countryside near the Castel del Monte, including this Eurasian Marsh Harrier.*

Trullo in countryside — *The countryside is scattered with trulli, many of which are still used today to store equipment and supplies for local farms.*

Part 4 – Forest, Frontier & the Road Home: TorreVento → Foresta Umbra → Molise

We made one more winery stop in the foothills near Castel del Monte before heading north: TorreVento, set amid vineyards and wildflowers and more of those wonderful birds. Then we pointed the car toward the Gargano Peninsula and the Foresta Umbra, the Shady Forest. On the drive up to the forest, we passed two roadside shallow ponds filled with flamingos – quite a surprise! We pulled over, stared and took lots of pictures.

*We spotted Greater Flamingos in two shallow ponds right along the road. What a surprise!*

Greater Flamingo pair — *And here is a lovely pair of Greater Flamingos.*

Juvenile Greater Flamingo ready to fly — Young flamingos are born with grey-white plumage — the iconic pink comes only with time and diet. It’s the carotenoid pigments in their food, primarily brine shrimp and algae, that eventually turn them the color we know.

The Foresta Umbra is the ancient heart of the Gargano National Park, one of the last remnants of the primeval beech and oak forest that once blanketed much of Central Europe. Its beech forests are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and driving into them you understand why — the trees are enormous, the light filtered and green, the silence deep.

Getting to the forest, however, tested our nerves. The road up was technically two-way but wide enough for only one car. We inched past four or five oncoming vehicles in a series of white-knuckle negotiations, each car easing half off the road to let the other squeeze by. The views were stunning, but the circumstances made it difficult to enjoy.

The destination was worth every hairpin turn. We stayed at the ELDA Hotel, a lovely property tucked right in the midst of the forest, in a cottage outside the main building with a table set perfectly for sitting outside, watching birds, and playing cribbage. We took a lovely walk through the old-growth forest to a quiet pond. The birdsong there was remarkable. I’ve been to a lot of beautiful places, but that morning walk felt like something set apart.

*Foresta Umbra, the peace and serenity of an old-growth forest.*

From the forest we crossed into Molise —the third region of this trip. Molise is tiny and largely overlooked region, which turns out to be precisely its appeal. The landscape is beautiful and peaceful: forested mountains, green valleys, and agricultural plains. We visited the Claudio Cipressi winery, and his story is worth telling. In 1990, an agronomist friend mentioned almost in passing that Molise farmers used to grow a grape called Tintilia. The variety had nearly vanished; it was too difficult to farm, too obscure to bother with, and quite acidic. Cipressi, who had come to winemaking from a completely different career, became obsessed. He cultivated the grape, submitted it to university researchers, and eventually helped get Tintilia officially recognized as a unique indigenous variety and entered on Italy’s national registry. He tweaked his vinification process until he could consistently produce a well-balanced wine, albeit with several years of aging before its release. Today he is widely credited with saving it from extinction. The wine is wonderful and the landscape around the winery was breathtaking. We bought way too much.

Molise vineyard — *The rolling hills of Molise with Claudio Cipressi’s beautiful vineyard.*

Claudio Cipressi winery — *Jim is always very engaged during any wine tour with lots of questions about production methods.*

We drove home via an overnight stop outside Orvieto, arriving back in Lucca by noon the next day. Nearly two weeks, three regions, flamingos by the road, orecchiette women, cave hotels, a nearly-lost grape variety, and more birds than we could count — but no itinerary could have planned for the wildflowers that added their own vivid surprise to every road we traveled, from the rocky hillsides of Basilicata to the sun-drenched fields of Puglia. What a trip!

Discovering Spello: The Art of Le Infiorate Festival

July 26, 2025 by JLF

In June, Jim and I spent twelve days exploring Umbria, the stunning region just southeast of Tuscany. I shared plenty of photos on Facebook of the towns we visited — each beautiful in its own way — but I held back on Spello. Why? Because what we experienced there simply cannot be captured in a few pictures or captions. Spello deserves more. It deserves more — a story.

And that story is about Le Infiorate.

Every year, on the feast of Corpus Domini (Corpus Christi), the streets of Spello are transformed into a living canvas—flower carpets that stretch for meters, designed and laid down entirely by hand using flower petals, leaves, and seeds. No glue or adhesives are allowed; instead, water is misted on to keep the petals fresh and in place. The effect is dazzling: sacred art underfoot, created in the middle of the night, and gone by sunset the next day. The official website is https://www.infioratespello.it/.

Here’s a brief overview of the main events of Le Infiorate:

Saturday Morning–Afternoon: Local groups mark the street with large design templates and set up tents to cover the designs from wind and rain.
Saturday starting at 6pm: Volunteers begin work and continue through the night, preparing thousands of flower petals, carefully separating colors and textures, then placing petals by hand onto the designs using tweezers, cards, and their hands — with plenty of chatting, singing, and sharing food.
Sunday at 8am: All designs must be completed, because the judges start their walk through town assessing each carpet in several categories.
Sunday at 11am: A religious procession passes over the flower carpets, a symbolic act that also marks the end of their brief lifespan.
Sunday Evening: The streets are cleaned, and the petals are swept away, leaving only memories—and lots of photos—of this fleeting, floral art.

We arrived on Saturday morning and, to our surprise, discovered that our apartment was right along the procession route. Throughout the day, we explored the town and saw around 60 different flower carpets designs. However, we paid special attention to the one just outside our door. I used photos of that particular design to illustrate the Infiorate process.

Saturday 11:00 AM: Each group has a tent for their work. They place a large white sheet of paper with the design and colors of the flowers on the street. They may use wallpaper glue to secure it.
6:00 PM: The group begins preparing the flowers. They use scissors to cut the petals from the flowers.
The flowers are ready!
11:00 PM: The group places the flowers on the design. They use their hands, small cards, and tweezers. Many also talk, sing, and eat!
Sunday 6:30 AM: Almost finished. Judging begins at 8:00 AM.
Many groups display signs that explain their design and the message or meaning behind it.
7:30am Final touches!
8am It’s done!
10:15 AM: The carpet is finished! The crowd waits for the procession.
12:00 PM: The procession, which started at 11am and took one hour to reach our appartment.
After the procession, you can see the flowers are all messed up.
5:45 PM: Street cleaners begin clearing the flowers.

There is a tremendous amount of work needed to prepare the flowers, so some groups invite visitors to help. We found one of these groups and helped for about an hour. So much fun to participate in the activity!

Jim, hard at work with the others gathered around the table
We cut all of the petals! And a container full of white petals too!
Here they are using petals like we prepared

The designs are created and judged in four categories:

CARPETS / QUADs: flower displays of at least 24 square meters that represent a religious theme in a figurative, abstract, or symbolic manner. These dimensions are reduced for particular narrow streets.
FIGURATIVE CARPETS: flowered carpets measuring at least 12 linear meters or 12 square meters, but less than 24 square meters, in which at least one figurative element is present.
UNDER-14: flowered carpets measuring at least 12 square or linear meters created by groups whose members are under 14 years of age.
GEOMETRIC CARPETS: flower carpets of at least 12 linear meters, in which the repetitiveness of the shapes prevails.

Here are pictures of designs in each of these categories, along with some street scenes.

Quad category
Main piazza, with people checking out one of the carpets with a ladder that gave you a better view.
Figurative category
Under 14 category
Cute Ape truck filled with flowers
Under 14, Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who passed away in 2006, is being called the first Millennial saint.
Geometric category
Geometric category, on a narrow street with too many people!
The streets were one way – even for pedestrians. But our apartment was on the street, so the police let us proceed (very slowly).

Another flower contest, Finestre, balconi e vicoli fioriti, is also held that brings color and creativity to windows, balconies, and alleyways. Displays are judged on beauty, originality, and how well they highlight the town’s historic architecture. These blooms give Spello a lasting charm. Here are some photos that capture that beauty.

If you are considering visiting Spello for Le Infiorate, here are a few tips for you:

Go! It is worth it!
The 24-hour period from 4pm Saturday to 4pm Sunday gives you an opportunity to watch (and participate!) in the preparation activities, see the completed designs, and watch the procession. If you can only go on Sunday, get there as early as possible, preferably well before 8am.
Stay in the town of Spello if possible. I made reservations six months in advance and there were few rooms available. Plan early, but also check for openings later if that is your only choice.
Reserve a parking space online then walk into the city. We brought only what we would need for the two nights, because the hills are steep!
Be prepared for crowds and focus on the beauty and community spirit instead.

Le Infiorate may last only a single weekend, but the spirit of creativity, community, and beauty lingers all year. Whether you come for the fleeting floral carpets or stroll through flower-filled alleyways in another season, Spello offers something truly special. It’s a town that celebrates art, honors tradition, and welcomes visitors with open arms—and, of course, plenty of petals.

We’re so grateful to have been a small part of it.

Alpine Splendor and Verona’s Charms

April 25, 2024 by JLF

When people visit Italy for the first time (or two), the biggest destinations that come to mind are Rome, Florence, and Venice. Each has spectacular and unique sights to see – and also lots and lots of tourists. After a few visits to Italy, people often want to visit locations that feel more authentic without the throngs of tourists. We visited two of these locations recently – the Dolomites of Northern Italy’s Alps and Verona, known as the city of Romeo and Juliet. I also visited Mantua (called Mantova in Italy) which is filled with important art and history and seems to be mostly visited by Italian schoolchildren. This blog post will highlight my visits to these lesser-known but wonderful locations.

Diana and Jed are friends from Lucca; they recently purchased a condo in the Dolomites so that they could enjoy the winters skiing. And from their property, they are just a few steps from the ski lifts! They invited Pasquale, Jim and I to visit in April, with a special request – that Pasquale set up a few visits to wineries in the area, using his in-depth knowledge of Italian wine producers. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge because many wineries were unavailable due to “out of season” or they were preparing for Italy’s largest wine show in just a few days – more on this later. We visited three:

Weingut Lieselehof – on a beautiful mountainside near a lake. And they have a very interesting “wine museum” that has over 100 different types of grapes growing from all over the world. They study how they grow in this environment and are particular interested in disease-resistant varieties.
Markus Prackwieser Gump Hof – a wonderful family-owned winery that weaved the story of family, local history, and hard work together leading up to a wonderful wine tasting. Our favorite winery of the three.
Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella – a winery and an abbey together! This was quite a large winery that produces LOTS of different wines. The grounds, abbey and library were gorgeous. Too bad the wine wasn’t as good.

Beautiful and peaceful in the mountains – surrounded by vineyards and a surprise lake!
The vines grow on very steep slopes so all work must be done by hand.
Pasquale enjoying the wine at Markus Prackwieser Gump Hof.
This area looks, sounds and feels more like Germany than Italy! More people speak German than Italian.
Entrance to the abbey complex. Note the cute round building on the left.
We explored that cute building but then realized that it was closed – the door was only opened for the men working inside. Jim and I exited quickly, but Pasquale and Diana had begun exploring upstairs. The men started locking the door but I tried to explain in Italian that there were two friends still inside. Apparently they spoke only German but they did understand once I got animated!
Beautiful baroque library of the abbey!

The following day, Jed and Diana took us on a drive around “their mountain”. The views were spectacular and even though it was quite late in the season, we were able to watch people ski. I was surprised to learn that you can ski from town to town and essentially spend all day skiing through the entire area. I was also surprised to learn that the weather could be so warm with snow still blanketed everything. I brought all of the wrong clothes. Diana and Jed are great hosts – they prepared several wonderful meals for us and we even played billiards in their cantina! What a fun visit!

Group selfie! Pasquale, where are your sunglasses???
We went to a beautiful field surrounded on three sides by mountains. It was a gathering place for people and animals when invaders were coming. Today there is a beautiful community chapel for remembering locals who have died.
And a lovely mountain stream was flowing through the field.
More slopes!

We then headed south to Verona. Jim and Pasquale attended VinItaly, the largest wine event of the year in Italy. It gives them an opportunity to enjoy old favorites, discover hidden gems, and visit with producers and wine lovers. There are thousands of wines to try, and they typically taste (then spit) over 100 wines per day!

While Jim and Pasquale were tasting and spitting, I explored Verona. We have visited Verona several times, so I have already seen the biggest sights (the spectacular Roman arena that is still used today and the fictitious location of Juliet’s balcony from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet). My objectives during these days were to enjoy the pleasant piazzas and learn more about some of the Veronese artists. I had plenty of time to peek into courtyards, wander the streets, and enjoy a cappuccino at the cafes. And I visited more than a few churches… but I have included pictures of only my favorite: Basilica di San Zeno.

The basilica has a rather unusual layout – there are three different levels: the central church, a raised Presbytery and a lower Crypt.
The San Zeno Altarpiece by Andrea Mantegna, an important Renaissance painter from Verona.
The crypt houses the body of Saint Zeno and has 49 marble columns! You can also see the giant columns from the main part of the basilica. Very cool space!
Bronze door from the Medieval times. I’ve never seen anything like this!
Piazza dei Signori with incredible architecture and art, along with a fancy car for the VinItaly crowd!
Very elaborate tombs for the Scaligeri family from the 14th century.
Arco dei Gavi, white marble arch from the Roman times!
Verona is a very wealthy and elegant city, so I wasn’t too surprised to see this Masserati in front of the castle.
Nor was I surprised to see these elegant Afghan Hounds with their legs carefully protected.

I took a 40-minute train ride south to spend the day in Mantua, “a city surrounded by 3 artificial lakes in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It’s known for the architectural legacy of the Renaissance Gonzaga rulers, who built the Palazzo Ducale. This imposing building houses the Bridal Chamber, decorated with Andrea Mantegna frescoes.” Unfortunately, no pictures and only 5 minutes were allowed in the Bridal Chamber but I was very pleased with myself for finding a way to visit it for two 5-minute periods!

Beautiful and peaceful courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale
Piazza Erbe and Rotonda di San Lorenzo, a round church from the 11th century
Mantova and Verona are known for their incredible domes, especially with tiers of people, some of which may look like they are reaching down from the dome.
A quiet canal going through Mantova. I could live here!

As I bid farewell to these enchanting places, I carried with me a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to uncover the secrets of this captivating country. Where to next?

Rediscovering Northern Italy: Exploring Familiar Cities with Fresh Eyes

October 17, 2023 by JLF

Our recent 4-day journey through several cities of northern Italy brought us back to familiar places, each with a unique purpose. In Bologna, our mission was Michelangelo; in Modena, it was all about balsamic vinegar; Parma beckoned us with Leonardo da Vinci, and Milan offered a wine-tasting adventure for Jim and another rendezvous with Michelangelo for me. Our final stop in Alba was a truffle extravaganza.

After the description of each visit, I’ve included photos with captions – most from Bologna and Alba.

Bologna

We have been to Bologna several times for short visits but never stayed long enough to really get to see the city. For this trip I wanted to see three sculptures by Michelangelo. A year or so ago I read “The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone, a historical fiction about Michelangelo. It talks about each of the sculptures he made, the challenges, the circumstances, the subjects, etc. At the end of the book there is a list of all the sculptures and other art that he created that are still available to be seen; seeing each of the sculptures that are in Italy has become my objective. When Michelangelo was still fairly young, he created three statues for the Basilica di San Domenico. They are part of a large monument containing the remains of Saint Domenico. It is interesting to see Michelangelo’s statues intermixed with other artists’ work – you can see how Michelangelo’s style and capabilities are so much different than the other artists.

We were surprised to learn that the day that we arrived was the biggest festival day of the year in Bologna. There were many events in Piazza Maggiore in the city center, including music, dancing, drums, flag throwing and even fireworks! We were both quite surprised that they were going to do fireworks in the middle of a historic square but they certainly did; we saw fireworks that were let off from the ground 100 meters from us and on top of a historic building

On our earlier visits to Bologna, we were disappointed in the number of graffiti, the random mix of new and old buildings near the city center, and the general grittiness of the city. We saw too much graffiti, but also saw more beauty during a two-hour walking tour that helped us to understand the history of the city. For example, we learned that Bologna was bombed heavily during World War 2. Today you might see a beautiful old building but it was likely restored after the war and then next to it is a new building because the earlier building was totally destroyed.

I have a much better sense of Bologna and look forward to returning in the future.

Bologna has beautiful porticos throughout the city. Great on rainy days!
The Arca di San Domenico where remains of Saint Domenica, founder of the Dominican Order. Can you spot the Michelangelos?
The Michelangelo statues: St. Petronius (the patron saint of Bologna), an angel holding a candle and St. Proclus. (St Proclus is on the back of the monument.)
The door of Basilica of San Petronio, in the main piazza of Bologna. The carvings are by Jacopo della Quercia who also created a lot of art in Lucca.
Cassini created a meridian line in the church in 1655. From this, he was able to calculate the duration of the tropical year, the timing of equinoxes and solstices, and the tilt of the earth.
This small hole projects an elliptical image of the sun, which at local noon falls exactly on the meridian line and every day is different as to position and size.
The beautiful Chapel of the Magi, with stained glass window, frescos and beautifully carved choir seats.
We unexpectedly arrived on the Festival Day for Saint Petronio. Lots of activity in the piazza!
What would an Italian festival be without flag throwers?
Very energetic choir performing in front of the basilica!
Later on, a pop group with lots of Italians dancing in the piazza. I’m not sure what Quercia would have thought about that lighting on his beautiful carved exterior…
We took a two hour walking tour and learned a lot about the history of Bologna. Our turn to be tourists!
We weren’t able to enter this library, but we did get a peek through an open door. Wow!
We loved their market street, especially in the morning when the locals were buying their food for the day.
Lots of tourists in the afternoon checking out the fish in the marketplace
Bologna is very serious about their pasta!
We bought a vegetable peeler at this great kitchen store on the marketplace street.
A striking memorial recalls thousands of Bolognese men and women killed fighting fascists in World War II.
Closeup of the Memorial

Modena

Next, we headed to Modena, a small town about an hour from Bologna with one simple objective: visit Acetaia Cavedoni, a small farm that we’ve visited several times before. They make balsamic vinegar and we have been on their tour several times (see my friends’ blog post that describes the tour and how balsamic is made. Fascinating!) Today our goal was simply to buy some balsamic for ourselves and for our friends and to catch up with the owners. A bonus was the beautiful grapevines that are turning color for autumn.

Beautiful grapes still on the grapevines

Parma

You may not have recognized the name of Parma but you certainly know its primary product – Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, which is very different than “Parmesan” cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano DOP can only be made in the province of Parma. Today we were not visiting to learn about the cheese or even buy some, but to see a particular painting by Leonardo da Vinci. As I was planning this trip, this painting popped up and I was transfixed. The painting is called “La Scapigliata” and I love the precise detailing of the face and the use of shadow, next to the sketch-like hair and torso. How does this work together? No idea, but it does! The painting was in one of several museums located in a huge palazzo (palace) that was owned by the Farnese family. The surprises were the incredible wooden theater, built for a visit of Cosimo de Medici, and an incredible library that is still used by students of the University of Parma and others.

“La Scapigliata” by Leonardo da Vinci
Another gorgeous library! This one is still used today by the community and the college students. (They also have new books.)
Wouldn’t you love to read each one???

Milan

Our next destination was Milan. Jim would be meeting two friends from Lucca at a wine tasting. They tasted about 100 wines in four hours. How do they do that? Well, they don’t drink each of the tastes, but rather take a small amount then spit it out. Then they talk about it (a lot)!

My objective was to see a Michelangelo statue at Castello Sforzesco called Pietà Rondanini. A Pietà (Italian meaning “pity” or “compassion”) is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Jesus Christ after his descent from the cross. Michelangelo created three different Pietàs… one at the beginning of his career (in the Vatican), one mid-career (now in Florence) and one unfinished as he was working on it when he died (now in Milan). Each shows Mary’s sorrows as a mother grieving the loss of her son while also understanding the special spiritual nature of His life. Each is profound, but I have to say that the one in Florence is my favorite.

BTW, there are 33 statues by Michaelangelo in Italy; I’ve now seen 27 of them!

There was also lots of other museums within Castello Sforzesco. My plan was to see the Pietà, check out the Castello for a while, then walk to the Duomo (Cathedral). I spent way too much time at the Castello, so just headed back to the hotel. I met Jim after his wine tasting and then we headed to our final destination for this trip.

Jim’s destination – The Slow Wine tasting!
JoAn’s destination – Castello Sforzesco
The Pietà Rondanini
yep, Michelangelo made it!

Alba

We stayed between Milan and Alba at Il Cascinalenuovo that they describe as a “restaurant with rooms.” This is a Michelin-starred restaurant with a few rooms that allow you to stay on property so that you don’t need to drive after a lengthy meal with wine. It met our needs perfectly. This is white truffle season and we splurged for a multi-course meal that included white truffles as a part of each course. Still, my favorite was the simple pasta with those wonderful truffles on top. The most interesting was a small piece of Robiola cheese, a bit of pepper and olive oil, and truffles – how can something so simple be SOOOO good?

So, what is a truffle? Truffles are edible fungi that grow underground near the roots of certain oak trees. They have a very distinct look—that sort of resembles a dark, small, lumpy rock or potato—and a flavor that’s savory, earthy, and completely unique. Some describe the aroma and flavor as a cross between honey and garlic. Actually, the aroma is much stronger than the taste and is the driving aspect of the experience. There are different types grown in various locations in the world, but most people would agree that the White Truffles from Alba are the best in the world. I do need to add that they are quite costly, so eating truffle shavings is truly a special experience!

Alba has a Truffle Fair each October where they sell these truffles to people who come from across the world. This is our third time visiting the Truffle Fair and we planned to buy two truffles – one for us and one for a friend. We found our truffles (36 and 41 grams, respectively), enjoyed the fair, then headed for home. We enjoyed several meals with our truffle and I was even able to duplicate the cheese dish for some friends that visited a few days later.

Truffles, truffles, truffles!
Here are the five courses
Jim and Chef!
Alba’s Truffle Fair
Here’s a typical display of white truffles on the left and black truffles on the right. The white ones are the best!
The happy sellers of our two truffles
Truffles and pasta with the simplest butter sauce at home. We ate truffles for 4 meals and shared some with friends with cheese.

Retiring in Italy has allowed us to embark on numerous adventures throughout Italy and Europe. It has been a joy to revisiting our some of our favorite cities, uncovering new layers of history and experiences with each return.

Is JoAn still blogging?

December 20, 2022 by JLF

It has been 159 days since my last blog post… Here’s where I should provide a compelling reason, but “I’ve been too busy” just seems lame! Just a few years ago I worked full time, volunteered weekly, was a serious birder, and planned fabulous trips to Italy. I suppose the best explanation is that I am now living “La Dolce Vita” at a (slower) speed than ever before. Why blog when I could visit with friends? Have an apertivo? Take a walk around the city? Play a game of Mahjong?

So, this blog post is going to be my “catch up” blog that gives a quick overview of our special visitors, recent trips, winery visits, and an Italian wedding. I’ll finish up with some updates on day-to-day life in Lucca.

Special Visitors

Visit from Dave, Jill, and their friends

Dave, a former colleague of JoAn’s, visited Lucca for four days with Jill, his wife, and their friends. They had visited Lucca several times, but never stayed here before. We loved showing them our city and they were even here for Lucca’s biggest procession of the year. (September)

Visit from Mickey and several of her friends

Now this was a complicated visit! Mickey, my sister, and Vicki, her best friend, stayed for a month and her five friends stayed for two+ weeks. Their trip included day trips to Florence, Cinque Terre, Pisa, and a nearby winery. They all travelled by train to Rome for several days, including a trip down to Pompeii. Of course, we spent a good amount of time wandering through Lucca as well. I suppose the trip would have been better if some of them didn’t miss a train connection and if two of them didn’t get COVID! Despite the challenges, it was wonderful to spend time with my sister and her friends. (October)

Visit from Derek and Dani

We had a short visit from Derek, our son, and Dani, his girlfriend, in November. After their short trip to Dublin, we prepared a traditional American Thanksgiving and shared with it them and some local American friends. We spent a day in Florence with them and another day at a winery in Chianti. A short but sweet visit! (November)

Recent Trips

Trip to Val D’Aosta and Piedmont with Gary and Ilene

An 8-day trip with four people in a Mini Cooper required planning and an installation of a luggage carrier. We headed way up north in Italy to Monte Bianco/Mont Blanc. We explored the area… and struggled with all of the French words and pronunciations. Then we headed to Piedmont region where the emphasis was on winery visits and the famous Alba White Truffle. But my favorite activity was the visit to the Hazelnut farm! (October)

Trip to Lisbon

Mickey, Vicki and I went to Lisbon for a few days. Why Lisbon? Megan, my niece, and her family moved to Lisbon in early 2020. In the meantime, her daughter has grown from a baby to a pre-schooler full of energy and her own personality. AND Megan had a baby boy. So, we enjoyed seeing Lisbon with Megan and Ben as well as hanging out with them and the children. We even saw the house that they purchased and the big renovation plans for the next year or two. (November)

Lisbon, view from one of the many hills
Beautiful art at the Tile Museum
Enjoying some Portuguese wine and other drinks
The Pasteis de Nata were delicious!
Monument to the Discoverers and that bridge!
Megan and son, enjoying time at the playground
Loved my time on the playground with Megan’s daughter
Megan and Ben in their neighborhood

Trip to Bolzano for their Christmas market

Jim and I took a two-day trip to Bolzano in Northern Italy to enjoy the biggest Christmas market in Italy and to see the area. I posted a description (in Italian and English) and a bunch of pictures on my Facebook page here. (December)

Winery Visits

La Sala Winery with friends from Virginia

I connected with Bill on Facebook before his month-long trip to Lucca because we had mutual friends, the owners and staff of Pazzo Pomodoro, our favorite Italian restaurant in Virginia! Jimmy, one of the owners, was going to be in Florence and planned a lovely wine tasting at La Sala in the Chianti Classico region. Bill, Jim and I jumped into our Mini Cooper and met Jimmy, family, and friends at La Sala. We enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting including our second-ever barrel tasting. We enjoyed a lunch nearby then wandered to the nearby town of Panzano. We had a wonderful time getting to know Bill and shared a passion for older Italian wines. (July)

Barone Ricasoli winery with friends from Lucca

This wine tour came in four parts – castle tour with incredible history, wine making tour, wine tasting, and then a four-course lunch with wine pairings. I recruited Gary, Ilene, Guy and Lita to accompany us and we headed deep into the Chianti Classico region. This castle was built between Florence and Siena so that the Florentines could keep a watchful eye for any invaders from Siena. Incredible history, fabulous views, and delicious wine and food. It was such a lovely day that we repeated it with Derek and Dani! (July)

Castle at Barone Ricasoli
Lion, to protect the family and castle
Fancy ring to tie up your horse!
What a family chapel!
The formal gardens with Chianti hills
Gary and Ilene preparing to taste the wine
The barrel room
The group, enjoying the weather and the setting

Tempranillo Wine Festival in Tuscany???

The Beconcini winery discovered Tempranillo wines on their property a few years after they purchased it. Tempranillo is native to Spain so there are several theories about how it ended up in Tuscany. I like the one that has the Spanish pilgrims bringing it here on their journeys. However it got here, we like their wine! Each Fall after harvest, this winery holds a festival where many people from the area come to enjoy a great meal and their delicious wine. Last year we went with Gary and Ilene. The event was so much fun that Ilene spread the word amongst the expat community here and there were about 20 expats from Lucca at the event. Thanks for the picture, Ilene. (September)

Italian Wedding

Rebecca and Nicola’s Wedding

Rebecca and Nicola, Italian friends, own Vinarkià our favorite wine-cocktail-dinner bar that is steps from our front door. We met them the week that they opened in 2020 and have developed a strong friendship with them. We were thrilled to attend their wedding in August. Many of the traditions were similar (but not identical) to those in America and then there were some surprises for us too. Mostly we were just delighted to attend their beautiful ceremony with their family and friends. (August)

Day-to-Day Life

Italian language. Jim and I are continuing to study the Italian language, each working with a tutor one-on-one. I am working on becoming more comfortable using the grammar that I know, rather than learning new grammar. For my homework I read an article than write a few paragraphs about a related subject. Topics are varied from the structure of our governments to pieces of art. During our one-hour session, we discuss the topic, mistakes that I made in my writing, and work on my pronunciation. I’m now able to chit chat with Italians about lots of different topics and my stress level is down when talking on the phone. I hope that with a few more years of study I should be comfortable have substantial conversations with Italians – at their speed and with ample use of hand movements!
My knee. I’m approaching the one-year anniversary of my total knee replacement. I’m still slow on steps but my knee is no longer holding me back from exploring Lucca or any towns that we visit. I average about 7000 steps a day and have hit 17000 several times post-surgery. I’m satisfied with that!
Mahjong. This game has always interested me but I really had no idea how to play it. Several women expats in Lucca have begun playing weekly. Most of us are newbies, so it is a low stress learning environment. I’m having lots of fun learning the game and spending time with these friends – and have even gotten Mahjong a few times!

We are about a week away from Christmas and are currently staying busy enjoying the local activities and decorations, doing a bit of shopping and planning a lovely meal with friends. Jim and I hope that you have wonderful Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. One of my resolutions will surely be to blog more regularly!

My Next Adventure

I retired in Italy!

Category Archives: Italy (outside of Tuscany)