Under the Tuscan Sun

This past weekend, while Niraj was slaving away in class and in the library, I ventured off with 7 other woman (who have dubbed ourselves the Ladies of Lesiure) to Tuscany for a girls getaway. It was fantastic and was definitely the epitome of all you would expect of Tuscany.

We left early Saturday morning and made a stop over in Greve, a little town just south of Florence in the wine zone of Chianti. When we arrived, we explored the Saturday fresh air market that is to typical of Italy. The sun was shining which felt terrific after the massive snowstorm the entire country experienced the week before. We opted to buy a pork sandwich and some fruit from the vendors and sit outside to people watch and bask in the sunshine.

From there, we did a very scenic, hilly drive towards Montepulciano. The drive was stupendous, and every direction en route provided never-ending views of wineries and rolling hills. Montepulciano was yet another town full of character and charm, and after hiking up the hills we reached the main piazza. We explored a cantina that housed some of the biggest wine barrels I have ever seen, and then we all sat in a cafe four hours tasting wines of the region.

We then ventured to Pienza where we had rented out an agritourismo. From this point forward is when the true Tuscan experience really began! The farmhouse was run by a couple who was oh-so-very Italian. After showing us our rooms and our quaint little apartments, the owner then proceeded to bring us two bottles of the Vino Rosso that is produced on the site. Not only did he give us the wine, but he sat right on down and drank it with us! After that, he stated over and over how we weren't eating enough (if you're not eating all the time then Italians are not satisfied) so he made reservations for us at his favorite Trattoria. The meal was fantastic and we gorged ourselves with Ceci noodles and wild boar sauce. After all, we had to make him happy!

The night got even more eventful when we returned from dinner. Once we got settled and started a fire in our cute apartment, he returned yet again with a bottle of grappa and a bottle of amaro, the sweeter liqueur. These are two very typical after dinner digestives here in Italy and were also both made in house. Once again, he plopped right on down and drank it with us swapping stories and overcoming the language barrier!

The next day we were shown even more hospitality. We awoke to clear and sunny skies, so we decided to sit outside to drink tea/coffee and enjoy the baskets of goodies provided by the farmhouse. After breakfast we were given a full tour of the agritourismo. We saw the vineyard, the cantina, the animals, the wine barrels, the bottling rooms, and all the foods produced by the family. We were treated to generous samples of wines, pecorino cheeses, prosciutto, and sausage (including sausage made from pig's head!) that were all made on site. Once again, it was all about keeping us well fed! The food was fantastic and we really felt welcomed. We spent the rest of the day exploring Pienza, sitting in the sun, marveling at the views of the valley, and eating gelato.

Here are a few choice pictures:

Enjoying mimosas in the sunshine

On the hilltop of Pienza

The agritourismo where we stayed

Having our feast prepared by the owners

The Ladies of Leisure under the Tuscan sun

All in all, it definitely was not a bad way to spend two days with the ladies!

More random thoughts on the day to day life...

1) Even though it is March and everyone suffers from spring fever, watching big snow flakes slowly fall to the ground is still very relaxing.

2) Zucchini Risotto and Spritz are absolutely delicious, especially when home-made!

3) Italians could benefit from thicker apartment walls, especially since the people who live next door are obsessed with techno music (especially Madonna) and have recently taken to playing it at all hours of the day.

4) On a similar note, the guitarist living next door on the other side is playing Clapton, Santana, and The Animals daily and (unfortunately for us) has not yet improved much this year...

5) I am extremely excited for asparagus season to finally be arriving and can't wait to try the famous asparagus grown here in Emilia-Romagna!

6) Skype is fantastic, and it has been nice talking to friends and family back home on occassion.

7) As much as we complain about the overall slowmoving-ness of this country, the loud neighbors next door, the lack of a clothes dryer and a dishwasher, and the amount of dog poop all over the sidewalks, it is hard to believe that there are only 2 1/2 months left in the school year and that we will be heading home soon!

San Luca

This weekend, Niraj and I finally did the ultimate tourist thing in Bologna. It was one of the first sunny days that we have had here in a long time (it has been a non-stop week of rain and snow lately) so we thought it was a great day to finally go check it out.

We ventured up the hills outside the city walls to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca. The journey to San Luca consists of a 3.5 km long walkway covered by porticoes the entire way! There are a total of 666 arches, making it the longest stretch of its kind in the world. It was definitely a hike to get up there though!

The Porticoes

Once we got up there we saw beautiful views of the mountains and the valleys surrounding the city. Here are a few pictures:

We made it up there right at sunset, so it was nice to see a sunset over the mountains again!

In front of the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca

Inside one of the towers of the church with the mountains through the window

View of Emilia-Romagna

A hidden gem

Last night was interesting for a few reasons.

First, some students got together for a drink at a small Osteria. Once we got there, we were informed that it was a "Communist bar." Funny thing was, the place was full of SAIS students and the owners (who were there having a glass of wine with the rest of us) love Americans! Go figure...

The second, most impressive, reason the night was interesting was because we discovered Bologna's true hidden gem. While walking home with a classmate, Niraj and I were told about a small bakery around the corner that was only open from midnight to 6AM. It is there where pastries and calzones for the city bakeries and bars are made fresh all night long and delivered the next morning. This place is completely inconspicuous, and the only way you would ever notice it is if you were told it was there. We walked in, and immediately our jaws dropped. Inside it was very calm and quiet, and two men were slaving away rolling out dough, filling crossiants, and baking many delicious pastries. And the best part, for only 1 euro you can pick anything in the shop and eat it warm out of the oven! Definitely one of the coolest things I have found in Bologna.

Guess when you wander the streets of Italy you never know what things you'll stumble across.

Amazing Andalucia

So, I'm finally getting around to writing about our incredible week in Andalucia (region of southern Spain). We went during Niraj's semester break; it was a great vacation and nice to get out of Bologna for a bit. I know this entry is long overdue, but there has been so much to say I didn't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start in the beginning...

Our trip started in Sevilla: the city of Flamenco, Don Juan, and the third largest cathedral in the world. We arrived on a Wednesday evening, and were treated that night with a Moroccan dinner at the hostel where we stayed. They brought in a local chef who made an amazing chicken dinner in the largest wok I have ever seen! He grilled vegetables of all types with many various seasonings (cumin being the most prominent), threw in some chicken, and topped it all off with couscous at the very end. We were able to get to know some of the people in the hostel and just have a relaxing evening.

Thursday, we did an incredible walking tour of the city. Our guide was Australian, and he knew all the inside stories and history of the city. It's amazing how everywhere we have been we always run into Australians that were backpacking and ended up quitting their jobs to settle someplace random simply because they loved it. We heard all about the legend of Don Juan serenading the nun, the hauntings of the Alfonso Hotel, and the ghost stories of Santa Cruz. We walked along the riverfront, saw the Golden tower that used to serve as a lookout tower for the Moors, stumbled upon Roman ruins, and learned bullfighting moves while standing in front of the bull ring. We saw rings on the sides of walls that were "parking spots" for horses, learned about the acorn rating of ham (higher is better because it's less salty, 5 is maximum) and concluded the tour with a beer in El Salvador Square. We met two guys from England on the trip and had tapas with them after the tour. Tapas is an incredible phenomenon and a great way to taste a variety of dishes. Among other things, we had espinacas con cinco quesos (spinach w/5 cheeses), ham, and croquettas de jamon (fried ham and cheese sticks). After the tour Niraj and I ventured over to the large and stunning Piazza da Espana which was constructed in 1929 for the Spanish American Exhibition, and we also wandered across town to see the ruins of a Roman aqueduct. Our day concluded with more tapas and sangria when we went on a tapas tour with a small group of people from the hostel.

The next day in Sevilla was when we ventured into the truly touristy sights. We started off the morning by sitting in on mass at the famous Sevilla Cathedral, and I had the privilege of taking communion there as well! As I mentioned before, this cathedral is the third largest in the world and is unique because of it's Moorish influences (it was even a Mosque at one point). Inside the cathedral is a breathtaking altarpiece that consists of more than three tons of gold that was all brought over from the New World! Other interesting parts of the Cathedral were the tomb of Christopher Columbus (although there is a debate apparently of where he is actually buried) and the Treasury room where we saw a pearl and silver "workshop" that was made in Gujarat (the state where Niraj's family is from). We also climbed the ramps into the top of the belltower to see stunning views of the entire city.

After the cathedral we explored the Alcazar Palace. Like all other Andalucian sites, it was fascinating to see the Moorish architecture and Arabic influence... this was the first time I had ever been in a place with prominent Muslim history. Inside the palace we wandered the gardens, saw the peacocks, and just marveled at the architecture and perfection of the entire place. Although, I did learn that the Moors would always intentionally have one imperfection hidden in their works of art because only God, not humans, can be perfect. We concluded the day with the best tapas meal of the entire trip at a place called Caramela (we sat at the bar and the bartender gave us a custom tapas tour!) and a Flamenco show which definitely was one of the highlights of the entire week! Our tour guide had recommended this very intimate theater with only 25 or so guests allowed. There were 2 guitar players and a singer who opened the show and provided music for the dancers. A male dancer had a solo initially and was followed by a woman solo. Both were absolutely incredible and were completely engulfed by the dance. Such a treat!

Sevilla Pictures

On Saturday we ventured into Ronda, one of the white hilltop towns which was a completely different experience from all the other towns on our itinerary. From the viewpoints throughout the town you can see into the entire valley which seems to go on forever. All of the houses have white walls, and there is the famous Puenta Nuevo bridge in the middle of town going over the gorge. When we arrived we had tapas at a local bar recommended to us by our hotel owner, and gorged ourselves with spinach croquettas, ham and cheese croquettas, and french fries with various sauces. It was also here in Ronda that we stumbled upon Mojo Picon! This fantastic sauce is orangish in color, is spicy, and is served over potatoes and meat dishes. It was so delicious and was Niraj's favorite!

During our stay in Ronda, we hiked around town to get different viewpoints of the bridge, saw the bullring (Ronda was the birthplace of modern bullfighting), and explored the brick ruins of the old castles and city walls. For dinner that day we bought ham and cheese from a local market, and ate it outside overlooking the valley with a bottle of wine purchased from the local wine museum. Here we did have a transportation problem and ended up being stuck in Ronda for an extra day. During this extra time we saw Alcazar palace ruins and the original gate to the city. We also wandered around the Museo de Ronda, got lost in the winding streets, and watched local boys play football in the main square. Overall, the weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and it was an extremely quiet, relaxing town.

Ronda Pictures

Once we finally were able to leave Ronda, we took a bus to a train station in the middle of nowhere and then took a train to Cordoba. We spent Monday in Cordoba. The main attraction and highlight of this city is the Mezquita. This was the most amazing church I have ever seen, and I cannot even begin to describe how incredible it was inside. The Mezquita was originally built as a mosque, but like nearly every other structure in Andalucia it was eventually partially converted into a Cathedral. When you walk inside, all you see are arches and pillars covering the interior. These arches are very unique with their red and white stripped pattern, similar to candy canes. The architect used original Roman pillars from the ruins and red brick to create this innovative and stunning design. The rows and columns are in perfect alignment and are absolutely breathtaking. Inside is an original and very ornate Mihrab and a tresor with various artifacts. There are also ruins of the original doors and walls from the Roman empire, and an altarpiece and choir were built inside the Mosque. The choir chairs are made entirely from wood from the New World, and it is so bizarre and fascinating to see parts of a cathedral inside a Mosque! Outside the Mezquita is a courtyard with various orange trees and yet another bell tower. I think for both of us, this was definitely a highlight and surpasses nearly other cathedral and church we have seen!

We spent the rest of our day in Cordoba walking around the Jewish Quarter, exploring the Roman bridge which led to the city tower and original city gate, and enjoying local cuisine. We had lunch at a Taberna where the owner once again picked out our tapas entries for us. That afternoon we sampled the famous Mortilla (similar to a sherry and unique to the region), the local red dessert wine (Pedro Ximenez Vino Dulce), and a Pastel dessert (a flaky pastry with an apple compote inside). Overall, Cordoba was a great day trip... with the Mezquita definitely overshadowing everything else in the city!

Cordoba Pictures

The last stop on our tour was Granada, where we spent Tuesday through Thursday. On our first morning we discovered a pastry shop that we ended up frequenting every day during our stay, figuring we had to sample as many treats as possible! As a random sidenote, Granada residents seem to have an obsession with donuts. We even saw a "Dunkin Coffee" here! That was probably one of the highlights for Niraj since he hasn't been able to get a Dunkacchino for awhile now... it was definitely a random sighting though!

Our first day we saw the Cathedral, which is known for a controversial feature on the side of its walls. Inscribed in the stone is the name of fascist leader Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera. His inscribed name is the source of great debate because the city of Granada never covered it up. Near the cathedral is the Capilla Real, and inside there we were able to see many items from the reign of Ferdinand and Isabel. We saw her saber and crown, their clothes and robes, and even saw their tombs in the crypt!

From Capilla Real we ventured across many different parts of the city. We had lunch in Plaza Nueva, walked up the hill to Barrio Sacromonte to see the gypsy caves, Arab baths, and flamenco restaurants, had a drink and crazy-fish-eye tapas outside in the sun while being serenaded by a guitar player, wandered through the gypsy neighborhood of Albaicin, and ended up at Plaza San Nicolas. From there we had stunning views of the Alhambra, the city, and the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas. After wandering our way up to San Nicolas, we walked back down off the hill to Plaza San Miguel Bajo where we had more gorgeous views of the Cathedral and downtown Granada. Our first full day in the city ended with dinner at a Lebanese restaurant in the Little Morocco quarter where we had amazing hummus, pita, shish kabob, and kefta... yum!

The highlight of day two in Granada was seeing the Alhambra. People had told us to allow at least half a day there, and when I heard that I honestly could not imagine spending that long in one place! However, once we arrived and saw how enormous and intricate the entire place was, we realized we could easily spend 5 hours exploring it... and we did! We explored the Alcazar, the Palacio, the Washington Irving Museum, and the General Life gardens. Again, Niraj and I were both amazed and in awe at the level of detail in the decorations and mosaics inside the Palace! I mean, EVERY inch of the Alhambra was covered in intricate details, and it was fascinating to see more examples of Moorish history and influence. The rest of our day was relaxing and more low-key and consisted simply of having drinks with a couple from Berkley that we met during the week and going out for Sushi and Teriyaki for dinner. (Can you tell we were excited to get away from Italian food for awhile? Bologna does not have all these options so we had to indulge!)

Our final day in Granada we relaxed and just took in the food, the culture, and the shops as much as we could before leaving. For breakfast we ate tostadas and churros con chocolate (you dip fried churros into hot chocolate, so amazing!) at the famous Cafe Bib-Rambla. In between meals (yes, I know it sounds like all we do is eat on these trips) we spent hours walking around looking for clothes, shoes, and souvenirs. For lunch, we stumbled upon this medieval themed bar that was very tiny and run single-handedly by the owner. We had pork sandwich with olive oil and garlic aioli, steak fajita, and Alhambra beer. This was probably one of the best meals we had the entire week... simple yet delicious. And from there, we ventured into the airport and flew back to Bologna.

Granada Pictures

As you can tell, this was a fabulous trip. We did so many new things and saw so many incredible sights, so we want to remember as many details as possible (hence this insanely long entry!). Spain is definitely an incredible country, and now we are both eager to keep exploring new countries and parts of the world... especially places where we can see more Moorish architecture!

Scandalo e coruption a Bologna

I haven't yet written about politics or Italian government, but there have been some recent events of interest I figured I'd share. Watching the Italian government and their overall way of getting things done has been a somewhat amusing (yet frustrating) past-time, mainly because everything seems so inefficient and corrupt. And these recent Bolognese events show just that!

Typically, the corruption you hear about involves Silvio Berlusconi, the infamous Italian Prime Minister known for alleged Mafia links, excessive control of the Italian media, derogatory treatment of women, and, of course, his recent attack in Milan. Flavio Delbono, the mayor of Bologna, recently made headlines as well, however.

Mayor Delbono came to speak to the students of Johns Hopkins at the beginning of the term. He has been a professor at Hopkins and at the University of Bologna (UniBo) and is a highly educated economist. The fact that Niraj and I heard him speak in such an intimate setting and that he has ties to SAIS makes all this just that more crazy (and, as bad as this may sound, that much more entertaining)!

In the past few weeks, a scandal has erupted in Bologna accusing the Mayor of using taxpayer dollars and council money to fund the affairs he was having. Apparently, he abused his power and embezzled money in order to pay for romantic getaways and extravagant property purchases. Well the story broke, and he was since been forced to resign. So, now there is a woman temporarily in power until the next election in 2011. The Bolognese are all up in arms now not only because of what the Mayor did but also because of what happens now. The region will not hold interim elections to elect a new Mayor, so the temporary replacement has to hold down the fort until then... which means she can do the day to day stuff but cannot make any major decisions. So, in typical Italian fashion, the city of Bologna is deadlocked!

The other kick of the story is that every government employee that he appointed during his tenure was forced to resign as well. One specific case was Nicoletta Mantovani, the widow of Luciano Pavarotti. I also heard her speak a few days ago in an intimate setting, so here is a brief background on that story...

Nicoletta and Pavarotti were both from Emilia-Romagna (Nicoletta from Bologna and Pavarotti from Modena), and they unintentionally met before one of his performances. After talking for a short while, Pavarotti offered her the job to be his personal assistant. Nicoletta was not there to apply for the job, but after some convincing from him decided to accept. Shortly thereafter the two began their affair... Pavarotti was not yet divorced and Nicoletta was 33 years his junior! More scandal! They eventually married, and she continued to plan his events and assisted in his endeavors and organizations until his death.

Until recently when she was forced to resign, Nicoletta was the Bologna City councillor and professional event planner dealing with many major festivals in Bologna and nearby cities. Being put in this position apparently also caused an uproar with accusations that she was appointed based on her status/money and not her background (her background was more natural sciences than the arts). Just another example of corruption and scandal in Italian government I suppose!

Allora, there's the gist of the Bolognese news lately. It sometimes feels like the city of Bologna is in a bubble without any connection to or realization of the world around it, so to some extent that bubble popped! Who knows what'll happen next...

Carnevale di Venezia

Carnevale 2010 ... What an Experience!

My friend Kate and I went to Venezia for the day on Saturday to check out the Carnevale festivities (unfortunately it was while Niraj had 3 Saturday classes so he had to miss out). It can almost be thought of as Mardi Gras and Halloween all rolled into one, and the costumes are spectacular! See for yourself in these pictures.

We spent the day walking around the city, and every time we turned a corner we would see another breathtaking costume. The Venetians (or whoever they were...) dressed up would gladly stop and pose for pictures, probably happy to show off their masks, make-up, and stunning costumes. There were adults and children of all ages with costumes ranging from colonial-type period outfits, story book characters, animals, and other various colorful figures. A lot of the costumes had almost a dark, mischievous, and almost scandalous side to them which made me wonder what the origins of this festival really are...

In Piazza San Marco there were multiple stages set up with various performances throughout the day. We watched one show near the cuckoo clock which was again a bit twisted and dark. Various men in plastic-looking costumes and expressive face paint came out of the clock as if they were figurines built into the clock. They then proceeded to mime out various skits, yet all the skits seemed to end with them whacking each other on the head with a large club or playing some sort of evil trick! Again, makes you wonder what the real origins of this festival are...

But the masks, oh the masks! I definitely have an obsession with masks and the idea of masquerades, and I have always loved seeing the intricate, colorful, playful masks in the shop windows each time I have been in Venice. Yet it was amazing and a whole new adventure to see them all come alive on the streets on Saturday! Kate and I had a ball people watching, costume watching, and just soaking in the festivities.

All in all, definitely one of the coolest things I have done in Italy so far. I love Halloween and dressing up, and this took it to a whole other level.

Funny thing is, I got back that night with news from Niraj that there was a last minute "Under The Sea" party being thrown by a group of students. So, with the spirit of costumes still in my veins, I had to throw together something for us to wear. After a burst of inspiration, we decided to go as Pi Patel and his Bengal Tiger from the Book Life of Pi. Get it? Ha, ha... clever I know. Here are our "genius" costumes. It was a random night, but we had a good time hanging out with seaweed, starfish, penguins, and other under the sea creatures.



So, that's probably all the costume talk for now, but I'll probably be dreaming of masks and carnevale creatures for some time to come...