Italy on the Big Screen

When I can’t escape to Italy, I like to escape for a couple of hours into an Italian film. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s an America-made film set in Italy (“Roman Holiday,” anyone?) or an Italian-made movie set during World War II (“Life is Beautiful,” perhaps?). It’s the ability to escape into my favorite other world of Italy that does the trick. (An added bonus with Italian-made films is that I can practice my language skills – if I don’t peek too often at the subtitles.)

The colors of the Italian flag shine on the stage during this week's Italian Film Festival in Albuquerque.

In Albuquerque, we are extremely fortunate because every year we have the Italian Film Festival, put on by the Italian Festivals of New Mexico. The festival is a weeklong celebration of Italian film, but also includes music, food and friendship. Even better is the fact that the festival raises money for a local nonprofit organization.

"Noi e la "Giulia" had people in stitches.

The first film I took in during this year’s festival was “Noi e la Giulia,” a film written, directed and acted by Edoardo Leo. This comedy in which three hapless strangers decide to buy a dilapidated property in the Italian countryside and open an agriturismo had theater-goers roaring with laughter. Few aspects of Italian culture are left unskewered in “Noi e la Gulia” Everything from organized crime and inefficient bureaucracy, to family and politics are part of the absurdly funny plot that also includes heartwarming moments as the three protagonists try to build new lives. And the “Guilia” in the title? That character is also typically Italian – an Alfa Romeo Giulia.

A couple of the film festival’s screenings include preludes of food, wine and music performed by Italians who now make their home in New Mexico, including an Italian Elvis, who leaves his audience “all shook up.” The week’s finale is a post-film dinner at a superb local restaurant accompanied by live opera. This annual festival is a fun way to stay connected to the Italian community here in Albuquerque and is also great preparation for my upcoming trip to Italy.  Ci vediamo al cinema!                                               -post by JG

Coming Home to Lucca

It's a short 35-minute drive to Lucca from the airport in Pisa. Driving in I catch my first glimpse of le mura, the walls surrounding the old city, I take a deep breath, break out in an enormous grin, and know that I've come home to Lucca.  

The trees along the wall are just leafing out - the weather is mild and it's spring in Lucca.

This trip I've brought my friend Martha with me and will enjoy introducing her to "my" Lucca over the next week or so. After that she is off to Florence and I will stay here through April and into the first week of May. I'm looking forward to watching spring unfold, taking several weeks of language classes at Lucca Italian School, celebrating Easter here with friends, spending a few days in Bologna, and greeting Judy when she arrives in a few weeks. I have a great apartment with a perfect little study for writing and a well-equipped kitchen. I will enjoy every minute of shopping for and preparing meals here.

My cute little kitchen.  

Above all I'm happy just to be here, to walk this beautiful city, to visit my favorite fruttivendolo and salumeria  (green grocer and deli), and have a morning cappuccino al bar  (in a bar/cafe).

Prima colazione (breakfast) al bar  

As an added bonus, I found an artisanal chocolate festival on my first day here. Fortunata! Here are a few pictures from the chocolate festival. 

Chocolate hearts at the festival welcomed me back to Lucca.

Chocolate-dipped fruit

The chocolates came in many interesting shapes. Even these shoes were chocolate. 

Chocolate "salami" 

Balloon creations at the chocolate festival. The local kids loved these! 

Life can't be all about chocolate. I had to introduce my friend Martha to local food and wine. Cin Cin! 

My time here is off to a great start. I'll post lots more from beautiful Lucca and the surrounding areas over the next few weeks. And I promise all the photos won't be of chocolate!

-post by JB

For Want of the Perfect Risotto

I have been craving a certain dish – risotto alla faraona - for exactly one year, ever since I returned from Italy last spring. Not just any risotto will do; it is the one from Gigi Trattoria in Lucca that I long for. It’s a straightforward dish with captivating flavor; tender short-grain rice cooked in a fragrant stock with little bits of guinea fowl throughout, served piping hot. Unlike so many risottos served in the United States it is not gummed up with cheese or overloaded with added ingredients. Forgive the oxymoron when I say it has a simple complexity of flavor. It is the perfect comfort food and there is nothing better on a cool or rainy spring day.

There are, however, two problems here. The first is distance - I live 5,702 miles from Lucca so I can’t exactly run out for dinner at Gigi Trattoria to indulge my craving. Second, Italian cooking is seasonal, which is only a problem in this case (otherwise it's one of the great strengths of food in Italy). Even though I’ve returned to Lucca twice since last spring, I have not found this dish on the menu. Imagine me, returning to my much-loved Gigi Trattoria in September after months away, all set to order my favorite risotto, only to find that it was simply not considered a fall dish and so not on the menu. Same story when I returned again in December – guinea fowl is an early spring food the trattoria owner told me; in winter one eats dark meats and heavier foods. Come back in spring!

A great pasta dish at Gigi Trattoria - but not my risotto!

The Torre Guinigi, topped with trees, as seen from the patio of Gigi Trattoria,

 

A craving that goes unfulfilled for so long grows and grows and becomes a monster. Is risotto addictive? I need this risotto, I dream about this risotto. I dare not try to recreate it as I know my attempts will simply not satisfy. I want the real deal, ideally eaten while dining fuori (outside) on the patio at Gigi Trattoria with a great view of the Torre Guinigi in Lucca. 

I have just arrived back in Lucca - will my craving finally be fulfilled?  Not yet as it turns out.  But I was told that come the first of April risotto alla faraona will be back on the menu.  Stay tuned.

-post by JB

Villa del Balbianello

My first glimpses of Italy were in the movies. Mostly I watched American or British films - "A Room with a View," "Stealing Beauty," "Roman Holiday," "Enchanted April." It was the quirky British film "A Month by the Lake" that really captured me. I don’t know if it was the unconventional romance, the pre-war time period, or the charms and accents of the Italian actors that first drew me in but it was definitely the unforgettable setting of Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como that most grabbed my imagination. Could such a place be real or was this just movie magic?

Vanessa Redgrave skipped down this staircase in the movie "A Month by the Lake" (1995). The villa has also been used in filming other movies, including "Casino Royale" and "Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones."

I saw the villa in person for the first time in 1996 from the deck of one of the boats that crisscross Lake Como. I wasn’t able to visit the villa on that trip, but I vowed to return someday. Someday came last fall when I had the chance to tour the villa and its spectacular gardens. No movie magic needed – the reality was even better than what was captured  on film.

Villa Balbianello as seen when approached by motorboat.  Note the boat landing, lower left.

The villa sits high on a spit of land jutting into Lake Como, just outside the town of Lenno. It is surrounded on three sides by water and on the fourth by dense woods. Could there be a more beautiful landscape? The villa dates to the 18th century, even earlier if you count the monastery that predates it, part of which was incorporated into the villa’s structure.

The villa incorporates a tower from an earlier Franciscan monastery, seen here through the trees above a beautiful carved balustrade that winds its way through the terraced gardens.

It is thanks to the most recent owner, Count Guido Monzino, that this stunning property is open to the public. It remains much as it was at his death in 1988, giving visitors a peek into the home of the larger-than-life Monzino, an adventurer and explorer. He loved the villa so much that he chose never to leave – he is entombed on the grounds. I like to believe that he continues to enjoy the pleasure his home gives to all who visit.

A view toward the lake from the path that winds up to the gardens and loggia.

There are two ways to arrive at the villa. The first is by land, over a somewhat steep path. The second is by motorboat from the village of Lenno and this is what I recommend.  The drama of disembarking at the private boat landing and climbing the steps to the garden transports the visitor to an earlier age and a different, glamorous lifestyle.

The private boat landing at the villa.

The house is a marvel, complete with secret passageways, dramatic views, art, artifacts, and beautiful furnishings. I was most envious of the apartment within the villa, commanding one of the best views of the lake, which the Count designed as the private quarters of his mother (if my children are reading this, settling one’s mother in an apartment within a villa on Lake Como is a splendid idea).

Map room, loggia

Sitting room inside the villa

Rooms in the villa have quite a view

Without doubt the most stunning aspects of the property are the loggia, perched on a rise above the house with glorious views up and down the lake, and the terraced gardens with winding walkways lined with flower-filled urns, greenery, manicured trees, and beautiful statues, all with dramatic lake views.

Villa del Balbianello as seen from the lake. The three arches of the loggia, which are flanked by the map room and the library, lie at the top right of the photo. Both loggia rooms, as well as the interior of the villa, can be seen on a guided tour of the property.

One of many beautiful flower-filled urns which line the garden paths.

 The drama, beauty, and history of Villa del Balbianello make it a must-see on any visit to Lake Como. The villa, a Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) property, is open from mid-March through mid-November (closed Mondays, Wednesdays, and some holidays). Please visit the official website for current hours and guided tour prices. And don't miss the gift shop!                                                                                -post by JB

Statues line the path up to the loggia.

Contact information:  http://eng.fondoambiente.it/beni/villa-del-balbianello-fai-properties.asp

Stepping Out in Italy: Music to My Ears

Soprano, alto, fine, forte, piano.

You can't have music without Italy and you can't have Italy without music. It's one of the things I love most about Italy. Because in Italy, people sing! They sing together in restaurants. They sing alone while walking down the street. They sing on key, they sing off key (though usually on). They sing loudly, they sing quietly. They sometimes hum, which is just wordless singing. And when they don't sing, they talk. And Italians talking is musical as well.

Flower petals in the shape of a musical clef in Lucca, Italy.

The first time I noticed this Italian penchant for singing, I thought, "If I walked down the street singing at home, people would think I was crazy." In Italy, singing in public is not only not crazy, it is part of the Italian charm, part of the Italian people's collective charisma, part of the culture. Every time I have traveled to Italy, I have experienced people singing. Once in Bellagio - it's called the Pearl of Lake Como and truly is a jewel of a town - I had to leave my hotel before 5 a.m. for the airport in Milan. The hotel staff was concerned about me missing breakfast because their morning service didn't start until 7 so they sent a tray of cereals, fruits and breads to my room the night before - carried to me by a handsome young Italian who practically skipped up the stairs singing.

An opera poster - music is part of the culture in Italy.

My first visit to Lucca in Tuscany included a tour of the city with a guide who would break into song while we walked from one stopping point to another. My second trip to Lucca included three separate encounters with people walking by themselves and singing tunes. In Agrigento in Sicily, I joined in when the table I was at requested the pianist play "Volare" and our Italian guide started belting out the lyrics. "Volare, oh, oh. Cantare, oh, oh, oh, oh ...."

Maybe I love that Italians sing in public because I have always loved to sing. "The Impossible Dream" from "Man of La Mancha" was a favorite when I was a kid.

In my house in New Mexico, I have a map of Italy made of old sheet music. You can't have music without Italy and you can't have Italy without music.

Maybe I love that Italians sing in public because I can't imagine life without music. I started taking piano lessons when I was 5. I didn't realize until more than 30 years later that's when I also started taking Italian lessons. So many musical terms are Italian words: adagio, lentamento, tempo! There are hundreds more. You'll also hear musical terms in other languages like French and German. But most are Italian. Italy was home to many early musical innovators. And music buffs tell us that at the end of the Renaissance, when the Baroque era was beginning, Italy was where the musical action was - and that's when a lot of the directional words started being used.

Maybe what I love about Italians singing in public is that no one finds it odd. Maybe what I love is that Italians seem to inherently understand what is important in life: family, food, friends, laughter, love ... music. Maybe what I love is that Italians live life out loud - whether they're singing or not. Most definitely what I love is that when I'm in Italy, I start singing too.
-post by JG