A Little News from Two Parts Italy

Our regular Monday post will appear tomorrow, but today we would like to share some news.

When we first began writing this blog, in January 2017, we introduced ourselves by saying, in part, the following:

Neither one of us is Frances Mayes. We don’t have a restored house in Tuscany, nor the resources to believe we ever will. A small apartment there remains an elusive dream. Neither of us has quit a job, waved goodbye to family and friends, and moved full time to Italy. We aren’t wealthy; our travel style is budget-friendly. But spending time in Italy, exploring cities and countrysides, lakes and villas, vineyards and olive groves, volcanoes and towers, has become a passion and an important ingredient in each of our recipes for happiness. If you want to see me (Joanne) happy, give me a small apartment in Lucca, some time in the market buying picture-perfect produce, some freshly baked focaccia, and an hour to cook up a meal for friends. For Judy, just give her spaghetti con vongole and some music in a piazza anywhere in Italy.

Well - some things have changed since we wrote that. We still aren’t Frances Mayes, wealthy, or buying and restoring homes in Italy. But in late 2018, Joanne, who had already retired after years of university teaching, sold her home in New Mexico, packed up, waved goodbye to children, grandchildren, and friends and moved full time to Italy. An apartment in Italy is now a reality and she does indeed shop the markets, buy focaccia, and cook for friends and visitors. She is still pinching herself and saying, “I did it - I moved to Italy!”

Judy, on the other hand, waved goodbye to Joanne back then and remained in Albuquerque working. She still traveled to Italy often, as well as on more exotic adventures like her recent African safari. But that recently changed too. Judy decided to retire early from her job in healthcare government relations, and sold her house - and most of her belongings - to make a move to Italy. She has an apartment in Lucca that she shares with her much-loved companion, Bodhi, a yellow Labrador retriever who also made the trip from New Mexico to Tuscany. She still loves spaghetti con vongole and still finds joy and wonder in the beauty of all things Italian.

We are both excited to be living in Italy and look forward to continuing to share our adventures in Italy and beyond. We love hearing from you, our readers, and appreciate your support and interest in our recipe for happiness: Two Parts Italy.

Wine Tasting in Tuscany

In fall 2018, I spent a day driving through the Chianti region with friends (see A Taste of Chianti, October 2018). I’d been itching to get back to that area ever since, for its beauty and for the opportunity to do some wine tasting. The regional wine is Chianti Classico - a medium-bodied, dry red wine made mostly from Sangiovese grapes, grown and produced in the limited geographic area of the original five Chianti villages (outside of this small region the wine might be called Chianti, but it can not be labeled Chianti Classico nor can it carry the Gallo Nero (black rooster) symbol). And while I appreciate good wine, and loved my first experience with genuine Chianti Classico last year, I am definitely not a wine expert. And that’s where Mirko Gosgnach and Frontier Wine Tours enter the picture.

Mirko is an Italian/Canadian who knows a lot about wine, especially Chianti Classico.

He works with a small group of wine experts to help support smaller vineyards in the Chianti Classico region, to market their wines and to teach people like me about vines, grapes, wine production and the beauty of the Chianti region.

And since you can’t properly learn about wine without visiting the vineyards and tasting, Mirko leads wine-tasting tours, which is how I came to join a group of friends for a day with Mirko exploring the wines of the Chianti Classico region.

The day began in Italian style with a cappuccino at a local bar in Lucca where our group gathered to meet Mirko. We settled into his big, comfy SUV and quickly learned that we were in for a fun day visiting two wineries, one of which was on the grounds of a historic villa. The villa was not open to the public but, lucky us, Mirko had the keys! We also discovered that he not only speaks perfect English (along with fluent Italian) but he is charming, funny, knowledgeable, and flexible. And, he is prone to breaking into song as he drives through beautiful Tuscan landscapes.

Canonica a Cerato (the chapel)

Our first stop was at Canonica a Cerreto, just east of Siena in the comune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, part of the Chianti Classico region. The first wines were produced here a thousand years ago for the monks of Siena. The name, Canonica, reflects its origins as a summer rectory for the monks, and Cerreto, the name of the oak trees in the surrounding woods. Loosely translated: Little Chapel in the Oak Woods.

Today the vines cover gentle hills and the grapes are harvested by hand and aged in oak barrels. Around 120,000 bottles are produced each year, some of which are exported to the United States but many of which remain in local wine shops. And while the modern area for processing and bottling the wine is new, the older cellar is where we tasted the wines.

The old wine cellar and tasting room at Canonica a Cerreto

What lovely wines they were! Some were DOCG wines (this designates a wine of highest quality under Italian standards, with strict requirements for production and taste), including a wonderful Chianti Classico Riserva.

My favorite wine was the Sandiavolo (a bit of an oxymoron, which translates to Saint Devil). Sandiavolo carries an IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) label. Restrictions for IGT wines are less strict and allow producers more flexibility in the blends of grapes used, though the grapes still come from a single region. This type of wine is often called “Super Tuscan.” And the Sandiavolo really was super! A blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, it was … well, I can only say it was smooth, dry yet fruity, with not too much tannin. I am not nearly wine savvy enough to say things like “notes of blackberry, a hint of mineral” but Wine Spector gave the 2006 vintage this review: “generous, complex, elegant, and sweet. Small red and blackberries are in perfect equilibrium with a hint of forest floor, mineral notes, and sweet balsamic spice.” Uh huh … that’s just what I meant.

View from the terrace at Canonica a Cerreto

Canonica a Cerreto is also a stunning villa. Initially built as a retreat for clergy from Siena, remodeled by the Bishop of Siena in the 1700s. It passed into private hands in the early 1900s and sat abandoned from about 1930 until 1978. Since then it has been owned by the same Italian family who have restored the property, maintaining original character wherever possible. The results are a home elegant and comfortable filled with art and unique furnishings. And views to the Tuscan countryside!

Armed with several bottles of Canonica wine, we headed to lunch at restaurant Peposo in the nearby village of Pianella. Lunch featured regional Tuscan food - a starter of several types of cold cuts, cheese, a bruschetta with sausage and stracchino cheese, and some stuffed zucchini blossoms. Next came a primi (first course) of two types of pasta (light as a feather gnocchi with Bolognese sauce and a ricotta-filled ravioli with sage and butter) followed by a second course of roast meats (sausage, pork, and lamb). All were delicious and the setting, a long table on a pretty outdoor patio, made for a relaxed lunch with good conversation. The meal ended with coffee and a desert of a grilled peach topped with amaretti crumbles. If you find yourself driving through the hills of Chianti, it’s worth a stop here for lunch or dinner. The day was already perfect, and we had one more winery to visit after lunch.

The second winery, Fattoria Lornano, also operates as an agriturismo, hosting visitors who can enjoy their lovely gardens, pool, and Tuscan views. Here we tasted light summery rosato (rose) wines, a couple of Chianti Classicos (one a Reserva and one their most special Gran Selezione - a limited production of a fantastic wine).

Fattoria and Agriturismo Lornano

We ended with tasting a Vin Santo that one of our party called “nectar of the Gods.” It was simply the best Vin Santo I have ever tasted.

The wines of Fattoria Lornano

The day was one of those peak experiences - good company, great wines, wonderful food, and Tuscany. It doesn’t get much better. . There might even have been singing on the drive home. -post by Joanne

Contact information : www.Frontierwinetours.com

Mirko Gosgnach email: contact@frontierwinetours.com +39 338 608 5634

Jane Austen and the Vicar’s Chickens: A Few Days in Hampshire, England

It used to be that, for me, going on vacation almost always meant going to Italy. But now that I live in Tuscany, vacations can mean traveling to another country in Europe. The proximity to Italy is a great advantage, making travel by air or train relatively inexpensive and quick. I love having the opportunity to explore many new (to me) places. Even better is visiting a place that has lived in my mind through literature or film and where I have a friend who can give me an insider’s perspective.

The historic St. Lawrence Church is a landmark in Alton. An English Civil War battle was fought there in 1643.

On a brief respite from Italy’s summer heatwave, I recently spent a few days in the town of Alton, England, which is in Hampshire (about an hour from London by train). I was invited to visit my friend Judy (not my co-blogger Judy but a different Judy altogether). I could not have asked for a more knowledgeable hostess for exploring Alton and the surrounding areas of Hampshire. How lucky to have my own personal tour guide!

Rose Cottage - how lovely!

Judy’s home is a cozy English cottage and has, like many of the homes I visited in Alton, the three essential components of a British house - its very own name, a conservatory, and a pretty English garden.  

It seemed that everyone in Alton had a green thumb, as all through town were pretty and colorful window boxes, planters, and gardens. Whether small or large, is there any place more lovely than an English garden? 

This pretty English garden in Hampshire belongs to my friend Sarah.

Hampshire is Jane Austen country. The small village of Chawton, just a few minutes from Alton, is home to Jane Austen’s House Museum, where the author lived as she wrote and published her famous novels. The names are familiar - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Northanger Abbey. The stories spring to life when walking through the author’s home and gardens. A stop for tea and scones at Cassandra’s Cup, just across from the museum and named for the author’s sister, was just the thing to complete our visit on a chilly morning.

Jane Austen’s House Museum, Chawton, Hampshire, England

The day before visiting the museum, I was fortunate to be invited to a wonderful lecture by Sue Dell, titled “Reimagining Jane Austen’s Quilt,”  which gave the history behind the family quilt (displayed in the museum), as well as the story of the community quilt (also on display at the museum) made to mark the 200-year anniversary of the author’s death. Sue is an expert on both quilts, a volunteer at the museum, and a fantastic storyteller. Her talk made the displays at the museum a much richer experience. For fans of the novelist, or aficionados of vintage quilts, a visit to this museum is a fantastic experience.

Close-up of the Austen family quilt (actually a coverlet rather than a quilt as it has no batting). The border alone contains 2,500 symmetrical diamond-shaped pieces, all hand-stitched.

Just up the road from the museum is Chawton House. For those familiar with Austen’s novels, this is the model for the “great house” and the place where she often visited her brother who, adopted by the childless owners, had inherited the mansion. That story in itself sounds like a Jane Austen novel.

Chawton House

Where Jane’s cottage is quaint and small, Chawton House is grand, with rich wood paneling and furnishings, ornate ironwork and windows, and multiple sitting rooms and grand staircases. The library is astonishing (and houses information on women writers) and the old kitchen is now an inviting tea room.

St. Nicholas Church

Chawton House Dining Room

A Window to the Grounds

The surrounding gardens and rolling hills are evocative of so many scenes in the novels. The small church on the estate, St. Nicholas, is where the Austen family attended services and where Jane’s mother and sister are buried. Jane Austen herself is buried in nearby Winchester at the cathedral - another fascinating place to visit.

The walled garden at Chawton House

A frequent character in any Austen novel is the village Vicar (her father was one). But vicars aren’t just literary figures. They are still an important part of life in Hampshire. During my visit, the local vicar happened to be on vacation, leaving Judy to look after his cats while another friend tended to his chickens. A side benefit of their visits to the vicarage meant that there were fresh eggs to be gathered. I got a kick out of eating eggs from the vicar’s chickens for my morning breakfasts - making me feel rather like a character in a Jane Austen novel. And while I don’t actually recall any chickens in Austen’s novels, I’d like to believe that somewhere, there is an unfinished manuscript in which a woman of a certain age, visiting from Italy, collects eggs from the vicar’s chickens. In the movie, she’d look just like me. -post by Joanne

Summertime Eating and Drinking in Italy

It’s hot! Writing this, it has been hovering around 100 degrees for four days. Fa caldo! We all have our strategies for keeping cool - fans pointing right at us, a handheld folding fan for outside (can you picture all of us Italian ladies fanning ourselves over an outdoor lunch?), lightweight dresses, and judicious use of air conditioning if we are lucky enough to have it. I laugh watching locals and tourists alike dash across Tuscany’s famous sun-drenched piazzas in search of a bit of shade or walking single file up a narrow strip of shade in the street. What we won’t do to keep cool!

The heat also necessitates a change in eating habits. While restaurants still serve pasta dishes, gone are the heaviest soups and stews. In their place are appetizers made with fresh fruits, cheeses, and thinly sliced meats, along with salads and lightly sauced pastas. At home, no one seems to want to cook. Salads, panini, and simple meat and cheese plates are about all I can manage on sweltering summer days. Cold drinks go a long way toward cooling us off too. In hot weather, eating and drinking cool are musts. Luckily, Italy provides no shortage of wonderful summer food choices.

A perfect summer meal - salumi (cold cuts), cheese, and marinated veggies

One of my favorite summertime treats is an Iced coffee (called a caffe shakerato here in Lucca). They taste even better when sipped on a pretty Italian piazza. To make a delicious one at home, use a battery-operated whisk to froth cold milk and then add cold coffee, along with sweetener and a few ice cubes. Refreshing!

Caffè shakerato at Cafe Manon Lescaut, Piazza Cittadella, Lucca

While we are on the subject of drinks, my go-to summer cocktail is the classic Aperol spritz. Brightly colored, a touch bitter, with a little bit of fizz from prosecco and topped off with a slice of orange. Tastes just like a summer evening in Italy.

Aperol spritz - a classic summer cocktail in Italy

Summer food choices seem endless. Prosciutto stars in two hot weather appetizers - one with melon (a deliciously ripe cantaloupe) and the other with figs. I can’t decide which is my favorite. Either one becomes a main dish with the addition of a little mozzarella or burrata and a bit of focaccia.

A big salad is the perfect hot weather meal and a summertime restaurant staple in Tuscany. My current favorite featuress big chunks of avocado, a bit of bacon, and a fried egg on top of a bowl of greens and veggies (at Cafe Manon Lescaut in Lucca). Delicious too is a Caesar salad - invented in Mexico (or California, depending on who you believe) by Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini. The one below is from Il Bernino, one of my favorite lunch spots in Lucca.

No need to go out for a delicious summer meal. My go-to at home is a Nicoise salad. It has French origins but is definitely popular in Lucca where our largest piazza is named Napoleone after all.

Salad Nicoise - easy to make at home.

Another classic Italian summer dish is Vitello Tonnato - cold veal slices with a sauce made of tuna. I admit that I thought this a strange combo at first, but after hearing several friends declare it wonderful, I decided to give it a try. It turns out it is delicious (how could I have doubted the tastiness of a classic Italian dish?) and the two seemingly disparate flavors blend beautifully.

Vitello Tonnato from Restaurant Il Bernino in Lucca - in this version the tuna sauce is wrapped inside the cold slices of veal. A spin on the classic presentation.

As for hot weather desserts - look no further than gelato. It’s the perfect late afternoon treat, in a cone or a cup. Better yet, in Italy, it’s normal to get three flavors at once!

-post by Joanne who gladly did the research for this one!

When 90 Days Is Not Enough Part Three : The Permesso di Soggiorno

While getting an Italian Elective Residency Visa is an accomplishment and a cause for celebration for those who want to spend more than 90 days in Italy at a time, it isn’t the end of the process. Once a visa is approved, the Italian consulate adds it to the applicant’s passport and returns the passport. At that point, it’s time to breathe a big sigh of relief and prepare for the fun part - travel to Italy to claim the final prize: the permesso di soggiorno. Unlike the visa, which must be obtained in the home country, the permesso is obtained only in Italy. And once you’ve arrived in Italy, don’t delay - the application should be submitted within eight days of arrival and in the city where you’ve leased or purchased a place to live.

To get the application packet, go to a local Poste Italiane (post office) and look for a Sportello Amico (the window for all public administration issues) and ask for the “permesso di soggiorno kit.” You’ll receive a large white envelope with a yellow stripe. Inside are the application and instructions (in Italian). The application is fairly simple to fill out (samples and English instructions can be found online) but for non-Italian speakers, some help may be required. In many cities there is an office that helps with this type of paperwork. In Lucca, it is the INAC office (Institute Nazionale Assistenza Cittadini). Hiring a local lawyer is an option (but not a requirement) as one can provide advice and accompany clients to all appointments. This can be helpful to decrease the anxiety that comes with this process but is a more costly option.

One of two receipts I was given when filing my permesso “kit” at the Poste Italiane. Once you have yours, don’t lose it!

The completed permesso application, along with copies of the same documents submitted for the visa (all pages of passport, financial documents, proof of insurance, housing contract, etc), require a tax stamp (about 16 euro) obtained in a tabbachi shop. The entire kit with the tax stamp and all documents is then submitted back to the post office (same Sportello Amico window), where the application is reviewed and entered into the computer system. Payment for the permesso is made at this time. Check online for current fees and be prepared to pay with cash. The post office clerk will then make an appointment at the questura (local police station).

The questura appointment date and time is non-negotiable (it’s automatically assigned) and will generally occur one to two months from the date of application. Be sure to keep the two receipts given at the post office as they are proof that a permesso application has been filed, contain the date of the appointment, and tracking information. These receipts will be needed for the next appointment at the Questura. Legally, the receipts should be carried, along with a passport, until the actual permesso e-card is received. At the very least, carry a picture of these documents on a smartphone.

Plan to be present in Italy for the questura appointment and for the time between the appointment and the arrival of the permesso itself (generally four to six weeks). Some sources say that it is possible to leave and re-enter Italy to and from one’s home country with just this receipt, but there may be problems when traveling through another EU country. The safest bet is to stay put and begin to enjoy living in Italy!

Porto Venere

At the questura (arrive early, stand your ground to keep your place in line, and be prepared to wait) the applicant must present his or her passport, two passport-type photos (ideally taken in Italy as those from other countries can be the wrong size), and the receipts from the post office, and be fingerprinted. After that - more waiting.

In about a month the questura notifies the applicant that the permesso is ready and provides a date to pick it up. In my case, I submitted the permesso kit in mid-December, had a February 7 questura appointment, and in mid-March received my permesso card, about three months after my arrival in Italy.

The permesso is good for one year and can be renewed by submitting an application up to 90 days in advance of the expiration date. Note that the visa does not have to be renewed - once the first permesso di soggiorno is obtained, only it must be renewed to permit a continued stay in Italy (and travel within the EU). Be sure to carry the permesso card with you once it is received.

A final step in the process - after the permesso is obtained - is to declare residency at the local anagrafe (registry) office. This process varies from town to town, but is the official declaration of your residence in your new hometown and makes certain services available to you (for example, one can enter the Italian health system after declaring residency). This often involves a visit to your home by a local police officer to verify that you actually live at the listed address.

This whole visa, permesso, residency journey is not for the fainthearted. It takes persistence, organization, planning, and a real determination to live in Italy. It helps to do your homework and understand all the steps, and potential tax consequences, before beginning the process. Follow the instructions to the letter. In the end - license to live in Italy in hand is well worth the journey!

Please note: most of this information will apply to citizens of the United States and Canada and is based on my own experience of obtaining a visa in the U.S. as well as information gleaned from multiple sources. See part one (The Schengen Zone) and part two (The Visa) of this series for further information. -post by Joanne

www,portaleimmigrazione.it (site in Italian language only)

An enoteca (wine bar) in Bellagio, Lago di Como