The Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Each August, the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, hosts something a bit wild called the Fringe Festival. Though there are other, more serious, festivals happening at the same time (books, art, performance, the military tattoo), it was the Fringe that seemed to call out my name.

I have to admit that the idea of this festival stretched my boundaries more than a little bit. I don’t like big crowds that much, generally avoid situations that seem chaotic, and rarely go to contemporary concerts anymore (though in my heyday I saw everyone from Janis Joplin to Grand Funk Railroad - I guess that dates me!). I am more “born to be mild” than I am “fringe-y.” Yet this festival sounded fun and I am newly committed to boundary stretching. Plus, I had never been to Edinburgh. So, when a friend proposed that we go, I didn’t hesitate. Sign me up!

Edinburgh Castle

Fish and chips, classic Scottish pub food

Edinburgh is about five hours from London by train from King’s Cross Station, traveling through pretty countryside and the northernmost towns of England. Crossing the Scottish border, there were views, not too distant, of the gray and cold-looking North Sea. A definite change from hot and sunny Italy in August.

Arriving at Waverley Station, in the heart of Edinburgh, it was a short walk through crowds of happy Fringe-goers to our hotel.

Along the way I had my first view of old Edinburgh, high up on the bluff, anchored by its formidable stone castle. We settled into our hotel (the very friendly Premier Inn Hub) and happily found that Rose Street, where the hotel is located, was mostly pedestrian and lined with good pubs, some of which provided great dining over the next few days.

Not quite knowing what to expect of the Fringe, we hadn’t booked any shows ahead of time. So, the first order of business was to pick up a detailed guide and explore what was available.

In the end we decided to book tickets for one show and then to wander along the street seeing teaser performances (snippets from some of the shows) and to watch buskers and other street performers, including jugglers, unicycle acts, singers, and fortune tellers. That allowed us to make spontaneous choices about what we wanted to see.

My English friends were excited to find a show by one of their favorite comedians, Paul Merton. I wasn’t sure if I would “get” his British humor but I was game to try. The show, by Merton and a small group of improv comedians, was fast moving, smart, irreverent, and laugh-until-you-cry funny. The Fringe was off to a good start and with so many options to choose from, the fun promised to continue.

The choices for musical performances seemed endless, and so many of the possibilities were intriguing. An acappella group from King’s College (All the King’s Men) provided energetic, harmonic fun and opportunities to sing along. A Leonard Cohen tribute performance was full of good music and told the stories behind famous and lesser-known Cohen songs. And, of course, along the streets we saw traditional Scottish bagpipes being played.

Wandering the Royal Mile, between Edinburgh Castle on one end and the palace of Holyroodhouse on the other, provided a chance to watch street performances, marvel at the costumes, move with the crowds, and absorb the incredible energy that is the Fringe.

The festival is amazingly well organized, the crowd is lively but friendly and safe - no violence, no excess drinking - and good fun for young and old. Edinburgh itself provides a lovely backdrop. Next time, I may even understand the language on signs, menus, and some of the slang expressions. They tell me it was English, but I’m not so sure.                       -post by Joanne

A street performance for the show Delicioso

For information on the 2020 Edinburgh Fringe : https://www.edfringe.com

Tuscany in the Days Between Summer and Fall

In the last week of August and first few days of September, it seemed everyone in Lucca was complaining about the heat. And the humidity. Wondering when (if?) this long, hot, muggy Tuscan summer would ever end. It was too hot to exercise, too hot at lunch to drink a glass of wine (that tells you it was really, really hot), too hot between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to do anything outdoors, and definitely too hot to study - the Italian lessons would have to wait until cooler weather set in. Just when the evenings began to cool off a bit, well, then came the zanzare (mosquitoes). Yes, as lovely as Italy is, we who live here still complain sometimes.

But at the end of the first week of September, the miracle happened - all of a sudden the mornings were cooler, the air conditioner stayed off until late in the afternoon, lunch outside was again possible (with wine!), and, well, who cares about mosquitoes when the evenings are cool and breezy (and you’ve remembered to pack the mosquito wipes)? By the eighth day of September, I was carrying a shawl for a late dinner on a piazza. By the 20th, I needed a light scarf and jacket in the mornings. Mid- to late-September, between the end of summer and the beginning of fall, really is glorious here.

Early September tomatoes

In Lucca, this time of year means that we have delicious peaches and figs and perfect tomatoes. It is also the time of “Settembre Lucchese,” a month filled with festivals, concerts, and markets.

Late summer means ripe figs and juicy peaches.

The weekend of September 6-8 brought Murabilia, the annual fall garden show and market, always a popular event. There you can buy plants for the fall garden, whimsical garden decorations, indoor plants, colorful gourds and pumpkins, wonderful food (garlic, nuts, cheeses, meats, breads, nut butters, jams, fruit, onions) and a host of artisan-made crafts for home and garden (baskets, straw brooms, lavender-scented oils and soaps, birdhouses).

There was also a fascinating display of old farming equipment set up in the stone caverns underneath Lucca’s walls. Strolling through the booths and displays, some of which meandered through the Botanic Gardens, made for a wonderful Sunday morning.

September 13 was the annual Santa Croce festival. This is the most important religious event of the year in Lucca, celebrated with luminaria-illuminated buildings and a candlelit procession. It’s a time when many people with Lucchese roots, no matter where they live in the world, return to Lucca. There is an air of mystery, of times long past, about this celebration. A bit of magic that is uniquely Lucchese.

The Santa Croce (Holy Cross) procession, by candlelight, takes place on September 13 each year.

The weekend of September 14-15 was the monthly antiques market (always the third Sunday of the month and the Saturday just before). Many of us missed the market during our summer travels or skipped it during the heatwave when we were just too hot (and pigra - lazy) to attend. With all the visitors in town for the luminaria procession a couple of days earlier, this month’s market was lively and well-attended.

At this time of year, throughout the countryside, the grapes are ripening. The vendemmia (harvest) will take place in a few weeks. The olive harvest won’t be far behind and I’ve already registered for a weeklong olive oil class at Lucca Italian School in early November. This class is centered around olive cultivation, harvest, and the production of olive oil. It will include a visit to a frantoio (olive mill) as well as several cooking classes and, of course, language instruction. If you happen to be in Lucca in November, this is a fun experience.

Grapes just about ready to pick

Olives not quite ready to harvest

This year, none of these late summer/early fall events are firsts for me - I’ve been in Lucca pretty much full time since last September. But there is something special about knowing what is upcoming and taking joy in the anticipation of familiar events and celebrations. This year I will have friends visiting from the U.S. for many of these events. It’s wonderful to be able to share my new home in Italy with good friends and help them discover all the things I love about living here. I’m looking forward to autumn in Italy. -post by Joanne

Contact info: Lucca Italian School (November Olive Oil Cooking Week) Nov 11 - 15, 2019

Via dei Bacchettoni, 25. 55100 Lucca (LU). +39 0583 490902. website: luccaitalianschool.com.

Beauty and Simplicity in Albuquerque's North Valley

In the days before I moved to Italy, I wanted to make sure to enjoy the city I was leaving as much as possible. Fortunately for me, friends wanting to wish me well supplied many a meal. And one dear friend did so in one of Albuquerque’s loveliest spots: its North Valley, which is more rural than city, more green than brown, and even more laidback than the rest of New Mexico’s largest city.

Trees line the entrance to Los Poblanos.

Albuquerque’s North Valley is the lush part of the city – close to the Rio Grande that bisects the city and home to farms, horse properties, 25-mph speed limits, and a very special place called Los Poblanos.

The patio at Los Poblanos’ restaurant

Designed by John Gaw Meem, the architect known for developing Pueblo Revival Style in the 20th century, Los Poblanos is comprised of an inn, an organic farm, a restaurant, a special events space and a farm shop. The restaurant, where my friend and I dined on a warm September evening, offers unique, seasonal farm-to-table offerings. Its meals are made with ingredients from the farm fields of Los Poblanos, as well as from crops harvested from other local farmers.

Seated outside on the patio, we shared a starter of seafood corn chowder infused with green chile (it was chile-roasting time in New Mexico!) and bits of bacon. We each chose a main course of pasta – a triangle-shaped tomato leaf ravioli. I would have sworn I was in Italy the pasta was so good! While dining, we had beautiful views of the Sandia Mountains to the east, and two flocks of Canada geese flew overhead and honked greetings to us and the other diners as the sun was setting.

I have lived in Albuquerque for much of my life but never among the cottonwood trees of the North Valley. So every time I find myself driving the roads that stretch between pastures and cornfields and wineries, I feel like I’m being given a little gift of beauty and simplicity – much like what Italy offers me. Dinner at Los Poblanos and the evening in the North Valley were just what I needed to help me transition from Albuquerque to Lucca.    -post by Judy

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.