Rain and Food

Buon Giorno... piove (it's raining).  Walked to a museum this morning to enjoy some art.  While the main road through town was crowded with umbrella toting tourists, my return route on Via Santa Croce involved greeting a nun tending flowers and a workman taking a break, and passing one group of four walkers.  Rain or no, we'll probably be back out walking this afternoon.  However, with no new pictures, time for a food review.  First, from Otello Ristorante, we have a tasty green pasta in a buttery vegetable sauce.  Excellente. 

Next, also from Otello Ristorante, we have a grilled vegetable kebab with potato that was so inviting that the photographer overlooked his task until the meal was partially eaten.  Oops.  Delizioso.

Finally, from Cucina di Giovanni, we have a spicy pasta with fresh bread, salad and vino rosso, pretty much standard fare.

Here we have the food critic patiently awaiting his next plate of pasta.

Not much of a critic, you say? Well,we'll just need to keep finding new cuisine and practicing.

Ciao.

Sant'Angelo in Panzo

One of the nice things about being here for a while is having the opportunity to wander the countryside in search of places one would not otherwise see.  I had read about a former monastery called "Sant'Angelo in Panzo", where Clare of Assisi and her sister Agnes sought refuge after deciding to follow Francis, much to the chagrin of their family.  Walking along a rural road I encountered the above marker, conveniently including a word of English.  A little ways up the dirt path was a sign "Attenti il Cane!", that required little translating, as "cane" himself was standing there, staring.  I said some nice things in Italian, recalled how Francis befriended animals and, hoping for the best, walked slowly by.  Cane just ambled away, probably wondering about my accent.

                                       

Soon Sant'Angelo in Panzo was in sight.  Since the property is now privately owned, I was not able to enter.  However, the outside was interesting to study, covered with centuries of vines.  In its day, it must have been a beautiful and peaceful refuge. 

                                

Being here, it's easy to think back 800 years.

     

Later, I tried to do more research about Sant'Angelo in Panzo, but found few details in English.  However, a site called Travelitalia had information in Italian, which I asked the computer to translate.  The results are both informative and entertaining, showing the strengths and shortcomings of computer translations.

The Monastero di Sant'Angelo in Panzo rises on the slopes orients them of the Subasio Mount, under the Eremo of the Jails. The building laughed them at the end of X the century, and has been constructed probably on the rests of an ancient roman takeover, next to a source millenarian who still supplies water to the city. At the beginning of the 1200's, Panzo accommodated a convent of monache Benedictine, and was here that - in 1211 or 1212 - Francisco lead Clear, escaped of house. Little after, the sister smaller of Clear was received in the convent also, Agnese, than more late she will be beatified. Chiara and Agnese only remained to Panzo for short time: when Francisco ended to restore Saint Damiano, the Saint sisters and their companions moved themselves to you, and here they remained for all the life. In the 1238 monache Benedictine of Panzo they joined to the Rule of the Clarisse, that is of the “Poor Sisters of Chiara Saint”. When they were moved to Assisi - around 1270 - the monastero was abandoned. The complex divenne dwelling patrizia in the 1600's, when it was acquired and transformed from the rich family of the Bonacquisti. Writing to the income testifies that the chiesetta it was constructed in 1604 “with stones of the oldest one and celeberrima church of Sant'Angelo in Panzo”. Now the palace is a private dwelling.

Ciao.

Our Alley

We live on an alley.  Not an alley in the sense of a dark urban corridor, but rather in the Italian sense of a place where there is no vehicle traffic.  The name of our alley is:

"Vicolo della Fortezza" translated literally means "alley of the fortress."  Not sure which fortress.  Not that it would have mattered to invading barbarians, as the really intimidating thing about our vicolo is the steps, from bottom to top, all 187 of them.  Winded after a steep climb up to Assisi, what barbarian in his right mind would even consider going another 187 steps to sack and pillage an unseen fortress?

From our place, we look down 47 steps to the Piazza del Comune.  It's really nice to have a fountain at the foot of your stairs.

Going up from our place, the old alley walls are interesting, and it's not unusual to see wildflowers growing out of them.

But the climb continues, and even where there are no steps, the alley continues as a brick path.  An uphill path, of course.

Phew.  Just 45 steps to go.  Does anyone want to stop at this drinking fountain?  Not sure they make this model of fountain anymore.

Once at the top, one can go up to the right, down to the left, or back to where one came from.  Going down the stairs can be just as much fun as going up them, perhaps even more so.

And it's nice to go slow enough to enjoy the flowers along the way. 

Ciao.

Pictures

Here's a few pictures.

1. Notahummer

2. Hamlet of Costa di Trex

3. Springtime.

4. San Stefano set for a wedding.

5. Umbrian countryside.

Ciao.

Ristorante

Here we are dining in Italy.

Just kidding.  Actually, that photo appears on the back of the business card for what is our favorite dining place in Assisi, Pizzeria Otello Ristorante.

Here's what the restaurant looks like on the outside.

And here's what it looks like on the inside.

Lasagna, anyone?  Mmmmmm.

Fog on the Blog

Sunday morning.  A fog envelops Assisi.

Not a soul at Porta Nuova.

A few people are out as the sun begins to break through.

By late morning the tour buses have arrived and the Piazza del Comune is crowded, as people walk the main path between the two cathedrals at opposite ends of town. Close by, streets remain tranquil and uncrowded.

If you are with one tour group, you will not get left behind as long as you wear your orange hat.  Remember, do not remove your orange hat! 

Ciao.

Markets

Here's one of our friendly neighborhood markets.

This is where we shop for fresh bread and produce.  The owners are very helpful, providing us with pane integrale (whole grain bread).  There are no "supermarkets" or other large vendors in Assisi.  Thankfully, there are no places to put them and very few parking places.  The friendliness and neighborliness of small shops, cafes and "minimarkets" offer a real sense of community.  Hmmm, maybe today's urban planners could learn a few things from their 12th Century counterparts.

Eremo delle Carceri

Since the early years of Christianity hermits have gone to an area of caves and grottos on the side of Monte Subasio to pray and contemplate in solitude.  In early times a descriptive word for "prison" was used in the area's place name, suggesting the solitary life of its visitors.  Eventually, it was called the "Eremo delle Carceri" which I think may be translated as "Hermitage of the Prisoners."  Francis and his first followers came here to their individual quiet places on the mountainside.  The hermitage is built into a rocky cliff.   

The Eremo offers beautiful distant views of the Umbrian countryside.

Even more beautiful, beyond my ability to describe, are the paths that weave through the woods of the Eremo.  Today's visitors are expected to remain silent.  However, the music of the uccelli is so uplifting and the oak forest so alive, that one can easily appreciate the joy and spiritual experiences of the hermits of long ago. 

Visitors are wise to come early, as hundreds arrive later in the day to stroll the main paths.

This morning I recorded an uccelli concert.  If I can figure out how to upload it, perhaps it will be part of a future post.

Ciao.

On the Piazza del Comune

Here's a reasonably sized sedan for getting about town.  Fits in the narrow streets.  Probably gets great gas mileage.  Easy to park (although this driver seems to have had difficulty).  Plus a snazzy sunroof.  Such modest cars are commonplace.

Behind the car, on a wall beyond the truck, can be seen the following: 

Not sure what the upper part says, but the lower part is the "measures" used in Assisi, standards for measuring things like wool, wood, bricks, tiles, etc.  It was put there around 1349.  Looking up from the measures one sees a principal landmark of Assisi, the Torre del Popolo (tower of the people), from the Thirteenth Century.  This bell tower is next to Santa Maria delle Minerva, adapted from the original Roman Temple of Minerva.

Campagna

"Campagna" means "countryside."  Here are a few views from beyond the walls of Assisi, the first looking down at a pasture with sheep grazing.

Next, farms and country homes are seen into the distance.

This view includes the side of Monte Subasio and a portion of the city wall.  The tower is called Rocca Minore.

Finally, a glimpse into the Eremo delle Carceri, a very special, peaceful and beautiful place, part way up Monte Subasio.  I'll be writing more about the Eremo in the future.

Ciao.