Saturday, January 21, 2012

Me and Ric and a Can of Olive Oil

After 4 lonely weeks of producing my show, I ventured into foreign territory by having one of my best friends, Ric Hirst along with me to help narrate. Ric lives 5 months out of the year in the Upper Lazio town of Roccalvecce with his lovely wife, Sharon. His experiences buying the house, living in this very small town,  and traveling around the area are featured on the show. When we were in Italy in October 2010 with our friend, Randy, and her son David, we visited with Ric and Sharon, while we stayed at the nearby town of Montefisacone, which is right on Lake Bolsena. During that trip we had the chance to see areas we had never seen before, namely Upper Lazio (where we actually had been since Civita di Bagnoregio is located there), and the very southern portion of Tuscany at the town of Pitigliano. So for the last night's show I began by showing the can of olive oil, Laura had used the night before in her expert cooking of a fratatta, which is basically an omelet perfectly round due to her specially designed twin pans, continually flipped for maximum taste. She threw in some shallots, broccoli, and some other items to create this masterpiece. She had told me that Ric made the olive oil himself, and he gave us one of his cans when he was last in Italy. Actually he picked the olives, but they were pressed into the oil by others. We went on to take the viewers on a tour of that stunning area of Italy. Our intention is to visit them again in May, and spend some time in that same area, but with a different bent. This time we hope to explore some Etruscan sites, such as Norchia, Tarquinia, and the town where we will spend 3 nights, Orvieto. All three towns have necropoli and some wall decorations from 3000 years ago. I would also like to head east into Umbria and visit the towns of Narni, Amelia, and perhaps Terni. Although Laura and I have sent a lot of time in Umbria at Assisi, Todi, Spello, Spoleto, Pergusia, and Gubbio, we have never been this far south. We did spend the night in Orvieto in 2006, gosh 6 years ago ! It is a large town, but very beautiful and sprawling along a mile long flat area built out of the tuff of volcanic rock. I hope to get some shows out of that area, one on Etruscan history, one devoted just to Orvieto, and one on the area of southern Umbria. Then we head north and northwest to visit with my two friends, Luca and Lidia. Those experiences should net some additional shows. I would also like to videotape interviews with Luca's and Lidia's families which, I think, viewers will find interesting. Then back to Florence, where I hope to photograph some of the wonderful parks and piazzas of Florence and perhaps some museums. And again perhaps an interview or two with people I know who work at the hotel, Croce di Malta. I sure liked sharing the limelight last night with Ric and hope to do that again, not only with Ric, but other people as well. Ric and I have already planned for a show labelled Michelangelo in Florence. Although many of his masterpieces are all over the place, like for example, Rome where he has Moses, his best Pieta, and, of course, the Sistine Chapel among others, Florence boats 23 pieces of art from the world's great master. Surveying his work in Florence not only affords the opportunity to trace his artistic development from the time he was a teenager almost to his death at age 89 in 1564, but also a chance to get a nice tour of this amazing city, as his work can be found all over the centro district. We will work on other possibilities as well. Tune in live if you live in Woodstock or follow the shows on Youtube.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Luca and Lidia

I know this is yet another blog, but it behooves me to write something about my two best friends who live in Italy, so briefly then. I met Lidia in 1995 in Florence when I was staying on via della Scala just down the street from a hotel I discovered, Croce di Malta. We hit it off, and during my many returns to Florence,   our friendship became closer and closer. Lidia came to the United States in 2000 and we took her and her friend from Florence, Cristina, out to dinner. Cristina and Lidia then came to Laura's and my wedding in Woodstock in 2004. Lidia has taken me all over Tuscany over the years, and it was her choice of Civita di Bagnorgeio, when I asked her to take me to the most beautiful hill town in Italy. Lidia and her family have been very kind to me just being my friend, and also cooking sensational dinners for me and my family at their homes in Tuscany, just west of Florence. Every member of her family, her mother, sister, brother and their families are fabulous people and it has been one of my great experiences in life being welcomed in Italy by all of them. Luca worked at the hotel, Croce di Malta and he has told me that we met back in 1995, but we actually didn't start to become close friends until 2001, during my first solo trip to Italy, just after my divorce. He is a bright, charming, and wonderful man. We have spent many memorable times with him and his partner, Mary, and his daughter, Greta, and her daughter, Cristina. Mary has also cooked amazing dinners for us at their home in the Chianti Region, south of Florence in the town of Figline Valdarno. Luca has a knack of choosing the perfect wine. He also has been very kind and hospitable to me and my family over the years. In May we will be spending time with Lidia and with Luca; I am really looking forward to that, and miss them very much, most of the time, when I am not in Italy. In Show # 3 on Florence, I have some excellent videos of them. I love them and their families very much.

Civita di Bagnoregio

I decided to leave the big cities for a while and focus on great hill towns and beautiful countryside. Among the myriad choices that I had available to me, I chose Civita di Bagnoregio, one of my favorite extraordinary places in Italy. It is just stunning, and also houses the restaurant of one of my friends, Franco Sala. I met Franco back in 2003, when I was in Italy alone hanging out with my friend, Lidia, who owns Gioia Chiara, a leather store in Florence. Franco was very kind and friendly to Lidia and me, while serving fabulous food amid the charming backstreets of Civita. His restaurant, Antica Forno, was in a different location back then. I have a photo of him with his hand on my shoulder, while I was listening to him relate the story of when Rick Steves visited his place not long before we arrived. I vowed to return someday. Then in 2009, I took Laura there to meet this extraordinary man, when we were staying in the neighboring town of Bagnoregio, and visiting Civita for the day. As usually happens when I drive in Italy (before GPS) I got lost on the way and we arrived at his restaurant too late to have lunch. I told Franco the story of 2003 and that I just wanted Laura to meet him, and for me to have the pleasure of his wonderful stories once more. He gave us lunch anyway which consisted of two of the best plates of pasta I ever ate in Italy, along with some local wine, which was also great. I took a video, a few photos, thanked him very much, and vowed to return. Then a year later with our friends Randy and her son, David, we did return, had fabulous food and wine once again, and took the longest video we ever recorded. When I decided to do the TV show, I included the two videos of Franco and also some incredible photos of this 2500 year old town, perched high above the valley below. Civita is just 20 minutes south of Orvieto, which is a two hour train ride from Florence. I gave the tour of Civita on the show exactly as I had for Randy and David, and used most of the photos we took on that trip. I did some research on the town, and obtained some valuable information from my dear friend, Ric, who will appear with me on my first joint show on Show # 5 which focuses on his town of Roccalvecce and the  surrounding area. Laura and I have already made plans to return to the area in May 2012, staying in Orvieto, visiting with Ric and his wonderful wife, Sharon, at their home in Roccalvecce, and, of course, seeing Franco. This time we insisted on taking him out to dinner in Orvieto at a great restaurant I have heard, but never actually eaten at, La Palomba. On that trip I hope to take some fine photos and videos to be shown on a future show.

Back to Florence

When I started to do Show # 2 on Florence, I realized it would take 2 shows to finish and I was in no hurry. So I meandered through the two shows, and enjoyed every minute of showing people around my favorite place in the world (except for where I live now). I showed my videos of my friends Lidia and Luca, and felt homesick. My trip planned for last October had been canceled due to a confluence of factors, and this was a chance to be there without being there physically.  I also had 2 phone call questions which I love, because even when I was a teacher, I loved the spontaneity of thinking on my feet. I always told my students to ask questions, not only for their edification, but also for my enjoyment. The one thing that was going on technically which upset me was that the pictures I was showing were not the best quality. We found that when we used the Tricaster or Switcher, the photos were a better quality, but that didn't always work. I was debating with myself whether I still wanted to do the show with poorer than acceptable pictures quality. Well, I love doing this, and wanted to continue, so that was that. I don't expect to win an Emmy Award. I am having a lot of fun, and feel that I am doing a public service for the people of Woodstock and for anyone who wishes to view it on Youtube. I have worked out a list of future shows which will include all the places I have ever been in Italy. It should be fun for me, and I hope for everyone.

La Serenissima

Venice (or La Serenissima as it has come to be known) is an extraordinary place to visit. I have been there 11 times over 20 years, and each time is amazing. My first show is about Venice and how to travel along it's canals and side streets. I tried to give the viewer the same sense of excitement I have had during my stays there. Someone once told me that it is impossible to take a bad photo there, and I believe it. My first few photos in the show are related to the methods of transportation, gondolas, varporetti (water bus), water taxis, and the tried and true method of simply strolling about. Then I travel down the Grand Canal from the train station, Santa Lucia, to the Piazza San Marco. I point out the most prominent palazzi, churches, museums and the 3 bridges, Scalzi, Rialto, and Accademia. Then we travel the side streets and canals, ending up at my idea of paradise in Venice, The Evocative Pensione Accademia, my chosen hotel for 8 of my visits. This hotel is worth the trip to Venice alone. It used to be the Palazzo Maravege and served as the Russian Embassy before World War 2. The rooms are good, but the lobbies are superb, and the gardens, front and back, truly sublime. It's fun to cross the bridge over the San Trovaso Canal and turn right along the canal of the same name to the hotel hidden behind the wrought iron fence into their beautiful courtyard. I love the ground floor lobby and enjoy having conversations with the reception desk people and the guests I meet. I also take the viewer to Murano and Burano, the recognized side trips to get away from the hustle and bustle of tourist crowds in Venice proper. I then ended the show with a series of sunsets along the Grand Canal; I like that method of ending the show as a metaphor for the conclusion. I announced the phone number to call with questions and had a couple in subsequent weeks. I was overcome by the incredible sense of relief after that first show, and look forward to others. The shows are now uploaded to Youtube for anyone who cannot access them on WPAT, which is most people. That first show has had about 115 hits so far !!! Thank you.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Beginnings

So I grappled with the idea for 9 months before setting out, quite typical of my ventures nowadays. Of course I loved the idea of talking about my favorite places and showing my wife's and my glorious photos. Having retired from working intensely for 41 years as an educator, I needed something to occupy my time and thoughts. Unfortunately I realized that a tremendous amount of work would have to be invested before I would go on the air. First, delays were caused by figuring out how to get my photo on the air. I bought a new computer, 4 sets of cables, finally settling on the correct ones, put my photos in some organized groups, planned for some shows, and figured out how to accompany the show with a talented tech person to help me in the studio. They tried to train my wife and me to produce the show, but she was busy with her art career and I was too thick to learn. I now have a wonderful gal named Ellen to help me out and serve as my engineer. Then when everything seemed to be ready to begin, I became ill and was laid up physically and mentally for a while. My wife, kept telling me that sometimes good things like this take time to get off the ground. Ellen was very patient and told me the show would be great, and that is a goal for which to get better. Finally after months of dealing with all this,  I did a pilot on DVD. When shows are on DVD the station decides when to put it on the air. So I did it amid terrible trepidation, but then decided to begin doing it live instead. Live shows air at a specific time every week on a regular basis. I was at first reluctant to do a show live, so the DVD idea appealed to me, but after the first experience, I realized I could do this live. And so after months and months of fits and starts, I went on the air at 5 PM on Friday, December 16, 2011. I chose Venice as my first show, even though Florence was most dear to me. I'd been to Venice 11 times and Florence 16, and felt much more at home in the latter. I made the Venice decision, because I felt that the photos were more spectacular. Amid intense nervousness and anxiety I did it losing myself along the canals and backstreets of Venice. When I had gone to Italy alone for the first time between marriages in the summer of 2001, amid the same kind of paralyzing anxiety and finally wandered my way through 2 weeks of very high highs and very low lows, after I got home I wrote in my journal, "Home again. I did it. Thank God." Nowadays I believe in the power of commitment, initiative, and purpose instead of divine intervention, but the concept remains the same. The lesson was well learned: get off your ass, suck it up, and take the first step. In all likelihood you will be glad you did.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Alan's Italy's Opening Salvo

Hi !! Welcome to Alan's Italy's first Blog. The Blog is linked to my TV show, Alan's Italy's. It expresses my intense love for Italy its country and its people. You will read about my experiences in this wonderful country, and also about my experiences producing the show on Woodstock Public Access Television (WPAT Woodstock, New York, where I have lived for 10 years). My journey began in 1992 when I took my first trip there with my first wife and daughter. It continues through my solo trips between marriages and on after that unabated to this moment encompassing my cherished photos, videos, and recollections of my myriad extraordinary encounters with Italy's cities, countryside, points of interest, hotels, people, food, trains, buses, roads, boats, language, and friends. We will travel through the great centers of Rome, Florence, Naples, Venice, and Milan. Meander with me through charming and extraordinary backstreets of the amazing towns of Loro Ciufenna, Il Borro, Civita di Bagnoregio, Riomaggiore, Orvieto, Montalcino, Chiusi, Siena, Monteriggioni to name but a few of the places I have visited. Climb the Dolomites, Alpi Apuane, and Alps. Take a vaporetto with me down the Grand Canal. See first hand where and how some of the greats who have lived in Italy became household names, Iconic figures. People like Michelangelo, Leonardo, Ghirlandaio, Galileo, Dante, Artemisia Gentileschi, Sofia Loren, and Lorenzo il Magnifico among countless others. Meet my dearest friends Luca and Lidia, and their families and how they welcomed me into their homes and hearts. Imagine the taste of Bistecca Fiorentina at La Spada, Gelato at Vivioli, pizza in Anghiari. Taste the Brunello in Montalcino, Vino Nobile in Montepulciano, and Chianti in Radda. Watch me negotiate the roads of the Italian countryside, crowded streets of Rome, and wild and woolly Autostrade. Listen to my interviews with native Italians, and their opinions of their wonderful country. Share my anxiety with regard to just about everything ! So, here we go. Please join me as our journey begins, and thank for your time.