An Evening to Remember

As I said on the broadcast last night, I never imagined that I would have gotten this far. When the idea to do a show was first broached to me during the early spring 2011, I not only scoffed at the idea presented to me by my friend, but had forgotten according to him that the idea was actually given to me a year earlier and rejected outright as folly. Getting the project under way was unbelievably difficult. Nobody could figure out how to hook up the new MacBook Pro computer I especially bought for the show. I truly must have given up at least a dozen times, even given away the computer because I just not figure out how to use it. Then I had a kidney stone attack, subsequent surgery, and an emotional breakdown. For months I basically gave up the project. I must have always thought that I might return, as evidenced by the fact that during that hiatus I actually had peppered two albums which were intended to become the basis for the first and second shows, Venice and Florence. Then on a crisp November morning, I called my future engineer and great friend Ellen and asked her if we could try this out in the studio. Another month passed by while we tried to find the way to broadcast, until finally on December 9, 2011 (my daughter's birthday) we did a show to DVD which would have been placed on the "carousel," the system that creates weekly programing from DVD's created during live shows. After the show was taped, I suddenly blurted out to Ellen, "I can do this live!" In reality I was terrified to go on live TV, but the next week on Friday evening, 5 PM, December 16, 2011, I did my first live broadcast. That decision basically changed my life and you can plainly see on the anniversary edition for the 100th show.

I only began using Youtube to store the shows in a place that my friends could see it since most of them lived away from the Woodstock viewing area. I never imagined that there would be 100 shows, that 17,000 views would have occurred by the 2 1/2 yr point, or that Youtube would even allow so many one hour videos on their site. I liked the idea of the blog, because the whole process of conceiving a show, creating the images and story to go with it, along with the actual mechanics we perform in the studio was so emotionally wrought with anxiety, trepidation, and excitement (all of which comprise the story of my life) that I needed that outlet for closure. Everything fell into place so beautifully for me that here I am with, in my and a other people's mind, an amazing and incredible creation. I say this with the utmost modesty, however. I am not a producer, broadcaster, or performer. I am a teacher of mathematics with a passion for Italian travel enhanced to a great extent by my relationships with my friends in Italy. But other than my work at the college, this project has come to define who I am. I rarely have a conversation with anyone, be it at a party, dinner, or any tete a tete without the topic of Alan's Italy coming up. It is absolutely amazing.

I hate anniversaries, birthdays, and most occasions. I like life just kind of rambling along without fanfare. As the one hundredth show loomed, I dreaded having to create something "special." I thought about a lot of possibilities like some old videos I never showed to the audience, some kind of slide show which included my favorite photos (which I actually did for the two year anniversary edition), a boat ride along Cinque Terre (which will be a future show), etc. This idea of the evening we spent with Simone and Silvia seemed appropriate. I then rescheduled a lot of stuff I had planned. I put Lake Como first among the places we visited during the last trip and sent Cinque Terre into the future, and began planning for a Varenna show (number 98) to kind of introduce Lake Como, then the Bar il Molo show (number 99) to set up the 100th. Then I had to build a show around what would never have carried a full 50 minute broadcast so I added four other highlights of my trips throwing in our adventure in Pisa in 2012, the Orvieto experiences (2012 mostly), the La Spada cooking demo and interview with the owner, Simone. Then I had a big decision to make. If I chose the boat ride and dinner with Simone and Silvia, I would be diminishing the importance of the 2013 Venice Biennale experience, which was actually and probably the best time I ever had in Italy. Both from Laura's amazing achievement perspective and from my own participation having interviewed all those wonderful artists, it kind of hurt to push that into 2nd place when clearly it should have been number one. Yet I felt that I had already produced a lot of material on the Biennale and Venice from 2013, and had yet to talk about the really, really wonderful evening on Lake Como. Then, of course, I could not do a special show without talking about my wonderful and devoted friends we visit in Italy. Voila! That is how I conceived this show.

Yet, being who I am and have tried to explain (even on last night's show), I cannot, absolutely and completely incapably, do a show without screwing something up. In this case at least two things that most (all?) people would never pick up. At this point if you haven't seen the show, go watch it and come back and see if that is what you saw. I should probably not even say this since only a few people people might know this. Being who I am, i.e. honest, here goes. First, and only Laura would know this, I identified the photos of the interior of the restaurant, Terlindana in Sala Comacina as my creation when they were actually taken by Laura. Sorry, I did go into the restaurant, but only to use the bathroom. Second and most troubling, I identified the boat ride and dinner as having occurred on the "eastern shore of the eastern fork of Lake Como." I said that at least six times. Totally wrong, Alan. What a doof. It is the western shore of the western fork of Lake Como!!!!!!! Damn!!! I know that, but the little bird on my shoulder who always seems to give me the wrong thing to do and say took the lead here and I screwed what could have been a perfect show. However, let's face it; I can never have a perfect show. Thus and finally, I hope, ALAN'S Italy with all the warts, mistakes, flubs and fluffs will continue to amaze me and I hope entertain all of you and others who may happen upon it. To you my reading and viewing audience, I say, however. Thank YOU!!!!!!

Divine Life on Lake Como

Broadcast # 99 focused on my interview with Simone Deghi at a lovely table overlooking Lake Como. Simone is a wonderful, energetic, and enterprising young man whose ambition for his enterprises appears to be endless. His charming responses were very heart-felt and sincere, but sometimes it is difficult to hear him. This was entirely my fault as, although I knew to project my voice and having been a teacher for 43 years and a broadcaster and lecturer for 2 1/2, it comes naturally by now, Simone could have used a microphone. The noises of the boats on the lake, and around the restaurant prevented him from sometimes being heard that well. Nonetheless, if you listen carefully, his warmth and sincerity come through very well. His restaurant is wonderful, and keeps getting better all the time. Bar il Molo is a delightful place to dine and enjoy the amazing scenery on the lake. The tour of his various facilities worked better as his voice was easier to hear. I think the fabulous time we have any time we dine here comes through very well. My next project for myself is to get a clip on mic for interviews.

The follow-up to this show was supposed to have been perhaps a visit by Simone and his publicist to the US to do a show live talking about his newest project, a gallery with five parts each representing a craft unique to the lake and Varenna. Unfortunately we cannot continue with that project due to an intense and comprehensive renovation of the Woodstock Public Access Studio which will commence within the month. Not only can we not plan special projects such as his visit, but even my regular bi-weekly show may be in jeopardy. Certainly I am told to be flexible for the next several months, as I may nor not be able to broadcast for a while, and even then in the modified location of a trailer which will be parked just outside the existing space. The new studio will be larger and better, I have been told. The trials and tribulations of public access television.

Meanwhile I am still planning the special anniversary show # 100 which will have several segments. First Laura promises that she will create a new series of photos for the introductory montage. The songs will remain, however. Second I will talk about the best part of my Italian adventure, my dear friends who have graced my life with their love and devotion starting with Lidia and Luca, and continuing with Franco. I also speak a bit about Susan Chalkley. Then I show a graphic which shows a list of my five favorite experiences in Italy since I began Alan's Italy in 2011, showing some photos and talking about why that experience was so meaningful to me. The culmination will be our most recent adventure, that special boat ride and dinner with Simone and his partner, Silvia, at Sala Comacina, a place reached only by water taxi on the western shore of the western fork of Lake Como. Much better know than Sala Comacina is the tiny island, Isola Comacina which is recommended by Rick Steves as a daytime side- trip from anywhere on the lake. Then we will move ahead as best we can with the next hundred episodes.