I consumed the last few weeks agonizing over watching my favorite sports team, the New York Mets, labor through the playoffs successfully and the World Series unsuccessfully. I still have vivid memories of the horrific plays in the field in the World Series that led to some of the losses and the insane managerial moves made by Terry Collins which were simply inexplicable at the time and in retrospect. I won't bore my Alan's Italy followers with details, although if you would like an analysis on a semi-expert level, I am the one to provide it. I have studied what could have been a wonderful end to an already stunningly surprising season which back in April nobody could foresee. Back then I would taken this season complete with the incredible disappointments. We all assumed that the Mets would be as mediocre as they have been in recent years, so actually getting to the World Series was an extraordinary achievement. Nonetheless true Met fans by the time the series began had long ago forgotten all the gratitude they should had and simply wanted, prayed for a series victory. It is not easy being a sports fan.
The Cable Access TV show known as Alan's Italy in still on hold pending the removal of all the equipment from the makeshift studio in the trailer to the new digs in the refurbished Woodstock Community Center. Fans will have to be content with the previous 116 shows (remember that the one which would have been the 117th show - actually Show # 116 - has been removed because the subjects of the show disapproved of the final content). In the meantime it would make perfect sense if I spent the interlude developing new shows. In a very sporadic manner I have tried to accomplish this despite the honest appraisal of having lost some of my enthusiasm. I have tried to reignite my passion and will continue to try, and perhaps when I am truly able to once again broadcast, I will have some kind of epiphany and begin anew. For now I have several ideas, have created four new albums for shows that will probably be broadcasted at some future time and about a dozen total ideas for new shows. Since in all probability we will not go to Italy in 2016, missing only our second year in the past 14, the shows may be few and far between once production continues probably in December or January. I will do my best, mostly for my now very devoted audience which approaches 28,000 views as I write this with 101 subscribers, and over 9,000 reads on this blog. Even though Youtube videos which have gone viral amass much higher numbers, I am content that the very esoteric, intellectual, and refined nature of the show appeals to a small, albeit dedicated audience. It is for this audience primarily that I will attempt to sustain the show. I will keep you informed.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Better But Far From Perfect
Perhaps I am asking too much for perfection in an experience that clearly is not in my hands. Requesting exactly what we want in life when so many factors may mitigate the actual performance is probably unattainable for me in this endeavor. I have spoken very often about that concept on this blog, but being sort of a perfectionist or at least someone who wants to be as good as I am capable of being, I have come to expect difficulty. Last evening exemplified that. I arrived at the studio a bit later than usual because I am just so busy doing many other things.
It all began with the studio tech calling and leaving a message that the studio will be closed starting Monday so that he could move everything back to the new one in the refurbished community center. I was happy about that for several reasons. First, I need a break so that I could develop some new shows. Second, it would be nice to have a bathroom handy. It is just too stressful to not have one available for the one hour broadcast plus the extra time before and after. Third, perhaps more room would benefit my engineer who is clearly cramped most of the time. In fact we are both continually tripping over wires, equipment, and each other. Fourth, the actual workings of the console and cameras might also be better. Ellen corrected me when I told her that Richard had called me indicating that the closing would be next week not this. I told her for me this will be the last show for a while; she indicated probably December, but I will not use that as my target.
With only about 10 minutes to air time, Ellen gave me the video for show # 116 that she had edited, and then I sat at the table getting organized. With about five minutes to go, she lost the color on the tri-caster called Richard who told her what to do to fix the problem and off we went through the broadcast. From that point on things were very smooth. After all that is the only time I am actually in almost total control, and I was ready having already performed that show several weeks ago. As we concluded the show and the "outro" was being played, she inexplicably closed down the video with the song and the visual images not quite finished. She suggested that I give her the dvd and she would edited the full "outro" back into the video, but I declined and told her that I would edit that part of the show myself when I uploaded to Youtube so that the new ending would stop after the first song instead of both songs as we are used to doing.
On the way home I stopped off at an event at the Woodstock Artist Association for about an hour and then hurried home for dinner, to get ready for the start of the Division Series between the Mets and the Dodgers, and the hopefully spend time with the two videos. The first video of show 116 was perfectly edited by Ellen and I uploaded to Youtube, but there was a problem. I am used to choosing the lead photo that people see when they look at the video on my Youtube Channel, but that was not going smoothly. Otherwise Youtube chooses the image themselves randomly which is rarely suitable. I couldn't be bothered at that time, so I went ahead to the video for 117. The first thing I realized was that the intro sounded a bit strange, and even worse when I began speaking there was an echo. The echo only lasted slightly less than 60 seconds, so I uploaded anyway to Youtube. So....if you hear the sound as a bit strange, be patient because the sound improves very quickly thereafter.
In the morning I told Laura my dilemma with the lead photo on the channel for the two shows and she showed me another way to compress the photo on my computer than I had been using. That was the problem and now I have it exactly how I want it, EXCEPT those first 45 or so seconds when my voice has an echo.
So now I take a well earned hiatus, step back from the show for a couple of months. I will try to get some of my enthusiasm back that I had during the first three years. Honestly, I am getting a bit tired of the whole thing especially when I have all this extraneous stuff with which to contend. If I am successful I will finish the show # 118 on Fioralle, a stunning small town near Badia a Pasignano, and then I have about 10 more ideas including some on the air interviews. If I am able to get the enthusiasm back to continue, my biggest issue will be that we are not going to Italy next year!!! There are several reasons for this, but I will not get into them here. I anticipate, if possible, to return to Italy during April of 2017, although the details are far from being worked out. So if I must sustain the show, I will have difficulty finding suitable material for future broadcasts, but as I told Laura, "I have about 25,000 photos from trips going back years. I should be able to come up with something!!!" Stay tuned.
It all began with the studio tech calling and leaving a message that the studio will be closed starting Monday so that he could move everything back to the new one in the refurbished community center. I was happy about that for several reasons. First, I need a break so that I could develop some new shows. Second, it would be nice to have a bathroom handy. It is just too stressful to not have one available for the one hour broadcast plus the extra time before and after. Third, perhaps more room would benefit my engineer who is clearly cramped most of the time. In fact we are both continually tripping over wires, equipment, and each other. Fourth, the actual workings of the console and cameras might also be better. Ellen corrected me when I told her that Richard had called me indicating that the closing would be next week not this. I told her for me this will be the last show for a while; she indicated probably December, but I will not use that as my target.
With only about 10 minutes to air time, Ellen gave me the video for show # 116 that she had edited, and then I sat at the table getting organized. With about five minutes to go, she lost the color on the tri-caster called Richard who told her what to do to fix the problem and off we went through the broadcast. From that point on things were very smooth. After all that is the only time I am actually in almost total control, and I was ready having already performed that show several weeks ago. As we concluded the show and the "outro" was being played, she inexplicably closed down the video with the song and the visual images not quite finished. She suggested that I give her the dvd and she would edited the full "outro" back into the video, but I declined and told her that I would edit that part of the show myself when I uploaded to Youtube so that the new ending would stop after the first song instead of both songs as we are used to doing.
On the way home I stopped off at an event at the Woodstock Artist Association for about an hour and then hurried home for dinner, to get ready for the start of the Division Series between the Mets and the Dodgers, and the hopefully spend time with the two videos. The first video of show 116 was perfectly edited by Ellen and I uploaded to Youtube, but there was a problem. I am used to choosing the lead photo that people see when they look at the video on my Youtube Channel, but that was not going smoothly. Otherwise Youtube chooses the image themselves randomly which is rarely suitable. I couldn't be bothered at that time, so I went ahead to the video for 117. The first thing I realized was that the intro sounded a bit strange, and even worse when I began speaking there was an echo. The echo only lasted slightly less than 60 seconds, so I uploaded anyway to Youtube. So....if you hear the sound as a bit strange, be patient because the sound improves very quickly thereafter.
In the morning I told Laura my dilemma with the lead photo on the channel for the two shows and she showed me another way to compress the photo on my computer than I had been using. That was the problem and now I have it exactly how I want it, EXCEPT those first 45 or so seconds when my voice has an echo.
So now I take a well earned hiatus, step back from the show for a couple of months. I will try to get some of my enthusiasm back that I had during the first three years. Honestly, I am getting a bit tired of the whole thing especially when I have all this extraneous stuff with which to contend. If I am successful I will finish the show # 118 on Fioralle, a stunning small town near Badia a Pasignano, and then I have about 10 more ideas including some on the air interviews. If I am able to get the enthusiasm back to continue, my biggest issue will be that we are not going to Italy next year!!! There are several reasons for this, but I will not get into them here. I anticipate, if possible, to return to Italy during April of 2017, although the details are far from being worked out. So if I must sustain the show, I will have difficulty finding suitable material for future broadcasts, but as I told Laura, "I have about 25,000 photos from trips going back years. I should be able to come up with something!!!" Stay tuned.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Pure Chaos
The worst broadcast we ever did due largely to a host of technical problems Ellen was having with the system from video to audio issues. I was also tentative because after installing a new operating system, Yosemite to my MacBook Pro. My problems paled by comparison with what turned out to be almost pure chaos!!!
First she couldn't get the microphone to work, and then after trying all three in the studio, finally got something working. Then as we began, the visual feed stopped working so I couldn't be seen and then we had severe interference. When I went home and saw the DVD of the show, I was horrified by the end product - positively awful. I thought after all that hassle at the studio I could go with an imperfect show and indicate to my audience what it is like to do public access, but it was so terrible that it would have been an embarrassment.
Called Ellen today and indicated that perhaps we should not attempt to broadcast until we have relocated back to the now completely renovated studio, but she felt confident that we can do it, so I acquiesced and we are trying the same show again next Friday. The content appeared excellent. I focused on the Tuscan adventure we had with my friend Lidia and her friend Sabrina and Sabrina's husband Giulio. I asked them to take me anywhere they felt best in Tuscany, preferably somewhere I had never seen. They chose a fabulous day which consisted of morning at the Badia a Pasignano, just west of the Chianti Region, then lunch at a charming restaurant with spectacular views near where Sabrina and her family used to spend their summers, topped off by the hill town of Fioralle not far away. Show # 117 will focus on Badia a Pasignano with two wonderful video interviews, followed by part 2 or Show # 118 on the lunch at Rignana and afternoon at Fioralle. Good plan, lousy broadcast facilities.
Things were so bad yesterday that I began to once again think about doing my own production. I would buy a video camera, set it up meticulously on me sitting at a table, and simply do my own DVD to be uploaded to Youtube. The trouble is that I like public access, feel loyalty to Woodstock and to Ellen, and might not be able to have the split screen concept using the tri-caster. I will give this more time, especially in the new studio which should become a reality in a few months.
First she couldn't get the microphone to work, and then after trying all three in the studio, finally got something working. Then as we began, the visual feed stopped working so I couldn't be seen and then we had severe interference. When I went home and saw the DVD of the show, I was horrified by the end product - positively awful. I thought after all that hassle at the studio I could go with an imperfect show and indicate to my audience what it is like to do public access, but it was so terrible that it would have been an embarrassment.
Called Ellen today and indicated that perhaps we should not attempt to broadcast until we have relocated back to the now completely renovated studio, but she felt confident that we can do it, so I acquiesced and we are trying the same show again next Friday. The content appeared excellent. I focused on the Tuscan adventure we had with my friend Lidia and her friend Sabrina and Sabrina's husband Giulio. I asked them to take me anywhere they felt best in Tuscany, preferably somewhere I had never seen. They chose a fabulous day which consisted of morning at the Badia a Pasignano, just west of the Chianti Region, then lunch at a charming restaurant with spectacular views near where Sabrina and her family used to spend their summers, topped off by the hill town of Fioralle not far away. Show # 117 will focus on Badia a Pasignano with two wonderful video interviews, followed by part 2 or Show # 118 on the lunch at Rignana and afternoon at Fioralle. Good plan, lousy broadcast facilities.
Things were so bad yesterday that I began to once again think about doing my own production. I would buy a video camera, set it up meticulously on me sitting at a table, and simply do my own DVD to be uploaded to Youtube. The trouble is that I like public access, feel loyalty to Woodstock and to Ellen, and might not be able to have the split screen concept using the tri-caster. I will give this more time, especially in the new studio which should become a reality in a few months.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Oh Where Oh Where Have I been?
On Friday, September 25, 2015 I will attempt to broadcast my 117th show. The topic will be related to an extraordinary day I sent with some of my friends in Tuscany. The 116th show on an amazing bead store in Venice is currently being edited and may be published soon; who knows. The 115th show is permanently shelved as far as I am concerned due to the dissatisfaction the participants in that show had with the finished product (see my previous blog post). Alan's Italy is still alive, well, with a very strong beating heart. I have not gone away, yet.
The challenges of Public Access Production as opposed to getting easier seem to be getting harder for a variety of reasons. We are still in the makeshift studio instead of our new digs in the refurbished community center. My engineer continues to have difficulties with the broadcasts. Our desire to produce as close to a perfect show continue to haunt us. My time is even more limited than before, but I feel an obligation to my very loyal fan base, and my mission to present a watchable version of Italian adventure from my point of view.
I have many new shows in the very elementary stage of planning. They are very good ideas based both on my personal experiences and my fertile imagination. I do not know what the future will bring. We will close up shop probably soon to move back into a regular studio. Based on past experience the hiatus should last a couple of months at least. That will be a blessing in disguise as it will provide the time to create several new shows. Stick around.
As always, thank you for your support!!!
The challenges of Public Access Production as opposed to getting easier seem to be getting harder for a variety of reasons. We are still in the makeshift studio instead of our new digs in the refurbished community center. My engineer continues to have difficulties with the broadcasts. Our desire to produce as close to a perfect show continue to haunt us. My time is even more limited than before, but I feel an obligation to my very loyal fan base, and my mission to present a watchable version of Italian adventure from my point of view.
I have many new shows in the very elementary stage of planning. They are very good ideas based both on my personal experiences and my fertile imagination. I do not know what the future will bring. We will close up shop probably soon to move back into a regular studio. Based on past experience the hiatus should last a couple of months at least. That will be a blessing in disguise as it will provide the time to create several new shows. Stick around.
As always, thank you for your support!!!
Friday, August 28, 2015
What If Someone Hates the Show? The "real" Alan revisited. Sigh.
Those of you who regularly read this blog may notice that there is something amiss here. Where's the previous blog post? Those real fans of Alan's Italy may also have noticed that the last show vanished from Youtube. Hey is Alan going bonkers? Well, do me a big favor and do not answer the last question because there may be ample evidence of that happening from quite a ways back. Only kidding. Actually here is what happened; you deserve to know.
I never had a show which the people in the video, i.e. hotel owners, restaurant owners, etc, did not like the content. Actually I came close once but we solved that problem before the show went on the air. The last show I did regarding a certain person who owns a restaurant in a certain place we visited was removed because the people did not like several aspects of the broadcast. Well, ok, I never claimed to be Ken Burns or anyone for that matter. In fact I have gone out of my way (several times early on in this blog) to point out the amateurish nature of my productions, all the imperfections, etc. In fact I do that almost every time I do a show - the "what went wrong" segment of the blog. You know this. Hey, I am not a producer of TV shows. I am a trained, educated, licensed and recognized educator of note in the field of remedial mathematics at one of the largest (if not the largest) community colleges in the world!! I pride myself on that as I cherish the air I breathe. You know this. I have indicated that many times.
So despite telling the person who wanted a show about his endeavors exactly what I just wrote here, the person nonetheless wanted me to do the show. I even made counter suggestions for that person to not only save him money, but also have a better production. I have a witness to that effect. The person wanted ME, and got what I am capable of producing. Then I was told there were too many flaws, and that I needed to change it. Fine, but I have few methods of editing that I am capable of. I could teach anyone basic mathematics, but I cannot edit a broadcast except in small doses. So I removed the show from Youtube and the associated blog. Very simple. Alan's Italy is really very simple, and easy to get along with.
Several years ago I did an interview with a hotel owner. The person had a bad cold and hated the way he looked, so we did not broadcast that interview. The show went forward without that aspect and it was a fine show. So what happened here with the last show I did? Honestly I am not sure. True I have only a 142 IQ, so there are obviously things I don't know; otherwise I would have a 180 IQ like Thomas Jefferson. It could have been a language thing (but this never happened before), or just a misunderstanding. I do not know. I apologize to the person for not delivering what was expected, but once again folks, when you appear on Alan's Italy do not expect a CNN broadcast!!!! I have made this so abundantly clear to people that I am getting tired of it. Before I do a show about a hotel or restaurant or anything, I tell the people to go to my Youtube site and watch my shows, especially about commercial establishments with interviews. If they don't like what they see, then fine, no problems. I move on as I have with 115 broadcasts. So one last time......hello out there......Alan's Italy is a hobby, like model airplanes or stamp collecting. By profession I am a mathematics educator. If you want a broadcast about you or your projects, go to Rick Steves. If you want advice about learning mathematics, send me an email.
I never had a show which the people in the video, i.e. hotel owners, restaurant owners, etc, did not like the content. Actually I came close once but we solved that problem before the show went on the air. The last show I did regarding a certain person who owns a restaurant in a certain place we visited was removed because the people did not like several aspects of the broadcast. Well, ok, I never claimed to be Ken Burns or anyone for that matter. In fact I have gone out of my way (several times early on in this blog) to point out the amateurish nature of my productions, all the imperfections, etc. In fact I do that almost every time I do a show - the "what went wrong" segment of the blog. You know this. Hey, I am not a producer of TV shows. I am a trained, educated, licensed and recognized educator of note in the field of remedial mathematics at one of the largest (if not the largest) community colleges in the world!! I pride myself on that as I cherish the air I breathe. You know this. I have indicated that many times.
So despite telling the person who wanted a show about his endeavors exactly what I just wrote here, the person nonetheless wanted me to do the show. I even made counter suggestions for that person to not only save him money, but also have a better production. I have a witness to that effect. The person wanted ME, and got what I am capable of producing. Then I was told there were too many flaws, and that I needed to change it. Fine, but I have few methods of editing that I am capable of. I could teach anyone basic mathematics, but I cannot edit a broadcast except in small doses. So I removed the show from Youtube and the associated blog. Very simple. Alan's Italy is really very simple, and easy to get along with.
Several years ago I did an interview with a hotel owner. The person had a bad cold and hated the way he looked, so we did not broadcast that interview. The show went forward without that aspect and it was a fine show. So what happened here with the last show I did? Honestly I am not sure. True I have only a 142 IQ, so there are obviously things I don't know; otherwise I would have a 180 IQ like Thomas Jefferson. It could have been a language thing (but this never happened before), or just a misunderstanding. I do not know. I apologize to the person for not delivering what was expected, but once again folks, when you appear on Alan's Italy do not expect a CNN broadcast!!!! I have made this so abundantly clear to people that I am getting tired of it. Before I do a show about a hotel or restaurant or anything, I tell the people to go to my Youtube site and watch my shows, especially about commercial establishments with interviews. If they don't like what they see, then fine, no problems. I move on as I have with 115 broadcasts. So one last time......hello out there......Alan's Italy is a hobby, like model airplanes or stamp collecting. By profession I am a mathematics educator. If you want a broadcast about you or your projects, go to Rick Steves. If you want advice about learning mathematics, send me an email.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
A Great New Hotel in Venice: Palazzo Sant'Antonin
It was my original intention to return from Venice and immediately do a show about the Hotel Palazzo Sant'Antonin. I should have known that it would be impossible to organize all the photos and get everything ready before about two months. This broadcast actually took less time than that from the day we returned from our trip on June 9 to yesterday, July 31, so excited was I regarding the extraordinary experience staying at this amazing hotel. Also, whenever we are graced with a video interview of such quality that just adds to the excitement. So I worked very hard to create the perfect show given the great material I had and, of course, the subject.
As I indicated during the show, staying at this hotel came by surprise as we decided was to stay close to the Biennale at Arsenale and Giardini with no idea of where we would choose. After some research on the Internet, I found this treasure and immediately emailed them reserving a room. I read all the wonderful comments people had made about it, and just knew that this (and oddly not visiting the Biennale) would be the best part of this stay in Venice. I was correct. The title of the show, Oasis in Castello, Venice, was suggested by Elena Scarpa, the hotel manger and daughter of owners. I actually added the "Venice" so that people looking for a hotel in Venice would immediately been taken to the hotel in a google search. Very few people, I would assume, look for Castello as a place to stay unless they either wanted to also stay close to the Biennale or knew the fact that this is a wonderful, charming, and peaceful neighborhood in which to stay. We came upon Castello during our last trip in 2014 with another hotel which at first did not have a room for us this time, but then "relented" a few days after I had already booked the Sant'Antonin. Incidentally the name derives from the church of the same name which is nearby; I do not believe we even got to see it, as we were so busy with three days at the Biennale. Seeing everything at the Biennale is a huge undertaking, and probably impossible. The temperatures were very high during our stay and after several hours of seeing the amazing art in extremely uncomfortable circumstances, we happily would have a nice lunch somewhere and return to our special treat, a twenty minute stroll from Arsenale and a bit longer to Giardini. Coming back to the hotel was such a wonderful experience that when we left Venice, all I could think about was returning soon to stay there once again. Also, after many years of staying in Dorsoduro, I believed that we had found a new location in which to spend time. We also made contact with two lovely people who owned a beed store near the hotel. That experience will be the subject of a future show.
The actual broadcast did not go smoothly. What else is new? First of all because the air conditioner always makes so much noise, we usually turn it off just before going on the air. The studio became stifling hot. I thought about opening the front door, but I realized that someone was mowing their lawn somewhere close by and making loud noises. I did not want to take my sport jacket off, so I did the show feeling quite uncomfortable. Second, just before going on the air Ellen, my engineer, had trouble with the mouse which did not permit her to do her work on the tri-caster. Third and most disturbing, the video interview with Elena was not being broadcast properly with voices not in sync (a common problem), and also a lot of static. Needless to say by the time the show ended at about 5:45 PM, I was a physical and emotional wreck. I told Ellen that if the video was not viewable, we would do it all over again as soon as possible. When I got home and watched the DVD, everything was absolutely perfect!!! After 114 broadcasts I should know by now that public access is just such a challenge that I can never expect a smooth ride.
Once again, I would like to thank Elena and her family for their amazing hotel and kindness towards us during our stay. Their story is so sweet and charming that I hope everyone who watches the show will wish, as we do, that the Scarpa Family not only succeeds in their venture for many years to come, but flourishes as well!!
As I indicated during the show, staying at this hotel came by surprise as we decided was to stay close to the Biennale at Arsenale and Giardini with no idea of where we would choose. After some research on the Internet, I found this treasure and immediately emailed them reserving a room. I read all the wonderful comments people had made about it, and just knew that this (and oddly not visiting the Biennale) would be the best part of this stay in Venice. I was correct. The title of the show, Oasis in Castello, Venice, was suggested by Elena Scarpa, the hotel manger and daughter of owners. I actually added the "Venice" so that people looking for a hotel in Venice would immediately been taken to the hotel in a google search. Very few people, I would assume, look for Castello as a place to stay unless they either wanted to also stay close to the Biennale or knew the fact that this is a wonderful, charming, and peaceful neighborhood in which to stay. We came upon Castello during our last trip in 2014 with another hotel which at first did not have a room for us this time, but then "relented" a few days after I had already booked the Sant'Antonin. Incidentally the name derives from the church of the same name which is nearby; I do not believe we even got to see it, as we were so busy with three days at the Biennale. Seeing everything at the Biennale is a huge undertaking, and probably impossible. The temperatures were very high during our stay and after several hours of seeing the amazing art in extremely uncomfortable circumstances, we happily would have a nice lunch somewhere and return to our special treat, a twenty minute stroll from Arsenale and a bit longer to Giardini. Coming back to the hotel was such a wonderful experience that when we left Venice, all I could think about was returning soon to stay there once again. Also, after many years of staying in Dorsoduro, I believed that we had found a new location in which to spend time. We also made contact with two lovely people who owned a beed store near the hotel. That experience will be the subject of a future show.
The actual broadcast did not go smoothly. What else is new? First of all because the air conditioner always makes so much noise, we usually turn it off just before going on the air. The studio became stifling hot. I thought about opening the front door, but I realized that someone was mowing their lawn somewhere close by and making loud noises. I did not want to take my sport jacket off, so I did the show feeling quite uncomfortable. Second, just before going on the air Ellen, my engineer, had trouble with the mouse which did not permit her to do her work on the tri-caster. Third and most disturbing, the video interview with Elena was not being broadcast properly with voices not in sync (a common problem), and also a lot of static. Needless to say by the time the show ended at about 5:45 PM, I was a physical and emotional wreck. I told Ellen that if the video was not viewable, we would do it all over again as soon as possible. When I got home and watched the DVD, everything was absolutely perfect!!! After 114 broadcasts I should know by now that public access is just such a challenge that I can never expect a smooth ride.
Once again, I would like to thank Elena and her family for their amazing hotel and kindness towards us during our stay. Their story is so sweet and charming that I hope everyone who watches the show will wish, as we do, that the Scarpa Family not only succeeds in their venture for many years to come, but flourishes as well!!
Sunday, July 19, 2015
In Dry Dock for a While
Just as I was about to spend Sunday preparing for the broadcast of my next show on Alan's Italy, I was informed by my engineer that work would begin tomorrow (Monday, July 20) to relocate the equipment from the makeshift studio we had been using since the renovation of the regular venue back to our new studio. The show would have been # 114: Oasis in Castello, Venice - Hotel Sant'Antonin, focusing on the wonderful hotel in which we stayed during the most recent trip. We would have included photos of the area in which the hotel was located, closeup shots of the hotel, inside and out, and featuring the interview we did with the owner's daughter and hotel manager, Elena.
If past performance is any determining factor in this type of situation, then we can be pretty sure we will be out of action for at least three months, bringing us to at least late October at the earliest. Things could be different this time around, but I am not optimistic. I feel badly since I was getting ready, not only the hotel show, but many others related to the last trip and several others. I feel especially badly to disappoint Elena and her father who treated us with great kindness. I will prepare a show immediately with the expectation of returning to live broadcasts as soon as possible; however, fans of Alan's Italy will have to go with the previous 113 broadcasts for now.
Thank you for past interest in my projects.
If past performance is any determining factor in this type of situation, then we can be pretty sure we will be out of action for at least three months, bringing us to at least late October at the earliest. Things could be different this time around, but I am not optimistic. I feel badly since I was getting ready, not only the hotel show, but many others related to the last trip and several others. I feel especially badly to disappoint Elena and her father who treated us with great kindness. I will prepare a show immediately with the expectation of returning to live broadcasts as soon as possible; however, fans of Alan's Italy will have to go with the previous 113 broadcasts for now.
Thank you for past interest in my projects.
Friday, July 10, 2015
The Most Amazing Sculpture Museum in Florence, The Bargello
For the second show in a row I attempted to analyze art. This time it was the amazing Bargello, National Museum of Sculpture in Florence. I have been to this museum about 8 - 10 times, and with a bit of research of my favorite pieces was able to do a pretty good job. The preparation was quite challenging considering I am working 4 days a week, full days, a lot of travel into NYC and very little time to do anything but my job at the college. I squeezed in a few moments here and there with the expectation that I would be able to create a show. It is important that things move along, since in not so distant a future, I am certain the makeshift studio in the trailer will close and the broadcasting equipment moved back into the new studio. Who knows how long the studio will close, but if last time is a guide, it could be several months. Meanwhile since I have promised several people in Italy shows, I do not want to disappoint them for too long a period. I now have all the photos and videos from our last trip and the show on the Hotel Sant'Antonin leads the list for future broadcasts. First, of course, I wanted to finish up the Bargello show which has been on the drawing board for probably two years. I kept seeing "Bargello" on my list of albums, and never gave it a second thought until recently when I was starting to run out of shows. Then I started to put together something serious, and wow, it came out good. Ellen engineered as perfect a broadcast as she ever did with no glitches at all.
The only down part (ho hum) was my reference to the number of sculptures by Michelangelo which still remains in Rome. First I said two, then corrected myself with four and when I got home realized it was really five forgetting the Risen Christ in the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minvera near the Pantheon. Probably nobody will notice that, but once again perfection eludes me. I also began the show by discussing one of my previous errors when I referred to the Adoration by Botticelli in the room of his name at the Uffizi with the theme of three centuries of Medici, instead of saying three generations. I almost did it again during the correction phase of tonight's show. Nonetheless, I was pleased, so do not get me wrong and assume I was dissatisfied, although it bewilders me how I can never do a perfect show, but I could teach a perfect mathematics lesson which is probably just as hard. In a 4 1/2 hr lecture, I could go straight through without any problems, but perfection in a 50 minute show doesn't happen that often..
Now the stage is set for me to work hard and produce the hotel show for the wonderful family using the outstanding interview I did with the manager and daughter of the owner, Elena. She is excited about it and I am eager to do a good job. So off I go to start creating the new albums for the new season. Please tune in.
The only down part (ho hum) was my reference to the number of sculptures by Michelangelo which still remains in Rome. First I said two, then corrected myself with four and when I got home realized it was really five forgetting the Risen Christ in the Church of Santa Maria Sopra Minvera near the Pantheon. Probably nobody will notice that, but once again perfection eludes me. I also began the show by discussing one of my previous errors when I referred to the Adoration by Botticelli in the room of his name at the Uffizi with the theme of three centuries of Medici, instead of saying three generations. I almost did it again during the correction phase of tonight's show. Nonetheless, I was pleased, so do not get me wrong and assume I was dissatisfied, although it bewilders me how I can never do a perfect show, but I could teach a perfect mathematics lesson which is probably just as hard. In a 4 1/2 hr lecture, I could go straight through without any problems, but perfection in a 50 minute show doesn't happen that often..
Now the stage is set for me to work hard and produce the hotel show for the wonderful family using the outstanding interview I did with the manager and daughter of the owner, Elena. She is excited about it and I am eager to do a good job. So off I go to start creating the new albums for the new season. Please tune in.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
The Italian Renaissance in New York City
I felt very uncomfortable doing tho show last evening. Part of the reason was that I was very, very tired. Another thing was that I was very hungry and hadn't really eaten much that day (always very bad for me), and thus felt weak in addition to hunger. I also had my new summer teaching assignment on my mind. And finally, once again my engineer had trouble getting everything right, and only did when I made a suggestion. You know things are bad in the studio when we get on the air because of a suggestion that I make!!!!! Also, I hadn't realized that this was the first broadcast since before we went away, so five weeks. All this combined to make this a difficult performance on my part, although, and I kept thinking this all during the broadcast, my audience probably had no idea of any of this. I made several mistakes throughout, just as I used to do in the "old" days; the most annoying and perhaps glaring (but again perhaps unnoticeable) when describing the work in the Uffizi by Botticelli, I indicate that the artist depicted the Medici Family over "three centuries" when I meant to say "three generations." I thought that was my most annoying error, but unfortunately I did not realize it until I was viewing the show at home several hours later. In the Adoration, which is my favorite of Botticelli's work, we see Cosimo il Vecchio, his son Piero, and the young Lorenzo off to the side - hardly three centuries!!! I also picked up a few other mistakes along the way, but the mistake I just mentioned was the one which kept me awake all night.
I liked being on the air again, talking about our recent trip to Italy, "the agony and the ecstasy" a weird combination of magnificence and great strain and anxiety (watch the show). Now the hard part - putting together enough shows to last for the next year. I have a couple which I could fashion into shows quickly, but to get everything together will require time, a commodity I may have trouble finding since my teaching schedule will be totally dominating my time, at least for the next five weeks. Then since I have applied for a full time position at the college, that could be a future difficulty.
In the meantime it is on the schedule that the makeshift studio may closed for a while and we will be moved into the new studio in the refurbished Woodstock Community Center. Last time taking the equipment out of the old studio and setting up the trailer temporarily consumed several months. If that occurs, I will surely not be very upset, because time is what I need most to get the new year's broadcasts together. Do not expect a show now for perhaps three weeks. That show will probably be the one which is about 25 % completed on my favorite sculpture museum in Florence, the Bargello, the former prison and now the National Museum of Sculpture. After that, if we are not closed down, I will probably begin the new year of broadcasts with the one titled, Oasis in Castello, Venice - Hotel Sant'Antonin. I owe the gracious and dedicated owner of the hotel in which we stayed in Venice the honor of my first show of the new season.
I liked being on the air again, talking about our recent trip to Italy, "the agony and the ecstasy" a weird combination of magnificence and great strain and anxiety (watch the show). Now the hard part - putting together enough shows to last for the next year. I have a couple which I could fashion into shows quickly, but to get everything together will require time, a commodity I may have trouble finding since my teaching schedule will be totally dominating my time, at least for the next five weeks. Then since I have applied for a full time position at the college, that could be a future difficulty.
In the meantime it is on the schedule that the makeshift studio may closed for a while and we will be moved into the new studio in the refurbished Woodstock Community Center. Last time taking the equipment out of the old studio and setting up the trailer temporarily consumed several months. If that occurs, I will surely not be very upset, because time is what I need most to get the new year's broadcasts together. Do not expect a show now for perhaps three weeks. That show will probably be the one which is about 25 % completed on my favorite sculpture museum in Florence, the Bargello, the former prison and now the National Museum of Sculpture. After that, if we are not closed down, I will probably begin the new year of broadcasts with the one titled, Oasis in Castello, Venice - Hotel Sant'Antonin. I owe the gracious and dedicated owner of the hotel in which we stayed in Venice the honor of my first show of the new season.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Back in the USA!!!
On Tuesday, May 26, we left Newark Airport and the next day flew first to Zurich, Switzerland, and then the next day connected to a plane which landed in Florence for the first time ever and this was wonderful. For every other time we have visited this great city, we arrived by train. After we landed, a short taxi ride and wham, in the hotel!!!! However to get to this point we left home at noon on Tuesday, had a 2 1/2 hr car ride, 3 hr wait (it could have been less but I like to get places early), 8 1/2 hr plane flight to Zurich, 4 hr layover, and a one hour flight to Peretola, Florence's airport. For the next day and a half we relaxed with great food, and did very little. I developed a minor stomach disorder which extended to Friday and prevented our day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio and Orvieto to visit with Franco. That was disappointing, but I just could not travel such a distance the way I felt. Saturday Lidia and her friend Sabrina and her husband, Giulio, drove us around Tuscany visiting the stunning town of Badia a Pasignano (never heard of it before), lunch at Cantinetta di Rignana (high in hills overlooking Tuscany - beautiful), and then the town of Montefioralle, a really fun and relaxing day with Lidia doing all the driving. Sunday Luca took us to Volpaia in the Chianti Region of Tuscany, near Greve in Chianti. Although I have been all over in Chianti, this is one place to which I had never been. We had a great time dining at a great restaurant. He then insisted on driving us home back to Florence!!!!!
On Monday, June 1, we wheeled our luggage down via della Scala to the train station Santa Maria Novella (SMN) about 10 mins away. Then a high speed train, 2 hrs, to Venice, water taxi to Hotel Sant Antonin. This amazing hotel is only two years old, but already one of the top places in Venice and for very good reason. The Scarpa Family owns the hotel and Elena runs it for her father who worked in the stunning back garden. In fact when I first saw him, I thought he was THE gardener instead of the owner!!! She gave us an amazing room right off the marvelous garden with its own entrance, and beautiful full wall of windows overlooking our own private patio. We were treated as if we were part of the family, with warmth, caring, and excellent service. The reception people are friendly and accommodating recommending a wonderful restaurant, Jonny's. You get to meet Jonny and he is very pleasant, helpful choosing the right dish for you (gave us Spaghetti Vongole - Vongole means Clams even though it was not even on the menu!), and his restaurant is right on a wonderful campo (piazza) in the charming and less touristy Castello Sestiere of Venice. The food was delicious. The hotel and restaurant have quickly become our new standard for every trip we ever take to Venice!!!! Elena gave a wonderful 10 min interview in the garden on the history of the hotel and a bit about her family. Thank you Elena and Jonny.
For recreation we spent two miserably hot days at the Biennale. The art was weird and I hate to say, not that pleasing to me - but what do I know about art? The art is presented in a very non A/C area (it would probably cost way too much to air condition the place). It is fun, however, visiting such a plethora of creative geniuses, a veritable World's Fair of Contemporary Art. We had for lunch one of the days one of the best salads we ever had in a lovely garden. Another day we visited the Palazzzo Bembo, largest of the "collateral exhibitions" and the scene of Laura's work in 2013. Also no A/C but really a fun two hrs with some magnificent stuff. The heat, however, was oppressive, the crowds in the most heavily trafficked areas of S. Marco and Rialto overwhelming, and we always had the impression we were being ripped off (which we probably were). One of the highlights of the whole stay in Venice - 4 days - was the Bead Store a short 5 min stroll from the hotel. Here Manuela and Moulaye run an amazing business at Muranero, Arte African in Vetro. The latter is from Senegal, studied bead making in Murano claims to be the only African in the business (I don't doubt it), teaches and makes stunning beads right before your eyes. Manuela then puts them together for you as you also watch and runs the business. We have a great video of our interviews with him, her, and also his bead making which will make for a wonderful TV show. However wonderful it was to be in Venice, the oppressive heat for sure put a damper on everything.
Then again water taxi picking us up right from the dock in front of the hotel, whisked us to station, Santa Lucia, and then another high speed train ride of 2 1/2 hrs to Milan. Everything going well for this transfer until we were told our connecting train to Varenna was cancelled due to suicide on the tracks. We waited for an hour, by now exhausted from the heat, boarded a train which had no A/C and people who were dying to just close every window for a reason I have yet to determine, and finally arrived in Varenna on Lake Como at 3PM, although only an hour late. The worst part of having a train canceled in Italy is that it is very difficult to find out any information. The lines are unbelievably long. In this case there was one official walking around giving people advice; if not for him, we might be still waiting there on line. Marco Barili's wife Nelly picked us up at the station in Varenna and off we went to Hotel du Lac for our room overlooking the lake with balcony. It was good to get to a place where we had very little to do. In the past we had seen all the villas open to the public, visited most of the towns on the lake, so basically spent each day sipping prosecco at Bar il Molo on the lake. We did an interview with Simone's publicist, Giuditta, in his new venture, il Bottaio, which last year was devoted strictly to art, but now a maze of 5 wonderful stores - see the show which will focus on this. But again, not much doing here thankfully except for the day we took the ferry to Bellagio and had lunch at the Baita Belvedere high in the hills above the town with absolutely positively breathtaking views of the landscape below. We also walked the approx 11/2 miles from Varenna to the tiny town of Fiumelatte where they boast the smallest river in the world. It is a spout of water from the rocks that empties into Lake Como during part of the year. It was a beautiful thing to see. For dinners we ate at Vecchia Varenna and Cavatapi, both old standards for us, one other evening at Bar il Molo, and the final night at Sole for wonderful pizza.
Then Marco's Taxi Service back to Milan Malpensa for the ride home, 9 hrs which became 12 hrs when Newark Airport was closed for a while. We landed in Hartford, Conn, refueled, and finally arrived 3 hrs late. Got home at 9 PM after a 22 hr trip!!!!! Now experiencing the worst jet lag I ever had. My jet lag seems to be getting worse each year. We came to the conclusion that 15 days away was too much, and we will probably cut that back significantly in the future. The transfers very hard so we might limit that even further than we have already to perhaps a maximum of two different locations. And finally when one travels in June, there is always the chance for very hot weather so an earlier time may be in the cards as well. However just too early to start thinking about the next trip.
Please tune into Alan's Italy during the fall to see my take on the experiences we had!
On Monday, June 1, we wheeled our luggage down via della Scala to the train station Santa Maria Novella (SMN) about 10 mins away. Then a high speed train, 2 hrs, to Venice, water taxi to Hotel Sant Antonin. This amazing hotel is only two years old, but already one of the top places in Venice and for very good reason. The Scarpa Family owns the hotel and Elena runs it for her father who worked in the stunning back garden. In fact when I first saw him, I thought he was THE gardener instead of the owner!!! She gave us an amazing room right off the marvelous garden with its own entrance, and beautiful full wall of windows overlooking our own private patio. We were treated as if we were part of the family, with warmth, caring, and excellent service. The reception people are friendly and accommodating recommending a wonderful restaurant, Jonny's. You get to meet Jonny and he is very pleasant, helpful choosing the right dish for you (gave us Spaghetti Vongole - Vongole means Clams even though it was not even on the menu!), and his restaurant is right on a wonderful campo (piazza) in the charming and less touristy Castello Sestiere of Venice. The food was delicious. The hotel and restaurant have quickly become our new standard for every trip we ever take to Venice!!!! Elena gave a wonderful 10 min interview in the garden on the history of the hotel and a bit about her family. Thank you Elena and Jonny.
For recreation we spent two miserably hot days at the Biennale. The art was weird and I hate to say, not that pleasing to me - but what do I know about art? The art is presented in a very non A/C area (it would probably cost way too much to air condition the place). It is fun, however, visiting such a plethora of creative geniuses, a veritable World's Fair of Contemporary Art. We had for lunch one of the days one of the best salads we ever had in a lovely garden. Another day we visited the Palazzzo Bembo, largest of the "collateral exhibitions" and the scene of Laura's work in 2013. Also no A/C but really a fun two hrs with some magnificent stuff. The heat, however, was oppressive, the crowds in the most heavily trafficked areas of S. Marco and Rialto overwhelming, and we always had the impression we were being ripped off (which we probably were). One of the highlights of the whole stay in Venice - 4 days - was the Bead Store a short 5 min stroll from the hotel. Here Manuela and Moulaye run an amazing business at Muranero, Arte African in Vetro. The latter is from Senegal, studied bead making in Murano claims to be the only African in the business (I don't doubt it), teaches and makes stunning beads right before your eyes. Manuela then puts them together for you as you also watch and runs the business. We have a great video of our interviews with him, her, and also his bead making which will make for a wonderful TV show. However wonderful it was to be in Venice, the oppressive heat for sure put a damper on everything.
Then again water taxi picking us up right from the dock in front of the hotel, whisked us to station, Santa Lucia, and then another high speed train ride of 2 1/2 hrs to Milan. Everything going well for this transfer until we were told our connecting train to Varenna was cancelled due to suicide on the tracks. We waited for an hour, by now exhausted from the heat, boarded a train which had no A/C and people who were dying to just close every window for a reason I have yet to determine, and finally arrived in Varenna on Lake Como at 3PM, although only an hour late. The worst part of having a train canceled in Italy is that it is very difficult to find out any information. The lines are unbelievably long. In this case there was one official walking around giving people advice; if not for him, we might be still waiting there on line. Marco Barili's wife Nelly picked us up at the station in Varenna and off we went to Hotel du Lac for our room overlooking the lake with balcony. It was good to get to a place where we had very little to do. In the past we had seen all the villas open to the public, visited most of the towns on the lake, so basically spent each day sipping prosecco at Bar il Molo on the lake. We did an interview with Simone's publicist, Giuditta, in his new venture, il Bottaio, which last year was devoted strictly to art, but now a maze of 5 wonderful stores - see the show which will focus on this. But again, not much doing here thankfully except for the day we took the ferry to Bellagio and had lunch at the Baita Belvedere high in the hills above the town with absolutely positively breathtaking views of the landscape below. We also walked the approx 11/2 miles from Varenna to the tiny town of Fiumelatte where they boast the smallest river in the world. It is a spout of water from the rocks that empties into Lake Como during part of the year. It was a beautiful thing to see. For dinners we ate at Vecchia Varenna and Cavatapi, both old standards for us, one other evening at Bar il Molo, and the final night at Sole for wonderful pizza.
Then Marco's Taxi Service back to Milan Malpensa for the ride home, 9 hrs which became 12 hrs when Newark Airport was closed for a while. We landed in Hartford, Conn, refueled, and finally arrived 3 hrs late. Got home at 9 PM after a 22 hr trip!!!!! Now experiencing the worst jet lag I ever had. My jet lag seems to be getting worse each year. We came to the conclusion that 15 days away was too much, and we will probably cut that back significantly in the future. The transfers very hard so we might limit that even further than we have already to perhaps a maximum of two different locations. And finally when one travels in June, there is always the chance for very hot weather so an earlier time may be in the cards as well. However just too early to start thinking about the next trip.
Please tune into Alan's Italy during the fall to see my take on the experiences we had!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Last Show of Season
As we get ready to embark upon the next adventure in Italy, one final show was produced using a compilation of older material acquired over several years. I was going to produce a show focusing on the streets of Rome, but found one of them so interesting, that my focus changed to just that street, the via dei Fori Imperiali. The street which connects the Ancient Roman iconic Coliseum with the Medieval Palazzo Venezia, the venue in which Mussolini spoke from its balcony has played a very large role in my exploration of Rome since my first trip in 1992. In fact it was on this street that I had one of my first Italian meals, as did my wife, and others on the corner of via dei Fori Imperiali and via Cavour. The street has enough history to merit its own special museum right on the avenue. The dichotomy of the splendor of a monumental street for the egomaniacal Mussolini and the destruction he wrought on an historic location is ever present throughout this show. Nonetheless, whether the street continues to become the focal point for millions of visitors to Rome trying to imagine the magnificence of the Ancient World or the current mayor gets his way and recreates the famous avenue remains to be seen. Nonetheless, this is my take on one of the most famous places in Rome.
Meanwhile back at the studio, we knew that there would be no live broadcast due to a problem with a Time Warner problem. The tech people indicated that broadcasting live produces a green screen. Since I never recalled this being an issue before, I once again came to the conclusion that no matter what the problem may be, it will always be unique; a stunning reminder of the ever present challenge of public access that I apparently (and a bit bewilderingly) find so appealing to me! Then we lost our color, but finally everything was straightened out, and off we went with a perfect production, except for some mistakes I made along the way. I don't think I was in a sharp frame of mind considering the various flubs I made in a few places. Probably I had the upcoming trip on my mind, which after 20 years of travel still is a challenge for someone like me. It is complicated anyway traveling on one's own around Italy for two weeks, but throw in my usual bit of anxiety and voila, my mind was diverted for sure. Anyway a nice show, featuring yet another of my favorite topics, streets of Italy, unfolds very nicely.
Off we go back to what a former Italian friend of mine used to call "the homeland" when we spoke and then there will be a hiatus of several weeks, perhaps months, until the new material, whatever that will be, will be broadcast. All I have currently on the drawing board are two shows, Italian Renaissance Art at the NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Bridges of Italy. The former is quite ready to go and the latter in its infant stages of development. Plus we never know the status of the new studio which is scheduled to open around now. If we get the go ahead for that, it could take quite a while for the tech people to move everything back in and connect the wires. I will continue to keep my followers posted on the status of Alan's Italy via the Blog. I will probably not be blogging on my Travel Pod site, so this could it for a couple of weeks. Ciao!
Meanwhile back at the studio, we knew that there would be no live broadcast due to a problem with a Time Warner problem. The tech people indicated that broadcasting live produces a green screen. Since I never recalled this being an issue before, I once again came to the conclusion that no matter what the problem may be, it will always be unique; a stunning reminder of the ever present challenge of public access that I apparently (and a bit bewilderingly) find so appealing to me! Then we lost our color, but finally everything was straightened out, and off we went with a perfect production, except for some mistakes I made along the way. I don't think I was in a sharp frame of mind considering the various flubs I made in a few places. Probably I had the upcoming trip on my mind, which after 20 years of travel still is a challenge for someone like me. It is complicated anyway traveling on one's own around Italy for two weeks, but throw in my usual bit of anxiety and voila, my mind was diverted for sure. Anyway a nice show, featuring yet another of my favorite topics, streets of Italy, unfolds very nicely.
Off we go back to what a former Italian friend of mine used to call "the homeland" when we spoke and then there will be a hiatus of several weeks, perhaps months, until the new material, whatever that will be, will be broadcast. All I have currently on the drawing board are two shows, Italian Renaissance Art at the NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Bridges of Italy. The former is quite ready to go and the latter in its infant stages of development. Plus we never know the status of the new studio which is scheduled to open around now. If we get the go ahead for that, it could take quite a while for the tech people to move everything back in and connect the wires. I will continue to keep my followers posted on the status of Alan's Italy via the Blog. I will probably not be blogging on my Travel Pod site, so this could it for a couple of weeks. Ciao!
Friday, May 8, 2015
In The Heat of the Night
The studio was perhaps 100 degrees when I arrived at 4:35 PM. Ellen indicated that we should perhaps forget tonight, but we trudged on only to find that it became unbearable. I shed my jacket, and tried to deal with the intense heat. There were a few glitches clearly caused by the equipment being too hot as well. Therefore during the show the viewer gets to see some strange things such as close-ups and then a quick reversal on my image, unique fading in and out, a blacked out image of me, colorful lines going every which way. Ellen just asked me if we should do it over, and I said, nah, it's part of the charm and aura of public access and I want to keep it just as it is. In the future, however, it would be folly to try such a thing again, but for health reasons. Ellen and I became physically ill when we got home from the intense and extremely uncomfortable heat.
Meanwhile, the show carried itself through the maze of shopping that makes Florence, Italy not only the center of the Italian Renaissance, repository of some of the greatest art in history, but also what I referred to as "one giant department store." Leather goods, clothing, jewelry, food, and just about anything you can think of is exhibited in every venue, markets, stalls, department stores, along the Ponte Vecchio, via Tournabuoni, via della Scala, piazzas and the sides of the river called Lungarni. Featured is a ten minute video interview of one of the nicest stores in Florence, Dolceforte at number 21 via della Scala. The owner of the food specialty store is Elena who gives a wonderful tour of her amazing gourmet food. I also have a pasta making video from a nearby osteria, and finally a great video of street performers entertaining the people along the via Pallazuolo.
We have one more show, My Favorite Street in Rome, via dei Fori Imperiali, and then we are off to Italy for my 23rd and Laura's 16th trip. Hopefully we will bring back a lot of great stuff. Now I will submerge my body in ice water to cool off.
Meanwhile, the show carried itself through the maze of shopping that makes Florence, Italy not only the center of the Italian Renaissance, repository of some of the greatest art in history, but also what I referred to as "one giant department store." Leather goods, clothing, jewelry, food, and just about anything you can think of is exhibited in every venue, markets, stalls, department stores, along the Ponte Vecchio, via Tournabuoni, via della Scala, piazzas and the sides of the river called Lungarni. Featured is a ten minute video interview of one of the nicest stores in Florence, Dolceforte at number 21 via della Scala. The owner of the food specialty store is Elena who gives a wonderful tour of her amazing gourmet food. I also have a pasta making video from a nearby osteria, and finally a great video of street performers entertaining the people along the via Pallazuolo.
We have one more show, My Favorite Street in Rome, via dei Fori Imperiali, and then we are off to Italy for my 23rd and Laura's 16th trip. Hopefully we will bring back a lot of great stuff. Now I will submerge my body in ice water to cool off.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Fighting Murphy's Law
By now you would think that having been through almost 3 1/2 years of public access misery, I would have gotten used to the various impediments to a well run TV broadcast. Clearly I haven't, but what occurs to me is that just when I thought everything that could go wrong had gone wrong, something else crops up. Arrived at the studio armed with my next show's notes and album, and eager to talk about Tuscany for the last time in the current series. I met someone Ellen introduced me to who had been hired by the township to do computer work. She told him I was a mathematician and an Italophile. Right off the bat I began by explaining that I wasn't really a mathematician, even though I have taught the subject for 43 years in high school and college. Real mathematicians, I assume, remember what they learned in Topology, Numerical Analysis, and Complex Variables courses; I don't! Then I had to explain why I cannot speak Italian fluently, once again using the excuse that my friends in Italy, in their eagerness to better learn the English language to help them in their work, would rather not speak Italian when I am around. Even though this is probably true, by now this fellow probably assumed that all the wonderful things Ellen told him about me were probably not true.
We got everything ready for the show, when at 4:50, Ellen said, "well we have about ten minutes and I cannot get any sound out of that mike. Try that other one." Nothing worked and yet again, I began to unwind with the expectation of going home very soon. At 4:58, when I was already starting to close the computer lid, she suddenly said, "I have it!" We started on time and I meandered through my material on San Miniato and Vinci for the latter focusing primarily on the great Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous resident of the lovely Tuscan town. Of course, I have had bad allergies (or a cold, who really knows) for the past week, and even had trouble finishing my second lecture at the college on Thursday because my voice gave out with about an hour to go. This time after about a half hour my throat started to bother me, and I had forgotten to bring water with me to the studio. Nonetheless, the show came off pretty much as I had wanted it to. I did make a few mistakes, and even forgot the word "background" when I was trying to describe the location of the Leonardo Museum in a photo I was showing.
It WAS fun, however, and it is impossible to tell from the actual video that I had a hard time getting through the show. That finishes off all the material we came home from Italy with last June. Twelve shows covering Lake Como, Cinque Terre, and Tuscany. Of course, I would never have made it this far with that material had the studio not been closed for three months. In that case I would have had to use a lot of albums I have prepared that I intend to use to cover the next two shows before we go and a couple of more when we return to the USA after our trip. Sometimes ideas for future shows come to me faster than at other time, and I am in a creative period right now. The next broadcast will be something I have thought about for quite a while focusing on shopping in Florence, a topic with which I am well acquainted. Then I will concentrate on the most famous street in Rome, the via dei Fori Imperiali. You would think that I couldn't get 40 minutes out of talking about just a street, and this WILL be a challenge, but I think I have enough material to do, especially if I talk about previous shows I did on streets and roads, and throw in some old photos. Then we go to Italy, and when I come back I will do a show on the Renaissance art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That material was obtained during a recent visit when I photographed their extensive collection of wonderful art using my IPhone. Then I have an idea about doing a show on Bridges of Italy, with special focus on Venice and Florence, but also talking about a lot of them around the world. You wouldn't think there would be so many interesting things about bridges, but there surely is. Then I have to work, but by then we will probably have come home with a lot of material from the trip to Venice, Florence, and Lake Como.
So I merrily came home, had dinner, and watched the show to see that there was a period of several minutes when every time the camera was on me, the screen lost its color! I look old enough in color, but in black and white, even older. Yet another problem, and even further infuriating that this had never happened before. Is it possible that there are other issues just around the corner to mar a future broadcast? Murphy would surely have said, oh yes, just you wait!
We got everything ready for the show, when at 4:50, Ellen said, "well we have about ten minutes and I cannot get any sound out of that mike. Try that other one." Nothing worked and yet again, I began to unwind with the expectation of going home very soon. At 4:58, when I was already starting to close the computer lid, she suddenly said, "I have it!" We started on time and I meandered through my material on San Miniato and Vinci for the latter focusing primarily on the great Leonardo da Vinci, the most famous resident of the lovely Tuscan town. Of course, I have had bad allergies (or a cold, who really knows) for the past week, and even had trouble finishing my second lecture at the college on Thursday because my voice gave out with about an hour to go. This time after about a half hour my throat started to bother me, and I had forgotten to bring water with me to the studio. Nonetheless, the show came off pretty much as I had wanted it to. I did make a few mistakes, and even forgot the word "background" when I was trying to describe the location of the Leonardo Museum in a photo I was showing.
It WAS fun, however, and it is impossible to tell from the actual video that I had a hard time getting through the show. That finishes off all the material we came home from Italy with last June. Twelve shows covering Lake Como, Cinque Terre, and Tuscany. Of course, I would never have made it this far with that material had the studio not been closed for three months. In that case I would have had to use a lot of albums I have prepared that I intend to use to cover the next two shows before we go and a couple of more when we return to the USA after our trip. Sometimes ideas for future shows come to me faster than at other time, and I am in a creative period right now. The next broadcast will be something I have thought about for quite a while focusing on shopping in Florence, a topic with which I am well acquainted. Then I will concentrate on the most famous street in Rome, the via dei Fori Imperiali. You would think that I couldn't get 40 minutes out of talking about just a street, and this WILL be a challenge, but I think I have enough material to do, especially if I talk about previous shows I did on streets and roads, and throw in some old photos. Then we go to Italy, and when I come back I will do a show on the Renaissance art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That material was obtained during a recent visit when I photographed their extensive collection of wonderful art using my IPhone. Then I have an idea about doing a show on Bridges of Italy, with special focus on Venice and Florence, but also talking about a lot of them around the world. You wouldn't think there would be so many interesting things about bridges, but there surely is. Then I have to work, but by then we will probably have come home with a lot of material from the trip to Venice, Florence, and Lake Como.
So I merrily came home, had dinner, and watched the show to see that there was a period of several minutes when every time the camera was on me, the screen lost its color! I look old enough in color, but in black and white, even older. Yet another problem, and even further infuriating that this had never happened before. Is it possible that there are other issues just around the corner to mar a future broadcast? Murphy would surely have said, oh yes, just you wait!
Friday, April 10, 2015
Almost Missed the Show
Never happened before. At about 3:45, about 30 minutes before I leave for the studio and all ready to do a show, I sat half asleep on my couch, or so I thought. In actuality I was totally asleep soon after I sat down. I suddenly awoke at about 4:25, groggy, I did not know what I was supposed to be doing, glanced at the clock on my wall, and suddenly bolted upright realizing I had been asleep and was supposed to be driving to the studio roughly 15 minutes away. I rushed out of the house, got into my car, and hastened to the town, where I arrived at 4:45, the latest I had ever gotten there. Nonetheless, the show started without a hitch, except for the fact that sound didn't start until about 15 seconds into the opening segment, not an atypical glitch considering all the problems of broadcasting we usually have. The only thing I was afraid of was not being sharp enough to concentrate on the broadcast, so I tried to wake myself up.
As I look back at the show, I do not see any indication of the fact that I was indeed groggy, once again too critical of myself. The show was part 3 of our Tuscan segment of last year's trip. During this segment I asked Lidia to drive us to two close to her house, yet evocative Tuscan towns. She chose two similar and dissimilar towns, typical for Tuscany. Alike in that they both originated as fortified, castle towns, growing up around the "rocca" and yet preserving the early Medieval flavor. Unlike in that the first town, Montecarlo, was bustling with people, while the second, Seravalle, was completely quiet and subdued. In fact the latter was so devoid of activity of any kind that we could not even find a restaurant or for that matter any person on the streets. Our car was the only one parked at the foot of the town, and the only place we could find to eat was a snack bar where we discovered some ice cream, hardly the typical Tuscan meal we had expected. First of all we arrived a bit too late, about 3:00. Even though in most Italian towns, lunch is served until 3 or 4, this one may have stopped serving at 2 or 2:30. We saw tables outside restaurants, but clearly the action was over, if it had ever started at all. Second, Sunday is not an exciting day to be out and about in Tuscany. Empty of tourists apparently, but no other town activity as you might find on a weekday, as we found out the next day when we went to two bustling towns.
I originally had decided to make Montecarlo one show and Seravalle another, but changed my mind when I realized that the Montecarlo part could not possibly give me anywhere near 40 minutes of broadcast time. I combined the two naturally considering the whole day as a show complete with the tour of the two towns and the pizza party back at Lidia's house with her family. The next show, San Miniato and Vinci, was also supposed to be two shows, but I again will combine them into one, as we did both on the same day. Then I run out of shows based on the May/June 2014 trip to Italy, and unless I want to suspend broadcasting for two months, have to come up with some more material.
In that regard I have two shows on the burner which I haven't looked at for months. Yet they will form two very nice shows. One will be a show I always wanted to do, Shopping in Florence, and the other on the Streets of Rome. The later may be changed to a show in which I focus solely on one street, arguably the most famous, via dei Fori Imperiali. That will finish up the season before heading back to Italy for more material. When I get back I could hustle to create more broadcasts or work on another idea I had during a recent visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. While I was there last time alone, I photographed the Renaissance art of which there is plenty. I will call that show, Italian Renaissance Art at the MET. I like that actually but it will require a lot of work.
In the meantime I must begin to think seriously about what I intend to develop while we are away. It's gotten to the point where before we go anywhere, I first decide where to go based on future shows. The list has begun to be formed and in all likelihood there will be once again a Tuscan part with Lidia and Luca, and a Civita di Bagnoregio part with an anticipated tour by local celebrity, Franco Sala. Next it's Venice where we are staying at a new hotel, in a new area, very closely the Venice Biennale where we will both be as nonparticipants this time around. The off to Lake Como for probably more villas and some spectacular scenery.
As I look back at the show, I do not see any indication of the fact that I was indeed groggy, once again too critical of myself. The show was part 3 of our Tuscan segment of last year's trip. During this segment I asked Lidia to drive us to two close to her house, yet evocative Tuscan towns. She chose two similar and dissimilar towns, typical for Tuscany. Alike in that they both originated as fortified, castle towns, growing up around the "rocca" and yet preserving the early Medieval flavor. Unlike in that the first town, Montecarlo, was bustling with people, while the second, Seravalle, was completely quiet and subdued. In fact the latter was so devoid of activity of any kind that we could not even find a restaurant or for that matter any person on the streets. Our car was the only one parked at the foot of the town, and the only place we could find to eat was a snack bar where we discovered some ice cream, hardly the typical Tuscan meal we had expected. First of all we arrived a bit too late, about 3:00. Even though in most Italian towns, lunch is served until 3 or 4, this one may have stopped serving at 2 or 2:30. We saw tables outside restaurants, but clearly the action was over, if it had ever started at all. Second, Sunday is not an exciting day to be out and about in Tuscany. Empty of tourists apparently, but no other town activity as you might find on a weekday, as we found out the next day when we went to two bustling towns.
I originally had decided to make Montecarlo one show and Seravalle another, but changed my mind when I realized that the Montecarlo part could not possibly give me anywhere near 40 minutes of broadcast time. I combined the two naturally considering the whole day as a show complete with the tour of the two towns and the pizza party back at Lidia's house with her family. The next show, San Miniato and Vinci, was also supposed to be two shows, but I again will combine them into one, as we did both on the same day. Then I run out of shows based on the May/June 2014 trip to Italy, and unless I want to suspend broadcasting for two months, have to come up with some more material.
In that regard I have two shows on the burner which I haven't looked at for months. Yet they will form two very nice shows. One will be a show I always wanted to do, Shopping in Florence, and the other on the Streets of Rome. The later may be changed to a show in which I focus solely on one street, arguably the most famous, via dei Fori Imperiali. That will finish up the season before heading back to Italy for more material. When I get back I could hustle to create more broadcasts or work on another idea I had during a recent visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. While I was there last time alone, I photographed the Renaissance art of which there is plenty. I will call that show, Italian Renaissance Art at the MET. I like that actually but it will require a lot of work.
In the meantime I must begin to think seriously about what I intend to develop while we are away. It's gotten to the point where before we go anywhere, I first decide where to go based on future shows. The list has begun to be formed and in all likelihood there will be once again a Tuscan part with Lidia and Luca, and a Civita di Bagnoregio part with an anticipated tour by local celebrity, Franco Sala. Next it's Venice where we are staying at a new hotel, in a new area, very closely the Venice Biennale where we will both be as nonparticipants this time around. The off to Lake Como for probably more villas and some spectacular scenery.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Castelnuovo di Garfagnana
Originally this show was going to be two separate broadcasts, one focusing on Castelnuovo and one on the Fortezza and the tiny hill town above Castelnuovo of Eglio-Sassi. Then I felt that I would be stretching out a story a bit too far, so decided that it would be more appropriate to combine the albums. This was actually the way we visited all of these places on that lovely day in May when Lidia so graciously drove us all over the area of North Western Tuscany. I would have been hard pressed to find enough material to last for the better part of an hour for two separate shows. As it was this show was only 41 minutes long making it among the shortest broadcasts we ever did.
Ever since our aborted trip to Castelnuovo right after our stay in La Spezia while we visited Cinque Terre in January 2009, I have longed to return. However, the bitter taste of driving on winding roads with hairpin turns made me believe that the best way to revisit the attempt to get there was to have one of our friends with far more experience on such byways drive us up. Returning the car we rented in 2014 in Lucca, right near where Lidia lives in Chiesina Uzzanase seemed the best chance as, after we returned the car, Lidia drove north permitting us to visit first the Devil's Bridge in Borgo a Mozzano, then Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, then serendipitously the Fortezza, and Eglio-Sassi. I say serendipitously because had we not had pizza in that great place in Castelnuovo, we may never have discovered these two amazing locations.
Thus the stage was set for a show on a large swath of North Western Tuscany. I tried in vain to make contact online with someone from the town of Eglio-Sassi first just goggling the town and then following the leads through Facebook. The latter bore the fruit of obtaining some stunning images of Eglio-Sassi in the winter as well as some mundane scenes of a footrace through the town into the countryside. When the three of us first visited the town, we found precious few people around that day. Lidia and I spoke with an elderly woman who told us she had been around the world, but having been born in the town expected to now die there by choice. One can easily see why, amid those beautiful mountains and quaint streets lined with centuries old stone houses. We should also have performed an interview on video, but while Lidia and I spoke with the lady, Laura was nowhere to be seen, off somewhere photographing. Then when Lidia and I sat on the bench overlooking the mountains, there were two men on the bench next to us, but by then I was too exhausted to brother. I think it was a mistake not to bother to interview either the elderly woman or the men; that would have rounded out the show perfectly. Nonetheless, it was a fine show, albeit a bit too short. At this point, having broadcast 107 shows, it doesn't really matter how long the show is so long as it is the better part of the hour.
We are now fully immersed in the Tuscany part (and final segment) of our May/June 2014 trip to Italy. Having consumed the material from Cinque Terre and Lake Como all that remains are two shows, one will be on the day Lidia took us to two of her favorite local towns, Montecarlo and Seravalle, and the next on my request for a return visit to San Miniato to the south of Lidia's house and Vinci to the north east. Both are stunning hill towns and both unvisited by Laura during our many trips to Tuscany. Then, after shows 108 and 109, I am back to scrounging until we again venture back to Italy in late May/June 2015, a trip that will bring us to Florence, Venice, and back to Lake Como. From Florence we intend to again ask Luca and Lidia to take us to Tuscan towns, and then Laura and I will venture south to visit our friend Franco in Civita di Bagnoregio. I have two shows on the drawing board, both begun probably a year ago and both of great interest to me, a show on shopping in Florence and one on my favorite streets of Rome. Then if we still need additional broadcast material, I will have to again try to revisit my creative side (as I did for first two years in 2012 and 2013) and conjure up some new ideas. I could always just have another show called my Favorite Photos of Italy, choose about 25 of the thousands of stunning images we possess and voila, another Alan's Italy original show. We shall see.
Ever since our aborted trip to Castelnuovo right after our stay in La Spezia while we visited Cinque Terre in January 2009, I have longed to return. However, the bitter taste of driving on winding roads with hairpin turns made me believe that the best way to revisit the attempt to get there was to have one of our friends with far more experience on such byways drive us up. Returning the car we rented in 2014 in Lucca, right near where Lidia lives in Chiesina Uzzanase seemed the best chance as, after we returned the car, Lidia drove north permitting us to visit first the Devil's Bridge in Borgo a Mozzano, then Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, then serendipitously the Fortezza, and Eglio-Sassi. I say serendipitously because had we not had pizza in that great place in Castelnuovo, we may never have discovered these two amazing locations.
Thus the stage was set for a show on a large swath of North Western Tuscany. I tried in vain to make contact online with someone from the town of Eglio-Sassi first just goggling the town and then following the leads through Facebook. The latter bore the fruit of obtaining some stunning images of Eglio-Sassi in the winter as well as some mundane scenes of a footrace through the town into the countryside. When the three of us first visited the town, we found precious few people around that day. Lidia and I spoke with an elderly woman who told us she had been around the world, but having been born in the town expected to now die there by choice. One can easily see why, amid those beautiful mountains and quaint streets lined with centuries old stone houses. We should also have performed an interview on video, but while Lidia and I spoke with the lady, Laura was nowhere to be seen, off somewhere photographing. Then when Lidia and I sat on the bench overlooking the mountains, there were two men on the bench next to us, but by then I was too exhausted to brother. I think it was a mistake not to bother to interview either the elderly woman or the men; that would have rounded out the show perfectly. Nonetheless, it was a fine show, albeit a bit too short. At this point, having broadcast 107 shows, it doesn't really matter how long the show is so long as it is the better part of the hour.
We are now fully immersed in the Tuscany part (and final segment) of our May/June 2014 trip to Italy. Having consumed the material from Cinque Terre and Lake Como all that remains are two shows, one will be on the day Lidia took us to two of her favorite local towns, Montecarlo and Seravalle, and the next on my request for a return visit to San Miniato to the south of Lidia's house and Vinci to the north east. Both are stunning hill towns and both unvisited by Laura during our many trips to Tuscany. Then, after shows 108 and 109, I am back to scrounging until we again venture back to Italy in late May/June 2015, a trip that will bring us to Florence, Venice, and back to Lake Como. From Florence we intend to again ask Luca and Lidia to take us to Tuscan towns, and then Laura and I will venture south to visit our friend Franco in Civita di Bagnoregio. I have two shows on the drawing board, both begun probably a year ago and both of great interest to me, a show on shopping in Florence and one on my favorite streets of Rome. Then if we still need additional broadcast material, I will have to again try to revisit my creative side (as I did for first two years in 2012 and 2013) and conjure up some new ideas. I could always just have another show called my Favorite Photos of Italy, choose about 25 of the thousands of stunning images we possess and voila, another Alan's Italy original show. We shall see.
Friday, March 6, 2015
The First Tuscany Show, Lucca
When we returned from the last trip in June 2014, we had a lot of material on Tuscan towns including a solo trip we took to Lucca and three days with Lidia. The first day of that part of the trip occurred before we arrived at Lidia's house in Chiesina Uzzanase. On the way from Cinque to Lidia's house we made a stop for the day. Laura selected Lucca, on the way to Lidia's and a town where she had been in 2009 when we both were ill and couldn't see much of the place. I decided that this series of shows on Tuscany should be a chronological tour beginning at our first destination. Using the 2009 visit as a jump-off point, going back briefly to the solo trip I took there in 2001, when I was between marriages, off we went through a very thorough, but not totally complete tour of Lucca, one of the really special hill towns in Central Italy.
The studio end of the experience went more smoothly than anything I have experienced with relation to Woodstock Public Access Television since early last fall. There were no snags at all, the trailer was well heated, and there was not the faint hint of a glitch. Smooth as silk. The show displayed much of the material we had accumulated during the 2014 visit including a view of four churches, two great and well known piazzas, Napoleone and San Michele, lots of views of side streets (with an overwhelming number of bicycles parked along the way), some nice shots of the town's medieval walls, the great outdoor restaurant where we had lunch, and some very great looking gelato. I even showed how we had photographed the actual street on which we parked so as not to lose the car when we returned from the day. All in all an excellent tour of a wondrous Tuscan town.
So now that Lucca is "out of the way" we now take a close look at several "obscure" Tuscan towns, places where the vast throngs of tourists rarely visit. Lidia selected most of them with input from us. We suggested Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (a place where we almost got to in 2009 and always hankered to return), and then the almost totally esoteric village of Eglio-Sassi, where there are few internet references, and the close by to Chiesina villages of Montecarlo and Seravalle. Then to San Miniato, a town I always wanted to return to after Lidia had taken me there in either 2001 or 2002, and then a return visit to Leonardo's birthplace in Vinci. All these will consume the next three shows and bring us to end of the material garnered from last year's trip. After that, who knows? I have some material from old ideas, mostly about Florence, but by then, we return to Italy.
The studio end of the experience went more smoothly than anything I have experienced with relation to Woodstock Public Access Television since early last fall. There were no snags at all, the trailer was well heated, and there was not the faint hint of a glitch. Smooth as silk. The show displayed much of the material we had accumulated during the 2014 visit including a view of four churches, two great and well known piazzas, Napoleone and San Michele, lots of views of side streets (with an overwhelming number of bicycles parked along the way), some nice shots of the town's medieval walls, the great outdoor restaurant where we had lunch, and some very great looking gelato. I even showed how we had photographed the actual street on which we parked so as not to lose the car when we returned from the day. All in all an excellent tour of a wondrous Tuscan town.
So now that Lucca is "out of the way" we now take a close look at several "obscure" Tuscan towns, places where the vast throngs of tourists rarely visit. Lidia selected most of them with input from us. We suggested Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (a place where we almost got to in 2009 and always hankered to return), and then the almost totally esoteric village of Eglio-Sassi, where there are few internet references, and the close by to Chiesina villages of Montecarlo and Seravalle. Then to San Miniato, a town I always wanted to return to after Lidia had taken me there in either 2001 or 2002, and then a return visit to Leonardo's birthplace in Vinci. All these will consume the next three shows and bring us to end of the material garnered from last year's trip. After that, who knows? I have some material from old ideas, mostly about Florence, but by then, we return to Italy.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Success!!!!
It was not easy tonight. I arrived at the studio later than I ever did fearing that I would not be able to tolerate the cold. It turned out that the temperature was not the biggest problem. I set up and Ellen could not get sound out of either of the two microphones. I was prepared to pack it in once again. Finally after at least ten minutes of fiddling around with the controls and my saying "testing, testing, testing" about a hundred times, she finally said, "ok I got it." We both echoed the same "whew" as we began with the introductory slideshow. "Wait, there's another problem," she suddenly indicated, "Stop the slideshow." I did and we began again. This time it seemed to work and off we went. This was the show which wraps up the Cinque Terre area where we spent three days in May. So, now the only remaining material I have for broadcasts that we acquired from the trip we took in May/June 2014 are the amazing Tuscan towns that we went to alone and Lidia took us to, namely Lucca, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Eglio-Sassi, Montecarlo, Seravalle, San Miniato, and Vinci.
I began the show by discussing the trials of public access television, and the concepts of determination, commitment, and challenge as the bywords to putting out a broadcast on live television. I used the story Bart Friedman and Tobe Carey had related to me when I interviewed them a few years ago on one of my shows in which they told me that when they began broadcasting from the town of Lanesville, not far from here, they had to bring a cable up the side of a mountain to find the highest point for the best reception. That's it. Public access television is exactly like climbing a mountain. It is not for the faint hearted and any attempt at broadcasting must be undertaken with the understanding that it will be a very difficult challenge filled with disappointment and failure. However, when it works, it is a wonderful feeling, and I feel privileged to have now broadcasted 105 shows on Italy.
We try again two weeks from this evening.
I began the show by discussing the trials of public access television, and the concepts of determination, commitment, and challenge as the bywords to putting out a broadcast on live television. I used the story Bart Friedman and Tobe Carey had related to me when I interviewed them a few years ago on one of my shows in which they told me that when they began broadcasting from the town of Lanesville, not far from here, they had to bring a cable up the side of a mountain to find the highest point for the best reception. That's it. Public access television is exactly like climbing a mountain. It is not for the faint hearted and any attempt at broadcasting must be undertaken with the understanding that it will be a very difficult challenge filled with disappointment and failure. However, when it works, it is a wonderful feeling, and I feel privileged to have now broadcasted 105 shows on Italy.
We try again two weeks from this evening.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Another Milestone - Alan's Italy, 20,000 Youtube Views
Yes, amazing to me as that is, Alan's Italy has just gone over 20,000 views. When I began to upload DVD's of the live broadcasts in early 2012, it was meant only to have a place to "park" my productions. I had no idea I would eventually have 71 subscribers and over 20,000 views. To everyone who has viewed at least part of a show, thank you. I also would like to thank Youtube for doing such a great job, my engineer, the tech genius at the studio, the Town of Woodstock, and everyone who has participated in some way especially my wife who is the videographer, photographer, editor and my traveling companion. Also thanks to my wonderful friends in Italy who have enhanced the total experience.
Now, on to 25,000!!!
Now, on to 25,000!!!
Anticipation
After several fits and starts, finally, Ellen, my engineer assures me that I will be able to host my TV show live tomorrow at the usual broadcast time of 5 PM on Woodstock Public Access Television. I am a bit dubious, but today the technical associate was at the studio making sure everything was working. He is a genius, and I trust his opinion on this matter, I am ready!!!! I am eager to give WPAT another chance before I contemplate trying something else. I had even started pricing video cameras, tripods, etc. for me to actually tape my own version in my living room. Then I realized that would compromise the very concept and nature of public access. I resolved to be patient and fight it out until something good happened. I hope it finally has!
Ellen thought I would be doing that same show that was messed up two weeks ago, Show # 104: Monterosso al Mare, Part 2 - New Town, but since I already uploaded the version I did at Panda Studio in Tivoli, I will be going on to the next show, # 105 - Portovenere. This is a town just a few miles south of Cinque Terre also on the Ligurian Coast. The story of why we went there, how we got there, and what we found when we disembarked is the subject of this broadcast. I have some amazingly spectacular and beautiful photos of this really, really charming town. Please tune in to my Youtube Channel. But before that, please cross your fingers for me!!!
Ellen thought I would be doing that same show that was messed up two weeks ago, Show # 104: Monterosso al Mare, Part 2 - New Town, but since I already uploaded the version I did at Panda Studio in Tivoli, I will be going on to the next show, # 105 - Portovenere. This is a town just a few miles south of Cinque Terre also on the Ligurian Coast. The story of why we went there, how we got there, and what we found when we disembarked is the subject of this broadcast. I have some amazingly spectacular and beautiful photos of this really, really charming town. Please tune in to my Youtube Channel. But before that, please cross your fingers for me!!!
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Continued Woes and Perhaps a Big Change
Arrived at the makeshift studio last evening to very cold and uncomfortable circumstances mixed with the lack of bathroom facilities, my goal was to get in and get out as quickly as possible. Even driving into the parking area was a challenge as the way was blocked off. We nonetheless got off pretty well and I went through the same Show # 104 that I had previously performed at Panda TV a few weeks earlier. Everything appeared to go off without a hitch, but when I got home, after a three hour interlude when I met a friend for dinner, I discovered that there was no sound on the DVD. I tried everything I usually do, but could not get sound. After contemplating what to do and getting rapidly very frustrated and irritated, I called Ellen and told her that the situation was too intolerable and stressful for me to continue attempting to broadcast at Woodstock Public Access. I went to bed thinking that Alan's Italy was now a merely a memory and that this blog would be my last one ever.
Laura had suggested before I went to sleep that I work with the Panda TV people to better synchronize the voice with the images during their editing process. I literally slept on the idea, and determined to contact Danielle at Panda Studio to ask her if we could do another show. I sent her an email indicating that I could do a show and personally supervise the meshing together of the images with the voice. I am awaiting a response, but I believe that is the way we will go for the immediate future.
My goal will be to put together the next show # 105 on the remarkable Ligurian town of Portovenere. In the meantime # 104, the second half of the show on Monterosso was uploaded to Youtube last night with all its blemishes, so please forgive me. It is nonetheless better than nothing for the moment, and in the meantime I will work to make a better production for the next upload, whenever that shall be.
The other news is that my friend Franco Sala, who owns the best restaurant in the amazing town of Civita di Bagnoregio in Alto Lazio, will be visiting NYC this week. I will take him and his partner Nina to a snack before their scheduled show they will be seeing on Tuesday. We will discuss my idea of doing a two part show on Civita with part 1 being his personal guided tour of the town and part 2 focusing on his wonderful restaurant Antica Forno.
Laura had suggested before I went to sleep that I work with the Panda TV people to better synchronize the voice with the images during their editing process. I literally slept on the idea, and determined to contact Danielle at Panda Studio to ask her if we could do another show. I sent her an email indicating that I could do a show and personally supervise the meshing together of the images with the voice. I am awaiting a response, but I believe that is the way we will go for the immediate future.
My goal will be to put together the next show # 105 on the remarkable Ligurian town of Portovenere. In the meantime # 104, the second half of the show on Monterosso was uploaded to Youtube last night with all its blemishes, so please forgive me. It is nonetheless better than nothing for the moment, and in the meantime I will work to make a better production for the next upload, whenever that shall be.
The other news is that my friend Franco Sala, who owns the best restaurant in the amazing town of Civita di Bagnoregio in Alto Lazio, will be visiting NYC this week. I will take him and his partner Nina to a snack before their scheduled show they will be seeing on Tuesday. We will discuss my idea of doing a two part show on Civita with part 1 being his personal guided tour of the town and part 2 focusing on his wonderful restaurant Antica Forno.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Yet Another Delay
The show that was scheduled for Friday, Jan 30 was once again called off because of technical difficulties. We will try again next week, Friday, February 6.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Progress Report
Danielle Maloney of Panda TV sent me the video of the show that she and Matt had put together with a tremendous amount of editing. Piecing everything together, each component of my broadcast, they created a beautiful version of Alan's Italy Show # 104. Considering the small amount of time we spent on the project, they did a magnificent job!! I would first like to thank them for a great job. There were a few problems with the synchronization of the voice with the photos, but all in all it was quite wonderful. I decided to do the same show on my usual broadcast medium, Woodstock Public Access Television and compare. That WPAT version is scheduled to air live on Friday, Jan 30. Then I will have the dilemma of which to upload to Youtube. I may place both, and let my viewing audience compare the two, but not sure as yet. Some feedback from my viewing audience would be helpful, but that ain't happening!!!!!
Thus, this Friday I may be back on the air in the usual way and I am very excited. That studio will be yet another broadcasting challenge for any WPAT producer, small, cold, shakes with the wind, but, sigh, home sweet home! Then I will probably return to my usual one show every two weeks. Although I now have a supply of about 6 or 7 shows, that will run out fast if I try to do too much too fast. I spent the entire day yesterday working on honing shows and planning for future ones. Then hopefully we will return to Italy at the end of May and create more.
I hope you get to see show # 104 some time Friday evening on Youtube.
Thus, this Friday I may be back on the air in the usual way and I am very excited. That studio will be yet another broadcasting challenge for any WPAT producer, small, cold, shakes with the wind, but, sigh, home sweet home! Then I will probably return to my usual one show every two weeks. Although I now have a supply of about 6 or 7 shows, that will run out fast if I try to do too much too fast. I spent the entire day yesterday working on honing shows and planning for future ones. Then hopefully we will return to Italy at the end of May and create more.
I hope you get to see show # 104 some time Friday evening on Youtube.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Back on the Air (I hope)
Ellen just called to tell me we are scheduled to be in the temporary studio on Fri, January 30, 2015. Alan's Italy may be on the air, live and on Youtube once again!!! If so I am going with Show # 104: Monterosso al Mare, Part 2 featuring Bar Colpi di Timone and the interview with the owner, Giancarlo Basso. If we are really producing our first show in 3 months, then expect a new video on Youtube sometime soon afterward. Meanwhile, we are gradually approaching 20,000 Youtube views. Probably in a few weeks at the current rate. We are also approaching 8,000 reads on the blog. Stay tuned!!!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Good News
After spending two hours with the people at the PandaTV studio, it appears that I will be able to create more shows using their facilities! We start next Monday with shows 104 and 105. I will then get the DVDs and subsequently upload to Youtube. The techs at Panda are so competent with computers, it was astounding to me, a mere neophyte, to see what they are able to do. Apparently they will tape my voice doing an actual show, save my photos on a separate drive, along with the intro and concluding slideshows, and everything will be synced and overlaid to produce a show. I sort of knew all of this could take place, but with the process that we did in Woodstock being do different, I never gave it much thought. There might also be a way to edit, which would defeat the whole concept of my making mistakes - with which I have always been simultaneously frustrated and charmed! Therefore, on Monday evening I will keep you informed of the goings on at their studio and maybe even be able to upload two more shows to my Youtube channel. Stay tuned.
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