Mostly Unrelated to Italian Travel (But not totally)

I just bought a lottery ticket whose payout would be 321,000,000 before taxes. I said to myself that if God exists surely he would know (because he would certainly read minds) that I intend to give a lot of that to charity. Since I have played the lottery many times, I came to the conclusion that in all probability God doesn't exist.

This reminded me of a story I heard on the West Wing TV series (for which I recently started to blog). A guy is living in a house in a town where there is going to be devastating flood. He hears on the radio: "Get out of town fast. there is a flood coming." He says, "Nah, I don't have to worry. God will protect me." The town floods, and he climbs to the roof of his house. A rowboat passes by with some rescue workers inside, one of whom screams at the guy, "Get in this row boat or you will die in the flood!" "Nah," screams our guy, "God will protect me." Then a helicopter passes by and screams down at him with the water almost on top of him, "Hey, we will lower a ladder. Climb up the ladder to our helicopter." "No," again our guy screams, "I have faith that God will protect me!!!"

Well the guy drowns and when he gets to Heaven, he asks to see God. "God," he whispers softly, "I have always been a loyal believer. I was certain you would have protected me from the horrible flood waters. What happened?" God replies: "I sent you a radio broadcast, a rowboat, and a helicopter. What the Hell are you doing here?"

Well I have been blessed with good health, a wonderful family (many of them anyway), great friends (some), a great career, love for Italy, and many other wonderful things. So what is my problem believing in God?

Putting together Alan's Italy Episode # 103 this weekend. Cannot wait. It is featuring one of the great gifts I have received from............ Matteo Pasini, the owner of Hotel Villa Steno in Monterosso al Mare granted me an interview when we were there last May. I will also begin talking about oner of the most beautiful towns in Italy, starting with Old Town and continuing the next show with New Town.

An Unexpected Boat Ride Becomes a Show

Being the type of person who likes to plan ahead, once we embarked upon the boat trip to Portovenere from where we were staying in Monterosso al Mare last May, I was delighted to find that we could most likely develop this into a broadcast. My intent, as I indicated on last evening's show, was to take the train to Levanto which would have been perhaps a twenty minute trip by train. This would doubtless have been a show anyway, but when the train strike derailed (pardon the pun) that attempt, I realized that we had something even better. Most people get to see the amazing villages that make up Cinque Terre from the land, mainly because the boats do not run for most of the year. However, in nice weather, we lucked out and had a fabulous view of the Ligurian Coast, completely unexpected. Also at the end of the ride was our main destination, Portovenere, also a future show. But how can we simply show the coast for a entire broadcast? I decided that we needed another show about Cinque Terre. After all the last one had been over 2 1/2 years ago, # 10, and this would be more complete with the view from the sea, and adding the previously unvisited town of Corniglia which we skipped the last time we were there back in 2009. Actually I was going to develop the photos of Corniglia into a separate show, but then thought better of it and decided to weave those pictures in a larger show about the entire region. Thus what was presented was a really wonderful travel summary of one of the great areas in Italy, Cinque Terre, which in English means Five Lands. So I combined land and sea photos, threw in a couple of fun videos from the boat, gave a more detailed description of where this area was in relation to the entire country, and created a really fine broadcast, and very helpful to anyone about to visit the region, complete with advice on how to travel to this remote location and once there how to get around.

The main problem I encountered was what to do about the two shows I have planned which will focus strictly on the town in which we stayed in May 2014, Monterosso al Mare, one of the five villages. In those shows I am using videos as a main basis for the broadcast, but also had a lot of newer photos of this wonderful place to stay. I decided that I would give a brief glimpse of that town, much shorter than the views I gave of the other four, especially Corniglia, and then do the more detailed analysis of Monterosso later. This we get to see the New Town and Old Town only for a short time. I will talk more about how I developed that concept in the blogs which focus on shows # 103 and # 104. In that creation I will do one show on the Old Town and one on the New Town, mainly because the two videos are so wonderful as I interview two really amazing people, the owner of the hotel in which we stayed Hotel Villa Steno, Matteo Pasini and the owner of the bar, Colpi di Timone, along the beach where we met that owner, Giancarlo Basso. As luck would have it the hotel is located in the Old Town and the bar in the New Town, thus perfectly placed for those two shows.

Meanwhile when I pulled up to the studio, there was a huge trailer that was parked right where we usually put our cars while we are inside the studio. I knew this meant that the studio renovation was nearing its commencement. So first all the studio equipment will be squeezed into the new location, then they will start the renovation. Ellen indicates that we will not be able to broadcast for a while as the inside of the trailer becomes the new, albeit temporary home of Woodstock Public Access Television. I told her a smaller studio does not bother me at all, since after all, what do I need, just a table, a camera, and some controls. Who cares how much space there is. The problem will be that the tech people will have to get the work done to move everything over. So there could be a hiatus when there is no Alan's Italy and no subsequent blog that usually accompanies that. I am a prisoner of whatever is going to occur!!!! I will keep you posted.

A New Blog

If you like the Alan's Italy Blog and my writing and the former TV show the West Wing, then please check out my new blog, Alan's West Wing Reflections at alanswestwing.blogspot.com.

Reasons for Cancellation

My apologies to my many readers of this blog for canceling Alan's Italy this week, and therefore forestalling the writing of the blog regarding the show. My engineer, Ellen, and I have come down with fierce colds that prevented us from going forward. I probably could have performed last evening, just as I actually went to work in the city the day before (a horrible experience under the circumstances), however, it may have been madness, so, what the heck, we just postponed a week. Therefore, those of you who either enjoy reading the blog or watching the show will have to wait until Friday, October 24 for Alan's Italy Show # 102, Cinque Terre Revisited. In fact I couldn't even do my usual last minute modifications in the presentation, because I was literally in bed yesterday all day. After setting up the album I was to use for the broadcast, I decided to add some things and change the presentation, which I couldn't do. Now I will have the time to work on honing the final product which could make for a better show overall. I hope you tune in.

Finally a Show About Bellagio

After two weeks of stewing in my juices about the major mistake I made on show # 100, I finally got a chance to correct the error. As you may remember, I indicated that the "eastern fork of Lake Como" was really the Western Fork. I was happy that is out of the way.

Meanwhile, I focused on Bellagio after three straight shows related to Varenna. I realized that I had hundreds of photos of Bellagio, but never really spent much air time showing too many and discussing my many visits. I actually had decided to break the idea into two parts, a show about Bellagio and then another just about the Villa Melzi which we just recently visited back in June. When Laura saw the breakdown, she indicated that I needed to combine the two. I also then came to the conclusion that I could not have sustained two 50 minutes shows, added the Villa Melzi photos to the Bellagio show which made more sense anyway, and off I went.

The show was perfectly engineered by Ellen, and after seeing the show myself realized that it was almost perfect on my end as well except for indicating that the sculpture at the Villa Melzi was neoclassical when in reality it could have been originals from ancient times. I should have looked that up.  A small error, but otherwise a nice smooth broadcast. I am now for the most part finished with Lake Como, four shows in total.

I now turn to Cinque Terre for what may turn out to be probably four shows, the coastal boat ride which will give me a chance to review the entire Cinque Terre experience, which I had produced early in 2012 as one of the first shows, two shows on Monterosso al Mare, and another on the stunning town of Portovenere which is just south of Cinque Terre. I have a lot of photos of the only town we did not visit in 2009 Corniglia, but not yet sure if that will be a separate show or rolled into the Cinque Terre Boat Ride Show.

An Evening to Remember

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

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

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

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

Divine Life on Lake Como

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

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

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