Back for Another Round of Italian Cocktails

No matter how much fun I have on a trip to Italy, I am always happy to get home. This time, of course, I returned home to my TV show, which makes it possible for me to relive all the experiences. This trip was not only great, but also contained experiences never before experienced by me, being a "celebrity". Of course I do not consider myself anything more or less than what I've been for the past 64 years, but just whisper to someone the two magical words "Alan's Italy" and doors open, mouths become agape, and the world stands still !!! There is a big difference between Laura and I going into a restaurant and having dinner, paying the bill, and leaving and first telling the waiter that I am thinking of putting the place on my show. All heck breaks loose ! Not only is this true for proprietors of places, but also for the local diners. Case in point: Rome on our last day in Italy. A family of four at the next table found it remarkable that they were sitting next to someone who does a TV show on cable access, and spent most of the next 2 hrs being very admiring. I, of course, view all this in a very levelheaded and reasonably humble manner. I did an interview with them which we video taped, and promised them they would be on some future show, which I certainly will do. In all we did quite a few videotaped interviews with many people and groups from restaurant and hotel owners to people we met in restaurants. We even made some new friends, taped a food preparation demo by Giuseppe at La Spada in Florence, interviewed the owners of the Hotel Royal Victoria in Pisa, Nicola Piejaya, and the Hotel Duomo in Orvieto, Gianni. We spent considerable time with our friends in Alto Lazio, Orvieto, Figline Valdarno and Florence, saw some amazing new things (and some old things), had fabulous food, and came home with about 20 potential TV shows. I did the show on the Dolomites last night reliving experiences we had in 2007 and 2009 traveling through the mountains of northern Italy. The show was out together before we left assuming that I might be too jet lagged to do any serious show preparations. I just basically picked up with Show # 21, where I left off with Show # 20 three weeks earlier. This show featured stunning photos of the mountains, a video of one of the great hotels at which we ever stayed, and a highlight of one of my favorite museums, the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology dedicated to displaying the remains, clothing, and tools of the world's "oldest" man, Otzei a frozen corpse found thawing in the northern mountains of Italy just south of the Austrian border. After a decades long dispute between Austrian and Italian officials, the 5300 year old copper age individual named after the region of the Alps in which he was found was placed in a museum which has only one client, Otzei. Retracing how he lived, died, and survived as a mummified corpse for 5300 years is absolutely fascinating. So the Show on The Dolomites is there now for everyone to see on Youtube, complete with my brief summary of my 20th trip (Laura's 13th) to Italy, and my promise to show everything over the course of the next year. This morning my good friend asked me the question asked to me probably over a 100 times, "don't you ever want to go anywhere else besides Italy ?" Well, duuuuuuhhhhh !!! If ya have to ask, then you just would probably never understand anyway !

Last Show For A While, Previewing The Next Trip and A Do Over

Show # 20 on Lake Maggiore was the perfect send away for my 20th trip to Italy which hopefully starts on Tuesday, May 15. I always say "hopefully" because you never know what could happen. When people say to me, I hope you have a good time, I just smile and say hope I we are both healthy, the rest will fall into place. So Ellen and I agreed that she will choose her two favorite previous shows on DVD for the repeats which will show in my normal live show slot of 5 PM Fridays on Woodstock Public Access TV for the next 2 weeks, and then for the repeats shown several times a week, they can choose anything they want. The trip will cover a lot of ground starting in the Umbrian town of Orvieto, where our friends Ric and Sharon will show us around this stunning area. Then off to Luca and Mary in Figline Valdarno, this time staying at the Villa Palagina, in Chianti, on the road between Figline and Greve. Luca will show us around his area, as we requested. Then Laura and I are off to Pisa for a night alone in a place I was at in 1995. Staying at the Hotel Royal with balcony overlooking the river should be quite nice and we will photograph this marvelous city for a future show. In fact my dream is to get about a half dozen shows out of this first phase of the trip. Then on to Florence for a week ! I have not been in Florence for that long in many years, but need time to do a lot of photographing with the expectation of getting another 6 - 8 more shows. Also, will be visiting with my other friend Lidia and hopefully her family who always seem to be very busy. I will be photographing streets, hotels, restaurants, piazzas, churches, museums, bridges, palazzi, and perhaps Fiesole and maybe another town nearby. Then off to Rome for a night for the new modern art museum, nicknamed MAXXI (Modern Art of the XX1 Century). Then I don't know, perhaps the Etruscan Museum in the Borghese Park or some Roman Ruins like Trajan's Market or the Baths of Caracalla.

    So after doing the show and feeling quite tired (not a spring chicken here ya know) Ellen told me the DVD recording system failed so I had to do the show over if I wanted a copy, so off we went and did it again !!!! I was exhausted and a little bored already but trudged through pretending I was back teaching a boring lesson to two straight classes at the college. When I finished all I could do was think of eating something and relaxing at home, which is what I did. Otherwise things are going smoothly, but there was that Flamenco Dancer in the next door community center, so I thing perhaps I am starting to get used to adversity !

    So see you in 3 weeks, and in the meantime, if you like my writing or just would like to follow the trip day by day, please go to Travelpod AlanJGreenhalgh for the blogs of my 20th trip which I will write enroute throughout Italy for the next 2 weeks. Thanks for reading these blogs and good night and good luck, or as I say on the show, Buona notte e buona fortuna. Apologies to Edward R. Murrow, wherever you might be right now.

Alan's Italy Takes to the Road

In search of newer TV shows I will be traveling in Italy for 2 weeks starting next week (after my Friday night TV show and after I do a complementary blog). If you cannot get enough of Alan and/or Alan's Italy, please google "Travelpod AlanJGreenhalgh" to follow my day to day accounts of the trip. I will be visiting Umbria, Upper Lazio, Tuscany (incl Florence), and Rome. I hope you "join" me in my latest adventure, and as always, thank you very much for taking the time to read my work and watch my shows !!!

The Perfect Show, except .......

I got to the study earlier than usual, because I wanted to talk a bit to Ellen about how best to photograph Franc and me in that I wanted to introduce him on camera; sometimes that doesn't work so well. She suggested that I go through my normal introductory announcements and comments and THEN after all that introduce him so that it would be easier for her to handle the controls and also the cameras. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to do both successfully. We could really use a separate camera person in addition to someone handling the controls. Franc arrived and we spoke about myriad things as usual. I really like him very much, and there is always so much to talk about. We discussed future shows we will do together, and decided to talk further after the show as Ellen was setting up and needed our attention. I began by announcing that my wife (and photographer of my Italy photos) Laura Gurton is curating a show at the Kleinert/James Gallery at the current time, opening for Sat May 5. Then I announced that Lifespring Saugerties will be sponsoring Art Works Day on Sat July 25, 8 - 5. I have become associated with that group as I will be offering a course, Alan's Italy (what else !) a 6 week course in which I intend to take my audience on a multi venue tour of Italy through photos, videos, and commentary. However, I inadvertently named the date as "Wed, July 25". So I will make it up to them by correcting the error next week, and just keep announcing the day a few times. The Lifespring people are very professional and dedicated to providing the adult community with a superb program of interesting topics. I then spoke about my newest feature, Italy News of the Day. The first was an article from The Florentine Newsletter, an online magazine covering news and information about Italy in general and Florence in particular. The new high speed rail system, NTV, went into operation last week, and that is quite newsworthy, especially since I will be there soon. The high speed, sleek, and modern train will get passengers from Rome to Milan in just over 3 hrs. Franc and I then began first with his explaining his association with Pompeii, the not for tourists sites he visited with special entrance due to his art historian wife, Eve D'Ambra, who entre nous to the "secret sites" provided Franc with the opportunity to photograph the stunning images of wall decorations in Pompeii. As usual Franc was magnificent in his descriptions of the art, actually I thought, and Laura concurred, riveting in his discourse. I started the show with a brief history of Pompeii and some images of what it probably looked like prior to the Vesuvius eruption on August 24, 79 AD, and what it looks like today, which took some time. At the end of the show I again reminded the audience of Laura's show and this time make sure to name the other artists participating, as I had forgotten that at the beginning of the show.We agreed afterward to finish the photos we left out when we do the Paestum Show in a few weeks. I felt that we did not have enough images of the Greek Ruins that remain at the town of Paestum, just south of Salerno on Italy west coast for a full show. We also firmed up a few more dates, and off we went. When I got home, Laura told me and I agreed after I saw it as we DVR all shows, that this show approached perfection !!! Except of, course, for the wrong day of the week for the Art Works Program at Saugerties. So if anyone is reading this from the area, it is actually Saturday, July 25 !!!! Almost perfect !

A Very Strange Week

So after that very strange week I have been speaking about, I finally had this week's show fleshed out and ready to go about 2 days earlier than I usually do. Then this morning I suddenly realized that I had spelled a word wrong on my road map of Chianti, so I spent the next hour redoing this week's show. Then I got to the studio and a camera didn't work, then something else went wrong, and suddenly to my shock a bulletin board next to the table at which I sit fell down scaring the daylights out of me. I said to Ellen, we'd better start this thing, before the ceiling collapses, so we immediately started the tape running and off we went down the Chianti Road through some stunning scenery and charming hill towns. This is a beautiful area of Tuscany where Laura and I spent a few days back in 2009 with very cold weather, and couldn't wait to come home to warmth. However, this was a wonderful time for us, friend wise, because we were treated by Luca and his family to a wonderful dinner at their house, while staying the night. Then we did the same thing at Lidia's house in Chiesina Uzzanase a week later. Nonetheless, we resolved never to return to Italy in the winter, and haven't. Meanwhile this week I tried very hard to consider adding 3 days to our trip in May, and so far if the airfares are reasonable, which I suspect they are not, we may try that. Otherwise I have it in the back of my mind to go in the winter again; but chances are less than 50 - 50 that Laura will join me. This show was special in that I dedicated it to my friend, Barry Weinbrom, who died last week. He was, as I indicated, a wonderful man. So in Woodstock, I missed the wake for Levon Helm, because I was posing for my artist friend who wanted to draw me, and felt that was more important than the wake. Then I also missed watching the funeral cortege head down the main street to the Woodstock Cemetery on Rock City Road, because I was just too busy getting ready for tonight's show. So that was a strange but very fulfilling week. Next week Franc Palaia and I will do a show on Pompeii with his stunning photos of what he refers to as "secret Pompeii", because he photographs areas off limits to the average tourist. I will start with a brief history of the town, some key aspects of a typical Roman town of that era, photos of Pompeii, and then he will take over discussing the art of Pompeii. Tune in.

My Favorite Area of Tuscany and Bad Phones

So I arrived at the studio full of hope for a great show after a very successful one the previous week. This one would be on "Eastern Tuscany" or at least what I called it on my makeshift map that I drew and then scanned to my computer. The highlight, for me anyway, would be my phone call to my friend Luca who would take us through some background of his town, Figline Valdarno, as well as other places. During the week he told me that his family goes back a thousand years, and many of them in this region. I briefed him on the questions I would ask him and he not only said sure I could call him (remember his time is 6 hrs later than ours, so it was 11:15 PM when I would call), but he gave me a brief answer which I printed to bring with me, just in case the phones mal functioned or he forgot to be around. I dialed, which is not small feat because all told there are 32 numbers that must be pressed on the phone. I did all this live, of course, and got a message that he was unavailable ! Ok let's try again, I told my audience. I did and same result !! I tried again later in the show with the same result !! I was starting to panic a bit, because I had factored about ten minutes of interview with Luca into the show's format for that evening. In fact I finished my presentation with about 10 minutes to go, and just sort of ended so this was, indeed, the shortest show in a long time !!! I went home with the DVD of the show, downloaded it to my computer, uploaded it to Youtube, etc etc. The next day I called Luca to find out what was going on. He said, Alan, where were you last night. We waited all night for you to call !! Damn. I told Luca what happened, and apologized. Such a gracious, wonderful man he is, he said no problem, we'll do it again sometime. The trouble is in 2 weeks, when he told me we could try again because he would not be working, I will be off the topic of his area of Tuscany. The show must go on so regardless of what the topic is (actually Franc Palaia and I will focus on Pompeii) I will be having a chat with Luca. Soon, of course, we will be visiting with him during our trip to Italy in May. Incidentally I just love the area of Eastern Tuscany known as the Casentino and the photos taken by my photographer and wife, Laura, were absolutely stunning. For the trip in may I have asked Luca to continue with his tour of that area with specific reference to an area known as the via dei Sette Ponti, street of the seven bridges, with lunch in Loro Ciufenna, a delightful town along the way. Tune in for more adventures on Alan's Italy !!!!

Magic on The Village Green, Levon , Barry, and me

This week Woodstock and the world of music lost one of its greats, Levon Helm, who finally succumbed to Cancer after 14 years of heroically fighting. I never met Levon, and for years put off going to his "Midnight Ramble" saying continually, oh we'll eventually go and see it. Well, now that can never happen, and it serves me right. I did see him playing guitar on the Village Green last year when he appeared at a celebration for Happy Traum and his years of service to music lovers everywhere, but especially Woodstock. I also attempted to take a picture of Levon and John Sebastian hugging by using my new cell phone to take the picture, but I was so overwhelmed by the sight of two music giants showing their love for each other that I fumbled the attempt. As far as the Ramble was concerned I read that Levon told someone that he only wished he could do it 7 days a week rather than once !! So onward passes a musical icon of majestic proportions. I still and always feel privileged to live in the same town as Levon Helm. This week, in fact the same day, a friend whom fewer people knew (but not that much fewer !), Barry Weinbrom also died after a long illness. Barry was also unique, but in a different way. I met him about 10 years in Florida at the home of two friends of mine. We hit it off immediately. I was still an assistant principal and he a science teacher, and always using his creative side to promote new projects. Barry never ceased trying to get people involved in his  wonderfully unique ventures. Indeed this was an extraordinary person. Barry was one of the most exuberant, positive thinking, and courageous people I ever knew. He could light up a room with his enthusiasm, and I admired him to a great extent. Two things stick in my mind. Barry was involved in one of his new projects, came to Woodstock to visit, and we and our wives were in my convertible driving up to some mountain to see the view one bright sunny summer's day. The song You Can Do Magic was playing on my CD player and Barry was very into this song, singing and dancing along with it and insisted that we play it over and over and over..... The ladies must have thought he was crazy, but I was impressed by his love of life and exuberance. When Barry was ill several years ago, I went to visit him in Brooklyn where he lived. He was about to undergo chemo for a presumed cancer condition, and he was unfazed, just as optimistic and positive as always. I told him he was amazing and an inspiration to anyone facing such a horrible thought. He was my hero, and I never told very many people that, except right here on this blog I have finally confessed ! Today I was on the village green and met a lady named Abbe who is known in town as the Kazoo Maker (she makes and sells them). She was playing her guitar and singing along, an average guitarist with a beautiful voice and a lot of guts, just like Barry. I thought to myself, this gal has magic !!! She stopped playing and put down her guitar, and said ok now you play. My God I have always wanted to play my guitar on the Village Green, but gee whiz, I stink at playing the guitar and also I have a lousy voice, but then I thought of Barry and Levon and impulsively started playing The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down, sung incredibly by Levon Helm. The combination of Levon and Barry playing with my mind made me quite carried away with emotion. I picked up the guitar and started playing and singing. I didn't remember the chords, or the lyrics, but carried on undaunted. When I finished I felt fulfilled that I finally did it - I said to myself, there ya go Barry, I did magic, just like you always did. Goodbye to two giants.