Salzburger Zeitung - Saturday's Concerts

Arias for Senesino

As well as being a sweetie, who I may have mentioned I have a crush on, Andreas Scholl is a wise performer; at the outset of his recital career he realized that people could find an entire concert of countertenor arias a bit much. So he has teamed up with various musical ensembles to present a varied vocal and instrumental programme.

It was apparent on Saturday morning that his relationship with Accademia Bizantina is a happy one. There was obvious enjoyment and at times playful interaction between him, director Ottavio Dantone and first violinist Stefano Montanari. And the programme allowed Scholl, Montanari and the ensemble to display their individual and joint talents. And I now have another crush - Montanari can tune my fiddle any time!

As the title suggests the vocal music was arias written for the celebrated castrato Senesino by Handel, Albinoni, Porpora, Geminiani and Lotti. I've always preferred Scholl when he sings the more lyrical arias and this concert was no different - two of the Handel pieces Caro Sposa and Dove Sei are part of his usual repertoire and he delivered them with a gentle simplicity that pulled at the heart strings. In the more showy pieces he doesn’t have the power or range of a David Daniels but the sound is never less than beautiful. In Lotti's Discordi pensieri, a piece new to me, it was often difficult to tell where Montanari’s violin ended and Scholl's voice began. And as a sidebar he was utterly sweet and sexy at the CD signing session afterwards - he knew how to charm the 100 or so fans who crowded around taking pictures and gushing. I wasn't like them though, I didn't take a picture!

And here's a bit of what we heard - Dove Sei from the 1998 producton of Handel's Rodelinda at Glyndebourne with William Chrisite conducting. Bertarido laments his seperation from his wife Rodelinda.



The three instrumental pieces – two by Vivaldi, the third a variation on La Follia by Geminiani – had a brilliance and spark that it often seems to me only Italian musicians can bring to this type of music.

Neapolitan Church Music

It was that spark that was missing in that evening’s concert. Thomas Hengelbrock and his Balthasar-Neumann Chor and Ensemble are well know for their eclectic repertoire ranging from early music to 20th century pieces so it was no surprise that they were scheduled at this year’s festival. Their programme was made up of three choral pieces – including a beautiful but seldom heard Stabat Mater by Emanuele d’Astorgo – and one Scarlatti church concerto grosso.

I recall remarking to Laurent once, after a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers by a German group at the Frari in Venice, that though the music making was lovely there was something missing. To my mind Italian church music – even a Miserere - has a certain dance like quality to it that Northern Ensembles often just can’t quite catch. This concert was an example of that – beautifully sung but there was a certain fire missing. And when they gave an exquisite performance of a Bach chorale as an encore it only reinforced that belief. It had a style and sense of musicality that the rest of the programme lacked.

17 maggio - San Pascal Bayon

Zwergerlgarten V

This chappy with the turban and the big sweeping moustache is obviously meant to be a Turk. Like many of the statues he has lost an arm somewhere over the years.

17 maggio - San Pascal Bayon

A Balcony By Any Other Name

I initially posted this with a poll which worked fine for a while and then messed up the coding for the site. I'm going to try it one more time - so though you may have commented or voted already, please do so again.

Of course Verona is the city of Romeo and Juliet. We have Juliet Kisses and Romeo Cakes in the pastry shops, there's the Romeo and Juliet Hotel, the Capulet Hotel, Ristorante Guiletta. Then we have the Casa Capuleti with its graffiti covered entrance into the garden where the great love story written by Luigi da Porto in 1520 begins on its tragic path - okay some English guy did his version of it but these translation things never really work.

Here's are pictures of a few balconies in Verona.





The answer on Monday - I promise!

Originally poste: 15 maggio - San Giovanni-Batiste di LaSalle

Zwergerlgarten IV

For some reason this chap is wearing a basket on his head. The position of his hands and some strategically place holes suggest at one time he was holding something between them.

16 maggio - San Brendan

1000 Miglia

Today was day 2 of the 2008 Mille Miglia - the great annual motor race from Brescia to Roma and back. Tonight at around 2100 the first of 388 cars registered in the race arrived at Piazza Bra in the centre of Verona. They did a circuit of the Piazza and headed down Corso Porto Nouvo and onward to Ferrara and down the south coast of Italy.

As we sat at diner at Osteria Casa Vino, just off the Via Roma, we could hear the roar of engines and catch glimpses of some of the incredible antique Alfa Romeos, Ferrari's, Aston Martins and Lancias in the race. The streets were lined with people taking photos and when a particular favorite entered the Piazza a general roar would go up.

We were tempted to get a better look but dinner was so incredible - Cod mousse on grilled polenta, cut with a fork crusted pork medallions with roast potatoes and cafe creme marscapone for me, Chicken liver pate, stewed rabbit with polenta and lavender creme brule for Laurent - we just couldn't rush away from it. And there was no way we could insult Gianetta and Rinaldo, the brother and sister team who run the Osteria, by leaving any of the food untouched.

But we needn't have worried - it is now 2345 and the cars are still roaring past our window at the Grand Hotel on the Corso. It reminded us both of the race car scene in Fellini's Amarcord.



15 maggio - San Giovanni-Batiste di LaSalle

Zwergerlgarten III

I find this weather beaten Woodsman one of the more disturbing of these grotesque figures. The hardship of his life and trade seem etched into the stone.

15 maggio - San Giovanni-Batiste di LaSalle

Salzburger Zeitung - Whitsun Festival

We were on the go constantly in Trento, Salzburg and briefly in Innsbruck and between opera, concerts, great food and sightseeing its been hard to find time to write anything about the Pfingstfestpiele (Whitsun Festival) that was the principal reason for our trip.

I’ve only been in Salzburg during the Summer Festival, back in 1969, 1971 and again in 1978, when crowds are chaotic, hotels are full and prices are astronomical. Fortunately the Whitsun Festival is still small enough that things are quieter, hotels available and it’s possible to have a good meal without mortgaging your first born. One thing that will never change is the abundance of ticky-tacky Mozartiana souvenirs - to bad the family isn't still around to benefit from the copyright.

Beginning with last year what was once a festival featuring Baroque music in a general way now celebrates the musical genius of Naples. And behind it is that modern Neapolitan genius Riccardo Muti. Like my friend OC, I’m one of those people who worship at the shrine of Muti – and this weekend Laurent has also become a convert to the cause. After watching him at close quarters yesterday, our seats at the side choir of the Kollegenkirche gave us a perfect view of his interaction with the soloists and orchestra, Laurent remarked that he had an almost palpable sense of Muti’s love of music and musicians. Yes there may be stories of his vanity and arrogance but for the two performances he gave us this weekend alone in my book he’s entitled.

Speaking of his vanity I recall the last time we saw him conduct in 1998 – Milan, Les Dialogues des Carmelites – he mounted the podium took his bows, turned away from the audience and surreptitiously slipped his glasses out of his pocket; his year he arrived specs firmly in place and still looking leonine and handsome.

The form of the Festival seems pretty much set now: three concerts of secular and sacred music mixing the classical and the popular (folk) bookended by a Muti-led opera and a Muti-led cantata/oratorio/mass. The Muti performances feature his exceptional group of young Italian musicians, Orchestra Giovanile "Luigi Cherubini" and young singers who in many cases he has mentored. The concerts are by international soloists and ensembles - e.g. this year's Andreas Scholl, theBalthasar-Neumann Chor and Ensemble, Accademia Bizantina and Accordone.

In what has become standard practice for Muti, his Orchestra Giovanile "Luigi Cherubini" joined the performers on stage to share in the 20 minute ovation opening night of Il matrimonio inaspettato . (Photos by Silvia Lelli)

On Satrday Muti was confirmed as Festival director until 2011 and next year's programme was announced. Sunday we decided that we'll be there - God willing and the Salzach don't rise.

I am honestly going to try and get something up about the indivdual performances tomorrow or Friday - it just we're still doing the sight-seeing thing here in Verona.

14 maggio - San San Pachomius

Zwergerlgarten II

This is one of only two female statues in the restored group - though there may have been more amongst the missing figures. She appears to be a fruit seller dressed in local peasant costume and offering a pomegranate - a symbol of welcome and prosperity.

14 maggio - San Pachomius

Mercoledi Musicale

As well as being incredibly funny men Ernie and Eric - Morecambe and Wise - were good old fashioned song and dance men. Bring Me Sunshine was one of their signature songs. Unfortunately the one video of them performing it live has been disabled for embedding on YouTube but can be viewed here.

But in the meantime here's a recording of the boys doing it with a video tribute



14 maggio - San Pachomius

KISS Me Stupid*

*No matter how much I try I just can't get those lightening Sses in any of the available fonts. I really must talk to BlogSpot about that.

When we wandered down the Corso Porto Nouvo in Verona this afternoon, after a pleasant ride through the Dolomite's from Innsbruck, we were greeted by hundreds of people in black t-shirts, face paint and Goth adornments. By the time we hit the famous Verona arena it had turned into at least a thousand - some teens but mostly people over 25 and many into their late 40s and 50s. What the hell was going on?

Then we realized that KISS was in town as part of their Live/35 World Tour and playing the 15,000 seat 2000 year old arena. The T-shirt sellers where doing record business but I declined Laurent's kind offer to buy me one - there were enough middle aged men with paunches wandering around trying to regain their lost youth as it was.

Later when we went out to dinner the concert had started and the restaurants surround the Arena where full of people listening for free. I'm afraid we decided on a really nice Osteria a bit further away. We are getting old but damn it the wild boar antipasti and grilled steaks and pana cotta where worth it.

And of course I didn't have the camera with me - we're sharing one at the moment but that's another story - to take pictures of the invasion of the KISS fans into the land of Montagues and Capulets.

13 maggio - San Giovanni il silenzioso

Salzburger Zeitung - Der Zwerglgarten

Back in 1715 Prince Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach wasn’t terribly big into political correctness when he had the Zwergerlgarten (Dwarf Garden) built in the gardens of Schloss Mirabell. Dwarfs were a source of amusement and kept in large households for their entertainment value. Many of the Salzburg stone dwarfs were modeled on real members of the Archbishop’s retinue; others were simply caricatures of peasants and foreigners.

Of the original 28 grotesques only 15 are still there and they have been moved to a high tower-like patch of grass surrounded by a moat. In the spirit of Baroque political incorrectness I’ve decided to post a Dwarf a Day; hopefully that will not offend as I am thinking of them more an example’s of an anonymous stonemason’s craft.



Since the garden was restored in 1928 these two have been guarding the drawbridge crossing while waiting to play what appears to be a rather dangerous ball game – notice the Mad Max padding.

13 maggio - San Giovanni il silenzioso

Salzburger Zeitung - Monday I

My good blog friend and the doyenne of Opera bloggers, the fabulous Opera Chic managed to get up to Salzburg for the second performance of Il matrimonio in aspetatto. As always she has posted her witty and wise view of the performance.

And she also found what has to be the ultimate winner in a city awash in Mozart ticky-tacky souvenirs. Though I honestly think this runs a close second:

Poor Mozart! Other than give many of them a source of income, what has he ever done to Salzburgers to deserve having his face emblazoned on a cow's udders?

12 maggio - San Epiphanius

Lunedi Lunacy

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were perhaps the most famous double act in British entertainment. For over twenty years they were mainstays of British television. Their (particularly Eric's ) one-liners became catch phrases throughout Britain - and a few of the colonies!

Their guest list reads like a who's who of the entertainment world and included this four lads from Liverpool:



Poor Bongo!

12 maggio - San Epiphanius

Salzburger Zeitung - Sunday - I

I've been wanting to get something up about the Festival so far but unforunately the Internet connection at the Hotel has been down since yesterday afternoon. Just putting this in on a local connection until I can get a full connection.

Quickly:

Il matrimonio inapsettato - a delight
Andreas Scholl and Accademia Bizantina - if I can't have Andreas I want Stanfo Montanari the violinist - seriously a great concert.
Neapolitan Church Music - the Balthasar-Neumann Chor und Ensemble did some fine work but then showed us what they could really do with a Bach encore.

And don't let anybody tell you Austrian food is heavy and unimaginative - we've had some great meals, snacks and confections. Okay some of it can be heavy but tasty.


And it is spargel season - asparagus, ham, butter and Parmesan cheese!

More to come.

11 maggio - San Mammertus

Salzburger Zeitung - Saturday - I

This stone lion in the Mirabel gardens isn't the only one enjoying the great weather. Its been 21c and glorious sunshine - the banks of the Salzach have been crowded with sun worshippers. And the cafe terraces and balconies have been full of locals and tourists enjoying their eis caffes and tortes. I won't even mention the chocolate marzipan cake confection I had earlier today at the Cafe Bazaar.

And this morning started with not one,


not two


but three ompah bands coming across the bridge from the Altstadt.


You definitely know you're in the Tirol!

10 maggio - San Isidore

Salzburger Zeitung - Friday - II

We've just come in from a late dinner after Il matrimonio inaspettato, the opening performance of this year's Whitsun Festival. Its been a busy day of walking around town - seeing new things, revisiting old and I'm almost dead on my feet.

But before I got to bed I want to put up a quick post. Paisiello's little four character opera buffa isn't great music but damn this was great music making and comic theatre at its best. Riccardo Muti, the driving force behind the festival, his cast, chorus, orchestra and production team treated the piece lovingly and had us on our feet for a 20 minute ovation at evening's end.

If there was any star, other than Muti of course, it was the young (30 year old) Italian bass-baritone Nicola Alaimo as Tulipano, the farmer with aspirations above his station. Vocally and dramatically he was a constant delight and the strongest player in an evening with no weak links.

My friend Opera Chic has a few photos of the production on her site; and speaking of photos I'd love to get my hands on the SOB who decided that it was okay to disturb the final moments of the performance by taking not one or two but six flash photographs. There is a special place in my version of hell for a..h....s like that.

And I almost forgot tomorrow morning is an Andreas Scholl concert - and aside from the fact he is one of the finest countertenors around I've always found him hot in a nerdy-German way. Sort of "take of my glasses, unbutton my lederhosen and turn me into an animal!" And if the publicity photos are anything to go by our Andreas has been working out. Hmmm something to dream about.

Anyway I'm going to bedforshire a happier man for having experienced this evening. More tomorrow.

(Photo of Nicola Alaimo by Kira Volkova)

09 maggio - San Gerontius

Salzburger Zeitung - Friday - I

Well we've arrived in Salzburg and settled into the Hotel Stein and are desperately trying to live up to the elaborate ceilings in our room.


The one I've had no trouble identifying with is the donkey because I'm feeling like a bit of an ass. Though I got here safely my wallet and credit cards did not. Right at the start of the trip it appears I was the victim of a train pickpocket. Its a long complicated story and I'll post more about it later however I'm glad to say that though I lost a fair bit of money my documents and cards are safely in the hands of the TrenItalia Police.

But that and few other hiccups involving the train from Innsbruck to Salzburg have not been allowed to spoil the trip. And it will all make good stories for the travel book I intend to write some day.
Meanwhile here's a picture of us in front of the Festspeilhaus with with Riccardo Muti - looks like the Maestro is either measuring my height or about to decapitate Laurent.

08 maggio - San Simon

Mercoledi Musicale

I heard Teresa Stratas in her first professional appearance in Toronto back in 1958. She was fresh out of the Royal Conservatory Music School and it was her first attempt at Mimi - a role she soon made very much her own. She was always a singing actress and as she matured her ability to immerse herself in her characters became legendary.

She was also legendary for her frequent cancellations - including an important TV broadcast of Lulu, another signature role - and her frequent disappearances from the operatic scene. At one point she went to India and worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta. At another she spent time in Roumania working at a orphanage for children with AIDS. She and fellow singer Roberta Peters looked after Sir Rudolf Bing when he was stricken with Alzheimer's. And her friendship and care for Lotte Lenya, the widow of Kurt Weill, sparked her interest in his music and led to a series of albums and concerts devoted to his music.

To my mind this is a perfect marriage of music and image:



And here she is as Mimi in the live broadcast of the famous Zeffirelli MET production of La Boheme, showing us why opera house directors where willing to put up with the cancellations et al. When she was there it was magic:




I was fortunate to see her often in Paris, Salzburg and Laurent and I saw here in one of her last appearances - Pelleas et Melisande at the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1994. She still lives in New York City but has virtually retired from the stage.

07 maggio - Santa Flavia

I Gondoleri

In Venetian Stories, her book of interconnected short stories set in Venice, Jane Turner Rylands (who's very Venetian intrigues with the estates of Peggy Guggenheim and Ezra Pound are worthy of a book themselves) tells one story of a slightly over the hill Gondolier. Bruno has been rowing gawking tourists through the canals for 40 years - and as his body becomes thicker with age he tries desperately to live up to his nickname "Volpon" - the fox. Its rumoured that many of Rylands stories are thinly disguised portraits of people she knows in Venice - and may have scores to settle with. As we walked by the gondolieri - many of them aging like Bruno, I wondered which one of them had pissed Rylands off.

Two Gondolieri waiting to be called for work - some eye candy yes but again echoing Rylands' story - it really is a young man's job but what does someone do when they get too old?

This, of course, is the picture most of us have of the gondolieri - the gondola stand just off San Marco where tourists cough up the E150 for the 50 minutes ride.



There is a cheaper way of hoping a gondola ride, be it only for a few brief minutes. There are only three bridges crossing the Grand Canal between Santa Lucia train station and San Marco, so the practical solution is to boat it across. At seven points along the Canal there are traghetti stations. You hop on a traghetto - sometimes having to stand - give the gondolier the E1.00 ($1.45 CAD)(exact change only) and a minute later you on the other side. It certainly saves a great deal of walking... and money if all you want to say is that you've been on a gondola.

The traghetto station at Santa Sophia is busy in the morning taking shoppers to and from the open air vegetable and fish market.

07 maggio - Santa Flavia

La Serenisima - I

Laurent and I have always considered Venice one of our favorite cities - we first went there when he was posted in Jordan back in 1997. Our next trip was in 2000 for one of the most unique vacations we"ve ever had: a three day cruise of the islands of the Lagoon on the Eolo, a restored Venetian fishing boat. There were only four of us on the cruise and aside from the great food, wine and sights we were fortunate that we had the company of two fantastic people - Claire and Harold Yarmark. They were a couple in their mid-seventies whose love of life and people made them perfect travel companions. Claire told us about the day they were married: she was 17 and they were as poor as church mice. She turned to Harold as they left the Synagogue and said: Harold, no matter how much money you make I'll always be able to keep us poor. They were staying at the Danielli at USD950.00 a day - Claire was still trying to keep that promise! It was a wonderful, memorable stay in La Serenisima.

This was our third visit and we will go back again but we found the city has changed. It seems more and more like a museum or theme park and less and less like a place where people lead daily lives. And it has become prohibitively expensive. The albergo we stayed at previously, a charming 3 star hotel near the Academia, is now asking E200 ($300.00 CAD)a night for a small standard double with shower and Continental breakfast. We found something at E140 ($210.00CAD)at the Locanda Vecchio Poste (Old Post Office) near the antique fish market in the Rialto area. The room was more than adequate and after an initially unfriendly welcome the staff proved pleasant.

The hotel was past a Campo (Square) over a small bridge (isn't everything in Venice) and down this narrow, dark alley way. A turn at the lantern...

... down another alley way and Eccola! There you are!

The hotel from the canal side - we were just above the wooden bridge that leads to the hotel restaurant. Overlooking the canal and fish market.

The major drawback was the fish market that is very active and starts setting up at 0300 - boats coming in with the catch of the day, metal stalls being erected and the general hubbub of conversation - right under your window! And unfortunately every room in the hotel faces the market. Very picturesque but not conducive to a full nights sleep.

Though I recognized most of the shellfish - scampi, shrimp etc - many of the fish are indigenous and we never see them in North America.

Good friend Parsi tells me my original caption on this one was wrong... wronger... wrongest. Here's his full comment: Will!!!! C'mon!!! I'm gonna tell you italian teacher and she's gonna spank you! It says "lunghezze minime"!!! Minimum length! It's a sign that lists the minimum length of a fish to be sold according to the EU law. You can see on the right where it says CENT (centimetres). NOW! Turn off your pc for 4 hours and go learn the Passato prossimo and the passato remoto. And some clever spanish guy has written at the bottom "EL MIO 37", "MINE, 37".... I now have a fishbone to pick with the guy who told me that it was an old sign showing fish prices in scudi! Dumb tourists will believe anything! And I have to admit my first caption was a bit more romantic.

06 maggio - San Dominico Salvo

Lunedi Lunacy

Its been a while since I checked in with my favorite Hippo Pat and his buddy Stan.



And another one because I love these two:



05 maggio Santa Irene

The Best Planned Lays

As I've mentioned before none of our travel plans here ever quite come off as I've mapped them out. Since late January we've planned to head up to Salzburg for the Pfingsten weekend - that would be Whitsun to my Anglican friends, Pentecost to others . This is the second year of Riccardo Muti's Neapolitan-themed music festival and based on Opera Chic's report on last year's event it's worth the detour for fans of slightly obscure classical music. Also Laurent has never been to Salzburg and I haven't been since 1978 so it would be a chance to visit/revisit a fascinating city.

Plan A was to drive, but rather than the 9 hour direct drive we were going to take our time. Do it in stages, a stop in San Marino and Padova on the way up and Trieste and Modena on the way back. That was before Laurent was taken out by acute bronchial asthma during our trip last week to the Veneto. He's feeling much better after five days in bed and our doctor has cleared him to go away but the course of 5 pills twice a day has us a bit uneasy about him at the wheel of a car for long distances. So why don't you drive asks you? Well to be honest I don't feel that my reflexes are good enough to drive here in Rome or much of Italy for that matter. I just can't handle the constant gnat-like swarm of motos and even 5 years of Montreal driving hasn't prepared me for the aggressiveness of Italian drivers. So for the safety of all I restrict my driving to a turn around the parking lot!

So Friday I started working on Plan B and once again grappled with the dreaded TrenItalia website - I know I should just give up but I'll be damned if I'll let a website defeat me. Since we had two weeks we didn't want to just head up to Salzburg and back so again we planned a trip in stages but this time it took a bit more work. Though there are no border crossing here in the EU, there are invisible protection barriers - it is not possible to book a Innsbruck-Salzburg train on the TrenItalia website and this time it isn't TrenItalia's fault. For anything out of home-country you have to go to a travel agent or the train station. By the time we got all our hotels booked and itinerary figured out all the agencies were closed for the weekend, so we headed off to Termini and the International booking desk. The very pleasant man there was more than happy to make the reservations for us but.... but.... he couldn't book the Innsbruck-Salzburg portions, we'd have to do that in Austria! There was not point in asking why then the website instructions to go to the train station for International tickets - just smile, give him the credit card and take the tickets. There are 25 trains a day between the two so I'm sure we'll get there somehow.

The plan - as always subject to last minute changes - is now Rome to Salzburg with a two day stop in Trento in the Dolomites, staying at Agritur Maso Wallenburg for a few days then on to Salzburg for the Festival. While in Salzburg the cast and crew of Hobbs-Beaulieu productions will be staying at the lovely Hotel Stein . It was where I stayed on my first trip to Salzburg in 1969. Back then the Stein had the look of a slightly past-it matron who still tried to get tarted up for Festival time. I had a small single room with a washbasin, bath down the hall (5 Shillings extra - now how did that stick in my mind?) and the WC next door. But there was an incredible view across the river to Hohensalzburg Fortress and the Altstadt. I remember one night sitting at the window watching a wild thunderstorm in the mountains behind the Fortress - it was worthy of a James Whale .

The Stein has been turned into a "boutique" hotel - baths are en-suite and, if the website is to be believed - rooms are spacious. But just in case I've made sure that we booked a room with a view!

On the way back the train schedule pretty much forces us to stop over in Innsbruck for a day on our way to Verona. A few days in Verona, of course we'll take a look at the spurious Juliet balcony, should help us adjust to being back in Italy after the cool Austrian Alps. Then back home to Roma and that's the last trip for a while.

The above picture of Salzburg Altstadt was taken by Thomas Pinatric and published on Wikipedia. I think it is a truly remarkable photo. Looking at it brought that thunderstorm in 1969 to mind.

04 maggio - Ascensione di Nostro Signor

A Moving Experience

It looks like we will be moving to a larger apartment closer to Centro come the end of July. We very much like the area we're in now - we've become regulars at a few local bars (no not that sort of bar this sort!)and restaurants; we have our favorite market stalls where they know us and no longer put their finger on the scale when weighing fruit and vegetables;even the cashiers at the local supermarket know us now.

So why move? Well its a long story involving what we were promised before and what we were given when we arrived. The new location is that much closer to town, major transportation routes and Laurent's work and we will have a den for the TV, computers etc and a small breakfast room. Hey there comes a time in the foreign service when you takes all the perks they gives you!

One of the biggest drawbacks is the packing and unpacking. Granted someone else is doing it but experience has taught that more gets damaged in short-haul moves than the trans-Atlantic ones. And its means things will be at sixes and sevens for a few weeks. And the other problem is this:
Yep, that's the elevator in our building! A close fit for three people - too close according to our Fascist Grouch neighbour who refuses to ride in it with us. So how the hell do you get boxes, furniture et al up and down from the 4th floor?

This ingenious device does all the work:


Load it up - send it down. Of course in true Italian fashion there are no safety sides - bah only straneri would use safety sides - so you hold your breath until your crystal makes it safely down. Or better yet just leave everything to fate and go get a caffe at the local bar for one last time.

02 maggio - San Atanasio

Un Piccolo Giardino nella Citta*

*That's a close as I can come to a translation of a PBS programme - A Small City Garden - I use to watch every Saturday morning about 15 years ago. A clenched jawed Boston matron, Thalasa Caruso if memory serves because a Google search doesn't, dished out advise on how to make your little corner of urbana green and floral.

When I look at EvilGnome's gardening pictures I get a real twinge of regret that we left our beauitful but large garden behind. About this time of the year - even before the snow had completely gone - the wonderful smell of regeneration was in the air. I knew it would mean a great deal of work in the days ahead but it also meant a great deal of pleasure.

Well that's in the past and I'm now tending a 6' by 20" blue-tiled balcony pot garden four floors up. I guess the nice thing is that garden clean up took about an hour today and most of that was spent sweeping up the dirt left behind by the heavy rains and city pollution. That and attempting not to send dust and debris floating down onto the Fascist Grouch's balcony below - if our upstairs neighbours do it that's okay they're Italian but we are stranari (foreigners)and uomosexuale and since the Fascists are now in power ...
There is still a good deal of pleasure in seeing plants that had been dormant over the winter break into leaf. And even in my pot garden, as so often happened in the past, I am finding things that I don't recall being there last fall.
While digging around in one of the jasmine pots I came across what looked like a clump of clover that had hitched a ride from somewhere. A bit of research suggests that since it is springing from a bulb it is probably a type of woodland sorrel. Whatever it is I've put it in a pot - every little bit of green helps!
The day lily, which had its last blooms in early November, has already sent out four flower stalks and seems to have its share of hitchhikers. As well as a very health ivy, a slender tendril festooned with round leaves and tiny snapdragon-like blossoms has made an unexpected appearance. The flowers have a faint purple throat with a splash of yellow and are half the size they appear in the enbiggened photo.
I've never been very good at remembering the names of plants but given the fragrance and the appearance of the flowers I would say this is either jasmine of some type or frangipani. Can anyone tell from looking at the pictures? There is a massive bed of them below us and even four stories up we get the incredible scent.The only thing that appearance to have been lost over the winter - and yes we get winter here - was the hibiscus but I'll just wait and see. Meanwhile the cascading plant around it - again be damned if I know the name - is sending out delicate white flowers, individually and in clumps.

I've just noticed that our ground floor neighbour - a charming lady - and her two boys have been out raking the leaves in their garden and the maintenance staff have been cutting the grass. Two less things I have to do in my piccolo giardino - hmmm that twinge of regret is getting less and less noticeable.

01 maggio - San Guiseppe di Antioch