The Passionate Palate Update

Oh my gosh it's June!

I don't know if I am back to regular blogging or not, but I am making an attempt to get back to some blogging. How's that? I miss the blogging community and all the joy that comes from the blog.

I have had a very full 2009 which accounts for why I haven't updated the blog. We moved in January from Long Beach to the Central Coast of California. This was a dream come true for me. I always wanted to escape the city and live near or in nature again. I spent many years on the Central Coast, mostly in Santa Cruz, but some in Santa Barbara and have always felt so at home here. My husband, Antonio, adapted immediately. Being Italian, as soon as he got his hands in the dirt, there was no turning back! We have a big garden and hope to plant a vineyard here one of these days. I have found so many benefits in being close to nature again, and indeed have begun to wonder how much damage we do to ourselves by living in a congested, dirty, ugly city cut off from nature.

Other updates: We went to Italy in March to be with Antonio's dying father. I got a real lesson in Italian hospitals while hanging out in one for a week. His father lived until a few weeks ago. He was 93 1/2 years old. (Yes, those 1/2 years become more important as we get older!) Shortly after returning we adopted a 5 month old puppy who ended up having distemper and died two weeks later. In May, I helped lead a wine tour in Italy for my wine sales company. We went from Puglia to Piedmont in a week, and of course tasted a lot of wine!

Has anyone ever seen King Frederick's castle in Puglia, outside of Andria? It was one of the cultural highlights of the trip. It is a fascinating, almost modern looking, structure built on ancient mathematical, astronomical and mystical principles.

Photo courtesy of Bridgette Fox

And for a dose of pure happiness , we got another puppy just a week ago. Mingus is 11 weeks old today and going to be a monster. Our 7 1/2 year old Ruby likes her new brother.

Antonio and Mingus


Wine tourism is way down, but we are planning two trips in 2010. By then, I hope our economy will be better and there will be more optimism.

That's the update in a nutshell. More soon, I hope.

Italian Events & Festivals

Here are some random events and festivals happening in Italy currently and for the next few months. I hope you are lucky enough to be going to Italy. Don't forget, if you need any help in planning your Italian vacations, please contact me through Passionate Palate Tours (my email is in my profile of this blog.)

Venice: Now, we're talking! Many of you know this is my favorite city in Italy, so I love to spread travel tips and help for "La Serenissima".
Now through October 12 - in celebration of Peggy Guggenheim's arrival to Venice 60 years earlier and the mark she left on modern American Art - "Coming of Age: American Art, 1850s to 1950s" at, of course, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.

Florence: Now through September 7 - "I Grandi Bronzi de' Battistero: L'Arte di Vincenzo Danti, Discepolo di Michelangelo." "The Great Bronzes of the Baptistry: The Art of Vincenzo Danti, Disciple of Michelangelo."
When I was there I really wanted to see this exhibition a the former prison of Florence - the Bargello. Unfortunately, the museum was closed every time I had some free time. I hope you can see this exhibit of the artist who created three of the great doors of the Baptistry.

Verona: July and August - the great Verona opera season is in full swing. See their site for full details.

Macerata, Le Marche: July and August - the other great opera venue is the Sferisterio in Macerata (my husband's home town!) Not as many Americans venture into Le Marche, but it is worth it. The details of their opera season can be found on their site.

The Maremma

After the wonderful week of wining and dining through Tuscany with my fantastic group, I headed west. I left Florence and drove to west to Vinci stopping to see the Da Vinci museum which I had wanted to see for years. I was not disappointed. For you Da Vinci fans out there, as well as all of you who can appreciate a brilliant mind, this museum is FASCINATING! It holds none of his art, only his inventions. Each invention is shown as working model, some real-size, some on a smaller scale. I came away more impressed than ever with this man's mind and talent. To be such an amazing artist, an inventor, a scientist, an architect, a physicist, and more, is mind-boggling.

From there I headed southwest to the Maremma area. This is the "wild west" of Tuscany, with miles of meandering coastline, islands, mountains, pastoral and agricultural lands. My first stop was in the mountains above Bolgheri at an agriturismo I had read about and had wanted to visit. It is an old restored villa - Tenuta La Bandita. One of the things I love about Europe is that you can feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, as in the case - 45 long minutes on a windy road to the nearest small city or freeway, but you can have all the comforts and culture that you could ask for. This place is run by a lovely young woman who looks like she could be on a fashionable street in Milan. Yet here she is the middle of mountainous country overseeing hectares and hectares of crops (vegetables, fruit and lots of olive trees), cinghiale, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, workers, a lovely hotel with about 20 rooms and a first-class restaurant. How does she do it? When I asked her, she sighed and couldn't really give me an answer, but her tired look spoke volumes. Almost all the food you eat there was grown and made there, and it was delicious.

The grounds are lovely, with sculptures and views of nearby medieval hamlets:



I was very fascinated by these wild, dangerous creatures being raised for food. Can you see the cinghiale?
I took leave of this lovely sanctuary and headed south to see a very famous and ancient Etruscan town. I was in no hurry, which was a good thing because those mountainous Maremma roads are tedious to drive, but worth it for their views and tranquility. The solitude was good for my soul. What felt like three hours later, I reached my destination of Pitigliano. I had heard this "city of the tufo", or a city built on this tufaceous rock, was a must-see and now I know why. As I approached the city, I couldn't see it. The road signs kept stating I was getting closer, 10km, then 8 km, then down to 2 km and I still could not see it! I didn't understand as I know this city is built up high. I rounded a corner and the view took my breath away, literally. I exclaimed to no one, "Oh my God!" I pulled over as soon as I could to take in this view.

It turns out that I had been driving at about the same level as the city, the trees obscuring any view, but the city is surrounded by a kind of ravine. As if a river had naturally worn away at this rock. So, while it is high, it stands in a bit of a valley/ravine.

This is a big tourist attraction, although it is difficult to reach. Parking is at a minimum, so go when you have plenty of time.

After parking, I walked a bit to get into the city and stopped and admired yet another amazing view of this Etruscan marvel:

You can see the ravine here on the bottom, and in those trees are tunnels called Vie Cave, which the Etruscans used to safely moved their people when under attack. I assume these tunnels somehow reach the city itself, but in my laziness, I did not ask anyone.

Once inside the city, one is greeted with the lovely cobblestone streets and charming houses of most small, Italian hill towns. The restaurants were all packed with tourists and the prices are not cheap here. Despite that, it is indeed a "must see".

From there I headed west toward the coast to one of my favorite hotels in the world - Villa Il Tesoro. It is run by the Guldener family who make the famous wines of Terrabianca. They artfully restored these old stone farmhouses into modern and spacious guest suites. There is no detail overlooked here - from the toilet paper holder to the gracious staff that learns your name immediately and never forgets it.

The only downside to Il Tesoro is that is romantic and I was all alone with about six or eight couples! I did need some quiet time, so I welcomed it, but when it came time to leave was really anxious to see my husband.

I should note here, I could probably not afford more than one night here on my income, but I had received many "free nights" here from sales programs I had won years before for selling their wine. I never had enough time to use the nights while working in that sales job, but I was able to use them now.

Each night my table for one was prepared by the window with the most amazing views over vineyards, gardens and hills. I watched the sunset while counting my blessings for three lovely nights in a row.

The grounds are as tasteful as the inside of the buildings. With artistic and tranquil touches everywhere.
There are many hectares of vineyards here, too, growing Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot. Terrabianca also has a winery and vineyards in Chianti Classico.

I took day excursions to the coast to see the gorgeous area of Punta Ala, only about a 30 minute drive and the next day to Porto Santo Stefano and Orbetello. Punta Ala has pine trees that come right down to the beach and a peaceful, low-key atmosphere that really attracted me. I made a mental note to return to Punta Ala for a week at some point, or sail the coast in order to see more.

Perhaps I was a bit bored, but definitely relaxed, while watching a storm roll in from my room I was playing with the view out my window. I dubbed this "A Matter of Perception."

I vowed upon leaving that I would be back, and next time with my husband.

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part Four

Ah, bella Tuscany! I count myself fortunate to take a group of people to Italy and share with them the Italy that I know, in the same way that I have come to know it - through its wine and food. Yes, indeed, I LOVE doing that. I feel that through wine and food, one can understand a culture. It is not the only way, but it is one way. I like that old saying - "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach." I believe it is also be true for women. When I see the look on people's faces when they taste something that is quintessentially Italian, or a flavor that we do not have at home, you see this look of "Ah Ha!" or "Wow!" Then when one tastes the local wine with the local food and has spent time with the locals, all the elements start to come together and one's understanding of the culture bloom on many different levels. But enough of philosophy.

My most recent Tuscany tour began in Florence, where after a welcome dinner, we departed the following morning for Montepulciano, in southern Tuscany. Our first stop was to the spectacular Avignonesi winery. Our VIP tour was lead by the lovely and elegant Signora Fulvo, the owner, who led us down into the ancient barrel caves,

then into their Vin Santaio, where there very special Vin Santo is made, or should I say where it rests and makes itself. The mother for their Vin Santo is centuries old, and they treat their aging wine like gold, as they should. These little half bottles of very precious liquid sell for over 100 euros a bottle and fetch perfect scores, yes 100 points, from top wine magazines. Amazing. Here is a shot of a barrel of Vin Santo:

We also visited the stunningly beautiful property of Vignamaggio in Greve. Vignamaggio is the ancestral home of the Monna Lisa - yes, there really was a Monna Lisa and Leonardo da Vinci painted at this property on several occasions. Because of its beauty and views, I understand why. With their delicious array of Chianti Classicos and Super Tuscans, we were served a typically delicious lunch.

After lunch, we walked around their immaculate gardens where "Much Ado About Nothing" was filmed. Leaving was the difficult part. "Celebrating the Harvest" (my title). One of the many garden sculptures at Vignamaggio.

One of the highlights of the trip was a day of cooking lessons at Badia a Coltibuono winery, the home of Lorenza di Medici and her family. She founded the famous cooking school and now her son runs it, deftly teaching typical Tuscan dishes with a great sense of humor. Everyone loved it so much that after the long lunch with dessert, dessert wines, grappa and coffee, I had a hard time getting everyone on the bus!

My group, firmly planted, not moving from the comfort of Coltibuono.

Some of Coltibuono's cellar collection.

Some of the many bottles enjoyed at tastings and at meals.

We started our Montalcino tour at Poggio Antico winery, owned by the talented and lovely Paola Gloder. Her Brunellos are always elegant, stunning and top-rated. The winery and grounds are extraordinarily situated and beautiful. And by the way, there is a fantastic restaurant at this winery if you are ever in Montalcino.

Next stop was Costanti winery, ancestral home of a long line of Counts. Yes, Conti Andrea Costanti gave us the royal treatment. Don't let his title deceive you, he is one of the most accessible, gracious, generous and sweet human beings. He is devoted to making small amounts of some of the best Brunellos coming out of Montalcino. They are worth seeking out! He spoiled us with giving us a magnum of 1999 Brunello to have over lunch. That was one of the best bottles of wine we had on the whole trip!

Our last winery tour was in Chianti Colli Fiorentini, close to Florence, at Le Sorgenti. The make elegant Chiantis as well as some powerful Super Tuscans. The winemakers cooked us lunch in this gorgeously painted room.
In between all this wine tasting and fine dining, we had time to tour Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra. This was a tremendous group of people, all genuinely interested, kind, easy-going and responsible. The tour could not have been better. We celebrated its success with a fabulous meal our last night in Florence. At Il Latini, known for their roasted meats, we not only ate like kings, but drank like them as well. The staff treated us great and stuffed us like pigs! Most of us took a late walk around Florence that night to help digest what we ate.


I invite you all to come on one of my tours. I will be posting two 2009 trips on my website in the next month or so. Hop on over there and sign up on my email list if you want to receive more information when I have it.

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part Three

ANOTHER MEETING WITH A BLOGGER IN FLORENCE!

I count myself very fortunate to have met the lovely Erin of The Olive Notes while I was in Florence. We met at a hip wine bar called Sei Divino (or "You Are Divine" - but it can also means something like "You Are Of Wine" if it was written like this: Sei di Vino.) Erin has a delightfully bubbly personality and is full of knowledge of Florence. She gave me lots of tips for my short visit there and even escorted me to a palazzo that evening that was open for a poetry reading. Her blog has followed she and her husband's year in Florence and is full of lots of travel tips for many parts of Italy. They just moved back to Florida where they are adjusting back to the American way of life. I can tell Erin has the enthusiasm and lust for life that will lead her many interesting places.

Here we are. And she is as lovely inside as out!

Here are a couple more of my favorite sights in Florence:

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part Two

Upon arriving in Florence, before the beginning of my tour, I had the great pleasure to meet up with the author, chef and photographer, Ilva, of Lucullian Delights. Her blog was one of the first blogs I was drawn to and have continued to be a daily reader of her beautiful posts. If you haven't seen her site, you must! Her photography shows that she has a very keen eye, her recipes are truly original and inspiring, and her personal notes either leave me giggling or crying, as she has this straightforward honesty about her that I so appreciate.

We met in front of the Santa Maria Novella church, and I had no problem spotting her through the crowd. My Swedish aunt insists that in each country, people have a distinct walk. Many times she has shown me the difference between a Swedish walk and a Danish walk. I have no idea if this theory would hold up under scientific testing, but when I saw the Swedish Ilva walking, I new immediately it was her. Maybe it was instinct.


I instantly felt like I had found a long, lost and very delightful friend. She has a bright mind with a natural curiosity about everything. Our conversation covered so many topics, from illuminated texts to food to Alzheimer's. (We have both lost parents to that disease.)

We strolled through Florence, spending quite a bit of time in the San Lorenzo market - the great food hall. It was a feast for the eyes and senses. I was drooling over the products that are available there that we cannot get in the U.S., like these lovely porcinis:

...and capretto, or goat (tail and all!):

...and wild strawberries:

Of course there are some items I could certainly live without, like all parts of the cow and pig that I couldn't imagine eating! (No pictures necessary here.)

Ilva took me to a quiet lunch spot above the crowds with this incredible view:



I took a couple of photos of Ilva, but somehow I think the one of her behind the camera captures her spirit (and I think she is a bit shy of showing her face.)


Thanks Ilva for a great afternoon, and I look forward to our next meeting!

Tuscany - Through Its Wine and Food - Part One

I've just returned from two and a half fabulous weeks in Italy, one week of which I was leading a wine and food tour through Tuscany. I had a ball! I was fortunate enough to have an incredible group of guests. I couldn't have asked for a better collection of people; everyone was easy-going and got along tremendously. We had six days of visiting wineries, beautiful towns and eating well (sometimes too well!) There is no way I can post all the pictures I took, or go into enough detail, but instead will do an entry for each day, including the free days I had before and after the tour. If you are interested in seeing our itinerary, you can visit my Passionate Palate Tours website for the details.

My next trip planned is for Piedmont in November. If you would like to see more details on that trip, click here.

Upon my arrival to Italy on May 22, I drove from Rome to Todi, Umbria to see my friend Stefania. I have mentioned her before, as she owns a terrific language school in that city. You can read about her classes here. I had a delightful visit, walking around Todi and eating one of the best rabbit dishes I have ever eaten. I will try to recreate it and post the recipe at some point.

The next day we visited some of my friends that own a beautiful agriturismo in San Venanzo, Umbria. (An agristurismo is a country inn/bed and breakfast that must produce some traditional product or raise some agricultural or animal product that is typical to that region. It is one of the many ways Italy protects its regional products.) You can see more details about Colli Verdi here. They had just gotten some samples of their nearly finalized first vintage of wine and wanted me to taste through them and give them my professional opinion. I was telling the honest truth when I told them how impressed I was. These red wines, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, were all impressive, elegant, and balanced. I'll keep everyone posted as to whether they ever make it to the U.S. market. In the meantime, I encourage anyone who wants to get away from it all for a few days, to visit their piece of paradise.From there, I went to Torgiano, Umbria for a visit to Lungarotti winery, their wine museum and their lovely hotel. It was a relaxing and beautiful place to stay, and for you wine-lovers out there, I highly encourage a visit to that museum.

A fountain/sculpture depicting the God Janus, after whom the town is named.

On to Tuscany, where the next stop was the famous and picturesque town of Cortona, made popular by Frances Mayes and her UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN book. It is filled with expats - mostly American and British - but still worth a visit for its beauty. My friend Patrizia lives in the heart of the old town in an incredible, ancient house. She is such an inspiration to me, because in her retirement, she decided to follow her dream of living in Italy and packed her bags and made it happen (not even speaking the language.) Now, she can speak very well, and walking through the streets of Cortona she is greeted by all the locals with a big smile on their face. Everybody loves her! "Basta! Stop taking pictures of me!"

I was lucky enough to be in town for an impressive medieval flag-throwing celebration, a reenactment of some of the festivities that happened about 500 years earlier for an important marriage between two prominent families. From Cortona, I continued north to Montevarchi, where my friend Gia and her husband Beppe live part-time (the other part of the year in Chicago.) They produce very interesting television programs and films, many relating to Italy. Gia and I met 25 years ago, had been college housemates and had not seen each other for 20 years! It was a fun reunion and felt like no time had passed.

The next day I made it to Florence where the tour was starting from the following day. I had time to meet up with two fellow bloggers...stay tuned for the next installment for my visit with them.

Bella Italia!

I'm here in my "other home", Italy.  Needless to say, if you could see me, you would see a big smile on my face and a lightness about me.  I am always thrilled to be here, but this time it seems like an extra special vacation to me because of the heaviness of this last year.  

I wanted to get a proper post up about all that I will be doing these next few weeks here, but alas, packing too much at the last minute got in the way.   When I return, I will post lots of stories and pictures.

At the moment, I am in lovely Cortona at my friend Patrizia's house, at the moment, hiding from the rain.  Briefly, I am having fun visiting friends in Umbria and Tuscany and will end up in Florence on Monday where I will be meeting up with the participants of my Tuscan wine and food tour.  The twelve of us will be spending six days touring top wineries in Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano.  We'll also take in the sights of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra.  We're going to get to know Tuscany through its food and wine traditions.

After my tour, I will take five days to explore areas of western Tuscany and the Maremma that I have not yet seen.  

I'll share all the details with you when I return!

Where Has Jeni Been?

I must get personal here in order to explain. Most of you know that my husband has been undergoing a medical treatment for the last year. You also probably remember that my mother died in October. I also mentioned here that I was helping to care for a neighbor who was dying of cancer last year and passed away just before Christmas. I also started my tour company last year and in January began selling Italian wine again. To, put it lightly, my plate has been full and life has been very heavy. I have broad shoulders and can really handle a lot, but I finally reached my limit. About the same time my husband finished his treatment, about three weeks ago, I hit the wall. I was breaking down, tired, depressed and utterly exhausted emotionally. It had all caught up with me. I think the fact that my husband finished and that I knew he would be improving quickly, allowed me to let go of my responsibilities and let my shoulders drop a bit. I finally let all the stress of the last year come to the surface.

I have never been depressed in my life, but I finally got the picture of what depression felt like.

Then...it got worse. Our favorite dog, Golia, our big teddy bear, had a problem. My husband was walking him across the street, on a leash, when he crossed paths with a woman and her small dog. We pass by this woman and her dog almost daily with no incidences. That day, Golia decided to lunge for the little dog, and not being able to get at him, bit the owner's leg instead...badly. It was awful and traumatic for everyone. (The woman is going to be fine. She is healing from some extensive plastic surgery on her leg.) We fell apart. After some days of trying to calm down, we consulted several German Shepherd and animal behaviorist specialists. We all were able to put together an understanding of why Golia did it. Since my husband was home sick all year, Golia felt stressed and sensed the change in the house. (He was always extremely tuned in and sensitive to us.) There were small changes in him during the year that indicated stress that we did not see. Also, my husband did not walk with Golia except a few times during the year; I walked Golia daily. So, Golia became extra protective of Antonio and Antonio lost some of the dominance he had over Golia. Because the incident happened in front of our house, the dog was also extra protective. Golia was also a rescue dog, so we don't know what else could have triggered his fear, and ensuing "misdirected aggression", from his past. The experts agreed, he was not attacking the woman, but taking his aggression out on the closest thing to him when he couldn't get to the dog. We were left with the option of keeping him away from people for the rest of his life, muzzling him when we left the house and never taking a vacation and leaving him with anyone, or...putting him down. After much heartbreaking reflection we decided to put him down. We could not risk this happening again, and potentially being worse. We put him down two weeks ago.

We rescued Golia 5 years ago, and he had been abused and had a hard life. It took a lot of work to break through to him, but when we did, the pay off was huge (as it so often happens with rescues.) It is so difficult to explain to those who didn't know him, but he was one of the cuddliest, sweetest, friendliest big dogs either one of us had ever met. Anyone who came to our house fell in love with him, even to the point of ignoring our other dog. He was my daily walking partner. He was a 105 pounds of happy, bouncy, appreciative, expressive and loving presence in our house - especially this last year when we needed that lightness so. We miss him tremendously.

On a lighter note, my husband is improving daily and that is bringing so much joy back to our lives. All the things we take for granted like standing in the sun, listening to music, taking a walk, driving a car, eating what you want, and more, he couldn't do this last year. Everything is a gift to him right now, and in turn a gift for me, too!

I will be leaving for Italy soon- taking a group of wine and food enthusiasts on a week long tour of Tuscany. Lucky for me that I have lots of friends in Italy that I will be visiting and staying with. The trip will be a salve for my tired soul. I don't know if I will be posting anything from the road, but you will hear more from me on the trip, before and after for sure.

Another beautiful thing I have planned to put a smile on my face is a camping trip this weekend with my nephew Nicholas. I have written about him here before. We will explore Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Northern California.

I leave you with a big thank you for all the blogging friends I have made out there who have sent me the kindest notes of support over the last year. I also leave you with this beautiful picture taken yesterday of my husband who is slowly becoming more active and our other dog, Ruby.

More soon my friends!

Piccola Cucina

One of the many things that has been keeping me busy lately is this new project. Obviously it is only applicable for those of you living in Southern California. It would be great if some of you local readers and bloggers out there could participate. I can't speak highly enough of my partner in this project - Christina Sbarra. She is an excellent Italian teacher and has come to specialize in teaching the language via activities. It has proven to be one of the fastest ways to learn. We are both passionate about Italian cooking, food and wine and thought that using those activities would be a fun vehicle for learning the language. Any level of Italian speaker - yes, even beginners - are welcome.

Piccola Cucina
Italian Cooking & Language Lessons
◊◊◊
Have you ever wanted to speak Italian?
How about learn to cook authentic Italian dishes?
Now you can do both at the same time!

All levels of Italian welcome – including beginners. Three hour class includes Italian language instruction along with a cooking lesson, in Italian, lunch and wine. Small group – limited to 6 people. Classes are held on Sundays from 11 am – 2 pm in Long Beach.

Sunday, April 13: “Stuzzichini” (appetizers, salads, bruschettas, etc.)

Sunday, April 27: A regional lesson on the cuisine of Tuscany.

Sunday, May 4: “Primavera” – cooking with the freshest Spring ingredients.

Sunday, May 18: A regional lesson on the cuisine of Le Marche.

Fees: Save money buying when you sign up for all four classes! 1 class $100, 2 classes $90 each, or 4 classes $75 each.

Your instructors:
Christina Sbarra is the Coordinator and Instructor of the Language Center of Long Beach (a branch of La Lingua La Vita from Todi, Italy – www.lalingualavita.com.) She has over 10 years of Italian teaching experience and specializes in teaching language through activities, which has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to learn a language. Christina has been a passionate home cook of Italian food for over 20 years.

Jeni Moretti is an Italian wine and food expert who owns Passionate Palate Tours (www.passionatepalatetours.com) a company specializing in group wine and food tours of Italy. She also has many years of working in the Italian wine business and studying the regional cuisines of Italy.

For more information, please call Christina at 562-930-9194 or email christinasbarra AT yahoo DOT com.

Passionate Mondays - Venice

Those of you who know me or follow my blog closely know that I am passionate about Venice. I have mentioned it many times or alluded to it in different posts. I thought today, coming so soon after the recent "Carnevale di Venezia" would be the perfect today to share a passionate piece I wrote many years ago about Venice, otherwise known as "La Serenissima".Venice

The train approaches the coast and my senses stir and my instincts are alerted that I’m near my city by the sea, Venice, “La Serenissima”. Somehow it’s mine, but like a lover, it’s never mine. And like a lover, I am always excited reuniting after a long time apart. I approach with a quickened heartbeat.

As the wooden boat carries me closer to its heart, I feel its pulse. Once my feet are on its small alleyways, I’m taken. I cannot lead, I can only follow. I have no control, the city swallows me, moves me. I’m helplessly swept into its tides. Not wanting to know where it is leading me, I follow my lover blindly to edges, turns, pauses, views, treasures – discovering its private places. I am completely exposed with no secrets from it. Just flowing, I feel more. I’m enveloped in its embrace, our breaths becoming one, our pulses rising and falling together.

Sometimes I hide behind my camera lens. Perhaps, it is shyness in the face of such beauty. Perhaps, it is a futile effort to capture a moment of ecstasy, an attempt to hold onto this feeling of rapture. But that’s just it! This feeling of being lost in Venice’s arms cannot be caught or captured, just as the city was never caught or captured. My lover cannot be contained, which is what I love about it. Re-visiting a photo does not convey its soul, its pulse, its magic. It must be experienced in person, with its saline breath on one’s skin.

My excitement quickens as I turn a corner and catch an incredible view, soon obscured by something else – a boat, a pedestrian. The next turn awards me with a forbidden peak into a palazzo, its Ottoman-inspired windows one minute revealing its mysterious interior, the next minute reflecting the sun in my eyes. Next I cross a perfect little bridge, empty and in solitude one minute, the next sharing it with a woman with and her groceries. These are mere glimpses into a complex soul.

The canals, the veins of the city, take visitors on boats into its heart. How many of them are aware of the great soul that they are entering? How many of them feel its pulse, learn its secrets, relinquish control to its gentle lead? How many will feel its mystery? How many will fall in love like I have and develop an insatiable craving for this mystical place? How many will keep coming back for more? How many will try to own this place (like so many in the past) and fail? How many will do the opposite and be scared off by Venice’s pleasures and passions, never to return for fear of losing themselves to the city? Oh, what they will miss! Yet, Venice will reveal itself - albeit slowly - its soul and treasures, to anyone who gives oneself up to it. A ready lover, this is the Casanova of cities. One moment in time, to be truly united with La Serenissima, is a pleasure not to be missed.

At times, my mind leads me to the fantasy of what it would be like to be with my lover permanently, married to this pleasure. Ah, but I know. I cannot hold onto this one. This lover is free, never to be caught, remember? I must be satisfied with my occasional rendezvous. I must always let it go for it belongs to no one, except perhaps to the great expanse of the sea.

I also want to mention some of my favorite blogs and sites about Venice:

Passionate Palate Tours - yes, some self-promotion here. If you need someone to arrange your trip to Venice - hotels, restaurants, museums, walking tours, etc.

Living Venice and Beyond - Nan gives us an insider's look at Venice and also has written a great book about Italy and Venice.

The Olive Notes - this is not a blog from Venice, but Erin recently posted two wonderful pieces about her time at Carnevale in Venice.
Michelle's Mental Clutter - all about life in Venice by an expat

Palazzo Grassi - an historical palazzo with wonderful art exhibits
Venice Daily Photo - just what it says it is

Venice From Beyond the Bridge - a blog with very interesting photos and stories about the city

Venice is, unfortunately, one of the most expensive cities in Italy to visit. With the weak dollar, it makes a trip there very difficult. However, if you can afford it and want to avoid the big crowds, I recommend going in the winter months - November, December, January. You will have to put up with sometimes very cold weather, "acqualta" or high water, and even snow, but it will be worth it. The last time I was there was in December and I packed my rubber boots in anticipation of the acqualta. Instead, there was snow and ice. The falling snow was like a blanket on the city, quieting it. I felt like I had the streets to myself at times. Yes, it was cold, but thankfully the stores sold cashmere socks (which I forgot to pack) that saved my feet and with wool scarves and gloves I was one very happy explorer. The cold also makes that afternoon espresso or hot chocolate taste even better. I found that traveling at that time brings priveleges you don't find when the city is full - like lots of attention in the restaurants (I had restaurant owners bringing me things to try because they had the time), good availability and better rates in hotels, no waiting lines at wine bars or at city attractions, and markets in which you could actually move freely. That is all just some food for thought for those of you that want a more intimate experience of La Serenissima.

Have a passionate Monday!

Passionate Mondays - Italian Language

Today, I am passionate about the Italian language, la bella lingua Italiana.

As I write this my husband is in the other room watching the "Godfather" in Italian. I love hearing Italian, any time, any day, and have since I first heard it. It is comfort to my ears somehow. My first trip to Italy, when I had only one semester of Italian under my belt, it never bothered me that I didn't understand what people were saying. I remember just wanting to sit in public places and soak in the sounds, bathe in the melody of that beautiful language.

I know that I will always be a student of languages and look forward to learning more, but I want to be fluent in Italian more than I have ever wanted to in another language. Through a dear friend in Long Beach who was my Italian tutor, I met Stefania Belli, the founder of La Lingua La Vita in Italy. La Lingua La Vita is an Italian language school for foreigners located in beautiful Todi, Umbria. I have studied languages since 1976 (French, Spanish and Italian) and have had a wide range of teachers. I can honestly say that Stefania is one of the best and most natural teachers I have ever had the pleasure of studying with. She has also created a new innovative way of learning called "Beyond Language", which was recently written about in Yoga Journal.

Lucky for me, Stefania comes to Southern California once a year to hold a month-long intensive Italian course that I take. I dream of going to Todi to immerse myself in the language program there as soon as I can. I must say that despite the terrible exchange rate for us poor people with dollars, her programs are still very affordable, in addition to being very interesting. If you are interested in signing up for one of her courses in Todi, you can visit my website for full details and, since I act as one of their U.S. agents, you can register through me.

In addition to the language classes, students can take cooking courses, do olive oil and wine tastings, visit ceramic studios, or do art classes. You have the option of staying with a family (a further way to strengthen your Italian) or stay in an independent apartment. Studying at La Lingua La Vita would be a great way to full immerse yourself in the Italian culture.

Have a passionate Monday!

Fatevi un lunedi appassionato!

Promotion and Smiles

Yes, I am about to commit shameless self-promotion. Well, if I can't do it, why would I expect anyone else to do it for me? Right, so on with the promo, Jeni...

I have a few spots left on two of my Italy trips next year that I want to let people know about. The first is a trip to Tuscany (May 26 - June 1) and the second is to the Veneto & Friuli (June 2- June 9). My small group (no more than 14 participants) journeys are designed to show people the real Italy through the wine and food of each region. I want people to experience Italian culture the way that I have been able to over many years of travel and work there. I want to give people a sense of what it is like to live there, to feel Italian to understand where traditions came from and to take them off the beaten path. These trips involve tastings at wineries that are normally not open to the public, meetings with winemakers and winery owners, often meals with them, eating in restaurants that are dedicated to preserving traditional cuisine, tasting artisanal food products, and always having fun. I build in ample time for participants to wander, explore, photograph, visit museums, or relax.

If you would like more information on these trips you can visit these links, or email me at passionatepalate AT gmail DOT com.

Tuscany: http://www.passionatepalatetours.com/tuscanytour.html

Veneto & Friuli: http://www.passionatepalatetours.com/tours.html

Now for the Smiles-

Scarlett and "From the Shores of Introspect and Retrospect" bestowed this "You Make Me Smile Award" on me weeks ago, and I am only getting around to a proper THANK YOU just now. (My apologies dear Scarlett.) I know these things may seem a bit silly to some, but what a beautiful gift to make someone else smile. Lifting others up is the real award. As St. Francis's famous prayer states, "It is in giving that we receive."

Now it is my turn to receive by giving this award to others. (I try not to duplicate tagging someone I tagged recently, otherwise, there would be a lot more bloggers on this list.) If you have already received this award, then count yourself lucky to have made another person smile! Of course I would give it back to Scarlett if I could, because she always makes me smile.

Dana at A Child of the Universe for being exactly that!

Sussanah at Ink on My Fingers for inspiring me to be me.

Chris at Mele Cotte for always having a sense of humor in her posts.

Jenn at The Leftover Queen for the smile on her face and in her words.

Katie at Olio di Oliva Sogni di Vino for her aliveness.

Frida at Portraits of Afghanistan for giving us image of beautiful faces and places.

Thank you all for making me smile, again and again.

November (and some December) Events in Italy

Here is the line-up of events that I find interesting in Italy for this November. Are you surprised they are all about wine and food?:

#1: Voterragusto in Volterra, Tuscany. Through November 25. Not only is it dedicated to that great tuber - the white truffle, but also to olive oil, cheese and chocolate. What is there not to like about that? http://www.voterragusto.com/ for more info.


#2: Gli Antichi Sapori di Valle di Non/The Old Flavors of the Valley of Non, now through November 11. Gather in the stunning region of Trentino/Alto Adige for a celebration of the ancient flavors of the area. Hotels and restaurants offer special deals during this time. See http://www.valledinon.tn.it/ for more information.


#3: Riesling Tage/Riesling Days, Naturns, Alto Adige, November 10-12. You can hit two festivals in the same region at once! This one celebrates the great Riesling grape with tastings, speakers and educational seminars. http://www.rieslingtage.com/


#4: Roma Wine Festival, Rome, November 16-18. Another wine festival! This one shows off many of Italy's best wines with tastings and seminars. http://www.romawinefestival.it/.


#5: Mostra del Gelato/Gelato Show, Longarone, Veneto, December 2-5. In case you are tired of truffles and wine, you can head to Northeast Italy to indulge in gelato from all over the world. http://www.nostradelgelato.com/.




One notable Italian event in New York City:


"Vino e Cucina", Cipriani, NYC, November 13. This is the annual fundraiser for Gruppo Ristoranti Italiani which is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering and promoting authentic Italian cuisine in America's Italian restaurants. This event features wine and food samplings from the association's members. http://www.gruppo.com/ for more info.



And a bit of self-promotion:
Don't forget if you are truffle lover, I will leading a November 2008 trip to Piedmont during the famous White Truffle Festival in Alba (through Passionate Palate Tours). We will be visiting many great wineries, having meals with winemakers and of course, learning about and eating truffles. Email me if you are interested in more information (price to be announced soon): passionatepalate AT gmail DOT com.

Happy Travels!