Observations about Italian Life

I have been in Italy now for 2 months.  At times it feels like I have been here much longer - meaning I am beginning to feel very comfortable.  I will be traveling back to the states for a quick trip (less than 2 weeks) so to my Minneapolis friends I apologize in advance if I don't have time to see you.  I will also be attending a wedding in California.  This will be my last post until I return to Italy on July 28th.  Following are just some fun and off the wall observations I have made over the past 2 months.  I have been gathering these along the way.  

• When grocery shopping you have the choice of two different types of carts - the normal cart (albeit a bit smaller than ours) and a red plastic cart with a handle and wheels - you pull it like a piece of luggage. So the red plastic ones are in the store at the end of each aisle and you just grab one if they are available.  The other ones are in a cart corral in the parking lot BUT they are chained together.  It took me a few trips to the store to figure out how in the heck you unsecure them.  It is an ingenious idea for making sure carts are available and not all over the parking lot. 

If you look real close the top of the black plastic thing says "2€, 1€ or 50 cents.  This is attached to the handle of the cart.  You put a coin in a slot on the black box - lower part of picture, it then releases the chain and you can pull the cart out.  When you are done you return the cart to the coral, insert the chain (with red end) from the previous cart into the black box (top part of picture) and your coin pops out.  Every once in a while there will be a stray cart that you can grab but that is not typical.  I have to admit the first time I saw it I said - what the heck I am not paying to use a grocery cart - DUH!  HAHA!  I finally figured it out when I saw another cart in use in the store and I could see a piece of the coin sticking out of the black box.  Makes perfect sense now but at first...........!

• Italian driving......It may be the only thing they do not do slow.  OMG!  They are in such a hurry - but wherever they are going you can be sure they won't be fast when they get there.  When I drive down the mountain to go somewhere it is a bit unnerving as the cars are right on my backside as I am very careful as the roads are narrow and very curvy. The Italians drive it like they are on a racetrack.  In addition when driving just the normal roads - not highways -  they pass all the time even if you are going faster than the limit.  No distracted driving here or you are in trouble.   

• Women (more mature) don't wear shorts......  not sure why but in the heat of summer, at night when out walking, shopping, whatever, women are either wearing a dress (mostly older women) or wearing slacks/jeans, etc.  I get strange looks when I am out and about in shorts - guess what - I am not going to change.

• Produce in grocery stores.... you have to weigh it and ticket it yourself or sometimes there is a person in the produce area that will help you.  There are signs with numbers for the various types of produce (fruit/vegetable).  You take a plastic bag, fill with whatever, use the number on the sign and key it into the scale - it prints out a ticket that you attach to the plastic bag.  Interesting though that the check out stands do use scanners for checkout. 

• Church Bells - there are multiple patterns of ringing church bells.  I am going to try and record all the various types - you have the normal time, but then you have ringing bells for a mass, a funeral, a wedding, and multiple holy days.  The problem is I don't always know when they are going to ring so I'm not always prepared to record.  A work in progress but rather interesting as I am told all but the time bell ringing is done manually.  Would be fun to meet the bell ringers!!  I will work on it.

• Beach time - this time of year the beaches are pretty full - but will be packed in August.  People get there by 10 a.m. in the morning. and usually start to leave around 1 - but many do come back later in the afternoon into the evening.  On some beaches if they are coming back they will leave their umbrella, towels, etc. at the beach - no one touches it and it is there when they come back after lunch.  A few interesting observations - everyone (all ages, sizes, shapes) is there AND goes in the water.  It is usually a family affair - grandparents included.  The water where I have been swimming is crystal clear and very refreshing.  You can just float in the water for hours (seriously).  Southern Italy is known for its beaches and water.  I'm excited to explore more areas when I return from my trip.

• Shopping is not for entertainment like in the U.S. When people go in a store they go in because they are looking to buy something - not just to look  - like we do in the states.  The stores are very small and typically the owners are tending to the clients.   But talk about service - when you do need something and go into a store they will work very hard to make sure you walk out with what you need.  If they don't have it they may even tell you where they think you might find it.   Also the price on the tag is not always what you will pay.  Just recently I purchased three items in three different stores. With each one I paid less than what the price tag stated.  Not sure why but I wasn't going to question.  I was willing to pay the price on the tag so when they told me the price was less - It was my lucky day!! 

So on that note I will close for now.  I hope you are enjoying my journey and I will be back toward the end of July with more fun stories.

New Friends and Golf in Southern Italy

venerdì, 7 luglio, 2017

I know many people were wondering what I would do for golf after moving here.  As I had told many people golf courses are pretty scarce in southern Italy.  They do exist but none are really that close to me.  I may be able to go on a weekend excursion for a golf getaway but planning for a quick round in the morning just was not going to be - or so I thought.

A few weeks ago I met my first friend (not family related) here in southern Italy.  My cousin Angela found out one of her neighbors might be a nice friend for me.  She is German but has been living in Italy for 20 years.  She is separated from her husband, no children but has a dog.  Also she loves to play golf and she speaks English.  I met her a few weeks ago and we hit it off.  Gabriella is a lovely lady and we agreed we had a lot in common and it would be fun to get together for caffe or for a game of golf.  

She tells me this story of a man that has been trying to build a nine hole (really a par 3) golf course in Ascea - a 10 minute drive from me.  She does say it is not much and is not completed due to difficulties but she knows the owner and has become friends with him.  There is also another man that golfs with them - he is an Italian/American.  He lives in Philadelphia and Italy - 2 months at a time in each place.    It sounds perfect but she continues to tell me the course is not much.  I get invited to join them for a game of golf last Saturday.  I kept my expectations in check as I just knew this was not going to be anything remotely close to an American golf course - and I was right.  BUT - I played and we had a blast.  

The bigger story is that this land is in the shadow of Velia - which are greek ruins and an archaeological site.  The government has delayed the final approvals for him to complete the course as they are concerned he might disturb the land - possible other archaeological findings.  What the heck - it is his land!!  But again this is Italy and nothing goes quickly or smoothly.  Antonio (the owner) has been working on this for 2 years and now is at a standstill.  He is not allowed to do any more work  on the course.  But he does go out with his friends every once in a while and plays the 9 hole course.   He has even built a clubhouse - which stands unfinished.  

Well when I get there my expectations were correct.  It really is a big field - lots of weeds, where he has set up 9 holes.  There are tee boxes (well sort of) and greens (well sort of) and fairways (well sort of) - you get the picture?????  OMG - we laughed so hard but still literally played the 9 holes and had so much fun.  I will say it is a heck of a lot harder than the well manicured courses I have played.  He even has tee markers with the metric measurement of each hole.   The greens have a cup and a flag stick.  You have to give him credit for his ambition.  If he could ever finish it it might turn into something half way decent. He even has a putting green he started.  Now the grass he is using - well let's just say it looks more like weeds.  

So I have golfed in southern Italy and we have plans to play again this Saturday.  Carlo is returning to Philadelphia for a few months.  We are hoping that when he returns in September Antonio will have his approvals to proceed.  

The course as seen from the clubhouse and unfinished patio
Note the tower in the distance (on the right) - Velia - the archaeological site

Note the yellow umbrella in the distance - that is the driving range  - complete with mats.

My new friend Gabriella at the first tee
The tee marker had a plastic covering to protect it - it was a nice new sign

The first green - note the flag stick and the start of
a water hazard behind the green

The makings of a sand bunker - he even has a rake

Gabriella teeing off 

The unfinished clubhouse

My team inside the clubhouse 
(L to R) Antonio, Carlo, Gabriella

Enjoy your weekend, more next week!

Patron Saint Day - Acquavella

mercoledì, 5 luglio 2017

As many of you saw on Facebook, Acquavella's celebration of its Patron Saint was this past weekend.  A week before, the village is in preparation.  I had posted pictures of the lights that are displayed throughout the village. I am posting some here as well for those not on Facebook.  

 This festa is the most important of all for this village.  Unlike other villages many of the religious ceremonies are celebrated in similar ways to years ago.  I will point out examples along the way but I am sure you will be able to see for yourself in some of the pictures and videos I have taken.  A week before, many different masses are held in the church.  Church bells ring much more than just to announce the time.  And the program for the weekend as well as a few days before is full of tradition.  

It all starts with the Patron Saint - Maria della Grazie.  Basically the Madonna.  But the history says that she saved the village (if my memory is correct).  And many who have received blessings from her will be participating in the processions and offering a votive to her.  The statue of the saint is in the church.

Unlike other villages they only remove the statue for the procession every five years (not sure why).  The other 4 years a picture of the saint is carried during the processions.  

On Saturday the band arrives and marches to one of the main piazzas where many flags are flown.  You will see they have an American flag as well as Europe countries.  This piazza has memorials for wars.  The band plays a version of taps as well as the National Anthem of Italy.


https://youtu.be/VyALS4r93JE

 

This is the first time in 2 months the fountain was on - sure wish they would
keep it on - assume it could be due to money.

The band then marches throughout the village playing marches.  After the mass the first procession will start at an alter just outside the main village.  The women I mentioned above march in procession to the church from the alter.  They will carry on their heads, an offering of thanks (votives) to the saint.  These offerings are structures (best word I can think of) that have been made by them.  They must remain in the family and ONLY a family member (female) may carry the votive in the procession.  Also take note in the video - many of these women are walking barefoot. All of the women are in traditional Cilento costume.  The video is not that long so take a look.  

https://youtu.be/Jw47Y6Eylaw


The main procession is Sunday night.  But earlier in the day there is another smaller procession with the band and the church clergy along with the people attending mass.  They go to a small chapel in the village and I think they take a crown from this chapel and bring it to the church to crown the statue.  She normally wears a silver crown - I think this one is gold.  I watched the procession from my front porch.   After mass the day is quiet but all the families are now getting together for celebration lunches.  Many people come back to the village for this event so families spend the day together in anticipation of the procession in the evening.  I was invited to spend the afternoon with cousin Marinella, who celebrates a birthday every year on the day of the procession.  She and her family come to Acquavella and have a celebration lunch in her mother's house (usually closed up but sometimes rented in the summer).   After lunch and visiting I went home to take care of Oscar before the big evening ahead.

The main procession starts about 8 p.m. after another mass.  Again this procession will include the women with their votive, the church dignitaries and others.  Some of the townspeople will march while others decorate their homes using lace bedspreads/curtains/draping and watch from balconies.  I chose to watch this one and video the procession when they came close to my house.  As in the other patron saint day there are stops along the way.  There was a stop near my house so I was able to video the entire stop. As you watch pay attention to the fact that they have to climb steps to get to the stop (as well as throughout the entire village).  The band does not make the trip up the steps as it is very narrow but stays behind and plays. A few other things to point out to watch in the video.  Notice two girls carrying a blue board that is loaded with gold jewelry.  If I remember correctly these are gifts that are given to the Madonna (eventually the church I presume).   
The video is 11+ minutes.  If you fast forward to about 4 minutes in you will see the picture of the saint being carried.  Then about 10:25 you will see the blue board with jewelry. 

https://youtu.be/4azP37Ouglo

The stop near my house.

Notice the band down below waiting for the procession to
come back down the steps after making the stop.

After the procession everyone ends up on the Main Street between the church and the main piazza.  Everyone mills around greeting those they have not seen in some time or just visiting with friends.  There are a few food vendors and a few vendors selling childrens toys.  It was fun to see the commaraderie.  I talked with many cousins and families that were there.  As it got close to 10 p.m I left to go to the other piazza as there was going to be a band concert.  The marching band was going to do a more symphonic concert and I did not want to miss it.  After hearing them play marches I was impressed so didn't want to miss this concert to see how good they really were. I researched them prior to the concert and discovered they have a following and are from Agropoli (a bigger town north of me).  

The concert started not too much after 10 - I was impressed as nothing is ever on time here.  They did 4 sets.  The first was an interesting piece of many classical pieces rolled into one.  I heard Beethoven, Rimsky Korsavoc, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Rossini, and more.  Rather interesting as I had never heard this before so wonder if someone local arranged it.  The second, third and fourth sets were respectively, selections from Operas, Popular (Italian) music and finally Neopolitan songs.  However by this time it was already after 12:15 a.m.  so while they played the Neapolitan songs I walked home so I could be at home for the fireworks. 

As I walked the 132  steps to my house, at the top what do I find????  The fireworks site!!!!  Now for those that really know me well they are are saying "oh no!"   For those that don't know me from years ago - I used to shoot fireworks (professional shows) while living in Cleveland.  Yes another interesting side of me.  So I got really excited when I saw this.  But it was so late and my Italian brain had shut down I couldn't even begin to try and communicate with the fireworks team. I just walked home and got ready for the show.  (you can bet I will be ready next year!!!)   But knowing the site was so close I knew I would have wonderful seats for the show - and I did - right on my front porch steps.  I did not even have to look up.  They were eye level with me.  I took a video of the show.   Don't watch the whole thing (unless you want to) but fast forward to about 6:30 in the video.  Pretty fun shells going off here but when they light up if you look at the bottom of the video you can also see the rooftop of the house next to me so you can get an idea how high up I was. It was a great show for a little village. 

 https://youtu.be/gTZcwJu-EuI

The festivities continued on Monday night.  The local town organization was selling pizze fritte (fried pizza) along with wine, in the main piazza.  Fried pizza is just lightly fried pizza dough - you can have plain or with sauce and cheese. It is crispy for those that like a crispy crust.  YUM!!  There was also traditional cilento music from a local band.  A fun night to end a great weekend.   Now we can all rest up as next weekend will be Acquavella's Sagra - gee - a celebration of food!!!!!  What a great idea!!

I hope everyone had a great July 4th Celebration!!