Laurel in Portland

My hat goes off the the people of Calabria who were so helpful and kind. Their acceptance of my self taught Italian and the advice and directions they gave us made our trip so wonderful.

Love the podcast, and can’t wait for the next episode.

As always, I enjoyed the podcast!

Thanks for all the links and the funny video. I am amazed that with my limited Italian I know the true meaning of many of those words…lol!

Vincenzo

x

Arlene

G.f. Roberts: It’s believed that the Etruscans had aqueducts, on some scale. Where can one be seen?

Mary Jane Cryan: Yes, their canalization for water were amazing. We have examples throughout the Vetralla area, also at Veio (now Isola Farnese) Even our irrigation of our olive groves dates from Etruscan times.

My grandfather was Joseph Mezzetti, born in Piansano in 1893. He emigrated to the United States in 1913 and died in 1950 due to complications from asthma. Honestly, not much more is known about his history except for (possibly apocryphal) anecdotes told by my father.

I would love to get copies of the newsletter. The website appears to be momentarily “chiuso per manutenzione”, but I will try again soon.

Thanks again!

My grandfather–whom I had never met–was born and raised in Piansano, Italy – a small comune right in the middle of the area covered in the podcast. I have never been to Italy (though I will someday – it’s difficult at this time, having young children and limited resources), but I have tried to gather as much information about this particular area as I could, being greatly interested in how my grandfather and his family would have lived. I even taught myself Italian to aid in my research. As Ms. Cryan pointed out (and unfortunately for me), the area is rather “undiscovered” – which means that there is very little information available online about the area.

When I do visit Italy someday, my intention has always been to spend the requisite time in Rome, then head off to Piansano and the surrounding area. This book should greatly help in planning that part of the trip.

I think Rick Steves recommended Civita di Bagnoreggio a few years ago, so there are a few more tourists than there used to be. Still, the walk to the city across a footbridge is a most memorable experience and shouldn’t be missed.

Umbria is especially famous for its hill towns; I especially like Amelia. It’s a quiet, town with amazing views across the Umbrian countryside. There are significant Roman remains and a most-interesting archeological museum, as well as some delicious gelato in the shop at the foot of the hill.

A true labor of love is Bill Thayer’s online guide to “Walking in Umbria.” There’s nary a square-inch of the region he doesn’t know. His site is: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Umbria/walking.html It’s an extraordinary resource for anyone planning a trip to Umbria.

Finally, it’s officially in Lazio, but the Bomarzo Park is one of the most unusual sites anywhere. Stone monsters, stone carvings drawn from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” and lovely grounds to stroll. Kids love it! http://www.bomarzo.net/

My comment is from the girl who asked what to expect when one first comes to Italy be it for living or for a short term stay. I agree with Michelle that the language factor is huge and honestly without knowing the language, life in Italy becomes much more difficult and I dont know how some people here exist without knowing Italian. Napoli, where I live now, is a city where many people have a basic vocabulary of English but few can keep up with native English speakers.

What is also a bit of a culture shock is the behavior of Italians which for a person who comes from a country where customer service is key as well as manners (or whatever your perception is of “la buona educazione”) then Italy can be a bit overwhelming. Italians don’t put up a front as much as Americans in my opinion and often when you approach someone who works with the public you will most likely find their behavior different as opposed to their US counterparts (or other Anglo countries). Less sweetened I think puts it best. To put it best, some even seem annoyed that you are asking them something, but I’ve gotten used to it. Many however seem annoyed but then turn out to be quite helpful. I usually don’t mind asking people here for any kind of information because God knows I get asked things everyday, probably because I am of napoletano orgin.

Lastly, I would just say that Italy is a different world than the USA and many other places. The South, where I live is even noticeably different than the North. You have to come and experience it to understand.

I’m finally going back to Italy – first time since 1988 and am travelling with a friend who cannot eat garlic. Any suggestions for dishes without garlic, or websites where she might find out more?

Thanks for all your entertaining tips and news,
Anne
Toronto

Presepe (singular); presepi (plural).

Thanks.

Right on Rosetta. Your idea for a cooking show has me thinking…

Living in Louisiana, we eat things that most people are not familiar with such as crawfish, boudin, gumbo, jambalaya, couche-couche just to name a few. Therefore I feel that I can appreciate the variety of foods that Calabrians are noted for.

Leslie Vincent

Keep up the great work
H Niyazi
threepipeproblem.blogspot.com

I think we need to tell people that the profile photo I sent in with this interview is a bit of a joke – taken while i was walking down the street by my dad who was playing with his telephoto lens!

And finally, inspired by your question about “other” museums in Florence, I wrote a whole post, so listeners can get the full deal here: http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/other-museums-in-florence/

Thanks again ladies for including me in the show!

Beatriz – Your work is so interesting! I can totally see those pots in my friends’ kitchens in Rome.

Sincerely Yours,
Debra Syfert

http://www.obika.it/english/index.html