Travelling Shoes

I hate travelling. Anyone who knows me well can testify to this fact. Recently my husband suggested- once again- that he'd like to spend more time on the road. I seized the opportunity to expound the disadvantages of all the common modes of transport. I concluded that my favourite are: the bike, the horse and human feet.


 Perhaps in the future teleporting will become commonplace? Then I'll change my mind. I'll grab my bags and passport and shout 'Beam me up Scotty!' No more hot car journeys. No more frantic platform changes.  No more Ryanair!

Dream on! I write this sitting on 10B on a Ryanair flight from Naples to Manchester. Ahead of me lies the usual Manchester Airport bullying security staff ( lost a bottle of perfume amongst other things for ' passenger safety'). Then on again to Edinburgh. By tomorrow I'll be back in my own village. Two weeks with no travelling shoes. Bliss!

And yet this is not even my first journey this summer. And a number lie ahead. Different scenes. Different people. Different footwear.

Travel One: Tour of The Garibaldi Warship, Taranto

And for my first journey this summer it is not so much the case of finding the right shoes, but finding my sea legs! After three hour car journey to almost the heel of the boot - ( yes - and under the summer sun!) - we reached Taranto. Taranto lies on the coast of Italy between the Mar Grande (Big Sea) and the Mar Piccolo (little Sea). Bridges link the mainland to the old town, on a small island.  They open twice a day: 12 midnight and 5 am to allow large ships to pass out to sea.

It is such a large ship that we have come to see: The warship Garibaldi, Italy's first aircraft carrier. This is the fourth Italian navy ship to be named after the famous Italian general: Giuseppe Garibaldi.

 Proudly I can boast that I have a personal connection to this vessel as it was the ship my husband contributed to built, as a Navy Officer, in Monfalcone's shipyard.

To get all the apparatus working, Garibaldi, which is an aircraft carrier, has got 4 power stations and 6 generators, further than 4 turbines each giving a power of 25,000 HP to propel the ship to a max speed of 30 knots.Operations room, the hangar and the living spaces are spread over 12 bridges and the aircraft get to the flight bridge thanks to two special big elevators.


Impressive or what?! I spend a long time on the flight deck with the captain learning about the amazingly short distances that the planes need  for take-off on the ship's runway. I opt for easier task of steering instead!

Travel Two: Caserta Wedding at the Mulino Reali

For my second travel this summer I certainly needed very different travelling shoes! Unfortunately these were shoes that were not made for any method of travel at all- and certainly not for any of my favourite modes.

 After my long-suffering husband managed to bring the car closer, I managed to at least arrive with buggers on! However with a steady 35 degrees all afternoon,  the evening found me shoeless and in the water once again!

And what a relief that was, I can tell you! All thanks to the clever engineering of those famous Bourbons who had the architect Vanvitelli (see earler posts 'Fit For a King' and 'Sing a Song of Sixpence').

  He constructed a huge aqueduct to supply their palace, the Reggia di Caserta and the San Leucio complex with water coming from the foot of the Taburno,  38 km away!
 I can reassure you that it  is still very fresh when it arrives  from the springs of Fizzo.Translucent and fizzing, in fact, that I was sorely tempted to shed more than my posh peek-toe shoes!!!

Travel Three: Seaside Holiday: Montesilvano

After my third journey this summer, I can finally kick my shoes off altogether to enjoy long walks on the soft sands of Montesilvano.

And who wouldn't! Aurora's flaming fingers beckon you to the balcony. Coffee in hand you are soon watching the fishing boats come in as she dispels the darkness in a blaze of burning rose and amber.
 She continues to beckon until you are down on the beach itself. Sandals are soon off and you are enjoying the feel of the soft warm sand on your feet. Brexit blasts may be disturbing British shores but here its only the quiet purr of sand- seiving machines. Yes here its just Cinque Stelle and clean sand. Who would want to contemplate further travel at all??????

Travel Four: Village Sale in Killin, Perthshire

I must however contemplate one final journey this summer. Back on with the travelling shoes- and soon these will be replaced with sturdy wellies. Yes, you've guessed it: I'm back in Scotland again! And by early September we are already in autumn.
Adorning our favourite woolies like lucky talismen, we are soon back in our stride. Staring into the flames of our chimneas and stovies, we bemoan summers ruined by unreliable weather and unreliable pilots. Seriously , of course, we're welcoming the change of season. And what isn't there to love about fresh crisp mornings and long romantic walks through Van Gogh portraits!

What better place to experience the autumn canvas than the Scottish Highlands with all its glens and forests ablaze with colour!

 It's Open Perthshire Studios week and I'm here to help my family sell honey, produce and paintings. (See Instagram: highland _graphite)


We're drinking Italian Kimbo coffee and munching scones and raspberry jam. I'm trying to forget about the forthcoming two flights I need to face.

But face them I must!The travelling shoes are on my feet once more and I'm trying to cram a large pile of purchases into one small trolley and handbag.






Can I do it? Have I got a magic wand? Have the travelling shoes sprung wings?


No of course not! I have to cough up the £50 excess if I'm not to surrender my bargains. Once again I'm reminded of the myriad of reasons why I hate travelling! I resolve to become more environental friendly and cut my air miles.
I close my eyes and dream of the day when I can travel in a virtual glass of fizz. Hands Free, my baggage will already be there when I reach my destination. The only two things I need to bring personally are: a thirst for adventure and, of course, my travelling shoes.

The Rites Of Spring

 I awake in darkness, listening to the first birdsong. Soon the cockerels join the chorus.  As soon as  I've made the coffee, I 
 am on the balcony.   Contemplating the day ahead, I watch the   dawn  streak the sky with soft blues and pinks. At about  10 degrees it's hardly cold. Safe to say the winter is over and it's time to greet the Spring! 


High above me you can still see the brilliant white moon, the last Supermoon of 2019. It rose 3 days ago, the same day as the Spring Equinox. The moon appears bigger and brighter for the whole of March, due to its proximity to Earth. It's called the Full Worm Moon. At the Vernal Equinox we have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. The ground  is softening. Worms are moving. Birds are celebrating.


Time for me to be moving too. For there's much I would like to accomplish.Much that needs God's blessing.In past centuries this aid was invoked through various Spring rituals. People gave thanks for their land, performed dances and plays, offered sacrifices to the gods and sought the blessing of their ancestors.These magical rites were performed to regulate the seasons and bring luck to their new enterprises. In these uncertain times of global warming and climate change, maybe these are rituals we should all be performing? I, for one, am wasting no time. Time for me to to begin my Spring rounds 

1. The First Rite: Celebrate The Land & Its Fertility

By late March it's not a difficult task. I cycle between fields of vibrant peach and plum trees, proudly displaying their powder pink and white bouquets.  I capture their beauty and post on IG. Job done!

Maybe not quite? Just to be certain I decide a sampling of some local produce is required. I choose a suitably ancient place, the Mulino Vechio- or old mill- to perform this rite. Arriving there I am pleased to find that it is being guarded well.


 It is not a ritual to be rushed so its quite dark when I finally depart. Under a mozzarella -sorry milk!- white moon I  thank the sacred geese for allowing me entrance.

Indeed they guard Nectar and ambrosia. After imbibing, it is no easy task to cross the pond. A  rite that perhaps  should not be performed too often!

2. The Second Rite: Attend Local Spring Plays

Spring is marching on and the days are lengthening so it's an ideal time to take in some evening theatre.There is two great plays to see. 

One: Madame Butterfly at the prestigious San Carlo Theatre in Naples, the oldest Opera House in the world built in 1737  for the Bourbon royal family. Two: Full 'E Fools at the Palazzo Fazio in Capua, an even older structure built as a family home to the warrior Fazio family in the 13th century, proudly displaying the Mohammedan half-moon in memory of their participation in the Crusades.

And, as luck would have it, two free tickets to Butterfly come into my possession via a friend who plays in the San Carlo orchestra. The reviews promise a great night:' an exciting work that penetrates the soul and movers viewers'
There is even subtitles in English. Unmissable by all accounts!

Therefore I give the tickets to my sister Emma and her boyfriend Geoff who are making a brief visit . It makes their holiday! Instead it's a short walk  to catch Full ' E Fools, a local play  set in early 20th century Naples,  in original  Neapolitan dialect. Ok it's not the easy ride that I would have had at the San Carlo with the English subtitles! 





Do I regret my choice? Not for a moment! From the moment the curtain opens I'm captivated.

No fancy stage set or costumes. In fact all the protagonists are beggars, down -and -outs and the action takes place  around a discarded wooden box that serves a table.
 After sharing what food they gained, they decide to play a sort of poker game.  The booty will be all the beggars' prize possessions. This gives rise to  animated and moving monologues delivered by each, explaining their choice of treasure. For example one chooses a broken piece of mirror, with which he has  viewed himself in all of the scenes of his life. This is his aide-memoire to the sum total  his life experiences; in fact his whole life. Although he had not been a beggar all his life, he had nevertheless led a humble existence. Notwithstanding his impoverished circumstance and lack of education, he had distilled much about the meaning of life from his adventures.



With one ritual to go, then, I have already gained much from my Spring rounds. I have renewed appreciation of the richness of the land  I now inhabit. Furthermore,  perhaps, I already  hold  all the flowers of  experience to distill a perfume to scent the remainder of my life. And I have still one ritual to go!

3. The Third Rite: Invoke The Ancestors

This last rite luckily coincides with a planned trip to find the Casa Particchi, which may have been owned by one of my husband's forebearers.

This trip takes us deep into Samnite country, in South-Central Italy. The Samnites- probably an off-shoot of the Sabines and a confedretion of 4 tribes- were the most formidable of Rome's early adversaries. They spoke Oscan, which is similar in nature to the Latin spoken by the Romans. The latter were eventually forced to grant the Samnites the benefits of Roman citizenship to avoid further conflict.

Perhaps the most famous Samnite is Pontius Pilate, the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judaea (26-36 AD)
 {Interestingly a stone he dedicated to the emperor Tiberius was discovered in 1961 at Caeseraraea, the Roman capial of Israel.}

And so we enjoy a drive through Umbria, the Italian region bordering Tuscany, Lazio and Le Marche., often called the green heart of Italy. Known for its Medieval hill towns, dense forests and of course its crisp Orvietto vintage!


On the way we stop briefly at Orvietto itself. Time to visit the cathedral and Samnite museum, but not to explore the labyrinth of the 1200 tunnels ( used by local nobles as escape passages) , nor indeed to taste the 2018 vintage.

After an extensive search and with the help of some knowledgeable locals we eventually arrive at said Casa Particci, situated near the village of Loro Ciuffena, 600 metres above sea level on the top of a wooded hill. After extensive ringing of her intercom we are finally met at the gate by a nervous owner, accompanied by a number of barking dogs. She is unable to answer our enquiries and we are obviously greatly disappointed. Before leaving we notice an interesting inscription on a boundary stone.


It reads: 'Hic Habet Digitus Dei, Le Sourire Est Deriguer'
'Here is the finger(power) of God,  it is proper to smile'
We discover later that this comes from Exodus Ch8 V 5-7.







We spend the rest of the day searching through various archives to no avail. Having left no stone unturned, we are only with the stone.

So back to Capua and the first  full moon after the Vernal Equinox. April 19th and we are  ready to celebrate Easter in two days time.





Near our house I spot a huge fig tree for the first time. Remember my East Of  Eden post and my quest for I fichi? I feel oddly at peace. God is still smiling in the garden. East of Eden.
 I just need to open my eyes and look.
Tolstoy says 'Spring is a time for plans and projects'. Well I've planted  my humble seeds. Hopefully I'll  see the first green shoots.Now I've completed the Rites of Spring.

A Christmas Carol

 The sun is shining and the skies are blue. 10-13 degrees in the afternoon.  Certainly not cold!   Late afternoon candy floss sunsets. Sounding divine?   But  it's late December now. Hardly Christmas weather eh! How can you get in the mood for celebrating the festive season if  fresh green grass is already pushing its way up from the not-so-cold earth? Who would want to come to Southern Italy to celebrate Christmas or New Year?

Well clearly many do! Remember Formicola, the small hilltop village  that time forgot? Our friend's apartments are fully booked! Why have people journeyed afar? Are they really  the

wise men who'll  find genuine Christmas spirit here?

Indeed I believe they will! For here are all the essential elements of perfect festive fizz!

Dickens pounded the pavements of London at night in  1843 'when all the sober folks had gone to bed' to give us his 'Christmas Carol'.  Well I've tramped the tarmacs of Caserta   to give you this Christmas Carol Cocktail. Hopefully it will be wholesome enough to persuade even sober folk to imbibe. Its effects- I believe- will last the whole year!

 The First Ingredient: Christmas Lights of Salerno. 

The first bubbles in your cocktail will appear when you've visited Salerno in early December. You need to arrive in late afternoon and allow adequate time to wander the streets and shops before pizza time. Time to view the Cinderella carriage, frosted firs, dazzling reindeers, silver seraphim- and more!  Start the mixing with the accompanying piano music.

 The Second ingredient: Christmas Concert: Christ Church Naples. 

 

The addition of the second ingredient will see your bubbles rise in the glass. For this you need to head to Christ Church in Naples in mid-December. It will take about two hours to gather it. It comes in two parts. Pour in one and a half of traditional carols and readings. Then add  half an hour of mince pies, mulled wine, ice cream and chat. You're done and you've two weeks left to gather the rest of the ingredients.

 The Third Ingredient: Ancient Recital In Capua  

No time to waste then. So haste ye on! Haste ye on to the church of Santo Rufo and Carponio. Here you will find a rare and ancient flavouring for your Christmas cocktail. It will take you also about one and a half hours to gather in. It is made up of a blend of ancient religious and eighteenth century Neapolitan numbers enhanced  by mandolins, piano and voices. It's a little cold now so move on to something warming and tasty...….

 The Fourth Ingredient: The Italian Christmas Dinner.

The addition of the fourth ingredient will really give some substance to your drink. For this preferably head to friends or family. You need to collect this on Christmas Eve: Spaghetti Vongole or Christmas Day: Pasta Al Forno or Lasagne- (recipes below). Allow time to inspect their dried  presepe. You'll need the fresh living one though...…..

The Fifth - and Most Potent-  Ingredient:  Living Presepe at Camigliano.

The addition of the fifth -and final- ingredient for your Christmas cocktail will really get it fizzing. In fact you'll only see the glass overflowing if you add it. You must get it wild and fresh in a hillside grotto. It is only available on three days of the year: 26, 29,30 of December between the hours of 4 and 8.

Its essential though so get your walking shoes on and best foot forward. You won't get lost as you'll have a star to follow. Nor will you get bored or hungry on the way as you can buy pizza mulled wine and other snacks as you view the wares of potters, lace and basket makers; in addition  to other craftsmen.

Don't be waylaid too long by the old fortune teller with her coloured crystals. Vero or falso?
 I kid you not! Its wise men who you need to point you to towards your brew's final spirit. You'll know you've arrived when you see the star...……..

You can relax now. You're done! You've assembled all the ingredients of the classic yuletide tipple. You've found that even Amazon can't supply you with what you needed. Furthermore  the shopping trip has taken you the whole month of December. Any regrets? I'm sure you haven't! In this age of instant gratification and convenience products, there is a growing demand for  wholesome organic foods that nourish and  sustain you on life's journey.

There you have it then! The ingredients of a truly Christmas Carol Cocktail.  I wouldn't recommend shaking it though, due to the high spiritual content. Let's remember the effect that the Christmas Carol had on its hero and end with Dickens' words: 'I am as giddy as a drunken man. I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. A Merry Christmas to everybody! A Happy New Year to all the world!'

Spaghetti alle vongole

Ingredients

• 140g spaghetti
• 500g fresh clams in shells
• 2 ripe tomatoes
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Tomato

  toe-mart-oh

  A member of the nightshade family (along with aubergines, peppers and chillies), tomatoes are in…
• olive oil
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Olive oil

  ol-iv oyl

  Probably the most widely-used oil in cooking, olive oil is pressed from fresh olives. It's…
• 1 fat garlic clove chopped
• 1 small or half a large fresh red chilli finely chopped
• splash white wine (about half a small glass)
• chopped parsley
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Parsley

  par-slee

  One of the most ubiquitous herbs in British cookery, parsley is also popular in European and…

  
  

  
  

Method

1. Put the water for the spaghetti on to boil. Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water. Discard any that are open or damaged. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water, leave for 1 min, then drain and slip off the skins, Remove the seeds and chop the flesh.
2. Cook spaghetti according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic and chilli, then fry gently for a few seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, then add the clams and a splash of wine, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4 mins, until the clams are open. Drain the pasta, then tip into the pan with the parsley and toss together. Serve in bowls with bread for mopping up the juices.

Pasta al forno Siciliana recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 tbsp olive oil 

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1.2kg (2lb 10oz) minced beef

½ tsp chopped oregano

½ tsp chopped thyme

1 bay leaf

250ml (9fl oz) red wine

500ml (17fl oz) tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

200g (7oz) frozen peas

450g (1lb) rigatoni pasta

150g (5½oz) thinly sliced ham, torn up

250g (9oz) mozzarella, roughly chopped

About 4 tbsp grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the onion until golden. Add the garlic and sauté until it smells good, then add the minced beef. Brown the beef over quite a high heat, stirring often to break up any lumps. Stir in the oregano, thyme and bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper.

Stir through the wine and when that has been absorbed add the passata and 250ml (9fl oz) water.

Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring now and then. It must be a lovely loose ragù, so add a little water towards the end of the cooking if necessary. Toss in the peas and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni for a couple of minutes less than the instructions on the packet. Drain.

Scoop a couple of ladlefuls of the ragù on to the bottom of 30 x 22 x 6cm (12 x 8½ x 2½in) baking dish. Add half the pasta, pressing it along to level it. Ladle over half the remaining ragù and top with all the ham. Scatter half the mozzarella over, then follow with 2 tbsp of Parmesan.

Now add the rest of the pasta and press it down firmly. Scrape out the rest of the ragù over the top. Scatter the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until it is a bit crusty on top here and there, and golden around the edges. Scoop out portions and serve with extra Parmesan.

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