Alberobello

When my parents were visiting last fall, we took them to a different spot for sightseeing each weekend. I shared the photos from Canne della Battaglia with you at the time, but nothing else, so I thought I'd take you on an occasional tour around Puglia.

One of the most interesting sites in our region is the small town of Alberobello, the trullo town.

All of the houses in the historic center of this little fairy-tale town have these unique cone-shaped roofs, called trullos.

Many of them have pagan or magical signs whitewashed onto them. There are lots of theories about the meanings of these symbols - and, of course, the locals will sell you books explaining them - but really the origins of the symbols are lost in the mists of time.

What is also a mystery is why, indeed, this particular style of construction developed here, and only here. It is not found anywhere else in the world, except for those places where people from here have built themselves a trullo, perhaps to remind themselves of home.

Legend has it that due to a high tax on property back in the Middle Ages, the people of the Itria Valley created these roofs of limestone slabs piled one atop the other without any mortar holding them together so that they could be dismantled when tax inspectors were in the area. Apparently, the townsfolk were taxed per roof . . . no roof, no tax.

People were smaller back then, right?

Do you believe in magic?

There's even a trullo church!

Alberobello makes a great day trip if you are in the area. There are lots of shops selling local crafts, such as miniature ceramic trullos or beautiful handmade crocheted linens. Don't forget to sneak down the side streets, too, where you can see how the townspeople really live their lives in this fairy-tale town.

Sun Therapy

Yesterday was a gorgeous sunny and relatively warm day. We took full advantage of it by inviting friends to lunch and eating outside in the backyard. Our first outdoor meal of 2011! Even Piedina, the dog, had a smile on her face.

We have all been facing various troubles recently: minor health complaints, family issues, you know, that other stuff life is also made of, although we try our best to forget. A few hours of chatting, eating good food and drinking some fine local red wine was just what the doctor ordered.

As you can see, there was a lot to eat and drink, but we had no problem making short work of it.

Piedina was happy to be cuddled and snooze in the sun.

I took the opportunity to try to figure out the camera option on my new smartphone. I'm afraid the phone is much smarter than me. I just keep poking at it, though, to see what will happen. Am I the only one who finds today's instruction manuals somewhat less than helpful? I guess I've just got to get my intuitive skills up to speed. My kids have no problems with new technology, put anything in their hands and five minutes later they know how to use it to send guided missiles to bomb the school or write them electronic notes excusing them from not doing their homework...

did you notice that boy is barefoot?!

At last, time for a nap...oops, spoke too soon...dive-bombed by a blood-thirsty 11-year-old wanna-be vampire!

Good Morning Sunshine

One morning not too long ago I stumbled groggily down the stairs to the kitchen to grab my life-sustaining first cup of tea, only to be stopped dead in my tracks by the sight you see in the photo. There was this gecko, this ANIMAL, this MONSTER lurking on the wall directly above the breakfast table. I'm not sure this photo does him justice...I mean that clock is really big, so proportionally Mr. Gecko was pretty darn big, too. And just sitting there looking like that mini-dinosaur creature that he is.

Now, I'm not one of those females who can't stand creepy crawlies and runs screaming at the sight, but you know how it is when you've just woken up. Personally, all I can think about is sitting down with my hot tea and corn cakes smeared with peanut butter and jam (my standard gluten/dairy-free breakfast, no comments, please!) and finding my way back to the real world. In fact, I always get up at least 20 minutes before everyone else so I can have this time ALONE...not with mini-crocodiles threatening to drop down into my teacup!

In Italian they have a saying, "Il Buongiorno si Vede dal Mattino," which roughly translates as something like "you can tell what kind of day it's going to be by the way your morning goes." But, I was lucky that morning. After skittering back and forth a bit, Mr. Mini-Monster disappeared. Yeah, he just wasn't there anymore. 

Now, that might make some people worry even more. Like, WHERE did he go? And, WHEN will he pop up next? And although I am fully aware that "maybe it will just go away" are the six most dangerous words in the English language...boy, was I glad when he did.

So, however this lovely Sunday begins for you, I wish that all of your worries and concerns just disappear, at least momentarily, and that you enjoy the day to the fullest with friends and loved ones.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

p.s. the gecko was next spotted in the hall closet, behind the coats...

Practical Applications of Math Concepts in the Real World

As my kids get older they are less and less attached to me. Not emotionally-speaking, I hope that will never change, but I'm talking actually physically attached. When they were little they were like two barnacles clinging to the Saretta ship as she navigated her way through the day. I used to have to pry them off of me by force, lock the bathroom door for a moment's privacy. 

Now that my first-born is 13 (and three-quarters!) I'm lucky if I get the occasional peck on the cheek, after begging for it. That kid who used to crawl into bed with us every blessed morning at around 5:30, max 6:00 a.m., and glom on for dear life has been mysteriously transformed into this alien creature who grunts a barely audible "ugh" as he passes by.

That's why I don't mind that my 11-year-old still wants me to lie down with him to cuddle and chat before he falls asleep. It's great that he still wants me around...I'll take it as long as it lasts. The problem now, though, is that he is almost the same size as me and we don't really have enough room in his single bed to both lie down comfortably.

The Thinker at Rest

Last night, after insisting that I stay IN the bed, not NEAR the bed, but IN the bed, and lots of wiggling around trying to get comfortable he suddenly said with a loud and exasperated tone,

"What I don't get is how someone like you, who is NOT FAT, no, I'd even say NORMAL, can take up 15/16ths of the bed!"

Can you tell they're studying fractions at school?

Discover Puglia

Seems like all I do these days is write, translate or take care of business on-line. Even when I'm relaxing, I find myself in front of the pc screen either watching tv (isn't streaming wonderful for the ex-pat?) or obsessively entering giveaways! Feels like my portable is permanently attached to me at the wrists!

I have been enjoying myself recently, I must admit, writing articles about the Puglia region for Charming Italy. I've always been one of those "gosh, I'd like to be a writer types" (probably like many other people who love to read), but I've never felt the urgency of a topic I really wanted to express myself on nor a talent for fiction. Instead, writing about Puglia is great fun for me and just comes naturally. I know lots about this area after living here for 18 years (wow, has it really been that long?) and I have lots of ideas about interesting things to share with others.

Hop on over to Charming Italy and take a look at what this region (and others!) have to offer.

Have you heard of the Bari International Film & TV Festival?

It's not too late to enjoy this year's Carnival in Puglia!

An evening of feasting and bonfires at the Feast of Saint Anthony.

Discover Puglian Christmas culinary traditions.

Giveaway Addiction

There's a reason why I blog more during the summer...I have less work and more time for blogging then. At least in July and August I don't teach at the university on top of all the other work I am constantly doing: both the paid type (translations, on-line writing, other teaching) and the unpaid type that all women do every day. You know, cleaning, grocery shopping, cooking, washing, helping with homework, driving Child A to Point B and back. Plus the essential, yet time-consuming, pleasure of keeping up with girlfriends. I cannot live without talking on the phone and getting together with my girlfriends as often as possible. They make me laugh and keep me sane. Then there's the gym...if I don't go to the gym three times a week and squeeze in some walking, cycling or running, too, I get grumpy as all hell.

And yet, somehow I still have time to waste on a new secret passion. Well, not secret anymore I guess, now that I'm blabbing it all over the internet. I have become a giveaway junkie. Did you know that there are a lot of people out there giving away all kinds of stuff? All you usually have to do to participate in these giveaways is become a follower of the blog of the person hosting the competition.

The cool thing is that I have won a lot of stuff since I got hooked on this pastime. Yeah, really, you play, you win. It's that easy. Well, you have to enter a lot of giveaways to win one every once in a while, but that occasional win is such a pleasant surprise that it keeps me coming back for more.

A necklace I won from an Australian artisan.

So, what have I won? Well, my first win was a very young children's DVD. I do not know why I entered that particular giveaway since my children are way to old for the DVD, but, oops, I won! That experience taught me two things: first, that it is possible to win, and second, that it's rather daft to enter giveaways that are offering prizes you aren't actually interested in. I gave the DVD to a friend with a toddler.

My second win was a book listing substitutions for cooking ingredients. Such as, you need oh say turmeric in a recipe and you haven't got any in the cupboard? Just look up the missing ingredient in this book and it will tell you what you can use to replace it. Handy, especially since here in provincial southern Italy a lot of easy to come by ingredients in US recipes can be pretty hard, or impossible, to come by. Now, that was a better prize.

But, what got me hooked for good was the $250 gift certificate to JC Penney's. Wow! That's a lot of gift certificate at JC Penney's. I had a blast picking and choosing what I wanted. And from then on, playing the giveaway game has been my favorite time-waster.

It's really addictive, though. Once I start surfing the web, hunting for giveaways open to international participants (so many are limited to the US and Canada), the hours fly by. I think I may need an intervention...or an extension of the 24-hour day!

Happy 2011

I spent New Year's eve at home with family and friends...a lovely evening that almost didn't happen!

We have all been sick for more or less for the past week with a nasty intestinal flu that left most of us with little or no desire to eat or drink...and what is an Italian celebration if not a celebration of food and drink? My husband and I dragged ourselves out and about to do the shopping, moaning and groaning all the while about how we felt and about what a pity it was that we were not going to enjoy the evening's feast.

Call it off you suggest? No way, that would be a solution for lesser mortals. And besides, we had invited a whole bunch of people over...it wouldn't have been right to leave them in the lurch on New Year's Eve.

Here I am with about 3 inches of makeup shoveled on to make myself presentable. One "good" thing...I lost three kilos in 3 days of stomach flu! Hee hee, but really, that's no way to lose weight!

in order of height...

Our meal was fish-based, but we combined the traditions of the Italians, Americans and Russians present.

An array of international appetizers

Broiled bass on a bed of creamed peas

I survived the evening and even managed to eat a few bites of this and that and toasted the new year with half a sip of Prosecco! I'm planning to leave all traces of that flu way back in 2010.

Let's hope 2011 is a good year for you, me and everyone! Happy New Year!

Snowy Day

It's snowing today in southern Italy. 

Snow is such a rare event here that it's always special.

This orange tree was certainly caught by surprise.

As were the flowers in my garden.

My sons tried to convince us that snow = no school, but that argument didn't stick any more than this snow will!

Higher Education

I just found out today what course I will be teaching in this academic year at the University...the same course as last year. I'm happy to hear that, because I enjoy teaching second year writing and, as I have been doing it for a while, I feel quite confident that I know what I'm going on about in the classroom.

Every year my course is a bit different, because I like to experiment with a variety of approaches and materials, and also because the students are different and, so, create a different dynamic each time. I have chosen new books for this year and I'm looking forward to seeing how I can best use them in class.

I just wish that for once, we could have gotten started on time. Every year something happens to set back the start of the academic year. Classes "should" start at the beginning of October, yet here we are on the 14th and I just found out what I'll be teaching... I still don't know which professor I'll be collaborating with because they haven't gotten around to deciding that little detail just yet. Without the professor, the course can't start... I've got students emailing me asking when lessons will begin and I don't know what to tell them!

This year's delay is linked to a strike by the researchers who, at least in the English department, teach most of the course hours, but actually don't have teaching contracts. Last year we started a month late because they "forgot" to assign us classrooms...it's always something!

Hi, ho, hi, ho!

Canne della Battaglia

My parents are visiting from the States and we took them to visit Canne della Battaglia Sunday afternoon.

I knew that this was the site of Hannibal's great victory over the Romans in 216 B.C.

I also knew that his battle plan is still studied by military strategists today. 

I even knew the guy brought an elephant into Italy by way of the Alps!

What I didn't realise is that Canne is a site that was inhabited from Neolithic times through the Middle Ages.

And, I had no idea that it was set on a high bluff with spectacular views down into the surrounding valleys.

There is a museum, the walls of the ancient village and lots of inscribed Roman columns lying around.

So many things to take pictures of!

The archeological park is open all day and entry is only €2 for visitors ages 18-65, free of charge for those older or younger.

Beautiful stonework abounds.

It's all mine, as far as the eye can see!

I highly recommend this site for an educational and enjoyable day trip for anyone visiting Puglia!