In the News

A grande village sagra

There are many banners hanging from buildings, to save this Iranian women condemned to death

There are dozens of these flyers pasted around town - At least 5 in the few blocks around us.

The newspapers - and there are 8 or 9 major national papers, plus a number of substantial provincial papers. And they often have promotions, allowing you to buy something - a book, a toy etc - at a discounted price. This is one such offering - a do-it-yourself model of the human skeleton- this one the rib cage - next week, something else.....

On the front page - a pan....for the book and the movie. Italians are very dismissive - considering it superficial, stereotypical..and untrue.

Dinner with Amici

At Lia and Ugo's....a seasonal meal, served with grace and style. Lia is from the Veneto, not Venezia proper, but the foothills, and she says that instead of bread, the starch at every meal was polenta, prepared by her nonna.

A starter of ovoli salad - a delicate mushroom sliced very thin and mixed with mandolined celery and shavings of parmiggiano, dressed in a lemon and olive oil dressing.... subtle and seasonal.

Sauteed funghi porcini and a sort of veal stew served with polenta. This polenta was integrale so had a hearty grainy taste. Lia said she cooked it for one hour in a heavy bottomed pan, stirring only occasionally until the very end as the last of the water is absorbed.

The main attraction!

Then gorgonzola dolce, cremosa - rich, buttery without the bite of an aged blue cheese

Atop....polenta!

Thong needed

Anybody have a thong ?

Sunday Adventure

We had booked Sun night in another Agriturismo - but realized we were too far from Rome. So we had lunch there....another stone farmhouse...didn't see the rooms....

Cavatelli with funghi porcini - not a lot of them and sliced very thin - but the flavor intense and woodsy.

Quail with tasty polenta, maybe some tomato cooked into it.

Then onto a Roman site whre they were having a cheese tasting - caciocavallo from cow's milk and pecorino mezza-stagionata - sheeps milk - half aged - so still a little soft, but with a bite

To Altilia - a small Roman town Altilia, 1st C. b.c. - mobbed with people we didn't stay long there is a theater and two very intact gates. There were people living there into the Middle Ages and there are some buildings from that era.

Then a stab in the dark - looking for a place to stay that was closer to Rome - without our big fat Agriturismo book - WE FOUND SOMETHING ON THE IPAD!!! In Cassino, we drove thru a barnyard to a beautifiul country restuarat - but alas! they were not serving Sunday dinner, the lunch crowd still hanging around at 6:00. This is pretty much the point of agriturismos - a good meal at a reasonable price - half pension.

After a look at the room, overlooking the barnyard - really beds were pretty much cots - and reading lights???? HA! we decided we would hoof it back into Rome.

Pietrabbondante

Yes...abundant rocks - quite a setting

temptation...

This from cheese store in nearby Agnone - in 12 blocks of walking the main street, there were 6 macelleria (butchers) selling housemade sausage and meat from nearby farms. And there were 5 Caseficios - cheese shops selling their own products. This a mountainous area 4,00o-5,000 ft with wide fertile valleys - so livestock the main "crop.,"

There she is!

And beneath the town is a Samnite remnant - name? - A fairly intact theatre and a forum for judicial and other official goings-on from the 3rd C. b.c.

Padre Pio Land

Vastogirardi

Prebreakfast drive to a Samnite temple - cafe at the local bar - where another reference to Padre Pio was found. This is his territory, he'd better become a saint or there will be an uprising of the populace.

In a bucolic meadow with a gurgling spring and stream is a temple from 1st c b.c. It was built by the Samnites, whose gods were Greek. The Romans had defeated them in the 1st Punic War, when Hannibal roamed the land and damaged many of the earlier structures. Coins and votive offereings were found at the sight, now in local museum - but they are unsure whether the temple was to Diana or Hercules.

A corner of the pentagonal castello, 12 c. atop the town .

Padre Pio on guard in corner of the portal.

But he has not displaced The Madonna

Selvaggi - Agriturismo

An outgrowth of country restaurants that have added sleeping rooms - there is a boomlet in agriturismos in Italy. From simple (beds are cotlike) to better, there is plenty to like - first of all the price. For E94 - we got a room, and a 3-course meal for 2 with wine, and breakfast. It does take a bit of research ( lots of guidebook available) and some luck to find the agreeable ones.

Selvaggi in the countryside of the Alte Molise is worthy. In the summer they have horse holidays.

The mountains of Alte Molise - Agnone in the distance.

In a 17th Century stone house - the guest rooms in adjacent structure.

View out the window onto the pastures ...many horses in the far distance.

Restaurant

Pale pink baby lamb....which followed a fettucine (almost a pappardelle) with funghi porcini from the area.

Its show time 400 BC

Explanation coming but think way back

Row 1, seat 1

Sheep Dog

I'll probably never own another dog, but if I do, it will be an Italian sheep dog and I'll name it Janus, goddess of watchfulness. Always watchful in every direction.