 I understand this was a long time ago, but really, stabbing someone for flirting? If the tipo actually puts his hands on the woman, perhaps. Puncture him all you want. In reality, I've witnessed pappagalli (parrots or wolves) flirting with pretty ladies walking by in Rome and other Italian cities, and have found their comments are actually complimentary in nature, and because of their culture, can actually be fairly poetic...
Flirting is part of life in Italy and it even has a poetic name: fare la civetta, which literally means "to make like an owl", or as we might say, making googly eyes at a girl. When in Italy, young ladies have to keep this in mind: More so than American men, Italian single men--even into their Fifties--actually have a great respect for women. Many single Italian men are actually Mama's boys and traditionally live with their Mamma until they get married! No stabbing. Go easy on them. Va bene? --Jerry Finzi You might also be interested in:   My father was born in Molfetta, Puglia in the South. My Mom's mother and father came from Naples. Both spoke dialects of Italian. My mother often said that my father's dialect was so different from hers that she couldn't understand certain words. They were like different languages, far apart from Italian. In the late 1800s, most Italian immigrants came from the South: Campania, Calabria, Puglia or Sicily. In time, Italian-Americans have slurred local dialects even more... softening consanants, truncating words or even swapping sounds completely, like P to B, C tp G or V to F.
If you watch the Godfather, especially the scenes in GF II showing Vito Corleone as a young man, you can hear this sort of dialect from Sicily. The words in the South are often totally different. Lots of slang is used. Liaisons happen... Usually, the end of one word attaches to the beginning of the next word. Beginnings of words are often omitted. Even Italians consider these dialects like another language... for example, the announcements on the train from Bari to Rome are in English, Italian and "Dialetto". Dialect sounds nothing like regular Italian down South. Now, add to all this the fact that Italian immigrants in American spoke a sort of second hand Italian dialect, much was lost to misunderstood pronunciations and the fact that many (like my parents) didn't want to speak Italian in the home. When I asked why my parents didn't teach us Italian, they said they wanted an "All-American" home for us. Even today in the South parents don't want their children to speak Dialect when they move to the big cities in Italy. They are looked down upon for speaking it by Northern Italians. What a shame... These dialects are what makes Italian so interesting. Here are a collection of Italian-American wods and phrases that I grew up with... spelled phonetically: Agida/Agita Acid indigestion/aggravation Ah-fa Nabalee Get out of Here/Go to Naples Ah-shpette Wait! Ah-Va-Fan-gool Go f*ck yourself Bah-Bookia Papocchio, a mess, allmixed up Bah-fongool Go f*ck yourself Ba-cha-ga-loop Wolf Hunter or Brave (not dummy, like some think) Bish-Gut biscotti/cookie Bock-owz Bathroom/stink house, Back House or outhouse. Bomba-lonee Little Kid Boochach Bitch/c*nt Boombotz Idiot/Crazy Boo-tahn' puttana, whore Baz-ih-nigole Basil Brahgonne Drunk Brah-jole bracciole/slang for penis Cabbadost Thick head/stubborn Chooch Big Baby-a put-down, or vagina ComoseeCyam? What do you call it? Coh-Yonees Balls Dees-Gradseeyad disgraziad, misfortune, bad luck, screw-up Gal-ay-mahd Calimari/squid Facha-broot Ugly face Fin-ook Finoccichio/Fennel, Gabba-Dost Thick Head Gabeesh? Understand? Gavone Pig/Slob/Overeater Gobba-ghool Capicola (a type of cold cut meat) Googootz A fool Goombah Pal/Comrade/Friend GooMahd Girlfriend GOT-zo! What Balls! Jadrool Lazy bum (cucumber) Jamoke Idiot Kay-Gotz What the F*ck Keh -sa-deech? How are you? Mal-yOke Evil eye Mamaluke Idiot/stupid/screw-up Manageya Damn it/Curse it Managutt Manicotti (pasta) Mah-done! Madonna mia! (exclamation) Mopeen Dish Cloth, Rag Medz-a-medz So-so/half and half/not so much Mutzarelle Mozzarella cheese Nabolee-DAHN Neapolitan/someone from Naples Pasta-vazool Pasta fagioli (bean soup) piezahn Friend/countryman/brother Pitza-gain Pizzagaina, Egg-meat pie Ooo-Fah I've had it/I'm fed up Rigutt Ricotta cheese Rompee-Coyownee Ball Buster (Rompicoglione or -palle, for balls) Shka-roll Escarole/Cash money sfatcheem a Jerk SkeeVo Disgusting Stroonz an Ass Stroonz-a-medz Half ass Strombolone Clumsy Stata-Geet Shut Up Skutch Pest Stoon-od Idiot StuGotz Screw it/F*ck it TooSee Batz You're crazy Vena Ka, Vena Ga Come here --Jerry Finzi If you found this post useful, please LIKE it and tell your friends about Grand Voyage Italy. Ciao! Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved  ... You wake up in the morning and the first thing you smell isn't coffee brewing, but the smell of last night's marinara and meatballs still wafting through the house.
  Italian worker: “I am very efficient at work. In fact, I have never once missed a coffee break.” You're traveling around rural Italy and suddenly it's noon. Time for lunch! But every restaurant, trattoria and osteria are closed! In small towns, even pizzerias will be closed. The same goes for car rentals, post offices, pharmacies and possibly the local police station! The signs say they are closed from 12 - 3 pm. These towns appear to be ghost towns during the early afternoon, and sometimes even later! You're about to learn about the Italian cultural phenomena call riposo (also called la pausa--the pause). This is the period that shop keepers close up and take a long lunch and perhaps a nap, for over three hours! The word riposo literally translates as "the rest". So, how did this riposo thing get started in Italy (and other Mediterranean countries (called siesta in Spain)? Many attribute it to the heat and humidity in the middle of the day--which can get extreme in summer--combined with the typically heavy meals eaten as lunch in the Mediterranean diet. Lunch, or pranzo, is pretty much the main meal for Italians, along with taking a three hour lunch. If they live close to their workplace, they will go to la casa di famiglia where Mamma or Nonna has a great meal waiting. Then a short nap before heading back to work at 3:30 or 4, where they might finish their workday around 7 pm. Simply put, people get drowsy after a big meal. Italians supposedly are embracing this biological fact as part of their natural clock. They have a very small colazione (breakfast)--cornetto and caffe--many go to a "bar" for a coffee break--Italians can't live without espresso. Their main meal is in early pomeriggio (afternoon). They nap when their body says to nap, whereas Americans are out of tune with their natural rhythms. In the evening, an aperitivo with friends and a small dinner or pizza and a passeggiare (stroll) around the main street or piazza. One of the most surprising and frustrating things we discovered in Italy was how the riposo effects places of business. Shopkeepers tend to go home for riposa. And no, they don't rotate their staff during the 3-4 hour riposo, they simply close the shop. Americans let workers have lunches either rotate staff in shifts or for very strict time periods,, often as short as 30 minutes. Rush rush rush. The Italian way of life is much more laid back and humanistic. It's a domani (tomorrow) way of thinking. Spending time with family, enjoying a nice meal all together, and then perhaps taking a nap is much more important than mere business. What we would consider as Good Will for customers is a lower priority in Italy. From an American point of view, many will simply not understand it. When you visit Italy, you have to learn to travel at their pace. Now some travel "experts" on the Internet say that we should embrace all this and plan to visit churches during lunchtime and look at frescoes and mosaic floors. NO! It's usually too damned hot and humid to visit such sites during the mid-day hours, even during the fringe, cooler months. You might consider taking a break from the heat of the day and go back to your hotel or rental for a couple of hours until the day cools off a bit. Voyagers need to learn how to find food during the riposa. One solution we used was making sure we always had fixings for an impromptu lunch or picnic in our car: cheese, bread, sausage, foccacia, fruit, tomato and gassata (sparkling water) . We also found that for some reason or other, gelaterias are almost always open during lunchtime--Lord knows why. So, gelato and cold drinks became our early lunches on some days, picnics were the norm on many others. Of course, in a large city like Rome or Florence riposa isn't really a problem. After all, there are so many tourists in the big cities, and with their shopkeepers and restaurants dependent on the tourist trade, they stay open. But in smaller towns, I can't tell you how many times we came out of an early morning visit to a museum or other tourist site and couldn't find any place to have lunch. A Real Solution: The Italian Bar is Not My Father's Bar  Lunchtime offerings in an Italian bar, bruschetta, pizza, foccacia, and even pasta.  Panini for lunch My Dad often stopped at a local bar on the way home from work... a place to drink beer, mixed drinks or whiskey. The only food might be a bowl of pretzels or chips sitting on the bar or hard boiled eggs or pickles in a jar. As I got into my early teens, I'd sometimes meet him and have a Coke with a wedge of lime and nibble on the pretzels. I felt grown-up perched on a bar stool next to my work-a-day Dad. In Italy, a bar is a very different thing. In fact, most North American visitors to Italy are totally unaware that when they see a sign for a "Bar", they should really translate it as "Coffee and Sandwich Shop", which Italians use to get their morning espresso and cornetto or sweet pastry, or for grabbing a panino or pizza at lunch. Of course, in big cities there are cocktail bars where you can have an aperitivo and small bites, but remember, most Italians don't really drink much. Having an after work aperitivo with friends is a social thing, and not really about the drinking. In fact, many we've seen from Tuscany down to Puglia were rarely closed for riposo. They are a perfect workaround when restaurants are closed. Virtually every bar in Italy--besides being "the" place to stop for your morning hit of espresso before work--is also a great place to stop and get some sort of lunch... snacks, panini (sandwiches), focaccia, pizza and other things that will satisfy most tourists for a quick, affordable lunch. In most, you select whatever they have pre-prepared in their showcases, but many Mom and Pop places will whip something up for you on the spot. To be honest, this little fact got past us too during our first visit. Perhaps because we were traveling with our 11 year old son and, like most Americans, never would think of taking an 11 year-old into a place labeled "bar". I'm my opinion, this is a fairly big gap in the information out there about traveling and eating in Italy. Remember... Bar = Espresso + Pastries + Food.  It would be prudent for the Italian Tourist Board to promote the fact that Bars aren't a dark, seedy place for people chug-a-lugging beer, whiskey and wine. Perhaps a new official sign and icon hung outside shops (similar to tabacchi signs). Fully two-thirds of Italy's Gross Domestic Product (approximately 69%) is represented by the services sector--tourism. Both North American tourists and Italian businesses would be served by promoting Italian Bars as family friendly, using a word that Italians invented: Caffeteria! Figuring Out When Shops Are Open Here are some words that you might see on signs posting operational hours: giorni feriali Weekdays (literally, working days) settimanale Weekly quotidiano Daily ogni ora Hourly Hours of operation--even when listed on the door of shops--are very loosey-goosey. Often you will see a sign with the shopkeeper's cell number. They might live nearby and be able to come and open the shop for you. Remember, this is the culture of domani... everything can wait until tomorrow.  This shop's July and August hours show Monday, Wednesday and Sunday afternoons are closed, and other days having riposo from 12:30 to 4pm. If you see a logo that looks like a crossed hammer and sickle, it's not a symbol for communism, it simply refers to "workdays", meaning Monday through Saturday. If you see giorni festivi, simply festivi, this refers to Sundays and religious holidays (there will be a small cross). There are many that Italians close for--remember, it's a Catholic country. All religious holidays are National holidays.
If you see a sign saying chiuso per ferie, it means closed for the holidays. The "holiday" in August means 3-4 weeks--for most of Italian workers. The more official summer is called Ferragusto and begins on August 15th. Shops close up and whole families go to beach resorts or camping. If you see chiuso per lutto, this means they are closed for mourning. Most shops are closed on Sundays whether they go to church or stay at home watching the soccer matches. Enjoy your Voyage and don't forget to check out the local bars for a snack! --Jerry Finzi   Originally installed in 1874, there are apparently more than 2500 of them... the Nasoni (Big Noses) supply fresh water to the public in Rome. The nickname was given because of their spouts' resemblance to a larger than normal nose. Within the Aurelian walls of Rome there are over 250 of them for your use. And have no fear... this water is perfectly fine for drinking--cold and fresh. In fact, using the nasoni is a great way to save on price gouging that goes on with refreshment street vendors, who charge overly high prices for bottled water. Trust me, it can be very hot and humid in Rome--even in the "cooler" spring and fall. Never go anywhere without a water bottle. Filling your own, reusable sport bottle is the way to do it in Rome. Don't waste money on bottled water.   The nasoni are beautifully designed. The 200 pound, cast iron fountains stand about 3 feet tall, with distinctive spouts supplying a continuous stream of potable water. That's right, it flows all the time. Romans call it l’acqua del sindaco (the mayor’s water), since the government maintains the water flow. The older nasoni have a dragon's head at the end. Newer ones have a smooth torch decoration. Some older ones have three spouts while most have one. Please don't be put off by the rust or minerals built up at the base of the nasoni--the water is perfectly pure. All of the nasoni bear the shield of Rome with SPQR emblazoned on it. This is from the Latin phrase from Ancient Rome: Senātus Populusque Rōmānus (The Roman Senate and People). Today, this is the official emblem of the modern Roman government.  The nasoni also have a little known secret--at least tourists don't seem to know about it... On top of the spout (the nose) there is a small hole that can turn this faucet into a drinking fountain. The trick is holding your hand (hopefully clean) under the open spout, plugging it up. This forces a little water jet to pop out of the small hole on top, allowing you to drink as you would from a modern drinking fountain. (It's customary to rinse your hands before doing this in an effort to keep the spout clean.) Just hold your hand steady as you drink, or you might get sprayed in the face! Watch the cute video below... this bellissima bambina explains it so well.  This is NOT the proper way to do it. Rinse your hands, and then use your PALM to block the spout.
Roman pooches really appreciate lapping up a cool drink Here is a LINK to an interactive map of Rome that can help locate nasoni.
 A nasoni in front of a fountain There are also over 1000 fontanelle (drinking fountains) scattered around Rome
  The Physical Closeness of the Italian People One of the most obvious cultural events a visitor to virtually any town or village in Italy notices is a simple one: la passeggiata--the evening stroll. This isn't really an event. It's a cultural, daily habit of the Italian people. Instead of staying in each evening, families, friends and neighbors venture out and stroll together in the largest viale, piazza or strade principali. They stroll for social reasons. To be seen and to see. To stop with neighbors and listen to the latest political news or local gossip. They dress their best, as is the custom of la bella figura. They show off their new clothes, shoes or hairdos. They will see how pregnancies are progressing and show off how well the bambini are growing and flaunt their new puppy. Young teens fare la civetta (make like an owl, or flirt) and older singles check out who is available and perhaps meet up for an aperitivo in a street side cafe or some gelati. Both men and women will stroll arm in arm. When neighbors and cousins or school friends meet, they embrace and kiss, not once, but twice on both cheeks. They talk with their hands, often very excitedly, waving arms and making both subtle and dramatic arm and hand movements, oven combined with facial expressions or huffs and puffs. This is the language that runs the length of the boot from North to South.  The Morning Ritual Each morning, millions of Italians have their breakfast standing up, shoulder-to-shoulder in local bars. The bar in Italy is not what you think. While they do serve a certain amount of wines and spirits, they are the place where Italians have breakfast: espresso and a sweet bread or tart, the most popular being a the crescent shaped cornetto. They have tarts, cakes, breads, and even sandwiches or pizza for lunch. They sip their strong espresso or cappuccino and have a morning snack while reading the paper or chatting with neighbors or work-mates. This is a social event at the beginning of each day.  Long Lunches at Home Most Italians don't have lunch in restaurants. Most simply prefer to go home for riposa, that 3 hour lunch period from 12 noon until 3pm. Traditionally, pranzo (lunch) is considered the most important meal of the day. Even if they wanted to go to a restaurant for lunch, unless they are in a large city, like Rome or Florence, restaurants are also closed at noon. Italians prefer to spend the hot midday with close family at home and prepare hearty meals, and resting before returning to work. This affords even more hours that la famiglia spend together in close quarters... unlike Americans, who barely eat dinner together at the dinner table.  Closeness of la Famiglia Another type of closeness is la famiglia itself. Although the average number of children Italians have is two, la famiglia living in one house or apartment are larger than you might assume. Aging family members in Italy are usually taken care of by younger generations, with sometimes as many as three generations living together in the same house--Nonna and Nonno, Mama and papà, i bambini and sometimes even an aunt or uncle or two. On weekends, extended families get together for pranzo di Domenica (Sunday lunch), either at a relative's home or a local agriturismo. When they eat outside the home, they all gather at long, family style tables, often seating 15-20. Often the meals are communal, served up in large trays or bowls, portions spooned out as needed. On some special holidays, such as during Natale, communal recipes like Polenta alla Spianatora is served on a bread board, with family members scraping polenta and sausages directly from the large board with their own forks.  Crowded Sagre, Festivals and Events All throughout the year, regardless of season or region, there are literally thousands of festivals and sagre (food themed festivals) in Italy. Some estimates put the number of sagre at over 42,000! There are celebrations for nearly every type of cheese, wine, nut, berry, meat and pretty much everything else that can be grown and turned into something to eat, and nearly every type of animal: almonds, prosciutto, oranges, wild boars, donkeys, horses, Grappa, bread, pasta, chocolate, olives, fish... you name it, and there's probably a sagra to celebrate. As in the photo above, many events employ long family style tables for friends and strangers to dine together in the streets.  Dinner for 1500 in Siena Palio in only one of the 17 contrada/neighborhoods.  The crowds at the Siena Palio Then there are thousands of events like the Palio in Siena, that insane bareback horse race where 17 neighborhoods compete. Over 40,000 people jam pack into the Campo to experience this race. Then each contrada (neighborhood) have communal dinners for thousands on the streets. Take this one event and multiply by literally thousands... all over Italy, Sicily and Sardinia. People communing together, shoulder to shoulder. Living, loving, eating, drinking, dancing, soaking in la Vita Bella. Imagine how crowded the Venice and Viareggion carnevale are each year. Now picture the seasonal markets. And the New Year's Eve crowds and rock concerts. Over 60 million Italians crushing, standing, chanting, singing, eating, marching... tutti insieme (all together).  Italy Has a Vulnerable Elder Population In fact, Italy has nearly 20,000 people over 100 years old and has held the worlds record for the oldest living human nearly every year for the last couple of decades. Italy also has the second highest life expectancy in the world, too--at 83 years young. The reasons for this aging population are varied. The Mediterranean diet, hills and steps keep people in general good health. People tend to retire earlier, giving a more relaxed, stress free lifestyle to the elderly. The midday riposa offers a way the oldest family members can still share in a meal and visits with younger family members, which we all know provides a healthy family environment. They often live with their children and play and hug their grandchildren, who we now realize might carry the COVID-19 virus without symptoms and pass it on to the older family members. Without the stress of how older people are going to have health care (there is national healthcare in Italy), Italians feel comfort in knowing that if something bad happens to their health, they will be taken care of, for little or no cost. The one factor that might actually make the aging population more vulnerable to COVID-19 is the fact that many still smoke. There are far too many smokers in Italy in all age groups. COVID-19 does well in patients with compromised lungs. But of course, people living to healthy old age is not the reason why many might succumb if they contract the disease. This virus is different and powerfully and quickly attacks the vulnerable. We should applaud the Italians living to ripe old ages, if only that they made it in a vivacious, healthy way. They often live with their children and play and hug their grandchildren, who we now realize might carry the COVID-19 virus without even knowing.  Ferragosto, the National Vacation Then there's vacation time. Italians don't stagger their summer vacations over three months like Americans. Most of Italy shuts down for Ferragosto in August, the month-long holiday season when Italians head for their campers or beach bungalows and crowd the beaches along its 4,723 miles of coastline. They literally pack the beaches and campsites or head up into the cooler mountains. During summer, there are thousands and thousands of major and minor concerts from the Veneto to Tuscany to Campania and Puglia. Indoor concerts, outdoor concerts, music festivals in rock, folk, opera, jazz... you name the music, there's a festival to suit any Italian's musical tastes.  Can the Spread of COVID-19 be Really Blamed on the Culture?
I would argue, no. How can anyone blame a culture for doing what comes naturally? Italians are gregarious. They have close knit families. They love to hold festivals for just about anything God has graced their land with. They hug and kiss and walk arm-in-arm. COVID-19 has taken all of this away from them--at least for now. But you can see the evidence of of Italians sharing even this in a joyful way by banging pots and pans on their balconies... and by making music with all sorts of instruments, again, from their windows or balconies. They sing Bella Ciao together as the WWI partisans did several generations before. They sing their national anthem. They light candles. Even though they are apart, they are together in wearing masks and gloves and battling this unseen enemy, as they have done in the past for thousands of years. They are partisans. The closeness of Italians is not to blame. The emotional closeness and comraderie of the Italian people are the cure for what is ailing them. Andrà Tutto Bene --Jerry Finzi  Our dear Mona Lisa apparently gets it. She picked up only as much toilet paper as she needs for a week. She has no kids and lives alone. her cat uses a kitty litter box. She's good to go. Think, "Need" vs "Want" vs "Hoarding". Hoarding supplies during this time will hurt us all. We've all seen the videos in Italy and in the U.S.... people fighting over rolls of toilet paper as they do a mad rush to get supplies during this coronavirus crisis. In Italy, the rest of Europe and here in the States, people are not being prevented from visiting their supermarkets and alimentari for food and other essentials. Here in Pennsylvania, Lisa's company has ordered all workers to work from home, Lucas is home because all the schools are closed, all "non essential" businesses are closing, BUT, all supermarkets and grocery stores are open and are being restocked after the first mad rush of last weekend. Most of our supermarkets now offer home delivery via online app, which helps reduce close contact. When I shopped last week, I wore latex gloves on both hands, wiped down the shopping cart's handle, and was careful not to stand too close to others. I also shopped at 7am when not many were in the supermarket. And although I didn't need toilet paper (we had stocked up two weeks earlier at a big box store with our normal 2 month supply), I was shocked to see the paper goods aisle empty. Calm down, tutti! Yes, this crisis is real--a fact of science and nature. But as long as we keep our heads and think not only of ourselves, but also our neighbors, we will all get through this. As the Italians say, andrà tutto bene -- everything will be fine. it may take some time, and there will be sacrifices, but we will come out of this in the end. --Jerry Finzi, GVI Some tips:
  "Orario" means "hours" Most Italians work long hours. In the average business, their weekday hours are 9.00 am (9:00) to 1.00 pm (13:00) and from 2.30 pm (14:30) to 6.00 pm (18:00), from Monday to Friday. They use the 24 hour military clock.
Many people will work well after 6.00 pm, especially true for managers and entrepreneurs. This is one of the reasons they take long lunches--called riposa--typically from 1 pm until 3 - 3:30 pm. Even most churches are closed from noon until 3 pm. There are many jobs which have their workers come in from Monday through Saturday, but they only work from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm. When a business is closed on Saturday, they might also add a few afternoon hours for their employees. According to Italian labor laws, the number of hours worked in a week can reach a maximum of 40. The average time, including overtime, cannot exceed 48 hours. Workers in Italy are guaranteed a minimum of 4 weeks paid days off for vacation and holidays. Some unions negotiate even longer periods of paid vacation/holiday days off. Lunch breaks are typically shorter in large cities and restaurants are open during the lunch hours. In smaller towns, even restaurants will be closed during riposa because most people prefer to eat at home. (But food is available at "bars", which are open). In almost all cases, many shops, even in large cities, will be closed for riposa with their hours listed on the door. In addition, during the August holiday season of Ferragosto, when workers take from 2-4 weeks off for holiday, you might see a sign on shop or restaurant doors saying "Chiuso Per Ferie" (Closed for Vacation) with a date when they will return from vacation.  Italy is know for passionate people, and Antonio La Cava from Matera is one of them. He's passionate about sharing the glory of books with children. La Cava carries a telling surname, as Matera is the city of caves, or Sassi, when people have been living in cave homes for tens of thousands of years. Retired as a schoolteacher after 42 years but couldn't stop spreading knowledge to il bambini of his region of Bacilicata. So in 2003 he bought a used tre-ruote (three wheeler) Ape mini truck and created his Bibliomotocarro, a portable library that houses 700 books.  La Cava travels over 500 kilometers each week to 8 regular stops on his route. The children know of his arrival by the sound of organ music coming from his unique vehicle. The children run to greet him as if some TV star is showing up. He also funds his efforts, pays for fuel, repairs and buys the books from his own pocket. His passion for the love of the written word will be carried on--certainly by the many children on his route. --Jerry Finzi  “A disinterest in reading often starts in schools where the technique is taught, but it’s not being accompanied by love. Reading should be a pleasure, not a duty.” --Antonio La Cava   by David Dalessandro from Sharon, Pennsylvania Need some guidance here, so I thought coming to my paisans at Italian Gardeners on Facebook would be a good place to go... While pulling my tomato plants today it hit me that I was alone. My knowledge of gardening, weak as it is, came most from my Father who got his knowledge from his Father who was an immigrant to the U.S. from Foggia. My grandfather worked for Carnegie Steel in Farrell, PA as a janitor for the office. Carnegie had provided a home for him at a cost of $2.200. Company homes without a bathroom were $2,000 so Pasquale went for the better model. Companies did that in those days...this was 1925. The company then deducted so much from his pay and he had a decent house where he could walk to work. Another thing the company did for employees was to provide garden space. Carnegie owned extra land in Wheatland, PA and the company would plow the land--at no cost to workers--and let employees claim part of it to put in their own garden. My grandfather took great advantage of that and every year would plant tomatoes, potatoes, beans and other vegetables that would help to feed his family. It was in this garden that he taught my Father, who then taught me. So, fast forward to today, about 80 years later. I am stuck on the Teaching Thing. My children are grown and not really interested. My daughter is in El Paso, Texas and my son, still living with us, is working to become a tennis professional. Neither are much interested in gardening.  100 year-old Portland gardener, Ulisse Edera. Photo by Keith Skelton. But I love it. I enjoy starting the seeds, tilling the ground, fertilizing and watching the plants grow. Because of the abundance God has provided, I also can many jars of tomato, sauce and hot peppers. Again, not because I have to, like my Grandfather had to, but because I want to. But, I am afraid that I am the last of the line. My uncles are gone. My Father is gone. My wife humors me and lets me do my thing in the garden. It bothers me that it is likely to end here. And, I fear I am not alone. No one at work talks about a garden. No one else in the neighborhood has one. Just me. It is a shame, I think, that the accumulated knowledge of at least three generations will end. Do any of you have the same concerns? Do you have children or grandchildren who work with you and ask questions and help pull weeds and can tomatoes and wonder why something is growing or not? Let me know...and if you have answers for this situation, I would love to hear them. Thank you so much, my paisans.  Amalfi cat tending his garden  Passing on the tradition And my Thoughts... And I totally agree with David, which is why I've asked his permission to post his words here on Grand Voyage Italy. After all, we are #AllAboutItaly here... and we're all about the Truths about our culture. I feel David is correct--too many young people today are detached from their cultural roots and have no idea where their food comes from, especially true with Italian-Americans. When one takes a Voyage around Italy, all you see is gardens--everywhere, in tiny front yards, hanging on walls, on balconies and terraces and in pot gardens surrounding people's front doors. It doesn't matter if they have lemons and pomegranates on their patio or just a pot of basil on their windowsill--it seems that everyone grows something edible. We should all strive to teach our children the value of home grown, healthy food, like I've done for my own son, Lucas. Here's a photo of him with his tomato harvest at 4 years old... He's 15 now and looks forward to each February when we go down into the cellar, sort out our seeds and start our heirloom seeds that we save each year from our garden. He now looks forward to the tomatoes we grow as if they are old friends... Eva Purple Ball, Olivette Juane, Giant Belgium, Jersey Devil and more. He also is learning to cook using the vegetables harvested from our garden, and even when we don't grow them ourselves, he now knows how to smack a cantaloupe, listening for the lowest pitched sound (a sign of ripeness), or check a peach's ripeness with his nose, as my Dad taught me. Gardening is part of the Italian soul. Pass it on, people. Pass it on... --Jerry Finzi And for more on the subject of gardening... Creating a Hanging Italian Wall Garden
Bicycles - Italian Garden Style My New Favorite Tomato: Striped Roma San Marzano Tomatoes: Accept No Imitations! How the Tomato Became Part of Italian Culture Only in Italy: Strange Veggies from La Belle Paese To see how you can create an Italian Garden of your own, check out the Grand Voyage Italy Shop on Amazon. |
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