"In Italy, people see time as a flowing river. In America, time is seen as a commodity... like money. Italians see time as sometimes smooth and sometimes rough and one minute flowing into the next. If something isn’t done this minute, it can be done the next. There are things to be done, but they’ll get done eventually. With Americans everything is 'Now!'" Ever look at some of your larger tomatoes and wonder if they’d be in the running for the Guinness Book of World Records? I've personally grown tomatoes just under 3 pounds on occasion. I'm Italian. It's in my DNA. I grow only heirloom tomatoes. An heirloom tomato is one grown from seeds that have been saved again and again, passed on from generation to generation. They are also tomatoes that "hold true" to their parent, unlike hybrid tomatoes. If you were to grow a tomato from a hybrid seed, you can't save seeds from that fruit and expect it to come back next season looking exactly the same. With heirloom tomatoes, it's possible to grow tomatoes that your great-great-grandfather grew, and know they probably look and taste exactly the same. I've grown red tomatoes, purple tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, pink, green and striped. I even grew a tomato with fuzzy skin like a peach. Now I've got Lucas hooked. Every year for the past 6 or 7 years he's been helping me decide which seeds to grow, how many of each type, and helps me plant the seeds in our cellar and in the garden when they are ready. We alternate to grow fresh seed from one we haven't grown in a few years. I learned to grow tomatoes from my Dad. He always had a garden, even though he never had a big backyard. When I was young there was nothing better than picking a ripe plum tomato off the vine and chomping right into it... the juices dribbling down my chin. Now Lucas does the same thing in summer. This year we're growing 9 varieties. So, my personal record in terms of size is just under 3 pounds... 2 pounds 11 ounces if I remember correctly. It was an heirloom variety called Giant Belgium. I always tend to save seeds from the largest fruits of the season. In this way genetics go to work in helping grow another huge one. As for the world's record... if your tomato is under unless they’re over 8 and a half pounds or so, you're not going to win the World's Biggest prize. Lucas weighed less than that when he was born! The record holder used to be Gordon Graham of Edmond, Oklahoma, who held the record for 28 years by growing a 7 pound, 11 ounce tomato. But in 2014, Dan MacCoy of Ely, Minnesota set a new world’s record with a 8.41 lb. tomato. It was an ugly tomato, but then again, a lot of huge ones are. He's also had good luck growing pumpkins well over 1000 pounds! Graham's idea was to grow a big vine for a big tomato... and one was growing until a storm blew over the entire 12-14 foot vine into his cantaloupes. He gave up on the plant, but the tomato just kept growing... and growing... Until the entire vine grew to 53 feet and 6 inches long! He also had a record setting tomato vine! When he picked the tomato from the vine and weighed it he was shocked to see it tip the scales well over 8 pounds. If you want to try and beat his record, you're free to try. Just feed your plant a lot before it sets fruit, then snip off all the smallest fruits until you narrow it down to the one largest fruit. Nurture and baby it, water it, don't let it get sun scald, watch our for pests, and perhaps you can grow a bigger one. I know I'm going to try.... And now there's another way to try to grow a huge tomato... A hybrid tomato seed with the claim of growing the "world’s biggest tomato" (obviously just marketing hype) has gone on the market in the United Kingdom. The Gigantomo tomato plants "have the ability of growing into an grow enormous fruits up to 10 inches wide and as heavy as 3lbs – about 12 times the size of an average salad tomato. Each plant is able to grow to 6ft tall and yield as many as 11 tomatoes" claimed the company selling the plants. Since these plants do grow heavy fruits, they need to be supported to stop them buckling under all that weight. The new variety was launched in the United States last year by the Burpee seed company and was being sold under the name as SteakHouse Hybrid. It's not an heirloom, so you can't save seeds from the fruits, but it might be worth growing. Even if you're not an Italian, there's nothing like biting into a home grown tomato.... Enjoy Home Grown Tomatoes. It was one of my Dad's favorite tunes. --Jerry Finzi Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved " In America, you eat first with your wallet first, your eyes second, and third with your mouth. In Italy we eat with our heart first and last.”
"Italians view wine as an ordinary part of their meals, like salt or bread. But we also see it as a digestive aid, a mealtime component that will help digest our food. Americans think of wine as something for special occasions and not for every day. Perhaps this is what makes Americans dissatisfied and their bowels in distress." “If you go to an American restaurant and say the food is bad, you get a coupon for a free meal. More bad food. If you say the food is bad in a restaurant in Italy, you get kicked out. To get free food here, it is vice versa — you say, ‘This is the best beefsteak I’ve ever eaten.’ Chef will then say, ‘You must try the dessert.’ You say, ‘Oh no.’ He says, ‘Here. Please. Take it for free.’”
Villa d'Este Cascades and Fountains The Italians were so enamored by waterfalls that they imitated them. The Villa d'Este is a great example. The Villa d'Este was commissioned by Cardinal Ippolito II d'Este, son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia and grandson of Pope Alexander VI. He had been appointed Governor of Tivoli by Pope Julius III, with the gift of the existing palace,which he had entirely reconstructed to plans of Pirro Ligorio carried out under the direction of the Ferrarese architect-engineer Alberto Galvani, court architect of the Este. The chief painter of the ambitious internal decoration was Livio Agresti from Forlì. From 1550 until his death in 1572, when the villa was nearing completion, Cardinal d'Este created a palatial setting surrounded by a spectacular terraced garden in the late-Renaissance mannerist style, which took advantage of the dramatic slope but required innovations in bringing a sufficient water supply, which was employed in cascades, water tanks, troughs and pools, water jets and fountains, giochi d'acqua (water games). The result is one of the series of great 17th century villas with water-play structures in the hills surrounding the Roman Campagna, such as the Villa Lante, the Villa Farnese at Caprarola and the Villas Aldobrandini and Torlonia in Frascati. Their garden planning and their water features were imitated in the next two centuries from Portugal to Poland. Cascata del Sasso Cascata del Sasso is located in the Marche region in the province of Pesaro-Urbino . With a length of two hundred feet, Cascata del Sasso, a few steps from Sant'Angelo in Vado, is a wonderful find. From a height of 45 feet, the waters of Metauro are thrown down the stepped limestone, giving rise to a cascade considered among the ten largest in Italy. On the left bank, an old mill--no longer in operation--helps to enhance the charm of the landscape. The lake is surrounded by lush vegetation of willows and poplars. It is also possible to find rare species of birds, such as the kingfisher. Cascate del Serio The Serio Waterfalls are located in the town of Valbondione , in the upper valley Seriana , in the Province of Bergamo . It consists of three stepped falls: one at 545' high and two at 250' each, for a total height of over 1000 feet. It ranks it among the highest waterfalls in both Italy and Europe. When the dam opened, the man made reservoir that filled up behind it called Lago di Barbellino was partially drained only four or five days a year, thus determining when the stunning Cascate del Serio would flow. Tourists can see Italy’s tallest waterfall in all its glory between June and October, on a specific day of each month for a period of only thirty minutes so be sure to book you place to watch it well in advance! A fascinating legend associated with Cascate del Serio tells the story of a woman who fell in love with a Shepard who was betrothed to another. In her jealousy, the woman captured his fiancé and imprisoned her in a castle situated above the waterfall. The fiancé was so broken hearted at this tragic turn of events that her tears became what is now Cascate del Serio!
Stroppia Cascata In the Italian Alps there is the little known, Stroppia Cascata--perhaps the highest waterfall in Italy. An impressive jump of over 1600 feet, from the valley called Vallonasso, until the central valley Maira. The falls are visible beyond the town of Chiappera (Val Maira), in the province of Cuneo, reached just after the village of Saretto, both hamlets of Acceglio . Hiking up a trail from Icardi you can pass near the falls, and admire them in all their beauty. They are also visible on on excursions or climbing the nearby Rocca Provencal . Novalesa
Cascate Fraggia Cascate Fraggia are located in the municipality of Piuro and are formed from the stream that comes from altitude of 10,000 feet from Pizzo Lake. The creek about a 3000 feet downstream form the Lago Fraggia. From there originate a sequence of drops of water, of which the lower falls drops 500 feet into a double cascade. The river continues downstream, frequently interrupted by jumps, rapids and pools.
Pianazzo Cascata del Catino Near the border of Switzerland, these two waterfalls are fed by the waters of the Scalcoggia. Cascata del Cantino with a 330 feet drop and Pianazzo at 590 feet. Cantino is the more interesting because of its stone bridge at the bottom of the cascade, leading to a smaller cascade leading into a basic below. Both are reached easily by short walks. The walk heads off from Madesimo to Pianazzo along the old road which in the past was used by vehicles, but after the opening of a new tunnel (1974) became a thoroughfare reserved exclusively for pedestrians. It’s a gentle walk, suitable even for walkers with wheel chairs. It is illuminated at night. Pianazzo is the highest waterfall in the Valchiavenna area set in a wonderful alpine village.
Niagra Rio Verde The Niagara Rio Verde is located in the town of Borrello in the province of Chieti, in the Nature Reserve Niagara Verde. Rio Verde is one of the highest natural waterfalls of the Apennines, formed by a triple jump which together measure 700 feet. The falls are fed by the Rio Verde, with variable water flow during the year, which flows into the river Sangro. The rocks they fall over have a stepped appearance which adds to their effect. The area of the falls also has interesting microclimate with interesting mosses, lichen, ferns and fauna.
--Jerry Finzi
If you enjoyed this post, please LIKE it and share with your friends. Ciao! Copyright, Jerry Finzi, Grand Voyage Italy, All rights reserved . We all have to deal with our emotions when we travel--especially in Italy--after all, it is an emotional country and the stresses of traveling can bring out emotions from one extreme to the other... from "I can't believe how beautiful!" to "What?! I've got to pay to use the toilet?" We should be able to let someone know what our emotions are while in Italy. Sure, you can use... er... hand signals, but that can get you into a world of trouble if you're not perfectly fluent in Italian hand gesturing. (I'll tell you the story some other time when I flipped someone the bird driving through insane Pisa traffic...) Letting someone know how you feel by using the correct words to actually tell him helps to humanize the experience of communicating to other people, even if you're not completely fluent in Italian. So when you get the wrong type of car in a rental joint in Italy, you can tell them how you are sorpreso that they don't have an automatic shift for you when you made the booking months in advance. You can say how arrabbiato you are and wait until they say dispaciuto while they get an upgrade automatic ready for you... then you can say how contento you are that they fixed their mistake. And don't forget to look fiero after you got an upgrade to an automatic Mercedes from the automatic Fiat Punto you originally ordered! If you like this post, please LIKE us and tell all your amici about Grand Voyage Italy. Grazie!
You wouldn't expect to find the largest space center in the world for civilian use in the middle of farm fields outside the tiny town of Ortuccio in Abruzzo, but Google Earth shows the importance of this complex. Built in 1963, the Fucino Telespazio Center contains over 100 working dish antenna radio telescopes, and dozens of control rooms that do everything from guiding the launch of satellites into their final orbit to interpreting data and images studying weather, agriculture, water, oceanography, deserts, population, and intelligence. Fucino also hosts one of the control centres that will manage the 30 satellites and the operational activities of the European satellite navigation system Galileo. It's very fitting to see Galileo's vision come so far in Italy...
There are many things that are familiar to Italian-Americans eat in the States that just don't exist in Italy. Spaghetti and Meatballs is an iconic dish... handball sized spheres of ground beef (sometimes with pork or veal added) with onions, breadcrumbs, garlic and spices. Either fried in olive oil or baked in an oven to browned, meaty perfection. Often they are thrown into a tomato sauce as it cooks for hours, creating the legendary Sunday Gravy I wrote about in another post. Throw a couple of meatballs (or 3 or 4) on a plate next to a good helping of spaghetti topped with "marinara" and you'll make anyone happy. Well, you won't be able to find it in authentic ristorante in Italy. You will find spaghetti. And you will find meatballs--named polpette--but they will never be on the same plate. You see, Italians never eat meat with their pasta, unless it's mixed into the sauce as in a Bolognese or ragu sauce. The first course in a meal is called Antipasto (literally, before pasta) where you might have an assortment of cold cuts, prosciutto, cheeses, olives, bruschetta and the like. Next comes the Primo (first course) which can contain risotto, lasagna, polenta soup or pasta. The Primo never contains meat. This is when you would have your spaghetti. If it's on the menu at all, polpette (meatballs) would be listed under the Secondo course, along with sausage, pork, steak or beef (including stews), turkey, chicken or types of fish. If you want a side dish, you wouldn't ask for a side of meatballs, you'd look at the Contorno (literally, the edge or side) part of the menu and select from an assortment of vegetable dishes. For a salad select from the Insalada listed. You can try this, though... Order a spaghetti as your Primo and then order a Secondo of polpette. Now all you have to do is see if the chef can deliver your Primo and Secondo at the same time. Put the meatballs on the pasta plate and presto--you have your spaghetti and meatballs! Truth be told, don't worry too much about the order of courses in Italy. In most places you are going to get what you want by ordering ala carte off the menu anyway... If you want only pasta, just order that and forget about the Secondo. It's rare to find a restaurant that forces you to order all the courses on the menu. I don't think I saw a single prix fixe menu (where the entire dinner is included in the price) in all of Italy. The reason why Italy never evolved into our way of eating is that they didn't have to.... or rather, they had to do it the other way. For the contadina (peasant/farmer) in Italy, most meals were without meat anyway, until and IF something was being slaughtered. It was a seasonal thing too.... meat eating was enjoyed during holidays in Italy--no wonder they were called (and still are) Feast Days. Some meats were only available village-wide if someone donated his buffalo or pig in a type of bartering system... in the same way that the miller would grind everyone's crops of wheat into flour for them, and the baker would do communal baking for the entire village periodically. No cash exchanged... everyone shared their harvest or special skill. So if you had your season's supply of rice or corn meal (for polenta) or flour (for pasta), this was your staple meal. When meat arrived, it was thought of as a separate thing... to stand on its own. And nothing was wasted... the pig was made into sausage, roasts, ribs, and even the pig feet, ears, brains, nose and head were special dishes to enjoy. Add to this the randomness of hunting for birds and game and you have even more uncertainty of having a decent protein on your table. When Italians emigrated to America it truly was a golden life when compared to the war and poverty back home. In the late 1800s when Italy became one nation, most of the resources went to the north and Rome, leaving the southern regions in terrible shape. When the immigrants came to America, they moved into low quality housing in tenement apartment blocks. In these neighborhoods they at least had a chance to survive--and eventually--flourish. And they could finally afford to buy things in abundance--meat, tomatoes, ready-made sausage, cheese, deli meats--and all at their corner market or from a street vendor just outside their front door. (These vendors were also Italian immigrants trying to make their way in America.) They didn't have to wait as they did back in their home village to slaughter, or to bake, or to make the cheese, or the grind the flour. Everything was available whenever they wanted it. So, they started putting courses together into one big bowl, often the only bowl they could afford. My father talked of this family style of eating, and used a Molfetese dialect word that took me quite a while to find the actually Italian word. Phonetically, he called it "Bah-BOOK-eeya" . The real word is papocchia or papocchio (in Puglia, the "P" is easily heard as a "b" sound), which can be defined as "a mess" or "all messed up". According to Dad, this Molfetese word meant "everything in one pot, all mixed up"-- or, "a mess" as opposed to the proper way to eat meal courses back in Italy. That's the way his growing family ate in their American home in Hoboken, N.J. As Dad described the scene at their kitchen table, he, his sisters, brothers and parents were all digging into meats and pastas and vegetables all cooked and mixed together and eaten from a big bowl or platter in the middle of the table, containing the entire, single course meal. A large loaf of bread was passed around and pieces torn off. Dad described their early days before they had individual plates, reaching with their forks into the large Bah-BOOK-eeya bowl. His Dad served wine he made himself from grapes bought from a fruit cart vendor. In a few years, Dad and his "kid brother" had their own cart selling fruits and vegetables to seamen coming from the many ships docked in Hoboken harbor... a cart pulled by the only horse they could afford--a "three-legged horse" as Dad called him (lame in one leg). We have to remember that over 4 million (mostly) southern Italians came to American within a short 40 year window around the turn of the last century. There was a lot of talent in that group of people. Some had specialty skills, like my Grandfather (tailor) or other skills, but most were listed on the ships' manifests as "laborer" or "farmer". Of these, many knew some sort of cooking, butchering, smoking or baking. The best of these began selling their wares from carts then gradually opened their own shops. This is where a new type of village began--the Italian-American neighborhoods. Clustered in these "Little Italys" were the Formaggeria for cheese, the Panificio (bread bakers), the Pasticceria (pastry & cakes), Macelleria (butchers/deli), Pescheria (fish monger), Frutta e Verdura vendors (fruit and vegetable) and more. They could have what they wanted, when they wanted it. And it was cheaper too... In Italy most of a family's income went toward food to eat--especially in the days when the taxes on flour and bread skyrocketed. In American, only about 1/4 of a family's income went toward food. Big improvement in their quality of life. For the first time, they had some expendable income, but most chose to save and hope. As my Grandmother used to tell me when I first started my own business, "Pay yourself first". So there are many reasons why you won't find spaghetti and meatballs or Chicken Parmesan in Italy. You might find a chicken dish as a Secondo and you will find a baked pasta dish or two as a Primo but not merged into one single casserole dish. Funny... just last night for dinner Lisa made a big casserole of baked Chicken Parmesan. Enough for two meals in our 3 person famiglia. So we carry on the Italian-American tradition... and now understand why we do it. I will admit that once in a while, I'll purposely serve the pasta first and plate the meats separately... as a nod to our real Italian heritage.
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That's right... more than 10,000 page views since we started our blog back in September. We want to thank all of you for coming back again and again to take this Grand Voyage along with us. This blog has evolved a lot since before our passports were stamped... it's become a place not only to share travel tips but to continuing the exploration of La Bella Italia, even if from our own homes. There's still a lot to discover about our Italian roots, the history of the Italian people, their culture, the food, the wine, and the often simple yet many times puzzling and complexity of the way Italians live in their day to day life..
This blogging Voyage has a mean learning curve, but little by little we are getting it. If you want to see Grand Voyage Italy grow even more, please SHARE our posts, LIKE us on Facebook or Twitter and pass along our grandvoyageitaly.weebly.com web address to your friends. And check out our new pages on Pinterest and Google... and by all means, remember that this is a large, two-way viale (boulevard), not one of those one-way, narrow back streets of Molfetta that could barely fit a Fiat 500 through. Start a dialog with us by leaving a COMMENT. Two way communication! What a concept! With your help, perhaps we can make Grand Voyage Italy a destination all on its own, almost as complex, compelling and interesting as the real Italia. We hope to keep sharing what we experienced and what we are still discovering: the history of Italy, the wonderfully crazy lifestyle, travel tips, profiles of unusual and wonderful places in Italy to visit, the art, the music, great photography, authentic recipes, and some laughs as well. So again, we want to send a mille grazie to the over three thousand people that have joined us on this Grand Voyage of Italy. That's right. There have been over 3000 of you visiting the Piazza at Grand Voyage Italy. Come incredibile! Oh yea... we now have our own hashtag... #grandvoyageitaly Ciao! --Jerry, Lucas and Lisa |
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