Taking a pause

I'm quitting this blog for some time. I have a hard time keeping up with it lately and things are not going to be easier! I'm going to have another baby at the end of November, so I'll be a full time mother for at least some time!

See you soon!

The sky, now

The sky right now. Not a special picture, but at least you know why I'm at home instead of taking a walk for new pictures!

At the zoo (III)

Again a picture of the
Punta Verde Parco Zoo. The zoo is settled on a group of small islands in the lagoon and small bridges connect the islands.

Flamingos at the zoo

At the Punta Verde Parco Zoo it's time for new babies: at the fence closeing the flamingos' pond there are about 10 ribbons, some blue, some pink, to celebrate the birth of the baby flamingos. In the pond, you immediatly recognize which are the babies: not yet pink, they will remain grey until about 14-months age.

Meerkat at the zoo

Yesterday we spent the day at the
Parco Zoo PUnta Verde in Lignano, about 25 km from Concordia. It is a very nice place, very clean and neat; the animals aren't held in cages but are free on small islands in the lagoon or in fenced areas. I already wrote about it here: we spend a day there almost every year and children enjoy it very much.

For the dog

It's the first time I see this here in Italy: a small entrance for the dog, no a garage door. I've always seen them on TV, in cartoons usually coming from USA. Do you have these kind of things? How do you call them?

A tree for every newborn

A regional law says that every town must plant a tree for each newborn baby. So my daughter, born in 2003, has her tree and now and then we go to pay a visit and see how it is growing (well!). We are now waiting for my son's tree, he is born in 2005 but his tree has not been planted yet (the town council waits to have a good number of trees to plant and organizes a very nice feast for everyone when this gest done).

The picture shows how many trees have been planted and in which streets/fields for the children born from year 1992 to year 2003: almost a thousand.

Lots of air traffic

Have you ever noticed how much traffic in the air?

Big steps for a small child

My son is only 3 year old and has some normal fears that all children have ... but he struggles always very hard to be brave, I'm really proud of this side of his personality. Here at the playground, he kept saying "I'm scared, I can't go on it" about this rope bridge ... and step by step he made it through the other side. His daddy behind him for the first time ..

It is really marvellous how children learn fast and are happy achieve important results.

A typical house

A typical house in Barcis, a village in the mountains, about 50 km from Concordia Sagittaria. It is called Palazzo Centi and was first built during the Sixteenth Century. It has been renovated since few years using once again the rocks and stones of the River Cellina (that flows nearby) as in the original construction.

Sacello SS. Martiri Concordiesi

This is the Sacello dei Ss. Martiri Concordiesi, a tiny chapel along the river Lemène that remembers the first Christian martyrs of Concordia. They were 72 and were killed in 304 AD in this place along the river. You can read more about them here (in Italian) and here (in English).

Kids' fair

Kids' fair is beginning today! The number of bicycles parked outside the
Oratorio is getting bigger and bigger and next week there will be no place to park. Kids and teenagers gather after the long summer and have an entire week of games, concerts, sports tournaments and so on. When this special week will end, school will start: for our region, Veneto, school is starting Monday 15th September.

Sundial

You can see this sundial is on the facade bof a house in the center of Concordia. Of course it does not consider daylight saving's time, but it works well! Underneath it you can read: al sol misuro i passi taht means I measure sun's steps.

Pumpkins on their way!

Again a picture taken in the vegetable garden. Today a pumpkin preparing to get ripe .. and growing growing ...

Figs are ripe

Figs are ripe: briliant green, very sweet, soft. Wonderful. We have so many that Nonna (grandma) is starting to make figs' jam!

Cucumber

Toady a funny picture ... a cucumber going round and round ... quite hard to peel!!!!

Erto IV

Again a picture of the fair in Erto. In this picture, craftsmen make wicker baskets.

(see yesterday's post for all the story)

Erto III

In August, in Erto there is a very interesting fair: "Tra il vecchio e il nuovo" (roughly between old and new). In the small narrow streets of the village, craftsmen expose their works and show how their work is made: wicker baskets, wooden eldelweisses, leather bags, hand knitted pullovers, and so on. They work, expose and sell their products.

In this picture, two craftsmen are making wooden eldelweisses.

Erto II

Another view of the wonderful valley which Erto lays in. This picture doesn't need many words, it is a wonderful place.

A walk in Erto

This is Erto, a pretty mountains village quite close to Concordia. Erto, together with its neighbouring village Casso, is sadly famous in Italy for a big tragedy occured in 1963, when a piece of mountain fell into the artificial lake made by the Vajont Dam and caused a tsunami wave that submerged and swept away many villages: among these Erto.

No wind, today

No wind today. The rooster stands still over the tower in Teson, a hamlet of Concordia. Let's wait for tomorrow for windsurfing.

The Cross reaching the sky

This is the upper part of the modern bell tower of the church of Teson, a hamlet of Concordia. Nothing to do with the Cathedral, of course, but anyway an interesting modern construction. I like how the Cross over the bell tower is made, quite original.

Something to discuss about

In yesterday's playground we found this phrase among many other notices and notes on a bulletin board: Dai meno bravi impari quello che non devi fare that is roughly From the less smart/less well behaving you learn what you should not do. This playground is in a parish in Concordia and these notices and notes are hung up by the parson.

What do you think about this phrase? I think it sounds bad, it is negative and certainly doesn't help children that are a bit more lively or simply very bright but in an unconventional way. I didn't like it.

To the public playground

I'm posting late today, the day is almost over here, in Italy. Sundays are full days, especially when you have two small children. Today we spent lots of time at the playground, not our usual one, but a "fancy" one. This is one of the major features ... to climb on.

Dried tomatoes

Have you ever eaten dried tomatoes? They are quite a common appetizer here. Dried tomatoes are often seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, oregano and garlic and layed on toasted bread.

The picture shows the very very beginning of this wonderful dish: drying the tomatoes in the sun!

Cat's life

Sometimes I wish I were a cat. Tell me: don't you think cats' life is so lazy and interestring at the same time?

(Picture courtesy of my brother Stefano!)

Third birthday

This is my son, the day of his third birthday (a couple of weeks ago): he now swims without any support, both underwater (his favourite) and crawl. He is very elegant underwater and has a good coordination; when swimming crawl, he still looks a bit ... messy!

Coooool!

Again a shot taken in the mountains, in the big creek we sat by for our picnic. Very refreshing!

In the mountains

It is quite hot in these days. A nice walk along a fresh creek in the mountains in an interesting solution: this is what we did yesterday, on a very hot Sunday.

Brother and sister

My chldren at the seaside,taking a walk: nothing planned, just a sudden hug reminds me how nice it is to have a brother or a sister to cling to!

Lavender

At the seaside, there are big bushes of lavender along the beginning of the beach. When you walk by, you hear "zzzzzzzz" .. not a soft sound, but a strong sound made by the many bees working on the flowers!

Santo Stefano Fair III

Also the local scout group has its own stand at the fair. Not a food stand thought! A stand were you can play. A wolf is sitting on a board, high up on a huge wooden bucket (the ones used to press grapes when making wine). People can throw balls to hot a target: if you get it, the wolf falls in the water!!! You can get 3 balls for 2 euro. Last year the scout group got to go to their summer camp without expenses: all the money needed was raised at the fair. Isn't it nice (and clever)?

Santo Stefano Fair II

After having dinner at the fair, tradition brings you to the amusement park built for the fair. Merry-go-rounds for children, rollercoasters for teenagers. The amusement park closes after the end of the fair and everything is collapsed and brought away, to the next fair: the amusement park is property and brought around by nomads.

Santo Stefano Fair

Anther shot taken at the fair that we are hosting in these nights. Near the Cathedral, people sit and have dinner with typical fair food: barbecued meat, fried fish, chips, hot dogs and so on. Lots of beer and wine are running on the tables too! Each stand is sponsored by a local association or movement: the Red Cross, the Blood Donators, the Basketball team, the Volleyball team, the Concordia Men's Choir and so on. They all use the fair to raise funds for the future activities.

Picowso

For Concordia this is a "hot" week: for 5 days, we are hosting the fiera di Santo Stefano (roughly Saint Stephen fair). This is the most important period of the year in this small countryside town. Saint Stephen is celebrated on the 5th of August. For 5 days and nights, people walk around stands, eating, buying, taking a look at new models of car, boats, agricultural machines and so on. And children enjoy merry-go-rounds and rollercoasters. Children also get to ride the Police's motorcycles and to visit the ambulance.

Sunflower

It is definitely "full summer" for us here now. In the past, August was the month for vacation par excellence. In August most factories and big plants close the production or diminuish it a lot, and all workers had to get their vacation in this month. It is still so even though less than 30 years ago. Factories close now for a month, but who works in offices often gets the chance to go on vacation in other periods of the year.

Have a nice summer!

Piazza Roma by night (II)

This is the follow up of yesterday's picture: the entire square with the peculiar street lights. As you can see, the project that won the contest also used some archaelogical elements to decorate here-and-there the square and put wooden and concrete benches to sit.

The square is quite nice made this way. As a citizen, however, I must say that the square has too few green spots, especially trees, and in summer you realy cannot get out there and take a walk: too hot.

Piazza Roma by night

Some years ago, the Municipality of Concordia made a public contest for the renovation of a town square, piazza Roma, near the river Lèmene. Many local architects and engineers participated, by the way, my husband did too (he was classified 5th). The project that won planned it looked peculiar, but now we are used to it and it looks interesting. On the picture, the lights (embedded in an iron structure).

Children love rain

Children love rain. All children, I guess!

Concert evening

Every Friday in July, in the central square (the Cathedral's piazza) there is a concert. This year we have had a classical concert, a jazz concert, a drama piece and a pop concert. I took this picture the last evening, when an American band coming from the nearby Aviano USAF Base (about 40 km from here) played nice music (lots of '70 and '80 pop music!). It has been a pleasant evening!

Windy days

Sand storm on the beach. This July is quite abnormal for us here, not only sunny days, nut lots of thunderstorms and ... sand storms!

Security limit

This seagull is watching that no one trespasses the security limit in the sea: evidently he is helping out lifeguards.

Back from the seaside

Back from our vacation at the seaside, here I am. It has been a nice vacation, a lot of sun, some bad weather, lots of fun with the children: just as it should be! Now I'm dealing with unpacking and my washing machine has a super work to do ... see you tomorrow!

Barbecue

What do you think if I say "summer"? ... I think of the sun, of vacations, of the seaside and, last but not least! ... BARBECUES!!!!

This is my last post for the next TWO WEEK: we're on vacation! We're at the seaside already now, hopefully playing with the sand and in the waves!

See you at the end of July!

Tomatoes

The vegetable garden is full of tomatoes, big and juicy ... but still very green! We are eagerly wainting for them to get ripe!

Again clouds

After a big heat wave (last week) with temperatures over 35°C (95°F) and 60 % humidity, this week the weather is giving us a break: lots of thunderstorms and a very pleasant fresh air, low humidity and temperatures about 28°C (82 °F). I prefer sunny days, of course, but thunderstorms are wonderful to take pictures of the sky!

Harvest

Harvest has begun and all around the countryside you can see these big balle di fieno (hay balls? what is the right term?).

Waiting for ..

Waiting for the Olympic Games to start. In one month from today, on the 8th fo August, the Olympic torch will arrive in Peking. How will these Olympic Games be?

Meanwhile we have our torch in the garden .. against mosquitoes!

Peaches (II)

Remember I told you about peaches? Well, we are almost ready to eat them. They are red, less hard and smell wonderful!

Old farm house

The countryside around Concordia is full of these old abandoned farm houses. Sometimes trees grow inside the walls, many times the roof is partially or totally collapsed. They are a charming view: recallnig past times and a life so different from ours nowadays.

I guess I'll post more pictures of these kind of buildings in future.

Risotto alla monzese

This is a close up view on a dish of risotto alla monzese (risotto Monza's way; Monza is a pretty town on the outskirts of Milano).

Here the recipe!

Risotto alla monzese

Ingredients (for 4 persons):

320 gr rice (the best quality for risotto is Roma or Carnaroli)
300 gr sausage
saffron: here it is sold in tiny bags, it contains abot 0,15 gr pure saffron in powder
2 litres meat broth (I use chicken broth)
a glass white wine
butter
parmisan cheese, grated at the moment

Preparation:

Heat the broth until boiling.

Melt in a large Teflon pan a bit of butter and put in it the sausage in small pieces, without skin (I press the sausage paste out of the skin). When the sausage is brown, add the rice and let it toast a bit. Add the white wine and let it evaporate. When the wine is gone, add the broth a bit at a time with a dipper. The rule for making risotto (any type!) is that the rice must cook absorbing the broth and never get too dry. It must not stick on the pan.

Rice will go on cooking for about 15 minutes, so add broth generously until taht time is almost over: then you will let it dry up a bit.

When the rice is cooked, turn the fire off and add some small pieces of butter and a generous quantity of parmesan cheese you have just grated. Leave the risotto for some minutes this way before serving: is this time the starch makes is even more smooth and flavoured. This moment is called mantecatura but I can't find the English word for it!

Buon appetito!