The Cold and Muddy Places

We gave Lisa and Kurt a special tour of all the cold and muddy places in Ireland. When Lisa queried me on appropriate attire to bring, I gave her my stock answer--Bring layers. You never know when a warmish sun will succumb to melted iceberg. Luckily they took my suggestion extremely seriously and brought long johns and ear muffs, because our scenic trip through the Wicklow Mountains exposed us to some bitterly cold winds, and the coastal town of Carlingford was windswept as well. In addition to being cold, the Wicklow Mountains were muddy, as was the beach at Clogherhead.

The tide was out farther than we visited Clogherhead last Spring, so we could explore more of the rock formations.



Luckily we did get out of the wind from time to time to seek refreshment. And Bill did feed us a bit. You can read an account of our breakfast at Lisa is Cooking.

A Story of Ireland, by Lisa

November 21, 2008 was the day of Lisa's first breath ever of Irish air, although Kurt had visited the Emerald Isle once as a boy. Now, we hail from the great state of Texas, mind you, so we were taken aback by the smallness of everything we saw. The cars were all tiny, little things. We didn't spy a single pick-up our entire time there. How can that be? And, the streets were so skinny. Those narrow lanes would spell trouble for a couple F-350's facing off and driving the wrong way to boot. That backwards, left lane driving was as foreign as can be. We just had to shut our eyes.

It wasn't just the cars and roads that are smaller either. Those elfin kitchens they have over there might be fine for a rumpus room, but you sure can't put your Costco haul away in those. The elevators were awfully snug too. And, how about those drink sizes? Do they know how large a drink we usually get at restaurants back home?

Well, we realized that us Texans are just used to things being bigger, and then it dawned on us--all this small stuff had to be because of the leprechauns. Of course! We didn't spot a single one of them while we were there, but their influence sure was felt everywhere we went.

Blip bleep blick beerp woooop Wait, we're not quite that Texan. Here's what really happened:

We had a fantastic time in Dublin and surrounding areas. Many thanks to Bill and Sharon for such generous hospitality and great site seeing tours. Our day at Glendalough, starting with a delicious picnic, was filled with amazing views and a nice walk around the lakes. Our next day included a very nice drive north along the coast road to Carlingford with a stop in scenic Clogherhead. Delicious meals were devoured each day including fish and chips, the picnic mentioned above, a lovely dinner in Howth, an amazing Irish breakfast by Bill, and a pub meal in Carlingford. We had a really great time, and we can highly recommend Chez Gunter for any Ireland-bound, future travelers.

Bye Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad had a few days to recuperate before heading back home. On Monday, November 17, we dined on tagliatelle al tartufo followed by cantuccini and Vin Santo we brought back from Tuscany.

On Tuesday, they headed in to town for a last bit of shopping, and then on Wednesday boarded a plane back to Arkansas.

We had a great time and Mom and Dad packed quite a bit into their month abroad. We were sad to see them go, but didn't have much time to be lonely as more exciting visitors from the US were to arrive on Friday.

Holiday Trifecta: Shopping, Eating, and Museuming

After visiting David at the Galleria dell'Accademia, we strolled to the Mercato Centrale for lunch and some shopping. Bill wanted to try a Florentine favorite at Nerbone--tripe panini. Dad went along on this gastronomic gamble. Mom and I opted for prosciutto. Turns out Mom and I made the right choice.

After eating we wandered the stalls. We bought some fig fruit mustard, Pecorino Tuscano and Salsiccia di cinghiale for Tastes of Italy night back home in Dublin (not a real thing) and browsed the leather and textile offerings, making a purchase here and there.

After a short afternoon rest at the B&B, we headed to our last museum, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, to see the Michelangelo Pietà. Michelangelo began this pietà for his own tomb, but abandoned the sculpture after eight years when he found imperfections in the stone. One of his students worked on the pietà but it is still not complete. Like with the Prigioni, these rough areas highlight the transformation of the finished, almost lifelike figures. This pietà differs from the common pietà composition where Mary is cradling Jesus after he is taken from the cross. Three figures are joined together to support Christ's body. The male figure, bearing Michelangelo's own face, is thought to be Nicodemus. The women are likely the two Marys. The museum contains other sculpture and information about the Duomo, included entries submitted for the 19th century update to the facade.

That evening we dined at Trattoria Coco Lezzone, a family owned spot with long tables. Mom and Dad had a lovely roast pork with beans. Bill and I had a plate of bolito misto (boiled meat), which included tongue. An interesting discovery about myself this year is that I really like cow tongue. We had cantuccini again to end the meal, this time with a red dessert wine.

On the way back to the B&B we were treated to a lovely full moon above the duomo.

Sunday morning the sun returned to bid us a bright farewell. We spent our last morning wandering and haggling in the markets. After a spot of pizza for lunch, we hopped on a train to the Pisa airport, and then back to Dublin. Thank you Bill for all your travel planning and guiding. It was a truly wonderful week! Oh, by the way, according to store windows in Florence, we all should be wearing purple!

David and Friends

The morning of Saturday, November 15, we visited the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Florence's most recognizable inhabitant, Michelangelo's David.

Walking through the gallery hall leading to David, we saw the four Prigioni (Prisoners), unfinished works that were intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II. The half-formed Prigioni expose the metamorphosis from rock to man accomplished by thousands of tiny chisel strikes. To see David then, in his enormity and his absolutely familiar, although idealised, human form, it's hard to believe he hasn't always existed. That he was once a boulder. Like Botticelli's Venus, an encounter with David is not dulled by the proliferation of his image. At 17 feet, he is truly astounding.

The Galleria dell'Accademia contains much more sculpture and Renaissance religious art. These religious paintings are rife with symbolism, and can appear nonsensical without knowledge of the traditions of the saints and other religious imagery. Baby John the Baptist wearing his animal skin onesie, for example. (And noshing on Gerber locusts and honey?) One painting showed every person present at Christ's crucifixion simultaneously shooting him with arrows. Illustrating all our complicity in his death, perhaps? We saw numerous renderings of the Annunciation, the angel's prenatal visit to Mary. I liked the repeated imaginings of this most amazing conversation. Sometimes the angel is nearby and comforting. Sometimes the exchange takes place from a polite distance, across the terrace. In every painting, Mary is holding a book. I liked thinking of Mary as a bookish girl that surprised everyone by using her intelligence and pluck to, well, save the world! Indirectly. More likely, as I learned, the book suggests that she was reading prophesies of herself in Isaiah. That may be a stretch, but I like the importance placed on the Word in rendering this moment. The Word that would become flesh. Other frequent inhabitants of the scene are the Holy Spirit as a dove and the Lily of purity.

I'm sure layers of meaning and centuries of religious thought were lost on us as we viewed painting after painting over a several days. I will say though, I liked the frequent use of bold blue.

Goals for a Splendid Day in Florence

1. Take at least 47 pictures of the ornate, neo-gothic exterior of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. It's covered in marble!
2. Tour the interior of the basilica to see beautiful marble floors, a liturgical clock from 1443 which shows the 24 hours of the hora italica (Italian time), a painting of Dante and the levels of the Divine Comedy from 1465, and the largest masonry dome in the world from the mid-15th century.
3. Crane our necks to study the late 16th century frescoes on the interior of the dome.
4. Decline the climb to the top of the dome. Use Mom's artificial knees as our official excuse. (It worked in Pisa.)
5. Visit the Florentine Romanesque Baptistry adjacent to the duomo. More craning to take in the spectacular gold mosaic dome. Also appreciate the simpler marble decoration.




6. Get paninis for lunch at I Frattellini, in business since 1875, followed by gelato.











7. Visit the Uffizi Gallery and find that Botticelli's Primavera (c. 1478) and The Birth of Venus (c. 1485) are truly affecting and beautiful.
8. Try roasted chestnuts. Season brightening ability notwithstanding, decide to leave them on the open fire next time.


9. Walk down the Ponte Vecchio, Florence's first bridge, built in 1345, lined with houses that are now jewelry shops.








10. Have our favorite dinner of the entire week at La Canova di Gustavino. Seated in a small room of wine-packed shelves, enjoy several simple dishes: a plate of cheese and cured meats (and more fruit mustard), crostini with sausage, polenta with sausage and cheese, and warm chicken liver pâté. Try lardo--it's fantastic! It's cured fat that tastes much like prosciutto. For dessert: apple cake, a blackberry tart, and ricotta with honey and pepper.

November 14, 2008

First Night in Florence

We arrived at our B&B mid-afternoon on Thursday. Bill made stellar accommodation choices for our week in Italy. I loved the Royal Victoria Hotel in Pisa, the self-catering apartment on the farm was simple and serene, and the Il Salotto di Firenze B&B in Florence is replete with proximity. Our lovely rooms were above a Gucci store, just yards away from the Piazza di San Giovanni and Piazza del Duomo, home of the Baptistry and the Cathedral. And it didn't hurt that the B&B was run by a young Italian hottie named Alessandro.

After a bit of rest, we wandered about, taking in the evening, and then went to dinner at Trattoria Marione for some traditional Tuscan fare, including pork stuffed with rosemary and a carrot and ribollita, a vegetable and bread soup. This meal introduced us to some new favorites. I ordered "cheese and mustard," not knowing exactly what I would get, but betting on the steadfast goodness of cheese. [Even cheese that you are warned against in France.] The cheese was indeed good--three triangles of Pecorino Tuscano, a slightly softer version of Pecorino Romano--served with honey and fruit mustard. Fruit mustard is a jelly spiked with mustard powder, available in many flavors. It was wonderful with the Pecorino.

We had seen plates piled high with small biscotti, called cantuccini, and carafes of golden vin santo being served to a large party of 35 or so dining nearby. We also ordered cantuccini and vin santo and with our platter of crunchy cookies and sweet wine, I felt we were participating in the same ritual of fellowship and feasting that brings us back again and again to the table. Plus, it's the perfect dessert after a huge meal.