JenandAlsbigItalianadventure

June 17, 2020

A Day out in Modena

This week we decided to use the recent lifting of regional movement restrictions and to take advantage of Al’s days off by going to Modena.

A very short description of Modena

Modena is a city in the region Emilia Romagna. There has been a settlement here since 187BC and the Duomo, which was built 1000 years ago, is included in the UNESCO world heritage site that can be explored in Grande Piazza. There is a long standing rivalry between Bologna and Modena as they used to be competing city states, typical of neighbouring cities and towns the world over. There was a series of battles known as the war of the Bucket (1325) when the opposing factions fought each other. The Modenese fighters took a bucket from Bologna as a trophy and it (or one meant to replicate it) is on display in the Torre della Ghirlandia to this day.

Modena is the home of Balsamic vinegar, but not the stuff you can buy from the supermarket in the UK, the product here is produced from grape must, thick and sweet and takes at least 12 years to ferment, using a centuries old process. You only need to use a tiny amount, let down with olive oil which is good news as even a small bottle will set you back, but it should last for years. Modena and the area immediately surrounding it has a large number of products of either DOP (products of a protected origin) or IGP (products with a protected region) meaning that you cannot buy the same product anywhere else. The city’s proximity to Bologna means that many of the regional dishes are the same, but there are some interesting variations to look out for.

Modena is also home to Lambrusco (sparkling red wine), Ferrari and Maserati cars as well as the world famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

How to get to Modena

Modena is about 38 km from Bologna and easily accessible by rail or car. On the train from Bologna it can take between 17 and 29 minutes depending on whether you get the slower regional train or the faster Freccia Rossa and the tickets are priced to reflect this. On this occasion we drove and chose to go via the slower, toll free roads, which are more picturesque. Like many Italian cities, the centre of Modena is covered by a ZTL (traffic limitation zone) where cars are either not permitted to enter at all or are extremely restricted. The fines for infringement of the ZTL are high and its possible to get more than one in a day so be careful if you are driving about. A brief amount of research meant that I was able to get a map of the Modena ZTL and find a free car park outside it. Modena is a compact city so parking outside the centre is not a problem. Our free car park was next to the stadium, from where it is a 10 minute pleasant walk to the Grande Piazza.

What to eat?

The Italian version of the tourist information site of Modena lists an ideal Modenese menu; starting with salumi (sliced cured meats), followed by tortelloni stuffed with pork, prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese). They also recommend Zampone or Cotechino, which are local types of cured sausage, but they are not for the faint hearted. They are true to the concept of nose to tail eating in that they contain some of the parts of the animal that we don’t usually, knowingly, consume. For my tastes they are too greasy and too gristly. Al, on the other hand, really likes them. After the sausages they recommend slices of Parmigiano Reggiano with a small quantity of local balsamic vinegar and all washed down with a bottle of the local Lambrusco. You may have heard of Lambrusco before and even have an opinion about it but I urge you to put that aside and try it in Modena. It’s a delicious sparkling ruby red wine and my friend Jess is particularly partial to a glass or two when she visits. The meal is finished with some local cherries or other fruits or something called Zuppa Inglese, a kind of firm custard, served with Amaretti biscuits.

As we were only having lunch we were not looking for a full set of courses and had a recommendation from a friend. Ristretto is found in a narrow alley a short distance from the Duomo. Although the weather forecast was bleak and the skies were grey, we opted to sit outside on one of the tables along the alley. The menu was short but it was still hard to choose. In the end we had passatelli with prosciutto crudo in a parmesan cream sauce. Passatelli is a pasta made from breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. We accompanied it with a glass of dry white wine. The meal was delicious and they are noted for their wine selection so I highly recommend eating there.

The unassuming entrance to Osteria Francescana

I couldn’t possibly talk about food without referencing Modena’s 3 Michelin starred restaurant, the Osteria Francescana, owned by Massimo Bottura. It has been listed in the top 5 at the World’s Best Restaurants since 2010. Al is a huge fan of Massimo Bottura, his approach to cooking and his focus on minimising waste and increasing sustainability and although I would like to say that we have eaten there, as yet, we have not been so fortunate. However, we did slope past to have a look at the outside. Eating here is a once in a lifetime event and you need to book a long time in advance i.e. they are currently booking for tables in January 2021. The 12 course tasting menu costs €290 with the wine pairing €190 on top. We were fortunate enough to eat in Thomas Keller’s French Laundry pop up in Harrods a couple of years ago so I’m sure that it would be worth it, but it’s just a little out of reach at the moment.

Fast Cars and Opera Stars

Ferrari’s are not made in Modena any more, the works having transferred operations to nearby Maranello, however there is the Museum of Enzo Ferrari, in the original factory, where they have a nice selection of cars for you to drool over and, for those who know about these things, a hall of engines. The trident of Maserati was modelled on the trident on the statue of Neptune in Bologna as Maseratis were made in Bologna for a while. It is interesting to think that the origins of motor racing and the Grand Prix were on the roads around here.

You can also visit the House of Luciano Pavarotti at the gates of the city. He lived in this house for the last 9 years of his life. He had a passion for horses and bred them here as well as holding an annual horse contest. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit on this occasion.

I would highly recommend Modena for a weekend break or a day trip or even as a base to explore the wider region. It is very beautiful and an easy city to navigate on foot. There are plenty of cafes and bars for you to stop at when you need a break and interesting museums and churches to investigate.

Lion at the entrance to the Duomo on Grande Piazza

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020

Looking forward

This week Al has returned to work and I have been looking for a new job and visiting reopened shops.

Paper wrapped purchases from the Quadrilatero

Establishing new patterns (the new normal)

Al started back at the restaurant on Monday to prepare for reopening the restaurant on Tuesday, which was a national holiday (Republic day). FICO World Eataly, the food centric theme park (their words), where’s Al’s restaurant is located, had decided on a big relaunch for Republic day. They had targeted their advertising locally as inter regional travel was still not permitted until the end of the week. It’s been a long time since people in Bologna have been able to eat out and go anywhere so it was not surprising that it was busy on the re-opening day. The following days were quieter, but they were ordinary working days, so this weekend is the real test.

I, on the other hand, have still been largely at home. I am splitting my time between looking for a new job and writing. Initially I had set aside an hour a day to trawl job sites and apply for any promising looking roles, but it soon seemed to develop into a rabbit hole of amended CVs and cover letters and very little writing happening. This is typical when you are constantly plagued with the notion that your writing is self-indulgent and struggle to prioritise it. I flipped my day around and decided to start writing first and then job hunt if there was time after.

So far, my job search has not yielded any responses, but these are odd times. I have set myself a sort of deadline and if I have not managed to find something more in line with what I want to be doing, I will start hitting up old contacts to see if I can get a contract in what I used to do.

Hay Festival (on line)

Hay festival is a UK literary festival held in Hay-on-Wye every year. The town of Hay-on-Wye is widely renowned for its many second hand and new bookstores, so it makes sense that there is a festival dedicated to literature here too. We have attended the festival twice and really enjoyed it. This year we were not intending to go as we are here in Italy, but as it turned out the festival was cancelled anyway due to Corona virus. Indeed, the whole area remains in lockdown as Hay is part of the Brecon beacons national park in Wales which remains closed to the public. However, someone at Hay Festival had the brilliant Idea of putting the festival online. As we were signed up for festival updates we received an email with the line up from 18^th to 31^st May. It was free to sign up for any of the events and you could sign up to as many as you wanted. Knowing it was going to be Al’s last week before returning to work we went through the listing and signed up to several events.

Highlights included, John Sopel’s “A year at the circus: inside Trump’s White House”, Adam Rutherford talking about his book “How to argue with a racist”, Paul Dolans challenging discussion of his book “F**k the narrative”, William Dalrymple talking about his book “The Anarchy” detailing the original Mega corp that was too big to fail – The East India Company, including how the British Government ended up colonising India and our largely untaught shameful colonial past. On the more light hearted end of the scale there was Natalie Haynes with Chris Riddell for a live drawing of Troy Story; Allie Esiri, Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West performing “A journey through a year of Shakespeare” and with Sandy Toksvig closing the festival in her own inimitable way.

You can still find the listing for the events on their website and for £10 you can sign up for the Hay player and access the recordings of all the events from the festival this year plus loads more content from other Hay festivals, including in other locations across the world. I am hoping that Hay Festival will use this experience to allow people to watch remotely in future.

An idea whose time has come (Victor Hugo)

It seemed oddly prescient that the talks which had the most impact on us were the ones about race, identity and the untaught and unacknowledged British past, given the turbulent week following the tragic death of George Floyd. It seems ridiculous that there would be any argument about Black Lives matters, but I have seen some of the most racist things I have ever read posted online and in response to the protests and demonstrations. Events have reminded me of my privilege and my power and I have been inspired to write a longer piece in response to this, but I am not finished with it yet. My journey into Hay had encouraged me to buy some books (but not from Amazon) and this week has added a few additional items to the list so I can educate myself.

If you, like me, are looking for information about what more you anti-racist actions you can take or how you can be a better ally the Hay player and Waterstones are showcasing works by black writers and artists as well as works on UK and US history in relation to race, colonialism etc. under the banner “Black Lives Matter”. There are a number of you tube and videos out there and amongst the most useful I found was this one from Joe.co.uk.

To quote the final thoughts in this video and lyrics from the musical Hamilton “this is not a moment, it’s a movement”

Stay safe, educate yourself and fight racism.

Anti-Racism protest – Bologna 6th June 2020

June 1, 2020

Ravenna

To celebrate being able to travel within the region and to get a change of scenery we decided to go to Ravenna, a small city in Emilia Romagna close to the Adriatic Sea, about an hour’s drive from Bologna. We wanted to get out and see other towns and the car needed to have a decent run before it was pressed back into commuter service this week.

Why Ravenna?

We chose Ravenna because we have a friend, Esther, who lives there that we have been threatening to visit for some time, before the lockdown made it impossible. It is believed to be more than 2000 years old and is the spot where Julius Caesar gathered his forces to cross the Rubicon. Eight of the churches form part of a UNESCO world heritage site regarding Early Christianity. It’s famous for the ornate mosaics that adorn several its building interiors and for being the location of Dante’s tomb. Although Museums and Galleries are now allowed to open, many in Ravenna had chosen not to, so we were not able to see inside many of these sites on this visit.

Out in the Countryside

On the way to Ravenna we chose to go off toll road so we could see more of the country. Once you get beyond the hills of Bologna (part of the Apennines) the land opens into a huge flat belt called the Po valley. You could see for miles. When you see open land like this it reminds you why hedgerows are such a distinctive feature of the British landscape. Here are scant hedges, walls or fences. There are some border ditches, but this may be as much for irrigation as land ownership demarcation. The land here is agricultural as you might expect from a flat plain. There were farms all along the route with groves of fruit trees or vineyards. The roads here are slower particularly when you go through towns, so our journey took an hour and a half.

Quiet streets

Ravenna is an incredibly beautiful city and despite the museums and galleries being closed we were perfectly happy walking around the streets, which were noticeably quiet and uncrowded. It meant we could take our time looking at whatever we wanted and taking photos. I didn’t think to record everything I was taking photos of so some of my images are not captioned. We assiduously practiced social distancing and wore our masks while we were walking around. We were very conscious that we did not want to risk getting the virus at this stage nor spreading it here. Esther is keen to travel to see her father who is back home in Holland as soon as possible so like us she did not want to take any chances.

Lunch

Obviously, we couldn’t possibly have visited without stopping to have lunch. Esther recommended a restaurant and we went to see if we would be able to get in. Ca’ de Ven is a lovely traditional enoteca, cantina and restaurant. We were able to get a table immediately because it was quiet. Our masked waiter led us in, past other masked staff some with full face shields. Inside diners sit at long wooden tables in a large hall with a vaulted ceiling. The tables, which would usually seat six comfortably were marked with where you were able to sit to maintain social distancing. We had a whole table to ourselves, two on one side with a chair between and one on the other. Al and Esther chose from the specials menu while I chose something traditional. I could have kicked myself afterwards because I have been craving fish for ages, but it’s quite expensive to buy in Bologna and this was the perfect place to have had some. Never mind, the meals were delicious as was the wine. Esther told us that this restaurant was usually busy with office staff on their lunch breaks and she was surprised to find it so empty on a weekday.

This has been in line with our experience of Bologna, things are opening back up, but many people are choosing to stay away. I think most people have dropped the eating and drinking out culture that is their usual mode and like us they are selecting maybe one or two venues a week to meet up with a small group of friends for a drink or a meal. The rest of the time remaining at home and keeping up with other protective measures.

The Beach

We decided to go home via the beach as we had not seen the sea in 5 months. It was trickier to get to than we had anticipated and necessitated driving through a foul smelling Industrial zone. Beaches here are still closed but were merely going to ease our minds with the sight of the swell, not planning on a dip. In our experience many Italian beaches have resorts where you need to pay for beach access or a sun lounger, there doesn’t seem to be very much in terms of the public access beaches we are used to in the UK. We parked up when we could see signs and walked along an access road though a lovely wood. At the end of the road there were two resorts, but with cordons across their entrances. There were, unsurprisingly, not many people around and most of those we saw were employees of the resort restaurants gearing up for evening service. The beach itself was sandy and seemed pleasant enough, but out to sea there were industrial buildings and rigs. Nonetheless, the waves pounded gently on the shore and together with the salt air gave us the familiar reassurance we were looking for, so we headed back to the car and home.

May 24, 2020

The beginning of the end of Lockdown?

On 18^th May we knew some more of our lockdown restrictions were being lifted, thanks to lower infection and death rates. However, on 16^th May’s announcement Conte (Italian President) surprised us with more relaxations than were expected. It included the opening of bars and restaurants so you could eat and drink in which was a pleasant surprise but did come with the caveat that social distancing must be maintained and that you must wear a mask (except while eating or drinking). Coupled with the relaxation of travel within the region that had been expected we were getting quite a bit more freedom than we have had for some months. So, this week we intrepid two have been back to the centre of Bologna to see what these changes look like in practice

Piano piano (step by step)

It is important to remember that Corona Virus has not gone away. There is a real need to maintain the measures that have been put in place to save lives, reduce the burden on the healthcare system and minimise new infections. Any of loosening of restrictions are at risk should rates of infection start to climb again or if people abuse the situation and abandon the restrictions that are still in place. We are in new territory here and every decision must be fraught with what ifs and the shadow of the law of unintended consequences, necessitating a trial and error approach. With each relaxation there is a two week window before we can be sure if the new situation is increasing cases or not. If it is there is a need to roll back and try again.

We are acutely aware that the situation remains precarious. We have not been going out just for the sake of it and our manner has not suddenly become dismissive or flippant. We have been extremely careful about our and others safety while we are out and we are still at home for the majority of the time. However, it is also true that many businesses have suffered a great deal so if we can spend money in the market or in a bar that we would have spent in a supermarket it’s a better use of our resources.

I understand that there have been reports in the UK press about Italians not maintaining distancing, not wearing masks, crowding into certain areas etc. I cannot speak to whatever has been reported, I can only give you my experience, which is in general a maintenance of social distancing and mask wearing, with some predictable exceptions.

Monday mooch

On the first day of relaxation we decided to take our daily exercise by going into Bologna centre and seeing what differences the relaxations had made. We packed our gloves so that we would be able to go to the market this time. There were more cars on the roads and more people in the street, but still less than usual. Many shops had reopened, but they all had masked employees and there were Perspex screens at till points. Some stores were allowing customers in, in small numbers, to look around while others had set up tables and screens at the entrance and would fetch what was required. All customers were masked. Many shops have instructions about how you can access the shop e.g. mask wearing is obligatory, two customers at a time, use hand sanitizing station before entering etc. The restaurant opening had clearly caught others by surprise and we saw staff frantically disinfecting premises and organising socially distanced seating.

This was a much more positive visit than our last trip to the city centre. There was a general air of optimism and activity. We were able to go to our favourite fruit and vegetable stall in the market, with mask and gloves on. We exchanged pleasantries with the stall holder about being glad to be back. There were socially distanced queues outside Comet and, sadly, the Nespresso store. People with bags from clothing stores were clearly here to shop. However, it was cut with some sadness too. There were empty tables in the restaurants and bars that had opened. Empty shops waiting for customers. There were shops that had not reopened and perhaps won’t. Some restaurants and bars have not reopened as the cost of doing so would not be offset by the few customers they would be able to accommodate.

Hill climbs and much needed exercise

I quite often post photos that I take in our garden, which has a great view into the hills. This week we decided the climb the hill that our garden looks onto and take a picture of our apartment. It is a very steep walk and we were not sure if we would be able to get views of San Luca from the top. The short answer is that we couldn’t, as it turns out there us another hill between this one and the one San Luca sits on. However, it was a great walk and at one section it forms part of a national walking trail, which we followed into Parco Villa Ghigi. The weather was threatening rain, so the park was much quieter than when I had been at the weekend when it was full of picnickers and what looked suspiciously like large family gatherings and groups of teenagers ahead of the Monday official start of restrictions being relaxed.

Aperitivo a Zanarini

Caffe Zanarini is a lovely pasticceria in a beautiful piazza next to the Cathedral and Piazza Maggiore. You can sit at an outside table and watch the fashionistas on Via Farini. It serves a very gentile Aperitivo and is somewhere we go when we want to treat ourselves. It is immensely popular and at times we have not been able to get in because there are too many people already waiting. Back in March we celebrated a year of being in Bologna with Aperitivo there just before the lockdown was announced so it seemed a logical bookend to go there to celebrate the re-opening. Al called and was able to make a reservation for that evening. The tables outside were spaced widely apart and the staff all wore masks. Tables needed to be cleared very quickly because the minute someone left a flock of hungry pigeons would descend on whatever was left, fighting and flapping over the scraps. Who knows what they’ve been eating while the centre of the city has been deserted? The experience was non the less wonderful for that. It was very positive to be able to go out to a bar and sit watching the world go by with a Campari spritz and some delicate morsels to eat.

In this situation it sometimes feels as though we are in some kind of time slip where we are two weeks ahead of the UK, this was certainly true when we were starting to go into the Lockdown and the UK were still stubbornly saying that what was happening in Italy would not happen there. The feeling persists now and I hope, as we start to enter a period which feels like the beginning of the end we can give those of you in the UK some hope and show you that soon you will have more to look forward to. Where will you go first when the pubs and restaurants are reopened?

May 15, 2020

The Walk to San Luca

This week I wanted to write about a walk we did before lockdown. I have been holding on to it because it was not possible to do the walk and I didn’t want to be irresponsible by appearing as if I was breaking the lock down. We completed this walk on 28^th February and when we reached the top they were just closing the church because of the virus and it remains closed. However, now you are able to walk up to the church again and for many people the walk up to San Luca is part of a regular exercise routine.

What is San Luca?

For those who have not been to Bologna, San Luca is the church on the hill (Colle della Guardia) overlooking the city. It has been the symbol of Bologna for centuries and is still a place of worship and pilgrimage. There has been a church on the site for almost a thousand years and the current church was built by Carlo Francesco Dotti between 1723 and 1757. The two external stands were completed by his son Giovanni Giacomo in 1774. Since 1433 there been an annual Ascension week procession carrying the Byzantine Madonna and child down from San Luca to the cathedral. According to tradition The Mother and Child was brought to Bologna by a Byzantine pilgrim in the 12^th Century, with the first church being built on the site that same century. The portico San Luca was built to protect the pilgrims and the procession from the weather and was started in 1674 and completed in 1793.

There are some incredible views from the grounds, but when the church is open you can give a donation and climb the stairs inside to the panoramic viewing platform. NB take smaller notes or loose coins as they do not give change. The church itself is beautiful and has some fantastic art so it’s well worth a visit.

How do I get there?

I recommend walking, you can google a map to Porta Saragozza from wherever you are in the city. However if the walk seems like too much or you don’t have time you can get tickets for either the San Luca Express which is a little road train or the jump on/jump off open topped tourist bus both from Piazza Maggiore. Jess and I took the little train to the top on her first visit with us last year and it’s a good way to see the city, but be warned, it does not have a lot of suspension and some Bolognese streets are cobbled. If you want more info you can find it here at Bologna Welcome

The longest portico in the world

Bologna’s porticos cover a large proportion of the city centre. If you are going to San Luca from Piazza Maggiore it is possible to walk under porticoes for most of the route. The porticos of Bologna were nominated as a World Heritage site in 2019. However, the 666 arches of the official portico San Luca start at Porta Saragozza. This is a very impressive porta on a busy intersection. It is reportedly the longest continuous portico in the world. It is almost 3.5km long and nearly all of it is uphill, however because of the portico structure it does offer some of the most beautiful views of the surroundings while you ascend, winding around the hill. The porticos also provide shelter from both the sun and the rain which is great because Bologna is known for both.

The views from the walk

You start with a view over the stadium, but with the view opening out as you climb higher. There are chapels along the route as well as paintings. Some of the arches still retain painted ceilings, so it is worth keeping your eyes on the porticos themselves as well as on the view outside. Here are the photos we took in February, as is typical in Bologna there was a haze on the city so we didn’t get as many photos as we would have liked. If you were to go at the moment you might find much of the haze has gone thanks to lockdown.

The restaurant at the top

When Al and I did this walk we did it so that we would reach the top at lunchtime, obviously. If you go to the road behind the church and walk a little way along there is a lovely restaurant Vita a San Luca. We ordered from their seasonal pasta menu and we were not disappointed, although we have since been told that their pizzas are also fantastic and it is considered one of the best pizza places in the city. As you might expect from the location they are well equipped for tourists, however they are also accommodating for those attempting the language. I felt like I wanted to eat everything and there was a good wine list. We felt that we had earned our lunch with the walk so we also had desert. The only downside is that there are not really views as the restaurant is tucked into the hill, however the interior is fairly unique and an experience itself. We will certainly be returning here and it’s a good excuse to make the walk.

Things to note

There is nowhere to get anything to eat or drink from Porta Saragozza to the Church. At the church there is only a water fountain and a coffee vending machine. Vita a San Luca is the only restaurant at the top and although it has a lot of seats it is usually busy, so you could be disappointed or have to wait for a table. If you are planning on picnicking, you need to either bring something with you or stop and get something at one of the many bars, cafes and shops on the way to the Porte. In places the walk is quite steep and you can get warm so you need to dress appropriately. Expect it to be busy on fine days and don’t be surprised if you are huffing and puffing at the end of a section only to be overtaken by a running nonna (grandma).

May 8, 2020

Sweet breath of freedom-ish

You will be pleased to know that this week sees a return to a more positive outlook. It finds us at the start of phase 2 of lockdown in Italy. This means exercise restrictions and park closures have been lifted. We are once again allowed to go out to exercise and we are fortunate enough to have a park on our doorstep.

A BBQ

I am not sure what it is but I just love eating al fresco. This might be because I was born in the summer and so quite a few birthdays have included eating outside over the years, however I don’t think that completely answers it. All the same BBQ and picnics are things that I am very likely to suggest in times of good weather, which we seem to be having at the moment. Usually I am put off by wasps or other creepy crawlies, but they don’t seem to be a problem in quite the same way here, which is absolutely fantastic. The weekend forecast looked good so we decided to have our first BBQ of the year on Saturday night. As usual Al cooked up a storm including making the burger buns as well as the burgers. I contributed some salads and we sat outside enjoying the view of the hill we would conquer on the Monday.

Gratitude

I am trying to stay positive and using meditation to help me deal with some of my feelings. I like the gratitude meditations because it’s good to be reminded of how much I have to be grateful for when things look bleak. At 8.30 on Sunday morning we were awoken by the apartment buzzer. It was the local police. There was a problem with the water and we needed to move our car so that the emergency team could access the pipes.

Al joined the other sleepy neighbours to move cars that have mostly not been started in two months and find another parking space in nearby streets. The percussion of street digging shortly afterwards ensured we gave up on going back to bed. With hindsight the words “water emergency” (albeit in Italian) and the plant machinery concert should have brought to mind the likely scenario. Needless to say, I was still amazed when I turned on the tap and nothing came out. For a fair amount of Sunday and again on Monday we were required to think about the fact that we did not have any water and make the necessary adjustments, giving us the opportunity to appreciate our usually constant supply and make sure we use it wisely. A timely reminder.

Out and about

One of the conditions of the lifting of restrictions is that you must wear a mask in shops and public areas. This was a problem as we didn’t have any and the ones I ordered (see pervious post) had not arrived yet. Al went to a pharmacy on Monday morning on the off chance and was able to get us some, which was a stroke of luck and one less thing to worry about.

It had been six weeks since we had been into the centre of Bologna. During this time our only trips out of the apartment had been solo expeditions to the local Meta (a small local supermarket similar to a Sainsbury’s express). This is the part of the routine that has the most terrifyingly apocalyptic feel; putting on the rucksack, gloving up, wrapping your face in a scarf, prepping to go out and take the risk of potentially, unwittingly, bringing the virus home. Now we were going to be able to go out for exercise too and that felt like real progress, but still also contained an element of fear and needing to be careful.

Villa Ghigi

One of the great things about this apartment is its location. We are 15 minutes walk from Piazza Maggiore, the heart of Bologna but also 5 minutes walk from the entrance to Villa Ghigi, gateway to the hills. We were excited about a much needed change in scenery and it was a no-brainer for us to head here on 4^th May, first day of lifted restrictions. The weather was glorious with blue skies and plenty of sun. We tramped up to the top of the nearest hill, from where you get a great view over Bologna.

It’s a beautiful time of year with many fruit trees in bloom of which there are a plentiful supply in the park. We were conscious that we hadn’t walked much for weeks, so we didn’t want to be over ambitious on our first outing. We used the main path up and then took a slightly different route down, including going past the Villa itself for the first time. There were other people out and about, but everyone was respecting social distancing. Being close to nature and in the noticeably fresh air was a great break from our routine and gave us a lot of optimism for what will come next.

One step at a time

Heartened by our Villa Ghigi experience and because of the new masks on Tuesday we decided to exercise by walking into Bologna. This was not quite as positive. We had, somehow, been under the impression that more stores would be open and there would be more people about. There were certainly some people about but it was quiet. There were short queues at the various food shops in Quadrilatero, but all other shops were closed. We had heard the market had re-opened so we headed for Mercato delle erbe. Unfortunately to access this you needed a mask and gloves, we had not brought gloves, so we went to some nearby supermarkets and pharmacies, but they were all sold out. As everything else was closed we decided to go back home, suitably chastened to remember that the restrictions were only just beginning to be lifted and we were not out of the Corona woods yet.

The bit at the end of He-Man where they give the moral of the story and all laugh with their hands on their hips.

All in all, it has been a good week. I have had my first BBQ of the year and exercised in Villa Ghigi. We now have masks so we can go out and enjoy the gradual lifting of restrictions. I’ve been reminded of natural beauty, being fortunate about where I live and the continuing talents of my husband. We have also been reminded that this will be a long road and we are only on the first step. It’s not time to run yet.

May 1, 2020

“Winning” at Lockdown?

Once again this week I was struggling for a blog topic until Jess suggested that I write about how demotivating lockdown is and how easy it is to feel that you are “wasting” this time and for some reason you should be “doing more”. It’s complete and utter nonsense. We are in a time that is psychologically very unsettling. You can’t know what you should be doing, because you have never been in this situation before.

I am used to working. I am used to working hard. I am used to stressful work and deadlines. If you read the post “The Truth about stress” then you know that I thought I had become dependent on stress. When we came here the idea was that I would work in a less stressful job part time and write on days when I was not at work. This was panning out ok, I wasn’t making as much progress as I would like, but I’m a tough self-critic. I find it hard to privilege writing over almost anything else, because I feel like it’s indulgent and selfish. Then lockdown happened. To begin with I had some hours of work to structure my time. I had lessons to prepare for and in the case of the kids exam course, lessons to write. I still had set times to do things. I had to be ready before the lessons and I had to check the system to see if lessons had been changed or moved or cancelled. I wasn’t doing the hours I wanted to but I was still doing something.

In the beginning the writing continued but became a little bit more difficult because now Al was at home all the time. It was more fun to do things together than lock myself in the guest bedroom for hours. In addition my novel is set in the future and just as I am avoiding post-apocalyptic films because they chime a little too strongly with where I find myself in reality, I don’t really want to be spending a lot of time imagining the circumstances that necessarily lead to the future I am writing about. It’s all too close to home. It’s like when something happens and you know in the future that it’s going to be a funny story, but when you are going through it, it doesn’t make the actual events suck less.

Two weeks ago I was told I was going to be furloughed with my main job and I knew I only had two weeks left with the second job. While I have been able to keep this blog to a vaguely weekly schedule, I have not really been achieving anything else. This week I marked the mock exams for the kids course and then delivered their final lesson with me. This was the last piece of work I had. I dread what will happen now that, blog aside, I don’t have anything to separate the days, to mandate the activity, to motivate me to get it done. I know that this has been the reality for many from the beginning.

The ticking clock

I am not necessarily a fan of the construct of time, but we have been brought up with it. It has defined the shape of our days and lives since we were born. When everyday becomes the same it is very difficult to be motivated. Someone once told me that activities extend into the time available to do them. Something I would have done quickly before now becomes a mindful activity. I have time, so everything I do feels like it needs to evidence the time spent. I think I am doing it because it is something I can control. There is so much going on that when I think about it, it makes me feel like the bottom has fallen out, but by focusing on the activity in front of me I can avoid the existential dread and worry about what will happen. This is not especially conducive for creativity, at least I don’t find it so.

I find myself asking what I am doing with this time? Every day I get up and I do things. I rarely sit down except at the computer to write or, until yesterday prepare for lessons, but I don’t feel like I am achieving anything. Going to the shops once a week seems to be an operation that takes a lot of preparation. From speaking with others I think this is something we are all experiencing in differing ways. It’s important to remember that there isn’t something you should be accomplishing. This is not a once in a lifetime opportunity to do those things you have been planning to do. This is a strategy to minimise the number of sick people in hospitals and to minimise the number of dead. It is not a holiday. It is not a sabbatical. You are not required to be productive. You do not have to be all things to all people. You are not failing. You are human. You are surviving.

“Every cloud has a silver lining”

I have seen a lot of posts about getting back to normal but also about how normal was not working. I am certainly in the camp that says we should use this terrible event as an opportunity to change things, refocus on what is important and valuable to us. However, I also understand this desire to re-establish some kind of normalcy and we will. Whatever comes next will become normal.

Things cannot go back to exactly the way they were, even if it were desirable, it’s not possible. The world is undergoing a major medical and economic shock. Our old way of life does not exist anymore. If you look at the Spanish Flu outbreak as a historically comparable event, it changed the world of the time. The Coronavirus has changed our world. We know air, river and sea quality has been improved by our enforced lock down among other things, so the situation is not entirely negative. We can decide what things we want to try to recover and what things we want to move on without. We can make sure that our priorities are aligned with what the best outcomes can be now, to dare to dream about a different future and what we can do to bring it about.

April 24, 2020

Liberation Day (Festa della Liberazione)

An annual public holiday also known as Anniversary of Italy’s Liberation (Anniversario della liberazione d’Italia) or Anniversary of the resistance (Anniversario della Resistenza) or sometimes just as 25^th April (25 Aprile). It celebrates the liberation of Italy from Nazi occupation during World War 2 and the victory of the resistance in Italy[1].

Bologna liberated itself on 21^st April 1945 and by the 1^st May most of northern Italy was liberated. The national date of 25^th April was decided in 1949. In a previous post I made a joke about reclaiming “Liberation Day” from Farage et al who had attempted to use it as a phrase for the day when Britain left the EU. I wanted to use it instead for the day when we are all free to leave our homes and see our friends etc. without worrying about spreading the virus. I had forgotten that Liberation day already existed in Italy and, more importantly in these days, that it is a national day of celebrating the fight against fascism.

The history bit

As usual I offer the caveat that all the information presented here has been researched (badly) by me, mostly from Wikipedia, and therefore any inaccuracies or misunderstandings are the result of my poor workmanship.

The Italian resistance[2] is a term used to cover all the many Italian different resistance groups who were fighting against 20 years of fascist rule in Italy and 5 years of war. They gained more prominence after the occupation by the Nazis. It is also an important date in Italian history because it led to Italy abolishing the monarchy and establishing itself formally as a republic. If you read my post about Italians and food you will know that this was not long into the existence of Italy as a unified country. The republic was declared to be founded on the struggle of the resistance (La Resistenza). The members of the resistance were also known as partisans (I partigiani) and many people see this conflict to liberate Italy as the Italian civil war.

While many of us have holidays and festive days dedicated to various battles and liberations, I don’t think there is anything quite like this Italian Liberation Day. Its connection to the resistance is a key part of the day, at least it is in Bologna. It is not a celebration of long past historic events; it is a living reminder of the continuing fight against fascism.

I have always had a soft spot for resistance fighters and partisans. I see them as the ultimate form of DIY; ordinary people organising themselves to fight against something, using whatever means they have at their disposal. I have read several books by and about resistance groups in the 2^nd World War and their invaluable contribution to the Allied victory. These people were willing to sacrifice their lives. They often lived in terrible conditions, supplied by supportive locals, having to remain mobile to avoid detection and capture. The casualty rate was high and Nazis were known to execute 10 civilians for every soldier killed, usually taken from nearby villages or POW camps. However, this move which was intended to discourage local support for resistance groups backfired as the resistance fighters were usually from the community and shared in their deprivations and hardships so it ended up reinforcing support against the common enemy. I think it’s great that this day is specifically remembered as both the liberation of Italy from Nazi occupation and the victory of the resistance against fascism. It reminds us that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. It reminds us of the power people have when working together towards a common goal. It reminds us we are strong enough and brave enough.

How soon is now

We were lucky enough to be in Bologna for Liberation Day last year. We had not been in Italy for long and had never heard of it. In the centre of the Bologna there is a formal wreath laying at the memorial plaque, however from my perspective the action is in Via Del Pratello and the surrounding streets. We have heard great reviews of the bars here but we tend to feel a teensy bit older than their usual customers. Sadly, Al was working, but we decided to go in his break to check out what was going on.

In Via Del Pratello Liberation day events are a cross between a street party, a political rally and a DIY festival. There is very much an anarchic homemade approach to banners and flags and stalls. Representatives from all manner of political and social groups are nestled alongside food drink and general market stalls. There are also impromptu looking stages that barely rise above the pavement where many bands seemed to play a punk polka. Last year it was really busy even though the weather was not great. There was one part of the street that we could not pass at all because it was so rammed with people. That’s hard to imagine at the moment, but at the time we were forced to divert into a couple of other streets to avoid the blockage.

It was a lot of fun and we were able to find a bar (there are formal and informal bars) with a shortish queue and get drinks in plastic cups so we could drink while walking along. I have been told that Liberation Day in Via Del Pratello can get very messy, but I haven’t heard anything about problems with drunkenness and violence. We were there between 3 and 5 so it was quite chilled and only just getting started.

While we enjoyed our brief glimpse into Liberation day we felt like voyeurs, tourists snapping a local festival, which we were. We wondered what it would be like to be in Via Del Pratello for the day, meeting up with friends and being part of the community. We had hoped that this year we would be able to take a more active role in festivities as we have now lived here for over a year. Sadly, the Corona Virus restrictions mean that there aren’t going to be any events this year. It’s still a National holiday so those businesses that were open will be closed, or on reduced hours, but there won’t be bands and stalls and bars in Via Del Pratello. However, we can take the means at our disposal and celebrate at home, making sure we still remember those who sacrificed their lives to free this country and to remember our role in maintaining our vigilance and standing up to fascism whenever we can.

[1] ‘Liberation Day (Italy)’ (En.wikipedia.org, 2020) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberation_Day_(Italy)> accessed 23 April 2020

[2] ‘Italian Resistance Movement’ (En.wikipedia.org, 2020) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_resistance_movement> accessed 23 April 2020

April 17, 2020

People called romani they go the house

If you don’t recognise the above as a quote from Monty Python’s Life of Brian, then that’s a film that you need to add to your watch list.

Learning the Lingo

When I was trying to learn other languages at school the teachers would say “what’s the past participle” or “conjugate the verb to go” or talk about the position of the “subject” and the “object” of a sentence. I didn’t know what those things were in English never mind in whatever language I was struggling to learn. Education might not have been the same everywhere but I maintain that British students of the 70’s and 80’s are more likely to recognise “Kumbaya” from the opening strums on an acoustic guitar than they are to have been taught what a participle was in English.

Grammar is useful to help you understand how the new language structure is different, but this does necessitate knowing what it is in your language first. In many ways this remains the biggest struggle I have learning Italian. I sit there and have to try to summon the Italian grammar rules. Is this a passive sentence? Am I giving my opinion? These require the use of different tenses or rules. If I am in a real life situation this is compounded because I need to answer quickly.

On top of the grammar and structural issues there is also problems of vocabulary. There are some words which look and sound similar to English words but which have completely different uses and/ or meanings. These are called “false friends”. Then there are verbs that can be translated as roughly the same meaning but are used in different ways. For example, Italians use their verb to make (fare) for things where we use to do or to go. When you want to translate some things from “do” or “go”, you need to use “make” e.g. I make food shopping, not I do the food shopping etc. You need to bear in mind these differences when answering simple questions like “What are you doing this weekend?”

I know that I just need to remember that learning a language is hard and the results are not instantaneous, but patience is not one of my virtues. I have so much more respect now for anyone who has managed to become proficient in a language that is not their mother tongue.

“He who knows no foreign languages knows nothing of his own.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Teaching the lingo

On the flip side of learning a language I am teaching my language to others. This is a newly acquired skill and still involves quite a lot of learning itself. It means looking at English, a subject I had thought I knew well, from the perspective of the learner. I think my teaching is enhanced by the fact that I have current experience of the trials and tribulations of language learning. One benefit I have is that my students are nearly all Italian and they often make similar errors which I can backwards navigate to understand what the Italian structure or vocabulary is, which helps my Italian too!

I live in fear of my students asking me questions like “in what circumstances do I use the past perfect after the past continuous?”. First, I need to remember which they are (past tense of have, verb+ed) after (past tense of be, verb +ing) and then deduce the rule around when you might use that form. There is also the pretty tricky fact that we have so many exceptions. I don’t want to give an answer that covers the example I just thought of (I went jogging after I had studied) but not the situation the student was asking about.

However, this is nothing when compared to the student who said “Oh, I’ve forgotten, what’s the English order of adjectives again, it’s age, colour and material isn’t it?” I looked at her blankly. “You know the order you need to put the adjectives in, I can’t remember if it’s colour before material?” I was about to say that there wasn’t an order, but it immediately became apparent to me that there was and my mind was blown.

I have asked a number of people about this and not one mother tongue English speaker ever remembers being taught the order of adjectives, but we all use it without thinking. If I said to you leather, brown, old sofa you would understand what I was referring to. However, you would usually say old brown leather sofa. Don’t believe me? I dare you to consider anything in front of you now and let me know if you don’t use a specific order to describe all items e.g. blue suede shoes.

As a writer I have found both the learning and teaching experiences enlightening. They focus your mind on the way we use language, how and why we select certain words for particular sentences or specific uses. There are so many things about our language and the way we use it that I had never given a second thought to. Nothing makes you think twice about an expression you’re about to use like imagining how you will explain it to someone for whom English is not their first language.

So, what else is new?

Not much really. I couldn’t let you go without some gratuitous food shots, obviously. We are fine. We are both still healthy. We are getting better at cryptic crosswords, but not fast enough given that we are two pretty impatient people. We have been formally extended in lock down until 3^rd May, but our numbers are looking more positive. There were free masks being distributed in our area on Monday so Al went out on Tuesday to get some and they had all gone. It’s not that we have a specific view in the masks vs no masks debate, it’s more that these days everyone out in the shops has a mask and we are worried that when lock down restrictions are lifted they might mandate mask wearing while out and about. Amazon.it mask delivery dates were for June. Amazon UK claims 22^nd April, I’ll keep you posted.

Chargrilled and fresh vegetables on sourdough toast with mozerella

One final thought in the shape of this quote, which I found when looking for one about learning a language. This is so true and useful at this time, all language is thought shaping, especially the language you use most often.

“Change your language and you change your thoughts.”
Karl Albrecht

*feature image courtesy of: Terry Jones, Life Of Brian (1979).

April 10, 2020

Alive and Kicking

One month in…

As you all would expect this week has progressed much like the others in the now established pattern of Lockdown. Good Friday marks one month in and we don’t know when it will end. Technically it could be lifted on 13^th April, but we all expect to see an extension, with some level of restrictions on travel and non-essential services continuing for some time even when lockdown is lifted. The good news is our numbers finally seem to be taking a turn in a more positive direction, no matter which measurements you are using for comparison. To be blunt the daily death count here has started to drop but is still in the hundreds. Italy has lost almost 18,000 people and so far more than 85,000 worldwide have died (source WHO). I know that the UK is about to enter its most difficult period in terms of numbers of infections and deaths and our hearts are with you. I hope our improving numbers offer hope that an end is in sight, but we are by no means out of the woods yet.

It’s impossible to calculate how many impacted families and friends there are with lives completely altered. It is an appropriate time to think of others: those still fighting the virus, those who may continue to have complications long after and those providing medical and other essential services. These are very sobering thoughts and any frustrations I might feel about being cooped up are easily addressed by remembering how, by staying in, we are helping to minimise the number of people who will be affected by this event.

Yada yada

On Tuesday I taught my last class for at least a week. We take it in turns to go to the shops only when we really need to go. We have been eating well as you’d expect from us. If you follow Al’s Instagram you have already seen the chocolate buns, but I’m still going to share them again. They were amazing. Today we had doughnuts but I may have forgotten to take any photos before we ate them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any raspberry jam at the shop, so we had to settle for strawberry, but that’s hardly a complaint.

The temperatures have been building all week with today hitting 22 and 26 expected by Saturday, so we have been spending a lot of time outside. There have been times when we have wondered if we would have been better off if we had tried to return to the UK at the beginning of all this, but its hard to see how that would be an improvement on our current situation. We think the Italian government at a local and national level have been doing a great job. I think we both have a lurking fear about something going wrong and us having to deal with Italian medical or social services and not understanding what we need to do or ask for. However, we have an amazing landlord who is in contact to make sure we are ok and if we need help (with Italian) or if we have any concerns he can help with. Luckily, we don’t, but it is a comfort to know that help is there (albeit in Venice) if we do.

Strengthen our communication

Last Friday we had our first virtual pub experience courtesy of some friends with a zoom account and it was so successful that we will repeat it this Friday. It was great to catch up with people and exchange experiences of this crazy time. There were differences in what would really happen at the pub for example, everyone has to be in the one conversation rather than breaking out into separate ones. You can’t read body language or account for slight delays so you inevitably spend some time interrupting each other. However, it’s a pretty good stand in and the drinks range is perfect.

On Tuesday morning I attended a Pilates class thanks to Chrissy of CMdance . I can’t usually get to it because it’s in Southampton, however it has moved online for the time being, which is lucky for me. It was good to see and talk to people while adding a change to my exercise routine. There seem to be no end of activities you can join in with online now, which I think is fantastic, but I have to be honest and say this is the first one I have done.

It’s great to be able to keep in touch and talk to people face to face, albeit not in person. We are so lucky to have the technology readily available in our homes and we would do well to remember that we have it all the time, not just in the time of a global pandemic.

The Everyman crossword with my ham fisted notes

Cryptology

When the lockdown first began, we printed out the guardian quick crossword and every day would start with coffee and the crossword. It’s not the most difficult crossword though and we started to finish it a bit too quickly. We decided to have another crack at Cryptic crosswords, which we have attempted before but pushed into the too hard pile. We even had a cryptic crossword as a wedding present which we really enjoyed doing, but we just found them difficult to do on an on-going basis. So, now seems like the ideal time to be looking at them again.

This week we have printed an old Everyman cryptic from the Observer every day, so that we can also look up the answers when we give up, which we have to do, a lot. We haven’t finished one without assistance yet, but we are enjoying trying to work them out and learning how the clues work. Some are fiendish works of genius; some are tenuous stretches. Today we only had to look up four, which I think is pretty impressive.

The bit at the end

I wanted to ensure I ended this on a positive note as I felt the start was bleak. Possibly this aptly sums up where I am with it all. I start with some hard and disconcerting facts, move onto some life minutia then try to focus on the positive. Something which I have seen emerge as a kind of sign off on messages and emails is “stay safe” or “stay well” or both. I like this as a kind of subtle identifier of a time before as well as a time after. It’s one of many changes in the way we speak and relate to each other. We have a renewed experience of our power as a community and the importance of everyone in it. The world will be different after this and we have the power to make it better, if we want it.