Pappagallo: parrot or urine bottle
Padella: pan or bed pan
These are two useful Italian phrases when you are stuck in an Italian hospital. You learn the phrase “pappagallo, per favore” quite quickly. You try to avoid saying “Padella, per favore”. But when you are on your back in an Italian hospital for 12 days then sooner or later you ring the bell and when the nurse arrives you say it. (more…)
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On Friday night we went with some friends, Roberta and Federica, to the “un Punto Macrobiotico” restaurant in Fano. It is a members only restaurant but a subscription is about 8 euros. The place was simply furnished. It was busy and rather noisy. However, the food was good. We had an insipid soup but things improved after that. We had a platter which containded various salads (green bean and pasta), cabbage and rice cake. It was full of flavour. A white pizza came with the platter. For desert we had honey and sultana tart. The pastry tasted better than it looked. Certainly would go there again.Address: Via Forestier 1/3, Fano Tel: 0721 804910 |
This year we should have a bumper olive harvest. Unfortunately the olives are not very big so the quantity of oil may be bumper. The good news is that they are free from the holes left by the olive fly. This should mean good quality oil.
Due to the financial crisis the people of Milan are cutting back on going to the bars for lunch and snacks. However, they are not cutting back on coffee and 700,000 cups of coffee are still being sold every day.
Steven Gleave arrived on Thursday to spend his first holiday in the Marche.
Day 1 we went to Urbino. Visited the Ducal Palace which includes Marche Regional Art Gallery. Dicovered that it is the only major art gallery in the world which closes its cafe at lunch time.
After Urbino we drove to Urbania for a visit to its Ducal Palace. Interesting. However, of more interest was the memorial to an aerial bombng attack during the Second World War. It happened on a Sunday morning and killed over 250. The bombs came from a USA Flying Fortress and the assumption is that they bombed the wrong target.
In the evening we went to Senigallia for a meal at the Osteria del Teatro. Steven had brought his Rough Guide to the Marche with him. This is less than complementary about Senigallia. Steven thought its assessment harsh and will be writing to the editors on his return to the UK.
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top left: Urbino – courtyard of Ducal Palace top right:Urbania – Ducal Palace bottom left: Numana beach on the Conero |
Saturday we went to the Conero Peninsula and stopped at Numana and Sirolo. Weather was beautiful and the Adriatic looked stunning. After lunch we went to Loreto to see the house of the Virgin Mary and where I backed the car into a railing – only slight damage.
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On Sunday there was an exhibition of art from people who are born or who live in San Giorigo. The artists have given these works to the comune and this was the official reception. It was a very popular event and the quality of work on display was high.
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Had a week in the west of Ireland with Dave and Lynne. They live near Galway. Really fortunate with the weather. Had no rain and even some sun. So managed to see Galway and the surrounding countryside.
Last time I was in the area I was 8 years old. The countryside was much more beautiful than I remember it. But the area has changed. Every house in the country seems to be new due to the EU money coming to the area. Every village still has its down at heel Irish pub but there are restaurants, cafes and bars in most towns. It is now very much part of Europe with many Eastern European accents in the streets, pasta and panini in every cafe and restaurant. One thing that hasn’t changed is the smell of burning peat in the air.
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In Ireland for a week where we are visiting Dave and Lynne who live about 20mins from Galway.
So far we have had three days of beautiful weather. We have been driving round taking in the beautiful landscape. Food has also been high on the menu. Last night went to a restaurant and we were having a wonderful meal when Dave decided to get something stuck in the throat. We three sat there looking helpless but fortunately there was a “doctor in the restaurant” and with a “heimlick manoeuvre” the offending item was cleared and Dave is fortunately still with us.
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HERE IS THE BEFORE AND AFTER |
Friday we decided to take a day off from painting and headed to Ravenna. About 90 minutes drive from here it is well worth the visit even if the weather was wet. Apart from the fantastic mosaics it is also a pleasant town to wander through with lots of cafes and good shops:
