wee hours
It's pretty late here (or early in the morning, I should say), and we're trying to keep our eyes open because Antonello and I are not going to get any sleep tonight. We are going to catch a 4 am train to Rome (and get some sleep onboard), and then from there I take an airplane back to the states--a last-minute, two-week trip to Indianapolis. Needless to say, it's been hectic these past few weeks, and my blogging hasn't been as frequent as I would have liked. But a lot has happened, not the least of which was Antonello's birthday, which we celebrated last Saturday. We also celebrated our four-year (yup! FOUR years!) anniversary the week before, which meant a nice night out for dinner and some lovely anniversary gifts (flowers for me and chocolate for him). It was a special celebration--I still can't believe these four years have flown by so fast.
I have some photos of Antonello's birthday meal, especially the cheesecake that I make for him annually to celebrate. For Antonello's birthday, we went out to dinner with his brother's family to this great little pizzeria out in the middle of the country. It actually tied our anniversary and birthday celebrations together, because it was the restaurant where we had our very first wedding dinner (as you might know, we've had two weddings--the religious one in the states, and this May 8th one which was just a small civil ceremony in Macerata). After dinner, we all took a moonlit walk through the charming walled town of Sarnano, where we seemed to be the only ones walking the cobblestoned streets. What a nice way to spend a Saturday night.
Happy birthday, Antonello (a little belated), and happy anniversary, too! Ti AMO!Anyway, I should get back to packing, but here are some photos to share with you.
yum! cheesecake!
The birthday boy and our niece, Valentina
Cheese of the Week: Fen
I didn't forget about the cheese of the week. Really--I didn't. While things have been busy, it doesn't excuse me from leaving you readers (all three of you :) ) in suspense for weeks, wondering what cheese could possibly come next (and wondering what the
name of our last cheese was--that mystery has been solved. It was called Pincion). Part of the reason, though, is that WE haven't really found any cheeses that we liked enough to blog about. A few weeks ago we tried a really sharp pecorino that was extremely hard to cut into, and the most memorable cheese (which I WILL blog about in one of these cheese-of-the-week posts) was a delectable
mozzarella di bufala from nearby Mogliano in Le Marche (a rarity, since most all mozzarella di bufala come from the Campania region of Italy, where Naples is) that I discovered at a wonderful little fruit and veggie market near my husband's work.
Fen cheese, from PiedmonteSo, as one cheese discovery begets another, it was just a few days after that delicious mozzarella di bufala that I came across Fen in that favourite cheese shop of mine. It was actually pure luck that Fen and I found each other, because the lady who took my order ended up showing her lack of cheese knowledge by pronouncing Gouda
Gow-da (I know, it's an honest mistake). Also, "luck" was aided by my asking to try a sample of the cheese (a little sliver), and my being pleased with the results.
I think you'll be pleased with Fen as well--it's a great cheese to eat by itself (in fact, I've been busily snacking away on it all evening). We even had to buy another hunk of it since we ate the entire first hunk before I even had a chance to snap a photo. Fen has its roots in Piedmonte, and it's kind of unique because it is wrapped in hay (in Italian
fieno, hence
Fen) and aged that way. The cheese is a perfect blend of nutty and sharp, and the best time to try it is at room temperature, letting it sweat a little. It's also not that hard of a cheese, making it easy to slice and eat. Fen is a really likeable cheese, and I think it's a great find. It's one of my favorite new discoveries.
On to look for another cheese to talk about next week. In the meantime, check out my brother's newest American cheese of the week,
Mobay.
- Jackie
Macerata Monday: Windows Again
It's Tuesday, but it's pretty early...doesn't that count as being Monday?
I know I post way too many windows on this blog, but I love taking photos of windows. This window here happens to be one of my favourites in Macerata. I know the structure of the actual window is simple, but when it's decorated by all of those plants, it's a pleasant thing to pass by. The window is located in my old neighborhood in the city centre (I've lived in too many apartments in Macerata to count, but this one was
a little cave of a place that you might remember reading about right underneath the Duomo), and I used to walk by it on my way to the piazza. Nearby it is another window chock full of plants, and looking at them together, it seems like they might be competing for the status of "how many plants can I hold?"
Things here are finally starting to settle down a bit--this week is like a gulp of fresh air after three weeks of intensive English, and I'm trying to get back on track with some things: while I've still managed to run during the past three weeks, I need to build up my miles still to prepare for the big race in Torino (I'm halfway there milewise, but the race just keeps getting closer and closer). Plus, blogging has taken a backseat (have you noticed?), and I need to get working on that. There are other things too--more mundane stuff (cleaning the house), plus larger goals that were written on my list of new year's resolutions back in January and then only glanced over since then. It's verging on June already--it's time to get started!
Have a wonderful week, and I'll try to be less of a stranger to my blog.
-Jackie
English No More!
Today is the last day of the Intensive English course that we started in late April, but I wanted to share with you the blog we have been working on over the last three days:
English No (Know) More. Like courses in the past, we try to create memes and write about our lives...all in English of course, hoping to become part of the larger blog community. A few days is obviously not enough time to get started, but this course was organised in a different schedule due to the holidays, so we got a late start. If you have a moment, check the site out and PLEASE comment--they need feedback! :)
Have a great day!
-Jackie
Macerata Monday: Cats
Or just one cat, really. This picture is for
Cyndi, who loves cats (and always snaps pictures of them whenever she sees them). I am actually allergic to cats, so I tend to stay away, but still, they can be cute.
This photo is from my walk home from the city centre--every Tuesday I have lessons in town, and when I walk back to my house (which is a bit outside of the main centre), I pass through these narrow cobblestoned residential lanes, where normally I'm the only one out and about. On this particular day, it was me and this cat, in front of that very charmingly dilapidated little storage shed. I love all of those details--and I know that they aren't specific to Macerata necessarily, but they are a part of Macerata, that's for sure.
Hope that all of you Italians/expats had a very pleasant series of long weekends--with the 25th of April and the 1st of May being lovely little holidays here. More on our past couple of Sundays soon.
Also, check out my brother's new
cheese of the week posts for a taste of cheese on that side of the Atlantic--Paul is focusing on American cheeses in his series. I know, I know--it's about time my cheese of the week posts returned. And they will soon (in fact, we've already started the cheese tasting). In the meantime, take a look at the cheeses Paul is trying.
-Jackie
Looking Back
First signs of spring, in the Indy backyardMarch was a busy and beautiful month. Spending time back at home in Indy with family and seeing friends was great, and since I have been back in Italy, I have been busy adjusting again.
As I put everything back in its place, gave gifts away, stacked up all of the girl scout cookies in the cabinet, I finally got around to going through the photos I took. I didn't flip through them on the first day--instead I waited until I was settled, and then I started looking back and remembering everything. From Corrie's wedding to taking walks with my parents to discovering the first signs of spring, the memories were captured right there, in these photos. Over the next couple of posts, I'd like to put some of those photos up. Then I'll get back to life in Italy, to adjusting, and even to blogging.
But for now, I'd like to remember a bit.
At the reception--Corrie's wedding cake and topper. Her dad actually made the lego cake topping (not edible, though)
Corrie and her mom, ready to pose for wedding photos.
Taking a walk through the Indy neighborhood on one of those first days of spring. See the couple up ahead on the sidewalk? Those are my parents.
Early Easter
Today was a rather good day, despite the Purdue loss to Xavier this evening. It's my last day blogging, and I wanted to write a little bit more, but I am off to finish up a busy Saturday over dinner with Corrie, trying to squeeze as much out of this short visit home as possible. Also today, I got in last minute shopping for souvenirs and things for me (including a new purse!), I got a questionable haircut (still not sure that I like it), and I met up with an old friend--Maura--to watch NCAA basketball at a sports bar in town. It was a lot of fun, and the day still isn't over!
Monday is the day I head back to Italy, but I have had a good time home in Indy--seeing friends a little, but mostly spending time with family, and taking it easy. Kind of a Spring Break for me, and something I genuinely needed. More blogging from me in the near future, but for now, I leave you with early Easter wishes:
Buona Pasqua!- Jackie
