Spring

Just when you thought that winter could not be any worse, that the plants will never bloom again and the the sun will be behind a cloud for all eternity, you walk outside and witness:

SUNLIGHT (!),

the Valley of Levanto gearing up for spring,

happy dogs ready for a romp in the woods,

farmers preparing olive trees for spring growth,

rosemary blooms,

and the first wild asparagus of the year.

In response to Michael Ruhlman's question 'Why do you cook?'

Why I cook.
I cook because the best memories of my childhood involve people sitting around a table filled with food.
I cook because I moved to Italy when I was 19 and prepackaged food was unheard of.
I cook because 21 years later I still live in Italy and everyday the food I make is the love letter that I give to my husband and son
I cook because I respect the food that I grow and buy in the markets.
I cook because I feel it gives me a creative outlet.
I cook because it is hard for me to say ‘I love you’, ‘You’re a great friend’ or ‘You are very special to me’ but it is easy to spend all day in the kitchen making something that I know that person enjoys, just for them.
I cook because I want my son to be healthy and appreciate what he eats.
I cook because I love to eat.

Roman holiday

My friend Megan over at Bella Vita Italia posted the following statement the other day on Facebook

For all of you who think living in Italy is all about sitting under a vine-covered terrace sipping Chianti and watching the sunset over the Tuscan hills, PLEASE. Winter is cold, almost always damp, ugly and there is no sitting outside. So ready for spring...

I couldn't agree more. Both she and I come from places where seasons are more tied to fashion than the weather (she from southern California and I from the Texas gulf coast) and winter here can seem very, very, veeerrrryy long: interminable.
So what do you do to take your mind off the cold, the rain, the whining dogs and restless children?
When I can, I like to travel.
Last week I started my masters course in Italian Enogastronomic Culture and Traditions in Rome. It was a fabulous excuse to go visit friends and reacquaint myself with the eternal city. I also caught the Italy-England rugby game on Sunday and made a quick trip down to Naples with my husband and son.
The food! The sights! The snow! Yes, I was caught in a snowstorm in Rome, the likes of which had not been seen since 1985.

 

     

The food! The sights! The snow! Yes, I was caught in a snowstorm in Rome, the likes of which had not been seen since 1985.

Of course though, the best part of travelling was getting back to the rain and gloom of Fontona and the Ligurian coastline. No matter how grim it is outside, it's where my heart is.

These are a few of my favorite things

 This was my 'hood for about 15 years. The little lady to the left with the baby stroller is Bruna, my next door from 1992-1995. Today she was heading up to her land to check on the favas. Note that the stroller has burlap sacks, not a baby in it. Bruna's pushing 90 and still goes up to one of her 'orti' (kitchen gardens) or lemon or olive groves every day. She sells fresh eggs and vegetables, olive oil and lemons out of her cantina and her daughter brings honey down from the mountains. Bruna pretty much personifies the Monterosso that I fell in love with.

Today I went over to Monterosso to clear out my mother-in-law's house and take care of some other business that I had to tend to. I had a couple of free hours while I was waiting for a friend so I decided to take some pictures of people and places that I love.
I also just got a new camera and wanted to test it out.

Monterosso from my Mother-in-law's terrace.

Boats on the beach.

Empty beaches and debris.

Kayaks put away for the winter.

The grapevine by Enoteca Eliseo that grows out of the wall and up 3 stories to cover the rooftop pergola with leaves and grapes. Now it's asleep.