CATS OF THE AMALFI COAST and a very special moment regarding a cat.

Cat at the Piazza Ravello

Gato on a cold tin roof seen on my way down from Ravello to Amalfi     

Another reason I love Italy so much is their love for cats.  As I walked along I saw many cats.  I took pictures of a lot of them.

 My last day in Amalfi I was walking to the bus stop in the piove (rain)and this taxi driver Augusto stopped and asked if I wanted a ride into Amalfi from Ravello.  I expained I had a bus ticket but Grazie anyway! 

While I was sitting waiting for the bus I saw an older gentleman walking from the piazza area with a sack and I understood in Italian he was talking to this Tabby cat about feeding him.  I wondered if I heard right so I kept watching and sure enough he got a can out of cat food out and walked over to the bushes and cerimoniously dished out a big helping for the gato. I then put 2 and 2 together that this was the taxi driver from earlier. 

A bus come and he knew I was waiting and grabbed my suitcase and was going to load it on for me.  It was the wrong bus, so he repeated this when my bus finally came.  I asked him about the gatoin Italian, if it was his.....etc He said no, it was the Piazza's and the nearby resataurant's and he and the cat have been friends since it was a kitten.  He feeds it often.. I assume more adesso since it is the off season!!  

What a beautiful moment to observe this selfless act of kindness of a man to a cat.. I hope you can pick up on the pure simplicity, beauty and the feline connection in my humble photos.
Gazie Mille for people like Augusto on this planet!!!

If you ever go to Amalfi and need a taxi, you may want to call him +39 089 857013 or check out his card below.

I forgot to ask him the cats name......darn!! i hope I can go back some day and do this, or if you go there, please follow up for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are ever in Amalfi Coast and a cat lover AND in need of a Taxi!!!!!!!

COMMUNITY IN RAVELLO   * * * * *

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION  * * * * * ( Augusto even put food in several places for the cat, safe from the occassional dog!, nothing wasted from the can)

SAVED BY STRANGERS IN THE AMALFI COAST!!!!!

The Angels that saved my life, Elizabeth, husband Brett from Atlanta and driver Baggio

The man who nourished me! Guissepi from Ravello, Italy located right  through the tunnel and on the Piazza

A glimse of the Amalfi Coast so you can see how far I climbed down before my bosy gave out!!!

After the fabulous renunion in Napoli Abbi and I traveled to the Amalfi Coast to a small town called Ravello, way up above the town of Amalfi.  It had been Abbi's dream to climg the hills ( or I would say mountains!!) of Amalfi.  Unfortunately the weather was rainy and cold every day and even hailed occassionally so not much of that happened.

Although the first day we walked from the B&B to the piazza of Ravello and I attempted to climb down the side of the mountain from Ravello to Amalfi.  It was raining and the steps were typically old world and steep!!! It took my at least twice as long as Abbi to get down to the main raod, which was about 80% of the way.  At that point my legs were shaking and I could not walk!!!! I was sitting at the side of the raod wandering what to do when a taxi van stopped and asked if I needed a ride.  He also stated that he was busy right now, so hurry up and decide!!   I had already stolen a lime off a nearby tree and was trying to eat my way back to health and that was not working!! So I decided to get in!!! 

It turned out that a very nice American couple, Elizabeth and Brett from Atlanta had hired the driver Braggio for the whole day and had seen me and asked him to pull over.  I ended up getting a very informative tour with them from Braggio for a while and then dropped off in Ravello. 

I definetly needed to eat and stopped into the little bar I had cappucchino in that morning.  The owner Giussepi was fabulous.  Before I even was completely in the door he said are you hungry? some vino della casa?!!  I said yes and he called back in the kitchen for the spaghetti and they yelled back they were out, how about some gnocchi?  Fabulous!! My favorite with a nice glass of vino della casa, rosso.  I have never been so grateful for a meal and appreciative.  It renewed my vows to eliminate hunger and drove home the importance of a hot meal and a friendly greeting, especially in a time of need.

COMMUNITY ON THE ROAD ON THE AMALFI COAST ( LITERALLY!)  * * * * *

LA FAMILIA IN NAPOLI!!!!

The only picture I had of my cousin Orietta before we met, she was 1 year old!!

My whole family in Napoli, (left to right) Zia Ellea,Zia Conjutina, ( in back cousins Alessia and Federica), me, Anna Marie, Orietta, Guiliana, Zia Gina

Great Zia's  Ellea, Conjutina and Gina!!

Well, it finally happened.  I have been wanting to meet my 3 Great Aunts for years now, Zia Conjutina, Zia Ellea, and Zia Gina.  My cousin Orietta planned the reunion from Rome and we met at their house in Napoli.  My cousin Carla and Anna Marie( who lives with the Aunts), and Giuliana all came.Giuliana's beautiful daughters, Alessia and Federica also attended. It was Anna Maries Birthday so all of us young ones were all going to go out and celebrate later! Zia Ellea made a special dessert.

I had brought some very old pictures I found in a box I kept of my grandfather Joseph Cerreta. Conjutina went over and over every picture naming everyone so I would never forget. I intuitavily picked out each picture and they were all relatives.  I even found an obscure one of Orietta's father who is deceased and she had never seen it, what a treasure!!

We had a wonderful visit and everyone except the Aunts went out to a fabulous restuarant called D'Angelo that had incredible views of the sea.  Carla's husband Francesco and their son Saldo met us there.Food was served 'La Familia' style and I ate the very best riccota cheese and buffalo mozzerella cheese I probably will ever have. The food never stopped coming and I almost wanted to excuse myself and eat Roman style so that I could fit everything in.  There were at least 10 courses.  I felt bad for the waste, which there was. But the company of my new family was well worth it, how wonderful.  La Familia!!!!!

I plan to keep in touch now and truly feel conected and like I already have know everybody for my whole life.  Although many just spoke Italian, we were able to communicate without  the need of much translation!

Ciao!!

Conjutina nad Anna Marie

My favorite picture although it is too light with my great Aunts!!!

The Aunts waving goodbye from their balcony while Orietta takes a picture of them     

Francesco ( Carla's husband). Giuliana and Alessia



Mi Familia at dinner, Orietta and Carla


COMMUNITY IN NAPOLI                       *****   ( NOTHING LIKE LA FAMILIA!!!!)

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION   *** ( Although served family style, there were too many courses and we wasted some food)



Abbi in Roma and a nice dinner at home

The other day my friend Abbi flew in for a few days.  My friend Andrea and I picked her up.  We decided Mercury must have been in retrograde because Andrea and I did not connect when I took a bus to his home town.  I was leaving to make other arrngements when I saw him AND his number had gotten erased from his profile on my blackberry and I did not know it AND he did not have my number like he thought too.... Also we waited ar least 40 minutes longer at the airport than we had to at what I thought was the only gate and 20 feet away Abbi was waiting for us and we never saw each other!!!!

The next night Andrea had wanted to cook dinner for everyone and it was fabulous. We shopped for fresh fish and veggies very early that morning at the local Campo de Fiori market.  The dinner was terrific, especially for being made on a hot plate!!!
After dinner we did the traditional walk to the Trevi fountain so Abbi could through in her coin to secure a return to Roma!  

An authentic Italian homecooked meal!!!!

the other night our new friend Andrea Pelliccia wanted to cook us dinner.  It was excellent!!  I wish I remembered all of the places all the different ingredients came from ( Andrea sure did!!)

We had little 'sausages' and cheese as an appetizer THe sausages were what we would call solami.  The entree was a wonderful penne pasta dish made from the ancient grain of the Romans, veggies, rosemary, cheese and last a Greek salad.  The pictures and my lame description do nothing to convey the beauty and taste of the meal.  But I wanted to post this for you sooner than later, I will try to revise later!

My Birthday in Rome!!

                                                           I got a much needed wine opener for my birthday!!

                                                                 Mary, karen and I at the Trevi Fountain.  Karen will be missed!!!

I guess if you have to get any older, Rome is a good place to do it in.  I was lucky this year to have friends to celebrate with!! 

We ate at a little restaurant called Scaletta in Trastevere on Via della Scala.  The food is good and the prices very resonable. ( I think I mentioned them before....)

It was a really nice time and I appreciated being around prople I have known for years plus a new Italian friend, Andrea.

After dinner Andrea drove us to the Trevi Fountain so Karen could throw a coin in to ensure her return to Rome before she flew out the next morning.  We all threw one in too!   It was late and rainy but we got the job done!!!!   Tutte le strade portano a Roma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope its true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

COMMUNITY  * * * * *  ( one of my best birthdays ever!!)

Food Waste Reduction * * * * *   ( we shared at the restaurant and ate every bite!!)

Porta Portese Flea Market in Trastevere, Roma

Every Sunday in Trastevere (across the Tiber) there is a HUGE flea market.  I mean it goes on for miles, winding around streets and alleys, offset parrallel to Via trastevere.

I have gone a few times, but last week I went late and as I was leaving I experienced a real treat!  Many of the venders who sell clothes for a couple of EUR's just left piles of clothes for people to take.   So once again I was scavaging in Europe!!  My friends and I got had so much fun finding piles of items as we made our way out of the Market. Karen got a beautiful hand sewn Italian jacket and tie for here boyfriend.  I found a few skirts for Karen, and Mary ended up getting a lot of jeans for her daughter and clothes for her grandchildren.  I found a black Buddha t-shirt for myself!!

Here are some pictures!!  This reminded my of finding all of those purses in Thessaloniki, Greece and the laughs Marriana and Fenya Boyanides and I had over that!!!

COMMUNITY WASTE REDUCTION   * * * * *

COMMUNITY * * * * *

A TRIP TO THE CAPUCHIN CRYPTS FOR AL SOULS WEEK

THESE ARE ALL BONES AND SKULLS  and deceased Friars. You are standing right in front of it!!!

                                                        '  Crypt of the Pelvises '        

                                        Our new friend from Shri Lanka ( living in Rome), Marian
This was possibly the most bizarre thing I have seen in my life, and it was real.  4,000 skulls arranged in art formations in a crypt inside the Santa Maria della Concezione Church ( well, in the basement).  Words and pictures cannot describe what we saw.

You were not allowed to take any pictures in there, so I took a few shots of Karens postcards so you could see what this looks like. 

In the 1631, the Capuchin friars moved locations from the Trevi Fountain area to this present day location.  The remains of the dead friars were transported ( over 300 carts) and laid to rest at this present cemetery underneath th church.  Sometime in the 1800's they started creating art out of the bones.  Part of this was due to the small cemetery and they had to dig up old graves to bury the new.  So they started to use their bones like you will see in th pictures.  I thought it is nice that the friars, although long gone, are still helping to support their church through the donations collected to view the crypt and still living in community underneath it.

AS IF THERE COULD BE MORE, Karen and I went into the church up above and a watchman came out of nowhere and asked us where we were from.  I asked him and it was Shri Lanka.  I told him I met the first lady of Shri Lanka a few years ago while in India etc, etc,  and as we were leaving he said "Come, Come, I want to show you something very special most people cannot see........"   I was thinking I was not ready for anything else after the crypt, but went along. 

This too was creepy because he kept taking us deeper and deeper inside of the church into secret hidden rooms.  I have no pictures because I was too overwhelmed to take them.  There was a secret altar room with grand pictures, like a ballroom and a couple of small chapel/cells where some of the friars slept.....and some other things....I felt myself just wanting to leave after a while because I had been really effected by the crypt.

Marian will visit his family next year in Shri Lanka.  I wish I would have asked him how long it had been since he had been back home. Next time, if I see him again.....

What a day!

The Church of the Immaculate
Via V. Veneto 27
Rome

COMMUNITY RATING   * * * * *  ( buried together for eternity, and our connection to Marian in the Church!)

COMMUNITY AT GELATERIA DEI GRACCHI!!!

                                                       BJ and Ron from Glendale, AZ enjoying gelato!

                                                                            

Today Karen and Mary and I went to our neighborhood gelateria called Gelateria dei Gracchi.  I noticed the other day that they had been written up in the New York Times as one of the best gelato shops in Rome and they really are!! There happened to be two people in there from the states that had read the article.  They were from Arizona and leaving for a cruise domani.  I have cousins that own Cerreta's Chocolates in Glendale,AZ and asked them if they knew of it and they said they work two blocks away!!  What a small world!!!  Their names are BJ and Ron. I beieve that BJ is a veterinarian from our conversation.

This gelato shop makes all of its own gelato.  I had some of the best persimmon gelato the other day and when you are in the store you can see cases of persimmons stacked up.  If you ever go to Rome , you MUST visit this shop, it is truly a treat...  

What a small world.  Thank you Rachel Donadio for writing such a fine article and sending many people to one of the truly best gelato shops in Rome!!

Its also a very good place to practice your Italian.  The first time I tried to order everything in Italian I asked for 2 busti, instead of GUSTI ( flavors). The owner looked at me very strange.  When I went home I looked it up and busti means bust or breast.  I will never make that mistake again!!
Ciao, and ci vediamo presto!!!

GELATERIA DEI GRACCHI
VIA DEI GRACCHI 272
( This is in the Prati area, so if you are at the Vatican you are not too far away by Rome standards)

COMMUNITY RATING  * * * * *

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION * * * * *

ALL SAINTS DAY IN ITALY 1 NOV and ALL SOULS DAY TOMORROW 2 NOV

Today was a national holiday in Italy, All Saints day.  To celebrate we went to a church in Prati, Parrocchia Sacro Cuore.  They have a piccolo museo del purgatorio. ( A little museum of purgatory!).

The story goes that in about 1912 there was a fire in this church and in the flames of the fire was a face of a tormented soul in purgatory.  Many saw this and realized that our prayers are necessary.  The priest set out on a mission to collect data of departed souls requesting prayers from purgatroy, and that is what is in this little glass case museum!!

 I also liked that they collected money for bread for the poor inside the church in a little box.  'Pane dei poveri'

The church had a welcoming vibe and you could take pictures.

COMMUNITY RATING FOR THE PRATI CHURCH SACRO CUORE

COMMUNITY  * * * * * ( welcoming and feeding the poor in the area)

Holloween in Rome

Yesterday was Halloween and I am still in Rome.  My friends Karen and Mary were visiting so we all dressed up and went to Piazza Navona, Campo di Fiori and a private party for Expats at 'The Grotto'.  It was all a lot of fun.  Karen and I were Witches ( with witch hats!) and we dressed Mary up as a little Ragedy Ann Doll. 

It was a fun evening and we met a lot of people.  Trick or treated in Piazza Navona, Mary got a tomato and a ravioli.  Karen and I got chocolate balls from Animis.

A high point for me was that an Italian couple stopped and asked us for directions and I was able to tell them in Italian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And they understood them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Mary Panhandling in Piazza Navona " trick or treat"!!!

                                           Me and Karen Johnson

Just a silly evening!!!

FALL FOOD IN ROME

The season is changing here in Rome.  I came across a wonderful display outside a restaurant near Trevi Fountain yesterday I thought you would enjoy.  It's funny, here in Rome many of the restaurants love to display their fresh mushrooms to lure people in!!  I have been getting an eyefull!!

There are also the chestnuts sold on the corner roasted the old fashioned way with logs. 

The Romans have reasonable portions, but I still see some waste at restaurants because it is not common or fashionable to take home any leftovers.  Like Greece, you just leave it to show a status symbol.

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION IN ROME     * * * ( Portion size EXCELLENT, but low score due to no takehome boxes and people over ordering)

BIRDS CIRCLE ROME, FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR , IT WAS SPOOKY!

Yesterday Karen and Mary and I were walking home and we saw all these birds circling the Vatican and surrounding area.  More kept coming, I mean there were MILLIONS in the air like large clouds.  They were putting on an air show of some sorts.  The sky was at times black with birds!!   I tried to capture some pictures but do not think they will do justice.  If you can enlarge them you wil see what I mean!!

Karen Johnson and friends arrive safely back to Rome!

Julie, Karen and I

                                                                 Julie, Mary, Me and Karen( cut off!)

Last week Diane Sandman and I met Karen Jonhson, Gayle, Brook and Julie in Rome and wished them Bon Voyage as they cruised off on a two week adventure.  They went to Greece, Siciy, Turkey, Egypt, Rhodes and I am sure a few other places I forgot! everybody said that they had gained weight!!

I was lucky enough to see them again on their return and Julie and Karen even spent the night with Mary and I.  We had a nice dinner out along with a stop to one of our favorite Gelato stores.  Here are a few photos.....

COMMUNITY IN ROME  * * * * *   ( due to meeting old and new friends there!!)

FOOD WASTE REDUCTION  * * * * *  ( WE SHARED 3 entrees BETWEEN 4 people--NO WASTE!!)