The Flood in Lunigiana and Cinque Terre

It is such a disastrous sight to see such a lovely place like Cinque Terre being damaged by a massive amount of mud, debris, and water. The little borough of Manarola got almost completely destroyed by the avalanche that slided down from the mountain into the sea. The characteristic colored houses now all lay lifeless and gray of mud. It will take time to bring them back to their life, but the dead ones, buried under meters of sludge, will never be brought back again.

Aulla in Lunigiana is just one of the Tuscan cities to have been hit by the water wall. Each passing year I hear on the Italian news that such disasters could have been avoided. Massive deforestation along bank rivers, riverbeds not being cleaned to preserve river wildlife, concrete layering, wild urbanization, and climatic changes create each year a dangerous cocktail that never fails to explode. This cocktail produces similar effects all over the world. The more the damages produced, the more the intensity of the phenomenon.

Italy is a long and thin country, surrounded by sea, dotted with lakes, wrinkled up by rivers and mountain chains. Its ecosystem is extremely fragile, and constantly menaced by human mistakes and natural disasters such as the recent one.
Scraping rivers destroys wildlife, but not doing it produces blockages bringing to these extreme consequences. How to stop this vicious cycle?

I think there is little to do, as the contemporary strategy is that of building and making money, taking great risks though. The Italian proverb "meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani", or better an egg today that a chicken tomorrow seems to be taken very seriously in Italy.

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The Riots of Rome and The Cloudburst

One might think that some sort of religious punishment hit Rome after so much violence struck the city during the "black-block" protests. The water that came down, a staggering 170 millimeters in just few minutes, was not absorbed by the sewage system, and washed away the memories of the riots altogether with the lives of two people.

I do not believe in anything like a superior punisher, even because those that needed to be reprehended for their nonsensical acts were far away from Rome during the cloudburst. To tell you the truth, the cloudburst was quite manageable, and it resulted in much greater issues than it should have just because the city did not spend as much as it should have to clean up its waste water system. In other words, the two deaths could have been easily avoided.

Actually, the mess that resulted from the rioting could also have been avoided. Some say the worst fringes of the protest should have been cracked down more violently, but who knows. From an outsider that relocated to Italy it is sad to see that a pacific protest with 98% of the people just dancing, marching or simply voicing their concerns is completely ruined by that 2% with no intention of building any constructive, meaningful point of view.

I wonder what makes people feel like thrashing such a wonderful city such as Rome. If I were marching along one of the magnificent boulevards in Rome I would jut stay all the time with my nose up looking at the monuments and palaces, no matter if ancient. The center of the city is just splendid, mixing a variety of Classic, Neoclassic, Liberty, Roman, and Medieval styles. It seems like you are spending time on a time machine. But can time be perceived on a time machine? Of course not. Time in Rome passes by so quickly that you can find yourself at the end of the day and not remember what you did and where you went to.

My advice: let others riot, and the sky pour water. You just head towards the nearest "Trattoria" and feast in front of a plate full of "Bucatini Amatriciana", "Bruschetta" or "Abbacchio". When you are done the sky will be clear and the streets safe again!

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Termoli in Molise: A Short Overview

Termoli, a well known tourist resort on the coast of Molise, is an industrialized city that continues to grow. At the same time it preserves many elements from the past, an important witness to a historical reality of great prestige. The town has numerous treasures belonging to an ancient past as the imposing Cathedral, the ancient village, dating from the Twelfth century and showcasing a Romanesque-Apulian style, and the Swabian castle of Frederick II.

The watchtowers along the beach, recalling the ancient Saracen invasions were reconstructed according to their original design and this is now a typical meeting point to taste the delicious local seafood dishes.

The ancient heart of the city is perched atop a cliff that falls steeply into the sea. The original name of the ancient center is exactly Old Village (Borgo Vecchio). It looks like a lovely walled citadel, made up of squares and streets. Among them is the most emblematic Vico Il Castello, one of the narrowest city alleys in Europe.

The Castle is conventionally defined as Swabian, probably due to a restructuring dating from 1247, ordered by Frederick II. The linearity of the structure and its defensive characteristics suggest that it was built in Norman times (XI century) at the site where there was a tower of the Lombard period. Since 1885, the Castle of Termoli was included among the national monuments and elected as a regional history museum.

At the center of town stands the Cathedral, built in Romanesque-Pugliese style over ancient ruins of a Roman temple, whose foundations date back probably to the Sixth century. Inside are the relics of St. Timothy and St. Basso, patron of the city. The cathedral is also renowned for its splendid mosaics.

A splendid feature is the wide view over the port offered by the broadwalk at whose side stands the Torretta.

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Anchovies to The Rescue: Bagna Caoda (or Cauda)

Today we are in Piedmont. It is a northern region of Italy, near Liguria and Lombardy, and one rich of many strong characteristics. Its distinctive dialect, rich of French influences, its important historic role, with Turin as the royal headquarters and the first capital of Italy, and its cuisine, so rich of surprisingly tasty dishes.

Today's trip will let you discover one of the most famous dishes of Piedmont and northern Italy. I am talking about the Bagna Caoda (or Cauda), a very simple dish of peasant origins. It consists of a thick anchovy sauce placed in a casserole in the middle of the table and eaten with fresh vegetables or on bread slices. It was a common dinner during the cold winter of poor farmers.
As for other dishes such as polenta, the custom of communal eating from the center of the table has pragmatic origins: dishes were few or completely lacking, plus letting each one help himself took away work from the housekeeping wife (who had also been working around the house all day). With time this custom has remained as a convivial way of sharing a meal among friends and family members.

The Recipe of Bagna Caoda (Cauda)

Ingredients: for four people you will need 400 grams of salt anchovies, 250 grams of garlic, one fourth of a liter of milk and one glass of good olive oil.
As for vegetables and other ingredients you have the choice of a variety of your favorite ones, but you should try to get cardoons, a delicious combination with the sauce.

Preparation:
Gently boil the garlic with milk until you can smash it with the gentle pressure of a fork. While you are cooking the garlic, fillet and clean the anchovies removing the central fishbone. Rinse them thoroughly in garlic to remove the excess salt. In a separate casserole, preferably earthenware, pour the olive oil and when it is warm set the anchovies to melt in the oil. Then pour the garlic and some cooking milk inside. Now mix in while cooking on low-medium heat, then process with a hand blender until you get a very smooth cream. Keep simmering until the sauce becomes moderately thick.

The preparation of vegetables is quite simple. Clean an abundant selection of your favorite ones and serve them along the Bagna Caoda sauce. If you have cardoons, the preparation is a tad longer, but definitely rewarding. Remove the leaves until you are left with just the stems. Parboil them for one minute in salty water, then remove the harder fibers gently scraping with a knife, then serve.

You can serve the sauce in separate heated bowls or the traditional way in the cooking earthenware casserole at the center of the table. Each one will deep his vegetables in.

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Venice: Fun, Romantic, Inimitable

Elegant, precious, unique, fun, romantic: this is Venice, jewel of the Italian tourist scene. Here churches, palaces, ancient bridges, monuments and squares, tell the tale of great artistic and cultural vibrancy that marked and still marks the history of this city.

The heart of Venice is the beautiful Piazza San Marco, the most elegant drawing room of Europe, surrounded by works of unquestionable value: the imposing bell tower and the Basilica with its five portals decorated with marble and mosaics anticipate the luxury and richness of the interiors. The Palazzo Ducale, symbol of the golden times of the Serenissima, as Venice used to be called, the Mori Tower, better known as the Clock Tower, a masterpiece of engineering that has been keeping the time in Venice for centuries. Nearby is Campo Santo Stefano with the homonymous church, one of the largest in Venice.
From the square the island of San Giorgio Maggiore is visible together with the high bell tower that rises from the monumental complex of the former Benedictine Monastery, a masterpiece of the great architects of the period including the famous Andrea Palladio.

A true open-air museum, visited by boat or gondola along the Grand Canal, the main "road" of Venice, which starts at the Punta della Dogana, the ancient port of Venice with its distinctive triangular shape, today used, together with Palazzo Grassi, as Center for Contemporary Art. Do not miss the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Palazzo Venier de'Leoni, the most prestigious collection of works of art of the Twentieth century.
Further along are other important museums: the Accademia Galleries, hosted by the School of the majestic Grand Charity of the same name, that includes the church and the monastery and the Ca' Rezzonico, one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings housing the Museum of the Venetian Eighteenth century.

On the right side of the Grand Canal, also accessible through the Rialto Bridge, you arrive in the area of ​​the districts of San Polo, Santa Croce and Dorsoduro where some of the most famous "campi" of Venice can be found surrounded by beautiful religious buildings and palaces: San Rocco, where there is one of the great schools of ancient Venice and the church dedicated to the same saint; the famous Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, one of the most important Franciscan buildings; San Polo and San Giacomo dall'Orio with the homonymous church in the center decorated with beautiful works of Renaissance Venice; San Sebastian masterfully decorated by Paolo Veronese; San Pantalon and San Nicolo dei Mendicoli with one of the oldest churches in the city and Santa Maria della Salute.

From Piazza San Marco, across the famous Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri), which offers wonderful views of the lagoon, you arrive in the Castello district, rich in architectural and artistic masterpieces. It is known that the "campi" of Venice are the historic squares, often adorned by important monuments in the center and dominated by the imposing and magnificent religious buildings from which they are named. In this district there are very interesting examples: the church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, where state funerals are carried out; the church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a splendid example of Renaissance architecture; the church of San Zaccaria and the church of San Giovanni in Bragora, considered by many one of the most beautiful churches in the city, and the church of Santa Maria Formosa born from a project of Codussi.

Continuing to walk through the streets of Venice, do not miss a visit to the largest Arsenal in the world, built in the Twelfth century and later enlarged by the great political and commercial development at the School of Venice and San Giorgio degli Schiavoni with some of the finest works of Carpaccio.
Cannaregio is located the Campo della Madonna dell'Orto, one of the few remaining examples of ancient flooring in a herringbone pattern, on which the homonymous church decorated by the great Tintoretto and the Scuola dei Mercanti are located.
Another magnificent example of Renaissance architecture is the Church of St. John Chrysostom, the last work of Mauro Codussi. In the ancient mansion Ca' d'Oro houses is a valuable art collection with works from the Venetian school.

Around Venice there is a corollary of islands: Burano, famous for the production of lace, Murano for its glass, Pellestrina characterized by sand dunes and tall reeds, Torcello, one of the oldest human settlements in the area.
Beautiful scenery can be found at the north side of the lagoon, characterized by sand of many shades of color changing with the light of the sun. The same effect can be found on the Dolomiti mountains, that have created this coast along the course of millennia. This is where you will find some of the tourist pearls of the Province of Venice; Caorle, with its narrow Calli (lanes), which are interwoven among the pretty pastel houses; Jesolo, with entertainment and nightlife; Bibione and its pine forest that stretches down to the beach; and Cavallino, the leading European location for "open air" tourism.
Along the banks of the Brenta are scattered many of the aristocratic Venetian luxury villas, built between 1500 and 1700, a symbol of wealth and prosperity of the Venetian time. Some of the best architects and painters of the time, such as Palladio and the Pilgrims, were the architects of these wonderful works of architecture.
The same we find in the magnificent surroundings of Mirano, in the Terra of Tiepolo, named in honor of the famous family of artists. During the Venetian rule these territories had a period of cultural development during which were built mansions and manor houses that can still be admired in all their glory.

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Sardinia Beaches near Nuoro

The coastal area of Ogliastra is located in the central-eastern part of Sardinia in the province of Nuoro. Departing from Olbia you can reach it driving along the scenic ss125 ss131 or the highway to Nuoro, built in 1997. Other access points are Tortoli airport, which connects the island to the main seasonally national and European airports, and the port of Arbatax.
To the north of this area is the magnificent Sisine Coast, which with its nearly two thousand feet of cliffs is considered the highest in the Mediterranean. Impressive cliffs of bare stone suddenly appear, covered with luxuriant vegetation. Hidden and mysterious fractures and cracks in the coast are frequently populated by twisted, ancient junipers.

The limestone cliffs continue up to Capo di Monte Santu, which closes to the south the Gulf of Orosei. A limestone section leading south starts here and slowly changes into splendid red porphyry, reaching its maximum charm with the famous Red Cliffs, unique in the world, next to the port of Arbatax.

Along all this stretch of coast the landscape is ever changing. Always different and unique charming beaches display granite and porphyry shapes of a special beauty. The peaceful surroundings, crystal clear sea water and sand of magnificent colors are the accents that will make you fall in love with the beaches of Sardinia.

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