Sometimes this seems like a better option than a bank! Not practical for travel though.

Bank Accounts for Travelers:
Just a quick note – I’m not one for touting banks. The only reason for this recommendation is to help the future travelers out there to find a good fit for their next adventure. I do not receive any referral for my recommendation and have no affiliation with them. That being said, here is what has worked for our family.

First, we kept our current accounts with our US bank, but do not use it internationally. Since bill pay and accounts for personal business were all set up already, it was easier to keep that bank for use in the United States. Having a U.S. Bank is a nice backup for that “just in case” moment, but they will usually charge substantial international fees and ATM fees. I don’t plan on using it out of the country.

For Europe, or essentially wherever you travel, we decided on a Charles Schwab Account. When you set up a Brokerage Account with Charles Schwab you get a free Checking Account. You don’t have to keep anything in the Brokerage Account. After opening the account, I transferred the total amount from my Brokerage Account to the Checking Account.

Charles Schwab is an online only bank and, I can say from personal experience, has the most amazing customer service. The top benefit that made Charles Schwab the winner for us, is that you don’t pay any ATM fees anywhere in the world (They will reimburse you at the end of the month if any are charged at the ATM), there is no fee for using your card internationally, and there are no monthly service fees. We mainly use cash here (Italy is mainly cash based) and just pull funds out of the ATM every so often. No fees ever from Schwab, anywhere in the world, really made it a top choice for us. You can transfer funds between your other bank account, mail in your deposits or even do mobile deposits. It’s really convenient.

For a complete list of benefits, FAQ’s, and how to apply visit Charles Schwab: Schwab Bank High Yield Investor Checking Account. If you call customer service at 800.540.6718 they will be more than willing to answer any questions and help with the application process.

WIsh I could take this on our trip!

Communication Options | International and Local:
One of our major goals throughout all of our travels is to not be tied to any monthly bills, or as little as possible. With that in mind, this is what we have chosen for our communication options.

1. SKYPE - As long as we have high speed internet we can Skype. It allows us to video chat with others. So with my parents for instance, they can see the kids and us and talk back and forth. The positive is that it is free. The challenge on the road sometimes is finding internet fast enough for it to work well.

Side Note: There are cheap rates to call internationally if you need to.

2. FACETIME - When you have high speed internet you can do FaceTime (only Apple Products). We have a MacBook Air (Small and lightweight Mac which is great for travel) and an iPad. Both have FaceTime, and we can use it to video chat anyone with one of those devices or an iPhone 4 or later. The positive is that it is free. The negative is that it only works with Apple products and like Skype, has to have internet fast enough for it to work well.

These are what we use to “see” people, but remember, Hight Speed Internet isn’t’ always at your fingertips. These two options become obsolete without a good connection.

With decent internet we can make phone calls from the computer and iPad. The next bit I explain can get a little confusing. When I first set it up, it took a little bit of time to understand it all.

3. GOOGLE VOICE - We set up a free phone number with Google Voice. It is a US number (pick any area code you want in the US) and allows anyone stateside to call, leave voicemails if I don’t answer and even to receive text messages. The voicemails and text messages can then be emailed to you.

One thing to note, when you set up your Google Voice number, you have to input a US number as a forwarding number. I have selected to not have call forward active to that phone number and it will ring only my computer or iPad (through Talkatone – explanation below). Since I currently don’t have a US number, I set the forward number to a family members phone number, but as stated, call forwarding is off. When I return to the US, I can then keep my Google Voice number and input my new cell/home number as the forwarding number, turn forwarding on, and my cell or home number will ring when someone calls my Google Voice number.

I can then use my computer to make phone calls to the US through my browser using Gmail. A small phone in the browser allows you to call anyone. To send text messages, go to talk.google.com and send texts directly through your browser. There are also options to send texts through your email.

Side Note: There are cheap rates to call internationally if you need to. Think calling from Italy to Denmark to verify a hotel reservation.

4. TALKATONE - From the iPad there are multiple apps that can link up with your Google Voice number. We use Talkatone. This app allows us to link our google phone number with Talkatone, making an easy interface to make and receive calls, send texts, access your contacts, check voicemails, and much more on the iPad.

If either the computer is on with my Gmail account open, or the iPad is connected with Talkatone on, they will ring like a phone if someone calls us. We use both of these options like a house phone. If we’re around, we’ll turn it on so that we can receive calls from people. If we’re not, leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

The great thing about options 1 – 4 is that they are completely free. You just have to find a wifi spot for them to work or be connected.

5. INTERNATIONAL CELL PHONE - Our last thing we have is a pay as you go phone here in Italy. It’s cheap and is basically just for emergencies or for the rare instance that we need to call someone in Italy.

For us, we were willing to be somewhat inconvenienced by not having a phone on us to call the US at all times. Using our Google number is almost like having a house phone. Also, the cost of mobile internet didn’t seem like a good option for us because we’re traveling off the beaten path a bit. Most times we get terrible signal and it wouldn’t work for us even if we wanted it to. Paying for something that worked sometimes or even most of the time didn’t seem like a good option. Mobile internet isn’t high speed enough most of the time to use Skype, FaceTime, and sometimes if you only have a 2G connection, not even enough to make a regular phone call. We tried with someones mobile internet here on different occasions and sometimes it worked great and other times it was awful. Location played a big role.

In the end, this combination has worked well for us. It met our goal of being inexpensive and has given us the ability to keep in touch with family and friends. It hasn’t been perfect at times, especially when we had limited access to internet for extended periods, but it was a good change to not be connected at all times.

I hope these tidbits help point you in the right direction for your future travel plans. Happy travels!!!

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The Moretta: A Drink for Sailors and Fishermen

What do you get when you get together a rough crew, hard booze, and dark coffee? My first response would be trouble and a bad hangover, but instead a salty crew of sailors and fishermen from Fano, Italy are credited with inventing a delicious cocktail. The Moretta is strong, yet smooth and sweet and can be enjoyed as a digestive after a meal or to warm your soul on a cold afternoon.

The Moretta is a warm combination of Anise, Rum, Brandy and Espresso. Enjoy this elixir from times gone by and dream about buying your future sailboat.

The Moretta
- 0.5 ounce of Anise Liqueur (Sambuca)
- 0.5 ounce of Aged or Spiced Rum
- 0.5 ounce of Brandy (or Cognac)
- 1.5 ounce shot of espresso
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- small zest of lemon or orange

1. Combine Anise Liqueur, Rum and Brandy in small heat proof glass and warm with steam (or on the stove if preparing at home)
2. Add sugar and lemon zest. Dissolve all sugar.
3. Tilt the glass and slowly add espresso, careful not to mix the liquor and espresso.
4. Stir before drinking.

Moretta is usually served in small transparent glasses, allowing you to see the expected three layers: froth, coffee, and liquor.

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Wood Fired Oven

Here at Frattoria Barbialla Nouva, an agriturismo in Tuscany Italy, they make bread for their guests that stay on the farm in a beautiful wood fired oven! My WWOOF duties was to assist the baker in making bread from start to finish. We baked off 14 loaves of bread and 6 pizzas this day.  I was so excited to see how the ovens work first hand.

 What is a wood fired oven and how does it work? 

These are ovens that use wood as fuel for baking or cooking. The oven we baked in is a called a black oven which is heated by burning wood in the chamber until the wood burns down to hot coals.

Hot Coals

Then the food is cooked in that same chamber alongside the fire while it is still going, or in the heated chamber after the fire and coals have been racked out.

Raking the Coals

After the coals are raked out, the oven gradually cools over a period of hours or even days. Once fired up the oven is hot and can reach 1000 degree Fahrenheit. The heat in the oven may be used to cook multiple batches of bread, or foods requiring different temperatures that can be cooked in succession as the oven temperature slowly drops.  They are as versatile as any conventional oven, and can do so much more. Not only can they bake beautiful breads, turn out golden vegetables and roast meat or poultry, but cooking next to an open fire brings out unique flavors in every dish.

Tip: An old Italian tradition was to throw a bit of semolina flour on the floor of the oven- if it gets black in 5 seconds it’s perfect baking temperature for a rustic loaf of bread.

The bread and pizza we baked off was so delicious. The rustic bread had a crunchy thick crust with a delicate tender crumb.

Pizza with mozzarella, prosciutto, potatoes, and bell peppers!

Cooking in these ovens forces you to slow down, to reconnect with food and work with nature.  All I have to say is I love it. I want one and I am going to have my hubby build me one.

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just being kids

Many people ask us, “Where are the children when you’re volunteering on the WWOOF farms?” They are right beside me of course! I really feel like I have eyes in the back of my head now! My parents always said that to me growing up, and I was reminded of that many times during this process. WWOOFing with a two and five year old is challenging on farms with varied landscapes and dangers, but it is so worth it!

Rum my 2 year old in the Ergo Carrier on a long hike

The day is broken up into two work parts: morning work, then lunch break (riposo or mezzigorno) for a couple of hours, and then afternoon work. Every day the hours vary as does the work. Usually we get up and dressed in our work clothes and out the door by 8ish.

Our last farm we had to hike 30 minutes to get to the main farm to find out our duties for the day. The farm was large (1,200 acres), so we needed to pack everything we wanted for the day. There was no going back to get something! Most days we would pack or wear our rain coats since the weather has been abnormal here in Italy this Spring of 2013 with tons of rain and colder weather. Then we would pack lots of fruit/snacks, a pocket knife, water bottles, ergo kid carrier, umbrella, crayons/coloring book, lavender oil (for bug bites), tweezers, toilet paper, and lastly the iPad (yep I said it). The iPad was our last resort when we needed to finish a task and the kids were melting down.

Stella holding a super long wild asparagus!

Once we found out our task for the day we would make a base camp where we were working. Then Jay or I would check out the area and tell the kids some boundaries of where they could go and what they could do (“don’t go near the large drop off and landslide” or “don’t pull the cat’s tail”). Then they were off to play. With what you ask? Sticks, rocks, earthworms (a definite favorite), grass, flowers, chickens, cows, dogs, cats, bugs, everything! The kids would hunt for wild asparagus, fennel and other herbs, they would collect the eggs from the coop, and help plant in the garden or pull weeds. It is pretty awesome when you see your kids offering to help you with work. They are both really great helpers and get enjoyment out of helping out or having tasks of their own.

Then there are the days that the kids were tired and cranky. We tried to keep a routine in the midst of lots of change. On the rough days we would just keep on and encourage them. We have a family rule in our house of no whining. We tell them, “If you are upset, speak to us and we promise to listen, but no whining.” On some days one of us would need to take a break and keep the kids at home so they could rest, while the other would go work.

There is a silly Veggie Tales song called “The Thankfulness Song” that we would sing all the time. It was good reminder to the kids for perspective- and us some days as well. The lyrics go like this:

Stella and Jason hiking down a steep muddy slope

I thank God for this day,

For the sun in the sky,

For my mom and my dad,

For my piece of apple pie!

 

For our home on the ground,

For His love that’s all around,

That’s why I say thanks every day!

 

Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!

I’m glad for what I have,

Thats an easy way to start!

 

For the love that He shares,

‘Cause He listens to my prayers,

That’s why I say thanks every day!

Some days it is a breeze and some days are really challenging. The keys to success have been: everyone getting rest, keeping somewhat of a routine, being prepared, and of course a positive outlook. We are dealing with the same things every parent deals with on a daily basis. We still have attitudes to keep in line, bellies to be fed, teeth coming in, and owies on our knees. The only difference is that we’re on the road. Life goes on no matter where you’re at. WWOOFing with children has been a great experience and I am so glad we are doing it!

Rum checking out a freshly slaughtered Easter lamb hanging in a farmers cellar!

The Silly Stuff:

Both kids are farmer snot pros!

Romolo grabbed a fuzzy cactus one day and got thousands of splinters in both of his hands. Poor guy!

Romolo peed his pants  two hours into a four hour hike. Then he walked and/or was carried the rest of the way naked with his hiking shoes and shirt on. Of course I didn’t pack a change of clothes that day.

One day, after a long rain, large puddles of water collected outside of the Cattle pens in the divots from the tractor tires. Some of the water was probably a little run off. Well what would you guess but Stella, Rum, and a few other kids were happily splashing in the water – yep pretty gross! Straight to the shower they all went!

Stella found a headless bunny in the laundry area. She was not phased at all, but was actually impressed because she thought the cat had caught it. “MOM!!! Look what gatto caught!” The bunny was much larger than the cat and was probably caught by a fox =) In fact she has seen quite a few dead, skinned and gutted animals. With no hesitation at all, she just asks, “Are we going to eat that?”

LOVE

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Arianna the bee keeper

I was able to spend some time with the bee keeper Arianna, who takes care of the bees at Fattoria Barbialla Nuova in Montaione, Toscana. It was AMAZING and super SCARY all in the same. Here is my account of our time together. She spoke a little English and I understand a little Italian so here it goes. Some things got lost in translation I am sure. Hopefully the pictures will help!

Arianna and Allian take care of the bees here at Barbialla (totaling about 100 bee boxes) as well as on a variety of other farms and locations throughout Tuscany. I was told they are known in this area for being really good at what they do. They use biodynamic principles to care for the bees. Biodynamic principle follow the biodynamic calendar which is a method of organic farming that emphasizes the holistic development and interrelationships of the soil, plants and animals as a self-sustaining system.

box 21 home of the new young queens

Today when I went with her, she was removing the young queens and placing them into new families. There are several boxes that are just for queens to be born. We got ourselves dressed in protective clothing and headed over to box 21.

blowing smoke in the bee boxes

First she blows a little smoke into the box to calm the bees and make them eat more. This allows them to go inside the honey comb and be distracted.

In this one box there are 3 sections. In each section she has placed the queen larva 2 weeks ago, and now she is checking to see if the queens are growing and ready to make a new family.

She takes out each tray to find the queen. The queen is larger than all the other worker bees and very recognizable. Once the bees have there heads in the comb then she grabs them by the wings. It is pretty nuts.

the red paint marks the queens to start a new family

Then she grabs the queen and places her into the small white tray with 9 other male bees. This is the start to a new family that will then grow to hundreds of bees and will have there own large box. The red paint is to mark the queen. Arrianna is a brave lady!

Gathering the 9 worker bees!

Arianna gently grabbing the queen with her bare hands!

There were so many bees swarming around us while she was working. She let me try to pick up some worker bees to place in the white container, but I kept dropping them! My heart was pounding and I was a little nervous to say the least.

honey comb- can you find the queen?

On the wooden trays there is the comb and the dark brown filled in holes is the bee pollen.

I was stung twice while we were out. I am sure this is a common occurrence when you deal with bees. The funny thing is a bee just landed on my leg and stung me. Then of course I jumped up and got stung again on my hand. At that moment the bees were so loud swarming around me. I just had to use some self control and calm myself down. I didn’t want to distract her from doing her work. Kind of crazy! And an experience I will never forget.

A little bit about the sweet stuff! Here in Tuscany there are many different kinds of honey that have their own distinct color, flavor and texture: Acacia, Millefiori, Sulla, Castagno (Chestnut) Tiglio, and many more. Each kind of honey is from a certain season or time when the specific blooming flower is the nectar in which the bees eat. The bee keepers harvest the honey at the end of those seasons so then there are many varieties of honey. So far we have tried the Acacia, which is light and sweet, and Millefiori (Many flowers) which is a very thick honey that comes from a time when many different flowers are blooming. Hence the name “many flowers”. Both were delicious!

Another product of the bees that we were able to try is Propolis.

Honeybees gather propolis, a resin, from tree bark and leaves. They combine this resin with nectar, creating a mix of wax, pollen and bee bread. They then use this substance to seal their hives, protecting it from outside contaminants. They also use propolis at the entrance to the hive to sterilize themselves as they come and go. Propolis, a natural antibiotic, and has no such side effects. Propolis has also been shown to fight bacterial strains that have become resistant to synthetic antibiotic. The Characteristics of propolis are antibacterial, antiviral, antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. (http://www.pureroyaljelly.com/propolis.html)

I brought some propolis home with me to add to my medicine cabinet. It has a strong flavor and is very sticky. To ingest the tincture mix with a little honey on a spoon and take, or shoot it in the back of your throat taking care not to get it on your teeth as it will stain.

These other larger boxes are for the established families that produce 20-30 kilograms of honey per harvest. There is just one queen per large box and the rest are the worker bees.

It was a really exciting day to spend some time with the bee keeper Arianna. She is a really cool gal and I am so glad I was able to see the bees so up close and personal!

large established bee families

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For the last week we have been here at Barbialla Nuova Fattoria in Montaione, Italy. The landscape is amazing, taking you to a place where time stood still. Rolling pasture, olive groves, orchards, and natural woods make up a mix of the property. The white Chianine cows dot the hilltops as we take our morning walk down the hills to the main farm building, while birds of all kinds sing their songs. It is peaceful and serene!

Barbilla Nuova raises about 100 head of Chianine cows. All of their feed is grown here on the farm, from hay, alfalfa and some wheat. Nothing is brought in from the outside. The farm also produces fresh olive oil, honey, and during season hunts for porcini mushrooms and truffles in their woods. We have had the opportunity to taste the olive oil that was produced on the farm in 2012, and we must say that we have not tasted olive oil like this before. The difference compared to most of what we purchase in the States is worlds apart, giving you the feeling that you are eating olives straight from the tree – green, earthy, vibrant, and fresh.

About 70% of the 500 hectares (1,235 acres) is left in it’s natural state with quite a few hiking trails throughout the property. Dotting the property are a variety of fruit trees and herbs, as well as wild fennel, garlic, and asparagus that can be found in the woods. There is something special about making dinner with items that you found while foraging.

The other focus of Barbialla Nuova is their Agritourismo that caters to guests from all over the world, allowing them to experience nature and a working farm. All of the buildings are rustic farmhouses that have been restored using natural materials.

You can tell in all aspects of their business, from tourism to farming, that Barbialla Nuova goes to great lengths to make sure that they take care of the land, sustainability being one of their main focuses. We are happy to be here to volunteer and excited to learn from their knowledge.

More to come as internet is a 25 minute hike from our place =)

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Signing our Italian Citizenship Papwork | Everyone Is So Excited!

We arrived into the train station in Boiano late one evening to meet up with Peter Farina, owner of italyMONDO!. He picked us up and drove us through the mountains to our wonderful apartment in Sepino, located at the foothills of the Matese Mountains in the southern Italian region of Molise. Peter, and his company italyMONDO!, have been working on our behalf since the summer of 2012 in order to help us request our Italian Citizenship. The remaining process will be completed here in Italy.

When you acquire Italian Citizenship “Jure Sanguinis” (By Right of Blood), you are requesting what is already yours from birth. Believe it or not, you’re not applying for Italian Citizenship. Notice the difference. Since our ancestors emigrated from Italy and did not renounce their Italian citizenship until after their children (our grandparents) were born, we have to prove our blood lines and request recognition of a right we already hold. At the end of this process, we will receive an Italian Birth Certificate (stating we were born “abroad”) which will be registered in the town where we are completing this process. Our Citizenship shows that we are Italian from birth, not starting at some other date. This is why there is no naturalization process, no oath of allegiance, no background checks, financial checks etc. We’ve always been Italian citizens – and thanks to Peter Farina & the italyMONDO! team we simply proved it. (In less than a year!)Interesting Fact

We were excited to find a company that would handle all the documentation that goes into getting your Italian Dual Citizenship from start to finish, because the research on your own could take years and is incredibly confusing. We have read countless horror stories on blogs and forums about losing heart, not having correct documents, and it taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Many people wait for 3 years or more just to get approved.

Handing in our final documents to the Mayor, Mena Zeoli. So proud to be Citizens of Sepino, Italy.

The process of acquiring your Italian Dual Citizenship can always be done Stateside via the Italian Consulates, but since 2007 can be done here in Italy. Doing all of the paperwork in the USA could be more convenient if you have a lot of time to wait (and then wait some more), but I’d recommend what we have done and complete the process here in Italy. One of the major advantages to doing it here in Italy is that — if done correctly — it greatly reduces the process time. But, the greater benefit is in the entire experience around acquiring your Italian Citizenship in Italy.italyMONDO! does a great job at making sure that everyone has a personal and individual experience. We have had the pleasure of living in and visiting some beautiful Italian villages and have met some wonderful people as part of our “Citizenship Vacation” here in the Molise region. (View some of our posts on the village of Sepino and the People of Sepino). There has been so many more benefits than just having a quick turn around time with our Citizenship, many of which that could never happen with doing it in the US. Each experience will be different for everybody, and italyMONDO! helps make the experience completely unique to you and your family. For us, we have hiked all over the outdoors, visited working farms and dairies, made cheese, hung out with the Mayor of Sepino and her family, hiked 8 miles to Robert DeNiro’s great-grandparents village of Ferrazzano, seen the over 2,000 year old Roman ruins of Saepinum (Altilia), visited the Matese mountains and the Lago di Matese, played in the snow and even walked in a procession for Good Friday – all while making some great friends!

Benefits of Acquiring your Dual Italian Citizenship:
I won’t go into full detail about how it all works, but there were some major benefits to receiving our Dual Italian Citizenship that led us to our decision. Here are some of the major benefits to obtaining your Italian Passport:
1. TRAVEL: You can travel freely in the entire European Union & Schengen Area. As an Italian Citizen you can stay as long as you want, with no need for visas or three month travel stipulations for those imposed on non EU residents.
2. WORK: You can legally work in Italy and any of the EU countries. This cuts down on the immense amount of red tape involved for entrepreneurs and also makes you attractive to potential employers because you can transfer between company branches in both Europe and the United States without restriction.
3. EDUCATION: College at certain Italian universities is free for citizens and tuition is lowered at many universities across the European Union.
4. HEALTHCARE: If you are a resident in Europe, with Italian Citizenship you’ll have access to almost free healthcare throughout the entire European Union.
5. PROPERTY: Having your Dual Italian Citizenship greatly reduces the red tape involved in purchasing property abroad!
6. PASS IT ON TO OUR CHILDREN: We may not take advantage of all the many benefits that having an Italian passport may hold (this by far is not an exhaustive list of benefits), but our children may! Your Italian Citizenship is passed on to your children, and with the world ever becoming more global our children will have an opportunity to live and work with much more possibilities.Interesting Fact

We’re happy to note that we should not only have our Citizenships completed in a month or so, but we will actually have our European ID cards in hand sometime in May! I couldn’t be more pleased with Peter and italyMONDO!, and if you are looking to acquire your Italian Dual Citizenship, make sure you go with Peter and tell him the DiLoreti’s sent you.

Jill’s birth certificate and Italian documents will all have her maiden name. In Italy, the woman legally can’t take the man’s last name. Our ancestors changed their names when they came to the US in order to assimilate into American Society.Interesting Fact

I should also note that of all the companies we contacted, italyMONDO! was the only one to offer a full money-back guarantee on our Italian Citizenship. In fact, the “Skip the Consulate” service fee (their program for applying in Italy) isn’t even paid until we actually become Italian Citizens! italyMONDO!’s customer service has been great, and the other clients of Peter’s that we met while in Italy all had said the same thing.

If you have any questions about the process or how it worked for us, please feel free to shoot us an email.

Some Helpful Links:
NIAF (National Italian American Foundation) – Link For Dual Italian Citizenship
italyMONDO! – We highly recommend the Expedited Worry Free Process that we commissioned, along with his “Skip the Consulate” program in Italy!

Our Family, Mena the Mayor of Sepino, and Peter Farina of italyMONDO! after our final paperwork process. Just look at Rum’s face!

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Campbosso, Italy | the view from our apartment

We are in the town of Campobasso, Italy whose population is around 50,000 people. Campobasso is the capital of the Molise region and currently we are staying In the heart of the city. Today I am taking you where we shop on foot. There are separate shopping markets for the different items you might need located all over the city. There is a couple superstores in Campobasso where you can buy all your shopping needs at one place, as well. We love going to the small shops where you can buy more local, artisan, and quality products and I think most Italians do too.

Quasi Pronto da Diego, the produce market. Owner Diego & Stella

Our first stop is a produce market on the street below our apartment called Quasi Pronto da Diego. The owner is the always smiling Diego. When you enter the store you tell him what you want and he picks and bags the freshest vegetables and fruit. It is like a full service produce stand! He is very helpful, nice and always throws in some extra parsley or lemon. The kids love him. He is such a friendly face to see every morning when we leave the apartment! GO! Diego GO!

It is amazing to us how affordable fruits and vegetables are in Italy. Everything is based on the Kilogram (roughly 2.2 pounds). Some example prices: multiple types of apples, pears, and plums for between 1,00 and 2,00 Euro per Kilo, Sicilian Blood Oranges for 0,99 Euro per Kilo, and Broccolini for 1,50 per Kilo. I don’t think that we could find Fuji Apples or Oranges for 50 cents per pound in the US!

Macelleria The butcher shop

Then there is the Macelleria, the butcher shop two blocks down the road from our apartment. He has an assortment of meats and poultry that changes every day. He makes his own salumi, sausage and prosciutto. We have tried his cured sausage and prosciutto, both are to die for! The meat is fresh, never frozen, air dried, cut to order with HUGE cleavers and never in sealed plastic packages. To show how fresh the meat is he will place the cow’s nose, or the chicken’s comb beside the animal. The meat or poultry is cut, weighed and wrapped in paper to take home.. The other day we bought a roast and he trimmed the fat, and trussed it with bacon and parsley for us. What a treat this is because back home if I want to make the same thing, you’d have to buy everything separate (roast, a whole package of bacon just to put some slices on the roast, and multiple herbs) and then take the time to do it yourself. It is refreshing to see a butcher that has so much knowledge and care for the his craft.

The Cow’s Nose in the outside window. There are two more large meat cases inside the store as well.

I think the language barrier is hardest here with all the names of cuts and types of meat as well as the numbers involved in ordering it. When you order a chicken, you explain how you want it (do you want it whole, cut in half, quartered, in 1/8′s, trussed etc.). Same with beef, you don’t just order a ribeye that is sitting there in the case, you ask for the ribeye loin, usually bone in, and ask him to cut it to your specifications (how thick do you want it? bone in? larger cut for rib roast?). There are large cuts of meat that people specify scallopine (they thinly cut it in a slicer) or roasts or soup meats and on and on, everything is pretty much cut on the spot. We are learning and the butcher is very patient and helpful. One day we thought we were getting a beef steak, but instead we left with a pork chop! Oh well

LL Golsolone, general market, sweet owners Luigi & Joanna

Next we walk back towards our apartment to II Golosone (Panetteria, Salumeria, & Latteria) which translates to (bakery, delicatessen, and dairy), This is a small general market about 12 x 20, where you can buy cold items, dry goods, fresh baked bread, and meat and cheese. The owners are Luigi and Joanna, and they absolutely google over the children every time we go in. They are very helpful, and appreciate our business. They usually throw in a pie or something local for us to try. Today they gave the kids some coloring books and us a set of pretty coffee cups. It was so nice and so unexpected. I will make them a dessert before we leave!

La Cantina Enoteca the wine store

Another gem we have found is the La Cantina Enoteca wine store. They sell local regional wines from all over Italy. The store has large stainless steal vats that are labeled with the type of grape, region, tasting notes, and alcohol percentage. The cool part is this- you bring an empty milk or water containers to fill up with wine. The cost is any where from 1,50 to 5,50 Euros per liter. What a great concept! Reusing your containers, creating less trash and drinking delicious local wine for cheap! You can’t go wrong with that!

Are they open? In America the stores are open early to late, every day of the week, rain or shine, and even most holidays. In Italy it is much different! The Italians take a rest in the middle of the day to go home, eat, and be with there families. The stores are open early and close around lunch time, and then open back up around 5ish and close around 9ish pm. They are closed every Sunday and every holiday… and might decide to close when it’s raining. All times are approximate and subject to change without notice. =) So you better know the times they are open and keep your fridge stocked!

All of these markets and shops are within 2 blocks of our apartment. They are all very small and quaint, and it is a personal experience to go shopping. We have been here for such a short time and already know most of the owners. Think of how well you would know your neighbors if you lived here for years! At the end of it all, shopping takes longer, has less convenient times, BUT is more personal, more physically active, less carbon footprint and we love it.

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In Peru, farmers simultaneously plant a wide variety of potatoes to ensure biodiversity and to protect their harvest in case any one variety befalls pest or disease in any given year.

Biodiversity, by definition, is the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. Preserving biodiversity in our food system allows us to have a wide variety of foods to enjoy. Sadly, many species are in danger due to industrial standardization, the regulations of large-scale distribution and environmental damage. Slow Food USA catalogues many of the fruits and vegetables that are in danger in its Ark of Taste Program.

The good news!
You can play an active part in saving these heirloom fruits and vegetables. You can plant them, eat them, share them with others, or find an Ark of Taste producer in your area. How cool is it that we can actually eat our way out of this problem?

Here is a link to the email I received from Slow Food USA. I thought it was too good not to share, especially because there are discount codes to order Ark of Taste seed packets and plants. Use the promotion codes to order your Ark of Taste seeds and starter plants before April 18, 2013 and get up to 15% off.

Enjoy the variety of life! Happy planting!

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Mayor Mena Zeoli and Stella, enjoying a cafe and a juice together.

The Mayor: Starting from the top down, Mena Zeoli, is the lady who makes it all happen. She has been Mayor of Sepino for one and a half years now and is making some progressive strides to revitalize tourism and build the economy of the town. With her doing, Sepino was labeled among the 208 most beautiful villages in Italy, I Borghi piú Belli d’Italia (The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy). Her efforts go above and beyond, as she toured us around the city and helped us meet many of the artisans around the town. I was amazed how kind she was to us and our children.

The Contractor: One of the first men we met in town was “Don” Guiseppe, Guiseppe carried the label “Don” because he is well respected. He was very nice and showed us a few of his current building projects, all with unique and differing elements to them. He also took us to his son Carmines home to show off his past work and offer us limoncello with some pastries and juice for the kids. Jay was able to pick his brain about construction. Their is a movement in Italy, much like the U.S. to restore property to its original state. In the 70′s and 80′s the buildings in Italy were covered over with plaster and made to look very plain. Now they are restoring the old rustic stone walls of buildings to their original state and creating more ornate decoration on the interiors.

An interesting fact that we learned is that not many people know how to work with wood. It is rare to build with wood here and it is very costly. Everyone is a stone mason, so there is tile, travertine, and marble everywhere. Even drywall is a new concept here and there are few people who know how to do it well. Don Guiseppe’s parting advice to Jay was, “You have a passion for this type of work, I can tell! You’d do well here, buy a house.” Not the kind of advice I was hoping he would give Jay. =)

Paisano Pepe showing us how he weaves his baskets.

The Weaver: One morning Mayor Mena took us to meet Paisano Pepe, who is the only artisan basket weaver in Sepino. The wood comes from a native tree whose limbs are flexible and strong. Paisano Pepe was very kind and showed us how he starts the process of making a basket. So simple, yet complicated in the same. It was truly art in the making. We were told that the peasants used to weave baskets in the wintertime to keep busy and sell in the spring. As we parted, he gave our kids each a basket and a larger one for the family.

Francesco and his fresh milk.

The Dairy Farmer: Just down from the village is a local dairy farm with 11 cows. We met the owner Francesco and his wife. We were able to come by during milking times and watch the process. Their was also a baby calf in a pen that Jay and Stella gave some milk to. A good amount of his milk is sold to the local cheese makers, and the rest is sent off to be processed and packaged. He was very kind and sent us home with some fresh warm milk straight from the cow! Wow, was it delicious! He also has another property with more cows used for meat, which he supplies to the local butcher shop in Sepino.

Carlo putting the final touches on the handcrafted chef knife that we bought.

The Knife Maker: Before we left on this trip, Jay said he wanted some handmade butcher knives. Well, much to our surprise, there was a knife maker in Sepino! His name is Carlo Buono, whose craft has been handed down for generations in his family. The raw metal used to form the blades and handles are shipped from his brother in Germany. All the metal comes roughly formed into the shape of a knife. Carlo then takes the raw metal and further shapes and sharpens it into a razor sharp work of art. All of the knife handles are cut and formed out of olive wood, oak wood and even some glass. It is a true work of art coming from a very simple workshop. Jay was thrilled to be able to pick up a beautifully handcrafted chef knife to start his collection.

Our time in Sepino, Italy was wonderful. The people we met there showed us a great deal of hospitality, friendliness, and kindness. Everyone was patient with us when we butchered the Italian language, and they also loved our kids, especially Romolo, who they thought was our little German boy because of his blonde hair. Thank you Mena and Sepino for your kindness! We can’t wait to come back again!

Mena, Stella, and Romolo having a great time!

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