day 4 pizza and mozzarella

Today was a day of rest!  We took a pizza and mozzarella class offered by Francesca, one of the family members that owns the farm.  It was so much fun!  Mozzarella is remarkably easy to make.  Fresh milk is combined with a coagulant and then  pieces of chopped off and added to hot water.  The cheese strings and is formed into shapes.  From there it is first put in cold water and then salted water.  It was so yummy!There is a fresco from pompei that is on this blog and I don't know how to delete it but anyway!!  We then made pizza!!  Fun!  After that, I sat in the lounge area of the restaurant and read a book!  It was so peaceful.  Beautiful flowers all around and Kira the dog next to me sleeping!

day 3 Pompei and Herculeum

We were dead tired.  Ok, that was sick humor.  This is one of the corpses at Pompei.  The guide, Georgio said that people tend to remark more about the corpse of the dog (chained when the effects of Vesuvius hit) than the people.  We said "aww" too!  Poor thing.  This was amazing.  I did not know that there was a tsunami that also hit.  The people did not know that the earth tremors they were feeling were precursors to the violent eruption.  It was so violent that the top of Vesuvius blew itself off and created two crators.  People were killed by the hot lava and the gases that came with this eruption.  Some tried to escape only to die in the tsunami.  A small fraction of Pompei has been excavated and it is tedious work.  The people had a vibrant life with gardens and road ways..  There were 24 brothels in Pompei and wall drawings gave a menu of sorts for services that were provided.  On one outside wall there was a genital that seemed to point in the direction of a brothel!  

We then went to Herculeum.  Many of us liked it better than Pompei.  Amazing!  The people had things like marble bits on the entrance ways to their homes so that light would be reflected.  Each outside walkway was personalized with stones by the owner.  Homes had cisterns that collected water from the roof  and rooms had frescoes.  Three main colors were used: yellow red, and the most expensive, blue which was made from lapis.  We saw a precursor to our iron and folding wooden doors and windows.  All preserved.  Amazing.  There are houses that were built on this city and some excavation has been prevented due to this.  

Herculeum:

day 2-the Amalfi Coast

I had read that the Amalfi coast was beautiful.  And has hairpin turns.  I was a bit worried.  The drive was absolutely beautiful.  I had to move to a part of the  bus where I could not see the drop off.  I think my family realized this when I had a death grip on the handles of the seat.  So much for overcoming a height phobia!  Once on land, the sites were amazing.  The water is green and blue and so clear.  There are huge rocks in the water and several piers.  Some of the family elected to go on a boat ride but I stayed with a couple of cousins and just watched the people.

Day 1

We had a long trip from Canada!  Our flight to Italy was delayed by 2 1/2 hours because of a "little: problem with the engine!  Yikes!  We finally arrived and saw what I thought was relatively flat land in Rome.  I would later come to appreciate flat land!  Jessica, our wonderful agent, met us at the airport and arranged for us to be bussed to our first agrafarm.  These farms are like bed and breakfasts   on a farm.  We would eat what is grown.  But on the way we stopped for lunch (paninis) and then saw a magnificent coastal view

 

On the way we had our first taste of lemon ice.  I will never see lemons in the same way again.  They are huge!!!  Like grapefruits!  And so tasty!  The lemon ice had bits of rind in it and was very refreshing! 

We arrived at the farm, Tenuta Terra Nova about two hours later.  It is beautiful!  Very remote but with views of the Bay of Naples.  There are flowers everywhere and animals.  Kira, the German Shepherd, met us and escorted the cars to where we would stay.  This is a family owned operation and very comfy and peaceful.  Sporadic wifi so this blog got a late start!

May 4th-- pre-Italy with additions on May 12th

My first blog-- not in Italy but at Starry Nights in Rochester. Many thanks to bird watcher and teacher extraordinaire, Larry O, for teaching me about blogging!


I never thought I would want to go to Italy.  My goal had always been to go to China. But my cousin Lindy had great success finding  information about our paternal great-grandparents.  Initially, we thought information would be limited. We were so wrong!  Lindy has now compiled 6 generations back of Iamonacos (the real spelling of our last name). Lindy and I feel that it is as though they want to be discovered. We began to wonder where these relatives were from, what were their lives like.  Enter this trip to Italy. 

Below is a picture we were able to get from another relative.  To the left is my great uncle, Angelo, then my great grandmother Mary, my grandfather, Frank, great grandfather Filomeno and a mystery.  We think the young man at the extreme right might be our great aunt's husband. 

Below is my grandmother, Mary, my mother's mother.  My Aunt Margie had given my mom this picture and I asked for a copy.  My Aunt said, "Isn't it something that she (me) feels close to her when she never met her." Those words struck me, like, "oh, that's right.  I never met her."  I know that sounds strange but I always felt close to my grandmother.  Always.  It was almost tangible.  When I was a baby, my mother said she would hold me and I would be staring at something past her.  It would freak her out because it was though i was staring at someone.  I think I sensed my grandmother's presence.

She came to America with her aunt.  Her parents went to South America and were not heard from.  She spent her life searching for them.  I want to complete that search. 

So soon, we will cross the ocean back to our roots.