FROM AN ITALIAN SKETCHBOOK

Today's post will be short on narrative and focus more on pages from my sketchbook. The primary purpose of this trip was to provide the opportunity to photograph and draw/sketch the visual experiences I encountered. I have been away from this "on the spot" drawing for many years and quite honesty had some doubts about my abilities to do this. As it turned out, they were not unfounded...and my early attempts at drawing were dismal failures. It felt like my hands were blocks of lead and my eyes could not make sense of anything. But then things changed, and the drawing became easier, and enjoyable, and unlike the earlier efforts I now eagerly anticipate the next drawing session. Enough said. In no particular order...

A DAY IN BOLOGNA

Well....maybe a half a day. After 3 weeks I finally arrived at a workable routine. The day usually starts around 6 or 6:30 with a glass of juice and one small cup of espresso, and then on to the computer to record in my daily journal. After that I prepare the blog post for the day and maybe something for Facebook, and spend some time organizing the dozens of photos I’ve accumulated, editing, filing, and if needed, trashing.

By 9 or 9:30 I’m ready to take on the streets of the city. After several days of experimenting with what I should take and how to carry it I’ve settled on the backpack containing sketchbooks, several pens, pencils, and markers, as well as the camera, stool, and umbrella. Lately I’ve learned that I don’t need the stool.

I will select a general area that I want to explore and set out at a slow and casual pace...At first I was brisk and snappy and soon learned that this saps up too much energy too fast...so now it’s slow and easy. My goal is to find an interesting scene that I can see and sketch from a comfortable shady cafe seat. The first stop is for espresso, and one, maybe 2 sketches. Continuing my trek, the next stop is usually for a glass of juice and another sketch. (In Italy no one really cares how long you sit at the tables,)
Then it’s off to another destination and by now it may be anywhere between 10 and 11AM, so it is time for a cappuccino. Today I managed 3 cafe stops, plus one for lunch. All of this gets me back to my apartment around 1 or 2 o’clock, so I avoid the hot afternoon sun. Here I can download the photos I took, work on the sketches and/or do new ones, as well as read and last but not least , nap!



"juice stop"





lunch

OK, might as well complete the day here. After hanging around the apartment the rest of the afternoon I decided to treat myself to dinner out...an easy decision since there was nothing here to eat. At 6:30 I was seated outside at La Bella Napoli, a neighborhood trattoria that specializes in seafood. At 6:30 I was alone, but when I left an hour later the crowds were gathering. Evening dining here doesn’t get started until well after 7:30....too late for me.

I had the antipasto pesce and seafood risotto. (a confession is in order here...for lunch I had homemade tagliatteli alla bolognese, so I broke with my routine of one meal in and one meal out,) Both were delicious. I have learned to enjoy octopus...it doesn’t taste anything like it looks.





Now it is almost time for bed.

URBAN LIVING in ITALIA

Most Italians live in an urban environment, apartments and condominiums are prevalent, even in the small communities where accommodations are compressed because of the limited land. (Italy is approximately the size of Arizona.) There is no suburban sprawl and there are very few “developments”.

In city central most of the more elegant living is hidden behind walls and street front buildings and large doors, which are often nondescript in appearance, hiding the gems behind them...gardens, court yards, and more. As one moves toward the periphery of the city the homes, most of which appear to be multifamily dwellings, and apartment buildings can be seen from the street, although usually behind a gate or lush greenery. The most elegant housing that I have seen so far, in my limited excursions away from city central, has been on Via Saragozza on my way to San Luca’s sanctuary.

If you can imagine a blending of Savanna GA, Charleston SC, and the garden district in New Orleans, then you can imagine some of the more elegant streets and homes in Bologna.

PARMA

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that I should abandon any thoughts I might have about closing my gallery and becoming a travel writer. I wouldn’t make it; I fall in love with every place I visit! It doesn’t matter what city I’m in, I always find something to love about it...Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrara, and now Parma. I arrived at the train station this morning planning to go to Rimini, but at the last minute decided to go north instead of south, and took the train to Parma. One hour later I walked out of the station at Parma. I had a general idea of where to go, but as soon as I could I purchased a city map and found the streets that would take me to the old, central part of the city where I would fall in love once more.

Here is another reason I would not make it as a travel writer...I have no interest in all of the historic sights, the museums, and cathedrals, and when I do see them could not tell you their names. My only interest is in the visual impact of the city and the texture and vitality of the streets. This means the shops, restaurants, green spaces, piazzas, and most importantly, the people. In the cities I have visited the people are everywhere, walking, riding bicycles or motor bikes, and climbing in and out of buses. I love the architecture, visually and spatially. I imagine living, or working in one place or another, shopping in the stores, and lounging in the cafes. I am fascinated by the housing, the apartments and condominiums and how they relate to the streets.

And when I’m not in the city but on the train, my eyes are glued to the windows taking in the country side: what kind of farms are there, what do the farm houses and barns look like? As we go through the small towns I’m constantly looking at the houses and apartments; are they neat, new, worn out and tired? I love to see the small, meticulously cared for gardens in the back yards, often with a small row of grapes and one or more fruit trees (reminds me of my grandfather and fathers garden on the farm).

And of course there is the food...about which I need say no more.

FERRARA SAMPLER

Today I will let the photos do the talking, inviting you to join me as we ride our bicycles through the town.

Street corner from medieval era

Castello Estensa
entering the draw bridge
the castle

residential street in the renaissanace district





There is no escaping the arches

FERRARA

the wall


the walled city

If I had to be away from home and friends on my birthday, what better place to be than in the wonderful city of Ferrara, with brand new friends. Luigi, a friend of a friend, met me at the train station after the one hour trip from Bologna. The distance was not great, but the train stopped at: Corticella, Castlemaggiore, Funo Centergross, S. Giorgio d. P., S. Pietro in C., Gallieria, Poggio Renatico, and Coronella. (I could not resist recording these names.)

Ferrara is surrounded by a huge wall with six entrances into the old city which is divided into the medieval and Renaissance sections, distinguished by the street widths and architecture. The city is proud of the fact that there are more bicycles in old town than cars...that is the way people get around in Ferrara, and that is the way Luigi was determined to show me his city. Any notion I might have had about a leisurely stroll through Ferrara, recovering from my episodes of the previous 2 days - San Luca and the tower - where quickly dispelled. Once I realized the inevitable I found some degree of comfort in reminding myself that riding a bike was like riding a horse or milking a cow...something you never forget. In addition, I was bolstered by the successes of the last 2 days, so with just a bit of trepidation I set out on the bike, dutifully following Luigi, and just like the hike to San Luca, I was frequently passed by others, obviously older than my 71 years. More motivation. I was a little wobbly at real slow speeds and did much better when we moved a tad faster. The hardest parts were stopping and starting, stopping because my feet just about reached the ground, and starting because my jeans were somewhat tight and made it difficult to raise my leg over and onto the bike. I have since convinced myself that NO ONE really witnessed those graceless maneuvers.




To move this story along, we spent about 2 hours in the morning and 3 in the afternoon on the bikes, stopping now and then to visit a museum, church, or gallery. In the course of the day I learned that Luigi was incapable of passing a rough cobble stoned street without turning onto it. By days end parts of my anatomy were trying to communicate with me...like...Get the F... off this bike you idiot!!!

My reward for all of this was a camera full of photos and more special than that...a dinner with Luigi and his wonderful family in their condominium. I celebrated my birthday with Luigi, his lovely wife Caterinna ( my apologies if I have misspelled the name), and their handsome sons, Stefano and Giovanni (pronounced Joe-vanni).

I took the 9:30 train back to Bologna, a 30 minute trip because of only one stop, hailed a cab, and was back “home” at 10:15. What a day...and today I recover.


The Rigosi family...Giovanni on the left - Stefano on the right of Luigi

CAFFES I HAVE VISITED

Those of you who know me can understand how difficult it is for me to take time to stop for lunch when I could be visiting all the churches, cathedrals, and ancient museums filled with stuff about dead Italians. After all...why come to Bologna if all you do is eat? Exercising the same tenacious will that allowed me to climb those almost 500 steps yesterday, I do occasionally allow myself the pleasure of at least a little food. As proof of this, I offer these sketches and photos of some of my culinary experiences.





And as often as not...I prepare my own meals in the apartment.


This morning I will take the 9AM train from Bologna to Ferrara, a small medieval city about 30 miles from here.