A place close to the heart

You won’t believe this but I had a completely different post planned for today…. the best laid plans….. and all that stuff.  I just went to the the MTFSO blog page and re-read the topic for this week – thought OOPS.  “February 17 - Hearts. Heart shapes or places near and dear to your heart”, I need to read or to remember what I’ve read better.  Anyway, a last minute change of heart…..

February 14 is not valentines day in Brasil; Dia dos Namorados is on June 12th this year.  I wouldn’t or didn’t write anything about valentines day, love or passion – just not my way.  But when thinking about places close to the heart, there I could make a list.  It won’t be a surprise to you that Brasil in general was not on my list of  places ‘close to the heart’.  Maybe the botanical gardens of Rio or the park of the sitting dog in Friburgo are two of my favorite places but close to the heart is a stretch.  No, they are just interesting places.  My list would include Adrian Michigan, Houston Texas, Paris France (and other French places) and most of Italy.  Now these places could be noted as close to the (my) heart.  And just to show I’m legal, I have at one time or another posted on the MTFSO from any one of these places – so close to the heart and my towns.  

This revelation sent me looking through my archives.  I’ve made notes of things I’ve seen, felt while traveling and I found some notes listed under ROME / Italy.  So I will try to find some photos that will show you what prompted the words.  Remember that this is not intended as poetry just thoughts stimulated, probably, while sitting in some quiet spot after a good meal…..

Italy

Sweet smell of flowers, crisp scents of olives mingle in warm sunshine.  Red, yellow, purple and cream wild flowers color dotting cultivated fields.  Drab, deep and bright green, weathered red, soft browns, blue sky completes, blends, fills the eye, the mind : gratification. 

Fast cars, slow roads, rude, warm, inviting proud people, small space, big heart; grapes, grappa, pasta, bread.  Land renews, rocks grow old, hidden treasures, time and space continue.  Italy.

Photos from Rome and other towns throughout Italy and represent all (some!) of my favorite things, …held close to the heart

   

    

    

As the day ends .

This photo is of the sunset our last day in Frascati but it works for expressing my last days here in Italy as well.  A beautiful three weeks.  Full of color, texture, tastes and experiences. 

I still feel so full that I don’t know if I will be able to do justice to just one more story about food but I will try.  Today Mira (Camillo’s sister Mirrella) suggested that she drive us to a small town outside of Rome called Monterotondo, (round mountain), for lunch in a little restaurant that she had found by accident.  It was to be about an hours drive, it took over two – I am pretty sure she got lost while trying to find this restaurant on purpose.

It was worth the drive – the little “La Locanda di bacco” offered food of the day, no menu, a wine list with prices from  8 to 150 Euro and a family atmosphere.  A perfect end to our effort to find ‘Italia Profunda’  [Piazza della Libeta 9/11 – tel 06 906 22366]
I chose Fettuccini con Tartufi and Mira had gnocchi with Parmesan Crocanti – To top off the whole experience I had a ‘frutta di Bosco’.  Only pictures will tell the whole story. 


See you next week back in Rio.