Truffle hunting for the storytellers

Our storytelling group of 14 plus Roi and Giovanna get driven by Matteo to where Matteo knows is truffle land.  He has two special truffle dogs, and together with his dogs is famous for finding truffles.

The oldest member in our group is 77- she is walking ahead with a pink scarf.  June is inspiring, she struggles with some of the walking, so we lend her our sticks.  She's  a great storyteller!

Matteo with his white truffle dog worth R50,000.00- a little like a labradoodle, Claire...he's got his truffle spade on his back - Rossario is in the background with the brown dog.

Brown dog is smelling truffle, Matteo scrapes away some of the leaves ..

Yip, it's a truffle, it's called white gold, as it's white truffle season.  That night we have truffle very thinly sliced on our home made pasta.  It has a delicate but distinctive flavor.

This is what a truffle looks like in the ground, like a little turd.

We walk further, the spring flowers are just beginning to pop out...Olga is on the left, and is Russian.

After lunch we walk to an old mill, the hillsides are atill brown from winter, can you imagine how green they must be quite soon?

The view along the way ...

The view as we walk to the old mill

Beautiful clean water..

We get to the mill, and are to find something from nature which calls us and write about it in groups of 3. The first person sets the scene.  Th second addresses the object as you (eg. You, old tree, who has stood for many many years witnessing...) and the third person becomes the object..

My dear South African friend , Lenore. Notice her handbag/satchel made by her daughter.  

We have had our photo taken and I gets published in the Italian newspaper to invite people to hear our stories on Saturday night... Italians don't know what storytellers are, so there is curiosity what these people will do...

Cooking evening for our storytelling group and a hellova a party after

Rob and I are to prepare fresh artichokes bought from the local market.  We strip the outer hard leaves, cut them in half, and begin to prepare the stuffing

Rob mixes herbs, olive oil,Parmesan  cheese in with the bread crumbs.

Masimilliano is the Chief cook, one of two sons of Marisso and Jianni.  Here he says that he never mixes garlic with onion ... But he will throw in whole cloves , unpeeled, later, then fish them out, so that the garlic flavor is always mild. Roi Gal-Or from the UK school of storytelling, our facilitator, is cooking the chicken.

There are 14 of us cooking plus Masimilliano and his brother Matteo, Marissa, and The father Jianni!

Everyone is completely relaxed, with four teams preparing different courses. The brother of Masimilliano is in the background with his father Jianni.

Of course we have a drink (or two) with the meal, there is much sharing and looking over each other's shoulders to see what each of us is doing,  somehow the kitchen holds all the extra bodies effortlessly- I think it has much to do with the amazing hotel owners, Marissa, who always has a smile, and husband Jianni and the sons and their families.

We don't feel like guests, we feel part of the family..

This is the fish soup Rob and I helped make, huge fresh prawns, cuttle fish, fresh and delicious

The main Course, grilled Aubergine, stuffed artichokes, frittatas, a chicken dish, and other vegetable dishes, followed by tiramisu- all with fresh ingredients.  Locals from the village are invited for supper, and neither Rob nor I took photos, because we enjoyed the party so much.  Masimilliano, who has been cooking since morning, picks up a guitar, his two friends have a keyboard and and the music begins.  Everyone joins in the dancing, and there are some rude Italian songs, sung with gusto.  Do these people know how to enjoy life!  

Our first day on the storytelling workshop in Portico

There are 14 people on the storytelling workshop from all over the world.  Giovanna and Roi from the International school of Storytelling are our facilitators.  Roi says that he has many good reasons for being here, but he knows that the real reason will unfold.  Tim from the UK who speaks fluent Italian, says that he did a Japanese painting course, and the teacher asked him why he wanted to learn.  He replied, I don't know.  The teacher said, I have taught many people, and very few reasons have been strong enough to learn.  But perhaps yours is.  We play with childish abandon, remembering moments and childhood special times.  In the afternoon we are invited to ask a question, what is it we are seeking from the course, why are we here.  We have walked down to the river, over the old Roman bridge.  We pair up and choose something from nature.  A story emerges spontaneously from the objects.  And miraculously the metaphors in the story synchronize with our question.

The water in the river is so fresh that shrimps live in the water.  It is forbidden to fish them out.  If you are caught the fine is 400euros per shrimp!

We walk back in time for a tour of the village - we learn why the villagers don't cook with salt, ( the Medici family taxed the villagers and they rebelled, their punishment was to go without salt for 5years)and are amazed by the creativity of the villagers.  We are invited into two houses .... Pictures below..

This woman is 87 years old, living by herself in a Harry Potter kind of home.  The secret to her youthful appearance, a husband 10 years younger! ( no longer alive... Makes you think)

The view from her little balcony overlooking the river.  On the other side of the river each family has an allotment, and each grows their own vegetables.

Next we visit this man and his dog... He is 76 years old, and was a kind of revolutionary..below is the entrance to his home...

Definitely Harry Potter country...

I have never ever in my life been into such a jumble of things.  A skinned rabbit he has caught is lying in the basin.  A few loaves of bread  in a plastic crate, he offers us his home made cherry liquer... It tastes like amaretto - delicious...

Above the entrance to his door I notice the words, and get told they mean out of chaos comes creativity, or imagination ...

A light rain falls on the cobbled streets as we walk back the the Convento.  Notice the flowers and stones along the way..quite entrancing ...

Below is our group of storytellers.

Our adventure in Portico Di Romagna

We arrived last night in the medieval village of Portico Di Romagna for our storytelling week workshop.  Magic and mystery begin to unfold immediately, a village untouched by traffic, 400 residents, a river and 16 storytellers from around the world.m SA, UK, Germany, Russia, Oz, USA...we are staying in a converted convent called Al Vecchio Convento.   

Rob and I go for a walk to,explore the viIlage and find exciting ancient passages full,of promise of meeting interesting people....

We soon find the local bar which sells everything from dispirin to sweets... It's our first taste of the wine made locally.... Rich red Borghese 

We have gnocchi pasta, spaghetti and cream brûlée and meet the other storytellers... Then go for a short walk enjoying the crisp mountain air before falling into bed...

Our trip to Italy, March 2015

Thrilled to be in Florence, my favourite city.  And now Robs too! The golds and greens are everywhere in this vibrant city. Feel so blessed to be back, and especially exploring it together with Rob.

Beautiful sunny day.  Our first day in Italy.

On our second day we took a bus ride around the city - yesterday, weather much crisper.  Magnificent views over Florence and the Arno river.

The view from our bedroom  window  la Casa del Garbo- fantastic location on Piazza Signoria.    Fun to people watch.  It's a few minutes walk to the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo and Close to all the shops and other sights.

Gelato shops everywhere!  We can't resist.

6 euros for this sized cone, I've never paid so much for one ice cream in my life, nearly R80!

Lunches are delicious open sandwiches, artichoke, olive, mozzarella, grilled vegetables...or pizza!

The Ponte Vecchio as we walk home after listening to La Traviata in Santo Spirito church.   

Magnificent opera in the church, Robs first opera and he enjoys it.  The voices wash me inside as the melodies reverberate in the small church.  It's a version of Pretty Woman, but different ending as Violetta dies.  It's the same opera that Julie Roberts goes to in the movie

The green, white and pink marble facade of The Duomo

We go to mass in the Cathedral this morning.  Both Rob and I are moved by the service.  The priests, all male, chant and the invisible female chorus responds. Magnificent frescoes on the dome, as you look up.  

We went for an inner city walk guided by an app that Rob downloaded to discover a few of the hidden treasures one can so easily walk past.

I love the frescoes, pietas and paintings of the Madonna and child.  I can relate easier to her than the male dominated art

The colours of Italy are everywhere, even in the pasta.

Paying the gift of the Camino forward - leaving Bertie and Ella for the volunteers to use

A graffiti sentence in a tunnel struck deep in us- 

The Camino is a gift, Pay it forward...

We have left Bertie and Ella for the Dutch and other volunteers to use in Santiago.  The enthusiastic volunteers come in for two week stints, welcome pilgrims arriving, help with information and whatever they can... There is always a cup of coffee, biscuits and a lovely chat waiting ...

This is our bit to paying it forward...the volunteers will use the bikes to get from their hotels/ albergues/ pensions to get to the pilgrims office and around the city...