EPICOPIA: Join Harold in Italy in 2012

My dear friend, Harold Partain, has a great travel menu for Italy this year! "Authentic Puglia: A Culinary Cultural Experience" (September 20-29, 2012); Puglia (or Apulia) is the sunny heel of the "boot" that's wrapped by the Adriatic Sea (hint: lots of seafood!). And what's not to love about pasta via "Italian Maremma & Umbria: A Pasta Lover's Culinary Tour in October, or Tuscany for "Taste the Land of the Renaissance" (November 7-18, 2012). See EPICOPIA for details and say ciao to Harold for me!

STUDIO UPDATE

Cleaning out my studio so I can start painting in January . . .

EPICOPIA: Harold in Italy 2011

My good friend, Harold Partain, is at it again, going to Italy without me! Only a few spots are left on his upcoming Tuscan experience: A Taste of the Land of the Renaissance (November 10-21, 2010). Trip includes a visit to a cheesemaker and a personal "truffle hunt" and cooking lesson, plus a visit to Lucca (one of my favorite destinations). He's selected an amazing agriturismo stay near Vinci and a delightful hotel in Florence---best of country and city with food and wine experiences along the way. Harold and EPICOPIA pair the best of Italia!

Saying Goodbye to Rome

Colosseo

Time for Lanna to jump again. I told her that her shadow looked like a bull, hooves and all.

Rome at Night

Rome in Black and White

Vatican Flooring

Please tread on me.

Where we walk is important.

Floor mosaics celebrate functional beauty.

Great Lighting in Rome

First Day in Rome

Soon Departing Orvieto

I write.

Lanna jumps.

Special Purpose Lighting in Orvieto

This is one of the more unusual wrought iron light fixtures that I documented. It's designed to illuminate an enormous display frame. I never confirmed if it was electrified or gas since I never walked by it at night to know if it worked or not. I've also seen candle holders like this before, so not sure what this one really is.

Orvieto's Duomo with Golden Mosaic Facade

A Simple LIght Fixture In Orvieto

One of my research tasks this trip was to document light fixtures along the way. This one reminds me of "lusters" from Murano.

Taking Time to Write

Living the Dream via Sagraincasa

Our gracious hosts and my niece, Lanna; www.sagraincasa.com.

As charming as it looks. Delightfully Umbrian in the midst of rolling hills.

Fiori di Zucca alla Romana per Sagraincasa.com

Inserting a tiny "cherry" (ciliegia) ball of mozzarella inside after removing the pollen head.

Adding a sliver of anchovy inside before dipping in batter.

Frying in sunflower oil until golden.

Cooking Class near Orvieto

The highlight of my summer trip proved to be a cooking class in the Umbrian countryside near Orvieto. The experience was first amazing because I totally managed to surprise my niece with the pre-arranged class; I didn't "spill the beans" so to speak until the morning we were to be picked up in Orvieto. Secondly, I have a new Italian friend in Simona Fabrizio, owner of www.sagraincasa.com; she and her husband, Nick, were gracious and welcoming with open arms.

Simona and Lanna.

Zucchini Flowers

When Simona  of www.sagraincasa.com said she had gone to a neighbor's garden at 7:30 in the morning to pick fresh zucchini flowers (blossoms) for our cooking class (because she didn't have enough blossoms in her own garden), I was smitten. I was totally impressed that my neice, Lanna, and I would be getting a "local" food experiences---as promised!


The zucchini blossoms shown here are from Monterosso. When I took this photo, I had to bite my lip not to tell my niece, Lanna, about her upcoming "surprise" cooking class in Orvieto because I knew zucchini blossoms were on the class menu!

Teatro Mancinelli in Orvieto

A beatiful discovery to find this. I can't believe I never visited
this interior before on previous trips .

Center chandelier.

Sconces with gilt finish.