April2004 - Dream of Italy

INSIDE:
Italy’s Cork Capital 4
Tuscan Hideaways 5
Hotels Offer Dollar
Guarantee 6
Yoga Retreat 7
An Escape to
BLISSFUL
BURANO
eaving the bustling streets of
Venice behind, I take a seat
on the open back deck of
vaporetto #12 to churn across the
lagoon to Burano, the island where
lace has been made for five centuries.
The women of this fishing village still
take simple cotton and linen threads
and make lace so prized that Louis
XIV and Catherine de’Medici sent their
personal shoppers in search of the
dainty textile called merletto.
L
ITALY
Volume 3, Issue 4
www.dreamofitaly.com
April 2004
Sardinia–
A World Apart
ardinia sounds too perfect to be
true. An island equidistant
from Italy and Africa, with
European sophistication and
an unspoiled natural setting, it’s the
perfect size to discover in a leisurely
week or so.
S
Alsion Harris
Any doubts I might
have had about such
claims melted in the
Mediterranean sun as
I flew over the island’s
stunning granite mountains, patchworks of
pastures, farms and
vineyards, high plateaus
covered with cork oak forests and
sandy beaches surrounded by a
mesmerizing turquoise sea.
This sea has turned Sardinia into the
affluent mainland Italians’ summer
playground, tripling the island’s
population of two million in July and
August. Happily, the weather is always
mild and the sea great for swimming
from April through October. Spring,
I discovered, is the ideal time to visit:
Sardinia’s perfumed
Mediterranean scrub
turns emerald green.
Wild flowers paint the
rocky countryside and
the coast is blissfully
empty.
Whatever the season,
the Sardinians are
disarmingly solicitous.
Hospitality is a cult. Farmers make
gifts of outsized oranges, vintners
uncork bottles of sunny wine and
shepherds offer tangy homemade
Pecorino sheep’s milk cheese. This is
continued on page 2
But Burano is more than a mecca for
lace lovers; it’s also a welcome respite
from the tourist-filled streets of
Venice. As I step ashore, I’m one of
only a handful of visitors looking at
the cloudless, periwinkle sky that
frames rows of houses painted saffron
yellow, terracotta red and
peacock blue.
Though Burano
was once a
3rd-century
refuge in the
Laguna Nord,
the scrubbed
homes and
small grassy courtyards are as fresh as
today’s catch. Directly ahead, my
friend and I see Fondamenta Cavanella
(a main street on the island), a good
place to begin a 15-minute walk
across the island. We wander, until
we’re greeted by a dark-haired postman singing something resembling
“That’s Amore.” He strikes a jaunty
pose when he notices our cameras.
Barbara Wysocki
dream of
Then he’s off again, his song as cheerful as the bright geraniums, pansies
and fuchsia on every doorstep and in
every window. We turn around and
head to the center of town for bussola
continued on page 8
“Sardinia is left outside of time and history.” —D.H. Lawrence
Sardinia – A World Apart continued from page 1
Italy and then some: the culture, faces,
dialects, food and wine are a medley
of Middle Eastern, North African,
Ligurian, Pisan and Catalonian
influences.
2
Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital, is a roughand-ready jumble set on a limestone
eminence facing south toward Tunisia.
“Strange, stony Cagliari,” wrote D.H.
Lawrence in 1921. Strange and stony it
remains: narrow streets climb among
low houses from the port’s arcaded
Via Roma to the medieval citadel —
my favorite part of town. From its
panoramic bastions you take in miles
of scenery and millennia of history.
At the citadel’s summit, the National
Archaeological Museum, in the reconverted ruins of a 13th-century castle,
offers an introduction to Sardinia’s
dauntingly complex history. It stretches
from the Nuraghic Civilization (2500
B.C.) to the Phoenicians (1000 B.C.),
Carthaginians (550 B.C.) and the
Romans (238 B.C.), via waves of
medieval invaders into the modern
age.
Cagliari itself spins these epochs together: descending from the citadel you pass
a Roman amphitheater, early Christian
churches and a forest of contemporary
architecture best not described.
Sardinia’s real appeal lies outside its
cities, and the best way to discover the
island’s lifestyle and landscape is to
drive clockwise from Cagliari to the
west, cutting between coast and
interior on back roads. Whatever you
do, save time for the central Barbàgia
region’s spectacular Gennargentu
Mountains.
There is little industry in Sardinia:
farmland runs right up to city limits.
Prickly pear hedges delimit citrus,
plum and peach orchards. Vineyards
march from mountainsides to sea cliffs.
Nasco, Cannonau, Monica, Girò and
Bovale are a few of the indigenous varieties that produce easy to love, fruitforward wines. The longest established
of these wines, Nuragus, is named for
the Bronze Age Nuraghi fortified settlements, 7,000 of which still dot the
island.
Sardinians have been making Nuragus
wine for thousands of years. The best
of it (and other island varieties) now
comes from the Argiòlas estate in the
Gerrei region’s rolling vineyards, due
north of Cagliari. Here you might
encounter the island’s curious “Little
Train That Could,” a vintage narrowgauge steamer with a handful of harddriven carriages. It shuttles between
Alghero
Cagliari and Arbatax, a daylong
corkscrew ride through wine country
and over the Barbàgia region’s mountain fastnesses. As I feasted with winemaker Giuseppe Argiòlas on fresh lobster-sauce pasta and a chilled bottle of
his Nuragus wine, he recalled how the
train used to bring school children into
Cagliari from outlying villages. When
the steamer reached a steep grade it
would splutter to a halt, the kids,
Giuseppe included, would jump off,
raid surrounding vineyards, then jump
back on once it had charged to the next
hilltop.
An hour from the Gerrei’s vineyards,
on the Gulf of Cagliari’s southwest
Where to Stay
Villa Las Tranos is the most charming seaside
option in a town filled with modern hotels
that seem stuck in a time warp. This villa,
once the vacation home of
Italian royalty,
sits majestically
on a promontory. A double
room starts at 200€ per night in low
season and 270€ during high season.
(39) 079 981818; www.hotelvillalastronas.it
Costa Smerelda
(Porto Cervo)
Hotel Cala di Volpe, one of the most luxurious hotels in all of Europe, was designed
by architect Jacques Couelle to resemble
an old Sardinian village. The resort offers
every imaginable service including live
entertainment and a water skiing school.
Don’t be surprised if some of your fellow
guests are Hollywood stars. For an April
visit, expect to pay 924€ per night for a
double room. If you can even get a
reservation in the summer, you will
pay much more. (39) 0789 976111;
www.starwood.com
The 4-star Le Ginestre down the road from
Porto Cervo provides a tranquil seaside
retreat with the opportunity to indulge in
excellent Sardinian cuisine.
During high season, rates
start at 170€ per person,
per day with half board.
(39) 0789 92030;
www.leginestrehotel.com
La Maddalena
The Hotel Cala Lunga offers stunning ocean
views from every corner of the hotel,
including its private beach. The hotel has a
sailing school and a diving school. Rates
average 95€ per person, per night during
high season. (39) 0789 734 042
The Giuseppe Garibaldi, a pleasant place to
stay near the port in La Maddalena town,
is a 10-minute walk from the beach.
A double room costs 140€ per night.
(39) 0789 737314
—Kathy McCabe
1 € = $1.22 at press time
Freedom fighter Giuseppe Garibaldi di
How to get to Sardinia
shore, a promontory curls into the sea
between sandy, half-moon coves. Here
stands ruined Nora, Sardinia’s most
moving ancient city. Consistently
windswept the promontory is studded
with crumbling monuments. Other
ruins lie beneath the sea. Wandering
among Nora’s Roman theater and
mosaic-paved houses I felt I had torn a
page from Virgil, and that Aeneas might
round a cape to land at the main
watchtower’s base. Early Christians
occupied the site and in the 11th
century built the Romanesque church
of Sant’Efisio, a squat, humble structure
compared to the imposing ruins
around it. The church is now the
finishing line of the wildly colorful
May 1st to 4th Procession of Sant’Efisio
from Cagliari, which celebrates the
obscure local saint’s martyrdom.
Costumed men carry a sculpture
representing Sant’Efisio and the
merrymaking crowd
swells en route toward
Nora, with dancing and
feasting into the night.
The Costa del Sud wraps
around Sardinia’s extreme
southwestern tip. Coves,
cliffs, ruins and vineyards
follow in succession, with
half a dozen medieval
watchtowers set like
pepper pots on the shore.
A few miles offshore are
the craggy islands of
Sant’Antioco and San Pietro. The
Carthaginians began the two-mile
causeway to Sant’Antioco, now a busy
fishing port. The upper part of town
exudes antiquity: an acropolis sits
atop a layer-cake of Phoenician and
Carthaginian ruins, with Roman
tombs over them, and early Christian
catacombs riddling all three.
More lively, and a quick ferry ride
away, is the town of Carloforte, on San
Pietro island. This is a slice of Genoa
circa 1740. That’s because Ligurian
seafarers built the handsome, pastelcolored, rococo town as a colony of the
Republic of Genoa. Strange to tell, the
Carlofortini still speak old Ligurian
dialect and eat the focaccia and pesto of
the “old country” — i.e. the Italian
Riviera. Local artisans in rustic workshops weave elaborate reed lobster
traps, now a popular souvenir. The
wide seaside promenade is shaded by
contortionist giant ficus trees and
swarmed by strollers.
There are flights from all of the major Italian
cities to Alghero, Cagliari and Olbia.
In the summer, charters are offered from
London and other European capitals.
As you drive north to the Giara di
Gèsturi plateau and its herds of wild
horses (see sidebar), or anywhere
inland, be warned: shepherds,
goatherds, swineherds and their
Noah’s Ark of animals march down
Sardinia’s country roads. Three million
sheep roam free — the island’s economic mainstay. From a
distance, trotting
en masse, they
shimmer, miragelike. On limestone
hills they appear
and disappear, wandering white boulders
among the scrub.
boulders and eroded pinnacles
teetering above a jagged shore. Urbane
Alghero, Sardinia’s most alluring small
city, derives its Spanish character from
the Catalan conquerors that ruled it
from 1354 to 1720. As you stroll atop
the seafront medieval walls, down
The northeast coast,
from Santa Caterina
di Pittinuri to Alghero,
is still largely inaccessible by road. You
swing inland before
dipping down to the
Temo River valley, where the sleepy
town of Bosa spills its stone houses
from a castle-crowned peak to an old
arched bridge and a fleet of lobster
boats. Crisp Vernaccia or mellow
Malvasia wines are considered local
cure-alls: Bosa’s rustic winebar calls
itself “the healthy folks’
pharmacy.”
From Bosa to Alghero the coast road
worms thirty miles over russet-hued
The ports of Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia
(Rome), Naples and Palermo all have ferries
to Olbia and/or Golfo Aranchi.
A high-speed ferry between Civitavecchia
and Olbia or Golf Aranci takes three hours.
The major ferry companies are Tirrenia
(www.tirrenia.it), Moby Lines
(www.mobylines.it) and Sardinia Ferries
(www.sardiniaferries.com).
continued on page 4
dream of
ITALY
Kathleen A. McCabe
Publisher and Editor-In-Chief
Copy Editor: Stephen J. McCabe
Editorial Assistants: Marielena Martone
Kate Potterfield
Design: Leaird Designs
www.leaird-designs.com
Dream of Italy, the subscription newsletter covering
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www.dreamofitaly.com
i ed on Sardinia’s Caprera Island in 1882.
3
Sardinia – A World Apart continued from page 3
cobbled lanes lined with chic boutiques
and smart restaurants, you could
swear you were in Barcelona. Locals
even speak Catalan dialect. Towers and
squares bear Spanish names: Torre de
Sant Jaume and Plaça del Bisbe, for
example. Seafood is a specialty, accompanied by memorable red
and white wines from
Tenuta Sella e Mosca whose
vineyards and winery are
north of town.
Much ado is made of the
Costa Smeralda, a luxury
resort developed by the
fabulously rich Aga Khan on the
island’s northeast tip. The
setting is gorgeous, but the mockMediterranean communities could be
anywhere. Skip them and head instead
to the windswept islands of La
Maddalena and Caprera, piled with
boulders bearing extraordinary animal
or human likenesses. Then go south to
the pristine Foca Monaca coastal
reserve, a series of ever-more-beautiful
coves and bays protected by steep
limestone cliffs and stretching from
Cala Gonone to Capo di Monte
Santo. Accessible only by
boat or on foot, this is the
paradisiacal home of the
rare, whitish-skinned Foca
Monaca seal, a protected
species.
Sardinia’s geographical and
cultural heart is remote Barbàgia, the
ancient Roman’s unconquerable “land
of Barbarians,” where vertical pastures
alternate with ancient vineyards knotted between the Gennargentu’s towering granite or limestone massifs.
Modernity and tourism stop at Nuoro,
the homely regional capital. Hill towns
like Oliena (celebrated for its rich red
wines) or Orgosolo (now decorated
with scores of mural paintings, but
nicknamed the “Village of Bandits,”
for its Wild West feel) feel as if they are
stuck in the 19th century. They belong
to the winemakers and shepherds with
black berets and red-leather skin,
burnished by sun and wind, and their
equally weathered wives with their
elaborate traditional costumes
(variations on the theme of black or
gray wool, starched white linen and
lace). These are the timeless faces and
landscapes of Sardinia you will come
away cherishing most. ◆
—David D. Downie
David Downie is the author of Cooking the Roman
Way: Authentic Recipes from the Home Cooks
and Trattorias of Rome (Harper Collins).
Sardinia: Italy’s Cork Capital
S
ardinia’s ancient inhabitants learned
to strip cork oak bark to make
amphorae stoppers, insulate Nuraghi
villages and roof shepherds’ huts with it.
Spectacular cork oak forests still abound.
The Sarcidano region’s Giara di Gèsturi
plateau — with lichen-frosted boulders,
myrtle shrubs and fragrant rock roses —
bristles with thousands of contorted cork
trees.Among their curving trunks — rust
red where stripped — Sardinia’s small wild
horses run free, an estimated 600 of them.
The same russet color as the stripped
trunks, horses and trees seem to fly
together across a surreal landscape.
Sardinia produces 80% of Italy’s cork and
the island’s cork capital, Tempio Pausania,
in the northern Gallura region, has 180
manufacturers. Around town isolated
trees in gorgeous scenery seem lifted from
classical mythology — Daphne pursued by
lusty Apollo, trailing a long head of hollyshaped leaves strangely soft to the touch.
Cork forests — sacred and protected by
law — are natural: no tree farming, no pesticides or fertilizers. Nothing may be planted, and no animals may graze, under or
around cork trees.They are harvested,
from May through August, only after reaching age thirty, and only every nine or more
years thereafter (13 years is the ideal
growth interval).
Alison Harris
4
Sugherificio Ganau S.p.A. of Tempio Pausania
is Sardinia’s biggest, most famous cork
stopper manufacturer (clients include
Antinori, Gaja, Martini e Rossi, Möet et
Chandon,Veuve-Cliquot, Robert Mondavi,
Farniente). Ganau’s secret? Season the cork
bark 15 months in the unpolluted, sunny
air — double most producers’ time —
eliminating reddish coloration, tannins and
mildew. Boil it an hour at 115ºC, air-dry
three days, then boil again for 80 minutes.
Stoppers are punched out, against the
cork’s grain. Agglomerated stoppers are
made from compacted, glued cork crumbs;
to some, especially champagne or sparkling
wine stoppers, natural cork disks are
added. All semi-finished stoppers are
treated with hydrogen peroxide, finished,
fire-branded (never inked) with Ganau’s
and their clients’ logos, then treated again
with citric acid.
Good, short corks (an inch or so long)
may be adequate for average wines not
meant for bottle-ageing, but longer, topquality corks bring out the best in a wine.
Cheap shorties cost as little as 5¢, flawless
two-inchers 15 times that.“It’s easy to
make good corks and wines,” says Mauro
Ganau.“It’s just as hard to make great
corks as great wines.” Happily, Sardinia has
both!
—D.D.
“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for
Two Tuscan Hideaways
Villa Vignamaggio
Locanda dell’ Amorosa
If you’ve watched the Kenneth Branagh film of Shakespeare’s
Much Ado About Nothing, then you’ve already seen Villa
Vignamaggio, where the movie was filmed. Vignamaggio is
also famous as the birthplace of Mona Lisa in 1479.
It’s no mistake that the name of this Tuscan hideaway means,
“Lover’s Inn,” as this place exudes romance from the
moment guests enter the impressive, cypress-lined drive.
An hour-and-a-half by car from
Florence, Locanda dell’Amorosa
resembles the small town it once
was, a 14th-century medieval
village. The property has changed
ownership only
once in 700 years.
In 1873, the
Piccolomini family
of Pienza (family
of Pope Pius II)
sold the property
to Fiorella
Favard, whose descendants still own the estate.
Two miles from the town of Greve in Chianti, Vignamaggio is
centrally located among the local wineries producing Chianti
Classico. In fact, Vignamaggio produces its own awardwinning wine and olive oil and hosts tours and tastings for
guests and visitors alike. Vignamaggio’s wine was actually
the first red wine in the area to be referred to as “Chianti,”
in 1404.
This agriturismo is a particularly good choice for families as it
offers two swimming pools, a tennis
court, mountain bikes, fitness center, a
playground and a pool table. Guests
can choose among 20 rooms, suites and
apartments housed in several old farm
houses. The villa itself, surrounded by a
stunning Renaissance garden, has suites
only. The room we stayed
in was filled with
antiques, but also had a
kitchenette creatively built
into an old wardrobe.
Even the apartments have
daily maid service.
Vignamaggio hosts special dinners twice a week, otherwise
guests cook for themselves in their apartments or visit one of
the many fine restaurants in Greve. It’s best to have a rental
car when visiting the area. Driving the winding road up to
Vignamaggio at night may seem daunting to some. The hotel
can also arrange for taxi service.
Via Petriolo 5
Greve in Chianti
(39) 055 854661
www.vignamaggio.com
Open: Mid-March until the end of the year
Rates: 180 to 285€ per room, suite or
apartment per night. Optional breakfast is
10 or 15€ per day.
The town’s lovely old church, the site of occasional
weddings, sits in the middle of the main square. Next door,
an old farm building has been converted to a wine bar where
breakfast is served as well. On the side, former lodging for
the farmers has been converted into large guest rooms with
equally spacious and airy bathrooms, a rarity in Italy.
The former stables are now home to Amorosa’s excellent
restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, where guests
can enjoy the estate’s tranquil setting while indulging in
Tuscan specialties. Behind the main square are the rest of the
converted farm buildings and accommodations. The hotel’s
infinity pool sits in a quiet field overlooking the countryside.
The hotel offers small touches such as a computer with
Internet access in the lobby and complimentary refreshments
poolside. It makes it hard to leave to explore the surrounding
towns, but at Amorosa it’s just fine to stay and enjoy the
beauty at hand.
Località l’Amorosa
Sinalunga
(39) 0577 677211
www.amorosa.it
Open: Early March to early January.
Rates: A standard room is 234€ per night,
including breakfast.A suite is 365€.
the rest of your life.” —Anna Akhmatova
5
News, Tips, Deals
Luxury Hotels Offer Dollar Guarantee
oncerned about the dollar’s fall
against the euro? Two luxury
hotel groups want to calm your
worries and entice you to stay at their
hotels with the promise of a dollar
guarantee. Through the end of the summer, selected members of Leading
Hotels of the World are offering
American
travelers a
fixed dollar
rate (based
on an
exchange
Grand Hotel Excelsior
rate of $1.15
per euro) for hotel rooms. Travelers will
“know before they go” how much they
will be spending on accommodations.
Sample rates include $330 per night at
the Carlton Baglioni in Milan and $448
per night at Rome’s Hotel Majestic.
Dollar rates include taxes and service
charges. Members of Small Luxury
Hotels of the World are offering a similar dollar guarantee through 2004. For
C
6
more information, contact Leading
Hotels: 800-223-6800; www.lhw.com or
Small Luxury Hotels: 800-525-4800;
www.slh.com ◆
—Marielena Martone
Leading Hotel Properties Offering
Dollar Guarantee:
Carlton Hotel Baglioni, Milan
Grand Hotel Baglioni, Bologna
Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria, Sorrento
Hotel Lord Byron, Rome
Hotel Majestic, Rome
Hotel Regency, Florence
Hotel Savoy, Florence
Luna Hotel Baglioni,Venice
Mezzatorre Resort & Spa, Ischia
Principe di Savoia, Milan
Rocco Forte Hotel de Russie, Rome
Selection of Small Luxury Hotels
of the World Properties:
Castello di Velona, Siena
Hotel Lungarno, Florence
The Inn at the Spanish Steps, Rome
Londra Palace Hotel,Venice
Terme di Saturnia Resort and Spa,Tuscany
Villa Crespi, Orta San Giulio
Reggio Emilia Requires
Pet Pampering
I
f your dog or cat wants to visit Italy, he
might be happiest in Reggio Emilia, a
central Italian town, where as a result of
recent legislation, pets are now protected
and pampered like no place else.The legislation — a product of three years’ work
among environmental agencies, veterinary
services, animal rights’ activists and
ordinary citizens — encourages goodwill
towards animals.Want to eat a lobster?
Don’t even think about cooking it live.The
new law says that that would be “useless
torture” and that a crustacean must be
killed before it is put in
The Clooney-Kerry-Como Connection
the pot.Among other
provisions:
dogs
urns out John Kerry and George
Clooney share more than a passion for politics; they also have a
mutual love for a villa on Lake Como.
Kerry and wife Teresa Heinz sold
the former ER star their 25-room
villa on the shores of Lake Como
in September 2002 just before
Kerry entered the Democratic race
for president. Clooney paid $10
million for Villa Oleandra in Laglio and
in the process put the town of 850 on
the map. Let’s just say that Laglio
receives a few more visitors as a result
of its hunky part-time resident. “The
food is great, the architecture is beauti-
T
ful, and the people are lovely,” says
Clooney. “And they sleep for two hours
at lunch. It’s perfect.” If you want to be
George’s neighbor for a week, Italy My
Dream (866-687-7700;
www.italymydream.com) rents
the home next to his, Villa
Serenella, for $3420 per week during
high season. Don’t hold your
breath on spotting George, though.
A recent report in W Magazine says the
Hollywood hunk is considering the
purchase of an Italian mountain hideaway (currently owned by Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s brother) in
order to avoid prying eyes. ◆
must have
their beds shaded; canaries
must have companions to combat loneliness; public transportation must provide
for pet access for service animals.The fines
for not complying range from 45 to 245€.
And if you’re looking to win a little goldfish
received at a town carnival? You won’t find
that prize at Reggio Emilia’s next festa,
because of course, such a practice is
cruelty to fish. ◆
– M.M.
1 € = $1.22 at press time
“Italy, and the spring and first love all together should suffice
and Events G
“Big” Problem
for Italian TV Producer
Western Kentucky’s Big Red
W
hat happens when you mix a college basketball mascot with
a loose-tongued Italian businessman? You get a super-sized
lawsuit against Ricci and an international publicity war.
Thirteen years ago,TV producer Antonio Ricci quipped to Italian
magazine Novella 2000, “There was this puppet called Big Red who
was the mascot of an American basketball team. The team is
Western Kentucky University. It plays in minor tournaments, but the
puppet was cute.” Shortly afterwards, Ricci introduced a character
named Gabibbo on his television program, Striscia la Notizia, which
still airs today. Gabibbo looks strikingly
similar to Big Red with a giant fuzzy
red head, arched eyebrows and large
physique. Now,WKU and Crossland
Enterprises, Inc., the mascot’s licensing
company, are bringing a $250 million lawsuit for copyright violation.And not only is
the “puppet” being insulted, but one of WKU’s “minor
tournaments” also known as the NCAA basketball tournament
which spurs “March Madness,” has been belittled as well.
A spokesman for Ricci said he was only joking, but that’s not enough
to stop the lawsuit or the media war. Big Red has even traveled to
Italy to show Italians the true identity of the fuzzy red puppet. ◆
—M.M.
Ducasse and Tuscany:
What a Perfect Combination
W
orld-famous chef Alain
Ducasse opens his luxury
Tuscan inn L’Andana this month.
Located in the little-known
village of Castiglione della Pescala
in the Grossetto area of Tuscany,
the hotel boasts 34 classically
decorated rooms boasting every
modern comfort
including DVD
players and highspeed Internet
access. Ducasse
will supervise the
hotel’s 100-seat
restaurant and
create dishes with the bounty of
the estate’s vineyard, olive grove
and vegetable garden. Guests
may take cooking classes beginning in September. The hotel will
add a heated pool, fitness facility
and spa next year. Depending on
the season, prices for a double
room range from
$390 to $992 per
night. For more
information, call
(39) 0564 944-321
or visit
www.andana.it
Noteworthy Travels
How much more relaxed could you get
by practicing yoga — in Italy? Spend
a week at YogaItaly’s historic Villa
Stampa in Lisciano
Niccone on the border
of Tuscany and Umbria.
A light breakfast
kicks off each
day, followed by a
morning of
Ashtanga yoga in a rustic converted
granary overlooking the Niccone
Valley. After an enlivening morning,
fuel up with a lovely Italian lunch, and
then spend the afternoon exploring
the region or simply relaxing beside
the walled garden terrace pool and
meditating on the rolling hills
sprawled out before you. The villa’s
rustic charm, the tranquil country setting, chef Stephania’s wholesome
meals, free-flowing regional wines
and soul-calming yoga make this
yoga retreat an exercise in rejuvenation. A choice of single and double
rooms, apartments and suites are
available. Prices range from $870 to
$1305 per person and include accommodations, yoga tuition, meals and
drinks. Weeks are offered in May,
June, July and September. For more
information, visit
www.spibey.dircon.co.uk
If you are looking for a more
cerebral trip, consider Far Horizon’s
Sensational Sicily:Art and
Archeology tour. This 15-day journey
brings you around Sicily and back in
time through the island’s rich history.
You will see evidence of Sicily’s centuries-old Greek, Roman, Spanish,
Arab and British inhabitants. Led by
Dr. Chad Gifford, an Italian art and
archeology expert, the tour’s high-
lights include Syracuse’s Paolo Orsi
Archaeological Museum and its 4th
century catacombs; Agrigento’s many
classical splendors; Erice’s medieval
charm; various Greek amphitheaters;
Roman temples and cliff-top cathedrals. Forbes has named Far Horizon’s
Web site one of “the Internet’s Top
100,” three years running. The next
trip is October 2 to 16, 2004 and costs
$5695 per person, including airfare
from New York, hotels, most meals,
ground transportation and entry fees.
For more information: (800) 552-4575;
www.farhorizons.com
Have an artistic eye? Or just want to
cultivate one? It is no secret that
artists have always been inspired by
Italy and especially Umbria. You can
now join their ranks, whatever your
skill level, in La Romita’s watercolor
and oil painting workshops. The La
Romita School of Art is in its 37th
season. Aside from being inspired by
the local culture and geography, you
will be guided by award-winning
instructors. Participants lodge in a
beautifully
restored 16th
century
Capuchin
monastery and
enjoy home-cooked
meals. The region’s many wonderful
day trips help prevent creative fatigue.
The 2- and 3-week workshops start
at $2290 per person and include
accommodations, transfers, meals,
instruction and art history lectures.
Sessions are offered May through
October. For more information: (202)
337-1599; www.laromita.org
—Kate Potterfield
to make the gloomiest person happy.” —Bertrand Russell
7
buranello and cappuccino. The dense,
sweet cookies fill us quickly, so we
head to the Museo Del Merletto just
down the street on the Piazza
Baldassarre Galuppi.
where the leaning bell tower
chimes an invitation. The church’s
humble entry hall doesn’t prepare
me for the richness of its Lombard
Baroque interior. There are intriguing paintings such as The Miracle of
the Children, depicting a local legend about a floating marble sarcophagus that could only be brought to
shore when the strong men allowed the
town’s children to rescue it. The object
of the story is now solidly placed at the
front altar. There’s also the majestic
Crucifixion, an early work by Tiepolo.
The Venice-born master went on to
work for the doge, but found time to
paint the church’s dramatic panel in
1725.
The museum’s three exhibit rooms
showcase samples of the Venetian lace
worn by the crowned heads of Europe.
The display cases feature finely
wrought collars and table coverings fit
for a banquet, but the real show is the
half-dozen women who chat as they
work scrolling ribbons of lace over logsized velvet bolsters. Most of the
women are well into mid-life, but their
hands move with fluid grace as they
turn out flower patterns that have
become instinctive. Just as I wonder if
Outside, the quiet streets I explore are
they ever get tired, one woman puts
studies in primary coldown her bobbins and
ors with one exuberant
briefly massages each
apple green house hidknuckle. No wonder this
den on a back alley. I’ve
meticulous handwork
heard that these island
was almost abandoned
To
reach
Burano,
take
vaporetto
#12
houses were painted so
in the late 19th century.
which leaves Venice’s Fondamenta Nove
brightly in order to help
Fortunately, one elderly
hourly. A one-day pass is 6€.
the fishermen find their
lacemaker shared her
way home.
knowledge and new
The
Museo
generations continue to
Del Merletto
Easter is only a few
pass it along.
Piazza Galuppir
days away, and the pro(39) 041 730034
duce stalls I pass are
Ready to invest in this
Open Wednesday – Monday,
busy with housewives
ancient art, I go around
April to October, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.;
examining artichokes
the corner to Emilia to
November – March, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.;
and tomatoes. I know
buy a few lace-trimmed
Closed Tuesday.
it’s time to eat because
hankies. The Ammendola
Tickets: 4€
youngsters are calling
family began selling
as they walk home from
their fine work to the
Emilia
school. The breeze carVenetian nobility four
Piazza Galuppi 205
ries an enticing mix of
generations ago. Now
(39) 041 735299
aromas from each house
their exquisite table
Lace-trimmed handkerchiefs
as I direct my feet to
linens and clothing go
generally sell for 5 to 20€.
Trattoria al Gatto Nero.
home with Hollywood
stars, a more modern
Trattoria al
This pleasant restaurant
aristocracy.
Gatto Nero
sits on a narrow canal
Via Giudecca 88
across from the nowTo quell my desire for
(39) 041 730120
deserted fish market.
these worldly goods, I
www.gattonero.com
Neither of us are afraid
cross the piazza to the
Lunch for two with wine
to cross the threshold of
Church of San Martino
costs about 45€.
the
8
DETAILS
Photos: Ann Grybko
An Escape to Blissful Burano continued from page 1
a place named for a black cat. Every
feline is a fish devotee, and so are we.
As our waiter Masimilliano carefully
describes the menu choices, my friend
notices his resemblance to the man in a
large portrait in the dining room.
When she asks who it is, he proudly
acknowledges, “my grandfather, the
restaurant’s founder.”
We start with the gnocchi and crab he
suggests. It’s a good match with our
half liter of house bianco. When we ask
for good white fish, he tells us we’re in
for a special treat because they’ve got
dory today. I must confess, I’ve never
heard of dory, but his enthusiasm is
contagious.
“Wild,” Masimilliano explains, “Not
from the fish farm.” There are several
of them not far away. “It is a fish that
cannot be kept long,” he adds, to
assure us of its freshness.
The lunch crowd has thinned now so
Masimilliano tells us about the framed
scenes of Burano that cover the walls.
He points out the places where a
bridge has been rebuilt or a house
repainted. We linger knowing that the
vaporetto leaves every hour.
Our step is light as we climb over the
last bridge before the quay. Soothed by
the unhurried pace and beauty of
Burano, I sit on the back deck of the
departing vaporetto to watch until the
bell tower disappears. ◆
—Barbara Wysocki
Barbara Wysocki’s travel writing has appeared
in Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. She also
writes about fiber arts and spirituality.
The lion is the symbol of Venice.
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