Umbria Jazz Festival 2015 with Paolo Conte and Lady GaGa AND the Italian Super Bowl in Milano

Another catch up post on our two trips to the Umbrian Jazz Festival in Perugia. It is just an hour train ride to Perugia, but the concerts ended at 11:30 so we couldn't get a train back and stayed overnight in Perugia, which allowed us to hear some late night jazz on the free concert stage and to attempt to eat at our favorite Perugia  restaurant, Ubu Re (they were excited to see us and we were chatting for about 10 minutes with the waitress/co-owner when suddenly her husband, the cook, suffered a detached retina and had to rush to the hospital!  We were the only guests, so they apologized profusely and closed the restaurant.  Fortunately he has recovered and is back at work.)

Paolo Conte is a former bankruptcy attorney turned jazz singer/songwriter and is hugely popular in Italy.  The crowd at that concert was mostly 50+ year old Italians (except for the dour German couple seated next to us who smoked the whole time and complained that he didn't sing any songs in English or German!)  Paolo Conte is 78 and going strong, he did a 90 minute set without any breaks.  His big hit in Italy (and used in a commercial in the U.S.) is "Via Con Me" (Come with me). He brought the house down with that song.  Here is a link to a You Tube ricording of Paolo Conte singing Via Con Me with Fred & Ginger dancing, it works surprisingly well:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o_rGhcBgME  (just copy and paste into your browser).

Paolo Conte singing Via Con Me

Lady GaGa and Tony Bennett the following week attracted a different crowd--an average age of around 30, with lots of teens and 20 somethings, despite the high cost of the tickets (105 euros for the cheapest seats).  I wondered if the teens knew this would be a jazz performance, but they seemed to know the song she recorded with Bennett and burst into applause every time she appeared in a new costume--there were at least a dozen costume changes for her, Tony managed to make it through in the same dinner jacket.

Singing La Vie en Rose

Encore of The Lady is a Tramp

As if the jazz festival wasn't excitement enough, we also went to the Italian Super Bowl--yes, Italy has american football. We saw both the semi-final and the final game at the bicycle stadium in Milan, where there was also an "American Festival" for the Fourth of July.  The American Festival seemed to be a mechanical bull and hamburgers, plus Coors beer.  We opted for Moretti, an italian brand.  The teams were tiny compared to US teams, and the age range for one team was from 17 to 50!  All but 2 of the players were Italian, one team (the winners) had an American quarterback and American receiver.  Surprisingly, the kicking game was horrible--I had expected that kicking would be decent given they probably all grew up playing soccer.  But no, the kickers were so bad both teams always went for it on fourth down and nobody made a field goal.  Still, it was fun to watch football (American) in Italy, and the burgers weren't bad.  Plus. they had a female ref which I liked.  She was apparently was the first female to be a ref in the NBA and was imported for the game.  We sat next to a couple of Milanese who had never seen a game so we had an opportunity to practice speaking Italian while explaining the game.  All of the football terms are in English (kickoff, first down, touchdown, etc.), which made it easy.  Now we can say we have been to a superbowl game.

only about 150-200 people in the stands, we were the only Americans as far
as we could tell

halftime show, one singer and the middle-high school age cheerleaders

Viva il football americano!

Calendimaggio di Assisi, an ancient small town festa with games, singing, and a queen of the May

Although we lived in Perugia for three months, 20 minutes from Assisi, and years earlier had spent a month touring Umbria, we had never been to Assisi, probably a reaction on my part to too many years of hearing the  nuns talk about St. Francis.  After  hearing  many rave reviews from friends, we dedided that Calendimaggio di Assisi was a good reason to make the trip.  Calendimaggio is a four day competition/festa that has been going on since medieval times, pitting "Parte di sopra" against "Parte di Sotto,"  the hill town against the valley dwellers below.  The origins of the festival have been "lost in the annals of time" according to the official website, but it is basically a celebration of the return of la primavera, spring.  The festa includes competitions of strength, singing competitions, and a lot of ceremonial processions in medieval costume, with many princesses and attendants , kings and queens, and pretty much everybody interested in dressing up, parading through the street to the piazza along with their courtiers and drum and bugle corps.  Parte di Sotto won for the third time in a row this year, meaning their princess was crownded queen of the may.

Marching into the piazza.  Both teams had their own drum
and bugle corps

The royal court processes to piazza 

The royal court for parte di sopra

Childrens band for Parte di Sotto

Even the horses (and kids)
dress up!

marching into the piazza

There was dancing in the streets

One of the 'feats of strength" involved men in tights pulling sledges

Unfortunately we could not stay for the crowning of the queen on the fourth day as we needed to head to Florence to meet a friend coming for a Tuscany tour, but we did have time to explore the town as well as attend the festa.  Assisi is, as reported by many, a beautiful little medieval town and, offseason, it wasn't too filled with tourists.  In fact, if you want to see a traditional festival but don't want to brave the crowds at the Palio in Sienna, Candlemaggio is an excellent choice.  No problem getting seats in the stands, mostly Italians watching the event and cheering on their team, and 4 euro porchetta and birra at the team canteen.  Perfetto!

Lots of narrow streets to explore

A view of the umbrian hills

Of course, the cathedral which is truly magnificent

If you are planning a tour of Umbria, include Assisi on your itinerary (unless it is July or August, the locals said you can't walk down the streets then because there are so many tourists).  I am proof that even an atheist can appreciate the home of San Francesco.

A week with friends in Lago di Garda and Chioggia

September is a great time to visit Lago di Garda--thanks Gaby, Gunter and Gerda for letting us share your vacation at the lake!  While there were still lots of tourists, it was about half the crowd they get in July and August according to the locals.  The weather was perfect, warm (25-28 degrees) but not too hot.  We had a small studio apartment with a great view of the lake from our balcony, a pool with an adjacent bar, and a tiny rocky beach right across the street, a great bargain at only 65 euros a night!

We stayed in Torri del Benaco (Benaco is another name for Lago di Garda), a charming small town, packed with restaurants, bars, buskers, and lounge acts, and even joined in with a group of Dutch tourists singing an Elvis tune.  It was strange to hear more German and Dutch than Italian, and to be addressed in German by the hotel and restaurant staff.  We  got a great response when we answered in Italian, however, and even scored some perks (like a reduced price on a recommended wine at the local store).

typical windowboxes (above)

at dinner our first night in Torri

Gabi relaxing by the pool with a
cappucino--AFTER 11 am!!!

We toured the lake by car, checking out different  towns and scenery which is quite different at the north and south ends of the lake.

windsurfers at the north end of the lake

Tom admires the view from the panoramic parking lot

A ferry trip to Sirmione was one of the highlights, although unfortunately I failed to check the schedule to see if the castle was open--it wasn't.  However, we saw the outside of the castle and walked all through the town for an afternoon, stopping for cold beverages as needed, of course.

Gunter waves to his public (left)
'art installation' on beach at Sirmione (above)

Apertivi time!

 

Views of the castle at Sirmioine

Remains of what is believed to be a house and baths owned by Catullus (above)

We also visited a market in a nearby town one morning, where they were selling everything from ducks, turkeys, and chicken, to salami, to clothing.  Gabi wanted to buy a duck and set it free on the lake but the duck sellers had gone by the time we got back to their stand.

Entry to market left
Gabi demonstrates how to eat calamari (above)

 

sunset from the ferry

After enjoying Lago di Garda we headed back to Chioggia, our first home in Italy, to visit our friend Franca and got a bonus surprise as her daughter Luisa was also there. They posed for pictures on the beach after a delicious fish lunch.

Franca and Luisa

Tom and Susie

Back to Arezzo to stay for awhile, until we head to Seattle for the holiday season and a visit with Kelly.  October will be spent in an intensive Italian course here in Arezzo as we are rapidly forgetting what little grammar we managed to learn in Perugia.  Ci vediamo in Settembre!

Escaping Tuscany's heat wave in Scotland

And escape it we did!  In 27 days in Scotland, only 5 were rain-free, and the highest temperature of the month was a blistering 62 degrees, with the average down around 52.  Exactly what we were looking for after Tuscany's summer long heat wave with temperatures routinely topping 100 degrees.

We started in Glasgow where the hop on hop off bus (recommended by local boy Rick Steves) proved amazingly useful. Glasgow is an interesting city with friendly albeit difficult to understand residents.  Even people from other parts of Scotland have trouble understanding the Glaswegian accent.  We regretted having only 3 days here, but made the most of them.

Tom enjoys his first 'fry' of the trip

hop on bus

Kelvingrove museum

\Nancy and Elvis at the Kelvingrove

steak pie and mushy peas at the diner

female bagpipe player at
dockside wedding

Dali's famous St. John of the Cross crucifixion

mural of rock stars above left, Tom and
friend at the transportation museum above

We picked up a car at Glasgow airport and headed to the coast, first stop Oban and a trip to the isles of Mull and Iona.  We stayed overnight in Oban, a nice town, but if I was doing the trip again I would stay on Iona which is a beautiful little island with some interesting old buildings.  St. Columba, an Irish bishop, had a monastery built on Iona around the 6th century, which has been extensively restored, and is beautifully positioned on the coast.

The seafood was, indeed, excellent

Highland cattle on Mull, they need the long shaggy
coasts to survive the cold island winter (and summer)

 It is a 10 minute ferry ride from Mull to Iona to see the ruins of a nunnery and St. Columba's monastery.

the ruins of a nunnery (above) monastery & church below

From Oban, it is a pleasant drive to the Isle of Skye, via Glencoe, an area known for the massacre of Glencoe, but also recently voted the 'most romantic glen in Scotland.' 38 members of the MacDonald clan were murdered at Glencoe by King William III's forces after the 'glorious revolution.'  The King intended to wipe out the entire clan, but most escaped into the mountains.  We also visited Loch Lomond, not far from Glasgow, stopping at Luss, considered one of the prettiest villages in Scotland.

At Glencoe visitor center (above) view of part of the glen, below

typical Luss cottage

90 minute boat ride on loch lomond

From Loch Lomond, it is only a couple of hours to Skye via the bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh.   Just before the bridge is the Eileen Donan castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland according to the locals.

We spent a week on Skye in Drummuie cottage, a cozy place to retreat to when the wind and rain got too severe.  Skye was formed by glaciers and is very rocky and dramatic with dozens of lakes and hills.  There are more sheep than people ever since the "clearances" in the 18th century when the Brits moved the islanders off the west coast to the rocky and barren east coast of the island so the Brits could have better property for shooting grouse and for their own sheep.

Kilt rock

Black house (replica of thatched cottage).  In the 1800s they started building
the little white houses seen everywhere.  The black houses go back centureis.

Fairy glen

Portree on Skye

typical isolated croft (small farm)

heather blooms everywhere in Scotland

Dunvegan castle (according to Tom, the place where ex-vegetarians retire)

sunset from the cabin

Uig, on Skye

Next stop, Harris and Lewis.  In reality they are one island but have long been treated as separate.  We stayed in a B& in Luskentyre, a 7 house village by one of the white sandy beaches for which the islands are well known (at least in Scotland).  In addition to checking out the scenery, we visited several Harris tweed places, culminating in a visit to Donald John, who worked out of a tin hut 2 doors down from our B&B.  He was really hospitable,  telling us about making tweed since he was 13 (when I asked if he had being doing it all his life he said, "Well, not yet."), showing us how the foot pedal loom worked, and then showing us the fabric he was making for Chanel and the layouts for the clothes Chanel was making with his tweed.   He also showed us tweed nikes made from his tweed. When we got back to the B&B they told us he had an OBE!

Donald John in front of some of his work, the nike tweed shoe (center) and
demonstrating the foot pedal loom, working on an order for Chanel

Lewis is home to several prehistoric sites, including the Callendish Stones, Scotland's answer to Stonehenge (and older than Stonehenge as they are quick to point out).  Standing stones, large rocks set on end, are scattered throughout Scotland and are believed to have served some religious purpose.

We also drove across a very narrow bridge (labelled 'weak bridge' which is not very reassuring) to a small island where an iron age village was found under the sand.  After excavation it was reburied to preserve it, but there is one reconstructed house open for visitors.  

narrow bridge left,e house iron age housvee abo

From Uig on Lewis, it was a bumpy 3 hour  ferry ride to Ullapool, where we stayed at our favorite B&B of the trip.  The room was nice but it was Colleen and Richard, the hosts, who made it so great.  We did their recommended "perfect day out", not forgetting to stop for pie at their recommended spot.

Taking back steak and ale pies for Richard and Colleen

abandoned castle near Ullapool

West House B&B

Bridge to the Gorge

On to Inverness, via the infamous Loch Ness.  We actually stopped at the Loch Ness visitor center for a fairly interesting presentation on the history of the myth and the science of the lake, then went on to Urguhart castle, the best spot for viewing the lake.  No Nessie sightings, but it was a beautiful day for a stroll around the castle grounds.  

Loch Ness and part of the castle

The Culloden battlefield is also a short drive from Inverness.  The battle, which lasted less than an hour, spelled the end of the Jacobite's attempts to reclaim the throne for Bonnie Prince Charlie.  1500 Jacobites, mostly Highland Scots, died while only 50 government troops perished.  Today, it is a peacful moor, covered with flowers, a memorial to the dead, and stones marking the mass graves of the clans.  A high tech visitors center provides more than ample information about the conflict and the history leading up to it, including a 4 minute film of the battle intended to make you feel like you are in the middle of the charge.

Culloden field (above) replica of house on Culloden field (below)

Clava Cairns, a prehistoric cemetary near Culloden, about 4000 years old

Our final stop was Edinburgh, a city recently named the most friendly city in the world by Conde Nast.  Our experiences back s up that claim, the people were open and helpful, offering assistance from cell phones to directions without being asked.  The residents clearly love their city and assume that you will enjoy it just as much.  A cabbie asked me if I would be moving to Edinburgh now that I had seen it, obviously expecting an affirmative answer.  

We stayed in a great apartment on the divide between new and old town, walking distance to many of the places we wanted to see.  While 5 days aren't enough to see everything the city has to offer, we managed to see a lot (for us), from walking through the Prince Street Gardens to the Castle then back down the Royal Mile past St. Giles and other spots of interest, the National Museums, Haymarket, and more.

Edinburgh castle from Prince Street Gardens

Edinburgh is the first UNESCO city of literature

at the castle

High tea before...

High tea during...

high tea after!

Views of the skyline from the National museum roof garden

v

exhibits at National Gallery, the actual
"beheader" above, and Bonnie Prince
Charlie's cradle (below)

Because of the unusually wet and cold summer (unusual even for Scotland), flowers were blooming everywhere,   We end with a selection of flower pictures (believe me there could be a lot more)/  Slainte.

blooming by the iron age house