Goodbye Monticchiello

Friday October 20, 2006 was our last full day in Monticchiello. Rather than rushing out to discover more of the surrounding sights, we decided to just enjoy what has been our home for the last week. It was a home in many ways to us. Since this first trip we have always organised other week long stays during our travels. Spending a week in one place allows you to appreciate your surroundings, meet people and treasure the memories in later years.

We sat in the cafe to just enjoy our local surroundings for the last time before leaving for Venice.

From the diary:
A restful, rainy day that we used to hang around Monticchiello and recharge our batteries for the long drive to Venice tomorrow.
It has drizzled or rained all day and the colours of the hills are soft and subdued, but still lovely.
We packed and repacked our bags in an effort to take only one suitcase to Venice after leaving the car just to make it a little easier for our three day stay.


Although only a small village, small undiscovered areas would emerge.



We took a visit to the cemetary outside the village walls. It ocurred to me that the cemetary had a greater population than the village. Monticchiello can be seen at the top of the gates.

 Lunch was at the little bar down at the entrance to the village - We both had Crostini, Leon's with egglant and mozzorella, mine with pecorino and colonarata because I really didn't know what it was. (she's adventurous). The waitress said it was pork but really it was just pork fat.
With the usual coffee and nibblies, it was a pleasant experience with conversation with the waitress/owner and then with a group of middle-aged Irish walking group.
Later in the afternoon our host Barbara popped around with a warm doona as the weather had turned cooler. How thoughtful of her.

Why is it that cat's always seem to find the most comfortable spots to rest?

In return, we gave her our remaining tube of Vegemite to remember us by. Not sure it was to her taste but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?
Off to La Porta for dinner tonight to celebrate a week that will remain with us a lifetime.

Check it out here.

http://www.osterialaporta.it/monticchiello.en.php

And don't forget to look at Barbara's Website.

http://www.lemaribelle.it/

Although not religious, Sue decided to light a candle in the church of Monticchiello for our son Andrew who was now safely in Moscow.



One last look at Monticchiello and hoping one day to return.

After a wonderful dinner at La Porta it was off to bed for the drive to Venice and another life experience to be remembered. Oh, yes and another minor drama but more about that next Wednesday. 

Childhood Memories

This weekend has brought some heavy rains to Melbourne and also most of the state of Victoria. Our water storages are now approaching 50% average with rainfall up to 115mm in some areas. That's a good thing.
The rainy weekend however has limited the opportunity to get out and about to take any photographs for the blog so I thought I might just post some old advertisements relating to products that I remember as a child.
I also searched out a few commercials from the past. The scary thing is that I remember most of them. Just click on the "youtube" links.


Sennitt's Ice Cream no longer exists however the odd faded sign can still be seen around Melbourne's suburban streets if you look hard enough. Usually they can be seen on an old closed down corner milk bar.





Peters Ice Cream still lives on today, possibly because, unlike Sennitts, they did much television advertising in the 50s and 60s, sometimes sponsoring whole programs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyghsBReB0U



 


And of course there's the iconic Australian spread, Vegemite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Cb4143p9E&feature=related

 It's interesting to note that many of these Australian iconic products are no longer Australian owned and only a few of the names remain - certainly Vegemite still sits in our pantry. It even travels with us in a new toothpaste style packaging.

The Four' N Twenty pie was founded in 1947 in Bendigo, Victoria and was the favored food while watching Aussie Rules Football. It was usually coated liberally with tomato sauce so that on the first bite, the sauce and meat within would spurt out onto one's clothing. The company was another that was sold off to a Multi-National company however it has returned to Australian ownership now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i_YNX6mXq4&feature=related



Arnotts Biscuits joined forces with Brockoff Biscuits to hold off overseas interests but eventually the names Brockoff, Arnotts and Guests were taken over and another Australian business was lost.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX3pGyOCTuo



Fags were sold in the local lunch shop across the road from my primary school in the 50s. They were made from (as the packet states) sugar, glucose, gelatine and other non-healthy ingredients but we did feel cool pretending we were smoking. Oh! I forgot to mention, Fags were in the shape of a cigarette.
I still don't understand the concept of two young children sprinting up what seems to be a yellow brick road, hungry for a packet of Fags.
I believe they are still sold today but under another name - Fads, I think.




The Hoadley's Violet Crumble bar was introduced in 1913. Hoadley's later became Rowntree Hoadley before being acquired by Nestles. As a teenager I remember going to watch the "Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds" a national pop band competition. The Violet Crumble is still sold today and I still enjoy them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF1t5qDwZcM&feature=related

  It's sad to see some of these products no longer Australian owned however the world has become smaller and many overseas products now sit on our supermarket shelves. Foods that many decades ago were only known to our "New Australians" are now common place on the dinner table.

Just as a side issue - hasn't advertising changed since then? Even our terminology has changed, words and themes that would not even be considered now.

A World Champion at 65+

Michel Briat, my good friend who lives in Paris with his wife Danielle and who both have been so kind to us on our visits to his City is now a World Champion.

I woke up this Friday morning to read the results of the World Masters Track Championships in Portugal. Michel has travelled to Australia in since 2007 in his endeavor to win the rainbow jersey.
He finally achieved his goal in Portugal this month in the 65 to 69 age division

Congratulations to a true champion cyclist and person.

Montalcino - home of Brunello Wine

A late morning start was in order for the short drive to the village of the well known grape growing district of Montalcino. Montalcino is the home of Brunello wine and many tourists come here for the tasting of the local vino.

It's a lovely hilltop village, more easily walked than Montepulciano, meaning that it has less steps but still enough to open the lungs.

It seems every village in Tuscany involves steps, not something we are use to at home.

  

More steps of the up-kind.

 

Finally some decending!!!!

 

As we entered the village I saw some young women on bikes, how could I resist chatting with them and they did speak english. Well in a strange sort of way!!!! They were Canadian and American. How brave were they, the weather was a little damp and they rode from Montepulciano, via Pianza to Montalcino, just to taste the Brunello.

The steps always reward you with a view that makes it all worthwhile.

Our lunch was to die for but Sue will explain.
Leon had hand made and rolled pasta, picci, which is common to the region. He loved it.
I had wanted to try wild boar for ages and, being the right time of year, it was on the menu.
It was in a ragu and served with creamy soft polenta. Delicious.
Our waitress was a little concerned when I ordered the polenta and began to explain it to me. She was astounded when I told her that I cooked it at home in Australia. I don't think she thought it had travelled out of Italy, let alone to such an exotic place as Australia!

The waitress was marvelous and just chatted on endlessly when she discovered that we were Aussies. I have to admit that this seems to be common wherever we have travelled. Maybe its because we are so casual and open, and the Italians seem the same which makes good for some interesting experiences.

After sampling and buying some wine, we ambled on to the fortress which reminded me a little of the one on the shores of Lago Trasimino in Umbria. I think we could have sat there for ages if I had a good book to read. It was so tranquil.

Photo and text from Wikipedia
The first medieval walls were built in the 13th century. The fortress was built at the highest point of the town in 1361, on a pentagonal plan designed by the Sienese architects, Mino Foresi and Domenico di Feo. The fortress incorporates some of the pre-existing southern walls, the pre-existing structures including the keep of Santo Martini, the San Giovanni tower and an ancient basilica which now serves as the fortress chapel.

But it was time to move on and so we wandered back to Pienza, Sue's favorite Tuscan village to do some shopping for ingredients to match the wine we purchased.



Before retiring to our little villa in Monticchiello, we decided a glass of wine in the local bar would be a fitting tribute to "our" village. We chatted with the owner and during the conversation she mentioned she had a friend who recently married in Australia. Do all Italians have a friend or relative in Australia?

Sue rang our son Andrew to discover that he arrived in Moscow safely but the authorities were still to return his passport. More to come later about that.

Our time in Tuscany was drawing to an end before our next destination to Venice.



It really is a nice village, isn't it Leon - can we come back some time?

We leave you with this lovely wall of painted pottery.

Oh, by the way - on returning to Australia we located some Brunello which we decided to revive our memories through our palate, but at a premium. We discovered that Brunello is $65.00 a bottle here at home. (that was in 2006)

One more day before leaving Tuscany for Venice.

 

MOTORCLASSICA and the Exhibition Buildings

Friday night I met up with some classic car enthusiast mates to see a display of local classic cars at the Melbourne Exhibition buildings. Although the cars were amazing and many having an marvelous history, the building itself never ceases to amaze me.



The Entrance



The interior & the cars



This one is for my Blogger mate Simon in France - It's a Big 6 Citroen Traction Avant



This MG K3 was owned by Prince Bira of then Siam. It has a rich history and is featured in my book of Rob Roy Hill climb. We have some great classic racing cars in Australia.



What a perfect setting for a Classic Car Show - in a Classic Building.




The early Holden, Australia's own.
Commonly known as the FJ.

 From the Exhibition website:
The Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens were completed in 1880 for Melbourne’s first international exhibition, a product of the optimism, enthusiasm and energy of the people of Melbourne in the late-19th century. Melbourne was a prosperous city, basking in the wealth from the richest gold rush in the world. How better to publicise the achievements and opportunities in the colony of Victoria than by hosting an international exhibition?

 On 9 May 1901, the Royal Exhibition Building hosted the opening of the first Federal Parliament. Prime Minister Barton wanted it to be as inclusive as possible. No other public building could accommodate such a large group of people, and the organisers were eager to make the occasion spectacular and memorable.


A modern day FJ built by GMH recently
A concept car.

The atmosphere was radiant and illuminated the vast spaces of the building and the great sea of faces with a bright Australian glow. A sight never to be forgotten was the assemblage which, in perfect order but with exalted feeling, awaited the arrival of the Duke and Duchess in the great avenues which branch out from beneath the vast dome of the Exhibition Building. (Argus 10 May 1901)

An above the building photo. Compare it to the plan below.



The original plan of the Exhibition buildings - my father remembers both the building, the bike track and the Aquarium as a child. He told me only last week of seeing the seals there.



An early print in the stages of construction of the Exhibition Buildings.



The first sitting of Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia was held in these buildings in 1901.

Occasionally I wonder what it would be like to be retired, our weekends pass so quickly. After the Classic Motor Show, there was shopping, catching up with a movie (The girl with the pearl earring), and Sunday breakfast with my Daughter who was down from Brisbane with her partner Sharn. Where does the time go?

Sunday Arvo was taken up with lawn mowing, car washing and then relaxing in the back yard with a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc. The sun was out, the sky was cloudless and the temperature was in the mid-20s.

I put some bird seed in the feeder and the doves, sparrows and wattle birds came to feed.

Today we had a very special visit from a pair of parrots in full colour. What a perfect Sunday.



Look what the bird seed enticed into our backyard on a sunny mid-afternoon.



Work tomorrow!!!