Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

Always on the lookout

@brittarnhild

As we were walking around in Rome, just as when I am walking around anywhere else, I am always curious to see what I find around the next corners, street artist, hidden corners, small gems.......you name it.

We were on our way to Trastevere, just reaching one of the bridges over the river Tiber, when we met this Peruvian woman, selling nativity sets from her homeland.

Unfortunately she spoke no English, only enough to tell me the prize of the different cribs. But that was enough for me to buy one :-)

Another day we met this man. He was making butterflies, critters and other small animals, simply by folding long, slim palm leaves.

I bought a grasshopper. Terje was sure it would not make it back to Norway, but it did, and is now hanging in my kitchen window, side by side with dried herbs from Santa Maria, my retreat center in Tuscany.

 

Near the entrance to the botanical garden in Rome we came across an open door. I could not resist peeking in, an soon we found ourselves visiting two different workshops, connected with an open door between them.

In the first room a man was doing mosaic. Putting tiny pieces of stone together to make amazing art.

The artists, a man and a woman, let is walk around, taking pictures, and I also took a video in snap. Good memories to have.

 What a patience!

In the room next door the woman was making beautiful pieces og porcelain.

We did not buy any mosaic, but in here I could not let this little while bowl go. Now it has found a new home here in the House in the Woods.

While the woman wrapped our new piece of art, there was time for more looking around, more  pictures.

 

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In my blogworld today:
(as always it will be updated throughout the day)

Britt Arnhilds dagboksblader, my online journal

Akeleiehagen, my garden journal

 

 

Unwrapping the gift

@brittarnhild

Here I am, already unpacking my adventurous birthday gift,

 

a train ride from Tirano in Italy to St. Moritz in Switzerland, and back again, on first class. On the Bernina Express, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

We came to Tirano last night, slept there, had breakfast, did a walk in the town, which turned out to be beautiful, like all Italian towns :-), and then it was time to find the Bernina Express train. A train which took us up, up up all the way up to the Bernina Pass at 2253 meter over sea level.

The weather was grey and cloudy, snowing on the top, but who cares. Nature is beautiful in this kind of weather as well, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

We drove over this bridge, then into a tunnel, a 180 degree turn and moments later we could see down on it.

The Bernina Exprass started to cross the Alpine Pass as early as 1910, though the work of course started many years previous.

We are in St. Moritz now, will spend the night here. Our adventure continues tomorrow, but that is another tale.......

See you later.......

 

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In my blog world today:

Med bøker på menyen, my book journal

Fløy en liten blåfugl, my birding journal

Books on the Menu, my Visiting the World Through books blog

 

 

A botanical garden with her own legend

@brittarnhild

The beautiful walled town of Lucca is situated less then 20 kms from where we spent our family week. I had read about the botanical garden, and when we drove in to explore the town one afternoon, I left the others for an hour. I couldn´t just pass the garden, could I?

The garden was a small one, and not especially amazing, but still I fell for it. You see, the garden has her own legend. The legend of Lucida Mani.

Here is the information I found:

Lucida Mansi was born in Lucca on March 7th 1606, into one of the richest and most powerful families in the Lucca area: the Saminiati. When she was still very young, she married Vincenzo Diversi, but soon she was widowed and then married the old and rich Gaspare di Nicolao Mansi.
Fully devoted to luxury and to an exciting life, she was adored, courted, and extremely proud of her looks; people said she was even hiding a mirror in her prayerbook.
So time went by thoughtless among parties ands lovers, till one morning, admiring herself in the mirror as usual, she noticed a light wrinkle on her extremely beautiful face. Lucida was desperate and wept bitter tears, till a handsome young man appeared in front of her. He was the Devil. He promised her thirty more years of youth, but after this time he would come back again to get his payment for this privilege: her soul. Lucida accepted with no hesitation, and the bonus years ran without any apparent ageing. But one summer afternoon, at the end of thirty years, the Devil came back to her. Lucinda turned desperate and prayed him to save her soul, but the Devil lugged her on his flaming carriage and, after a full tour on the City Walls to allow Lucca´s inhabitants to hear her harrowing screams, he sank with the chariot into this pond, the wonderful gem of the Botanical Garden.

 

The legend says that, if we dive in the pond, it is possible to see the face of Lucida Mansi sleeping in its depths. Besides, the same legend says that, just before midnight on every October 31st, in an absolute silence, a strong wind arises, a noise of horses´hooves resounds in the air and it is possible to glimpse the burning carriage sinking in the pond, launched in an unbriddled run towards the hell.

A lovely legend, isn´t it :-)

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Lucca is a walled medieval town. Well worth a visit, even without a tour in the garden.

 

 

The Basilica of St. Francis is Arezzo, and the Legend of the True Cross

@brittarnhild

In Arezzo you find great many churches. One of them The Basilica of St.Frances, where you find the Legen of the True Cross, a series of absolutely stunning frescos which is supposed to tell the story of the wooden cross where Jesus died.

The story starts with Adam, who is ill, and his son Seth who goes to the gates of Paradise to ask for the seed of the tree of knowledge, which he wants to use to restore his father´s health. From here the story unfolds, and bending our neck so that we could look high up on the wall, we could follow the tale.

The image above shows the Queen of Sheba arriving to the bridge built by King Solomon. One of the beams which he has used comes from the tree which grew up from the seed which was planted on Adam´s tomb. When the Queen comes to the bridge she senses that there is something sacred about the wood and foretells its future use as the wood of Christ´s cross.

As always, I am mesmerized by the tale of the annunciation, which comes later out in the fresco series.

As I was standing there, looking up, up, up, one of the guards in the church came over to tell me that I was free to take all the pictures I wanted, as long as I did not use the flash.

YES!

This basilica, these frescos..........I have saved them in my heart.

St. Francis, St. Mary.......two of my heroes.

 

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Here is the official website of the church.

 

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Blogs updated:

dagens lille grønne - daily green ideas

Britt-Arnhild´s naturdagbok, my nature journal

maskerade - my knitting blog

 

 

San Feliciano, a fishing village

@brittarnhild

Lago Trasimeno fascinated us, so after visiting Isola Maggiore we went back to make a drive around the lake. In my mind I had seen quite a lot of small, charming fishing villages we could visit. When we drove we realised they would be hard to find, but in the end we stopped at San Feliciano, which turned out to be a perfect choice for us.

It was siesta time. Perfect for coffee and gelato for us, perfect for playing games for the fishing men.

No doubt that San Feliciano is a fishing village, fishing gear everywhere,

waiting for another morning, a new dawn.

No other tourists as far as we could see, and people let us walk around just as if we belonged.

I couldn´t help wondering what it would be like to buy a house here, and settle in for a few weeks every year.

 

Tegamaccio, fish soup in a terracotta pot

@brittarnhild

From Cortona you can see lake Trasimero, a lake which is situated not in Tuscany, but in Umbria. The first day we met Frances we told her that we were planning to drive down to the lake. "You know there is a ferry out to Isola Maggiore" was her reply, and both of us knew that Isola Maggiore it had to be.

The day was very hot. We hoped that the lake would give us some fresh air, and it kind of did as long as we were on the ferry, in shade of the burning sun. Not so on the island.

Frances also told us that St. Frances of Assisi had stayed on the island, and we could still visit his church. Very intriguing of course, so we filled our water bottles and started an island hike. "Let us first walk around the island" I said, "then we can do the churches afterwards.

Cicadas filling the burning air,

colourful critters.......

.......and then we came to a dead end. Danger. Look out for slides. And we had to turn, walking back.

By then we were famished,  we walked back to the village and found Ristorane L´Oso. A good choice, a best choice.......if, I mean when I go back to Isola Maggiore, I know where to go to get my food.

We shared a seafood starter. Oh, is all this true? We looked at one another is disbelief before we started to eat, and soon the huge plate was empty, our smiles broader and broader.

But I still had the highlight. A fish soup. Tagamaccio, a traditional fish soup from Umbria, its name from the terracotta pot, tegame, in which it is cooked. A eat fish soup everywhere I travel, and like to believe that I know a little about fish soups by now. And believe me - this one is GOOD!

Food traveling is a great way to travel. To follow the seasons and the local specialties. I love foodtravel books, and a favorite food traveller is Tessa Kiros. Are you familiar with her? No? Then it is time to do something with that. Buy her books, follow her on facebook and on instagram :-)

I posted a photo of the soup on instagram, asking Tessa if she happen to have a recipe. Her answer, which came almost right away, was:
I don´t have that one - others yes, but different regions. Yours sounds amazing. Will look it up.

Another favourite food traveller is Frances Mayes of course. While I was texing Tessa Kiros, several food pictures appeared on her instagram page. While I enjoyed my tegamaccio, she was busy in her Bramasole kitchen, testing recipes for her next book, See you in the Piazza.

 

We never made it to the churches. I have to go back!

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All this food talk, my mouth is watering.
Good thing our  gardenpizzas are just ready.......see you later.

Frances Mayes´blog

 The homepage of Ristorante L´Oso

Flavours and Traditions of Trasimeno

 

I open the blue book.......and walk into Bramasole garden

@brittarnhild

We had packed our suitcases and checked out from our Bed&Breakfast. But before leaving Cortona we had one more thing to do. Frances Mayes had invited us to come and see her garden. 

 When Terje and I arrived, a small bus was standing outside the gate and a dozen people were walking around, with their cameras. We waited till the bus had left, then walked over to the gate. No bell. No people to be seen. I had read in one of Frances´ books that from her second floor studio she could actually hear people talking from down on the road, so I started to small talk with Terje. Which was quite easy. We were standing in fromt of a wall planted with hundreds of lavendels, at least it looked like hundreds to me, an in all the sweet blue a million butterflies were swarming. How could we not talk about the butterflies.

 

And quite right, Frances heard us, leaned out of her studio window, called down to us to wait and not long after she came down and opened the gate, welcoming us inside.

In the preface of Under the Tuscan Sun, Frances writes: I open the blue book. Writing about this place, our discoveries, wanderings, and daily life, also has been a pleasure. A Chinese poet many centuries ago noticed that to re-create something in words is being alive twice

And not only being alive twice Frances. By writing about it and sharing with your readers from around the world, you have added life to so many people. Life, beauty, excitement, knowledge, dreams.  I am also alive twice through your books, and then, here the dream was unfolding in from of my eyes, walking in the garden of Bramasole, Terje at my side, you in front of us, together with us, pointing, showing, sharing, telling us about a plant here, an olive tree there. Life. I felt I should stop and ask Terje to pinch my arm, but it was no time for that.

Time was for looking into a little hidden reading place, for following your finger when you pointed out the path you walk down to Cortona for your morning coffee, for smelling your favourite rose, carpe diem.

The table on the terrace in front of the house. I have read so much about it, and here it was, a reality, just as I had imagine.

The area outside the kitchen, where so many dinners have taken place. The palette  taken right out of your books. 

Then you took us into the kitchen, where you the day before had been busy trying out new recipes for your next book, See you in the Piazza, which will come next spring, and further on into the hall, the dining room with the frescos of Lago Trasimeno, the living room with deep comfortable chairs, paintings, your little "museum". I took photos, but felt I was inside your privacy and it doesn´t feel right to share them here in the blog.

Everything has an end, or a new beginning, a new dream. Before we left I wanted a photo in front of Ed´s vespa. New dreams.

Then it was time for arrivederci.......new beginnings.

Now I look forward to read your recent book, Women in Sunlight.

 

Bramasole and Frances Mayes

@brittarnhild

Ever since I read Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, some time around 20 years ago, I have been dreaming of Bramasole, and also of Tuscany. In 2000 we bought our cabin from my parents, and when making the cabin "mine", I was working with my right hand, Under the Tuscan Sun, and later Bella Tuscany in my left, always. Not that Rastarbo, our cabin is anything at all like Bramasole, not that I am Frances Mayes. But the dreams her books created in me. They were prizeless. They still are. I have these two first books of her at the cabin, but after a while I had to buy an extra set to have at home. I needed them. Just like I need bread in the mornings :-)

Bramasole, Cortona, Tuscany, has been a dream for me. Then, when I started to travel to Santa Maria a Ferrano, for the retreats I realized that Tuscany was not only a dream. It was real. The same thing happened when I became friends with Frances on facebook. She was not only a dream anymore. She became real.......well, almost real kind of :-)

Then, when Terje and were planning 10 days in Tuscany, just the two of us, before continuing our Tuscan days with the kids, I started to wonder. May be Bramasole is not only a dream? May be Bramasole is real?

Long story made short.......with the help of Frances we ended up staying four nights in the most charming B&B you can imagine, up on the rooftops of Cortona (more about that later.......may be), and on our first morning in this charming medieval town, we met Frances Mayes outside Bar Cafe´Signorelli, in one of the two piazzas in Cortona.

You must come and see my garden, Frances said. It is not difficult to find, everybody knows where it is.

I needed to keep my dream a dream a little longer. Truthfully, I was rather reluctant to drive up to the house, afraid my dream would vanish.

We did not go that day,

neither the next.

Then our last full day came. We were heading for Arezzo, and I knew we simply had to drive up to Bramasole on our way. Bramasole is actually marked on google maps, so we had no problems finding it. And I got my dozens of photos, and a full proof that this peach coloured dream of a building, and its lush garden, is not only a dream. It is truth as well.

The gate was closed, and we saw no people.

And after we left I put some of the photos I´d taken up on facebook.

I got a lot of likes. I am not the only one dreaming about Bramasole. And I got comments. One of them from Frances - .......you should have come in to see the garden! Let me know if you want to come back.......

Of course we wanted to come back. Of course we let her know.......and of course we actually came back!

 

But that´s a tale for tomorrow :-)

 

Santa Maria filled with students and art

@brittarnhild

When I have been at Santa Maria in spring it has been quiet, with few people. Silent retreat almost. Not so this time. Every single bed was occupied, with students ands teachers from a German Steiner School. Terje and I slept in the nearby village, but were invited over for lunch and dinner.

The church was transformed into an art studio.

I am sure the breastfeeding Mary and her baby Jesus love the colours. (follow the link to see pictures of the frescos)

 

From inside the church I could enjoy the sight of art in progress.

and the smell of a meal. Food in progress.

 Another vegetarian meal at Santa Maria. Fresh greens, vegetables of the season, divine taste.

If I was born in another century I could have been a witch

@brittarnhild

 

If I was born in another century I could have been a witch. I love everything old and natural apothecary, herb medicine, teas and ointments made of weeds and roots.

Coming into the Antica Farmacia del Monaci Camaldolesi was like coming into heaven. Witch heaven.

A place where I, the witch, could sit down, studying the old books, learning more about the use of plants.

 Not only studying, but also having my own desk where I could sit down and write about the plants growing out in the monastery garden, and in the woods.

I could have been a witch, or the authorities might have believed so. 
I would have used my witch craft to do only good deeds of course. With prayers along with every weed.

In the end I had to leave all my dreams, but before finding my seat in our rented car, I bought a toothpaste, dentifricio alla menta, piemontese pura, and two types of tea, finocchio composto, fennel, and carciofo composto, artichoke.

If you come over, I will make you a cup of tea. A cup of witch tea.

 

Ny the way, here is a link to the old apothecary.