Search Blog

Literally translated from the Veneto dialect  it means “bones of the pig,  this  is what’s  left  of  the  bones  of  a pig  after  everything  has  been taken to make  steaks, salami, and  everything else.  The  bones  ( including  head, feet and tail)  are all boiled  and a special meal is organized for a big group of people.

I’d  often heard of it  but never had the pleasure to attend one, so when I found myself invited to a dinner, I was quite curious and excited.

The  food  comes  out on big platters  and is served with  horseradish, pickled vegetables, mashed potatoes and lots of red wine, and  the meat is  eaten without  the  help of silverware, all the  better to get the small pieces of meat off the bone.

The meat was incredibly tender, of course there was much more bone than meat, but  it’s all about  the fun of eating together .. like pigs. 

Carla Cassano

The  graceful wooden machine is a true  work of art and  the stirrups for arms and legs feel a bit kinky, but once Ferdi shows me how to use it, I'm hooked.  Gyrotonic  was the brainshild of Julio Horvath, an injured dancer and  since then it has developed a cult following.  The  machines  use a pulley system to gently work  only targeted muscles. Not to be confused with Pilates, this  is different– and refreshingly non-commercial.  I  was  given a one-hour  lesson by Ferdi, an ex-dancer himself, whose twin brother has a studio in Rome.  Due  to the stringent qualifications  for instructors (all approved directly by Horvath in the USA), growth is slow-flowing, just  like Gyrotonic's  philosophy.  Ferdi’s  zen-like studio is owned by Hotel Flora right next door, and of course  guests get privy to the place.   

Just released, www.culturainternazionale.wordpress.com is the brand new, unmissable source of information for any visitor in Rome. 
It gathers all the information about international culture in Rome, from exhibitions to conference and events, ongoing or upcoming in the near future, organized by foreign embassies, Cultural Academies, Cultural Institutes in Rome.
It represents an unvaluable tool for both tourists and professionals, who can now access just one comprehensive, well designed, user-friendly website rather than go searching many others for information.

www.culturainternazionale.wordpress.com is a project by Rome’s Department of Cultural Affairs, which is proving to be more and more effective in intercepting market needs and quickly turn them into efficient services.

«Culture is the human strength that discovers the needs of a change and communicates them to the world» (Elio Vittorini)

If you are thinking of visiting Rome, check it out!
Barbara Marcotulli

Since I joined the association of Vivere Trastevere, I thought it might be of some interest to write about our most recent movement as a follow-up to my blog of June 2007, picture of the Piazza Trilussa after Saturday night parties.

In two years the situation, alas, in the whole of the Trastevere area hasn't changed. Last summer we, VIVERE TRASTEVERE, tried to attract the attention of other citizens with a mute demo on the Ponte Sisto, the small pedestrian bridge that takes hundreds of visitors daily to Trastevere. Not only were we mute, but wore a mask of the famous painting "THE SHOUT" by Munch. How best could we express our dismay?

The idea, I think, was brilliant, but the results were non existant. Trastevere continues to be a no man's land especially at night when the  young crowds roaming its narrow lanes get high on booze & drugs. 

Our next step? Wait until next spring: We will then camp  at night in tents in Piazza Trilussa hoping the deaf local authorities will listen to us and finally start a clean up policy in the area.

Any suggestions for our cause will be more than welcome.

Looking forward to hearing from you, 

Graziella Del Giuduice

I have a fantastic proposal in store for you, in which you’ll have the chance to explore Rome and its amazing cultural heritage, but also to visit my favourite wine store, allowing you to taste and try wines you can drink all autumn long. You can put yourself into a Hollywood star’s shoes and play Fellini’s Dolce Vita, or The Gladiator, in our fun Movie Set Tour.

My walking tours are much more than a typical tour. Being a Rome specialist, (food and wine, art, and shopping), my proposals are intended to help you. Regardless of how adventurous you are, you can understand and enjoy Rome at different levels.

So, to the already extensive list of walking tours (don’t worry, there is a plan B ready if you get tired of walking!), such as ARTChitecture, ForFoodies, WineDivine, I now like to introduce you to: 

Rome's movie set

Rome is one of the cities most often captured on films; it is an immense set used and often reconstructed by the great Italian and international directors, where the city itself becomes a real character. You will discover the never ending fascination of the eternal city through the eye of the camera…turn yourself into a paparazzo for one day! Follow me through the city centre, to where Fellini’s Dolce Vita, or Ridley Scott’s Gladiator were shot! We may even be joined by a professional photographer who will take lovely photos of you and help you take some great ones yourself. Ehm, no bathing into the Trevi Fountain or fighting against a beast inside the Coliseum! It’s something I cannot help you with…:-)

Looking forward to meeting you, §  Barbara Marcotulli

 It seems that, to help stimulate Parisian shoppers, that the government has exceptionally allowed certain department stores to hold sales, aka Les Soldes, just for one week (April 22-28).

In Paris, these stores include BHV, Galeries Lafayette, Printemps, C&A, Virgin, and Habitat, but I also saw soldes signs on other shops, such as the Benetton on the Champs Elysées.

Normally, there are only two sales periods in France: summer (July) and winter (January). They last five weeks and while mostly targeting the clothing and accessories stores, pretty much extends to all shops. Will France soon be like the US, where there are "sales" all of the time? 

Read more on Heather…

Cultural differences…

What would you say if you saw someone in your piazza with a card around their neck saying “Free Hugs”?    Well, I decided to find out on Valentines Day this year.   The movement called Free Hugs was the brainchild of Australian Juan Mann in 2004 who simply wanted to “share the love” with the world.  

I thought, what better day to do “free hugs” than February 14^th?  I told a few friends and I got an enthusiastic response.    I had it in my mind to do it, but there was always some little reason why I didn’t start organizing it. (One key reason was feeling foolish). Days and weeks passed, while I thought of the best place to hold the happening.  Certainly not in my own town, that would be embarrassing… maybe a nearby village.   

Finally, on the morning February 14^th, I happened to run into a friend that knew about my plans, but had to work that day.  “Yes, I’ll be doing free hugs this afternoon”, I told her. When I say something, I do it.  I might as well do it in Bassano. Now I was hooked.   I sent out a few e-mails to friends in Bassano, hoping at least one person would have nothing better to do this afternoon.  I made a central meeting point on the bridge at 3:30 PM, made up a few signs saying “abbracci gratis” (“free hugs” in Italian); put them around my neck and under my red parka.    

Then I donned my red beret at set out to meet any potential huggers. After a half hour, no sign of anyone.  I had set the starting time for 4:00 PM so I headed out to the piazza, alone.    

Luckily a couple of friends happened to be in town with their baby son so I told them about my plan and asked if they would take a few pictures with my camera.   They would also be nearby to give me courage. 

Then I took a deep breath, opened my jacket, showed my sign, and held open my arms.  A few seconds later a woman ran up to me and gave me a big hug!   My first one!  A second later number two, this one a man, then a minute later a group of teenagers.  My face was lit up with a huge smile as I hugged more and more people.  

I hugged men, women and children, black and white, weak and strong, rich and poor. I hugged two women with minks. One nun (after I insisted). A group of mentally challenged (aren’t we all?).  All told, about 100 hugs in one hour.    

When they asked me why my answer was: Universal love.  Sometimes I added, “for Valentine’s day”.  

I guess it was a crazy/courageous thing to do, and the people in my town must have thought I was nuts.  But this was my best Valentine’s day ever… except for one side effect– my mouth hurt from smiling so much!   

www.freehugscampaign.org.

I love salami.. but sometimes I wonder what’s in it  and how its made.  When  I got an invitation to to go to Tarsillo’s house  in the Veneto Region of Italy  and make salumi-  I jumped at the chance. Salumi is the generic word for all those things that you make from a pig and stuff in a casing.    

“Eww!  It’s still warm!”   

When we got there  the pig was already quartered and sans head, laying on the big wooden cutting board while Gigio (Luigi)  was working quickly at cutting up the pink beast.  I touched the skin and it really was warm to the touch. 

My morbid curiosity got the best of me and I asked when our friend met his maker.  “This morning, Gigio replied. “ It’s important to cut it up very quickly.  The meat is very perishable”.  

In just over an hour this little piggy—actually quite a big pig-  all  200 kilos of it… had turned into so many pieces of meat, ready for the grinder.  

Out spews the meat and out squirts the fat, making rude little spurting sounds.  The ground meat had quickly become a mountain on the cutting table- a homemade wood  contraption with raised sides.   Four of us, eight hands, all pushed to amalgamate the mixture.  Some salt, pepper and a liberal sprinkling of Nardini grappa — Mario takes a bit in hand and tastes it, and I do too-  its taste is similar to steak tartare… but then it dawns on me—this is PORK!  What about all those things we know about  the dangers of raw pork?   The fact that I am still here writing  this has assuaged my doubts considerably. 

Next, the  casings; they are extremely long and they are carefully turned inside out, because, even though they are perfectly cleaned,   the internal part of the intestine is considered  the “dirty” part  and must face outside.   The casings are slid down to the base of the  steel nozzle just like a …  ( oh, never mind…)   

All in all it took just over five hours, with four men (and me, slowing them down).  The salumi is then transferred to the  cellar for ageing from two months to up to a year.   

Tradition has it that everyone involved in salumi making is invited to dinner.  The same tradition dictates that pork is never eaten, not out of respect for the pig as I had thought but in deference to the salumi expert-  the person invited to lead the job, since these men ate pork nearly every day of their lives.     

Afra, Tarsillo’s wife scurries up and down from the kitchen to the taverna-  the large room in the basement for informal meals like this-  and brings down  a feast—tortellini in broth, boiled tongue, boiled chicken, assorted greens, vegetables, salad from their garden, cheese  and pickled vegetables.  

I go away from this experience surprised at my reaction. Instead of  turning me off pork forever, it made me respect the pig a lot more. A truly efficient creature that eliminated our problems of waste in years gone by, we showed the same respect for him by not wasting a single part.    

A terribly hard job was made fun by working together in a spirit of teamwork, as it has always been done …. Looking to the next generation in line, I ask Tarsillos son  Paolo, who is learning his English idoims:  “When will you stop making salami?” “When pigs fly”, he winks.              

Learn more about Carla Cassano