The Wolf of Gubbio

Oh no no no, the pointy-eared canine looking over the back seat is not that particular wolf in question but in reality is what will be staring at me from the rearview mirror for much of today. I'm not at the pc as I'm taking advantage of blogger's scheduled-to-publish feature which is the most useful option yet. I find it easier to write on several subjects at one go, and with this new tool of having posts self-publish on a specific day and time, updating is suddenly, what's the word here, liberating? Chalk up another one for freedom to do other things. Like.. like... taking pictures of your dog in the car.

Speaking of freedom, today's date marks the liberation of Italy from Nazi occupation and fascist rule, making it a major holiday for the whole country. This means vacation time, and we're off for some hiking, dining and wolf tavern experiences, and naturally, sagra/festa events in Umbria and Abruzzo, squeezing in time for Molise if there's a chance. Until I get back, here's an intro to that wolf who feasted on lupini in the previous post.

A Wolf Stantant Courtesy of Free Heraldry Clipart

“The Wolf of Gubbio was a wolf that, according to the Fioretti di San Francesco, terrorized the city of Gubbio until it was tamed by St. Francis of Assisi. . .

[continue reading at Wikipedia]

Hi-Yo, Silver, away!

Slowly, but surely, Miss Maddie the alpine westie is gaining back her strength and stamina on these brief walks that we take around the mountainside. The hot summer temps are fading away, maybe too fast for my liking, but in the coolness of digits less than 70°F, the dogs handle it much better outdoors. We came across an old hotel over the weekend, its exterior still in good shape even if the property was no longer in operation. Along the outside wall, iron rings were firmly attached for way back in the days when people traveled by horse. An iron boot remover/puller was firmly embedded right next to the entrance. I've never taken riding lessons, but now I'm thinking, wouldn't it be fun to go on a vacation through the italian countryside only on horseback? I believe there are already these types of eco-tourism here, and I've read about one where you travel by donkey instead. The dogs would probably prefer to walk it themselves, as long as the pace was kept to a t...

In the news: from blogosphere to printed publication

It's just a little thing really, but when a staff member from a periodical for Italy's Alpini requested permission to reprint one of my blog entries, I had no idea how surprised, and I have to admit, a little bit sheepish I'd feel after seeing my Tasi e Tira article taking up half the space on page 12. I just received my copy in the mail. The entry was posted over a year ago but through the vast reaches of the internet it goes to show what nice things can happen when you try to immerse yourself in a culture not your own. Perhaps the word "immerse" is rather modest as I like to jump right into the middle of things and get up close and personal. What tickles me the most is that this blog started off as a way of amusing myself (and expanding my knowledge of the country's cuisine), but getting published...whoa! It's like icing on the cake! Click to view large

Fun in the sun and snow at Alpe Giumello

Why do weekends with perfect weather always have to be so short? This past Saturday and Sunday was the one that anybody with a pulse has been wanting for a long time, the weekend with ZERO rain, no snowfall and nothing but blue skies all around. We had the intention of hiking around the base of Monte Muggio, a 3-hour loop trail that begins from the parking area at località Alpe Giumello, but ice on the trail made it a dangerous gamble. If we had been able to get to the very top of Monte Muggio it would have afforded us a spectacular panorama with Bellagio jutting out in the middle of the lake. Even if a good, long hike was out of the question, there was plenty of wide open space to go for a stroll. We walked the dogs out on the flat plains on the eastern side of Giumello, all of which were covered in a thick layer of packed snow. In less than 30 minutes time we had built up enough of an appetite for a quick lunch at Ristoro Genio, a cozy little bar and restaurant serving hot meal...

Rubber Slippers In Italy

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