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Showing posts from 2019
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GREETINGS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS, We have some very foggy days here in the Veneto.  Mornings are usually worse than late afternoon.  This is typical weather for us and we even had a touch of snow last week, but it is gone now except for in the hills.  I would like to see the Alps and give you a report but we can not see that far due to the humid air. Some of my neighbors have joined us in having Christmas lights on their balcony.  The malls are packed with shoppers and going there in the evening is a mad house which also makes the roads packed with cars. Instead of my usual blog  I have put some of my paintings together to show anyone who is interested in a short video.  These were all finished at the end of the summer, fall and up to a few days ago.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed painting them.  I am working to place them on this blog, and having some difficulty. Ciao!  Dave

Tasting the Asiatic

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Today we are covered in fog.   It is difficult to see more than 50 meters, and most everyone drives a bit slower and safer.    It gives one a feeling of dreariness.  We watch the leaves turn and slowly fall.   Tomorrow it will rain and we will join our British friends who have had their umbrellas in their hands.   Winter proceeds.     However, this past weekend was   glorious.   The sun was in abundance and warm.   We looked up and saw a large V flight of a type of ducks   that live in the Veneto,  heading south for the winter.   I hope you can see them in the photo.   I expected to hear the type of vocal sounds that snow geese make when they fly over my father’s home in Manzanola, Colorado, but it was more of a screeching sound.   Still, it was nice   to hear.  I think this is the first time we have ever seen this above our village. Venice to Cesenatico Along the Adriatic Coast We were so lucky to choose this weekend to drive down to the area around Rimini

A Big 10-4, Wines and A Mussel Weekend

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Along a Pass at the Austrian/Italian Border It is almost the end of October already.   The leaves here in the Veneto are changing faster now, we are seeing a lot of yellow.   We wake up to fog and hope the sun will win the day later.   Temperatures have held into the mid 70’s but next week will drop down into the 60’s leaving warm as a memory. My bar today is frequented by men dropping in for a quick coffee and brioche while on their way to work.   There have been only two people lingering to read the newspaper, provided for free, or like me use the free wifi on their computers/phones.   It is a slow day for Bar Jolie, but later business will pick up as today is market day in my village.   Shoppers will stop for a pick me up, and then the workers will begin to make a visit for lunch.   What do they serve here?   Take a   look. A second choice could be this.  Both come with a sauce I see a lot in Italy, which  is a mixture of ketchup and mayo.  I prefer it with a f
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The great thing about living in the north of Italy is that we are near other countries, and so that makes life twice as good!   Croatia, Slovenia and Austria are within a few hours drive and so they make for a fun weekend. Slovenia on right, Austria left, Italy Below This past weekend a friend, who is a complete expert in beer suggested we meet at a big beer festival in Slovenia.   Knowing the tasty food, the scenery and the beer would be great we signed on.   Unfortunately our friend encountered a problem and could not go.   We decided to skip the beerfest and explore the area around Gorizia.   This is the area of the battle lines for the First World War,  "The Great War "as Italians call it.   Buildings Are Also Different The scenery changes a bit when you enter Slovenia.   We   both agreed that it is more green and open, seemingly less crowded.   Even though the countries are neighbors, and their foods seem close, they are a bit different.   There is les

Lasagna in the Veneto

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Lasagna in the Veneto Lasagna, Venetian Style When I first moved to the Veneto I was invited to a dinner where I could watch the food preparation, something of which I am always interested.   I saw sheets of pasta hand rolled using a long pole, quite like a cut off broom stick.   It was amazing to see how the pasta could be rolled up around and around and then laid back out on the floured work surface.   Over and over it was being worked and flattened into a sheet for lasagna.   This is the original old way of doing a lasagna sheet and I have to admit it was a lot of work.   When I make this I use an attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer.   Very Heavy Metal Attachments My three attachments for pasta are the roller sheet, the fettuccine and the spaghetti cutter.   If you have a Kitchen Aid, look into purchasing these handy attachments that are so easy to use.   Below is the recipe I use. 300 grams of 00 flour 3 egg yolks 1 Tbl Ex. V. oil 1 tsp salt 1 Tbl w
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People in Turkey Can Buy Ripe Tomatoes Still waiting for just one person in Germany  to respond.  Every day I receive 25 hits from Germany on my blog.  I would like to know who is looking  at my blog. Why every day the same 25?    If you are one of the 25, please make a comment or write me at aquarelle2@yahoo.com.  If you are not one of the 25, please leave a comment. Pink Olives? Thank you, D. Lester

Escaping the Veneto heat

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Covered Awnings Keep Tourists Cool Suddenly Summer arrived and it is hot here in the Veneto.   Mornings are quite nice, but by 11:00 the sun is cooking the pavement and the humidity keeps clothes sticking to body parts.   I begin to miss living in New Mexico where the weather is dry, and even when it is hot, it is bearable.   People here scheme to escape the heat, my friends go to the beach nearby and lie on beach chairs under an umbrella during the weekend.   My neighbors stay inside and serenade us with their air conditioners.  We scheme and plan our own getaway. We, quite often, escape to Croatia, the country just across the Adriatic from Venice.   Three hours from our village, a long the shores are huge huge campgrounds with restaurants along the beach and lots of trees and grass.   The place near where we go actually has 3 restaurants and a huge pool for those folks not wanting to swim in the   sea.   If you walk to the south end of this campground you wil

Serious About Italian Food

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Celebration of Italian Cuisine Arriving in Italy with a mind to taste the sauce, the pasta and those meatballs, you are shocked that spaghetti and meatballs is not offered in almost any menus except a few tourist catered restaurants.  From then on you will either choose to eat a lot of pizza or venture into a new tasting adventure that will make good memories when you are back home.  What to try? Here are a few suggestions. Marinated Sardines The menus feature what Italians call "antipasti".  These will be choices of appetizers.  There will be cold cuts of choice meats, some cheeses,  specially prepared vegetables or fish delicacies.  I promise you that these sardines won't taste like the sardines that come from a can or jar. Bruschetta You might find bruschetta on the menu, be assured that they will use those tasty ripe tomatoes we hardly find anymore in big grocery stores.  They will have added extra virgin olive oil and some spices on toasted bread.  Y

Super Market Challenge

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I go grocery shopping once a week.  I try to go early and on a weekday.  Saturday shopping in a large grocery store can be frustrating.  It will be crowded and people are in a hurry.  Most of the time,  even on weekdays I feel a bit stressed by the time I reach my car to unload my cart. It all starts when I lock my car and take my two large plastic bags over to where I stick in a euro into the cart lock.  The market makes sure that they don't lose any carts to homeless people.  I don't know why they do this as there are no homeless people in my area.  Italy does not have the kind of homeless situation such as found in America.  I will get my euro back when I return the cart, it is just kind of a free rental situation. I head into the market and my first stop is the vegetable area.  Italy has fairly good produce and where it came from is stated above the item.  Cabbage from Germany, apples from Spain, you will know what country it came from.   Even in the fish market we