La Pinacoteca Nazionale- Letter to Opal

Read on for a letter from me to Opal about a recent visit I made with friends Lucia & Cinzia to the Pinacoteca Nazionale:

Hi, Opal,

How are you?  I hope school is going well and that you had fun with Jo when you got home.

I'm so glad you and your parents came to visit us in Italy.  I've told lots of friends about what an interested traveler you were and how you used the Pimpa book to explore Bologna and learn a lot.  We're telling our next visitors they should read the Pimpa book, too, and maybe they will have as good of a time as you did here.  Do you have any other suggestions for visitors?

I couldn't help but think of you on Friday when I went to the Pinacoteca Nazionale here in Bologna with some friends.  The Pinacoteca is a museum where there are lots of paintings.  I saw some things there I want to share with you.

Do you remember how we taught you to look for the Due Torri on signs in Bologna?  Well, I discovered lots of them along with other references to Bologna in the drawings and paintings in the Pinacoteca.

My friends told me about the history of painting in the 1500's and 1600's (that's 400-500 years ago!).  They said that the many paintings were used in churches to help people feel a close a connection to the stories in the bible and the stories of the lives of the saints.  They wanted people to feel like the stories weren't just about far away people, but people like them, living where they live.  They painted the stories and put hints in the paintings that the scenes were taking place there, in the walled city, under the portici, or near the two towers.

I learned something else, too.  I always thought the really crooked tower, the shorter one called the Garisenda, started tipping recently.  That's not the case.  My friend said it started tipping while they were building it.  In fact, it was supposed to be much taller, but when it started to lean a little during construction in 1109 AD they decided to leave it short.  

I pasted a few photos below of some of the paintings I saw with signs of Bologna in them.  Can you find the Due Torri in each one?  Are there other signs you notice?  You might even be able to see how crooked the Garisenda tower was hundreds of years ago.

Hugs to you, Opal, I love you!

Granny Bean

What does our Family Camp have to do with the Civil Rights Movement in the US?

I love our Italian school, ARCA.  I posted in December about a great week of class where we each shared about something we had some expertise in.  For all of us it was some kind of cultural phenomenon, from Opera, to wine-making, to Thai buddhism practices.  

For my presentation, I shared about the Folk School movement, from its origins in the 1830's in Denmark, to the family camp we attend today in Tyler, MN.  I was pretty proud of myself for being able to talk about this in Italian.  Doing research to be sure I wasn't misrepresenting anything reminded me of the incredible value of the Folk School approach to community and learning; it's the kind of engagement with each other the world needs LOTS more of these days.  The best way, I think, to grow a thing is to practice it.  It helps, too, to understand how it came to be and the ways it has touched the world.

The following is a summary of my research and presentation, translated for you into English.  I offer this as a starting place for more community research and remembering:

Every summer, I go with my family to an historic place in our region.  It's called Danebod Folk School and there we practice some of our cultural values.

The Folk school movement started in the 1830's in Denmark.  It represented a refusal of traditional classics instruction, based on Greek and Roman studies, which, according to the movement's founder NSF Grundtvig, created a gap between school and real life.  Instead, Grundtvig wanted to bring dignity to countryside farm living, the life of most of Denmark's population.  According to him, having a national culture and a passion for learning were fundamental for the transition to a successful democracy.  Creating Folk schools would serve as the foundation to develop a peaceful and just society.

At its roots, the Folk school holds central the importance of human identity, which is made up of individual identity, cultural identity, and democratic or community identity.  The movement to create schools according to these ideals between 1850 and 1870 held a vision of creating a space in which farmers could transform their society, their community, and themselves.  It was a decentralized movement, guided by the farmers themselves.  My great-grandfather participated in developing one of the first Folk schools in Stovring (pictured, left).

Here are some of the foundational ideas of Folk schools:

• Instruction should take into account the nature and needs of the people learning
• Students need time to develop emotions and appreciation before memorizing facts and developing skills
• Oral culture is central
• The fullness of the individual is realized in the context of community
• The objective of education is to respond to the challenges and needs of the people
• Education involves the heart (or spirit), mind, and body
• The point of education is not memorizing facts, but awakening to full living
• Schools should be free from control of the state and shouldn't have tests, grades, or certifications
  

Four key lessons of the Folk schools are: 1) Real education starts with a personal sense of purpose, and all can acquire the skills and knowledge to achieve their purpose.  2)Folkelighed- a kind of patriotism that values identity and culture and at the same time recognizes and appreciates those of other cultures.  3)Learning is for all of life and lifelong.  4) The impetus for schools should be local, decentralized, and of the people it serves.

Folk schools came to the US with Danish immigrants in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  In 1888 the Danebod Folk School was built in Tyler, MN.  Another American example of the movement is the Highlander Folk School (see reference links below), founded in 1932 in Tennessee and aimed, initially, at responding to the needs of the local people of the Appalachian hills.  The founders were seeking an alternative to American schools of the time that offered a one-size-fits-all curriculum for students.  They wanted a more motivating and emancipating form of learning.  Not long after its founding, the school served as an incubation space for the American Civil Rights Movement, including leaders like Rosa Parks (pictured above at the Highlander School), the Reverend Ralph Abernathy, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr, and the mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Septima Clark (follow the link to learn more if you don't know her, also see photo right).

Here's a photo of my chicken scratchings in Italian :)

References:

https://www.folkschoolalliance.org/a-brief-history-of-folk-schools

https://tnmuseum.org/junior-curators/posts/highlander-folk-school

https://snccdigital.org/inside-sncc/alliances-relationships/highlander/

https://www.rebildporten.com/tourist/planlaeg-din-tur/stovring-museum-gdk1095290

https://danebodfamilycamp.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septima_Poinsette_Clark

Three Joys in Reggio Calabria

We just spent a week in Reggio Calabria with Katy, Jack, and Opal.  We chose the location because Jack has two greatgrandparents from that region, and we hoped to do a little sleuthing into the family roots.  Our group was hit by a nasty cold that taxed us each, so we didn't have the brandwidth to get out and about very far.  We were able to enjoy the sunny weather and many things in easy walking distance from our apartment.  Here are three joys that came up on some of our 'top 3' lists from Reggio.

The History:

Reggio Calabria was part of Magna Grecia, or an extension of Greece, in the 8th century BC, so Reggio was Greek before it was Roman, and way before it was Italian.  There are hints of this heritage all over the city, from original Hellenic walls visible by the sea, to the references to Posideon instead of Neptune, to the amazing Magna Grecia museum and the two Bronzi di Riace. 

We spent a morning at the Magna Grecia museum and discovered that our apartment, about a 10-minute walk up the hill from the Lungomare Falcomatà, the beachfront walkway, was in the original Greek settlment, visible here with an orange dot.

We also enjoyed meeting the two Bronzi di Riace, incredible bronze statues from about 450 BC that were discovered in the sea near Reggio in 1972.  They were carefully restored and are kept in a climate-controlled room that requires visitors to spend time in a kind of air lock before entering.  They are referred to as A and B, but with Opal's help we renamed them Alberto e Berto (silly...).  We saw Alberto e Berto all over Reggio, including featured in paintings in a coffee shop wearing what looked like 70's tennis outfits.  You can tell them apart because Alberto  is wearing a headband and has two eyes.  Berto has a helmet and only one eye.

Our Neighborhood:

Our apartment in Reggio had an amazing view of sky and green trees, and the mountains of Sicily (hard to see on photo, look in the middle right).  The apartment was part of a little gated community of condos called Parco Fiamma.  From different spots on the grounds, we could see even more Sicilian mountains and the Straight of Messina.

Our neighborhood had plently of small businesses, including a grocery store, coffee shop, bulk coffee supplier, pharmacy, and bakery that had two kitchens- one for gluten-free baking, and one for gluten-full.  We were greeted warmly and offered samples and treats in a couple of the small shops.  This gift is a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans we received the first morning.  Opal tried but did not love them. 

We also met a sculptor who was out working in his driveway nearly every day.  He asked us into his studio and shared about his work.  He said good morning everytime he saw us heading into town.  A different kind of neighborhood art is visible at the end of this entry: the beautifully festive Fiat 500 di Natale.  I hope the video works so you can enjoy the whole experience.

The Food:

Here you can see a photo of Jack and Gibbs and their delight over their pizzas from Fratelli la Bufala.  We also enjoyed other southern Italian specialties, including 'Nduja (a spicy, spreadable pork salami made with calabrian chiles), Arancini (deep fried stuffed rice balls), and crespelle (fried savory beignets stuffed with anchovies and enjoyed during winter holidays in and around Reggio).

The crespelle we tried were from my new favorite bakery with gluten-free options, senza e con.  It was just steps from our apartment and offered baked goods made in two kitchens, one with, and one without gluten.  This was one example of many in what turned out to be the easiest gluten- and dairy-free eating experience in a city I have ever had.  

One of the bakers at senza e con offered me a crespelle on Dec 30, and told me about the local tradition to eat them for Capodanno, but she warned me to come back early if I wanted some.  We got there on the 31st just in time.  We had to take a number and wait outside about 5 minutes, but when we left the sidewalk was crowded.  We enjoyed our warm crespelle on the terrace in the sunshine, they didn't even make it into the house.

Ecco la Fiat 500 di Natale:

Parking in Reggio Calabria

We just got back from spending a week in Reggio Calabria, on the southern tip of the boot of Italy.  I have two entries to share, here's the first one.

Read on to see the Top Five Parking Jobs we encountered in Reggio Calabria: 

We ran into an alarming number of crazy parking jobs in Reggio Calabria.  My rules for taking these shots were: 1) no photo if there was a person in the car, and 2) no photo if they left the hazard lights on.  All of these parking jobs came with zero owners nearby.

Match the photos with the parking infractions below.  I invite you to post your answers in the comments section for the Blog or on FB or Instagram

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

A. Parking on the sidewalk is not a parking spot

B. Just because someone else parked in the middle of the street doesn't mean you can do the same

C. It was nice of you to refrain from parking other people in, but parking in the middle of the street is still not a parking spot

D. Parking half in the street and half on the sidewalk is not a parking spot either

E. A two-fer: Still no parking on the sidewalk, nor on the sidewalk and in the yellow 'don't park here' lines

Opal and Pimpa go to Bologna!

See below for the story of how Opal visited Bologna and sparked her curiosity about the history of this incredible town.

Gibbs was lucky enough to get to be with Opal in Minnesota for her 7th birthday in November.  We found what seemed like a fun gift in the Libreria Coop Ambasciatori; a children's book in English (there's an Italian version, too) designed to help children discover the city with the help of a beloved Italian children's cartoon character, Pimpa.  Gibbs and Opal read through the book in Minneapolis, then Opal brought it with her to Bologna as an interactive guide.

Here's Opal greeting Nettuno for the first time.  We said Ciao to him nearly every day Katy, Jack and Opal were here.  In the background you can see the top of the Palazzo Re Enzo, named for the son of Emperor Fredrick II, Enzo the King of Sardinia, who was captured by the Guelphs in Bologna in 1249.  He was kept prisoner in this palace for nearly 23 years until his death in 1272.

Opal was fascinated by the Story of Re Enzo in the Pimpa book, and had lots of questions, like: Did he ever try to escape?  and What did he do all that time?  Here's a photo of Gibbs and Opal doing some follow up research.  You can follow in their footsteps and read a little more here. (Note: Opal's photographic likeness will be available online if she so chooses sometime in the future)

Opal delighted us daily with requests to visit places on her Pimpa list, and even drew maps for us showing us where we would go.  Here's a couple of photos of Opal putting stickers in her book as she completed the visit to the Sette Chiese di Santo Stefano, as well as a photo from inside a cortile di Santo Stefano.

Another bonus Opal found in the Pimpa va a Bologna book was traditional Bolognese recipes.  Here's a photo of Opal and Papa Gibbs using a recipe from the book to make pasta.  We used our pasta to make Tortelloni di Zucca which was part of our Italian-Polish Vigilia meal on Dec 24th.  I think they made a pretty tasty replacement for the usual Polish Pierogi.

Our last day in Bologna was Christmas day.  Opal was anxious to visit all the sights in her book and there was still one on the list, the longest human made arcade in the world, the Portici di San Luca. The portici lead from the historic walled city to a hill with a view of the Apeninne Mountains where the Santuario della Maddona di San Luca sits.  It didn't seem likely that we'd have the three hours we needed to get our there and do the hike on a holiday, but three things were working in our favor: great weather, a robust public transit system that had busses running every 15-20 minutes even on Christmas day, and a cook-time of our Zampone that was exactly 3 hours.  Gibbs had a cold, so he volunteered to babysit the cooking Zampone while the rest of us headed out.  Here's a view from the top of the 600+ portici headed back down the hill.  I think if you asked Opal, she'd say she was very proud to complete all the visits and activities in the book, but that the walk UP the portici was a long one. 

If you come to visit us, you might want to start your trip plans with Pimpa!

Italian Christmas lasts from Nov 2nd through Jan 6

Read on for holiday highlights and sights from around Bologna.

Italians don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do recognize All Saints Day on November 1st. We started to see signs of the Christmas season first thing on November 2nd.  Here are a few highlights of the holidays, Bolognese-style.

1. Portici decorated for Christmas:  

Here are three I walk under or past on my way to school on swimming days

2. Nettuno gets a Christmas Tree: 

This year's tree came from a part of the region on the border with Tuscany, it was at the end of its life and needed to come down.  It got a very fancy last hurrah!  Christmas trees and a red and white Santa who brings presents on Christmas are all post World War II American imports.

3. Presepi: 

This tradition dates back about 800 years.  Churches and some community organizations and businesses set up Nativity scenes.  Some are personalized for the group setting them up (see the San Luca one below features itself on the hill to the left).

4. Lights all over town: 

Each neighborhood of the historic center in Bologna had it's own special set of lights.  The second one shown here is from our back yard, on via Riva di Reno.

5. The Mercatini di Santa Lucia: 

You can come feel come Christmas spirit here, under the portici of the chiesa Santa Lucia.  This year we picked up brightly colored sicilian marzipan fruits, tasty fritelle di castagne, pancake-shaped chestnut flour fritters (naturally gluten and dairy free!), and local lambswool socks.  This is also a great place to get pieces for your personal Presepio, figurines come in all sizes.  16 years ago, we got ourselves a dormiglione, or sleeping shepherd.

Other various Holiday decor: 

Majani Chocolate, Gamberini Pastries (photo credit Opal Vishneski), and the Holiday lights show from the Commune, with a message for all projected onto the Basilico di San Petronio

Deepening Connections and Experiencing Awe with my Compagni di Classe

I've been studying Italian for about three months now.  Here's a glimpse into why I love my classmates at ARCA Bologna so much:

A little over a week ago, our Italian conversation instructor invited us each to prepare a presentation about something important to us that we know something about.  What followed was one of the best weeks of connection, appreciation, and awe at school I have ever experienced.

Erica (the blonde in the middle of this picture) invited Jennifer (the student right next to me) to share about Buddhism as she practices it with her mother's Thai side of the family.  Jennifer told us all about the history, goals, and practices of Buddism and also about the Hindu influences in the Thai culture.  We learned that you can choose a Hindu god to pray to and that this will shape your daily life, including what you eat.

Next up was Blake (the last in the line in the class photo).  He's an importer and works with many natural wine makers in Italy.  He walked us through the history of wine from ancient times to current natural wine making processes, including the modern use of sponataeous fermentation and terra cotta amphorae.  Blake shared favorite grapes to try in regions all around Italy- delightful homework!

When it was my turn, I talked about the Danish Folk School movement; from it's start in Denmark in the 1830's to its reach in the US later that century, including intersections with my great-great-grandparents lives.  I shared a bit about the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee and its service as a learning and incubation space for the American Civil Rights movement, also about Danebod family camp and how we live the folk school traditions today.  I think this might need its own blog entry.

Kaue is shown here serving us some gelato from one of his favorite gelaterie in Bologna. He told us all about the history of gelato, starting back in Egypt.  Kaue came to Bologna to attend Carpigiani Gelato University.  We learned about finding the proper balance between water and sugar content to make perfect gelato, adding alcohol to gelato recipes without getting gelato soup, and that 'gastronomic' flavors aren't new, they've been around since the beginning.

The highlight of the week was Mano.  She's in Bologna studying Opera Lirica, and for her presentation she walked us through the history of Opera, pausing to illustrate her points with examples from operatic works from Monteverdi, to Mozart, to Puccini.  She may be tiny, but her beautiful voice draws a crowd.  Another class stopped what they were doing to come listen and applaud.  Click below to hear Mano sing an excerpt from Così fan Tutte.

I love my classmamtes!