Autumn Aphrodisiacs (From Western Telegraph)

September 2010

2:30pm Friday 1st October 2010

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So much to do and so much to see, especially with friends, so we tried to be selective and choose things we’d not done before. The first was the Citta Della Pieve Aphrodisiac’s weekend, the mind boggled at the idea, but it was all done “in the best possible taste”, as a certain person would say.

The town presented various types of Aphrodisiacs to try, scent, taste and experience. Within the old palace there were two groups on the top floor, one offering massage of, feet or head with (es)sensual oils and the other offered meditation with the burning of evocative resins and music to stir the soul. The local herbalist was selling the new Citta della Pieve perfume, body lotion and massage cream, especially invented for the occasion. There was a scientist demonstrating how the process of making the perfume was done on the ground floor of the palace, with all the bottles, Bunsen burners and distillation equipment to hand. In the central floor there were rooms where experts in the Latin Tango were demonstrating and offering free lessons to one of the world most sensual dances.

In the square a cookery demonstration was taking place to make a cake with all the aphrodisiac ingredients they could. Starting with a plain vanilla sponge they spit it into two layers, of large rectangular proportions, and doused it with a red liquore – probably a martini type to moisten the sponge. The wife of the team spread, smoothed and smeared as the “chef” tapped out a beat, to accompany the background music, on a bongo drum. The bottom layer was them smothered with a thick chocolate mouse into which the essence of chillies had been added. The top layer was refitted and this was again soaked in liqueur and dark chocolate from a saucepan spread over the top, accompanied by more bongo music. The entire assembly was then covered in fruit, saffron, figs, grapes, strawberries, sugared almonds, red currants, cream, pistachios, grated coconut and a cluster of chillies in the centre. The cake was then cut and plates offered to the audience. Hot, sweet and sticky was our verdict and not something we’d ever try to replicate. Later the tango experts were showing off their steps in the same area. We went then to the Rocca (old castle) where the saffron growers association was giving a talk on the history, growing, harvesting and drying techniques of saffron production. Each flower has just 3 stamens and it takes 500-600 flowers to make 1 gram of saffron and all have to be hand picked and air dried, hence the cost. To tell if you have good quality saffron you place stands in hot water, the deeper the colour -the better the product and Italian saffron was prized not just for eating but dying silk. During the talk samples of foods cooked with the spice were handed around, Miallase risotto with a dense tomato sauce, prawns with a delicate saffron sauce, then either a pannacotta or trifle for the sweet selection. All delicious and all entirely free.

We also went exploring with friends to Arezzo and Bagnoreggio. We decided to go by train to Arezzo as we didn’t know how difficult it would be to park and it was a simple walk into the town centre from the train station. It was about 7 euros per person each way and relaxing for an hour instead of driving on unfamiliar roads. According to the guide books Arezzo is the poor relation to Perugia but we found it to be stuffed with historic buildings and famous people. The man who invented the musical score was born there, a famous satirical writer of the 1200’s and many others. The Cathedral is perched high on the top of the hill with all the other buildings of interest radiating out from it. The library is housed in an old palace with cloister gardens to read in and amazing architecture. At the town hall there was an exhibition of several young copper sculptors’s on display. Life sized horses with armoured men in a circle with the horses, rearing, fighting, rolling and leaping. Enormous leaves for the garden, partly skeletalised and a life size tableau of the crib, without the stable but with a camel. Astonishing work, every fold, muscle and expression could clearly be seen. The figures were created out of either small squares or long strips of copper welded together. We just wondered into the old palace and then went to view the photographic display on the second floor, passing glass cases of old costumes as we went, marvelling at the ancient stonework, windows and lanterns. How fortunate the civil servants are to work in such surroundings, it might even make paying your taxes less of an ordeal when you can enjoy the sights as you go to find the right official. We ambled on to lunch, very reasonable and eaten outside in the piazza, it was most enjoyable. The church of the Franciscan friars was opposite so we looked in and found a massive 12 century cross with the 4 apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John at the end points making the whole look very Greek or Russian orthodox. We were told that this was the only surviving example as the only other was destroyed in Florence in the 1966 floods. There is a copper fair early in the year annually and a famous antiques fair on the first weekend every month covering half of the old town’s streets.

Not far from Orvieto is Bagnoreggio. The old village is perched on top of a spire of rock connected to the new town by a bridge hundreds of feet up in the air. This tiny medieval habitation has a large church, several places to eat, and gardens with views that would scare the life out of anyone with vertigo. How they got the building materials up to the top using just donkey power before the bridge was constructed, and how long the construction of each property took is a testament to the determination of the ancient inhabitants. It looks like St. Michael’s mount without the water.

Our second adopted cat, PK. He still scoffs any food that he is given, or he can steal, and is filling out well. He’s very affectionate and will walk with us around the grounds and is attentive as we work in the garden. Unfortunately he wants to climb up on things, especially tables, and investigate everything so he’s not allowed in the house unaccompanied currently.

Now our holiday season is at an end and the grape harvest has started with the olive harvest due to start at the end of the month. This year we have 2 students coming to help us. They’ll work for bed and board and have 2 days in every 7 to explore. A wonderful way to see the world and it is open to anyone (all ages) who want to exchange their talents and help for a new experience. www.workaway.info we’ll let you know how we all get on next time.