Our Garden in March - Il Nostro Giardino in Marzo

 

                       

These thumbnails are from the first half of the month and can be viewed in full size here.

My first ever garden post on News From Italy was in March of last year. I stopped posting this series over the winter, the last one was in November Our Garden in November. I was planning to recommence the series at the end of this month when I thought some colour would have returned to the garden.

To my delight although it was still not officially Spring there were plenty of signs of colour in the garden already and it was worth producing a garden post for Our Garden in February

March has certainly been a month of weather variations but that is to be expected during Marzo Pezzo - Mad March as the Italians call this month.

I share with you here just a small selection of the shots I took around our garden during March and if you are interested the entire album can be viewed on Flickr.com in the album entitled  Our Garden in March

No daffodils or narcissus photographs appear in this post as I have already dedicated one specifically to them earlier in the month.

Mosaic Monday - Narcissus – Daffodils and I have also chosen it as my Post of the Month, details of which you can find at the bottom of this post.

Pansies a cheerful sight all Winter but now doing really well.

A close up of our first Iris.

Peach Blossom

Camellia

Apple Blossom

Magnolia

 

As I happen to be posting this months garden post on a Thursday I am taking the opportunity to join in with a Garden Party over at Fishtail Cottage. I have also received an invitation to join another party at Tootsie Time so also linking up with Flaunt your Flowers this week.

            

 

I have also linked my favourite post of the month from this blog to the first in a new series at Happy Homemaker UK

Mosaic Monday - Narcissus - Daffodils

Welcome to ‘News From Italy’ to the other participants from the other links, thankyou for calling by.

All my garden photos for March can be viewed in my Flickr.com album Our Garden in March if you are interested.

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge - March

 

    

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Genre : Travel and History
• Publisher: Etruria Editions Edizioni Archeoares 2010
• Source: Purchased directly from the author
• Review Quote From the back cover: “Mary Jane Cryan’s latest book, confirms her as a leading voice on that fascinating area of Italy known as Etruria. A scrupulous researcher, she combines scholarship with a passionate love of her subject, bringing long ago personages and events vividly to life.” Margaret Stenhouse, Italy Update.

Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

The March post with a list of books that the other people taking part are reading this month has already been posted. March Reviews

I first met the author of this book virtually in early 2004 when we were planning the latter stages of our move to Italy. We had decided on the region of Northern Lazio as being the place we wanted to start our search for a home. While doing online research we came across  Elegant Etruria Mary Jane’s very informative website. We made contact with Mary Jane and it was her that found us the apartment in Tuscania that we would rent while house hunting. When we arrived in March 2004 she was kind enough to help us settle in, which included introducing us to her earlier publications. These we have found to be the perfect guidebooks for helping us learn so much about this beautiful and almost undiscovered region we now call ‘home’

It should be no surprise therefore that as soon as possible we obtained a copy of this her latest book and a perfect candidate for the Italy in Books - Reading Challenge 2011

This latest book is just as compelling as her previous ones, with some enthralling sounding places tempting us yet again to get out there and explore. Thanks Mary Jane for sharing your passion for this region by sharing these intriguing stories. The book is divided into four sections, Itineraries, Influences, Treasures and People. With itineraries that range from The Tombs of Tarquina to Searching for the Stuarts, Influences from America to Ireland, Treasures in gardens and castles and finally so many fascinating people I defy you not to find something amongst these pages that will absorb you.

In conclusion if you decide to come and visit this region in reality or virtually, if you want to discover some of the places that tourists do not normally get to see then make sure you get hold of a copy for yourself. Copies can be purchased direct from Mary Jane by clicking on this link.

Etruria Travel, History and Itineraries in Central Italy

Mary Jane Cryan

Links to other books by the author

Vetralla Connection,

Affreschi Exploring Etruria

Travels To Tuscany and Northern Lazio

I am also including this video I found on YouTube to tempt you a little further with its atmospheric surroundings. What a beautiful place to have given a book presentation.

Courtesy of saltaripe

I also post these ‘Italy in Books’ reviews on my other blog LindyLouMac's Book Reviews

Favourite articles from the Bloggers in Italy – March 27th 2011

 

     

 

Recently returned from a holiday italytutto - the blog about the blogs and bloggers in Italy is back with her popular list of posts from the English language bloggers in Italy.

This is what she had to say :-

‘I’m back from a great holiday with my family in South Africa. The weather was warm and absolutely wonderful after our cold wet winter. But I’m pleased to be back and looking forward to the warmer weather in Italy.

Thanks to Google Reader, I’ve been able to keep up with the posts from the bloggers in Italy, even if I haven’t had the time to highlight them.  Here are my favourites from the last few weeks although I’m sure I’ve missed some’

I am very flattered to be included in this list with my Mosaic Monday – Narcissus – Daffodils  post for March 21st 2011.

 

• Aurelio Barattini: Have you ever eaten an Italian flag
  My favourite photo from the 150 year celebrations of the Unification of Italy
• Emiko Davies: Livorno for Foodies
  The rough-around-the-edges port town with fuss-free, genuine food fit for a mariner
• Juls’ Kitchen: Olive Oil Cookies and some notes on the use of olive oil in confectionery
  A healthy replacement for butter
• La Tavola Marche: A Handful of Truffles from a Stranger
  The joys of living in Le Marche
• Livorno Daily Photo: In Tuscany
  Reminders of the Grand Tours of the 19th Century
• News from Italy: Mosaic Monday – Narcissus – Daffodils
  Everyone’s favourite spring flowers
• On the Wine Trail in Italy: Now is the time for YES
  Connecting with the old and ancient
• Parla Food: Fulvio talks Flour
  An interview with Fulvio Marino on the art of grinding grain
• Palermo Daily Photo: Smile
  Washing lines
• Path to Self Sufficiency: Mangiar La Foglia
  Learning about wild food
• Sicily Scene: The woman who shot Mussolini
  Book review on the enigma that was Violet Gibson
• Umbria Lovers: The Museum of Biscotti Tins and Memories
  Curious, inventive and beautiful everyday objects from the past
• Wandering Italy: Sartiglia and Stars in Oristano, Sardinia
  A medieval game for carnival.

 

I enjoy reading this feature on a regular basis and through italytutto have discovered lots of great blogs on Italy which I hope some of you will now maybe discover for yourselves.

I have some new readers, followers, friends that may be unaware that I have been honoured to have been selected to appear on this list on a number of previous occasions, so I have included the links to the earlier posts.

Our Garden in July, Montefiascone Fiera del Vino 2010, Grape Harvest and Winemaking, Our Garden In October and Friday Photo - Lago di Bolsena

Thankyou italytutto for all the sterling work you do towards keeping the wonderful community of Italy Bloggers connected with each other, of which this list is just one example.

Sunday Song – Cesare Cremonini – Dicono di Me – They Chatter About Me

 

Cesare Cremonini  was born on March 27th 1980 in Bologna and since 2002 has pursued a career as a soloist singer songwriter.  Prior to that date he was the leader of a group Lunapop between 1999 and 2002 when it disbanded. At the time it was very popular winning awards as Italy's best band, best album, and best newcomer in 2000.

One of his more popular songs which I often hear on the radio is  ‘Dicono di Me’ released in 2008 as a track on the album

IL PRIMO BACIO SULLA LUNA – First Kiss on the Moon
2008 – CD

 

Cesare Cremonini - Dicono Di Me (English lyrics translation)

Courtesy of TheNewCitizen

 

DICONO DI ME
Cesare Cremonini

Dicono di me,
che sono un bastardo, bugiardo e lo fanno senza un perchè...
Dicono di me,
che sono una strega drogata e truccata e piena di sè...
E dicono di me,
che sono una stupida frase da dire davanti a un caffè...
E invece no, nessuno sa.
E invece no, nessuno sa.
Che avrei soltanto l'amore per lei...
Per lei che ha il nome di un fiore, per lei...
Per lei..
Dicono di me,
che sono una stupida frase da dire davanti a un caffè...
Dicono di me,
che sono un serpente con ali da diavolo e un cuore da re...
Ecco perchè, nessuno sa.
Ecco perchè, nessuno sa.
Ecco perchè, nessuno sa.
Nessuno sa....
Che avrei soltanto l'amore per lei...
Per lei che ha il nome di un fiore per lei...
Per lei che è l'unica al mondo, per lei...
Per lei che è l'unica al mondo, per lei...
Ed ogni raggio di luna è per lei...
Ed ogni raggio di luna è per lei...
Lei...

I'm a bastard, a liar and do so without a cause ...
They chatter about me,
I'm a witch drugged and made up and full of himself ...
And tell me,
that is a silly phrase to say over coffee ...
But no, nobody knows.
But no, nobody knows.
I'd just love for her ...
For her that has the name of a flower for you ...
For her ..
They chatter about me,
that is a silly phrase to say over coffee ...
They chatter about me,
I am a snake with wings and a devil's heart by re ...
That's why, nobody knows.
That's why, nobody knows.
That's why, nobody knows.
No one knows ....
I'd just love for her ...
For her that has the name of a flower for you ...
For her it is only in the world for her ...
For her it is only in the world for her ...
And every ray of the moon is for you ...
And every ray of the moon is for you ...
You.

I have sourced the information about Cesare Cremonini from the following sites both of which are worth referring to if you would like to learn more about him. Cesare Cremonini – Wikipedia or his Official Website.

 

More Sunday Songs can be found by visiting Sunday Song at 5 Minutes Just for Me and Sunday Session at Doireallywannablog

both Australian blogs.

Buono Domenica Tutti

Friday Photo – Doors – No 2

 

Door No 1.

 

I started this series last month, so for new readers I have welcomed since then here is the link to view the photograph in full size. Friday Photo - Doors - No 1

 

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone where ever you may in the world and what ever you will be doing.

Marzo Luna Piena - March Full Moon

 

 

Last Saturday March 19th 2011 we saw all over the world the rare occurrence of a Super Full Moon. This was the moon’s closest encounter with Earth since December 12, 2008. The moon won’t come this close again until November 14, 2016.  I did try to get some photographs but sadly we did not have the clear skies here in Lazio that night. I did take a few the previous night, as a practice run and although not exactly what I had hoped for either as just these two to share with you. There are thousands of fantastic images of the March Full Moon available to browse on Flickr.com if you are interested.

I was trying to learn a little more about this phenomenon when I came across this video which is well worth watching for a scientific but easily understandable explanation.

 

EXOMATRlXTV

 

 

The photos may be more than a little disappointing but I love this catchy dance music I found entitled ‘The Moon’. First in Italian with the words then a version in English.

HelioTerapias

Se mi dai il tuo amore
seguimi verso il sole
guardami non andare via
è un attimo che incontra la follia
Io vivrò nel tuo cuore
stringimi con passione
sentirai una voce che
per te sarà importante
Questa notte dimmi si
puoi rispondermi
è la luna che ti vuole qui
guarda un pò più su
nell'immenso blu
Vorrei stringerti e amarti baby
Amami per favore
se lo vuoi nasce un fiore
guidami verso la realtà
perchè il destino ha unito due metà
Riempimi d'emozione
ora che puoi sognare
sentirai il tuo cuore che
dirà di amarmi sempre
Questa notte dimmi si
puoi rispondermi
è la luna che ti vuole qui
guarda un pò più su
nell'immenso blu
Vorrei stringerti e amarti baby

 

erotikDjs

If you enjoyed this musical interlude today maybe you will come back and join me on Sunday when I will be posting a regular Sunday Song post where I feature a different Italian artist.

I am linking to Outdoor Wednesday today to share these Moon images images with other lovers of the great “Outdoors”.

Welcome to ‘News From Italy’ to the other participants, thankyou for calling by.

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

Mosaic Monday – Narcissus – Daffodils

 

Favourite articles from the bloggers in Italy – March 27th 2011.

 

On February 11th I posted a Friday Photo of our first Daffodils or Narcissus as I should correctly call them coming in to bloom. Over five weeks later we are still enjoying them thanks to the numerous varieties we have in the garden, which have bloomed one after another and all are still going strong, apart from the original Narcissus. This has been in bloom since before Christmas, so we have been lucky enough to have a touch of gorgeous yellow to enjoy ever since then.

 

This glorious selection is all thanks to our predecessor, the elderly Italian lady who lived here all her married life, in fact she and her husband built the house themselves in the early 1900’s. Unfortunately I do not know the name of most of the different varieties which is one of the reasons I have taken so many photographs of them this Spring, hopefully when time allows I can spend some time identifying them.

With reference to Wikipedia I found out that all Narcissus species have a central trumpet-, bowl-, or disc-shaped corona surrounded by a ring of six floral leaves called the perianth which is united into a tube at the forward edge of the 3-locular ovary. The seeds are black, round and swollen with hard coat. The three outer segments are sepals, and the three inner segments are petals. Though the traditional daffodil of folklore, poetry, and field may have a yellow to golden-yellow colour all over, both in the wild species and due to breeding, the perianth and corona may be variously coloured. Breeders have developed some daffodils with double, triple, or ambiguously multiple rows and layers of segments, and several wild species also have known double variants.

There are two schools of thought on the origins of the name, one is that of the youth called Narcissus, from Greek mythology who either drowned in the pool he came obsessed with viewing himself in, or eventually died of starvation and thirst beside the pool. Either way the Narcissus plant first grew on the spot where he died. The other possibility for the origin is that the plant is named after its narcotic properties.

Where ever the name originates from for me  'a host of golden daffodils' is always one of the first welcome signs of Spring.

 

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:                                                                                 

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth.

 

I am linking this post to Mosaic Monday at Little Red House where you will find lots of other beautiful Mosaics.