Our Garden in March - Il Nostro Giardino in Marzo

Last year from February until September I published a regular post on News From Italy entitled 'Our Garden' at the end of every month. It was a popular feature and I have decided that now the plants have caught up after The Big Freeze in Lazio and that Spring has finally arrived it should be revived.


I hope you will enjoy sharing these collages of photos taken around our garden this month.

First to show colour were the daffodils with the first ones blooming at the very start of March, with the different varieties spread throughout the month. As I write they are all but over now, nothing is lasting very long this Spring with the combination of warmth and no rain to speak of.  Everyone has started watering, mainly their vegetables of course, but it is very early to need to do so!

Our Persimmon Tree.

One of our Walnut Trees.

Our Orto.

The fruit trees have given us beautiful displays of blossom this month with the Apricot the first to emerge closely followed by the Peach and the Cherry

Last month the leaves on our Camellia were looking very burnt and I really had not much hope for the blooms, but they survived and are actually looking better than normal, as often the Spring rains ruin them, not this year.

                                                   Some general views of the garden.

Other splashes of Spring colour were provided by a mixture of plants both cultivated and wild. 

Cerinthe, Wallflowers and Tulip photographed early morning 30th March 2012.

White Irises, Sweetpeas and Blue Irises photographed early morning 30th March 2012.

The interested gardeners and photographers amongst you will find the full album on Flickr.  Our Garden in March 2012 where the photos can be viewed in a larger format. 
 All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection


I also have a lot of Spring flower photographs that I have not shared here but will be doing so on my photography blog.      LindyLouMac's World in Photos   
                
Do follow along if you are interested in photography as I would love to see you there.

Have a lovely weekend wherever you are in the world and however you plan to spend your time.

Friday Photos - As It Was!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the big changes taking place at the Fisherman's Beach - Spiaggia del Pescatore in Marta.  In case you missed the post you can read it here.
After reading that post a friend of mine very kindly sent me a selection of photos that she took when she was visiting Marta for me to share with you.  


The Fisherman's Beach, Marta as it used to be.

With thanks to Carol Sansone for these lovely photos.  The good news is that hopefully one day it will once again look like this as the trees have been replaced.


I will show you the latest developments in a future post.


Meanwhile have a lovely first weekend of Spring, or Autumn depending where you are in the world.  At the moment I am enjoying sharing the awakening of Spring here in Italy, over on my photography blog. I would love you to come by and join me.                              LindyLouMac's World In Photos

Linea Verde - Elenora Daniela and Fabrizio Gatta Filming in Marta.

On March 1st and 2nd  Elenora Daniele and  Fabrizio Gatta  came to Marta with the film crew from Linea Verde

 I was really pleased that we just happened to be in town on the morning of March 1st and being a beautiful sunny morning we decided to stay and watch some of the filming.  Having my camera with me how could I resist not taking some photos.

 Photos in the above mosaics are my own and can be viewed in larger individual format by visiting my complete album at Flickr.com entitled  Marta Filming


The video is of the television programme aired on Rai Uno on March 11th 2012 of which Marta is just one of the places covered The video may be watched on Rai Uno, just click on this link,  Alto Lazio - Linea Verde

The programme is nearly an hour long and is about the agriculture in the region in which we live, Alto Lazio. If you have the time to view sometime it is very interesting as it covers many interesting topics, in Italian, but I think you will get the gist of it, even if you do not understand all that is being said.


What will you see growing and where, firstly the growing of cauliflowers in the region and how they are prepared for market. From Civita Castellana, you will see the cattle used in the making of mozarella, from Capranica, the hazelnut groves. The stars of the show use a helicopter to get from place to place and fly over the region to show you more, Lago di Bracciano, Lago di Vico, Viterbo and finally our own, metaphorically as in where we live Lago di Bolsena.


It is in the latter part of the programme that businesses very local to us are visited, including Goats at the Cheese Shop on the road to Viterbo at  Monte Jugo and Marta's Fish Farm where they breed the Corregone to keep the lake stocked and of course the fishermen themselves out on the lake.


Also of course in the film are all the local businesses that we saw being filmed in the town centre the day Linea Verde came to town.


It was very interesting to watch the filming and even more so to watch the programme when it was aired on Rai Uno on Sunday March 11th. Especially when we were able to spot not only places but people we knew and if you know where to look, which you don't, you may even spot us in the film!


Linking up to Outdoor Wednesday

Wind Turbines and An Afternoon Walk

When I go for a walk I often take my camera with me so that I can share the landscape with you here. Today's photos and mosaics are from a walk I took on the 29th of February, a lovely afternoon with the first signs of Spring appearing in the hedgerows. I have shared photos from this walk before but not since the Wind Turbines  appeared on the landscape. You may recall I first mentioned these and a couple of photos in my post HERE.


The Wind Turbines were put up last Autumn while we were away in Asia, so it was quite a surprise to come home and find the landscape behind Marta towards Piansano dotted with them!  I feel that although they are somewhat a blot on the landscape they are a necessary one for a country that has no natural resources of its own, no oil, gas or coal in Italy. If Italy wants to generate more electricity for better or worse we are going to see more of these!


The first twenty, although they are difficult to count so not sure if that is accurate but around that number, have been erected on the hills above Marta and we are told that this is just the start, many more will appear on the hills surrounding the Lago di Bolsena in the future. 


When I took these photos it was a hazy afternoon with the sun behind them so viewed through my zoom lens they tend to disappear into the landscape. They have certainly changed the view.


When I set off on my walks there is no sign of Wind Turbines at all from our house. The cows were the first photographic subjects I came across. In the photo bottom left Montefiascone can be seen in the distance.

Then around the next corner Wind Turbines.

Other views that caught my eye, Marta can be seen in the distance in the first of these mosaics.

       Wild flowers starting to emerge.


Celandines and Mimosa

Crocuses

                           On the way home, Montefiascone in the distance.

Two of my local contacts have made YouTube videos of the Wind Turbines, so I have included them here for those of you that may be interested in some up close views. The second video is more recent and shows the turbines operational, quite a noise they make, as can be heard in the second part of the video. The maker of the film also states that there are expected to be around 150 eventually and that unfortunately this is a private enterprise selling energy to ENEL, the Italian electricity company.  It appears then that although Wind Energy is a valuable alternative energy source, at the moment it is not of benefit to the locals. 

                                                 Uploaded by 5quinto5 on Nov 26, 2011

                                                                 Uploaded by webtony1 on Jan 11, 2012

All the photos are my own and can be viewed in larger individual format by visiting my complete album at Flickr.com entitled Scenes From An Afternoon Walk

Sunday Song – Costa Concordia Tribute - Justine Pelmelay and Antonello Tonna

I have not previously mentioned this terrible Italian disaster on News From Italy which happened on the 13th of January 2012, while we were in the UK. The Costa Concordia partially sank after hitting rocks, then running aground off the coast of the small Italian island, Isola del Giglio, not far from the mainland. Over four thousand people had to be evacuated and sadly there were inevitably deaths and injuries. I will not go into any more details as I imagine that the majority of you will have heard about this, if you want to read more the report at Wikipedia - Costa Concordia Disaster is explanatory and concise.


Earlier this week todays choice for my Sunday Song was released by two survivors of the Costa Concordia disaster and I thought it would be fitting to share here.


Justine Pelmelay a singer from the Netherlands and Antonella Tonna an Italian pianist got together after both surviving the tragedy. The pianist Antonella was working on board the cruise liner and the singer Justine was with her partner on a vacation. The song recalls those moments when it felt like ‘Time Stood Still’ and I think it is a moving tribute. It has been decided that all proceeds from the song will go to the residents of the Isola del Giglio who went out of their way that night to offer shelter to the survivors of the disaster.

Il Tempo Si é Fermato - Justine Pelmelay with Antonello Tonna ( Costa Concordia )

Uploaded by MrTieconcepts on Mar 7, 2012

You Tube Link http://youtu.be/KNsKaZr9ER0

LYRICS:
Ma-ni strette dentro una speranza
Mani che sussurrano, una preghiera nella danza
La Luna che
illuminava i nostri "perchè"
Ma-ni, tese dentro un abbraccio
Mani che rimangono ferme ad aspettare un cenno
Il mare che
abbracciava i nostri "perchè"......."perchè"
Il tempo che scivolava via...
trascinandosi i sogni e le bugie.
Un segnale, fra pace e guerra,
fra chi scelte più non ha, fra chi le mani nell'acqua immergerà....
Con il mare stretto in un abbraccio,
dietro quel gigante che
ignorava ogni coraggio..
La vita in ogni cosa così si rispecchierà..
Il tempo che scivolava via...
trascinandosi i sogni e le bugie.
Un segnale, fra pace e guerra,
fra chi scelte più non ha, fra chi le mani nell'acqua immergerà....
Ma-ni che raccolgono un abbraccio
Ma-ni stanche e fredde per raccontare un naufragio
Il mare che per sempre ci parlerà non lo scorderà



Songwriters: Justine Pelmelay, Ronald van Driel, Marcel Schimscheimer
Italian Lyrics: Antonello Tonna
Studio: Highland studios Loosdrecht
Mix music: Hans Bedeker
Video and Voices: HD Soundstudio Jody Koewé

I have not included a translation, it is always difficult to translate songs and I think it sometimes spoils it. There are plenty of online translators available, if you have the desire to have the English words, but sadly they are also not always very accurate. My advice is just listen and imagine as ‘Time Stood Still’

With thanks to Wikipedia - Costa Concordia Disaster , Wikipedia- Justine Pelmelay, Antonella Antonella Tonna – Facebook and YouTube for information and photos quoted in this tribute.

La Festa della Donna – International Women’s Day - March 8th 2012

Italy takes part in International Women’s Day, La Festa della Donna when women of all ages celebrate this special day dedicated to them with celebratory dinners or just get together with other female friends and are often presented with bunches of bright yellow Mimosa, the recognised symbol of the day here.


If you happen to be in Italy today and you are a women you may just get presented with a bunch of Mimosa and as an added bonus if you are in a mood for exploring a museum or two, entrance is free for women today!

International Women’s Day is recognised and celebrated in many countries around the world and the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political and social achievements. Although originally a Socialist political event, the day grew in the culture of many countries, primarily in Eastern Europe. In many regions, the day has lost its political flavour, and become simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day. In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.


Last year year March 8th marked the centenary of one of the events that is thought to have been the birth of International Women’s Day. When in March 1911 more than one million women and men attended rallies in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination.





Every year the United Nations choose a different worldwide theme for Women’s Day and many events take place not just today but throughout March, marking the economic, political and social achievements of women. Their theme for March 8th 2012 “Empower Rural Women – End Hunger and Poverty”.


Many other organisations develop their own themes that are more relevant to their local contexts. For example, the European Parliament's 2012 theme is "Equal pay for work of equal value". Whilst the International Women’s Day Website has chosen "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures" as its 2012 theme.

On this day Festa della Donna International Women’s Day, let us give thanks to all those women who came before us and helped to grant us the freedom we all have in modern society.
Women are powerful these days and can help to to effect change and make a difference in other women’s lives around the world where they do not have the same freedoms that we enjoy.

Some of the information quoted here is from my own post from 2011 La Festa della Donna 2011 and the rest including the banner is quoted from the website for International Women’s Day


We have many Mimosa trees in the locality and these photos are ones I have taken in the last week. To enlarge photos just click on them.
The photos are All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection