La Notte di San Lorenzo

This gorgeous photo of the moon over Marta was taken by the webcam of the Local Weather Station  courtesy of Luca Viviani  you can find out more about our weather on the Facebook Page or the website Meteo Marta

It seemed an appropriate choice to share today for La Notte di San Lorenzo, the night of the shooting stars.   By tradition on the night of  the Saints Day for San Lorenzo Italians will look to the night sky in the hope of seeing one of these elusive stars as each one seen means one wish will be granted. Due to this tradition you may also hear Italians referring to today as La Notte dei Desideri (The Night of Wishes).

Every year on this night many Italians will be seen scanning the skies in the hope of seeing a shooting star which they believe are to represent the tears shed for San Lorenzo on August 10th 258AD after he dies a martyr's death. I have written more about this night and the history behind San Lorenzo in previous years posts, so for those of you that feel so inclined to read more I have included some links below.

What are these falling stars?  Well around the 9th -13th of August every year is when the Perseids, meterioids enter the earth's atmosphere lighting up the sky. These fragments of stars are travelling at a speed of 60 km per second and it is their trails that we can see here on earth with the naked eye, if we are lucky enough to do so.

We will certainly be star watching this evening and also attending Marta's 3rd Notte Bianca

More information can be found found in my posts from previous years La Notte di San Lorenzo - Perseids Meteor Shower,  Notte di San Lorenzo 2010  and on Wikipedia - Perseids

This weekend where ever you are in the world and what ever you are doing, do take time to stand and stare at the night sky you may just get to Wish Upon A Star.

Happy Stargazing. 

Bolsena

Bolsena has been mentioned many times before on News From Italy but for the benefit of those of you that are new followers I am featuring a recent visit. I did not think those of you that have been reading about our life in Italy for a few years now, would mind taking another stroll around this lovely old town. It has always proved to be a favourite place in the area for visitors, so it was no surprise when our daughter suggested we went there for lunch one day while she was here in July.

Centro Storico

View from the Centro Storico towards the lake.

The town of Bolsena takes its name from the lake of the same name, it is on the north eastern shores of Lago di Bolsena.  Bolsena has I think a much more touristy seaside feel to it than the other towns surrounding the lake, with more in the way of camp-sites, agriturismo’s, hotels and holiday homes it attracts a lot of holiday makers. The resident population of around 4,000 normally grows to approximately 10,000 during the summer months.  The town is in the province of Viterbo in Northern Lazio and is on the eastern shores of the lake. It is 10km to the north-west of Montefiascone and 36km in the same direction from Viterbo. The old Via Cassia follows the lake shore for some distance and passes through Bolsena.

After working up an appetite and thirst in the intense heat exploring the hilly streets of the centro storico we decided to go down to the lake for lunch at Trattoria del Moro.

The Trattoria del Moro opened in 1949 in the exact spot where it is now. The restaurant takes its name from the founder, well known by locals, "Moro" (The Moor), the father of the current owner, who with his own family is carrying on the tradition. The main restaurant is a unique structure that resembles a primitive dwelling built on stilts, known locally as 'Pagota' 

There are more photos of the restaurant on their website Trattoria del Moro and reviews, including mine on  Trip Advisor

It will be no surprise to those of you that know me that I took many more photos than those featured in the post. The full selection can be viewed on Flickr.com in my album entitled Bolsena or by watching this video that I made, very amateur but it was fun to do, although I have a lot to learn about this process.

                                                      Bolsena Snapshots - July 2012

If you are interested in learning more historical facts and other information you can always visit Bolsena - Wikipedia or the InTuscia.com website pages on Bolsena.

Our Garden in June and July - Il Nostro Giardino in Giugno e Luglio

July 13th 2012

It has been an exceptionally hot and dry summer in Italy this year, what a year of extremes it has been in fact!  We have virtually given up on our orto (vegetable garden) this summer as despite copious watering it is a disaster. Yes I hear some of you saying how can you be watering when there is a drought order and hosepipe ban in place. No problem we are fortunate enough to have our own well and this is how we have managed to keep some colour in our garden. The plants that have survived are mainly ones that can do without huge amounts of water, any water loving or cooler weather plants that were ok at the beginning of June have long since given up the fight for survival. The plants that are now providing us with colour are almost without exception our container ones.

I have shared a few photos individually but I have also included slideshows for those who have the time and the inclination to view. Transporting you to our garden in Italy for just a few minutes is the aim as always, which I hope to have achieved again today. 

As you can see from the above photos we have enjoyed a good selection of fruit this summer.

Geraniums

Magnolia

Bears Breeches

Persian Acacia

Some  of our June Colour was provided by Geraniums, Bears Breeches and the Persian Acacia and Magnolia Trees.

                                            Our July colour is thanks to our pots!
Finally a favourite photo of mine from this month is this Purple Hibiscus that I am also posting for a meme on my photography blog today.  LindyLouMac's World in Photos

Slideshow of Our Garden in June



The second slideshow is much shorter as the drought has meant there has not been much variety or change in the plants since last month, apart from growth, so if you are short of time this is the one to watch!
Slideshow of Our Garden in July



All photos from Our Garden can be found in my collection on Flickr.com Our Garden 2012

Fiat 500 Commercial - Immigrants - Italy to USA

Italian Advertising Series Number Eight - Fiat 500



It has been ages since I last featured a commercial here for two reasons, firstly I have had so much else to share with you and secondly I suppose nothing interesting has caught my eye!

Well this one I found on YouTube certainly attracted my attention big time. I love everything about it, the cars, the location, which I know some of you will recognise and the advert itself.
Absolutely brilliant. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and that you are able to view, remember if you have problems, you can visit  YouTube via my link and view there.

My earlier posts on Italian Advertising can be viewed by clicking on the following links.
Italian Advertising Series Number One - Telecom Italia

Italian Advertising Series Number Two - Mini Countryman

Italian Advertising Series Number Three - Nespresso

Italian Advertising Series Number Four - Nespresso

Italian Advertising Series Number Five - Lavazza

Italian Advertising Series Number Six - Coca Cola

Italian Advertising Series Number Seven - Fastweb