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Transforming a Blah Green Door to Evening Blue

For the benefit of the several new readers, I don’t just write about things Italian…I also have a ‘Print Store’ on this website. In that shop are many photos of doors and windows of Italy. The time that I take to process the snapshots that I’ve taken in Italy into fine-art photos for you is my ‘happy time’.

“Yesterday a friend asked, ‘When was the last time you were in Italy?’ I replied, ‘I’m in Italy every day.’ ”

— Steve Burkett

The centuries-old buildings of Italy are a fabulous testament to the Italian craftsmen of old. However, because of the buildings’ ancient stone and plaster construction, adding modern conveniences like water and electricity often blemish the otherwise beautiful and charming façades. I want you to see these marvelous palazzos and common buildings in their pre-modernized state. So, what I do is remove blemishes through the magic of Photoshop to bring you the Italy of yesteryear.

Today, I give you a simple example of my digital architectural restoration. The door and façade to be transformed was photographed in Venice.

Where I Start

As always, I start with the original photo. My photos will always appear as blah when downloaded to my computer. When using a professional digital camera, one has the obligation to save photos in what is known as a “RAW” format. Saving photos in RAW format allows a much greater range of subsequent digital processing than a JPEG image from a typical camera, like your smartphone. But the tradeoff is that the JPEG format looks much better initially than an unedited RAW photo.

Enough said…and if you are interested, you can see more in a previous article of JPEG versus RAW which goes into more depth here.

Now, the Transformation

This original snapshot is all wonky, isn’t it? Because I had to capture the façade in the tight quarters of a narrow Venetian calle, I took the photo using a 14mm lens, which is an extremely wide-angle lens. A wide-angle lens will create distortion. So, I’ll have to get to work by straightening up this scene a good bit.

The original image, with significant distortion

In this second version, much, but not all, of the distortion has been resolved.

Just a bit more work puts things in proper perspective. And that note about mail delivery that’s been taped to the door? It had to go.

Here is where the restoration begins. I don’t like that dull green door. I’ve decided in my own volition that the door should be blue. So, I’ve made it blue.

The surface of the walkway in front of the door needs to be constructed, so I’ve done enough of that to satisfy my vision for the final photo.

And the plinth on which the pseudo-column to the right sits has to be constructed in this renovation…so, I’m on it.

Well, in my final crop of the image, it turns out that I didn’t need all of that pavement after all, but the plinth work was essential.

The Final Image

In the final photo, I wanted it to look like the palazzo is occupied and that someone is at home, waiting for you and me to drop by for an apertivo…and from last week’s article, you should now know what that is, right? So, I borrowed backlit lights above the door from another photo of Venice.

So, now you’ve seen behind the curtain in the transformation of a blah green door, to evening blue.

That’s it for today’s rather simple restoration of an ancient Venetian doorway. If you are interested in seeing more magical door and window transformations, check out my Index of Articles and scroll way down on the right-hand list to find, “Italy-Photo Transformations”.

I’ll see you next week to find out what the antipasto course is all about in Italian dining. Until then, I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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Eating in Italy - The Courses & Apertivo

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Today we begin a journey into the the world’s most popular food — Italian food. We’ll start with the courses one might expect to see on a menu in Italy.

Oh the Places You’ll Eat…

First, let’s recognize that there are several types of eating establishments in Italy. In the U.S., ours are not as distinctly recognized. For instance, we subjectively use the words “café” to describe a restaurant of a certain style, as there is not really much of an objective definition. And we use the word “restaurant” to describe almost any place we eat. It’s a bit different in Italia.

Here are some of the types of eating establishments in Italy:

Bar or Caffé — These are open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. You will have the opportunity to order coffee (caffé), soft drinks (analcolico), wine (vino), and cocktails (cocktail or apertivo). So, let’s not think of an Italian stand-alone “bar” as we usually do in the US, where it is typically just a place for beer, wine and cocktails. An Italian bar is where you go in the morning to get your coffee, say good morning (buon giorno) to neighbors and sit to sip and read a newspaper (giornale)…ahem, or look at your phone (telefonino), I guess.

Osteria — A bit more formal than a bar. Often family owned serving simple wines and a limited food menu of pasta and a couple of meat dishes. The menu may be printed, on a blackboard, or recited by the server. Your wine glass may be filled from a spigot.

Trattoria — Generally much less formal than a ristorante, but more formal than an osteria. Think of a trattoria as a diner or café. Expect casual, modest, low priced, wine by the decanter, and regional foods.

Ristorante — We are now getting into more of a fine-dining category. Expect a tablecloth, extensive menus, upscale waitstaff, and finer wines. Oh, and don’t forget that you’ll be paying more.

Pizzeria — As it sounds, it’s an Italian pizza joint. Hopefully, you will find a wood-fired oven. We like an inexpensive Chianti with our pizza…no need for an expensive bottle of wine here.

Paninoteca — If you want a quick bite for lunch, the sandwich shops of Italy are excellent. Great bread? Yep. Great meats and cheeses? Yep. Expensive? Nope. Maybe accompanied by a Coca-Cola Lite (aka Diet Coke).

Gelateria — Man oh man…do we love a good gelato…and Italy has the best…obviously. Expect flavors that you will not get in American ice cream selections. Exotic berries, hard-to-find nuts, yum. Not open for breakfast, but do expect them to be open late into the evening.

So, those are the places you will eat. Now, what’s on the menu?

What’s on the Menu?

In the U.S. we usually see appetizers, soups & salads, entrées, and desserts. We expect to have access to a pre-dinner cocktail, and wine or beer during dinner. Coffee? Sure, either with or without dessert.

Understand that the Italian menu may not display each of the words below, but they are there in the minds of the Italians as they go about dining. For example, does the U.S. dinner menu at your favorite restaurant with a bar even mention that cocktails are available? Probably not, though there may be a separate, special drink menu available. Yet, you know that the predinner cocktails are available, and that the bartender will know how to make what you want. So, here are the typical ‘courses’ you might expect, either on a menu or just in the head of the Italian diner.

The apertivo (plural is apertivi, and please note that it’s not an appetizer, but a drink), antipasto (plural is antipasti), primo (plural is primi, which is usually what will be on a menu), secondo (plural is secondi, which is usually what will be on the menu), contorno (plural contorni), and dolci (the singular of dolco or ‘sweet’, is not generally used).

Today’s article will focus on just the apertivo. You’ll have to wait in sweet anticipation for the dolci!

Apertivo (pl Apertivi)

In Italy, let’s start with an apertivo, or predinner drink. When you think of a predinner drink, you probably think of ‘cocktail’, and you may be envisioning a Whiskey Sour, Martini, Cosmopolitan, Gin & Tonic, Margarita, or one of hundreds of other mixed drinks. The traditional pre-meal apertivi are a bit simpler, with long histories, and with ingredients made with herbs — giving the apertivi a bit of a bitter flavor when imbibed on its own. So, on their own, they are not high in alcohol. Some are sipped, and others are mixed with simple accompaniments.

And, please note that I am not promoting the use of alcohol, but reporting on what those Italians are reportedly doing.

Here are a few apertivi that you will find during your Italian journeys and dining.

CYNAR

How about a Cynar? Made from 13 herbs and plants, predominant among which is the artichoke (What, you say?! Yes! I say — artichoke!), from which the drink derives its name in Latin. It’s dark brown, and reportedly has a bittersweet flavor.

Here’s how an Italian might drink it (From Difford’s Guide)

2 oz Cynar
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Juice of squeezed lemon wedge
3 dashes Orange Bitters
Lemon peel twist

They are so proud of the artichoke that there is one on the label of the bottle.

CAMPARI

There is no more beautiful Italian drink than a Campari and soda with lime. Brilliant red and sparkling. Go ahead and take a taste. Wow, did your lips stick to your teeth?

Campari is a dry, bitter, beautifully bright red liquor that was invented at the same time Italy became a country, about 85 years after the United States did. Before traveling to Italy, I might take a small sip of Campari now and then “to build up an immunity” to it’s bitter taste. It is usually used as an ingredient of the Negroni cocktail (gin and vermouth with Campari). But even in a cocktail, you won’t forget that you’re drinking a unique apertivo. Campari’s less bitter cousin is Aperol, which is next.

APEROL

A spritz made with Aperol, anyone? Yes, please. One of Italy’s go-to summer drinks…and it’s become popular at our house because of it’s low alcohol content. Oranges are in Aperol’s preparation, though you will also find gentian, rhubarb, and cinchona, among its ingredients. Take a bit of prosecco, add some white wine and Aperol, and now you have a refreshing Aperol spritz!

A spritz was primarily an Austrian and northern Italian drink (Veneto, Friuli and the Trentino-Alto Adige), but it has migrated to all of Italy and now, the world. The term ‘spritz’ came from the Austrian "Gespritzter" (think of a spritzer that spritzes water on your plants). You may remember that prior to Italy becoming Italy, they had a strong affiliation with Austria. To stay alert whilst imbibing, Austrian soldiers would ask for a spritz of water in their wine to dilute its effects. Thus ends our history lesson for today.

GALLIANO

Galliano is a key ingredient to a Harvey Wallbanger, which is pretty much unheard of since the 70s. You’ll notice a hint of anise, along with several other ingredients.

The Harvey Wallbanger of the 70s is made with Vodka, orange juice and Galliano. Here’s the recipe.

I have no idea how an Italian might partake Galliano as an apertivo. If you are an Italian, please weigh in on this.

VERMOUTH

For you martini fans, you’ll be familiar with Vermouth.

I’m told that a very-dry martini is made by pouring gin into a glass whilst looking at the Vermouth bottle.

You need to know that Vermouth was invented right there in Italy in 1786 in Turin.

Before purchasing a Vermouth, you must decide between a sweet Vermouth, or a dry Vermouth (a less-sweet version).

Wine as an Apertivo

Of course you can have a glass of wine as an apertivo. Whether it is vino rosso (red wine), vino bianco (white wine), or the more modern vino rosato (rose wine), you will enjoy most any wine that you are served in Italy. We have had a glass of wine served from a spigot in a simple osteria, a carafe at trattorie, and from the bottle at many other dining places.

You want proof that one can enjoy a glass of wine as an apertivo? Here we are on the island of Isola dei Pescatori on Lake Maggiore. We are dining at Ristorante Verbano, and we are happy. It’s not necessarily because of the wine, but we are definitely happy. We find ourselves that way most of the time whilst we are in Italy. Go figure.

Here’s the thing…and that thing is that in Italy, they take great pride in their wine (amongst other things), and a proprietor will refuse to serve you an inferior wine *. So, other than that one experience where we were forewarned, wine in Italy has been exceptional, wherever we may have been dining.

*Except at one place in Venice…actually one of the premier Venetian ristorante…but the manager did say that we were probably not going to like it…and we didn’t…and after taking a few sips, Leslie said, “Non, we are not drinking this wine”, and the rest of us said, “Thank goodness someone said something!”…and as promised, the manager replaced that bottle of wine with a very pleasant one. The moral of the story: when in Italy, don’t panic…someone will take care of you, as promised.

Bottom line: a glass of wine in Italy makes a great apertivo to start your dining experience!

So, our appetite has been wetted whetted with an apertivo. Let’s get a bite to eat. Next time, we look at the Antipasto. Meanwhile, I may have a sip of Campari, just to build up an immunity for the next time we find ourselves in wonderful Italy.

Once again I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

It's Time to Get Back to Things Italian

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I know, I’ve been away for a bit. And, I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t in Italy. My wife recently presented me with a t-shirt which says, “I’m tired of waking up and not being in Italy!”…I think that this about sums it up. I wear the t-shirt as a night shirt, and when I look at myself in the mirror in the morning, I get that affirmation.

I’ve gone through all of my photos of Italy, and I’ve gone through my travel journals, and I’m ready to get back to routine postings of articles and photos of Italy, Our Italy. So, please stick with me.

Starting next week, Italy will be back in full focus. Over the next few weeks, I will be covering the food and wine of Italy. In the recent past, I’ve gone over wine classifications, meats of Italy, and pasta. You can expect me to delve a bit deeper into the foods of Italy…as it is the best in the world…probably the universe. I’ll be discussing wine pairings with this great food. And how about pre-dinner or after-dinner drinks? There are many, broken down into varying categories. You may want to plan your trip to specific regions of Italy to coincide with local food festivals. And, how should one dress and act and pay when dining in Italy? Stay tuned for a focus on eating…Italian style.

In addition to those promised hints on eating Italian style, I’ll interspersing one of my passions, which is photographing all things Italian, and then processing snapshots into fine art photographs.

So, that’s it for today’s less-than-an-article about Italy. However, if you want to see what I’ve been doing in the meantime that wasn’t Italy related, read on…otherwise, I’ll see you next week as we dive into 2022. .

Besides reviewing things Italian over the past few months, what else have I been doing? I’ve spent a good bit of time processing photos from a couple of recent trips to the desert southwest.

I’ve Been to the Desert

Right below Italy on my list of favorite places, you will find the desert southwest of the U.S. The Sonoran desert life of southwestern Arizona is of particular interest to me. I am attracted to the stark beauty, the rock formations, and the desert plant life struggling to survive.

Regarding the survival of the Sonoran desert plant life, many perished in a desert wildfire in June of 2020. This fire just northeast of Phoenix, known as the Bush Fire, destroyed 193,455 acres of desert plant life in Tonto National Forest (forest?!). You will see photos below of the destruction caused by this fire.

I’m told that If 30-50% of a saguaro cactus is scorched, it will not survive, though it will take a few years for it to be obvious. You will see obvious, and not so obvious, examples below of the damage to desert plant life.

Other than cacti, you will see desert boulder and rock formations, colorful sunsets, and even a burger! At the least, I would suggest looking at the first gallery, which shows the impact of that desert wildfire.

As always, click on an image to get a larger view.

In the foreground are the ravages of fire, and many of the saguaro are destined to die

A Desert Wildfire

Here you will see the ravages of fire. It amazes me that a fire can spread over almost 200,000 acres in a desert, where there appears to be such sparse vegetation to carry the flames. My understanding is that invasive grass species have out-competed the native species and they have flourished, creating a carpet of tender that is spread throughout the desert floor…tender that had not existed years ago. Seeds transported by vehicles are the main culprits in establishing these invasive species.

Some photos, like those at the beginning of this gallery, show the obvious damage of the fire. And in others, the slick, almost leather-like and desiccated appearance of the normally green covering is obvious. While in other photos, you will see thorns burned like the end of a spent match. Or, the pores where the thorns once grew are just completely burned away.

In the first four photos below, all of the plant life that is visible has been destroyed. The remaking photos speak destruction on their own.

Sticky Situations

Many cacti have a pointy, protective surface, like those below. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to find a couple of sticks and use them chopstick-fashion to pick a clump of cholla spines from my shoe or pants leg. Or to do the same to an elbow, having to wait until returning to my hotel to grab tweezers and get to work pulling these pokey protuberances from my skin.

A very thorny passage…don’t even try it!

Monarchs of the Desert

The Saguaro is by far my favorite of the cacti family. Whether straight as a telephone pole, or with arms outstretched and reaching toward the heavens, they are majestic. There are hillsides west of Tucson that are covered with these beautiful (well, to me, at least) cacti. In fact, Saguaro National Park can be found there.

Yes, this welcoming guy is just as I found him…no kidding!!

It was kind of spooky coming across him.

Just Boulders

Tough you will see boulders above, the primary focus are the saguaro cacti. The granite boulders of the Sonoran desert are characterized by erosion, primarily through freeze-thaw conditions that ‘flake off’ small marble-sized-and-smaller pieces. These small, rough stones can be found throughout urban areas as residential ‘ground cover’. The surface of most of the boulders below have the texture of a very, very rough sandpaper.

Though you will see a cactus or two below, the primary foci are the boulder piles.

The Boulder Burgers

I promised above that I would give you a boulder burger…or maybe a burger boulder…you decide. And no, these are definitely not natural formations…though they are made up of all-natural ingredients! There are no preservatives, except rock, I guess.

And, Since You Made it this Far

So, maybe you like looking at desert photos…at least you haven’t given up, yet. So, here are a few more, from recent southwestern desert journeys.

Monument Valley Utah/Arizona

The majority of these Monument Valley photos were taken in areas that require a Navajo guide. I would suggest doing that, as you would not normally get access to the areas shown below.

Valley of Fire

The Valley of Fire State Park of Nevada is an hour-or-so north of Las Vegas. The sandstone rocks are worn through by erosion with surprising results. Worth a visit if you’re driving that way.

OK, that’s it. You probably need to go to bed now, or otherwise get a life, right? You’ve spent way too much time looking at non-Italy photos. Until next week when we return to things Italy, once again I say…

Ciao for now,

Steve

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NOTE: As it doesn’t relate to Italy, today’s article will not be added to the Index of Articles normally accessed through the link at the top of each article.

Transforming a Lubriano Door

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This transformation is dedicated to my dear friend Diana Armstrong. She and her husband David were adventurous souls who followed a dream that many of us have…they bought a place in Italy! And not just any place.

They have a beautifully charming home in Lubriano, Italy, where she spends time looking out at this view of the hilltop town of Civita di Bagnoregio. Here, she writes her beautiful books about Italian life, her father’s war, and cooking. If you are a late comer to my articles of Italy, please take a moment to see more about her life and accomplishments in my 2016 article titled, “Covering for Friends”.

Much of the charm of the Armstrong’s compound comes from the fact that their residence is part of a converted, 400-year-old monastery. In her first book, "Somewhere South of Tuscany: 5 Years in a Four-Cat Town" (2010), Diana tells the story of how they came upon, purchased, and renovated their home. In her second book, “A Winding Path to Umbria: The Silent Bridge of Time” (2016), we learn that her father was within that very same view, as he was part of the allied forces who fought to take that town.

The Door in Lubriano

Diana, you most likely know this door well…but as you will see, it is in better shape in my version, than in reality.

You pass by this door as you turn right out of your house toward Piazza Col di Lana…it’s just down a bit on the left. Specifically, it is number 2 Via Roma.

Here we see number 2 in all of it’s faded glory. Time, the weather, and neglect have left this once-proud door in very poor shape. In just moments, I plan to rectify that situation.

What do I need to do? Well, as is usual, I want to get rid of the more modern elements in this snapshot. For instance, the address plaque needs to go, as does the chain and padlock. How about that stopgap measure in the form of cardboard? That most definitely has to go bye-bye.

Stage One: Misplaced Artifacts Removed

Now…no cardboard, no chain and lock, and no address plaque.

Step 2: A Bit of Contrast and Saturation

Step 3: A Bit of Red Paint

The door is definitely old, so it will remain in a weathered condition, but I just don’t like that yellow-orange. Let’s go with a bit of red.

Step 4: Mood and Patina

Now were getting somewhere.

The Final Step

I like to put my transformed door and window photos into an 8x10 aspect ratio. The previous photos were too tall and skinny. To fit the photo into my desired 8x10, I had to add a bit to each side of the door to make the photo wider. So, I did just that.

Now, here is the final photo. It seems to be in the twilight hours, as it looks to be getting dark on Via Roma. Things seem to be much better now…maybe the owners would like me to come over to sand away that old paint and then paint the door anew. All they have to do is ask.

There you have it readers. And Diana, as you pass by, I’m sure that you won’t see that door in the same light, again.

Until next time…

Ciao for now,

Steve

Italy in 3-1/2 Minutes

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I was reviewing older posts recently and came across one on which I spent a great deal of time. It dealt with a video embedded in a 2015 article about Traveling With Friends.

I realized that, at the time of publication, over half of you were not subscribed to my Italy, Our Italy articles. So I thought, “OK, I’ll put it out for all of you to enjoy”. So, thought was translated to action, and here you have it.

Be sure you watch with sound available, as it is integral to the video. I hope you enjoy it.

[And Pam, in addition to several smiling faces of Italy, you’ll see a snippet in the video with your own smiling face!]

It was a lot of fun putting this video together…and it let me relive all of those fun moments with our dear friends, Debbie and Scott.

Is it time to create your own fabulous moments in Italy? Let’s do it!

Ciao for now,

Steve

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