1000 steps - 29 gennaio, 2014

“Steps can be special and mysterious, taking on a metaphorical quality as they become a powerful way to define the truth. The concept of “taking one’s first step” is often overrated. After taking a first step, no one ever stops cold. It is the succession of steps moving forward with a purpose that has true meaning in our lives.” 
― Patricia Vaccarino

Bellinzona

Moltrasio

Brunate

Moltrasio

Studio Medico - 23 gennaio, 2014

Finding a family doctor has been on my "to do" list for the past three months. Today, I went from being fairly  frustrated with a system that has seemed inaccessible to me to heading home from my appointment with the Doctor's home phone number in my pocket. As expats, we are square pegs here trying to fit into the round holes of a country with a National Health Service. Even though Italy has the most physicians per capita of any other country, no one seemed to be able to tell us how to find a doctor who would take private insurance.

I put the all-call out to every English speaking person I knew here and one person responded with the name of her physician who she likes but she wasn't sure whether he spoke English. By this time, I had decided that finding a competent physician who is willing to see us, trumps his or her ability to speak English. If necessary, I figured I could resort to charades to act out my symptoms. I was excited to see that his "studio" (what they call the office of a professional physician, attorney, etc) is less than .5 kilometer from our apartment. I walked over to speak to the receptionist because this kind of conversation is not yet within the range of my limited telephone Italian.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that yes, he would take us on as patients and she scheduled both Dave and I for an appointment for the evening of the next day. A doctor who makes evening appointments ... now that's a novel idea.

                                       

As Dave and I walked over to the studio, we realized we had no idea what to expect. We were the only ones in the spacious waiting room and the receptionist was gone. There were no nurses or assistants and the doctor himself summoned us to his office. The office had a desk with chairs next to a fully set up examining table. He introduced us to a young male doctor in training and the four of us sat around his desk while he spoke with us in Italian and attempted to take our medical history. Luckily the younger man was able to translate some of the words and terminology and thankfully, since Dave and I are both in good health, the conversation was fairly short.

Then the doctor looked at me and said, "togliersi i vestiti" which means.... "get undressed". There was no gown, no sheet, no little room divider - just three men and me. Now to be honest, I had been warned by others that this is how it is done in Europe; everyone is more comfortable with nudity or partial nudity and they don't waste time in getting to it!  So I laughed to myself and decided that "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" and stripped down. 

As the exam progressed and then David's, I noticed that our doctor was beginning to be more comfortable trying to speak in English as we were also doing better with our Italian vocabulary. He pronounced us both in good health and updated my medication prescription. Ironically, the neighbor pharmacist had been giving me monthly supplies of my Benicar without a prescription since I had run out 3 months ago. The pharmacists here function more like Nurse Practitioners do in the U.S. with some diagnosing and prescribing authority. The cost of my medication  per month is about 25% of what it costs (without insurance) in the U.S.  Italians covered under the National Health Service pay only about 2 Euro for each prescription. As we got ready to leave, the Doctor wrote his email address and home phone number on a piece of paper for us. He invited us to communicate via email if we needed a prescription or office visit but also told us we could call if we were very sick and needed him to come for a home visit. Yes, I guess they still do make house calls in Como.

Neighborhood pharmacy across the street from our apartment

Say Yes to Everything - 13 gennaio, 2014

An interesting thing happened here in Italy, when I found myself in a new place, where I knew no one and where I had a wide open calendar. I started saying yes to everything.  I have been accepting all invitations, I am carrying on conversations with anyone who seems willing (and is able to) converse with me and I read any poster or flyer that I see tacked up on a bulletin board. This phenomenon has happened a few previous times in my life, as it did when I left home and went away to college and again when Dave's job took us to Alabama 20 years ago. I am not sure if it arises from the quiet desperation of loneliness or from the freedom to totally start over, but I find myself truly enjoying all of the experiences that develop unexpectedly.

I have gone on an archeological walking tour, attended cooking classes, discovered a wine region that can compete with Tuscany, and traveled up winding roads to find an isolated mountain restaurant. New friends have invited me to go on walks where we found trails with views that are more spectacular than any described in guidebooks. I have had lunch dates with women old enough to be my mother and young enough to be my daughter; each time I am given another piece of the puzzle as I figure out how to live and thrive here. When my alarm went off early one morning recently, I regretted having agreed to join a friend for a hike on such a cold day. As I rode my bicycle along the lake path to meet her,  I found I had the normally crowded promenade to myself. If not for our planned rendezvous, I would have missed that moment of overwhelming beauty and serenity.

The calendar is filling up and I know my way around now. I can feel that openness starting to slip away a little as my life starts to develop a routine. I want to remember no matter how comfortable I get, and even after I move back to the U.S. in a few years, that there always needs to be a new person to get to know or a new path to explore. I want to keep saying yes.

8:00 AM bike ride - sublime

Piemonte wine region - 

Appreciating new friends of all ages

Learning to make risotto

New trails to explore each week

No signs, it helps when someone knows the way.

Eating family style

Wow, I didn't expect this view

Gratitude for good people and new experiences

Slow Food - 5 gennaio, 2014

Like most Americans, I have always loved "Italian food". It didn't take me long to realize that my experiences at Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill did not truly prepare me for the dining experience here. I have yet to be served garlic bread or even seen anyone dip their bread in olive oil. It is true that pasta is a true basic and the first entree for most full meals but there much of the similarity ends. I am sure I will always love American-Italian food but I am really enjoying my education in Italian cuisine.

One of the first things I learned here is that one does not ever rush a meal. This is as true in the little neighborhood trattorias as it is in the fancier places.  Restaurants don't generally open for dinner until 7 or 7:30 PM and once you sit down, no one hurries over to take your order. It appears that restaurants don't expect to turn over a table during the dinner hour because no one will ever present "il conto" (the check) until it is asked for. It is not unusual for people to sit for 3 or 4 hours at the table, even when children are present. Everything is slower and more relaxed.

The meal generally starts with an antipasto course, followed by a first entree of pasta (primo piatto) and then a second course of meat or fish (secondo piatto).  Bread, without butter, is provided at the table. Often there is only one item, such as a piece of meat or fish on the plate. If a salad is desired, it is served after the main meal as a digestive. Dolci (sweets) are offered at the end and followed by coffee. If you ask for any form of coffee other than espresso, they know you are a foreigner!

On Christmas, we took our daughter Annie to an agriturisimo which is an inn located in a farm environment and where locally produced items are served. Since it was a holiday meal, there were even more courses (seven) and they were served at a pace that spread over four and half hours. We found out you can eat a lot when you have half a day to do so. There were several large family groups in the room with us and we enjoyed seeing the interaction between generations. We were rather conspicuous sitting at our little table of three but a number of the other guests reached out to us as if they wondered why we had been abandoned by our own family. When they found out we were Americans living in Italy, they were gracious and friendly. The meal had begun at 12:30; by the time we left happy and satisfied, it was already dark. 

Antipasto plate

Fiochetti Emiliani in broth

Primi piatti:Tagliolini and Risotto

First of two Secondi Piatti: Veal with veggies

 

Ist dessert: Cake with apple and chocolate

Traditional Christmas cake: Panettone