Vietri: No Cure For My Pottery Obsession

I didn't realize till living in Japan what an obsession I have with pottery! Partially it's my love of food, eating and sharing meals with friends and family that necessitates the collection of more earthenware. But it's also my way of taking home a useful--and literal--piece of the foreign countries I've visited.



So, it is only fitting that one of the first places I visited in Italy was the town of Vietri along the famous, breathtaking Amalfi coast. It's an easy highway drive to get there and I've been back 3 times so far.

The quaint walkable streets are lined with pottery shop after pottery shop, which are decorated with bright, bold tiles and samples of the pottery within.

Stacks of pottery line the shelves, and artists are usually hard at work, hand painting while you browse.

This was my first purchase--an egg plate. As Brian noted when I brought it home, I have never once made deviled eggs in the nearly eight years we've been married. But now that I have an egg plate (which I also thought would serve as a beautiful Easter decoration to display our colored eggs), who knows?! I may start.

These whimsical sea creatures were my second  purchase, for the baby's nursery. I saw them on my first visit, but since I am almost never an impulse shopper, I regretted not buying them and returned on a special mission to get them.

These beautiful Christmas ornaments were my third purchase. Like my mom did while I was young, I usually buy a couple ornaments each year for my girls, usually from significant places we've been, which I will eventually give to them for their own trees. Pink and purple are their two favorite colors.




I will definitely be back many more times! In fact, I already have a few more things on my mental list for Vietri, one of which is a bowl for keeping and draining fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese. The things I never knew I needed till I moved to Italy!

Homemade Spaghetti

I came to Italy expecting to love the food and hoping to learn how to cook it. Of course, I arrived with morning sickness and a temporary aversion to garlic and basil ensued. Not to mention, we also found many restaurants around Naples are not exactly noteworthy. Well, after seven months here, we have managed to seek out our share of delicious authentic Italian dishes. But up until now, the only thing we had attempted to master at home is the cappuccino. And man, have we (I can say that since it was Brian who mastered it)!  I would go so far as to say that it has improved our overall quality of life...no kidding. (Keep in mind, there's no Starbucks here.)

While I haven't tried my hand at many Italian dishes at home, I have been lucky enough to attend a couple cooking classes before the baby arrives. In my first of "Vera's cooking classes," we made homemade pumpkin ravioli's, which were out of this world. I realized how easy it is to make homemade pasta! I brought home some leftovers to Brian and I guess he was sold too, because he agreed we needed a pasta maker.

So the other day, we were tempted to buy an authentic Italian hand-crank pasta maker, but I'm so glad we opted for the Kitchen Aid attachment instead! It's so easy to use, we've had homemade spaghetti twice in the past 10 days! And both times Brian made it with the girls helping, meaning I had some quiet time. Ahhh!

Now, don't feel too jealous of me, the first time I DID stand over the stove for two hours earlier in the day making the meat sauce. But tonight, while Brian made spaghetti carbonara, I didn't do a thing except get the dishes and silverware ready for Miranda to set the table.

I think our "taste testers" ate more spaghetti while helping than they did at the dinner table!



Next, I'm excited to try out the fettuccine and ravioli options on the pasta maker attachment. But first things first. Today I went to another of Vera's classes--mainly to learn how to attempt the Sicilian cannoli from scratch!  Ah, la dolce vita!

First Christmas in Italy

Two of Santa's helpers

Daddy helps with structural support for our annual Christmas eve Gingerbread house tradition.

Norwood snow women, and the finished gingerbread house.

Setting up for Santa: making sure he can find the hot water for his hot chocolate. 

Inquiring minds (Sydney) wanted to know this year, does Santa put his gifts out first, or eat his cookies first. So she left him a multiple choice question (since he's in a hurry). (Of course, he does the gifts first, in the generous spirit of Christmas.)

Mischievous? 

Or angelic? Remains to be seen...

Appears they were more angelic than not...despite the fact that Miranda got candy coal in her stocking
(we assume as a warning for touching Elfie and ruining his magic a week before Christmas...)
Here, Sydney's sorting presents and Miranda eats a candy cane...
all before Mom and Dad even  get out of bed!

Sydney's card for Mom and Dad...
she's so excited to give us the gifts she picked out at school this year.
She's such a sweet, generous girl!

Here's Mitch "opening" his present from Sydney.

Aunt Laura sent cool handmade Barbie beds for the girls.

Santa brought pillow pets, as requested!

Santa also brought Moxy Girls, as requested!

A Doctor Barbie for Sydney (cuz Daddy's a doctor!)

Pizza-making Barbie for Miranda (cuz we are in Italy!)

Ready for church

A big dollhouse from Santa, because Sydney told Santa she also likes surprises!

The best gifts of all.

Our Christmas feast: the best prime rib roast we've ever tasted, thanks to Brian!

Mitch's Encounter at the Amphitheater of Spartacus in Capua

It never ceases to amaze us how much history surrounds us in Italy. Capua is about 30 minutes from our home and it is the site of the amphitheater where Spartacus the gladiator trained. He was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic.

Miranda happily posing with her "M" of ruins.

Going down below the amphitheater, where the animals were kept.

Check out these ferocious animals!

Apparently, Mitch is not as ferocious as the two, well-fed, "stray" dogs we encountered on the way out of the amphitheater! They approached us quickly while barking, sniffed around Mitch (who was on a leash) for a few seconds, and then one started to attack our poor baby, taking a bite out of his side and his tail. Luckily it was only a matter of a few minutes, but it was scary! After an emergency visit to an Italian vet in Pozzuoli for some morphine, stitches, and antibiotics, he's recuperating. Although I'd say with this look, he's milking it for what it's worth. Sydney's already written a letter to Santa on his behalf:

"Dear Santa, My dog got hurt. He's been good. His stocking is hanging up. From: Sydney. [P.S.] My dog's name is Mitch."

After-Christmas Update: Santa filled a second stocking full of treats for poor Mitch, thanks to Sydney's letter!

Sorrento at Christmastime

The main square

The Morks were brave enough to tag along on a Norwood Italian adventure!

 We're off to see some Christmas lights!

Miranda's found her kindred spirit. 

"No, I didn't touch Elfie," as her nose grows as long as Pinocchio's!

Connor, and Avery who's got Pinocchio by the nose!

(This one's for Kathleen, my hot air balloon-driving friend!)

We stumbled on the quaint Sorrento Christmas market.

Sydney: "Look at those beautiful globes!"

 No, that's not an Italian hand gesture (Miranda's hat was bothering her neck.) 

She's bad lately, but not THAT bad!

Not too many chimneys in Italy?