Southern Sonoma Country Life

What's On at The Petaluma Arts Center This December . . .

Back by popular demand at Petaluma Arts Center is the Members Exhibition & holiday art sale, opening Saturday December 8th with a public reception from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Stop by for a browse and pick out a piece or two for gifts that support both artist and art center. 

There has been a lot of buzz in the news this year with regards to the trials and tribulations of our much loved local Arts Center, it's great to see members rallying to stage this favorite of exhibitions during the holiday season. Let's hope that with everyone's support, the Arts Center may launch into 2019 with new energy and options and possibilities. 

Please note, the center is closed Sundays and Mondays (and holidays). If you can't make the opening, pop in Tues through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm.

Another annual highlight at the Arts Center, back by equally popular demand, the Petaluma Readers Theater presents a  “A Christmas Memory” and “A Child's Christmas in Wales"  — Friday evening, Dec 21st 7 pm to 9 pm. This is a treat for the whole family. Click here to register.

Red Barn Studios Holiday Sale — Dec 8th & 9th

Rain or Shine — Windrush Farm Holiday Art Sale November 25th & December 2nd

A Visit to the Campatelli Tower House in the Historic Center of San Gimignano, Tuscany

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Italy was a tour of The Campatelli tower-house, an 18th century palazzo that encompasses one of the famous towers of the Tuscan town of San Gimignano that was the Manhattan of its day! The construction of the original property – the Medieval tower – dates from mid-12th century: a typical tower-house on the Pisan model, initially around 36 feet in height and was then raised up to reach the almost 92 feet we see today.

Photos unless otherwise noted: Timo Rivetti 

'San Gimignano delle belle Torri' is located about 35 miles south of Florence, serving as an important relay point for pilgrims traveling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena.

The patrician families that first controlled the town constructed some 72 tower-houses as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 survived time and architectural fashions, San Gimignano retains its striking feudal atmosphere and appearance, today, housing many masterpieces of 14th- and 15th-century Italian art.

According to UNESCO and its status as a World Heritage Center, the town grew around two principal squares: the triangular Piazza della Cisterna, ornamented with a lovely central well, and the Piazza Duomo, dating from the late 13th century with its more intricate layout containing the majority of public and private monuments. After 1353, the town went into a period of decline due to waves of famine and plague that caused a drastic decrease in population. Within a hundred years, the town was downgraded to the level of the other lands under the Florentine control. This status, however, prevented the town from the urban renewal that transformed many Italian historical towns after the Middle Ages.

 

Photo: UNESCO

The height of the towers grew to display the power of the local families, but in certain cases, such as this one in the Campatelli home, the towers served as actual residences, with the rooms arranged vertically on wooden floors that have today been partially reconstructed.

Over the centuries, various adjacent constructions were added to this tower and by the middle of the 18th century the building resembled a typical palazzo with a Florentine-style intonaco facade. 

It was during the early 19th century, that the Campatellis, a landowning family of entrepreneurs, acquired the entire building, transforming it into a traditional upper-middle-class Tuscan house, in which they managed their affairs and income from the lands the family owned just outside the town.

Tourism numbers were blessedly dwindling by my late October visit and so we pretty much had the tour of the house to ourselves. I learned that in 2005, Lydia Campatelli, the last owner of the property, donated the Campatelli Tower-House to Fondo Ambiente Italiano FAI – the National Trust for Italy on condition that it be opened up to the public, together with its furnishings and collections, including pictures by the famous Florentine artist Guido Peyron (1898-1960), Lydia’s eclectic uncle.

Today, the Campatelli Tower-House offers a rich, multi-faceted visitor experience, featuring fascinating content and immersive screenings. There is little to beat walking round a National Trust property to soak in the true flavor and spirit of the lives that real people lived in these specially preserved places. The velvets and bed linens and silk seat coverings, writing desks, book cases, rugs and personal accoutrements of the middle class tell a different story to the grand palaces and the peasant farmhouses more often depicted in our idea of old Italy. 

The visit began the attic spaces and the Tower, where we took in a screening of A Thousand Years in San Gimignano, bringing the walls of the house to life beside an alabaster model of the town.

The piano nobile, on the top floor has been remodeled to resemble the way it would have looked in the late 19th century, with original furnishings and objects d’art from Lydia's family, paintings, documents, decorative pieces and photographs collected by the donor, depicting her family life, as well as the more general lifestyle of a typical upper-middle-class Tuscan family of the time.

It was intriguing to hear how the town grew around two principal squares: the triangular Piazza della Cisterna, ornamented with a lovely central well, and the Piazza Duomo, dating from the late 13th century with its more intricate layout containing the majority of public and private monuments. After 1353, the town went into a period of decline due to waves of famine and plague that caused a drastic decrease in population. Within a hundred years, the town was downgraded to the level of the other lands under the Florentine control. This status proved to be a good thing as it prevented the town from the urban renewal that transformed many Italian historical towns after the Middle Ages.

The FAI International project promotes love for Italy at home and overseas through a large and enthusiastic network of activities, events, workshops and concerts as well as protected properties throughout the country.

If you are planning travel to Italy, do look into visiting an FAI property. 

 

 

 

 

The Camino Experience — Modern Day Pilgrim's Travel Demystified

It seems a whole lot of people I've been talking to this fall are beginning to plan their 2019 adventures, if not already booked for exciting expeditions out in the big, beautiful wide world.

Several friends have already or are thinking of experiencing the true culture of their destination through hiking trails, authentic towns, villages and countryside, via various portions of the The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) — a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe and coming together at the tomb of St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain.

During my recent trip to Italy I came across walking groups on the epic Canterbury to Rome pilgrim route, the Via Francigena in Tuscany. This sparked my interest in looking into pilgrim walks options for future travel. 

Award winning Irish-based CaminoWays.Com has some great walking tours & tips on offer for all things Camino culture, including walks in Southern Portugal, Ireland and Italy. 

FIRST CAMINO

If this is your first time on the Camino and you are looking for ‘the Camino’ experience, according to this particular tour provider, the Camino Frances is the way to go. This is the route that features in many famous movies such as The Way and I’ll Push You.

The good news is that you don’t have to walk for a full month if you don’t want to, you can start at any stage along the way. It is worth keeping in mind though that you will have to cover at least the last 100kms (63 miles) in order to get your Compostela pilgrims certificate in the Pilgrims Office in Santiago.

Details: 6 nights from €512 – Camino Frances Last 100km

SCENIC COAST

The beauty of the Atlantic is the pilgrim’s travel companion along the Portuguese Coastal Camino from Porto. This route is relatively flat and a little kinder on the legs for beginners. This also makes it the perfect route for cycling.

The full Portuguese Coastal Camino takes two weeks to complete. The journey begins in the gorgeous and colorful city of Porto.  Experience a mix of Portuguese and Spanish culture as you cross the border on your way to Santiago de Compostela. Delicious seafood, sandy beaches and lush landscapes await.

Details: 1 week from €597 – Portuguese Coastal Camino

CAMINO FANS

Once you discover the magic of the Camino it is easy to get ‘addicted’ to the trails. In fact, many pilgrims return each year to walk or cycle different routes. There are many trails available to the seasoned Camino fan.

For those looking to discover the Camino trails in France, the Le Puy Camino is one of the most traditional ‘Chemins de St Jacques’. Picturesque historic towns such as Conques, Le Puy en Velay or Cahors, as well as peaceful rural tracks, make it a Camino to remember.

Details: 1 week from €492 – Le Puy Camino 

OFF GRID

Is it peace and tranquillity you are looking for on your Camino? It’s time to switch off your phone and visit the Camino de Invierno! This is a path less travelled and offers time for quiet reflection in nature. This is a beautiful route, with plenty to see. Romanesque churches are dotted throughout the region You are surrounded by gorgeous wine courtesy of the vineyards in the Ribeira Sacra Valley.

Details: 7 nights from €588 – Camino de Invierno

IN GREAT COMPANY

Those looking to meet people and travel with a group should join one of the group's guided tours. Share your Camino experience with new friends. You will be looked after from the moment you arrive, an expert guide will be with you every step of the way.

Details: Caminoways Guided Tour Schedule

WALK AND COACH TOURS

Camino Walk and Coach tours are ideal for Camino beginners, a perfect introduction to the uniqueness of the Way of St James. Each day includes an easy 1 and a half to 2-hour walk in some of the most scenic regions on the Camino.

Details: 7 nights from €1103 – Walk and Coach

CAMINO AND BEYOND

More wonderful hiking routes throughout Europe:

The Rota Vicentina (Fishermen’s Trail) is a magnificent coastal trail taking walkers along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in a region of spectacular beauty in Southern Portugal.
Details: Rota Vincentina

Ireland is the perfect location for hiking. Unspoiled green countryside, cosy local towns and the famous Irish welcome are some of the treats on offer.
Details: Hiking in Ireland

Starting in Canterbury, the Via Francigena is a spectacular and epic pilgrim trail dating back to the Middle Ages. Walking in Tuscany is one of the undoubted highlights.
Details: Via Francigena in Tuscany

For more information on any of these walking or cycling tours  contact the travel specialists.

 

Venice Under Water

Photos - pre-flood, by Sunny Hill Man

“The experts are right, he thought. Venice is sinking. The whole city is slowly dying. One day the tourists will travel here by boat to peer down into the waters, and they will see pillars and columns and marble far, far beneath them, slime and mud uncovering for brief moments a lost underworld of stone. Their heels made a ringing sound on the pavement and the rain splashed from the gutterings above. A fine ending to an evening that had started with brave hope, with innocence. ("Don't Look Now")” — Daphne Du Maurier 

After visiting in person for the first time, this October, it was shocking to arrive home and see news reports of approximately three-quarters of the historic Italian city of Venice submerged this week due to high tides and heavy storms that have led to the death of at least 11 people in the area.Venice's iconic St. Mark's Square was closed as tourists attempted to make way over raised walkways, some having to be rescued.

Restaurateurs and shopkeepers bailed out their business to keep from closing. We enjoyed two fantastic Venetian regional fish suppers during our brief stay, I can only imagine the experience of dining in rainboots would intensify those strong, salty flavors. 

To spend time in Venice is to try to absorb the haunting beauty of the place that Truman Capote famously described as: "Like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.”  

Experts claim the flooding is the worst that Venice has seen in a decade, reaching a high-water mark of 5.1 feet (1.5 meters), the fourth highest ever recorded.

The City of Water, Venice faces long term and catastrophic threats to its survival given the degree of climate change and rising sea levels. This low-lying marvel of an historic city is considered the unwitting poster child for cultural heritage and people at risk. Experts warn that the Mediterranean Sea basin may rise by five feet by the end of the century, placing the city in jeopardy of being flooded twice each day. Currently, Venice is victim to heavy flooding around four times each year.

Around half of Italy was impacted by the extreme weather this week and it is reported that over 5,800 firefighters have been activated to answer more than 7,000 emergency rescue calls across the country. 

According to National Geographic: "The city's leaders have seen the rising water for some time and have been working on an ambitious defense plan. But corruption is widely alleged to have slowed the process. Called MOSE (MOdulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico), the project is an acronym for a system of walls meant to protect the city and lagoon from the sea. The system is based on decades-old technology, and not all scientists and engineers are convinced it will save the city in the long run, even when it's completed. It may be a losing battle, they warn."

National Geographic previously reported: “Italian magistrates discovered that while the initial cost has been predicted at something like two billion euros, more than 6.5 billion have now been spent, at least two billion of which was spent on corruption.” Investigations have led to arrest and imprisonment of city and regional officials. Although some long-term residents have been moving out of Venice, tired of rising waters and rents driven up by international tourists, others argue that the city is too precious to give up on.

For its own sake it’s important that Venice doesn’t die,” historian and author Salvatore Settis told National Geographic. “It’s too important to let it die. Venice should be preserved not just for Venetians but for all humanity."

Fortune Magazine reports that if and when the flood plan project is finally completed and fully operational, flood gates will go up once the tide reaches 110 centimeters, or roughly 43 inches. "That won’t keep water out of low-lying areas often flooded already, such as St. Mark’s Square, but it should protect much of Venice from flooding for roughly the next three decades, depending on how quickly sea level rises between now and then."

Governor for Veneto, Luca Zaia, has said flooding this week may reach the levels of the 1966 flood that engulfed Venice and Florence back when storms such as these were considered more of an anomaly. These days, however, they are unfortunately, way more common and more perilous —than ever before.

“Venice, it's temples and palaces did seem like fabrics of enchantment piled to heaven.” — Percy Shelley

 

Bay Area's Vegetarian Nirvana — Iconic Greens Restaurant Reopens October 15th After a Four Month Kitchen Fire Hiatus

Celebrated Bay Area institution, Greens, prepares to reopen its black walnut doors October 15th, 2018 following a kitchen hood fire that kept the landmark restaurant closed approximately four months. The fire happened just before dinner service on June 20. The Greens team has been busy with a resilient focus and dedication to restoring the main dining room back to its original craftsmanship while also repairing the kitchen. The restaurant has opened up reservations for October 15th onward. The team is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support and goodwill from local contractors, community members, and neighbors. At the helm of the Greens kitchen since 1985, Executive Chef Annie Somerville (published author of Fields of Greens and Everyday Greens) has led a career of service, nurturing a community of diners, purveyors and employees. As the restaurant embarks on its 40-year anniversary in 2019 and commitment to celebrating vegetables, the Greens team is also preparing for the semi-retirement of their beloved chef. Somerville will continue to oversee the culinary vision and has insisted on keeping her regular shopping schedule at The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. The values Somerville instilled -- gratitude, humility, and being of service -- will continue guiding the daily workings of the staff. When asked about the success of Greens, Somerville comments, "I really believe our stability is about goodwill. As food culture has grown, we've had greater access to the most incredible ingredients of all time. We can execute high-level dishes with all the exceptional produce we acquire. And at the core of Greens, we are very mindful, especially of our staff; they are everything to Greens. Guests feel welcome here, and the employees feel a part of something special. Being located within the Golden Gate National Park is such a gift. People's lives are so busy, and they value these beautiful Bay Area open spaces more now than ever." For the reopening menu in October 2018, guests can expect the same devotion from Greens: to serve the most incredible ingredients of all time; with a refresh on classic dishes and a constant energy around embracing the wondrous bounty of local vegetables. Welcomed with favorite dishes (Fire Roasted Poblano Chili stuffed with quinoa, Green Gulch pumpkins, grilled onions, and smoked cheddar), diners will also find daily offerings from the farm (Green Gulch Lettuces, purslane, seasonal squash and blossoms, and Andante Dairy goat cheese), a seasonal soup (Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with olio nuovo and slow roasted almonds), and seasonal sampler (Carrot Hummus and Zaatar Oil with sea salt crackers, Green Gulch chioggia and golden beets, and crudités).F About Greens Restaurant Greens Restaurant pioneered vegetarian cooking and paved the way for establishing it as a cuisine in America. The San Francisco Zen Center opened Greens, in 1979, to provide an opportunity for Zen students to work together and extend their Buddhist practice into the workplace. For many years, the entire staff at Greens were Zen students. Founding Chef of Greens, Deborah Madison, was a student at Zen Center for 18 years where she held a host of kitchen positions. In 1981, Annie Somerville joined the restaurant and trained with Madison. Somerville became Executive Chef in 1985, and has since continued to work closely with local growers, cheesemakers, and purveyors, to serve and celebrate seasons and their bounty. Green Gulch Farm, also owned by San Francisco Zen Center, provides the restaurant with organic produce year round from its farm and garden. Green Gulch Farm has been a model of sustainable organic farming and gardening. Occupying a former Army warehouse in Fort Mason, the restaurant is adorned with floor to ceiling windows and quintessential views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin headlands and The Marina. The space was constructed by carpenters from the Zen Center, including lead designer Paul Discoe, an ordained Zen Buddhist priest, using reclaimed wood and recycled material. Central to the familiar dining room are works by local Bay Area artists: a curving three-ton, tour de force of woodcarving, redwood installation by J.B. Blunk, original landscapes hanging on the walls by painter Willard Dixon, and specially made service areas and entryway by designer Jason Lees.

Pre-Order "On a River Winding Home" — A Beautiful New Book of Words & Images — Intimate Stories and Photos of The Petaluma Watershed by John Sheehy & Scott Hess

Why do some places speak to us so mysteriously and yet so forcefully? Scott Hess and John Sheehy pursue that question in a unique new book of stunning photographs and intimate historical stories about the Petaluma River Watershed in Northern California.  Pre-order your copy/copies now and join me in support of these fine, fellow neighboring indie book publishers with their just launched crowdfunding campaign, which offers an early bird discount. 

 Click here for link to the Indiegogo page.

I've borrowed John and Scott's words  & photos from their campaign in this post so you can see what a fantastic creative effort has gone into producing this beautiful book. I predict it will be very popular, especially with the holidays coming up. 

"Our place is part of what we are.”  — Poet Gary Snyder

"Our relationship with the place we live is one of our closest bonds. The physical landscape we experience every day holds layers of history, much of it passed down in myths and half-remembered lore,"says John and Scott. "And yet, when that landscape is undergoing change, there’s often a sense of being uprooted while still being physically present.In such times, stories deepen our roots. The native Coast Miwok used legends and oral traditions to define their surroundings and themselves. It’s no different today. Communities that lose their collective memory of the past lose their sense of meaning and identity."

In their wonderful new book On a River Winding Home, John & Scott have set out to "restory" the Petaluma River Watershed landscape by pairing contemporary photos with intimate tales of the past that have provided the watershed with such a powerful sense of place.

All Photos - Scott Hess     City of Petaluma from the headwaters of Thompson Creek

The Authors

Scott Hess, a longtime Petaluma-based photographer, takes readers on a pictorial journey that reveals the beauty and spiritual grace of the watershed’s natural landscape, the bucolic nature of its working farms and ranches, and the historic charm of its river city, Petaluma.

John Sheehy, an award-winning historian and fourth-generation Petaluma native, seamlessly blends Scott’s photographs with short stories that celebrate the watershed’s colorful history, showcasing a lively cast of characters ranging from the native Coast Miwok, Mexican rancheros, and Gold Rush settlers, to the slow growth pioneers, winemakers, and farm-to-table pioneers of today.

Storyteller John Sheehy (left) and photographer Scott Hess (right).

"If you don't know where you are, you don't know who you are." —Wendell Berry

John & Scott's book book seeks to bring alive the Petaluma River Watershed in all of its complexity, both past and present. It is designed for place-loving people, specifically those already rooted, becoming rooted, formerly rooted, or even re-rooted in the area.

By pairing contemporary images with stories of the past, they hope to increase awareness of the delicate balance the watershed must strike in protecting its unique natural, social, and historic-built environments, while at the same time evolving forward. Communities are built by nesters—those who settle, and in settling come to deeply know, love, and care for the place they have settled into. Their books seeks to foster and deepen that fundamental commitment.

      Mutual Relief Building, Kentucky Street and Western Avenue

The book is divided into three parts: the native Coast Miwoks, the working landscape of farms and ranches, and the river town. Particular locations have been selected with the aim of expressing the watershed’s unique beauty, both in the natural and the built landscapes, and the strong sense of place the watershed has provided for generations.

Part rambling walking tour, part voyage to the past, On a River Winding Home will be published in early November 2018, just in time for the holidays.

Holstein cows, Spring Hill Road

A limited edition of the book will be published in a  hardcover, coffee table format of 8 3/4 x 12 inches. Made up of 232 pages, 70,000 words, and 133 images, the book will be printed on high quality, dull-coated art paper, and Smyth sewn with a litho-wrapped cover.

Beautifully designed by designer and artist Laurie Szujewska, On a River Winding Home is a book that you will want to display on your coffee table long after you’ve finished reading it, both to share with friends as well as to remind yourself of what a fascinating, dynamic place the Petaluma River Watershed is.

Volpi's Ristorante, Washington and Keller Streets

 

Advance Praise for On a River Winding Home

“This is a truly wonderful book, in the poetry of the writing, the meticulous research, the knowledgeable commentary, and the vivid photography. I'm going to buy it the second it comes out." —Adair Lara, author of History of Petaluma: A California River Town

“Story-telling at its best, with delicious images of the special place that can only be Petaluma." —Lyndi Brown, Sonoma County Gazette

"This book is a must-read for anyone who lives in the North Bay.” —Chris Samson, Petaluma Argus-Courier  editor 1984-2012

“A treasure trove of intimate, colorful images and impeccably researched history — paired to both delight and inform." —Frances Rivetti, author of Fog Valley Crush

“The book is drop dead gorgeous. . . it should grace every coffee table and bookshelf from Petaluma to Pittsburgh.” —Suzanne Farver, former executive director, Aspen Art Museum 

“This is a fine, handsome book, telling many of the best stories of old Petaluma.” —Lee Torliatt, The Sonoma Historian

"The stories and portraits of the fascinating people who came to live here and make the land their own are the best I have read . . . anywhere. Bravo!” —Skip Sommer, Petaluma Argus-Courier

 

 

 

Explore The Future of Local Food — 7 to 8.30 PM Wednesday, September 26th, 2018 — Della Fattoria Cafe, Petaluma

The next in a series of Future of Food evenings takes place on Wednesday, September 26, 7-8:30pm at Della Fatorria Cafe, 144 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma. 

This month, grass roots organizers are excited to learn more about FoodChain, a new concept in connecting organic plant-based investors, growers, producers and consumers.  FoodChain founders Lauren Garcia and Laura Bridgeman will explain their project, which also addresses the connection between food production and the climate crises.

If you're interested in learning more about the future of the food we have to chose from, grow and eat and/or if you have some great ideas of your own, don't miss these casual, yet cutting-edge discussions with big thinkers, doers and makers in our tasty region. 

Oasis Community Farm Presents Sonoma County's Introduction to "Drawdown" — a Comprehensive Plan to Reverse Global Warming — Sat Oct 6th, 2018 1.30pm to 5.30pm