Happy Birthday Elisa!

Buon compleanno! Celebrating Elisa's birthday at the Pompei Resort.

May 15, 2010.

I Vini Dei Feudi di San Gregorio, Avellino

The province of Avellino, Italy, surrounded by vineyards, offers wines of international reputation. For instance, we found a bottle of wine at the I Vini Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio priced at more than $500.

The hills surrounding Avellino are covered with vineyards. Here, the vines are being tended during the afternoon on May 14, 2010.

Exploring the I Vini Dei Feudi wine cellar with our new friends in Avellino. (May 14, 2010). On the left is Tatsuhiko Ozaki from Japan. Front row, center, Tonia Coppola. Back row, center, Rita Paola Maietta. The Rotary Club of Avellino hosted the GSE Team and made special arrangements for the private tour of the winery. Tonia's brother, Nello, is a member of the Avellino Rotary Club.

Cultural Immersion

Each day we learn our Italian Lessons as we observe, absorb, and inquire:

• The best food is FRESH and SIMPLE. In Italy we have been eating produce that is in season, bread made that morning, cheese made within 2 days, and fresh herbs. We can name every ingredient on our plate and at times can see the field where it was produced.
• To cut the Italian way: fork in the left hand, cut one bite with the knife in the right hand, eat one bite, then repeat.
• Once you get used to eating dinner between 22:00 and midnight it seems early when someone suggests eating at 20:30.
• When driving: everyone has the right of way!
• Everyone drives a manual car and uses their bumpers
• When learning a language just try
• The key to the Mediterranean longevity is a combination of nourishment, less stress, and climate.
• ENJOY EACH MOMENT!

More on Paestum by Alex

We are often somewhat unsure exactly what we will be seeing each day. We were told we would be seeing some Greek and Roman ruins but none of us expected anything this spectacular. One minute you are walking past a resturaunt and the next you are seeing something that seems like its from another world. This happened to us a few days ago when we visited the ruins of Paestum.

The site consists of three Temples constructed by the Greeks after the founding of the city around 650 BC. One temple (the Acropolis) sits on the cities highest hill and is dedicated to the Goddess Athena, another temple is dedicated to Hera and the deity the third temple is dedicated to is uncertain. It could be another temple to Hera (Goddess of fertility) or to Poseidon(God of the Sea). Each temple is constructed in the same style with huge columns surrounding a rectangular enclosure which would have originally been closed to worshipers. Each temple would have had a wooden roof but those have not stood the test of time like the giant limestone blocks that make up the columns and temple floor.

The whole site is connected by ancient Roman roads. Really large stones sunk into the ground. While primitive now these roads were the lifeline of the Roman Republic and Empire allowing trade to flourish and troops to be quickly moved for defense.

The surrounding environs of the site are Roman (having torn down the Greek style houses after taking the city). One can see the remains of tombs, houses, the forum (open air public meeting place), amphitheater and even a swimming pool.

Paestum Rotary Club Banner Exchange

GSE Team Rotary banner exchange with the Rotary Club of Paestum, Italy. We were invited to speak to the club about our team. Although we had an interpreter available to assist, we all spoke Italian for the presentation.

The GSE pins, which feature an Italian/U.S. flag and Rotary symbol, are very popular items which we share with our Italian hosts and friends.

The Day of the Buffala...

Yesterday we spent the day experiencing the products of buffalo (buffala in Italian). Buffalo milk unlike the cow milk we are use to is a very important industry in Southern Italy. We started off our day touring a local farm with over 250 buffalo ranging from newborns to mature prize winners. It was amazing seeing their efficiency. We then went on to the mozzarella plant where they made, you guessed it, mozzarella made of buffalo milk or mozzarella buffala. If you have never had the opportunity to travel to this region than we recommend you disregard any thoughts you may have had on what “fresh mozzarella” may taste like. I don’t think any of us have ever had anything that even remotely compares to what we have had here and I am not sure if any of us will ever be able to look at mozzarella the same way again once we return to the states. Elisa being the agricultural enthusiast that she is did make a valid point…Why don’t the dairy farmers in our area specialize in cheese? We think there could be a market but maybe that is just us? Besides for the mozzarella we also had the chance to experience buffalo ice cream and even buffalo meat. The meat of course comes from the poor unfortunate animals that cannot produce milk. Apparently buffalo meat isn’t as popular as the milk however we still managed to find it on our plate at the end of the day. For whatever reason we found yesterday to be the “day of buffala” but we’re OK with that since I don’t think any of us were disappointed.

Mozzarella di Bufala, Campania, Italy

Andrew samples the fresh mozzarella di bufala and salad at La Basilica Cafe, Paestum, Italy (May 11, 2010)

Mozzarelli di Bufala served fresh at La Basilica Cafe, Paestum, Italy.

Bufala at the Bellelli Farm, Campania, Italy, May 11, 2010

Mr. Ettore Bellelli at the family owned Bellelli Farm, Campania, Italy, May 11, 2010. Ettore, a member of the Paestum Rotary Club, provided the GSE Team with a tour of the farm.

Making fresh Mozzarella di Bufala at the Azienda Agricola Casearia Barlotti, Campania, Italy.

The mozzarella di bufala manufacturing process is a popular educational and tourist attraction in Campania, Italy.