September

for some reason, always a sign of fall for me

Wow, it's already September!

I know, smart observation. Round of applause for me!

But apart from the big 9 in the calendar, there are some unmistakable signs creeping up, that fall is close.

fruit & vegetables

When I went shopping yesterday, I couldn't help but notice the highly visible change in the produce offered. Instead of cherries and strawberries, there were plums, pears, cabbage and grapes. And they all seemed to scream at me: Ya, summer is over, you sun-addict! Kind of scary. And before you all start to wonder now what the heck I must 've been doing before I went in the store to see blabbering fruit: relax! I have just been really busy the last couple days / weeks, so it came as a surprise to see the first signs of fall in the stores.

temperatures

For me, summer started when I came back from Denmark at the end of May. The weather in this northern kingdom was nice and sunny, but obviously nothing compared to the temperatures in the northern part of Italy. To make a boring weather report short, it just got really hot here in the middle of August and after about 3 darned hot weeks, there was some some rain recently and the temps fell significantly.

Funny enough, I was jealous the whole time when my man was in Canada and told me about the boiling hot weather ( he hates it). I thought it wasn't fair that the summer in North America should be warmer than in Italy, but being a nice person, I thought that at least he would be more comfortable when he finally came here. Guess what, few days before his arrival, summer heat got here, too.

view

We're lucky enough to live surrounded by mountains. Every year, usually in the end of August or the beginning of September, it rains for a day or two and the view over the mountains becomes much clearer. It almost seems as if they would have come closer. Im sure, there's some scientifical explanation for that phenomenon. Feel free to enlighten me, if you know!

view from my balcony today

Obviously, there are many many more signs of fall to come and to write about. And we will, as for example about the wine culture in this region, the ongoing harvesting, fall recipes and what kind of weird tradition"Törggelen" is.

What's a sign of fall for you?

Bartlmäh: the heyday of traditional celebrations on Ritten

After the 15th of August, the Kirchtag in Oberbozen, the 24th is another red marked day in the traditional party season here. I'd even say marked in all rainbow colors, blinking and with glitter as "Bartlmäh" is the biggest and most popular outdoor Dirndl or Lederhosen event in the area.

Historical background

The day, the animals were brought down from the alpine pastures where they spent the hot summer time, has always been a big celebration day. Not only had the lonely life of the herdmen, far away from family and friends on the mountain pastures an end, but of course all the peasants came to check on their animals and bring them home.

Shocking but true, this reunion of the sheperds, encounter of all farmers around and symbol for the nearing end of the summer turned into a cheerful celebration. Cattle, horses and other farm animals were traded, merchants offered their goods, everbody enjoyed food and drinks and the corner stone for marriages or the one or other scandal was laid.

On Ritten this "Almabtrieb", the day the livestock is chased down from the alpine pastures, falls on the 24th of August, the day of Saint Bartholomäus. And there we find the reason for the strange name, in the German dialect spoken around here, the holy man's name sounds like "Bartlma" or Bartlmäh".

And today?

Nowadays people in the area still pilgrimage up the alpine grassland. Not because many of them are interested in checking on their cows' health condition. Or because many would even touch a cow willingly. But because it's a big party with lots of good food and even more good beer. Cattle and Haflinger horses are still chased down into another and lower pasture, traditional music bands play and Alphorns' tooting is heard in the summerwind, accompanied by the rhythmical snapping of the whips.

Denmark: last year this time...

beautiful day at the beach in Skagen, Nordjylland, Denmark

... I started to get ready to follow my man to Denmark for the season. All the way up in the north of that already very much northern country. And that me, the sun lover, southern lifestyle fan and coffee culture craver! I found out, that in these lines of latitude I would get my fair share of the famous short, dark days in wintertime and beautiful, lucent long days in the summer. How convenient that I would be there between September and something around March!!

I was lucky enough though, to have the time and to find a cheap flight right around this time in August to visit for some days the town I would later live in (and of course him).

So here are just some things I figured out during my first hours in Danish-landia:

Denmark is flat. Flatter than flat when you're used to live in between mountains.

This insight led to a funny moment right at the end of my stay in Denmark. My friend drove me to the airport and said on the highway, that she gets a weird feeling every time she drives over that hill. Probably the height change... I didn't know what the heck she was talking about, we didnt drive over any hill. Oh yeah, she meant that 5 meter difference over a stretch of a kilometer! Ha, I can't wait for her to visit me here, where you drive 500 meters up and down all the time...

 

Northern Italian and Northern Danish temperatures in August are NOT the same. It's still bright but don't let the picture betray you, it's windy and not really warm. Yay me, I brought a jacket.

The beaches in Nordjylland (that's Northern Denmark) are white, sandy and beautiful. They even plant some palm trees on one!

...which I wanted to show my friend when she came to visit from Italy and looked like an idiot when there were none. They had to bring them somewhere inside for the winter, of course...

Despite all the info, not to expect too much of a warm welcome from Scandinavians, that they're a closed up folk and need some time to open up, I felt right away heartly welcomed. Responsibles from my man's team did their best to help me settle in  and organize everything, people in the town were friendly and helpful.

Where else would they tell you to just go buy whatever is missing in the fully equipped appartment. Should I tell them before and ask? Nope just bring the bill and we'll reimburse you.

 

I was shocked to be in a country where I didnt understand a thing. Well ya, big surprise if you don't speak Danish, stupid! But I take pride in speaking or at least understanding 4 languages and I hadn't been in a country where I wouldn't understand for some time.

Wasn't a big problem though, Danish people speak all very good English and some even German.

(I should have learnt more Danish. I didn't and I didn't try hard. I picked up the words I needed to get by and go grocery shopping. Then I started working in a Danish company which kept me pretty busy and occupied. I learnt some more and had to use all my other languages at work, plus not my first language at home, obviously. But still, now I think I should have invested more time.)

Denmark is windy, especially in the North and close to the beach. Getting out of the mini plane which took me the last 40 minutes from Copenhagen I almost got blown away. Literally.

The huge tankers and ships are cool. I spent at least an hour on my first day there just standing at the window and staring. I've never lived at a harbour and there was one right in front of our doorstep.

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summer in Northern Italy

... is fresh fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes in all shapes and shades of red, herbs, juicy peaches, sweet and dark cherries - the assortment is vast and everything tastes like sunshine and summer rain

market in Bozen

... is taking it easy around lunchtime, it's simply too hot to move much!!

...is enjoying long summer nights outside, sitting on the piazze with some vino

...the smell of drying hay in the sunshine and the sound of ringing bells around the cows' necks on the mountain pastures

...long dinners with family and friends outside

... gelato

...empty, idyllic paradise beaches as much as party beach spots with malls and bars

Sardegna beaches

Rimini

...summer festivals, outdoor concerts, mountain parties and traditional festivities

...sticky and sweltering heat in the cities during daytime, leading to sticky and sweating people

...Italian summer fashion

...Italian eyewear

sporty weekends?

 

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5 things I love about Canada

1. People are nice

Some might call it the typical North American shallowness but I always prefer a smiling face to a grumpy one. No matter how heartfelt it is. And who expects a deep conversation about true feelings or politics in a store or with a one-time-acquaintance anyways?

2. Canadian things are pretty

I mean just look at the flag, the national anthem, Canadian symbols like the beaver, maple leaf and tree, the moose (less pretty but very much loved), the loony coin…

 

loonie

 

3. Canadians take their sports serious

They do, playing it themselves and following their favorite teams. Again I think it’s friendlier. More fans, fewer hooligans.

4. The cultural variety

Natives, French, Scottish, Irish, British, German, Italian… – you find the traces of these cultures in architecture, language, names of towns and people, food and festivities. Yet in a very special “Canadianized” way.

    

Canadian hockey

5. Nature

Huge lakes, high mountains, endless forests, icy landscapes with polar bears, rivers, coasts, waterfalls, national parks… and all of them are exceptionally beautiful. There are 7 cultural and 9 natural properties inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage list.

Niagara Falls

  

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monday motivation

pretty patio

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